Since everyone was leaving me alone, I was quickly ticking things off my to do list. I’d emailed our President and requested my access back to the network and after messing around under Jordan’s name actually started to try and find some kind of clue of who Aaron was. It didn’t help that everyone was walking on eggshells around me. Even Keiran and Raya acted like total strangers now and I wondered what was the point of it all if now I had the mark against my name of not only being the disgraced Hunter, but also the one who was nearly turned into a vampire.

In some ways it made me feel closer to Reece, only I shouldn’t be complaining over a bit of social exclusion considering with each day more and more of the vampire blood that was lingering in my system was leaving me. He didn't get that kind of luxury and had to suffer through it all and besides I’d never really had a lot of friends anyway so it’s not like I’d ever admit their silence hurt.

From where I was curled in the corner of my living room, Jordan came storming in from outside with the usual crowd behind him. What I didn’t expect was Sam to be with them and despite Logan and I working on being friends again and hearing from Chris and Zane regarding her relationship history with the Tracker, I just couldn’t try to like her.

“What is this nonsense about you deciding to go rogue?” Jordan demanded and frowning it took me a second to remember the rather drunken conversation I had last night with my baby sitter, some girl from Zanes’ team. Clearly she didn’t know when I was joking and also couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Good thing I didn’t get talking about my love life.

“Does it matter? What if Ron cuts me loose and I’m left on the outside?” Deciding to play along, I couldn’t resist not stirring him up.

“He wouldn’t do that!”

“Are you sure? I’m not his favorite person.” I reminded him, thinking of our past. He had been all too willing to set me up in the civilian world.

“Yes I’m sure! You have all of us behind you, besides even if he did, which he won’t - you’re fucking insane if you think Mum and Dad will let you do that!” Jordan carried on ranting.

“They wouldn’t have to know!” I pointed out, knowing that was a lie.

“Of all the stupid ideas and ridiculous shit you have come up with lately, going out on your own is just, no. What will you do, sell your services to humans like some kind of assassin or still be a demon hunter who has no support or back up?”

“You’ve clearly been thinking about this more than me. Chill bro!”

“You do realize by carrying on like that she’s probably going to do it now right?” Chris joined into the argument, and the four jerks in my life had me trapped on my corner of the lounge as they stood in front of me.

“Jordan’s right though, I wouldn’t let you do that either. We’d make him take you back.” Zane, for the first time ever, agreed with Jordan.

“It was just some drunken rambling. Gosh!” Rolling my eyes only made them angrier.

“You can’t say things like that and not take it seriously!” Jordan wasn’t done lecturing me yet. I’d already heard about how I should be proud of our heritage and what he thought of people who traded in their abilities for a whole new skill set.

“I am taking it seriously, I didn’t even mean it!”

“Come with me, we can ease you back into some training and get you focused on being a Hunter again.” I knew Zane was leaving tomorrow, all searches and bait attempts at luring Aaron out had failed and even I was positive he wasn’t around now.  Zane goes where his works go and it wasn’t here anymore, but he was still missing the point. I had no intention of going through with any of that. If Ron didn’t take me back, well I would just tag along with them or hang out back at the Academy with my parents and Alfie. Things had a way of working themselves out.

“She isn’t going with you!” Now Jordan turned his anger onto the Slayer and their moment of agreeing with each other was over. “She stays with her own kind!”

The war that followed regarding what was best for me had them all distracted and getting up from the sofa; I practically crawled over to the passage to the kitchen. With the front door open, I could see outside and before I went into the kitchen to get something to eat while I watched them all argue, the familiar rumble of a motorbike had me looking back out.  

As the rider took off their helmet, I didn’t expect to see Drew.

“Tell me, does this big brother trip make you feel important? Do you even know anything about her other than what she lets you see?” Zane blasted Jordan, and as Chris started to defend my brother I couldn’t find it in me to do the same.

“Guys, calm down. This isn’t getting us anywhere! Why don’t-” Now Logan joined the party and shaking my head I set my iPad on charge.

“Stay out of his Logan!” Jordan snapped and not completely closing the front door, I went onto the porch and slipped on my boots which I had left by the front door last night.

