The Lycan Hunter (The Gardinian World Series) Read Online Free PDF

forest.
    Alexis looked at the bland décor of the bedroom. It had all of the necessities to make it a house, yet it lacked the emotional pull that she imagined a typical home might conjure. The place was obviously decorated by retired members of the Edict Council, who seemed to favor the bare essentials touch, despite the fact that Hunters could sometimes spend months in one location.
    Covert operations required more finesse than brute force. That meant handling any media attention, cleaning up any potential cases of exposure, and dealing with any stubborn humans who refused to believe the lie that they were given. One would think the Elders understood that comfort in some form or another would be nice to return to after a long day of killing, lying, and ensuring that the Forever War remained a secret at all costs.
    Having unloaded her bags, she ventured to the kitchen and searched for the car keys. Their location on a hook beside the rear door screamed “Steal Me!” Not that there was a high crime rate in the area or items worth stealing at the cabin. Satisfied, she called Command and checked in . She heard several groans in the background followed by grumbles about her going off grid. Alexis hung up and shut off her phone, even as the tech pleaded with her to keep it on. She ventured to the bedroom and unpacked her weapon bag.
    Alexis checked her guns again, loading them with specially modified darts loaded with silver nitrate before she placed one on the bedside table and the rest on the dresser. She laid her custom made and fitted holster on the back of a battered recliner, visually noting that its many slots for the numerous blades and extra ammo she tended to carry were full. A longing glance passed over her crossbow before she decided that it wasn’t a very practical weapon for this hunt.
    Content with the fact that she was as prepared as she could get, she set the alarm and took a quick nap.
    ***
    Alexis woke up with an eerie feeling that she was being watched. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was just after four, which meant she still had about three hours of daylight. She turned off the alarm and ventured through the house with the gun from the bedside table in hand. The cabin was clear of any intruders, but the feeling still lingered. Frustrated, she slipped into the bedroom and strapped on and packed her holster. At the back door, she grabbed the keys, intent on driving into town and seeing if she could dig up any gossip regarding the victims of the rogue attacks.
    She listened to the nearly silent purr of the garage door ’ s motor as she made her way out to the aging, muddy brown van that sat inside. She rounded the corner of the garage to see fluid, inhuman movements in a pasture below the cabin. The Sight, a God-given ability that manifested every time a Lycan was in view, marked the two beings as abominations .
    The Sight wasn’t an ocular phenomenon, making its presence known by marking Lycans with proverbial crosshairs. It was instinctive knowledge dating back to the time Hunters were nothing more than a breath of God’s imagination.
    Alexis cursed, drew her gun, and did a quick check of the wind’s direction. After affirming that it was easterly and she was in no danger of them scenting her, Alexis began the slow descent to the field. At the bottom of the hill, she skirted the trees – shedding cover in favor of unhindered movement should she need it. At least that was what she was telling herself. She raised her gun and took aim when the wind did a slight shift.
    Alexis never got off a shot as the two Lycans came charging at her, their sensitive noses having picked up her scent.
    The sheer force of their joint impact left her both momentarily blind and deaf to her surroundings. Though the sensation of their weight quickly disappeared, thoughts of her impending death bounced around her head like the ball in Pong.
    When the world returned to her – both too loud and too bright from its