Nemesis - Book 3 of the Hunted series.

Chapter 4 - The hunt starts

Paige asked for my phone and charger so I dug it out with one hand, the other hand closed around Matt, Nick standing behind me, handing it over. It was feeling a little crowded now.

"We'll keep your phone here." Paige took it and slid over something she'd been fiddling all breakfast. "We'll keep it here and walk around with it. Make it look like you're moving. And this is the phone you'll use. Untraceable and with some software on it that'll help you track his number instead. So while he's watching your phone and thinking you're here..."

"I'll be getting closer to him." I took the phone and nodded. "Is it an easy program to use?"

"It might take some getting used to, the program, but you'll get it. And it might only buy some time but we're guessing extra time is useful." Lucas handed me a small notebook, I guessed with instructions as to how to use the program. "Right now he was last seen at the airport in New York."

"Anything works." Clayton glanced around him. "Savannah?"

"Meeting you at the airport. She's already working on getting his flight details." Jeremy replied as he sipped his coffee.

"I think you should dye your hair." Paige was speaking to me, not to Clayton, ignoring Nick's sharp intake of breath.

"She's not touching it." He started, before cutting himself off, chin resting on top of my head like he was shielding my hair.

"Why?" I wriggled loose of his grip, not really keen on it myself, but …

"Humans will know you by face so even a slight change would buy some time. I know-" She glanced up at Nick who's mouth had opened. "-werewolves don't. But he doesn't seem to be working with just werewolves. So you could use this."

She held up a hair dye that was, more or less, blonde. Really blonde. The kind of blonde that most people associated with a sixteen year old girl who was trying to stand out by fitting in. It was a little like Elena's hair, in a way, except that hers was gorgeous, silvery and natural. This was 'light iced blonde'... and when I frowned at it, she was quick to slide over another box. A darker warm brown, praline or chocolate or something.

"Is it scentless?" Nick asked, reaching over to take the darker brown one from me, inspecting it. He wrinkled his nose as he smelt it through the box. "Won't work. She'll pass out from the smell."

"It's an idea." I slid the darker brown into my bag anyway. He was probably right. I'd probably spend however long it took to set with an oxygen mask on. "Anything else we'll need?"

"A hug?" Reece offered as he came downstairs, sleepy, somehow prying me free of Nick and Matt, yanking me into his arms. He yawned, stretched, and held me there. "Sure you don't need a third person?"

"She can't take you." Nick growled softly, though his heart wasn't in it, and I suspected that he wouldn't have minded if Reece was coming along if he couldn't.

Farewells happened then, quick ones, a relief for me who didn't like them. Backpacker style backpack, check. Matt detached, check. Smaller backpack, seeing as I didn't use handbags? Check. We'd almost look like a pair of backpackers off for an adventure, rather than a hunt, which seemed to match Clayton's appearance.

Then we were off.

I found a solution to the 'hair' problem at the airport, seeing an Islamic woman with her kids, and nudged Clayton. He'd reverted back to his charming self around humans, all scowls and glowers at any man or woman that tried to flirt with him, the real side of him apparently forgotten in his closet back home.

"What?"

I pointed at her, gently, and said softly, "Better idea than chemicals?"

He followed my gaze. She wasn't covered up fully, just her hair, and he nodded. Then Clayton gestured to where a dark haired girl was standing. "She's there. Come on."