Hunter Hunted Ch. 17

"You are related to Tynan Stavaros," Hunter said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Nick nodded. "He's my cousin. He got the panther blood, I'm wholly vampire."

"You know his wife, Layna?"

"Yes," Nick answered.

"When this is over, you and I need to talk." Nick nodded. His legs hurt almost as much as his head did and he felt so incredibly weak. He wasn't sure how much further he could go on. A sense of dread was beginning to fill him. He could feel dawn coming, though he wasn't sure how much more time they had. If they were caught outside...

"There!" A sigh of relief took him. They'd made it. The pulsing was much louder here, the buzzing almost irresistible. He could feel the wildness want him, the rabid, mindless rage that flooded his body. The smell of blood, delicious, unmistakable, mouth watering, caught his attention and he turned toward where it came from.

Dianna watched as Nick's face changed. The lines from the pain he'd been suffering smoothed out, the anguish in his eyes disappeared. When you looked into them now, there was nothing of the man who'd managed to resist the pulsing so far. Now he had the same mindlessness as the women. Before Nick could attack, she stepped forward, her hand going to the nerve in his neck and pressing hard.

He fell without a sound, his body tangling with Arielle. Hunter dropped next to him, his hand feeling for a pulse before he realized what he was doing. "We've got to get them inside."

Dianna nodded, watching as Hunter lifted Nick, Mira reaching down to help Arielle. They hurried toward the long, low building, busting open a set of doors when they'd found them locked. Finding a room with no windows, they left the three inside.

"Can you feel it?" Mira asked Hunter. It was like a wave of prickly heat hitting her skin and though there was no noise, the sensation was irritating.

"Yes. It must be what is controlling them."

"And what we need to stop," Dianna said, rubbing her arms to try and rid herself of the sensation.

Following Dianna's lead, they hurried to the center of the building. Thick doors were marked "dangerous" and "biological contamination". They were locked, the doors made from heavy metal, the locks hooked to a biometric scanner.

"Any ideas?" Mira asked Dianna.

Dianna moved toward the door, resting her palm against the metal. She could feel it vibrate, as if whatever was sending out the pulsing was housed inside. She checked out the locks, watching as Mira kicked the thick door in frustration. "Calm down, Mira."

"Then open the fucking door, Dianna."

Dianna waved her over, taking Mira's hand and pulling her down so that the eye scanner flashed, a beam moving over Mira's eye and scanning her iris. Then Dianna placed her hand on the biometric scanner, speaking softly. The machine beeped and then purred, finally beeping one last time. The light at the top of the scanner beeped and a soft female voice spoke out. "Welcome Mr. Braxton."

Hunt chuckled. "Remind me to keep you away from my apartment, Dianna."

"Remind me to call you the next time I lock myself out," Mira said, twitching a curl that had slipped from the bun that Dianna kept her hair in.

Dianna shook her head and then reached for the door handle, only stopping when Hunter grabbed her hand. "Hear that?" he asked urgently, stopping her from pulling the door open.