Dead of Night (Hunters of the Dark #4) Read online

Chapter Five

  Shanna dug her fingers into the dirt and pulled herself forward on her stomach, the muddy earth giving way beneath her fingers. “No!” she cried, gritting her teeth and reaching out again. Her hands clawed at mud that would not offer her a grip. She moaned, pausing as an icy hand clamped onto her ankle from behind. Her heart stopped as she looked back, the smell of earth thick in the air, as red eyes returned her gaze, above a beautiful smile boasting fangs.

  “You can’t avoid me forever,” Cameron said, with a coy smile. “Well, once I make you like me, I suppose you can actually.” He laughed as she tried to scramble away once more, the hand on her ankle seemingly made of iron, keeping her from making any headway. “You’ll never get away from me, Shanna. Never. We belong together. Forever.”

  Shanna woke up screaming, with Rachel at her side, holding her arms down at her sides.

  “Somebody slap her!” Rachel growled before Shanna felt a sting blossom across her right cheek.

  Shanna gasped and felt the fight drain from her, the lingering effects of her dream evaporating as she realized she was awake. She pulled in deep lungfuls of air and lay back, staring at the ceiling as Rachel let go of her wrists.

  “Sorry about that,” Amelia murmured, gesturing to her cheek. “I hope it doesn’t sting too bad.”

  Shanna shook her head as she looked around and remembered where they were. The haunted mansion. Which would explain why some of her friends were gathered in her room. She could usually scream all she wanted to in her room and nobody would hear.

  She was surprised at the sun filtering in through the boards over the windows, shocked that she’d slept for so long. Usually she only got a few hours of sleep at night. Obviously, she hadn’t had the most fitful sleep in the world, given that she’d awakened screaming from a nightmare, but it was a marked improvement. It figures that a haunted house would help her in that regard.

  “Are you okay?” Rachel asked, watching her carefully. “You were having a fit for awhile. I couldn’t wake you up.”

  “Yeah, I’m…fine,” Shanna said, embarrassed as she looked up to see Krystal in the doorway, watching her with wide eyes. “Just a bad dream.”

  “That was some dream,” Amelia commented, frowning. “Do you do that a lot?”

  Shanna shrugged. “Sometimes. I’m good now, though.”

  Natalia stepped into the room, dressed in jeans, a cute blouse and a leather jacket, a small bag slung over her right shoulder. And she was noticeably wearing makeup. She wore a little makeup usually, but this was something different altogether, with smoky eyes and bright plump lips, her eyelashes long and dark. There was also a streak of pink running down the right side of her face, adding a little flare to her white-blonde hair. She looked…hot.

  “We’ll need to leave in fifteen minutes,” the dolled-up hunter said, the same old persona shining through the façade. “Is that enough time for you to get ready?”

  Shanna looked away, frowning. Her heart was still racing from her dream. She felt not only embarrassed by her outburst, but her confidence was shaken. She didn’t know if she could do this. She wasn’t comfortable with this undercover work in the first place.

  “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.

  “Wait…what?” Rachel frowned and squinted up at Natalia. “Hey, you actually did your makeup really good. Why don’t you do that all the time?”

  Natalia blinked. “Why would I?”

  “Can I go?” Krystal asked suddenly, tugging on Natalia’s arm. “I can do this. I’m ready to do this.”

  Rachel snorted. “This isn’t a game, Krystal.”

  “I know,” the girl said, dropping her hands. “I just want to be useful and I know I would be good at this.”

  Natalia considered her for a moment. “We are down one student.”

  Krystal brightened.

  “Natalia,” Amelia shook her head. “You can’t really be thinking of sending her in there. She’s never done this sort of thing before.”

  “Neither had I,” Shanna muttered. “Nobody asked me.”

  “I think it’s perfectly acceptable,” Natalia said, glancing over at the door as Hunter and Quinn appeared. “Krystal is the only viable option to fill in for her.”

  “Fill in?” Quinn looked at Shanna, still lying on her bed and she could see the disappointment in his eyes. God, why did she hate to disappoint him so much? Weeks of having him force her into the gym and moving around had really raised him in esteem in her eyes. She felt like he looked out for her, like he was her biggest cheerleader. She was proud of how she’d responded to his prompting her to live, and to see him look at her this way was just…hard.

  She avoided his eyes, but not before noticing how young he looked in jeans and an Aeropostale t-shirt, a messenger bag crossing over his chest. He looked like he belonged in high school. So did Natalia. And Krystal, being only fourteen, would easily look the part. They were better off without her. She didn’t know how to interact with the teenagers she would encounter anyways. She barely had a social life in her real life. And faking it…well, she didn’t really feel up to forcing enthusiasm, given how she felt currently, like a total and utter failure.

  “Hey, it’s okay,” Quinn was suddenly at her side. “Small steps, right? This one was just too big.”

  She nodded, and couldn’t resist returning the smile he sent her way. “I can still help out on this mission, just…in a different capacity, I think.”

  “Does that mean I really get to go?” Krystal asked, looking up at Hunter with pleading eyes. “I can totally do it.”

  Hunter looked over at Shanna, then at Natalia, before sighing. “Against my better judgment, I think that we should go ahead with this course of action.”

  “Yes!” Krystal wrapped her arms around Hunter, who looked uncomfortable, before she turned to Rachel, her eyes wide. “I need to get dressed.”

  “I’ve got this,” Rachel said, winking at her and pulling her from the room.

  “See? It all worked out,” Quinn said, sitting on the edge of Shanna’s bed as the other hunters filed out of the room. “No harm done.”

  “I still feel like an idiot,” Shanna muttered, running her hands through her hair.

  “You’re no idiot, Shanna Hunt,” he said. He patted her knee through the blanket and stood up to leave.

  As he walked through the door and out to congregate with the other hunters, she vowed that she would make him proud yet.