Hunting Haven
Chapter Four

Gabriel

To call Haven an enigma would be the understatement of a lifetime. I couldn’t figure out what to make of her. When I first met her, she had a super attitude and then started crying immediately after. The next time she was friendly and bubbly, and then out of nowhere, she became an ice queen. When she leaned over to let me into the car, she was all smiles, and then two seconds later she stared out the window and ignored my existence entirely.

I’d tried to draw her out of her shell on the way to her job, to ask her questions, but whatever wall she erected between us held firm. Not that I was interested in breaking those walls down. I just needed to get to know her enough to figure out why a vampire was hunting her.

Once I eradicated the leech, I’d never see her again. As much as I didn’t want to relocate again, I would have to after I killed the bloodsucker. I’d have to report it to the Hunters’ Association, and then they’d know where I was. I couldn’t have that. I’d cut ties for a reason, and after what happened to them… the entire Association as a whole could go fuck itself.

“Yo, Macias.” Dane’s voice ripped me out of my mental musings as I combed over the inside of Haven’s damaged vehicle.

“What’s up?”

“Let me look. I might smell something.”

“Or you’ll contaminate any potential DNA samples or evidence. I got this.”

I could feel his glare boring into my back. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention as my jaw clenched without my consent. Having a shifter, or any supernatural creature, behind me was something I was trained to never allow to happen.

Dane was a dick at the best of times, but he wouldn’t attack me. I knew that, but instincts were a funny thing. I tried my best to maintain some semblance of composure as I stopped leaning into the car and turned to face him. “Once I finish, you can take a look. Alright?”

Wrinkles had formed around his eyes and creased his forehead as he glared at me. “Whatever. You’re lucky I want to help the human. Too bad the vampire doesn’t have a taste for your blood.”

I said nothing as he stalked toward the woods that lined his property and ripped off his shirt. After five years of avoiding the hunters, I somehow ended up hunting a vamp who was probably at least a few centuries old and pissing off a shifter within the span of two days. Lovely.

Ignoring the fact that there was a pissed off panther prowling the forest behind me, I leaned back into the car and shined my flashlight under her seat. Searching for vampire DNA was a lot different from human DNA. For one, a normal flashlight would definitely do the trick. Vampire blood was viscous and such a dark brown it appeared black. It was pretty hard to miss.

Considering there was no blood where he’d shoved his fingers in between her door and car frame, the odds I’d replace any were slim, but I looked, anyway. Being thorough was a necessity in my current line of work and my former one. Plus, if I did manage to replace a sample, I could use my tracker to replace him. I may have left the Association, but I’d kept my witch-made tool kit. Just because I’d turned my back on the hunters didn’t mean I was an idiot. That kit had saved my life more times than I could count.

Two hours later, I’d finally made my way around the car. I didn’t expect to replace much on the passenger side of the car since the driver side was where it had broken in, but boy was I mistaken. A piece of paper peaked out from the visor on the driver side that hadn’t been visible from where I had been standing.

Initially, I thought it was a utility bill or something that Haven had stuffed up there herself, but I pulled the visor down and grabbed it, anyway. My heart stopped beating long enough to lodge itself in my throat before it began racing. Holy shit.

“What is it?” Dane asked from the other side of the car. I stood slowly and turned the picture around. The photo was clearly old, really old. It was black and white with worn edges, but it was the clothing of the woman that really dated it. Her voluminous skirt and petticoat made me think it was taken sometime in the 19th century. That wasn’t what freaked me out though. “Uh, cool picture? Why the fuck does it sound like your heart is going to explode, dude?”

“This photo. It’s Haven. She’s Haven.”

“It looks old as shit. I thought you said she was human?”

“She is, but this is her face, without a doubt.”

Dane cocked an incredulous brow. “Maybe you need a nap, Macias. Maybe that’s like a picture of her great, great grandma or some shit.”

I shook my head and held it out. “Does it smell like a vamp? I don’t think she left it in the car. I think the leech planted it.”

