Dark Shadows- Chapter 1

Chapter 2-The Hunters

I stop in a nearby cave for the night. I know it's risky hiding somehwere so obvious, but I have been running for three days straight without rest. I should be far ahead of my hunters by now. I lie down by the mouth of the cave and close my eyes, while remaining alert.

I hear a faint rustle in a nearby bush. My eyes snap open and dart towards it. I keep quiet, not even daring to breathe. A squirrel scurries out from the bush and I let out my breath. It perks up its ears, but too late it realises that it's in danger. I also realise too late that it is not in any danger from me. Someone appears from the bush and pounces on the squirrel.

Hair as black as night blows in the wind and white fangs sprout from her upper gum. She then proceeds to sinking her fangs into the poor squirrels neck. Seeing this scene with my own eyes repulses me and makes me want to stop feeding off of animals. But what else am I going to eat? The female vampire lifts her head and sniffs the air. My heart thuds in my chest.

She's onto me. She can smell me.Lord help me.

Blood drips down her chin and her long pink tongue shoots out of her mouth to lick it up. Her eyes suddenly dart towards me, still sitting in the mouth of the cave- which I have foolishly failed to move from. Her emerald green eyes lock on mine and narrow. In a second she is standing before me and holding me by my throat against the cave wall.

"Who are you?" She demands.

I raise my hand and place it on her wrist. Slowly I remove her hand from around my throat and gradually bend it backwards. "I could ask you the same question."

As she snatches her hand back, she covers her surprise well, but fails to stop her lips from pulling up at the corners. "What are you?"

"What do you mean?"

She rolls her eyes and smiles to reveal those beautiful but lethal white teeth. She runs her tongue over them and touches the tips of her razor sharp canines with it. "Hi, I'm Isobel. Since you're not running away screaming at the sight of my teeth, I presume you know that I'm a vampire and I know you're one too."

I play it smooth and don't let on that I'm not only a vampire, but I'm also a werewolf too. While keeping my eyes on Isobel, I reply. "Yes, I'm a vampire."

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she asks.

I sit back down in the cave since I know that Isobel is no threat to me. "Nope."

"Why not?" she exclaims.

I shrug. "I'll be leaving here first thing tomorrow morning and you'll never see me again. I don't see the point."

Her calm emerald green eyes change to a dark, anger filled shade of green. "It matters because I introduced myself to you, and you should do the decent thing and at least tell me your name! It's not like I'm asking for your whole life story!"

I hold up my hands as a sign of surrender. I can't tell her my real name because she could pass it onto someone else who could pass it onto a hunter. Even worse; she could be a hunter herself. "My name is Nathan. You happy?"

She visibly relaxes and gives her head a slight nod. "Mind if I sleep in here with you tonight?"

My eyes snap up, and I want to shout the word 'NO' at her but I stop myself before it slips out. What harm could one night do? I'll be gone before she even wakes up. I need to keep moving. "Sure."

She sits down on the opposite side of the cave and closes her eyes. As powerful as vampires and werewolves may be, we need our sleep just as much as humans do.

"Thank you," she mumbles as she drifts off to sleep.

What have I gotten myself into?