Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand

Jack admitted. “Interesting,
though…” He hooked his hands behind his head, and then leaned back,
staring up at the ceiling. “Especially considering you.”
    We all fell silent after that. A thousand thoughts
and questions and unbelievable answers flitted through my mind. It
seemed the more I learned, the more questions it raised. By now I
figured it was safe to assume I was definitely a Hunter. And that a
Hunter was someone who could kill a Werewolf. Basically with their
bare hands. I looked down at my own hands in wonder. It amazed me
that inside my tiny, and, shall we say less than athletic, body lay
superhuman strength. And what was this deal with Wes and me not
sensing each other? Or at least not in the ‘normal’ way, as he put
it. It didn’t seem that big a deal to me until Jack had said he’d
never heard of it before. And apparently I was sensing Jack just
fine. I rubbed my arms, trying to lessen the tingles.
    I turned my attention back to Jack and Wes. They were
locked in quiet conversation. Wes had scooted over to the far side
of the couch and both of them were leaning forward, so their heads
were only inches apart. They were whispering pretty low but every
once in a while, Wes’ response would turn to more of a hiss. I
strained to hear without being obvious that I was paying
attention.
    “I could train her,” said Jack. When Wes nodded, he
continued, “You know we could use another Hunter, a young one, for
our side.”
    “No!” Wes hissed. “I don’t want her dragged into all
of our politics. She’s too young and inexperienced. And it’s too
dangerous.”
    Jack put a hand up. “Alright, calm down, it’ll just
be training.” His expression looked thoughtful. “You know as well
as I do that once this door is opened, you can’t close it again.
More will come for her.”
    “I know.”
    Wes’ whispered reply was grim and his expression
matched. Something about it gave me a sinking feeling in my chest,
though yet again, I had no idea what half of it had meant.
    The parts I did know were the ones that worried me.
Like the fact that both of them were convinced my run in with
Liliana – a Werewolf - would not be an isolated incident. Despite
the fact that it had been seventeen years in the making. With all
of the explanations and half answers I’d been given, it felt like I
was coming up on the edge of something. I just couldn’t figure out
what it was.
    Their conversation seemed to be over, so I averted my
gaze like I hadn’t noticed them. I could feel their eyes on me, so
I kept my face down and absently played with a lock of my hair,
twirling the brown strands into endless loops. A nervous habit.
    “Tara?” Wes called.
    I glanced up, keeping my expression blank.
    “What do you think?”
    “About what?”
    Wes sighed. “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear us. About
training. It would be a good idea to learn how to defend
yourself.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Look, you need to be prepared for what happened last
night to happen again. It will. It’s just a matter of time. So
knowing how to properly defend yourself is a good idea. Jack can
help you.”
    Before I could answer, the tingling under my skin
suddenly intensified. I shivered and looked down. Goosebumps had
appeared and the hair on my arms stood on end. Footsteps approached
behind me. I twisted in my chair, knowing what this feeling meant.
Another Werewolf was coming. I thought about grabbing for the
plunger handles still lodged in my back pockets. My heart pounded
with sudden adrenaline and I braced for the threat.
    When the ‘threat’ appeared, I felt my jaw swing open
in surprise. A beautiful blond woman stood in the doorway. She
carried a pitcher and four glasses on a tray and her hair swung
softly around her face as she moved. She was dressed comfortably in
jeans and a white sweater, but more than the relaxed look she wore,
it was something about her that made me feel instantly at
ease.
    “Tara, this is my wife, Fee,”