The Allies of Old, Book Two Renewal: Chapter Eleven "The Hunt"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn

Chapter Eleven

The drive to Cincinnati took nine hours and Anna spent the majority of the time telling them everything she could about demons. Her experiences as well as everything she’d learned in the last several months.

As for Austin, he intended to find out how to train for his new life, he figured Will and Josh could lead him in the right direction. He was extremely pumped at the idea of fighting for mankind.

“I train with weights, I wrestled in high school, and in the past few months I’ve taken up boxing, but I’m pretty damn sure compared to the McClarons I’m grossly lacking in skills. Particularly since I’ve never learned to wield a knife or handle a gun. Weapons training is on my list of things to do, and hopefully they’ll be able to point me in the right direction for that, and anything else I need to know.”

Anna smiled at him. “I’m sure they will. And I wonder if the medallion gives you added strength and speed? Faerian males are born with it, but as much as the gems turn you Faerian-like, they don’t actually turn you Faerian. At least I don’t think they do.”

“Hmm. Yeah, another thing to find out.” He smiled showing his teeth. “Shit, this is incredible. I can’t fucking believe it’s working out the way I wanted. For months….” he shook his head.

Anna bit her lip wondering if she was a part of his idea of it working out. “So I take it you no longer view Will and Josh as the enemy?”

He glanced at her and gave her a look. “You know why that was.”

She looked away guiltily wishing she hadn’t voiced it.

“And no, I’m thinking “my new best friends” would be a more sensible way to view them.”

They pulled into the parking lot of the Circle Eight Motel at six o’clock and knocked on the brothers’ door.

Josh opened up and Anna leapt onto him wrapping her arms around his neck. He squeezed her tightly and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

“Hey sunshine, where’s my hug?” Will opened his arms and she went into them.

Josh and Austin were shaking hands and Will let her go but kept an arm around her shoulders, eyeing Austin. She knew the shoulder drape was purposeful, meant as a challenge, and she mentally rolled her eyes. Will was such a pain in the ass sometimes.

Austin surprised her by grinning and holding out a hand. “I know I was a prick last time we met, hoping we can move past that.”

Will squinted one eye and smiled back grasping his hand. “Yeah, I think that’s doable. So you gotcha self a magic necklace, huh? Let me see that baby.”

Austin lifted the heavy chain out of his shirt and held up the cross for inspection.

Will whistled low and reached for it, turning it over in his hand. “I know a little about these stones…blood stones in particular. Soldiers throughout history wore them in battle for added strength, protection, and courage. And the fact that they’re known to stymie blood flow doesn’t hurt.” He let go of the medallion and took a step back folding his arms across his chest. “So you want in.”

“Hell yes.”

Will gave a sharp nod. “We could use you, that’s for damn sure. Not enough of us to go around.” He clapped his hands together and suggested they head to a bar.

“Oh, Anna, I almost forgot, I got you a present.” Will grinned and plucked something off the shelf behind her head.

He handed it to her and her eyes widened. “A fake ID! How did you manage it so fast?”

“I’ve got connections. I can get a couple for these two…

“Ahead of you bro,” Austin said, “but I’m sure Jenna will appreciate it.”

“Hell yeah!” Jenna nodded enthusiastically.

“A’ight, I’ll make a call later, for now…you shoot pool?” he asked Austin.

“Of course, the game of champions.”

“Got that right, any good?”

“Eh. I hold my own.”

“Not against me you don’t. But no worries I’ll show you a few tricks.”

The five of them headed out. Will and Austin were bantering back and forth and Anna wrapped an arm around Josh’s waist.

“I missed you,” she told him as they walked.

He grinned down at her, “Back at you.”

They spent the next several days in Cincinatti and on the fifth day they bagged their man. He’d been smoothly evading them, never going anywhere without a group and the guys were getting antsy. And then they discovered something that would serve as the bastard’s downfall.

A demon could only sense what Anna was when it was still in shadow form. Once inside a human it lost that power, so to it she looked like nothing more than a fragile young woman. Because of this they developed a strategy based on an age old trick-the bait and switch with a bit of twist.

The demon, formerly Sam Jenkins a notorious and wealthy defense attorney, walked into a classy nightclub in the upscale part of town, a number of associates in tow. Dressed in tailored Armani business suits the group sat down around a table and ordered scotch then began going over documents and passing papers around. Jenkins was about forty years old, average height, average build, with a moderately attractive face and dark hair that was beginning to recede. It was widely known he had a thing for barely legal, and sometimes not so legal, blondes.

