From the Shadows (Hunters #1)

Chapter 6

Shay added some sea salt to the water, then stirred the pot of pasta. He decided to use shells, because the little cups would hold the sauce best. Plus, those had been his favorites when he was younger. He smiled to himself as he thought about Diego. Hundreds of years old, and he still had the same issues everyone did. Uncertainty, insecurity. Maybe he’d never matured beyond his wartime age, when all young men were scared to death of what could happen to them.

“Do you need help?”

Shay squeaked as he spun. Diego stood there, wearing jeans and a T-shirt stretched taut across his broad chest. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people!”

“Sorry,” he said, but it was with a lopsided grin Shay never would have expected from the dour man he’d met.

“Liar,” Shay answered with a chuckle. He went back to his noodles. “I’ve got everything nearly ready. Burgers are done, and I’m keeping them warm in the oven. Do you want them on buns or would you prefer grilled cheese bread?”

Diego’s eyes widened. “You can put them on grilled cheese bread? ”

“Of course.” Shay put a hand over his heart with a mock gasp. “You’ve never…. Never?”

Those big shoulders went up. “I don’t really eat with the guys very often. When I do, I nibble, since this food does nothing to fill me up. It’s like I could eat and eat and eat, but never get be satisfied. I mean, I can taste it, of course, but beyond that, nothing. It’s pretty maddening.”

That made sense. “Do you have any allergies? I mean, I know the legends say silver and garlic and crosses. It wasn’t in the reading I got, so….”

“There’s a reason. None of that stuff affects us. Even sunlight doesn’t really bother us unless we’re out for several hours, but that’s usually taken care of by use of sunscreen. We’re not as active during the day, but to say we’ll turn into a pile of dust is ludicrous. I mean, the moon’s light is a reflection of the sun, so if that was the case, we’d never get outside.” He took a seat at the table and folded his arms in front of him. “Vampires are stronger, faster, and way more agile than a human, but we’re not like your movies and books make us out to be. We don’t sparkle and, unlike Jim Carrey, we don’t need the blood of virgins to keep us young, we?—”

Shay coughed. “ You saw Once Bitten ?” Diego was so very different now. More open, freer with how he talked. And, okay, fine, he was hella hot.

A smirk. “Years ago. It was… amusing, but so not accurate. Like most of the movies humans do, it should be taken with an entire lake of salt. We’re not Vlad the Impaler, or at least, most of us aren’t. Those things that go bump in the night? Most times it’s not us. That said, we do have a few abilities, and as the years pass, we gain more. For instance, as long as there is a crack, I can pass through doors and windows as a mist, and reform on the other side. We can slide into the shadows and remain undetectable, unless something in there has a great sense of smell, like a werewolf. Ancient vampires—like those who are five hundred years or more—actually can transform into other types of animals—wolves, rats, and the like—but it’s a rare ability.”

Shay listened intently as he poured milk in the pot, then added shredded cheddar, mozzarella, and provolone cheese. “What about turning into bats?”

“I’ve heard stories of some vampires who can, but they don’t possess the strength required to fly.”

The thought of vampires who could shift into bats flopping around on the table made Shay snort. When he glanced toward Diego, he found him there with a smile.

“You’re thinking about them wiggling around on the ground, aren’t you?”

“Actually, I was thinking the table, but yeah.”

Diego opened his mouth to say something, but the door swung open and Jeremy walked in. When he saw who was there, his eyes widened.

“D!”

“Hey, buddy.” He held his arms out. “Gimme a hug.”

If Jeremy was startled, he didn’t show it. He threw himself at Diego, who scooped him up and held him close, seemingly content as he buried his face in Jeremy’s neck.

“Jerm,” Diego said, his voice muffled. “I am so very sorry for the way I’ve been acting.”

Jeremy drew back and stared into Diego’s eyes, his hand on Diego’s cheek. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s really not. My issues were mine, and I took them out on Shay. For that, I apologize to you both.”

He sounded so sincere, Shay had to smile. “I’m not upset, I promise. I understand.”

Jeremy’s brows scrunched. “What does he understand?”

Diego’s gaze flicked to mine. “I….” He sighed. “A long time ago, I did something really bad, and because of it, I was angry at Shay.”

“What did you do?” Jeremy asked, his eyes wide.

