Chapter 163: Battle Bar: The Hunter

The following day, Esme was leaning against the door frame of the black SUV she picked out of Gabriel's extensive array of cars in his garage. She was five minutes early and was waiting for Leo, her foot tapped in anticipation and nervousness. She was being watched right now as well, Gabriel and Niko were going to follow them to the Battle Bar, and Marcus was already there waiting. 

Esme wanted to go by herself, but Gabriel insisted, and she relented without much resistance. Her mate just wanted to protect her, and even though she was very skilled and able to take care of this, she caved because he was still unhappy with her little 'friendly date' with Einar. Which was understandable, even though she made sure to make up for it all night long. 

Esme opened her eyes to see Leo pulling up in the parking spot near her and stepping out of the car, pressing the key to lock it as he brought her into a bone-crushing hug. The she-wolf tensed, waiting for him to stab her in the back or something, but it never came.

"He HAS stabbed you in the back," Isana remarked dryly. She was pacing at the fringes of Esme's mind, bristling aggressively. Luckily Isana's growl was only echoing in her mind, and Leo could not hear it. Esme slowly put her hands around his back, tapping quickly before pulling away.

Leo chuckled and held her there for a moment more before looking down at her and dropping his hands. "I know you don't like them, but your hugs are getting worse," He jested, then glanced at the car she was leaning on. He whistled in appreciation. "No offence, but how could you afford this?"

"Offence taken," Esme joked back, then smirked. "I am borrowing a friend's. Come on, get in." 

Leo smiled, rushed around the large vehicle, and climbed into the passenger seat. "You better drive it well then." He pulled the seat belt on, watching her out of the corner of his eyes. 

"Well, it's better I drive this than their sports car," Esme smirked. She wanted to drive it again but thought it was better to go in a car less conspicuous. She reversed the SUV and drove away from ONYX, glancing in her rearview mirror to the two vampires a few cars behind them. Even without driving a sports car, they still stood out because of their dazzling good looks. 

Esme turned her attention to the road again, her fingers tapping on the steering wheel. The drive was quiet, and she could almost feel the tense atmosphere brewing between them. She glanced at Leo from the corner of her eyes, he had closed his eyes, so maybe it was just her overthinking. The hunter couldn't know anything; he was the one acting here; she was just playing along for once. Or was she a bad actor, and he worked it out?

"Will you quit second-guessing? Why does it matter now? What will he do? He's the fool in the car alone with a werewolf," Isana snapped, and Esme nodded to her words. 

"Is something on your mind?" Leo asked quietly, cutting through the silence and making her jolt in surprise.

"Ha.. haha. You scared me.." Esme trailed off before indicating to park up outside of the Battle Bar.

"I didn't think I was scary. And I was.. sorry about that, I didn't sleep well last night. But the blinding lights of the sign woke me up," Leo replied with a small chuckle before rubbing at his eyes. Esme looked at him and noticed the dark circles under those friendly-looking hazel eyes. She didn't notice earlier because she didn't want to look at him. This guy was a hunter, and if she didn't see him the day before, it made her wonder what plans he had for her.

The idea made her hands tighten on the steering wheel. But she dropped them and tilted her head to the side. "You should have cancelled, Leo. You do look quite tired." Esme spoke the words she knew she would tell her friend before she found out their friendship grew on lies.

"Nah, I can't, so no to my girl," He winked, sliding the seatbelt away from him. 

Esme raised a brow. "Your girl, hey?" She climbed out of the car, rounding it and flinched when Leo's arm went around her shoulders. 

"Yep," He grinned. "I don't care what Marcus says.."

"Ah, are you two still arguing over that?" Esme replied though her voice sounded slightly off. She didn't want to continue being fake; every word he was speaking right now was like a knife to the heart. 

"I like winding him up about it. He seemed so wounded, like a puppy whining," Leo chuckled, and Esme bit her tongue at his choice of words. Did he do that on purpose? She glanced at him, wondering if HIS puppy-like expression was all a way to manipulate her into putting her guard down. She was so sure his persona was real.

Shaking her head, she pushed away from Leo playfully as they entered inside the building and went towards the retro café again. They went to the booth they sat in last time, and Esme glanced at Marcus, whose back was to them while he flirted with a waitress. Once they ordered, Esme pulled the necklace out of her jacket pocket and started fumbling with it in her hands, her elbows on the table. They'd been sitting in silence for a while, but she didn't mind; it was all going to be over soon.

"Es.." Leo began; his usual chirpy voice was gone, and she glanced at him to see his expression serious. Her eyes flicked down to the necklace in her hands. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

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Esme couldn't hold back her humourless chuckle, her grin not reaching her hardened dark eyes. She parted her lips then smacked them shut when their milkshakes arrived; she glanced at his glass then grabbed hers, sucking through the straw as she flicked her gaze down to his drink again. Leo grabbed his milkshake and started to drink, his brows furrowing the more he drank. His face twisted slightly, and he looked at her. "Does your milkshake.." He trailed off then gasped at her mocking smile.

"Does it taste a little herby?" Esme tilted her head to the side then tapped her chin with her finger as she looked up at the ceiling as though she was thinking. "Or would you say it has a more distinguished taste.. Hmm.. maybe something like.." Her gaze flicked to his, and her voice dropped. "Wolfsbane."

Leo's mouth opened and repeatedly shut until he cleared his throat. "Es.. I don't-"

"Are you really going to deny it now, Leo?" Esme drawled and put the necklace on. She felt the surge of energy expand out from the gemstone, and she knew it was working. 

"It's not what you think," Leo rushed his words out, sliding his hands across the table towards her. "Please, let me explain-"

In one swift move, Esme stabbed her knife into the table, her eyes on his, the blade in between two of his fingers. Leo blanched; his gorgeous hazel eyes were wide in shock, most likely because she wasn't looking at where the knife was going. Whether it stabbed his hand or not was of no concern to her. But at least she could scare him for a bit; it seemed her little hunter friend was still trying to act innocent. 

"You.. are a hunter. What else is there to explain?" She asked, her hand still holding onto the knife. She smirked when he glanced around nervously, but no one was paying any attention to them. That was because the necklace she asked for was the same spell Einar cast the other night, but he put it in necklace form so she could use it whenever she liked. It was quite precious, really.

"I wouldn't look for your fellow humans for help. No one can see anything that is happening right now. So, if you died.. Nobody.. would know," Esme said sweetly, blinking profusely as her smile dripped in sarcasm. 

"Will you let me explain?" Leo asked; no, he was pleading with her with those damned puppy dog eyes of his. 

Esme did want to listen, but she also wanted to play.. Or maybe that was Isana's twisted personality blurring the lines between them. Instead, she gave him the choice. "What do you think?" She purred.

Leo instantly jumped up from his seat and knocked over the table before dashing towards the exit of the diner. Esme growled and yanked the knife out of the table, her shirt covered in the strawberry milkshake. She glanced at Marcus, who was standing now, but she shook her head, telling him Leo was hers. 

Esme stormed forwards, her eyes glowed brightly, and she opened the front door to the street where it had slammed shut. But the she-wolf paused after smelling Leo's scent had faded, which meant it was from earlier where they entered the Battle Bar. She shook her head; the hunter tried to lead her on the wrong path. She obviously wasn't in any folder or profile for Leo to check; otherwise, he'd know she had tracker blood in her. Then again, she shouldn't be in any system; she was more of a rogue than anything.

Esme followed his scent and spicey cologne; she almost laughed when it led her to the knife-throwing station. Was he going to throw knives at her? They were useless; her own was made out of silver and could cause her death. These ones would simply injure her. 

She stopped in front of the targets and made a tutting sound. "I must say.. this isn't your best plan." She dodged the dagger thrown at her feet, and she bit her tongue. She didn't want to be that 'bad guy' in films who spoke too much and ended up being killed. Not that she saw herself as a villain.. 

"Wait, am I villain? I can't tell anymore.." Esme wondered, asking her wolf.

"We're not an assassin anymore, so.. No.. we aren't.. bad?" Isana replied more in a question than anything. 

Very helpful. 

Esme jumped to the side after Leo threw another knife, and she continued to dodge the knives until he ran out and charged towards her. This time she grabbed a bunch of knives on the side and let loose on him, jumping and flipping acrobatically as she did so. Leo dodged a few, but then the fourth knife clipped his ear, and the fifth caught his jacket, holding him to the target behind him. Esme threw another three knives at him, each barely missing him and only holding him in place against the coloured mark. 

"Gabriel, you need to put a stop to it now. She WILL kill him," Niko's voice made her pause her next throw. Esme looked around but could not find either her mate or Niko, but his words made her frown. 

Why was Niko concerned about the hunter?

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