The Killing Game

Chapter One

Run, run. Faster, faster.
Sticks and branches broke beneath her bare feet and she tried to move faster but her limbs felt so heavy, her feet numb and bloodied. Panic surged through her veins as her attention shot behind her. She could see nothing but she could hear him behind her. The swamp was dark, empty of anything but survival and death. The menacing shadows of the old trees and their twisted limbs made home for the demon that she knew lurked in the them. He was there, she could feel him watching her, stalking her, toying with her.

Run, run!! Her mind screamed at her heavily drugged limbs.

Water splashed somewhere, something had slipped into the bog but what? An alligator? Some other animal? Or was it her killer who was bent on torturing her, driving her crazy with fear and helplessness? “Ow!” She cried out as she hit the ground with a loud thud. Mud splashed up into her face feeling cold and foreign on her skin, skin that was hot and raised from the scratches of the brush trying to hold her back. Trying to keep her in the swamp.

She sobbed unable to contain herself or the fear any longer screaming hysterically. Screaming over and over until it felt as though her lungs would burst. It was no use no one was going to run up and save her like in the movies or in a novel. No hero. Just her and the black emptiness, and him. Always him.

After a a while her screaming stopped and her body slumped in exhaustion as she continued to sob with the little energy she had left, there in the mud, in the cold, isolated swamp. She would die here.


It was hot, damn hot and my throat felt as though I had swallowed a cup of sand. Perspiration from my forehead trickled down my temples droplets making it's way down my neck. Moaning, I slowly rolled my head to the side as the remnants of the vision still held me in their grasp. My body was heavy but that was more from the drugs then from anything else. Years of taking the same drug had built up a tolerance in me requiring me to take more and more of the drug to obtain the desired results and what had once cost me a couple of hundred was now increased to a few thousand and more money meant more jobs. What kind of jobs? Well now that just depended.

Groaning, I lifted my head with some effort and squinted my eyes in attempt to block out the glare of the late afternoon sun pouring in through my living room windows. Fuck. I felt like shit. Like I had been on a four day bender and my body was so sore it felt as though I had fucked for hours without the euphoric results. Those results had disappeared as my intolerance to the drug had slowly increased, which sucked because that was the one upside to this whole shit stained situation.

Coming to my feet, I stumbled a bit using the heavy coffee table to right myself. I had just a couple of hours until sundown, enough time to right myself and get into hunter mode. What kind of hunter? Any these days. There was so much evil floating around in so many various forms all I had to do was take my pick, especially in this city.

Taking my cigarettes in hand I stepped out onto my balcony and slipped one long, white, roll between my lips and lit it. White smoke billowed and swirled from my lips as I looked over vastly over populated city covered in a thick blanket of gray smog that seemed to suffocate you every time you took a breath. I hated this city. Hated the look of it as well as the taste of the chocking smoke that rested heavily at the back of my throat, suffocating, ya that's what it felt like to live here.

The blessed City of Angels, was anything but what those words sketched in someones mind. My acute hearing picked up the popping sound of gun shots, followed by several screeching car alarms, and the distinct sound of police sirens in the distance. Criminals of all kinds needed a crowded place to hide, a place where crime and even murder were an everyday occurrence. A place where they could duck into the shadows and go unnoticed and there was no other city that would make a perfect hiding spot for deranged and sadistic black souls then L.A, the devils playground made a perfect hunting ground for a sadistic predator to stalk their unsuspecting prey.

Glancing at the black and white photo of the young woman resting on my patio table, the all too familiar feeling of all consuming fear coursed through my veins releasing a quick shot of adrenalin through me. Going unnoticed here was a survival trait for the wicked and a deadly reality for the victims. The young woman's name was Casey, blond hair, blue eyes, 5'5. She went to the University and wanted to be a Pediatrician. She's wanted to help people since she was a young girl, always carrying band aids on her just in case someone may need one. According to her mother, it wasn't just something that she wanted to do, but something she had always been compelled to do and that is what had gotten her poor soul in trouble.

Shaking my head, I flopped down into my reclining sun chair and stared at the potent drug resting in the deep purple jar with the glass dropper. My dragon, my compulsion. I needed to find her. If the young woman would have just listened to her instinct, the instincts that crawled up her spine sending chills across her skin in warning, instead of just ignoring the hard, hot, ball of fear in the pit of her stomach and deciding to do what she felt was the right thing. Right thing? Such bullshit stupid people thought never wanting to offend anyone, even over ruling their fear. Nothing was right if it went against your gut and yes I learned that the hard way. A hard lesson but one that continued to save my ass more then once during the long course of my life.