Anna and Jenna entered the club shortly after, dressed in expensive designer clothes. They paused briefly at the table where the men were conducting business and Anna zeroed in on Jenkins favoring him with a slight smile. They moved on to the bar and sat down.

For the next hour Anna cast flirtatious and slightly suggestive glances at the demon and after he concluded his meeting he made his way over to her.

Jenna played her own part, flirting with one of his partners, and after an hour and a half of small talk and a great deal of giggling, Anna suggested he accompany her home.

He took her hand and kissed it, “I would rather take you to my place sweet, it’s a penthouse apartment with a magnificent view.”

She made a small attempt to convince him otherwise but in the end he insisted. Fortunately it was an event her group had prepared for and she climbed into the back of his town car feeling a mixture of elation and revulsion. Elated because it had gone as planned, repulsed because she would likely have to kiss the evil bastard.

She was right, the moment they were on the road he ran his hand up her bare thigh and latched onto her lips.
All night she had concentrated on seeing him as the man instead of the demon since black eyes would’ve made things difficult, but the moment his lips touched hers she could sense the wrongness in him. She was momentarily concerned he would sense the same, but he deepened the kiss suggesting otherwise.

She had to endure it for about ten minutes before they reached his building, where he took her on the elevator and continued the assault. They finally reached his apartment and the moment he locked the door behind them she made her move.

He never saw it coming.

He lay unconscious on the floor while she snapped on the industrial handcuffs she’d stowed in her purse, and once the gag was firmly in place she made a call to Will.

Earlier in the day Josh had infiltrated the buildings security camera system so they wouldn’t be caught on tape coming or going, but they were still seen by the guard on their way inside so unfortunately they couldn’t take care of the bastard there.

Jenna volunteered to entice the guard away from his post and twenty minutes later they received a text from her stating the coast was clear. They hauled the limp form into the elevator and once on the ground floor they found an exit in the back of the building.

They drove him forty miles out of Cincinnati to Acton Lake and when they dumped him on the ground he came around. He instantly understood his situation and began cursing at them through the rag in his mouth.

“He’s not a happy camper,” Austin commented with a smirk.

Will grinned, “’bout to get a whole lot less happy.” He took out his dagger and performed the necessary ritual, chanting in Latin while the demon continued to struggle and curse.

Will plunged the knife into its chest and Austin watched in awe as the purplish black vapor seemed to be sucked from the gaping wound straight up into the sky with a hiss. When it was finished Josh removed the gag and handcuffs and rolled him into the water.

“So that’s it then?” Austin asked.

“Yep, that’s it, at least for his brand. Not particularly strong, though I got a feeling we’re gonna be dealing with worse and more difficult sometime in the near future.”

They went to a bar afterwards to celebrate their victory, the guys calling Jack and a few other hunters to apprise them of the details.

Anna felt really good about the night’s events, it was wonderful to prove she could be useful without being reckless. The guys had congratulated her heartily and when she sat down at the bar she ordered a double shot of whiskey and prepared to drink.

Several hours later Anna was sloshed and hanging all over Austin who had drank his fare share as well. Since their arrival in Cincinatti she’d opted to bunk with Jenna and when she’d needed blood she’d had Josh do the honors. Luckily Austin was so preoccupied learning about his new life he hadn’t made a big deal out of those things. So far she’d managed to keep the situation between them at a standstill.

But alcohol had a tendency of toppling carefully constructed plans in one fell swoop.

A slow song came on and Austin pulled her close, his hand sliding up and down her back. She made the mistake of looking up at him at just the right moment and electricity seemed to jump between them. His lips were on hers instantly. It seemed right somehow, for him to wash away the dirt the demon had put there and she let herself get lost in it.

Will was busy making out with a redhead over in the corner so the teasing he would normally dish out never came, and Josh was not the type to comment. Jenna…well she had opted to let the chips fall where they may where they were concerned, so no one stopped them when they left the bar with their lips still locked.

They got to the hotel room and Austin pulled his shirt over his head, breaking contact for a fraction of a second. He grasped the back of her head and thrust his tongue inside, his hips thrusting forward almost involuntarily and she could feel his erection through his jeans. He brought his other hand down her back and massaged her backside through the thin skirt making her moan into his mouth which excited him further.

He walked her backwards until she bumped into the bed then in a swift movement he scooped her up and laid her down pressing his weight on top of her. He ground his hips against her slowly and reached under shirt undoing the strap of her bra and massaging the flesh beneath it. He brushed the peak of her nipple with his thumb and she shivered with the sensation.
She couldn’t think beyond what he was doing with his mouth and hands, and as he slid his hands up her skirt and inside her panties to caress her she found she’d lost the will to stop him.

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire