Chapter 57: Hellhound

Shortly after Gabriel's big reveal, Luther re-entered, his head rounding the door frame looking warily at the pair; then, after a quick assessment, a lazy smile filled his face, and he sauntered into the VIP room. The vampire winked at the she-wolf, and she looked away, hiding the blush growing on her cheeks. Esme knew their scents were still strong from their little rendezvous earlier, and it didn't take a werewolf's nose to know something happened between them. She only hoped Luther was the only one to enter for a while. 

Esme glanced at Gabriel and saw the vampire watching Luther with a deadly stare, but it seemed, as the she-wolf suspected before, that Gabriel and Luther were more friends than subordinates. "I'm sorry to intrude on…" He cleared his throat, "We need to discuss the missing rogue bodies after Niko left them last night. We were discussing-"

"Who.. was discussing?" Gabriel spoke slowly and clearly; his voice took on a deadly turn that made Esme purse her lips. There he was, the mask of the King was back in place, his gaze hard, and the power he held off all vampire kind seemed to radiate off him at that moment. And he was only addressing Luther, not even sitting on a throne or talking with nobles like she'd seen before.

Luther leaned his back and elbows against the bar, raising his hands with his lazy grin still on his face; Gabriel's warning tone did not seem to instil any fear into him. She knew from times before, vampires had grovelled at Gabriel's feet, fearful of the ruthless King while he sat perched on his sofa, making a judgement on their punishment, and at the touch of his polished shoe, they flew to the back wall. Such was their insignificance. 

"Me and Niko, of course," Luther replied with a shrug.

"The missing bodies were the witches' doing," Esme pointed out, looking at Gabriel, who nodded in response.

"Wait, what?!" Luther exploded, his face stunned. "We have witches in Chester?" The golden-haired vampire turned to Gabriel, worry forming on his face.

"It seems your 'clean up' crew aren't on the witches level of getting rid of evidence so quickly," Esme joked, earning a chuckle from Luther. 

"They will be dealt with," Gabriel replied casually, though his tone was still dark, and as Esme assessed his face, she saw his mood souring from the conversation. 

"That won't be necessary. They have been here years, Gabriel. They haven't once interfered-"

"How would you know?!" Gabriel barked at Esme, interrupting her. She narrowed her eyes at him, forcing herself not to growl at his sudden change in attitude. He was in King mode, it seemed right now, and she was again reminded of how little she really was in comparison to him.

"I don't," She replied flatly before pushing off from the sofa. "but they didn't seem bad to me," She added quietly before moving towards the door. "It seems I am no longer needed, your majesty." She bowed dramatically before slamming the door behind her. As she held onto the doorknob, she checked the walls, making sure there were no cracks. 

She was also surprised that she could leave after being so rude to him.

"He deserved it. Pompous prick," Isana growled. Esme's brows rose at her wolf's temper, but she didn't say anything, deciding they both needed to calm down. She pushed off the door and walked back through to the other bar, almost cursing when she realised her bag was left in the VIP room. It didn't matter; they would return once she was changed. 

"Hey, there she is. Did you get in trouble? You were gone so long. You aren't even changed yet!" Hana grinned from behind the bar as she made a coffee for one of the few customers in the bar.

Esme smirked, "Nothing I couldn't handle. I'm getting changed now. Where's Niko?"

Hana shrugged. "Shouldn't you be asking for Leo?" She winked.

Esme rolled her eyes, "Hana, I'mma say this once and once only.. so maybe you can spread these rumours about me. Leo and I are only and always will ever be friends. We hung out as friends, and he knows this as well," She said through gritted teeth. 

Hana raised her hands. "Alright, alright. Chill. I can see the boss must have had a right go," She muttered, then grinned at the customer, serving them their cappuccino.

Esme rushed past her and through the door leading to the staff room. She knew her mood was still down because of Gabriel, but she couldn't help it. They pretty much attacked each other in a sex-deprived moment, and then after, she became a bitch because he spoke to her like that. Esme knew it wasn't any of her business whatever they did to the witches, but she felt a slight tug in her dark heart at the thought of them being killed purely because they were witches.

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If that was the case, then Gabriel was no better than a damned hunter. But she wouldn't judge so quickly, she knew he had some past with them, and he would come to the proper conclusion without her influence. She hoped.

"Esme."

A hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her back into a hard chest. Esme's heart pounded hard inside her chest, her eyes wide and hand-holding her knife ready.  But from the familiar scent and man's voice, she relaxed yet still held onto her knife.

"If I were you, I'd keep that knife hidden from Gabriel," Niko whispered into her ear. Esme frowned and turned her head to meet Niko's brown eyes; there was a mixture of hurt, suspicion and worry swirling in them. 

"He has seen my knife-"

"He has NOT seen the hilt." Niko lowered his forehead onto her shoulder. "You need to be VERY cautious moving forwards, hellhound." 

Esme inhaled sharply, glancing at the other lockers. There was nobody with them. "Hellhound? What is that?" She spoke barely above a whisper then held her breath as Niko's hand tightened on her arm. 

"So, you are one.." Niko breathed, then his tone hardened. "Do not play dumb. I would not fully trust Gabriel to give you leeway because you have caught his attention. Please be careful," Niko looked up at her from where he rested his chin on her shoulder, his eyes pleading with her. "They have done.."

"Irreversible damage," Esme finished, though she couldn't quite understand. Hellhound's didn't attack vampires or so far from what she knew. "When did Gabriel.. you guys come across some Hellhounds?" She turned and leaned her back against the locker, the space between them still too close, but it was better than anyone else hearing their conversation.

"Centuries ago. A few close friends died," Niko whispered, looking off to the side, his gaze clouded and lost in a time she had not been born in. 

"I'm sorry," Esme replied just as quietly, though she knew her words were pointless. Apologising for what the Hellhounds have done would not change anything, nor would it make him feel better; they were heartless and had goals like no other, destroying anyone in their way. 

Niko turned his head back to look at her, his brows drawing together as a muscle in his jaw ticked. "What are you doing in Chester? Are you with them? Are you running from them?" He demanded, his hand slammed into her locker, the metal bent from the force; he did not lower it as he leaned his face closer to her. "Tell me."

Esme sighed and looked down, somehow her head did not graze the vampire's chest; they were that close. She couldn't believe out of all the secrets she held close, Niko was the one to figure out she was a Hellhound. "I'm in Chester, and I am on the run but not from the Hellhounds. Though, after last night's attack, I doubt they are just here to say hello. I no longer belong to them, and that makes me a liability. I know too much.." She bit her lip. "Far too much for them to let me go."

Niko relaxed his hand and stance as she stared back at him, pleading with him to believe her. "If you know so much, why would they let you go in the first place? Why have you gone this long without knowing they were after you?" He asked quietly, though the hardness had vanished from his voice. 

"Because I thought they were dead," She met his eyes again, "I helped kill them."

Niko's eyes widened, and he stumbled back a few steps before straightening again. "You.. fuck!" He looked her up and down, his eyes disbelieving at what she revealed. "What position did you hold?" He asked suspiciously. 

She almost snorted. How much did Niko really know about the Hellhounds? They were so secretive, 98% of the creature's population weren't aware of their existence, which was exactly how they liked it. Esme sighed; she couldn't tell him who exactly she was and what she had to do while living with them. 

"You don't need to know.." She held her hand up, pausing his argument and rushed with her next words. "I was brought up in the Hellhounds. My mother brought us to them. But I never followed their beliefs. I waited patiently for the day I could leave."

Niko raked his hand through his hair, and Esme relaxed her hold on her knife further. "How come you haven't tried killing me, Niko?"

"It's not my right to kill you.. It's Gabriel's."

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