Hunter's Heritage (Sterling Hunter Series Book 2)

Chapter Twenty-One

Tabitha woke up in a hospital bed with Derrick sleeping in a chair beside her. She groaned and sat up, the crook of her elbow hooked up to a machine. A gauze stuck to her neck uncomfortably. "Derrick," Tabitha said.

He didn't wake up. Grimacing Tabitha reached over and shook his shoulder. "Derrick wake up. I need to know where Sebastian went."

Her brother jolted awake, his eyes flying open. "Tabitha," he breathed. He gripped her hand and wouldn't let go as he sat up. "You're awake. I was so worried. When I found you there I thought... I thought I'd lost you too."

Tabitha gave him a weak smirk. "You can't get rid of me so easily. Did you find Sebastian? He's in bad shape."

Derrick squeezed her hand and his face said it all. They hadn't looked for Sebastian or thought about him. Why was Tabitha surprised? He'd never approved of Sebastian. Especially since Kyle had gotten into his head and spouted lies. About how all vampires were evil and couldn't be trusted. This accident must confirm it for him. Tabitha rubbed her lips together. It was up to her, Chelsea and Jonas. Alistair had taken a backseat. They had to find and help Sebastian and they needed to do it without the Moirai and without Derrick. But first... "Do you know what Emmeline gave him to make him freak out?"

Derrick sighed and sat back, letting go of her hand. Tabitha ignored the needle sticking out of her skin and waited for him to answer. "Yes, we do and you're not going to like it so please... try to stay calm."

She would try but her impulse control had disappeared. Without Sebastian Tabitha didn't have any control over herself. Without him she didn't have anyone to whisper common sense in her ear. "What is it?"

"I talked to Kyle and he said the symptoms line up with a virus they created while experimenting with vampires a while back. It enhances the natural chemicals in their brain that controls their hunger and hunting instincts. Elevates them."

Tabitha's heart rate skyrocketed with anger. The Moirai created a virus that turned vampires into human killing monsters? So, it wasn't only Emmeline's fault but the Moirai's too. Kyle's fault. "I knew they couldn't be trusted," Tabitha pointed at him.

Derrick scowled. "That's not fair. That virus was put away. Locked up."

"Yeah right," Tabitha snapped. "I bet Kyle's been itching to use it. Turn Sebastian and all the other vampires into true monsters so he could rally his Moirai and turn them against Sebastian and others like him. I can't believe I trusted them. I can't believe I signed up to join them. They're the monsters. Not the vampires."

"That's not true. Keller, one of Alistair's lackeys, stole a few veils of the virus the night that... well the night they kidnapped Chelsea and killed Mom. Kyle had no idea until he checked. The Moirai have nothing to do with what happened to Sebastian."

Tabitha glared at him and shoved the sheets off. She had to find him. "They have everything to do with what happened. If they hadn't been experimenting with vampires, this virus wouldn't be around to hurt Sebastian. Their evil for turning vampires into true monsters. For experimenting on them for their own gain. It's repulsive and I want nothing to do with it."

Derrick got to his feet, but Tabitha had already jerked the needles from her arm and gotten out of bed. Her head went a little fuzzy, but she braced herself against the bed post. "Tabitha stop this. You're going to hurt yourself and reopen your wound. You're in no condition to get angry or hunt down Sebastian."

Tabitha scowled but didn't stop him as he helped her back into bed. He rummaged around the drawers and cabinets until he found a gauze and handed it to her. She pressed it against her elbow to stop the bleeding from the needle incisions. "Fine," she whispered. "Then I resign from the Moirai. I refuse to be the Sterling hunter."