Midnight Secrets

Even though I knew my dad was a part of this world, I still couldn’t believe he was here. He rushed over to me, his gun still in his hand as he kept an eye out for any more vampires that might attack. Now that I wasn’t running or fighting for my life, I could make out the growls and the sounds of fighting filling the forest—sounds I could go the rest of my life without hearing, especially what vaguely sounded like tearing flesh and snapping bones.

Despite still being pissed that he kept all these secrets from me and that he constantly risked his life, I was still relieved to see him. He pulled me into a one-armed hug, and I returned it, squeezing him just as tightly. I sobbed into his shoulder, releasing all the fear I’d felt when I was attacked and at how close I’d come to being turned. “Shh, it’s alright. I’m here. I won’t let anything else happen to you,” my father said, his words soft and soothing.

He let me cry for nearly a minute before he pulled back, his gaze on the shadows around us. “We should get inside; he’s not alone,” he murmured, guiding me toward the house. His steps were quick, but I was able to keep up with him.

“Shouldn’t we at least lock the door?” I asked when he hadn’t bothered to lock the door behind us.

“They need to be invited in by someone who lives in this house,” he said as he guided me toward a bathroom I hadn’t known was next to the living room. “Vampires and werewolves are enemies. Everyone in the pack would rather die than ever risk their pack by inviting them in.”

“Right.” I should’ve known that, even with my lack of knowledge of vampire lore.

My father guided me to sit on the closed lid of the toilet while he dug through the cabinets, pulling out antiseptics and gauze. He grabbed a towel and pressed it against my bleeding neck, apologizing when I flinched and sucked in a sharp breath.

“Why didn’t you tell me about all this?” I tried to keep my tone casual as I took over holding the towel against my neck.

His sigh was soft as he poured some antiseptics on a piece of gauze. “I was only doing what I thought was best.”

“And putting yourself at risk, fighting these things that can easily kill you, that’s what’s for the best?” I struggled to keep my voice level at the thought of anything happening to him. With all of my other family members dead, he was all I had; I couldn’t lose him too.

Another sigh came from him as he pulled the towel away from my neck and began dabbing the damp gauze on the wound. I hissed at the sting and flinched away from him, even though I tried staying still.

“It’s what I was trained to do. My father was a hunter, as was his father before him.”

“Yes, and both of them are dead.”

I’d never met my great-grandfather since he was murdered when my dad was fifteen, presumably because he was a human fighting fucking supernatural creatures that he had no business facing. My grandparents both died when I was three, so I barely even remembered them. I’d never known my other set of grandparents since they disowned my mother when she got pregnant with me at fifteen.

“Did my grandparents even die in a car crash, or was that a lie too?” I didn’t mean for my tone to sound accusatory, but I was overwhelmed by everything. Within the span of a day, my whole world had been flipped upside down, and I discovered everyone close to me had been keeping this big secret.

“Your grandparents’ deaths were a horrible accident and not the result of the supernatural world,” Dad said as he tapped fresh gauze over my wound. “But their deaths did have me reevaluating my career choices. I realized if anything happened to me or your mother, that you would have no one to take care of you, so I retired.”

“But you’re still working as a supernatural bounty hunter.”

He leaned back against the sink, scrubbing his hands down his face. “It may not come as a surprise, but there aren’t too many hunters, maybe thirty active in our country. My absence left a void, and because of it, supernatural criminals slipped through the cracks. One of them was the vampire that killed your mother. I can’t be sure if it was purely coincidental he chose her or if he’d found out who she was and had done so to taunt me. But I realized my inaction was doing more harm than good. I couldn’t stand by and risk that happening to you, so I came out of retirement.”

I joined my father by the sink, wrapping my arms around his waist and hating the pain in his voice. “They never caught the guy who killed her,” I whispered, but now it made sense. The police would have no hope of catching or holding a vampire.

“He’s dead. I made sure of it.”

The sound of the front door opening and low voices drifting in from the living room had me pulling away and peering out the open bathroom door. Among the many werewolves were Fay and Aspen, looking like they’d been rolling around in the forest. Several of the werewolves had blood on their clothes and skin, and from this distance, I couldn’t be sure if it was theirs or not. They were all in varying states of undress. At least none of them were naked, at least none that I could see.

Fay’s gaze landed on me, and some of the tension holding her body eased. “Oh, thank god.”

Despite the fact that I barely knew her, I was relieved to see her unharmed, leaving the bathroom to close the distance and accepting her bone-crushing hug with one of my own. When Fay pulled away, Aspen stepped in to hug me as well, this one more gentle. As I pulled back, I found blood on my hand, and when I looked up at him in surprise, he shrugged. “Casualty of fighting bloodsuckers.” Leaning around him, I found the source of the blood came from the bite mark on his bare back. Having a bite mark of my own, I knew how painful that was, but he acted like it didn’t matter.

Fay, on the other hand, looked like she was struggling to remain calm as she stared at his back.