“Hey!” Drew rested the helmet between his legs, not bothering to get off now I had come out.

“Hey yourself. Nice ride, but there is one thing wrong with it!”

He looked offended and I could tell it was new. “What?”

“I’m not the one driving it!”

“But, oh! Not a chance,” Drew smiled and it was then I noticed the dimple on his left cheek, “You can get on the back though?”

“It’ll do!” I wasn’t going to waste my chance at freedom and keenly got on behind him while the voices inside slipped out behind me. I had enough.

The engine started with a roar, the vibration from its power filling me with anticipation and rather than put his helmet back on, Drew strapped it to the side and looked back at me. “Ready?”

I only nod and as he kicks off, the front door of my house is slammed open.

“ELISE!” Jordan is pushed out of the way by the other three as they all come down the stairs in a hurry.

“I’ll be back later. Try not to kill each other!” I call out with a wave goodbye.

Drew hesitated, yet as I wrap my arms around his waist, he gets the message and we take off down the road. Even if they managed to get to their cars, we would be too far in front for them to chase us.

-x-

Going through town, he turns to get onto the highway out of here and he doesn’t stop. We keep going past the ocean and the roads become narrow, bending around the cliff side where metal barriers acted as decoration, rather than actual safety devices.

We soon found ourselves coming across a smaller town. The old wooden sign had clearly seen better years with the painting of a guy surfing chipped and faded. I had never heard of Forest Rocks, and it was hard to imagine I had never been out this way during my time here. It wasn’t much of town with one street of shops, which held all the basics and everyone walked around as if they were on holiday. It was a nice change of pace compared to what I had left behind at home.

Finding the bakery on the corner, Drew pulled into the first available parking space and getting off the Harley I realized how long it had been since I’d been on one. I stretched before running my hands through my hair, wishing I had thought to tie it up. My skin was warm from the sun and as Drew tucked his keys in his pocket, my stomach growled.

“Hungry?” He asked with a laugh.

“Your buy right?”

“The runaway didn’t think to bring her purse?” He mocked, following me inside and the aroma of pies and sweet, baked goods had my mouth watering. “So what was all that about?”

“Well, if you thought Zane was tough on you guys after that whole incident, you might not want to go back to the city after this little stunt!”

“He’s really protective of you, all of them are.” Drew pointed out as I ordered.

“And that’s why we’re here.”

“They only do it because they care,” he defended, “you did nearly die a couple of times.”

Grabbing our paper bags full of goodies, we found a table outside to eat at.

“If I wanted the lecture, I would have stayed home.”

“Okay, chill. I get it, being the youngest in my family sucks too you know!”

“You have Tom as brother, I don’t doubt it.” He smiles before trying to look offended and I just laugh.

“I know, since Dad died and because he is the oldest he thinks he is, like, god. It was so good seeing Zane rip into him! That guy is scary as, I’d hate to really be on his bad side.”

“Well, you just got yourself a spot at the front of the line, but he has a good heart. He is as loyal as anything and in the last year he has become more of a friend than I would have thought possible, especially considering how we met!” It didn’t seem like a year ago, more like a lifetime.

“From what I know of you, it’s probably quite the story!” Drew steals some of my pie, but I’ve already moved on to the cream puffs so I didn’t really care. Between mouthfuls, I tell him about Chris and Zane trying to abduct me and what happened once they did.

“So then the jerk refused to leave me alone, even for a second. I still managed to get out of the bathroom though, only then we were attacked by vampires so that put my real escape plans on hold.”

“I thought my life was interesting, clearly you all survived that attack?” He was completely enthralled by my story, and I had never actually talked about it like this before. It was nice to share.

“Yeah, so then I got dragged to an Underground with them and found my freedom. Then shit just got worse and worse.” Like seeing Reece again, meeting that Winters bitch, sleeping with Logan… I decided to leave those parts out of the story.

“I’ve heard things about it, from some of the others who were there like Kieran and Raya. That werewolf knew what she was doing!”

“Clearly because who is still alive?” It came out sounding more sarcastic than I intended, and just thinking of Selene made me lose my appetite.

“That’s why we’re Hunters Elise; we’re the ones to stop them from winning.” He says proudly.

