The Hunters Saga #2: The Wolfsbane Rubies

Chapter 25: Fresh Blood

   We arrived at The Blood Diamond Nightclub near midnight, the peak of a vampire's life. No wonder Toni would be turned at this time of night. I followed Gavin into the empty, cleared out containment room. Dead silence welcomed us. Gavin chained Toni down, although that was completely unnecessary. I couldn't watch him kill her and do absolutely nothing, I realized in thought. I couldn't watch Toni die at my twin's hands.

   I had to.

   Gavin looked my way, his face lit with sick pleasure. "Make sure to watch the life leave her eyes, brother. It's the best part of the kill." I did what he asked.

   My hands clenched into fists as my brother tore Toni's throat open with his teeth, then scratched ever part of her body with long, vicious nails. I watched it all, if just barely.

   Anger was building as he continued his actions. I'm going to kill him, passed through my mind.

   But first...

   Toni screamed at me to help her the entire length of the torture, but I refused to meet her eyes.

   Not until the life left them.

   One last gurgling shriek escaped Toni, and I finally looked up. Toni's body was a bloody mess, but I was looking past that. Her blue eyes, which reminded me of her Mother, started to fade to gray, and my entire body threatened to shake and shudder.

   Gavin looked over at me in triumph. "See? Wasn't that worth-" He never got another word out. I tackled him, pushing him to the ground roughly. He outright hissed at me, but I went past it, Hell bent on ending him.

   At least for the night.

   "Henri-" I heard Toni's weak voice before silence fell upon the rust-filled room. I wrenched Gavin's head roughly to the side and promptly snapped his neck.

   It wouldn't kill him, no. I'd have time to... I heard movement outside and raced over to the door that separated Toni and I from the outside world and the visitor.

   Robert Drake was here.

   Already.

   I locked the door and backed away. As I neared Toni's limp body, I felt another tremor of grief, guilt, and rage course through me.

   Toni was dead...

   I knelt by her side and unchained her. "I hope you'll forgive me someday, Antoinette," I murmured as I pushed the hair from her face and parted her lips. A banging noise riled me up momentarily, but soon all I focused on was Toni.

   "Antoinette Claire Drake, I love you."

***

TONI

   I saw stars.

   Some bright and some dim, but stars all the same. There was nothing else behind them but darkness. It must've been a dream, or the afterlife, but I couldn't remember anything. My whole life seemed to be gone; forgotten. Clean slate.

   What the freaking Hell?

   Realizing I had my eyes closed, I opened them slowly. I was in... my apartment? What? The one thing I was sure of was that I was supposed to be dead, but I was alive.

   Somehow.

   One word instantly came to mind: vampire. Wait, was I a vampire? Really? No, they weren't supposed to be real; weren't supposed to exist.

   I listened carefully. No sound. I couldn't hear a thing; my heart beating in my chest. I couldn't feel it.

   Yep, I was a vampire.

   Well, shit.

   A knock on the door made me jump. My muscles bunched up and my eyes narrowed. Instinct. Whatever was behind that door was either food or danger.

   "Toni?" The voice rang in my ears with familiarity, waking a deep hunger from within my stomach. A human. A boy. A body full of blood.

   Food!

   There was a sharp pain in my mouth and I opened it. My fangs were growing out, long and sharp to the point. I needed to get used to those.

   "Toni, are you in there?" Who was this guy? Did he know that I wasn't human? The voice sounded so familiar...

   "Toni!"

   The door was pushed open with force, and a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy about my age stood in the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw me. He looked familiar, too. Hmm.

   "T-Toni? What-what happened?"

   I didn't respond. I was no longer looking at his face; I was staring at the steady pulse in his neck. It was as if I was possessed by the burning sensation in my throat and stomach, urging me. I needed to rip that throat open, spill blood, and sustain that hunger. I licked my lips. The boy looked scared. Good.

   He should be.

   In a blur of motion, I was grabbing him by the shoulders, my face going to his neck.

   "Toni!" I ignored the pleading in his voice and bit down, sinking my fangs into the flesh of his throat. He cried out. The liquid running down my dry throat was sweet and warm, not what I'd expected blood to taste like. I couldn't stop. I wouldn't.

   And most importantly, I didn't want to.              

The End For Now...

A/N: There are too many people this time around to list and honor for their constant support, so just know if you've voted, commented, and overall been a great reader, know that I appreciate you! I wouldn't be ANYTHING without you guys! Now, onto the bonus chapter and summary for book 3... they will be released sometime in early January! Book 3: The Hawthorn Pearl will be released on January 10th! Be ready for the concluding chapter in The Hunters Trilogy! :D

Picture: Marie Avgeropoulos as Antoinette Drake, our beloved heroine <3

Song: Down by Jason Walker featuring Molly Reed

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~ Fangs & Kisses ~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Here's to 2015! <3