“It doesn’t matter,” Shay said quickly. “It was another time and place, and he’s a better man now.”

Jeremy grinned. “You like him.”

“Of course I do. I like you all.”

Jeremy had a knowing smirk, like he was aware of something no one else was. Then he gave those patented puppy dog eyes of his. “I’m hungry—is lunch done?”

Diego’s cheeks ached, he’d grinned so much. Lunch was… remarkable was the only word he could come up with. No one questioned why he was there, only scooted over to make room for him at the table. He did have to say a few more apologies for his behavior, especially how he treated Shay, but once he’d done it, all was apparently forgiven. He promised to explain the circumstances later, then flicked his gaze to Jerm, who sat chatting animatedly with Shay, who was standing at table side. It was weird for Diego too. He was there, sated for the first time in centuries, as he listened to the banter. He even tried to take part, but, as Jeremy said with a laugh, his game was weak.

The lunch that Shay prepared was delicious, even if it wasn’t something Diego would normally eat. The grilled cheese bread was crispy on the edges, with a generous layer of cheddar, Swiss, and American cheeses coating the burger. Then Shay’d added some breaded onions, mushrooms, ketchup, and dill pickle relish. Diego couldn’t believe he’d eaten two of them, but they were so damn good.

Shay, meanwhile, stood at the table, taking away the dishes as people finished with them. Diego was shocked by the attentiveness Shay paid to everyone who sat in his dining room.

“Shay, aren’t you eating?”

He smiled. “I will after you’re all done and I get the dishes washed.”

This wasn’t a job to Shay, Diego realized. His cheeriness wasn’t faked at all. He seemed genuinely happy to be taking care of everyone, just like he’d told Diego.

“Doesn’t he make awesome food, D?” Jerm called out right before he stuffed another spoonful of macaroni and cheese into his mouth. A yellow ring around his lips let Diego know how much Jerm was enjoying the meal.

“He does. I’ve never had a better burger in my life. ”

He probably didn’t realize it, but Shay’s chest puffed up a bit. It was interesting how a small sliver of praise could work magic like that.

“I hear he’s been helping you with your snakes,” Diego tossed out.

Jeremy’s eye widened. “Yeah! He’s a good teacher. He’s patient,” he said, his gaze flicking to Gabe, who was talking with Borne. “Unlike some people.”

The conversation stopped dead. Diego was about to say something, when Shay piped up. “That’s not fair, and I think you know it. Everyone is doing their best, Jeremy, and I know you think their approach was wrong, but you can’t argue with the results.”

“I guess,” Jerm grumbled. He lifted his head and turned his attention to Gabe. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Gabe said.

“No, it isn’t,” Diego corrected. “Jerm was on me to be nicer to Shay, and he was right, but maybe he ought to lead by example, huh?”

A small nod. “I’m sorry, Gabe.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I know I’m not the most patient man in the world, and I get that I don’t have much information about snakes.”

“Shay does!” Jeremy said. “He knows lots.”

“I study after I’m done for the day,” Shay said, his cheeks red. “And I’m thinking about getting more books.”

“Oh? What are you interested in learning?” Borne asked.

Now Shay’s face had gone scarlet. “How to help each of you if you need me.”

The table grew quiet again. “Really?” Martin asked, awe obvious in his voice.

“Yeah. It’s like…. I don’t know. I want to fit in here, because all of you are amazing, and… I guess I just want to be useful.”

“But you are,” Ranna replied vehemently. “You’re part of our small, super dysfunctional family. You cook for us, you clean, you take care of the laundry. At first, I thought you’d be, like, you know, a maid or something, but you aren’t. You are so very much more. You fit in here, with us, like no one else I’ve ever known. I mean, you got Diego to stop being such an ass—jerk.”

Jerm snorted, and Diego knew he was well aware of what Ranna was going to say.

“No. Diego did that by himself,” Shay defended.

Diego cleared his throat. “They’re right. I was a jerk, and if it wasn’t for you, I’d still be one.”

“I wanna know what’s going on!” Jerm demanded.

“It’s grownup stuff,” Shay told him. “Hey, I think there might be some apple pie in the kitchen with your name on it. Want to come with me and take a look?”