Win. Lose. It’s all the same.

“And what is the cost of that exactly?” I mumble, “Nearly ending up as werewolf food, being used as a human sacrifice, losing people I love followed by almost being turned into a vampire? All just a small price to pay for the greater good right?”

“If it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.” It takes a few minutes for him to answer, and I’m not sold on it.

“Then I must be fucking invincible!”

The conversation dies and since we’ve finished eating, we take a walk around town. I haven’t had any of this recently; just hanging out and being normal. I miss Matt and guilt at dragging him into my crazy world had me close to throwing up lunch.

“You okay?” Drew’s concern was sincere and holding my stomach, nodded.

“Yeah, I think I ate too fast.” I lie.

We keep walking closer to the beach and stopping at the sandy path down to the water, my skin starts to prickle and looking at Drew, he senses it too.

“You’re kidding me right?” I groan, looking around we’re really unprepared for any kind of possible attack.

“It might be someone peaceful?” Drew tells me hopefully.

“I was nearly changed into a vampire a few days ago with a psycho still out there planning who knows what, you really think that?”

“Ah, no. Let’s get back to the bike.”

Looking around, I can’t see anything out of the usual. He could be right, it could be nothing. Demons exist all around us, all the time – mostly peaceful. It’s day time so it can’t be vampires and the full moon is a few days away so at least we don’t have to worry about those kind of monsters chasing us. Shifters, maybe – but it doesn’t feel like them. It’s different. Demonic is the only thing I’m getting.

I’m too distracted and letting Drew guide me by the hand, I’m looking left when a guy moves in from my right and I bump into him rather awkwardly. There is no doubt that he is the reason for our internal alarm systems freaking out.

“Hey man, watch where you’re going!” Drew pulls me back behind him, and looking up at the hulk of a man, his eyes turn to two orange slits with tiny glittering speckles of gold forming his pupil. It’s beautiful, like fire and as Drew pulls my hand again, I realize he doesn’t know this is the demon. Whatever trance I fell into, I snap out of it and take a step back.

“I believe she walked into me?” His accent isn’t one I can pick up easily, but I do like it.

“Sorry.” I mumble, looking at Drew who only frowns.

“Come on!” He groans, trying to pull me away only to have him grab my arm as we pass.

His grip is like iron, and doubted either of us would have the ability to pry his fingers off me. Strange thing is, for some reason, I’m not scared. “What are you?”

I can’t tell. Apart from his eyes, he looks like he walked out a summer romance novel, complete with shaggy sun kissed hair that is still damp from the ocean and looking him over the wetsuit has one has been rolled off down to his waist. Just beside him on a bench, the red surfboard has an amazing image of an angel, the black feathers of her wings wrapping around her naked body as the flames come up from the base to touch the wing tips.

I’m staring down at it, oblivious to Drew calling my name or the fact surfer demon is now standing beside me and glancing up, he is studying me just as intently as I am looking at his board.

“Wanna tell me what’s going on?” Drew demands.

“Be gone Hunter.” With a wave of his hand, the demon has Drew walking away. Still, I'm not scared or worried.

“So, is this going to end painfully for you or me?” I sigh, thankful the fog that filled my head had lifted. I really don't want to fight him so hopefully he won't give me no other choice.

“Neither. I am Gason, and to answer your question - incubus.”

“No way!” I exclaim louder than I intended to. I had never come across one of these life sucking demons before. I didn’t actually want to either, but here we were.

He chuckles, the rumble coming from deep within. “Few Hunters have ever responded like that. Actually, none have.”

“I’m not like other Hunters.” For one, I keep fighting with what I am.

“And I am not like other demons.” There is a seductive edge to his tone that has me blushing.

“Obviously.” I can’t help admire the masculine figure in front of me. Clearly the surfing has given him a body worthy of the gods and the disgust I want to feel for thinking those things about a demon doesn’t happen.

“There is a bounty on your head. You’re rather valuable to keep around.” Gason keeps his tone neutral, but now he really has my attention and not for reasons you'd expect.

“What is that accent?”

“Australian.” Again he laughs to himself, but it doesn’t bother me.

“I’ve never met a demon from Australia.”

