{"id":3565,"date":"2009-11-20T00:00:48","date_gmt":"2009-11-20T04:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shilohwalker.wordpress.com\/?p=3565"},"modified":"2009-11-20T00:00:48","modified_gmt":"2009-11-20T04:00:48","slug":"30-days-of-giveaways-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shilohwalker.com\/website\/2009\/11\/30-days-of-giveaways-15\/","title":{"rendered":"30 days of giveaways #15"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Hunters<\/a>
Hunter's Need...releases 12\/1<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

___________________<\/p>\n

Tearing her eyes away from him, Ana whispered to Brad, \u201cCome on.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brad looked like he wanted to argue, then he sighed and shoved a hand through his hair.\u00a0 \u201cOkay. Maybe we can go to get a snack\u2014I\u2019m starving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds like a good idea, Ana,\u201d Kelsey said, an edge to her voice.\u00a0 But when the witch looked Ana, her gaze was kind, so kind and so gentle and it made Ana feel even more pathetic.<\/p>\n

Silence fell as the brother and sister headed for the door. Kelsey lingered in the doorway, watching them with that enigmatic gaze.\u00a0 The witch\u2019s gaze softened as Brad passed by and she reached out, ruffled his hair.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a bottomless pit these days,\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

The lighthearted words did nothing to ease the tension in the room.\u00a0 As they left, Ana breathed a little easier.\u00a0 Every passing step made it easier, every inch of distance helped.<\/p>\n

Get away\u2014she had to get away from that anger.\u00a0 Her shields were stronger, but anger was always harder to shield against.\u00a0 Always.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

As Ana and Brad disappeared from sight, Kelsey stepped back in the room.\u00a0 Somebody slid the door closed behind her.\u00a0 All around, people were staring at her.\u00a0 Watching with avid, intent interest and making no pretense otherwise.<\/p>\n

Some of the people in the room would become Hunters.<\/p>\n

Many would not.<\/p>\n

Even though they were told when they came to Excelsior that not all would join the Council, not all of them believed it.\u00a0 Kelsey could understand in a way.\u00a0 The older ones that came to them, more often not, were victims of a vampire attack, survivors of a were\u2019s bite.\u00a0 Their entire lives changed, and little understanding of why.\u00a0 Time and again, many of them had to leave their old lives behind\u2014their lives, their families.\u00a0 Faced with a long empty stretch of life, they latched onto anything that might give their new existence meaning.<\/p>\n

Being a Hunter had meaning.<\/p>\n

But that mindset crippled them\u2014doing it because it had meaning<\/span><\/em> was the last reason to do it.<\/p>\n

In more cases than she could recall, Kelsey had seen it happen.\u00a0 In more cases than she could recall, it was the ones who didn\u2019t<\/span><\/em> want to be here, the ones who didn\u2019t<\/span><\/em> want to be a Hunter that were called to it.<\/p>\n

For some fucked up reason, Kelsey ended up being the one dumped with the responsibility of saying No.\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry, but no, it can\u2019t be you. <\/span><\/em> Most of the instructors at the school were perfectly content to let her have that not-so-happy job.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going to make this harder than it has to be?\u201d she asked, weary.<\/p>\n

Neal glared at her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not making anything<\/span><\/em> hard\u2014you\u2019re the one throwing some kind of tantrum because that bitch can\u2019t handle her own problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bitch,\u201d Kelsey said, getting more annoyed by the second.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neal, stupidly, thought she was referring to Brad.<\/p>\n

Rolling his eyes, he said, \u201cI already told you.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t hurt a kid.\u00a0 And I wasn\u2019t going to hurt her, either.\u00a0 I just wanted her to get out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you had your hands on her\u2014that\u2019s what started this, isn\u2019t?\u00a0 You had your hands on her, touching her, when she didn\u2019t want you touching her.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Duke, of all people, that spoke.\u00a0 Separating himself from the crowd, he stalked towards Neal, his pale gray eyes swirling, the pupils spiking and flaring as he fought the rage inside him.<\/p>\n

___________________<\/p>\n

Just a quick reminder on the contest:<\/p>\n