Read Online Hunted (A Cyn & Raphael Novella) by D.B. Reynolds - Free Book Online Page B

way.”
    “How’s that working out for you?”
    Cyn chuckled. “Not so well, but it’s fun trying. And it drives him nuts, so the effort is well worth it.” She smiled, thinking about Raphael’s usual reaction to what he considered her stubbornness.
    “Good times,” Kathryn agreed, and they both snickered.
    “You know, the air’s really fresh out here,” Cyn said.
    “Yeah, it is. Bracing.”
    “What do you say we sit in the truck instead?”
    “Fuck, yeah. Who needs fresh air? I’m freezing.”
    Cyn laughed and opened the driver’s side door, sliding behind the wheel. She snagged the extra keys from their hiding place and turned on the engine, then made sure the heater was set to human warmth.
    Kathryn turned as she settled into the passenger seat. “So … this Mates Club … There are other women like you and me?”
    Cyn smiled. “I prefer to think of myself as one of a kind, but if you mean mated to vampire lords, then, yes, we are not alone. And we’re not all women, either. The vampire lord up in Canada is female. Her name is Sophia, and yes, she’s still called a vampire lord . Chauvinistic bastards. Anyway, her mate is a former Navy SEAL and all around badass named Colin Murphy. We went through some really heavy shit together a few months ago, and survived. He’s a friend.”
    “And the rest?”
    “There’s Sara, whose story is hers to tell, not mine. She’s a survivor, though, and also a friend. I’m actually the one who introduced her to Rajmund —he’s Lord of the Northeast. They did the traditional marriage thing not long ago, big wedding, the whole bit. Beautiful dress.”
    “You and Raphael aren’t married?”
    She shook her head. “We’re mated, which is the vamp way, and enough for us. I don’t know how much Lucas has told you, but it involves—surprise, surprise—an exchange of blood.”
    Kathryn shook her head. “Lucas has hinted around about the mating ritual and what it would mean for us, but I can tell he doesn’t want to push too hard, too soon. It sounds a lot like being married.”
    “It is, I guess. There are definitely advantages, though. The blood link means Raphael can find me anywhere in the world, pretty much. And the longer we’re together, the stronger the link. That’s why I had to race back to the house this afternoon. Our link is strong enough that he can follow me even in daytime, especially if something traumatic or emotional happens.” She huffed a laugh. “Like if somebody was shooting at us. I wanted to be there as soon as he woke up, so he could see I was fine. If I do get hurt, though, the blood link lets me heal a lot faster than normal.” She turned to stare out the windshield, thinking about Washington and how close she’d come to dying. “That shit I told you Colin and I went through together? I would have died if it hadn’t been for Raphael and the blood we share.”
    Cyn grew silent, remembering, and realized how very quiet it was out here. No distant hum of traffic, no planes, no drift of music, no people. There were only her and Kathryn, and two vampires—Lucas’s second bodyguard, a big vampire named Mason, and Sebastien , who’d come with Aden. The two of them seemed to have reached agreement on how to guard the shack, er , homestead, as long as the honchos were convening inside. Mason was currently standing guard at the opposite corner of the house from where Cyn and Kathryn sat in one of the trucks, while Sebastien had disappeared around back a few minutes ago.
    “Any other law enforcement in the club?” Kathryn asked, breaking the silence.
    Cyn shook her head. “The closest is Emma, but she’s a lawyer, and a political one at that. She’s mated to Duncan in D.C. She—” Cyn stopped talking to stare straight ahead.
    Kathryn followed her gaze. “What is it?”
    Cyn didn’t say anything, just opened the truck door and stepped outside, listening hard. “Mason,” she called softly, “do you hear anything?”
    He stared