I needed to find her, alive. There had to be an end to by down streak in the saving lives department. I didn't need one more ghost haunting me, begging me to bring the deranged and demented killer to justice. Looking down at the scratches on my wrist, I expelled a deep breath. They were getting desperate because they couldn't see that I was doing everything I could. The only thing they saw was that they hadn't been avenged and because of that they were still locked in that cold dark prison between this world and the next. They were getting desperate and weren't afraid to show me just how desperate and angry they had become. Like I wasn't doing everything I could, everything in my power, even submitting myself to the painful experience of more and more visions paved by the way of the distractingly powerful drug sitting on the glass patio table next to me. Damn ghost.

Knock, knock.

Frowning my eyes snapped to the door. I wasn't expecting company and it wasn't like I had many friends. Contacts yes, friends no. The insistent pounding came again and there was only one person I could I think of who knock in that irritatingly demanding way, Gabriel, but why in the fuck would he be here?

Groaning, I came to my feet, my head still woozy and legs wobbly from my latest session. Of course the lack of sleep that I got last night didn't help any. Damn ghost.

“Rae! I'll kick the door down!”

“Fuck Gabriel! I'm coming!” Pushy fucking Alpha.

We Limikkin's were a very interesting breed. Our backs covered with a single large tattoo of an animal given to us on our thirteenth birthday by the Shaman of our particular pack. Once the ceremony was complete then this animal, became a part of us. Our spirit animal, and we the keepers of those animals. The two worked together like one, partners. My own panther as much of a part of me as my own heart, one would never existed without the other. I had seen Gabriel call his wolf from his back more then once and it was amazing to watch. The wolf was so beautiful, silver-blue hair, ice blue eyes and all that power commanding the respect of all of the other animals surrounding him. Just like the man.

As soon as I yanked the door open, my heart accelerated, tripping over itself as my gaze fell on the amazing male specimen standing in from of me. Instantly my mouth when dry at the sight of him. Damn, I hated it and hated the way my palms sweaty, and the irritating prickle of sexual awareness creeping up her my spine. Gabriel was hot. Much to hot for his own good, and mine, and any unsuspecting woman whose path he crossed. All it took was one look, yup one look and they all but fell at his feet begging for his attention, willing to anything and everything he desired always pressing against him suggestively. There was no way the women could fight the pheromones and the animal attraction carried by an alpha and Gabriel was an alpha all the way.

He exuded as much power as he did sex appeal. That jet black hair, offsetting to the amber, gold eyes of their people. Those sensually full lips and square jaw always dusted with short black hair gave him a powerful sex appeal that radiated from handsome, sexually confident men. Ya, it was that sexual confidence that had got him in trouble. He was 6'5, incredibly broad shoulders and an equally broad and muscular chest. His arms were so muscular and strong, yet so gentle and tender when he would hold her after they made love. Many times I had swirled my fingers in that dark hair dusting his chest, trailing fingers down across his rock hard, lower still as far as I could. Those lean hips, hips I had held onto many times when we made love. After that long moment of survey that hot body I desperately wanted to wrap myself around him, grind against his hard cock, and lick every dip and hollow tracing every line. Quickly, tamped it down those feelings. There was nothing between us anymore.

My gaze flicked up to his, awaiting the smirk I knew would be there but there was none. “What?”

Not waiting for an invitation, he pushed past me and began scanning every surface of my apartment. Looking for what? I could only guess. “Do come in.” I muttered.

“I can't believe you did it again. Where the fuck is it?”

“Where's what?' My tone was innocent but I knew exactly what he was talking about.

He spun facing me, his strong muscled arms crossed over that impossibly broad chest. “Don't fuck with me.” He scanned again and his gaze narrowed on the purple vial on the patio. He was fast but I was faster, already on the move way before he noticed it was there. I knew what he had come for, but for all my speed he was faster. “What the hell are you doing with that?”

“I need it.” I snapped.

“The hell you do!” His large hand swallowed the delicate bottle as he closed his fingers into a fist. “Where did you get this shit?”

I snorted. “What?”

“Where.Did.You.Get.The.Fucking.Drug.Rae?” He reinforced power behind every word, his Alpha power. I could feel the energy pulse around me, pushing into me, trying to force me to submit.

“Damn it Garbriel.” I sunk to her knees, my hands pressed against my stomach as I curled into myself. I could feel the panther on my back itching to come out and submit to the alpha before me. I pushed her back, refusing the change to take place. Refusing to submit to man who was forcing me to do as he bid. “Stop it!” I screamed barely maintaining my grip on my panther. My head snapped up to lock on his ice-blue gaze. “Gabe...” it was a plea now.

“Tell me.” He demanded crossing the room to kneel before me.

I merely shook my head, sweat breaking out across my brow as I continued to fight the change. “No.” I whispered closing my eyes tightly finally getting control of her. Damn alpha power.

Suddenly, he pulled back his power and sunk to his knees in front of me. A relieved breath rushed from her lungs and my palms slapped against the hardwood floor.

“Rae...”

“Don't touch me.” I growled glaring up at him, still resting on my hands and knees panting hard.

“Stop being so pig-headed.” His hands closed around my biceps and pulled me to my feet.

“You can't force me to submit Gabe.” I snapped. “Just because your an Alpha doesn't mean that you can just throw your fucking power around to get whatever it is you want.”

“You left me no choice.” He snapped back. “I need to know where you got this.”

“So you can arrest them?” I shook my head. “No.”

“Rae.” He warned.

“What Gabe?” I folded my arms across my chest and smirked up at him. “I didn't get that here so it's not your jurisdiction.”

His eyes darkened. “I'll...”

“What arrest me?” My eyebrow rose in disbelief. “Go ahead.”

“Fuck!” He bellowed briefly turning from me as he ran his fingers through his tousled raven back hair. “I'm trying to protect you.” Dropping the vial he smashed it beneath his heavy boot.

“No!” I went for the bottle as though I could salvage it.

His hands were on me instantly, his thick fingertips digging into the tender flesh just above my elbows. “Stop it. Do you even see what you're doing to yourself?”

“What do you care?” I attempted to jerk myself from his grasp but it was no use. He was far too strong.

His eyes softened still looking down into my eyes. “I care about you.”

Those words, those four little words felt as though he had dealt me a blow with his fist. I jerked from the force of it. “Ya?” I challenged, sure my eyes shot fire. “How's Shelly Gabe?”

“Shit.” He muttered releasing me as he stepped back. “That was a mistake.”

“No.” I pushed past him. “You always thinking with your dick is a mistake. Getting a woman pregnant is a major fuck up.” I left out the part that we were still working things out between us when he found out about little Shelly and the pup in her belly. Those words still cut too deeply when I said them out loud.

“I'm more sorry then you'll ever know. I've claimed the pup but Shelly is not my mate and she never will be.”

“How unfortunate for her.” I muttered shaking my head with a smirk. “You know Gabe, you amaze me. Not mating with a female of your pack even though she got pregnant.”

“She tricked me.”

“Oh fuck Gabe, really!” Now I was really pissed. “How in the hell does some bitch trick you to fuck her? What did she do? Fall on your dick?”

“I was drunk...”

“Stop with the excuse Gabe. You did it because you wanted to. End of fucking story.” I desperately attempted to hide the venom in my voice. Damn, I didn't want him to see that it still hurt me so much, how cracked my heart still was. We were so close, so close, and then one night everything changed. So fast.

“I'm sorry. I've missed you so much and I've thought about you every day, wishing I could take it back. I'd do anything to take it back. I've missed you.” His voice was so soft, I almost wanted to turn and throw myself into his arms. To feel his arms again, his warmth, to make love to him. I hadn't shared a mans bed since our break up and certainly hadn't been around one that made me feel so safe, so protected.

“Doesn't matter.”

“It does to fucking matter and you know.” A muscle twitched in his strong jaw as he tightened it. “But we'll save that topic for later. The shit you're doing is dangerous. And for what? A vision? We'll get the killer the old fashioned way. You're playing Russian Roulette and one of these days you're going to lose.”

“Then I lose.” I muttered, walking past him.

His hands shout out and he yanked me around to face him, hauled me against his hard body and before I could say another word his lips crashed down on mine. He was all fire and warmth and his lips, god his lips were as soft as I remembered. I ignored the rational part of my brain telling me to push him away and melted into him.

His tongue pressed passed my lips asserting his dominance as he claimed my mouth in a kiss that was quickly stealing my breath and any rational thought I was capable of. “No,” I gasped. “This is a bad idea.”

“It's just what we need.” His sexy, highly skilled tongue traced my full lips just before slipping inside again. His tongue swirled with mine, caressed my mouth, retreated and flicked across my lips. Fire erupted in my veins and moisture pooled between my thighs as my hands clung to his broad shoulder, my fingernails digging into his skin.