“No, you probably wouldn’t have. We don’t like to travel too far from home.”

As he runs his hand through his hair, it’s like the world is slowed down and instantly I bite my lip watching the rather seductive show he is putting on before mentally slapping my forehead. Incubus. Seduction is kind of their thing.

“Fair enough. So I’ll ask again, who is this going to be more painful for?”

I glance at his board, wondering how pissed he would be if I snapped it into pieces to use against him. Instead I freeze, seeing that the angel has shifted her position and the glare on her face was hard to miss. Clearly she wouldn’t like me snapping her apart either.

“Relax. Always with the violence. If I had any intention of claiming that bounty, I would have already had us in bed where you would be completely at my mercy until I decide to cash in on it.” He moves over to his bag, pulling out a piece of cloth and a tub of wax. Then he starts doing something to his board as if we had never even had that conversation.

“You sound pretty confidence of your abilities.” I cringe as it comes out sounding too much like flirting and the idea of going to bed with him, might not be so bad…

“Because I am.” Looking up at me, he grins mischievously as if he can read my mind. Can Incubus do that? I really needed to have paid more attention in school.

 “So you stopped me why?”

“To warn you about your price tag.”

“That’s awfully generous of you, why?” Looking around, I spy a metal stake in the ground near the path to the beach roping off a section of broken fence. Finding a weapon, I feel my confidence growing until looking back at my Australian friend has me squealing with surprise.Gason moved so quickly I hadn’t even seen it, but now he is so close I have no choice other than to look up at him or be able to taste the salt water that is still running down his neck from his hair and over his chest.

“I don’t like vampires.”

“Neither do I!” My breath catches, causing his eyes light up with that intense fire and desire has my blood running hot. Incubus. “You do know I know what you’re doing right?”

“You don’t seem to be complaining or doubting my abilities now?” There is a lot about him I don’t doubt. “I don’t like vampires and I don’t want them to succeed.”

“Succeed?” I ask stupidly, resisting the urge to run my hand over his chest. “Seriously, tone it down!”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He grins again and backs off, and I instantly take a deep breath in an effort to calm myself down. Stupid sexy, gorgeous demon. “Everyone wants to rule the world, but imagine if the vampires actually did?”

The Others. Aaron had said he wasn’t the first to be sent through the portal, nor the only one to be taken back out. He wanted me on his team, and now here Fabio was telling me about vampires ruling the world? He was a demon, how could I even trust what he was saying?

“Do you know who wanted the vampire released?”

“Selene, to get the vampires to help with her man power. She told them because he was so old, he could cure them.”

“Wrong.”

“Care to share?” This guy was becoming less attractive and just plain annoying.

“It was never the werewolf’s idea. None of it was her plan, she simply acted as the face of it all, a distraction. She was just as much a pawn in it all as you were! Thing is, she never saw it and her confidence was her downfall.” He went back to wiping the wax all over the board, and the flames began to dance at his touch leaving the angel to fly higher.

I was pretty sure Logan was her downfall, thinking over seeing him kill her - but what ever. “How do you even know all over this?”

“Demons talk, you just have to listen to them. Not all of us want the world they do, we quite like things the way they are. I get to surf, I feed when I want completely unbothered. They are pesky, and I don’t know why the Slayers haven’t wiped them out completely. The stupid treated did nothing, other than give them the freedom to do what they want behind this perfect façade of obeying your kind’s laws.” The anger in his tone had me walking towards the stake, not sure where the fury would be released to.

“Why me? Is there another family link somewhere I need to know about or is there just a big fucking target on my back that draws you all in?” I groan.

“It’s not always about you, but you are a nice distraction!” Looking over his shoulder he winked, making me roll my eyes. “Watch your back Hunter. Not all demons you will come across will be in a charitable position like I am today.”

“Can’t you just tell me what’s going on instead of these stupid clues?”

“No. For one, I may know a lot, but I don’t know everything. Two, you’re a smart girl and I’m sure you and your little posse will work it out. If I suddenly find my world being interrupted by more of those blood suckers, I will come after you and make you wish you had become one of them so I can’t do half of what I will.” His threat was clear, there wasn’t any teasing or joking around now.

