Hellhound: Prince of Fire by Rue Volley

I sighed and then lowered Jack to the ground. He straightened his shirt and then tilted his head as he looked me over.
    “Where is Dorin?” I looked down and then Gunner walked up next to me.
    “He…he came to me in the forest and then…”
    “Then what?” Gunner asked as Jack continued to stare at me. I turned to Gunner and tried to remain calm, but it was hard, even in my calmer state as a vampire.
    “He attacked me and I killed him.”
    “What?” Gunner asked me as his expression changed from soft to hard in seconds.
    “He forced me to do it. He said he would always be my master, and that I was weak with him and he attacked me and I ….he fell over the cliff and he is gone. He is gone Gunner and it is because of me.” I buried my face in his chest as I sobbed. Jack looked down and then back into Gunners eyes. Gunner’s jaw tensed up as Jack left us standing there in the atrium as I continued to cry. I felt his hands on my back, but he suddenly felt distant to me as if he may not believe me. I stepped back from him and looked him over.
    “He made me Gunner. He did.”
    “Halo, how did this happen? How could this possibly be?”
    “He came to me. I had fed in the forest on a deer. He told me that he would always be my master and that it weakened me. He said with him, we would be defeated and I told him no. I told him I would not do that and then he chased me down like an enemy. He made me Gunner, he made me do it. In fact, it was an accident. I simply extended my hand and he took it and forced it to his own throat.”
    Gunner looked down as if he was processing all of it. Dorin had been with him much longer than I had and I could not even imagine ev erything they had seen together. He was as much a friend to him as he was to me.
    “We will tell Finna and Ari that he le ft. We will not speak of this again.”
    “Gunner…he said he loved me.”
    Gunner sighed and then rubbed his neck. He stepped up to me and placed a hand to my face.
    “I believe you. I do Halo but we cannot speak of this again. He left us and that is what Ari and Finna will be told.”
    I nodded as I had no choice.
    “It is time to prepare for battle. You need to be ready because Lucifer will soon rise with his army of demons and his son at his side.”
    “My son, ” I said and Gunner turned and walked away from me as I if I had not said anything at all.
     
     
           
     
     
    Chapter Ten
    Hunter’s Blood
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
                 

Jack stood very still in the middle of the street as I watched on. One by one the wolves came as he howled. It sounded sad and for a moment it made my heart ache as I thought about Dorin and everyone who had fallen. I am trying my best to remain focused , but it had only been days since Dorin had fallen from the cliff after revealing his love for me. I had not known. If I had, I would have told him to stop, to please not feel that way for me. There was nothing I could have ever offered him. My love has remained true and is for Gunner. I know that Lucifer and I…well, he is the king of lies and deception. I never meant to be with him and if even if a small part of me allowed that night with him to happen, it was all his doing and trickery. I have to believe that, I have too. 
    I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to see Finna stepping up next to me and Ari followed. I wanted so badly to tell them about Dorin . But Gunner had said no, and I had to trust him. If they knew it would only weaken us and I could not bear the thought of them falling because of me. I was not even certain that we would make it, that any of us would see that many more days. For the first time since I fell and became what I am, I envied humans. I envied the ignorance of what was truly happening all around them.
    As the rest of the wolf leaders assembled around Jack , I saw them all start to discuss the upcoming war. The inevitable thing I felt as if I had brought it on. I leaned towards