A thought suddenly came to me and had me glancing at the door, scanning those coming inside, looking for Addie. I’d been so surprised and relieved to see my father—while still being shaken up from the attack—that I’d momentarily forgotten Addie had been out there with me, fighting off vampires. My heart pounded in my chest as my anxiety grew when I’d yet to see her. I excused myself, ignoring Fay when she called after me as I weaved between the werewolves filling the living room. A few of them moved out of my way as I rushed out the front door.

My body sagged with relief when I hurried down the front steps and saw Addie limping from the trees to my right. She was wearing an oversized white shirt that was stained red on her right side, and blood dripped down her left thigh. Relief washed over her pained expression as she rushed toward me. She winced when I pulled her in a tight hug, and I loosened my hold. I didn’t care that I probably now had her blood on my clothes. That was the least of my worries right now.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, pulling away, her focus on my bandaged neck. “I tried getting to you.”

I was about to wave away her apology and tell her this wasn’t her fault when her gaze lifted to something over my shoulder, and her eyes widened. “What is a hunter doing here?” Her voice was low as she continued staring.

Glancing over my shoulder, I found my dad standing on the porch beside the front door, his arms crossed as he watched us. My father could hide his thoughts and emotions well when he wanted to and now wasn’t an exception.

“That’s my dad.” Sometimes, I forgot that my dad and roommates never met before. He had never visited me on campus, and I’d never thought anything of it, figuring he was busy, but now I was wondering if there was another reason.

“That’s your dad?” Fay asked in shock as she approached, her gaze flicking between us.

“Dads are supposed to be old,” Addie finally said, pulling her attention away from my father and masking her surprise.

“He is.”

“No, my father is old. Yours is—”

“Hot. Sorry, Rhea, but your dad is hot,” Fay said as she came to stand beside Addie, her gaze still on my dad.

“Eww, can we please not talk about my dad that way.”

Compared to the other parents, my dad was young at thirty-six, having only just turned sixteen when I was born. I’d grown used to girls in my high school classes having the hots for my dad and even having some thinking he was my older brother and asking me to set them up with him. The single moms would throw themselves at him, which was why I’d always been hesitant to have him meet my friend’s parents or drop me off at their houses.

I didn’t take after my father in the looks department. His hair was a dark brunette, whereas my red hair was the exact shade as his mother’s, and while both of us had green eyes, his were more of a gray-green. With those factors combined, I didn’t blame Fay and Addie for being shocked.

Werewolves were still coming from the forest, showing varying signs of battle with blood staining their clothes or skin and some with gaping wounds. I hadn’t been paying them any mind until Lindsay spoke, talking way louder than necessary. “The human is still here?”

My body tensed as I let out a sigh. After being attacked and having multiple vampires drink my blood, the last thing I wanted was to do was deal with this bitch. It seemed I was right, and she was more willing to show her nasty side with Cass not around.

“Oh my god,” Fay said with a groan, her voice just as loud as Lindsay’s, but unlike the bitchy she-wolf, Fay didn’t do the passive-aggressive route and aimed her next words at her. “Shut the fuck up, Lindsay.”

“I just think it’s interesting that we have a fucking human in our lands and we are suddenly attacked the very same day.” It seemed Lindsay wasn’t ready to give up being a petty bitch, her gaze moving to the surrounding werewolves as her voice got even louder. I didn’t need to know anything about her to know she liked attention. “You know what I think? I think she led them here. I think she purposely got close to Cass with the intent of getting him to bring her here.”

“That makes no fucking sense, you dumb bitch. You can take your moronic thoughts and shove them—”

Addie’s hand closed over my mouth, preventing me from saying more. “Don’t engage with her on this. She loves the attention, and by engaging, you’re giving her what she wants. She wants you to look bad.” Addie’s voice was quiet, but I had a feeling the nearby werewolves that had paused to eavesdrop could hear her.

“Nobody gives a shit about your stupid fucking opinions,” Fay said with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead. “Vampires know where our lands are. So how could she lead them here? Nothing in our territory has been tampered with. No one has been killed or poisoned, which if I was infiltrating somewhere, that’s what I’d do. The only werewolf she’s been distracting is Cass. If I wanted to weaken a pack, I’d go after the Alpha or Beta.”

Fay’s gaze moved around to the surrounding werewolves, and I realized she wasn’t saying this for Lindsay’s benefit but to ensure her moronic words didn’t needlessly make me a target. Based on the surrounding werewolves’ expressions, her words had the intended effect.

“It must sting knowing Cass doesn’t want you, but he wants me.” I knew I was adding fuel to the fire, but dammit, this bitch started it. “He’s not your mate: you know that, right?”

A few snickers ran through the gathering group, but I didn’t pay them any mind. A flush ran through Lindsay’s cheeks as her eye twitched. Oh, she wanted to attack me but wouldn’t with all these witnesses that weren’t on her side and Fay and Addie to defend me.

