Chapter one
"Hunted Angel"

One year later...

Alisson woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Her body was still shaking with the after effects of the nightmare. She couldn't shake the image of those red eyes staring petrifyingly at her and that spine chilling voice at the end. "You will be mine."
She shivered and dared to glance at her phone. 3:16 always the same time every night. She didn't understand how it was even possible. Then again a lot of the things that happened to her the past year shouldn't be possible either. Her head fell back on the pillow and she began to drift into a dreamless sleep.
What seemed like not even ten minutes later her alarm went off. Alisson groaned and reached blindly for the snooze button. When she finally found it she let her hand fall, hanging over the bed. Then she realized the sun was up and shot straight up.
"Oh no no no no NO!" "I'm late!"

She rushed to her closet pulling on a black silk off the shoulder top and blue denim jeans. Then she pulled on a pair of white Vans and rushed to the door. On her way out she frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was all over the place with obvious bed head and her eyes looked like she was going to an alternative concert. She sighed and decided nothing could be done and walked out the door.
She pulled into the school parking lot in her red Mazda Speed 6. As she stepped out of the car she heard the familiar cat calls from the usual party that skipped class together. They waved in her direction and she responded by appropriately flipping them off.
"Late again Ms. Carson."

"I know, I'm really sorry Mr. Reyes. "I must have slept through my alarm."
"I swear if there was a record for how many times you could be late In one month, you would take it."
"I'm..." She started but he cut her off.
"Sorry, yes we know miss Carson now take your seat." The class bursted out laughing at that and She made her way to her seat and sunk down as low as she could. The laughter continued until Mr. Reyes decided She had enough torture.
She opened the book to the page on nuclear fission and pretended to be very interested. A few moments passed by before she felt someone tap her shoulder with a pencil.
Alisson turned around and raised her eyebrows in a way that said can I help you? The petite girl with long light blonde hair and brown eyes smiled sweetly.
"I thought you might want to use this."
"It took a second for her to realize what she originally thought was a pencil was actually a tube of light pink lipstick. Alisson couldn't help but smile at this god-sent angel.
"Thanks" she uncapped the tube and carefully applied the shade using the camera from her phone as a mirror. Then she turned around and handed the tube back to the girl.
"Hi I'm Kate." She held out her hand and Allison took it swiftly.
"Alisson" The girl rolled her eyes at this.
"I know exactly who you are" She giggled and Allison couldn't help picturing a small child innocent to the world around her. She smiled and asked politely.
"What do you mean?" Kate shook her head and laughed soundlessly.
"You are practically famous at this school." Alisson just stared. "Come on...really?" "You are captain of the cheerleading squad, top of the class...if you weren't always late, co-captain of the volleyball team, homecoming queen, and to top it off you are drop-dead gorgeous. Alisson felt heat rise to her cheeks but she smiled regardless.
"Ladies." "I'm sorry but I seem to be interrupting something, please continue."
Allison was about to resort to her normal defense mechanism of being a smart Alec but Kate interjected before she could.
"I apologize Mr. Reyes." "It was my fault." "I was just asking Alisson about the difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. It must have been a trick of the light because for a second as Mr. Reyes stared the girl down, his eyes looked as if they flashed red. He smiled and turned his attention to the class.
"Might we all remind Miss Heartland that in the future, if you have a question, it might be best to ask someone who actually knows what they are talking about"
This started another round of laughs and the bell rang dismissing us all. When she got into the hall Kate ran to catch up with her." The two girls smiled and Alisson held up her hand for a high five.
"Nice save back there." "That was quick thinking."