He growled his approval as his arms tightened around me, his hands drifting down to cup my ass and bring me against his hard cock. He lifted me up and down his hard, hot length hitting my clit with every drag. I felt myself get even wetter and knew my wetness would sink into his jeans. I had to stop the kissing. The feeling too intense, repressed emotions coming to the surface. Feelings I didn't need or want any more. “Gabe.” I gasped breaking the kiss. His touch felt so good, too good. I was losing my mind and I was powerless to stop the onslaught of passion filling my desperate need to feel something other then fear and the cold empty darkness. Always the darkness.

“Rae.” He growled, his arm shot out to the left wiping everything off the table as I ran my tongue up the strong column of his neck, immensely enjoying the salty taste of his skin. I nibbled his earlobe no longer caring if this was a bad idea or not. It had been so long since she had allowed anyone to touch her, so long since she had touched a man and she was so hot and so wet.

Gabriel sat me down on the edge of the table and yanked me close to him, so close to him that his dick pressed hard against bare pussy. He rotated his hips as his fingers dug into the bare skin of my hips, his tongue and mouth licking and kissing a fiery trail up my neck. God, this felt so good. I needed this and I needed it bad.

“Rae.” He groaned. “I...”

“Shhh.” I whispered against his full lips as I hurriedly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants pushing them down his hips. His thick had cock pulsing as it fell into my hand, velvet steel, so familiar.

“God yess!” He hissed his eyes squeezing closed briefly as though he were savoring the moment and my touch. He rocked himself against my palm. “Feels so good.” I wrapped my fingers around his thick length and squeezed drawing a delicious helpless gasp from the powerful alpha.

He was hard as steel now, hard and ready to take me. Rising my hips, I impaled myself on him and took his whole thick length in one forceful thrust. I was so wet he slid right in to the hilt. We both groaned and instantly started to move. I was already feeling a tingling sensation beginning at the base of my spine, slowly moving outward through my entire body. I knew it wouldn't take long for me. “Faster, harder.” I panted.

“Fuuucck!” Gripping my hips harder he slammed into me jerking the table with the force of his thrust. His harsh, rapid thrust felt so good inside me that cried out in ecstasy. The sound of skin slapping against skin inflamed my passion brighter pushing away the darkness and the fear if only for a moment. Gabe groaned loudly as he leaned forward to kiss me on the lips. I turned my head purposely.

“Kiss me.” He demanded.

“No.” Our eyes met and I saw that flash of familiar fire in his eyes. He clenched his jaw and lifted my legs so my knees rested at the bend of his elbow. His massive hands slid down and grabbed my ass, thick fingertips digging into the soft flesh as he fucked me harder and faster then before. So damn good.

I felt the familiar fluttering and tightening of muscles inside as I rose my hips to meet his brutal thrusts. The kitchen table thumped against the ground and I thought for sure its strength would give out under our pressure but I was flying to high to care. I was about to come and I needed it, god I needed it so desperately.

“Yes!!” I screamed as I bore down on him, the muscles of my pussy griping his cock so tightly it was almost painful. Flashes of pure ecstasy raced through me and my entire body shook and trembled even as every muscle tightened with intense pleasure. Yes, yes, it felt amazing. It had been too long.

“Fuck!!” Gabe snarled as he thrust widely before he slammed home one last deep thrust, his entire body going rigid as his own orgasm plowed through him powerfully and intense. He growled loudly, his breathing as rapid as my own and suddenly I felt it. Hot, rapid spurts of his come shooting deep into my core, holy shit it shot another orgasm through me making me quiver as my pussy pulsed around his still hard cock. Our joining had always hot and intense, and I always enjoyed the moment when he released inside me his orgasm burning through my own and throwing me into ecstasy all over again. This time it was just bitter sweet and a mistake.

“Rae.” He groaned both or bodies spasmed as the last waves from our intense orgasms faded. “Shit, that felt so good.”

I nodded. “It did.” As the tremors faded, my rational mind broke through my fog covered mind. What the fuck did I just do? I disengaged myself from him, slipping to the flood in nothing by my nightshirt. “I think it's time for you to go.” Dipping my shoulder, I brushed past him.

“Are you serious?”

“Don't act shocked Gabe.” I muttered walking into my open kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “We both know what this was.”

“And what is that?” He snapped. “Passionate? Ecstasy? Making love?”

“Fucking.” My gaze snapped up to his, my gaze clear and focused, brutal in its honesty. “There's nothing between us.” I paused, the words still tightening my throat. “Not anymore.”

“Rae...