“The dilf is coming over here,” Fay whispered with a sly grin before Lindsay could say anything, and sure enough, my dad was heading down the stairs.

“Please never call him that again,” I begged, wanting to drop my face in my hands.

Lindsay had heard Fay’s comment and somehow knew my dad was a hunter. It could be the gun he had holstered, but still visible. I didn’t think it was possible for the disgust on her face to grow, but it did. “A baby hunter? Cass is with a fucking hunter in training?” She looked around for others to join her in her disgust.

If they did agree with her, they were smart enough not to say anything with Fay and Addie looking ready to fight anyone who said anything shitty and with my dad approaching.

When Lindsay didn’t get the reception she hoped for, she huffed, placing her hands on her hips as she sneered at me. “Why couldn’t you have done us a fucking favor and died in the attack?”

Her comment was irritating, but I could ignore it. I had to ignore it. There was no way I’d ever win in a fight against her. But Addie didn’t have these reservations. Her control must’ve been fraying from all Lindsay’s comments because before any of us could react, she lunged and punched Lindsay square in her jaw.

The punch had Lindsay’s head snapping to the side as she stumbled back, clutching at her jaw, but that was it. Before Addie could attack again, my dad grabbed her from behind—I hadn’t noticed him approaching, too busy watching this mess unfold—banding his arms around her waist as he picked her up off her feet and pulled her away.

“Whoa there, killer. That’s not helping anyone right now,” my dad said as he came to stand beside me, setting her on her feet before letting her go.

Reason had seemed to set in with Addie until Lindsay tried lunging toward Addie but her movements halted when a massive man, with a weathered face, grabbed her. It didn’t matter how much she kicked or struggled; she wasn’t going anywhere. “It’s your fault Cass dumped me. Isn’t it? I saw you talking with him before he broke it off. You’ve probably been pushing him toward her all along!”

Any calm Addie had accomplished vanished. “You’re out of your goddamn mind, you delusional bitch.” Addie didn’t lunge, but my dad grabbed her again, just in case.

“It might be best for her to be taken inside,” my dad suggested to the towering man, who had to be close to 6'7".

The man didn’t show the same animosity as Lindsay, nodding before dragging Lindsay inside. “Show’s over,” he called out to the surrounding werewolves as he passed them.

Either my dad let her go, or Addie had been holding back earlier because she easily broke his hold, moving away a couple of feet and turning to face us. She shoved her messy, loose hair from her face as she attempted to regain a sense of calm.

“This is my friend Fay and my roommate Addie,” I said, waving between them, hoping to ease the tension filling the air as my dad glanced between them.

His eyebrows shot up as his gaze landed on Addie. “Your roommate? You’re rooming with a werewolf that can’t keep her temper under control?”

“To be fair, Lindsay is an annoying bitch that gets under everyone’s skin,” Fay said with a giggle.

“Our other roommate is a witch,” Addie said with an edge to her voice that I didn’t understand. Did supernaturals not get along with bounty hunters? While Lindsay gave that impression, Cass hadn’t made it seem that way earlier. His parents had also been friends with my dad. But with the way several werewolves gave him a wide berth, I wasn’t too confident anymore. Was it safe for him to be here?

“Huh.” That was his only reaction, giving me nothing to go off of. This wasn’t how I expected this meeting to go.

“The attacks aren’t either of their faults,” I quickly said, just in case he tried accusing them of that.

“Oh, I know,” my dad said with an edge to his words that I wasn’t used to hearing. “I know whose fault this is.”

His gaze lifted to the trees, where I could hear rustling through the underbrush. Addie and Fay’s relaxed postures were the only thing keeping me from freaking out. A few seconds later, Cass emerged from the trees, and relief filled my body at seeing him unharmed. His clothes didn’t show any sign of blood, and other than his disheveled hair, he looked the same as before.

As soon as I saw him, my legs began moving before I even realized it, launching myself at him when I was within range. My body had begun aching from the attack, but my thoughts were no longer focused on that, not when he caught me and pulled me into a tight hug. My feet dangled off the ground as he buried his face against the non-bandaged side of my neck.

The clamp of anxiety that had been holding my chest from the moment he left to check out the borders finally eased, and I felt like I could truly breathe. Being in his arms and taking in his scent was more relaxing than any spa I’d ever been to.

Cass set me on my feet, his gaze landing on my bandaged neck, and his hands flexed against my waist as his eyes flashed yellow. I reached up to stroke my fingers across his cheek, and he leaned into my touch, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath.

“Are they dead?” His voice was a low rumble that did dangerous things to my body. I didn’t need to ask for clarification.

“Rhea?” My father asked, saving me from having to tell Cass Ezra was here and also reminding me we had an audience. “You want to know whose fault I think it is?”

It took me a moment to remember what we’d been talking about before as I looked at my dad over my shoulder, finding tension lining his features. “Whose?”

“His.”