The Hunter's Queen (ICS Book Two) - Wattys2017

Chapter Two - The Alchemist Saves The Wolf

The Alchemist Saves the Wolf

Eve huffed, blowing a stray lock of blonde hair out of her face. She assessed the big male before her and cringed, this was going to be rough. The man reeked of booze and was covered in grime. He could have been handsome, but it was hard to tell what lay beneath the blood and dirt.

Under several weeks of beard growth she could just make out a strange tinge of blue to his lips and along his neck. She frowned, recognizing the signs of poison immediately. His left arm was heavily bandaged, the wound seeping blood and infected. Such a wound should have healed easily for an immortal. Leaning down she sniffed the side of his neck, under the smell of blood and liquor she could just make out the scent of something bitter.

Shadowlock!

Legion. The male was Legion, he had to be.

The realization had her stumbling backward with a gasp. Her back hit the wall, her breath catching in her chest as her glasses nearly fell off her face. For a moment her vision wavered.

There was a member of the Legion in her home.

Why? Why had Levina brought him here? Why hadn't her aunt warned her?

Eve already knew the truth - because if she'd known the male was with the Legion she never would have allowed him to stay in her home.

Now what? He was too heavy for her to move and she couldn't teleport him from within the boundary of the wards. She should just leave. Just pack up and run. But if she left the male would most certainly parish...

A part of her, a deep dark part, told her just to let him die.

Forcing herself to calm down Eve took a deep breath. She had to think rationally. If this male were a threat to her Levina would not have brought him here. The mystic would never place her in danger. Never.

Was her fear irrational? Perhaps this one was different. Biting her lip she stared at the massive male on her bed, her body frozen in place. It was so hard to fight her fear. She wasn't called Evelyn the Meek for nothing.

He shifted slightly, his face flickering with pain. Something deep in her heart pinged. I can't just let him die. Suck it up, Eve. Even if you help him, he'll be weak. If he's a threat you can still run. She had to see this through. You can do this!

Eve approached him once more with caution. Shadowlock was one of the worst poisons. It weakened an immortal, stopping their ability to heal as it slowly and painfully killed its victim. The only way to survive once poisoned was to continue to take it in doses or obtain the antidote. It was the go to poison of Gabriel, the Mad One, to enslave his followers.

Damn! I'm going to kill my aunt. The last thing she needed was to become involved with one of the Legion. She'd never met a member that wasn't evil to the core. She still couldn't understand why Levina would bring him here. The mystic despised the Legion. She was a founding member of the Ascended, an alliance formed for the sole purpose of destroying Gabriel and his army.

Eve knew it wasn't her place to question Levina. The mystic always had a plan and obviously the male was important to her aunt in some fashion.

She wasn't even sure what species he was. His black hair was long and straight, hanging just below his shoulders. Combined with his overall rugged appearance it gave him an air of danger. Biting her lip she approached him cautiously, gently lifting his hand and inspecting the rough palm. His claws were black and short. She could see the tips of his fangs over his bottom lip, larger than a vampire or demons.