“Don't.” I whispered, glancing away summoning my courage before I met his gaze again. “Don't embarrass yourself with apologizes and explanations that will never make up for the trust and the heart that you willingly broke.” I paused, letting those words sink in because no matter what he said he had made the choice knowing it would hurt me deeply. “Just go.”

He shook his head, his hands on his lean hips making every single muscle across his broad shoulders and chest strain against his black t-shirt. “Can't you see...”

“Don't.” I broke his intense amber gaze and closed my eyes against the quivering in my chest the love shocking my still fragile heart. God how could it still hurt so bad.

“Why?” He demanded. Typical alpha used to getting his way without question. Beyond reproach.

My fiery amber eyes clashed with his, boring deep, refusing to hide my pain and heart ache from him. “You know why.”

He swallowed hard, breaking eye contact. “I won't give up.”

“Then you'll waste your time.” I meant for the statement to come out strong, clear and unrelenting but all that escaped my lips was a whispered promise.

He only stared at me hard, blazing amber eyes holding such a deep conviction that I almost trembled from his conviction. Without a word, he spun on his heel and left my apartment slamming the door behind him.

Releasing a shuttered breath, I reached out and grasped the edge of the counter. Closing my eyes I sunk to the floor, the cold wood solid wood at my back and cold tile against my ass and feet. Tears burned the back of my eyelids and a lump formed in my throat. My body burned with the euphoria from the touch, the connection I needed so bad. Pain tightened my chest, instinctively my hand shot up right over my heart. My fist gripped the material there as though I could squeeze the pain away. One thing I knew for sure, a broken heart still went on beating right through the crippling pain. It won't hurt forever, but it sure fucking felt like it would.

Hours later when Analise stormed my apartment, things went from bad to worse. More like sisters then friends, there was no one who knew me better.

“I can't believe you fucked him.” Analise stated sipping the deep burgundy wine she loved so much.

It had been three days since my interlude with Gabriel when my best friend, who was more like my sister and the only family I had, dropped by my apartment. No one knew me better then here and that was not such a good thing in this particular situation.

“Why?” I shrugged. “I make bad decisions all the time. It's a personality trait.”

“Bullshit.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means you still care, whether you want to admit it or not.”

Staring out over the night darkened city, I swallowed hard. “I don't want to talk about this.”

“Well, want to talk about it or not won't make it go away.” She paused. “I know what he did hurt you deeply.”

“He didn't hurt me.” My whisper was harsh and full of pain. “He broke my fucking heart Lise.”

“He broke his own too.”

“Don't give me any of your psycho-babble shit. He wasn't breaking his heart and he wasn't hurting when he was fucking her in the damn motel room.”

“Everyone makes mistakes Rae. You have to look at what's left over after the hurt has struck. Reach into your soul and see there's anything there. Anything worth fighting for, trying for. You love him.”

“Ya well, there's some hurts that even love won't heal.”

She shook her head. “Eventually he's going to give up and move on and you just might regret it for the rest of your life.”

I shrugged my shoulders, my vision blurring as I forced the bitter words from my throat. “That's a chance I'm willing to take. No one will ever have the power to hurt me like that again.”

“You're going to live a very long time love and if you stick to that then that life is going to be very lonely.”

I looked at her from over my shoulder, the tears I had struggled so desperately to hold back sliding down my cheeks. “So be it.

* * *

My eyes flew open, my heart racing in my chest, the sound of my harsh gasps echoing in the silent room. What the hell? The thin cotton sheet clung to my damp skin like chains imprisoning me, refusing to release me from the mattress. My heart was racing and it throbbed in my ears the only sound I could hear. Strands of my thick, black hair clung to the sides of my face like spider webs suffocating me. My gaze shot to the clock with the bright red digits on my nightstand. Two o'clock in the morning. Gabe. My gaze dropped to my phone just as it began to ring.

I answered it quickly. “Gabe?” I hated that my voice shook but I couldn't hide it. Something was wrong, I could feel it in the depths of my soul.

“Rae.” His voice seemed soothing and gentle. Fuck, something was really wrong. The black hand of death wrapped its icy fingers over my shoulder and ice cold chills raced down my spine.

“No Gabe.” I whispered.

“Rae...”

“No.” My heart tightened in my chest, shooting pain through my body. My stomach tightened in fear. “No.”

“I've sent a car to get you. I...”

I hung up the phone not wanting to hear the rest of what he had to say. It couldn't be. I jumped at the knock on the door and I knew this horrible situation was no dream. Analise was dead.