His expression screamed skepticism, but he took the photo. He brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply. “Shit.”

“So I was right?”

“Yeah. It reeks of a vampire and not only that, he’s old. Really old.”

“You can smell his age?”

Dane rolled his eyes as he handed the picture back. “Not his exact age but the older the vampire, the more decayed they smell. I don’t know if that’s the best way to describe it, but they smell older. This guy smells really old.”

“How do you know it’s a guy?” I had come to the same conclusion, but a little confirmation to my suspicions would go a long way.

“Female vampires smell different. They’re like sickly sweet. This one is definitely male.”

“Got it. Thanks, Dane. You can look in the car now if you want. I’m done with it.”

He snorted derisively but went to look over the car, anyway. “You really have to work on your people skills, Macias. It’s a damn good thing you’re a cop and not a doctor, because your bedside manner would be shit.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. He wasn’t entirely wrong. I was actually really good with victims and people in general. It was just the non-humans I struggled with. After 30 years of hearing how all supernaturals were vicious scum, it was hard to play nice.

Dane wasn’t the world’s friendliest dude, but he didn’t hurt people. He tried his best to protect humans and keep the area clear of supes outside of his pack. Still, it was hard to drop my guard around him—especially considering he turned into a giant two hundred and fifty pound panther.

“It’s clear. He must have broken in just to plant that picture.”

I rolled my head to ease some tension building in my neck. “He stole her gym bag too.”

“Bro.”

“What?”

“He wants her scent, and he has an old ass photo of a chick that looks just like her. He wants her and not as a meal. You better keep an eye on her. I’ll help.”

Shaking my head, I checked the time on my phone. “I can handle it.”

“Don’t be an idiot, Gabe. She’ll be the one to suffer for it. You know damn well you can’t watch her from sundown to sunrise every day. Unless you plan on quitting the Sheriff’s department.”

After a long bout of silence, I heaved a sigh and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll call you when I need you to watch her, but make sure you watch from a distance. Don’t engage unless the vampire goes for her.”

He snorted. “Poor girl. She’s got a vampire stalking her and now she’s gonna have a shifter and a hunter following her too.”

“Ex-hunter,” I corrected immediately.

“You sure about that? You’re doing a lot of hunter-like work for someone who’s out of the game.”

“This is temporary. After I end this leech, I’m done.”

“If you’re really out, you could leave her to me and mine to protect.”

“No.” My answer came immediately and vehemently. The idea of leaving, of abandoning Haven as this bloodsucker hunted her, made the coffee in my stomach curdle. It was even worse now that I knew the vampire had an obsession with her.

The idea of her being killed was bad enough, but imagining her as a soulless leech? I couldn’t allow that to happen, and I didn’t trust the panthers. Dane was okay, but the rest of them? Absolutely not. I’d keep Haven safe, and that was that.

He chuckled softly and threw a knowing look my way, causing my teeth to snap together in frustration. “Yeah, you’re definitely not out of the game.” He shook his head, smiling sardonically. “You should go.”

“Why? Are your panthers hungry?” I knew it was uncalled for, but the way he stared at me made me uneasy and activated my fight instinct.

“You’re an asshole. I meant you should go get your girl. Callahan’s closes soon.”

“She’s not my girl.”

“Riiiight. Clock is ticking, Macias. Better get going.”

I looked up at the moon that was now high in the sky and nodded, ignoring his childish prodding about Haven and I. There was nothing and would be nothing between us. I just wanted to keep her safe. I had to keep her safe. After failing her, I couldn’t lose someone else I swore to protect to another bloodsucker.

“I’ll call you about her car tomorrow,” I said by way of farewell as I walked over to my squad car.

“I meant what I said,” Dane called after me. I paused, turning to look back at him as I opened the car door. “I’ll help you keep her away from the vampire.”

After a brief hesitation, I nodded curtly. “I’ll call you about that, too. Thanks Dane.”