His mission.
Holy shit. How long had he been waiting for this moment?
Finally, the chance to prove himself the warrior he knew down to his marrow he already was.
Would Lucan test him with a seasoned Order member like Niko? Or would they send him on patrol with one of the Montreal warrior teams first, make him work his way up from the bottom?
He could hardly wait to find out.
“Yes, sir.” A smile tugged at the corners of Aric’s mouth as he answered Lucan’s command. “Hell yes, sir.”
CHAPTER 2
The vampire lurked behind her in the darkness, concealed by the dense forest parkland. With the moon obscured by heavy clouds, the only light was the distant twinkle of Montreal, which sprawled in the valley far below Summit Woods.
Kaya Laurent couldn’t see the threat that stalked her as she made her trek through the trees, but she felt it with every urgent beat of her pulse. The Breed male had her in his sights, just waiting for the opportunity to attack.
And he wasn’t alone.
Two others were with him somewhere in the woods, closing in on her like a pack of wolves.
Kaya hurried along the bramble-strewn path, adrenaline fueling every step. She had no hope of outrunning her pursuers, but she had to try. Behind her in the shadows, a twig snapped under a heavy foot. She ran faster, her heart climbing into her throat.
Dammit.
Her goal was in right in front of her, less than a quarter-mile ahead. If she could reach the large oak at the perimeter of the woods, she’d be home free.
If she pushed herself, she might actually make it before--
“Shit!”
Nearly three-hundred pounds of fast-moving Breed male hit her from behind like a freight train. Even though she was mentally braced for the attack, the sudden collision jolted a cry out of her and sent her to the ground in a punishing crash.
Kaya grunted, forcing her body into action even as her head filled with an explosion of stars. Rolling away a mere instant before her attacker would have pinned her beneath him, she scrambled to her feet. At that same moment, the second vampire materialized out of the night woods. Then the third, moving in to block her path on the other side.
Not that she actually intended to run.
All she could do now was fight--and pray like hell she survived the next few minutes.
Her pistol was already in her hand. Without warning, she opened fire, three rapid shots that would have been bullseye hits if her assailants had been anything but Breed. Two of the males dodged, but the third let out a roar as her bullet struck him dead-center on the chest.
A burst of red blooming over his sternum, he dropped to the ground.
“Yes!”
One down, two to go.
The largest of the trio grinned at her through the darkness. He was a monster of a male, massive shoulders and dark, menacing features that looked far too amused as he loomed closer.
Kaya started to squeeze the trigger again, but in a blink of motion too fast for her to follow, the big male knocked her gun out of her fingers. It sailed off into the trees. “Now, what are you gonna do?”
Her fingers went to one of the knives sheathed on her belt. He lunged. She threw the blade, but had no chance to see if she made her mark. While her attention was focused wholly on the big male in front of her, she’d lost track of the third one.
“Too bad for you.” Large hands clamped around her neck from behind. “You’re dead, sweetheart.”
“Fuck!” Kaya snarled in frustration, her body sagging as the certain death-grip loosened from her throat and her would-be killer chuckled. She pushed some of her long brown hair out of her face, her breath racing. “Let’s go another round. I can do better.”
The Breed warrior she’d shot with a paint bullet got up from the ground, peeling out of his red-splattered shirt with a curse. He shook his head. “Count me out. You’d go at us like this all night if we let you.”
Kaya arched a brow. “What’s the matter, Webb? Afraid I’ll drop you again?”
He laughed, giving her one of his grins that made the tall male go from basic handsome to pure Adonis. “Lucky shot tonight, that’s all. But you’d better watch your back. I’ll get you when you least expect it.”
“She’s getting better all the time,” his comrade added. One of the large hands that had been poised to twist her head off a moment ago now cuffed her shoulder in praise. “Good job, Kaya.”
“Thanks, Torin.” She smiled at the exotic-looking warrior with the shoulder-length mane of burnished blond hair. Although he was as deadly as anyone in the Order, the laid-back warrior had been nothing less than welcoming the past couple of weeks she’d been training with their team.
The biggest member of the squad, the olive-skinned, dark-haired behemoth named Balthazar, walked over and returned Kaya’s lost weapons. “Next time, keep your eyes open to your full surroundings.”
“All right, Bal.” With a nod, she took the paint gun and blade from him, holstering both on her belt.
Applause sounded from the sidelines as Kaya’s friend, Mira--the sole female of the Order team Kaya desperately wanted to be part of--strolled over to meet the group. Accompanied by her mate, Kellan Archer, Mira was garbed in all-black like the rest of the warriors, her combat boots crunching softly in the bramble as she approached from her observation post.
“Dammit, I screwed up,” Kaya admitted. “I’ll keep practicing. I can do this.”
“I have no doubt, or you wouldn’t have gotten this far.” Mira smiled. “You’re an excellent combat fighter, Kaya. No one expects you to be able to take out three of the best Breed warriors in the field to prove yourself to the Order.”
Kellan gave Mira a proud look. “Besides, there are other skills that are just as valuable to a team.”
The couple spoke from experience. As capable as Mira was with her daggers and physical
