Frost Burn (The Fire and Ice Series, Book 1) Read Free Page B

way through the people. Without knowing why, humans instinctively stepped out of his way when he approached them. He found most people to be about as sharp as a marble, however their instincts still recognized when a predator was near, and he wasn’t the only one they stepped away from.
    Chris may not have his murderous nature, but the power emanating from the boy caused humans to move away from him when he walked past. The vampire blood used to create the Hunter line Chris was a part of, was evident in the way he carried himself with an assurance and grace that pronounced him as more than human. Oddly enough, the power that initially pushed people away also drew them in like a bee to honey.
    As a Guardian in training, Lou instructed future Hunters in fighting techniques and the history of the Hunter line. A Guardian was an integral part of the system. Unlike the Hunters, they were entirely human which allowed Lou to blend in seamlessly with the people in the bar.
    Julian studied the people pressed close together. A third of the bar was dressed in leather and wearing vests with a motorcycle driving through flames stitched on the back of them, a third were wearing cowboy hats and boots, and the final third were dressed in plain clothes. More than a few of the patrons had the darker skin, brown eyes, and broad cheekbones inherent in someone with a Mexican or Native American heritage.
    The ages in the bar ranged from barely legal, if they were even legal to begin with, to some in their sixties and possibly seventies and eighties. The oddly diverse crowd mingled together with ease, apparently they were used to being together in here. His gaze scanned the women within as he hunted his prey for the night. He may not taste their blood anymore, but humans did serve other purposes. Beside him, Chris was doing the same thing as he rose onto his toes.
    “Drinks,” Julian said and gestured toward the bar.
    Chris followed him, Lou tagged along behind with his hands shoved into his pockets and his shoulders hunched up against the bodies around them. He looked even thinner in the mass of middle-aged beer bellies and twenty-something biceps. Julian stopped walking and waited for Lou to catch up so he could let him walk ahead before he got lost in the crush.
    Arriving at the bar, Julian leaned over the top and flashed his smile at the young redhead pouring beer. Her mouth dropped open when her eyes landed on him; the beer flowing from the tap overfilled the glass. She jumped when the cool liquid poured over her fingers. Hastily she grabbed hold of the beer tap and turned it off.
    Julian couldn’t help but grin when the eyes of the men gathered around the bar swung toward him. He didn’t acknowledge them as he gave the redhead their order. She hurriedly filled it and came back with their drinks. Handing the beer out to him, her fingers slid invitingly over the back of his hand when he took it from her. The wink he gave her caused her cheeks to become the color of her hair. She was pretty enough to be an option for later, he decided, but there were a lot of other options in this bar as well, too many for him to be tied down already.
    He handed Chris and Lou their beers. If he ordered their drinks for them, it was rare either of them got carded, no matter how young Lou looked. They risked their lives on a daily basis to protect the human race without people knowing they did it. For that, Julian figured human law didn’t apply to them.
    Turning away, he pointed toward the back room where the pool tables were located. They were almost there when he spotted Melissa gliding across the floor toward them. Last month she’d cut her shiny black hair into a sleek bob beneath her ears. The shortened haircut enhanced her high cheekbones and made her appear at least five years older than her nineteen years. Her smooth olive skin and onyx eyes were due to her half Egyptian heritage, but her grace and poise came from her Hunter legacy. The pretty young