"Yeah but he still found some way to turn it against you." "What on earth did you do to make that man hate you?
"Your guess is as good as mine." I exclaimed.
"Anyways I've got to go to Psych 1 so I'll see you later?"
Alisson's heart warmed towards this girl.
"Sure, that would be great."
Without warning Kate wrapped her arms around Her and squeezed tight. She pulled back and smiled.
"It was nice to meet you Alisson" she said then turned on her heel and left. Alisson blinked a few times and stared after the girl in wonder. Then regaining her composure slung her bag over one shoulder and continued on her way to class.
After serving detention for the fifth time in two weeks, Alisson walked out of the school in to a crescent moonlit night. Time to start hunting. She thought. She walked down 4th street not sure what exactly she was looking for until she found it. A dark alleyway in between a coffee shop and a weapons shop. She let her bag slip a little lower on her arm playing the part of the frail helpless girl perfectly.
She walked down the alley looking around warily waiting for an attack but it never came. She was about to give up and head home when suddenly a mist started to form in her vision. Damn. She thought. Inkubus.

The creature appeared in the form of a young man with short black hair and deep blue eyes. Alisson had to admit, she had never met any Inkubus that wasn't attractive but this guy had to take the cake. The boy stalked up to her and gently pushed her into the wall of the alleyway. At this point she wasn't just playing helpless. The truth is no one can resist the power of Inkubi, but not everyone had the secret weapon that she did. He ran his fingers down her arms and she shivered. He was just going in for the kiss when her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger she had blessed for her hunts. The mist cleared from her vision and she smirked. The creature froze and stared at her with a question.
"What no foreplay?" She joked. The man snarled and threw her into the opposite wall but Alisson was ready for it. She concentrated on the movement of her body and adjusted her feet to kick off the wall towards the demon. He ducked and grabbed her ankle slamming her against the ground. The demon leaped over her body but she moved the dagger in position to pierce its heart. The demon struggled for a few seconds then vaporized in fire.
She stood up brushing dirt off of her pants.
"Well, that was fun."

Just then she heard a scream coming from the plaza. She picked up her bag and ran to the edge of the alley and peeked around the corner. There were four figures,three guys and one girl. One of the men stepped forward and she could see his face. She let out a gasp.
"Mr. Reyes?"

"I'm sorry Miss Heartland but you will have to come with us.
"Heartland?" She thought.
"Oh no."

"What do you want with me Mr. Reyes?" "I'm trying to get home my...my mom is worrying about me and says I need to come straight home."
Alisson stared into his face and realized with a start that his eyes were dark red. "So it wasn't a trick of the light." She realized then what she had missed about the chemistry teacher all year. She realized what he was.
"Vampir."

She ran from the alleyway charging at her former teacher. All three men saw her at once and with a nod from Mr. Reyes, the other two attacked. One of the men was too quick for her and shoved his knee into her sternum. She flew back and landed on her feet clutching her to cage. The second one was on her then but he was a bit slower and she was ready now. She ducked under his clothesline and swept at his ankles sending him careening forward into the wall. The second one was better trained and a lot stronger. He was on her in a heart beat pinning her against the unbroken part of the wall. She realized the danger of her position and brought her knee up swiftly into his groin. The man howled in pain and back handed her. Before hitting the ground she threw her dagger into the heart of the vampire and he crumpled where he stood. The vampire from before regained consciousness and lunged at her but she struck swiftly with the dagger slipping it between the rib cage and into his heart. He fell to the floor lifeless. Alisson sheathed the dagger and turned towards Mr Reyes. His eyes bulged out and he snarled something incoherent at her then vanished leaving a very frightened Kate staring blankly at Alisson. She waved at the girl sheepishly and smiled before an unwelcome visitor entered the scene.
"Carson why do you always have to make a mess of things?" Alisson spun around ready to fight off whatever new threat was coming her way when she saw a familiar face and grinned.
"Well, Grey that's why I have you to sweep them under the rug right?" He smiled and held his arms open. Alisson rushed into his arms with exaggerated force.
Corey Grey is a former member of a group of hunters called the Scythes. After she was kidnapped a year ago, the man who saved her brought her to one of their hideouts to have them train her on how to defend herself. Corey was her main teacher and they had fought all the time. In the time that he was training her they both became close and he treated her like a little sister. Six months ago an organized attack was made on the Scythes main HQ. There were many casualties including Corey's fiancée at the time Callie. Heartbroken by the loss Corey left the Scythes and became a freelancer hunting demons for money. Last time she saw him, he was standing over the body of the Scythes main leader Mako. Mako had been the one who betrayed the entire organization. After finding out about Mako nobody could stop him from exacting his revenge. Once it was over Corey became number one priority to all Scythes. She couldn't bring herself to hunt her friend so she left when he did.
Alisson backed out of his arms and stared up into his gold tinted blue eyes.
Then she slapped him.

