Page 58 of Bloodhunter

“Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Tell me where you are. I’ll come for you.”

I shuddered, then took a deep, shaky breath. “Shane was…injured.It was my fault. I had to ask Amias for help.”

“The vampire has the hunter?” There was a cautious disbeliefin his voice, as though I couldn’t possibly be saying what he thought I wassaying.

“Yes. He’ll save him. I think he’ll bring him to you afterhe’s healed him.”

Angus breathed softly into the phone. “Trinity. Trinity.”

“I didn’t know what else to do,” I whispered. “He wasdying.”

And finally, it occurred to me exactly what I’d done.

Not only had I nearly gotten Shane killed, then handed himover to the master vampire who’d slaughtered my family, I’d doomed the proudhunter to a fate worse than death.

Amias might have to turn him to save him.

Shane would become the thing he hated most in the world.

A vampire.

He would kill me for that.

And I would deserve it.

“Trin,” Angus murmured, and there was so much pity in hisvoice I couldn’t stand to hear it. “Stay where you are. I’ll find you.”

Numb and sick with despair, I slipped the phone back into mypocket, then holstered Silverlight and began walking back the way I’d come.

Baby hunter, indeed.

Chapter Twenty

I crept back down Raeven’s Road with my tail between mylegs, my shoulders hunched, my heart heavy.

Shane had been right about one thing. I was no hunter. Ahunter wouldn’t have been willing to sacrifice herself—or her partner—to save avampire. Especially not one who’d killed her entire family.

“Stupid,” I cried. “Stupid.”

I stopped walking and leaned forward, my hands on my knees, unableto keep my sobs from bursting free. I gave myself only a few seconds to wallow,and then I straightened, wiped my eyes, and walked on.

When the darkness of the hollow became too much, I broughtout Silverlight. In the deep mystery of the hollow she brightened like abeacon, probing black shadows my flashlight couldn’t penetrate.

She lit up because there were vampires on Raeven’s Road.There were vampires in the woods. The hollow was full of them.

No wonder the area had felt so bad. Itwasbad.

I wasn’t sure why they weren’t all leaping out, trying torip off my head, but I remained unmolested.

And I walked on, because I had to.

Gray’s scent teased my brain, and as I walked by the houseof the hounds, they once again began barking and howling and straining at thechains that held them in the yard.

The man who lived in the house didn’t open his door but Isaw the edge of a curtain slide back.