The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(78)

“Well, I’ll be damned. I don’t know what I would do without that guy.”

I took his hand again, and we walked away from the beautiful waterfall, toward the trail.

“I feel the same way.”



Back at home, we found Luke, Oscar and Alice sitting at the kitchen table eating bowls of cereal and talking about what the future held for them.

“You are both welcome to stay here as long as you need to,” Luke offered as Drew and I entered the kitchen and made for the fridge and cold water bottles.

We both cracked one open and guzzled half our water down.

“Hard work out?” Alice asked, raising her eyebrows.

I raised mine back at her but didn’t answer her sarcastic question. She directed her attention back at Luke.

“Well, I’d like to stay longer, if you’ll have me. Of course, now I can help pay rent or something. I just need to figure out exactly what I want to do.”

Luke swallowed a bite of his cereal. “Of course, that sort of decision takes time. And there is no need to help with anything but groceries.”

Oscar nodded. “I hate to admit this, because it’s not very manly, but I’m actually afraid to go home. I’m afraid there might be vampires waiting there to kill me.” He rolled his eyes. “God, that sounds so pathetic.”

“Perfectly understandable,” I said. “I would feel the same way. I’m okay with you both staying here.”

Luke looked up at Drew with a question in his eyes. “What about you?”

Drew shrugged his shoulders. “I’m okay with it, I guess.” He looked around. “It’s kind of crowded, but temporarily… it’s not so bad.”

“All right, then,” Luke addressed Oscar and Alice, “you can both stay until you find other accommodations. If you stay long enough in the community, perhaps become a part of it somehow, the board will discuss you getting your own homes in the community.”

Alice and Oscar agreed. So it looked like we were going to be a full house for a while.

Luke scooted his chair out and got up to deposit his cereal bowl into the sink. “Looks like we have a birthday to celebrate today.”

I waved it off. “Nah, I have everything I want. We don’t need to celebrate.”

Drew refilled his water bottle from the faucet.

“Well, maybe we want to celebrate.”

He took swig off the water and capped it, then walked out of the room.

“Where are you going?” I called after him.

Alice, Oscar and Luke followed Drew out of the room, so I had no choice but to follow. In the living room, I had totally missed the huge stack of presents that sat on the coffee table.

“Oh, you guys! You didn’t have to do this.”

Although I was sixteen now, the child in me rushed forward to rip into all my gifts. Alice gave me a pair of boots that would be nice for school. Yeah, I had to go back to school. Oscar gave me a leather-covered journal with a carved bow and arrow on the front. Luke gave me a new gun, this one a pink and black Glock, and it rocked! I was totally excited about having my second gun, but nothing would ever compare to my first baby Drew had given me.

My last present on the table was from Drew. It was a tiny box. I opened the box and found a bullet dangling from a silver chain.

“Drew,” I breathed. Normally, a girl would be excited about a diamond or any other kind of necklace, but this was, for sure, my kind of gift.

He cleared his throat when I handed it to him and moved my hair aside so that he could help me put it on. “I wanted to get the bullet that you were shot with, but that wouldn’t look good on a necklace. So this is supposed to be symbolic of your battle wound.”

“I love it!” I told him as he let my hair fall back down. “It’s perfect.”

“I hoped you would like it.” He backed away.

Suddenly, the room became very warm. “Is it hot in here?” I asked.

Before anyone could answer, I got my final birthday gift. A mist filtered into the living room and Sostrate appeared in her jungle hunter outfit, only this time she held a long wooden spear in her hand.

“Greetings, my children.”

Drew and I had seen her before, but Luke, Alice and Oscar looked like they were going to pass out.

“I come today because Chloe has reached her sixteenth year.” She eyed me with a loving look. “Soon, she will reach the full potential of her gifts and must hone them to perfection.”

Drew smirked. “I think she is doing a fine job of that, so far.”

Sostrate shook her head and chastised Drew with her eyes.

“Andrew, Chloe will need your help.” She lifted her free hand and gestured to Alice, Oscar and Luke. “She will need all of your help. Your paths have not crossed with this young hunter’s for no reason. You all bear special gifts that will help her to win the coming war.”

“What?” I slammed my fist on the table, causing even Sostrate to jump. “Are you kidding me? A war? I thought this was over!”

“Chloe!” Luke hissed. Apparently, I was not supposed to sass the demi-goddess.

“No! Damn it! I just escaped from evil vampires. I don’t want to fight a war with them.”

Sostrate moved closer to me.

“My child, you are a hunter. The war will never be over until the vampires are eradicated. The war is brewing already, and you must all train.” She ran her eyes up and down Oscar and Alice. “Yes, even you two. You are not hunters, but you are descended from those who bear great power.”