In the time it took me to look at the stake and then at him, he was gone and Drew was running over from the car-park, calling my name.

“Hey, where did you go? I was looking everywhere for you!”

“Surfer dude was a demon, we need to get back.” Looks like I was getting back in the swing of things sooner rather than later.

“Surfer dude? What are you talking about?”

“The guy I bumped into? Gason the-” I looked at him for a second, realizing he had no idea what I was on about. Just great. “Never mind.”

“No, what happened?” Drew demanded, trying to stop me as I went to run back to his ride.

“Later, just get me home.”

With a huff, he obediently followed me and just as we left the car park I turned back to find the demon standing with his board, watching us leave. With a nod of his head, he was gone and I prayed I wouldn’t see him again. He was right, he had been more than generous with his information and he hadn’t turned me in. The fact there was now a price on my head did nothing to settle my nerves and the second I walked inside, Alfie tore through the mesh on the backdoor to greet me.

The other four faces that only glared at me from numerous places around the living room, not so much – especially when Drew walked in behind me.

“Hey buddy!” I kissed the top of Alfie’s nose before scratching under his chin, ignoring ‘my posse’ as Gason had put it.

“And where have you been?” Logan spoke up first, coming over Alfie backed up a little. The look he served Drew only had the Hunter standing a little taller behind me and seeing Sam sitting on the floor near Chris, the act made me smirk. “Green isn’t your color Loges!”

It wasn’t mine either, and thankfully I knew those thoughts were safe in my mind.

“What?” He asked dumbly, clicking on a second later he groaned and stormed out the back door with Alfie going after him.

Making eye contact with Sam, she seemed to join in the glaring competition and I resisted the urge to flip her off. This was my house and I really didn’t care about what she thought on anything. Why she was even there was beyond me.

“Where have you been?” Zane asked, sounding more like a pissed off parent than concerned friend.

“Out!” I snapped defensively, before taking a few deep breaths to try and act like the adult I was, and not the brat I knew they thought I was. “Look, we went out for a drive. You lot are suffocating, but we can deal with that later. Something happened-“

“What?” Jordan broke what was clearly going to be set up as silent treatment, and standing he walked over and grabbed me by the shoulders. Looking me up and down, he turned to throw his anger at Drew. “You put her at risk?”

“You know what? Don’t worry about it. Come on Drew!” Turning to leave, Jordan let out a strangled gasping sound of frustration and Zane punched his arm.

“Ellie, come on. Don’t go. What happened?”

“You going to listen and not act like jerks?” I demanded.

“Promise.” He made the motion of crossing his heart and dragging Jordan with him, sat on the lounge. Drew stayed behind me, choosing to lean against the wall and now I had their attention I told them what happened.

“Shit.” Zane mumbled once I was done.

“Did our parents ever deal with shit like this?” Chris sighed, running his hand over his head before rubbing his face. “Just, fuck.”

“Well you’re all super helpful.” I sighed, turning to look at Drew who seemed completely out of his depth until he spoke. Ever the silent thinker, I was glad he was here and not his brothers.

“Aaron is making you a distraction, his little task force the Council have sent out have been focusing only on protecting you now – not looking for him. Zane has some of the best Slayers working under him, the other group that he is answering to are the ones getting their names in the history books these days,” he fell silent for a moment, “It’s kind of genius really, this whole time they’ve been planning and preparing for a war we never even knew was happening. The warehouse that lured you out – those vamps were new, young - inexperienced and there was a lot of them. How did that kind of recruitment go unnoticed?”

“You’re right. We haven’t even considered the others, it’s all been about Aaron. I think there is more to it though, he might actually help us. Either way we’re only going to find out once we find him.” I decided. 

We needed Aaron.

“He said he’d give you, what a week to find out his name?” Logan came back in, barely looking at me as he went by to pick up Zane’s laptop from the coffee table.

“Yeah.”

“Then we really need to work that out. If we play his game now, I think your right. Changing you was a big stunt to pull, too big. We got you out with no resistance, I don’t think any of that was for us – but whoever is watching.”

All arguments, jealously and ego’s aside, we sat down and got to work. We had to find out Aarons identity and I just knew once we did, we’d find him and get some answers.