“Apple? Yeah!” Jeremy got up and trailed behind Shay as they headed for the kitchen.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Diego sighed and turned to his crew. He hesitantly explained how he was turned into a vampire, then told them about the hospital, and finally what Shay had done to help him out.

“I’ll understand if you don’t want me to be part of the team anymore,” he finished.

They were quiet for several agonizing moments, before Borne spoke.

“See? Told you he was dumb.”

Ranna snorted. “Do you think you’re the only one with bad crap in your background? None of this was your fault. A newly turned vampire can’t control his hunger, but one who’s hundreds of years old? He’s stupid for denying himself like that. If your control had slipped, even a tiny bit, what you did at the hospital could have looked like a Sunday picnic. You never, ever starve yourself. That way leads to horrors you don’t even want to contemplate.”

“How do you know these things?”

She glared at Diego. “Because, unlike you, I don’t hide away in my room waiting on a mission. I get out, meet people, learn things. There’s a vampire coven in the area, and I’ve spent some quality time with one of the boys there. He taught me a lot about what it means to be a vampire.” Her cheeks flushed. “Plus a few other unique uses for his fangs. ”

“Why didn’t you ever tell us? Why not ask for help?” Gabe wondered.

It was a question that had rolled around in Diego’s mind many times over the few hundred years of his life. The answer was always the same.

“The shame, I guess. I ended the lives of so many people. Young men and women who didn’t deserve what I did to them.”

“But how were you able to stave off the hunger after that? You should have gone feral, taking anyone you could.”

That familiar ache coursed through Diego once again. “I got my mind back after that night, and remembered the pain and anguish I’d inflicted and the utter shame I felt. I think it kept me focused on what needed to be done.”

“Well, I for one am proud of you,” Shay said, as he returned. He filled a few coffee cups, then grabbed some kind of vegan rabbit food and took a seat. “Jeremy is devouring an entire pie, so we have a bit of time to talk now.”

“And he will be hyped up on sugar for the rest of the day. His snaky metabolism means that stuff will sit in his system until tomorrow. Good luck with that.”

“I’ll deal,” Shay assured Borne. “As for you, even though you were starved, you still protected people from the things that go bump in the night, and yourself. I can’t think of anyone who can make that claim.”

Why was Shay being so… nice? Diego had been awful to him. Had treated him like dirt stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

“Shay, I?—”

A hand went up. “No. Stop. I don’t want or need to hear another apology. I understand why you pushed me away. It wasn’t to hurt me, but protect me from you. I don’t think that’s something you need to feel bad for, and I promise you I’m all over being angry about it.”

The room was silent, save for the sipping of coffee and the clunk of the mugs being put back on the table. Why had Diego not told these people? Didn’t they have a right to know? Why had he pushed everyone away for centuries ?

“I know that look,” Borne said. “There’s another apology coming.”

“Let him get it out of his system,” Ranna replied. “It’s got to be scary and lonely to keep such a tight rein on everything all the time.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Diego would be the first to admit it had taken a toll on him. How many nights had he hidden away in his room after a mission, while everyone else was in the great room laughing and having a good time unwinding? Even if he couldn’t drink from them, if he had gone feral, he could have done them serious injury, if not killed them outright.

“To tell the truth,” Gabe said, “it’s us who owes you an apology. We’re your teammates. Your friends. Your family. We should have known you were hurting and come to you to offer help. For that, I am sorry.”

Diego stood. “This is on me,” he insisted. “I should have trusted you all, and?—”

“Okay, you can stop now!” Shay snapped. “There’s enough blame to go around for everyone involved. All you need to do is say you’re sorry, then move on. The lot of you are rehashing and trying to take all the responsibility for something that not one of you has done anything to feel bad about. Now, together, on three, everyone will say they’re sorry, and that’s the last I want to hear about this. One. Two. Three.”

Voices rang out as everyone joined in a group apology, and oddly, Diego felt better afterward.

“Thank you, Shay. Everyone. Now?—”

Diego?

Hey, Empatia. What’s up?

You sound much more relaxed.

I am. Thank you for helping Shay procure the blood. It really did help.

If you had told me before, I could have ? —

We’re done with apologies. It’s time to move forward.

Excellent. I agree. And we have a new mission for you all.

For the first time since he’d been part of the group, Diego was actually looking forward to getting out there with his… friends.