"Where the hell have you been?" She yelled her slight Scottish accent coming through.
"Ouch" "Easy now Carson I just got off of a Wendigo hunt!" "Well, that's what you get for not contacting me for six months you jerk!" She continued the beating until her eyes shimmered in the overhead lights. Corey's laughter stopped abruptly and Kate seemed to have snapped out of her daze and embraced the young girl in a comforting hug.
Alisson unconsciously liked her arms around the girls waist. Corey reached out to both of them but thought better of it. His arms sagged in defeat and he turned to walk away. Before he took two steps thin arms circled his waist from behind. Alisson sobbed into the back of his shirt.
"Don't you dare leave me again!" She cried. Hesitantly Corey reached up to grab her wrists and turned around in her arms. He cupped her cheek with one hand and made her look him in the eyes.
"I will never leave you."
They hugged some more then all three headed to Alisson's apartment.
From his vantage point Caiden crushed the light post on the roof of the five story building. His pulse was racing, palms sweaty, and he was gritting his teeth. Was this anger? He thought. Why was he so angry just swing that girl wrapped in another mans arms? He couldn't watch anymore. He jumped off the opposite side of the building landing effortlessly on his feet.
"Still quite the show off aren't we?" "Brother." Caiden didn't even flinch. He had sensed his brothers presence for a while but chose to ignore it. Without looking at him he replied.
"We both know who the show off is between us brother, and it isn't me." "What business do you have here anyway?"
"That my dear brother is none of your concern."
"Like hell it isn't!" He spat back still not looking the other mans way.
"Calm now Cadence I mean no harm...not to you anyway. "There is however a prize here in this town that my employer is willing to kill for.
It took a second for Caiden to catch on but when he did an unimaginable rage filled his gut. He finally looked at his brother who was smiling menacingly at him. His eyes usually a dark forest green were crimson red. His jet black straight hair had a tint of white and the snarl he threw towards him was feral. Quicker than the human eye could follow Caiden launched himself at his brother creating a crater in the wall behind him.
"Azuric?" "You're working for him now?" "What is wrong with you Gale?" He screamed into his face. Gale just stared back emotionlessly. His red eyes dimmed to the forest green. His hair darkened to its normal color. He reached over with his right hand and grabbed Caiden's left twisting it painfully in the wrong direction. Caiden fell to his knees and glared up at his brother.
"Nothing is wrong with me" he growled. "It's not my fault you fell for a human girl and once again became a traitor to your kind." "Humans are merely tools for our enjoyment and are only to be exploited and neutralized." "Our father taught us that remember?"
"Our father was a monster Gale he killed our moth...
"Who was a human!" "When are you going to learn Caiden?" "These humans are insects that we allow to live on this planet." "If you choose them, then you can die with them." Gales hand closed around his throat.
"What does Azuric want with the girl anyway?"
"Not something I would discuss with a human sympathizer." "Besides you can't stop us so why bother telling you anything?"
"Gale if you touch her." Gale jerked his wrist more shooting agonizing pain up Caiden's arm then lifted him from the ground and kicked him fifty yards into an SUV. Before he hit the ground he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and lifted effortlessly. Then with all the force of a ten ton bull he slammed him into the concrete. Immobilized by pain Caiden was lifted from the ground. He hung limply in Gales hands bloody and broken. He brought his lips close to Caiden's ear and whispered the words he knew he would dread for the rest of his days.
"I'm going to enjoy breaking her just like I've broken you but first ill seduce her. Then when she finally trusts me I'll bring her to Azuric and he can have what's left of her." He shoved Caiden's body away violently, laughing maliciously. As Caiden lay there broken and fading, he made a solemn vow.
"You will never have her" he thought right before he lost consciousness.