Rachel's gaze wandered out the window, to the glimmering lights of the passing cars. Darkness usually beckoned, but now, she didn't feel like leaving the apartment. Heck, she didn't feel like leaving the bed.
Daniel ran his fingers from her neck, down her spine, making her shiver with pleasure. She couldn't believe it had finally happened and how different it had been from anything she'd ever experienced. She'd had no reasons to complain before. Her sex life with Chris had been more than satisfactory. But this, this was on a whole different level. She wondered if it was just her, or he'd felt it too.
Daniel's hand froze on her back. That's an interesting question.
Rachel's muscles tensed. She forgot he could hear her inner thoughts.
Relax, gorgeous. I'm open to talk. He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled against her neck. It's not just you. This was something else entirely. And you know why.
She smiled and cuddled against him. Experience his feelings as well as her own, automatically doubled the amount of pleasure. Then there was the mad desire he ignited in her. And it was infinitely beyond words knowing first-hand just how much he wanted her, how sexy she looked to him.
What, Rach? Were you worried I'd compare you to Cheryl? He chuckled.
She sat up. There it was again, the blunt honesty that annoyed and turned her on at the same time. Why did he have to be right? The question lingered on the outskirts of her conscience.
He rose on his elbows. "Well, you're the best I've ever had. There. Does that make you happy?"
She stood, wrapping the end of the sheet around herself. "No."
"Yes it does."
Get out of my head!
Make me.
Rachel groaned. She watched the headlights for a while, then threw a glance over her shoulder, trying to hide her smile. Daniel had lain back, his folded hands behind his head. God, he was hot. He didn't seem to have a care in the world. Of course, he didn't. He knew she was only pretending to be upset. What she actually wanted was to jump him again.
A grin spread across his face and he opened his mouth to say something, then closed it.
"What?" she asked, getting back in bed.
"Read my mind."
She squinted at him, but nothing came through. Great, he'd already mastered how to block her out. She was back to being the incompetent one.
Then, an avalanche of feelings rushed toward her, almost knocking her off the bed. She'd never felt more peaceful, happier. For a moment, she was transported into a world where there was no worry, no pain, just perfection.
"This is how you make me feel." He rose on one elbow, resting his chin in his hand. "Now, quit pretending to be huffy and get back here."
The intensity of the emotions subsided, leaving Rachel feeling cold. She shuddered and scuttled next to Daniel. "I'm wondering if what we're doing is wise. I mean, Vlad might come after us."
"Don't think so." Daniel wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "You're not the only one with spiked powers, you know." He winked.
Rachel pondered over this as he kissed her neck. "I'm getting confused. What did this link actually do?"
"Besides improving our sex lives? When I came to terms with myself, I gave you my powers and I...evolved." The last word was filled with wonder, as though he couldn't believe it either. "I have no idea how I know this. I feel as if something's awfully different about me. I'm still me, but..." He frowned, his gaze lost in the distance. He suddenly shook his head and smiled again. "Anyway, I have a feeling I could sense Vlad a mile off if he dared show his dirty head."
That was awesome. "What about me?" she asked. "Could I sense him a mile off?"
He put his hand over hers. "I'd say, half a mile."
"Typical." She sat up, clutching the sheet. She knew it would take a lot of time for the three year difference between them not to matter, but she wished there was something she could do better, too.
"Speaking of sensing. I have something else to apologize for."
"Really? What's that?" She cocked her head.
"You asked me if I can tell you apart from other Hunters. Of course, I can. And you're not just an image with a tag. You're butterflies in the stomach, you're excitement, you're... happiness." He looked almost embarrassed as he said this.
True, it didn't go with his usual macho attitude, but she loved it. She moved closer, leaned over and kissed him. She'd wanted to make it soft, romantic, but he put his hand on the back of her head to keep her from pulling away and kissed her deeply.
He smiled as she pulled away. "If I knew I'd be getting this, I would've told you earlier."
"I knew you were lying." She grinned and flicked his nose. The scars on his face were mere pink lines now. She couldn't believe how fast he healed. The chest and shoulder wounds were barely visible as well. They would leave no trace on his flawless skin. Her eyes fell on his right shoulder, where his wolf head tattoo used to be. That scar hadn't healed, and Rachel doubted it ever would. Those sick, sick Hunters. "What do we do now?"
Daniel stretched. "The dart managed to faze Vlad. We're going to the Vatican for more of those. Then we'll try to kill him. Again."
That sounds like a plan. Maybe she should be scared after what just happened, but she'd never stepped away from a challenge. She bit her lip. "Are we leaving tonight?"
"Nah, I don't see the point." He fluffed a pillow. "Let's get some sleep, and we'll leave tomorrow."
She nestled next to him, rubbing circles on his chest with one finger. "I'm glad we're staying. Though I wasn't exactly thinking sleep."
Really, Rach? We've already done it like...three times.
"Four times, actually. Shower, bed, kitchen counter, bed." She didn't need to tread lightly. He wanted this even more than she did. "But if you'd rather go to sleep..."
"Hell no!" He rolled over her, pinning her to the bed. "You're insatiable, woman. But I can't say I mind."
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Rachel looked left and right, sharpening her senses as much as possible. Tiny drops of water filled the air. Humans. They packed the cobbled streets. She sensed them so clearly now.
Ever since entering Vatican City, she feared someone was watching them, waiting to pounce when they weren't looking. She trusted Daniel would be able to tell if anyone dangerous was around, but she could feel Daniel's worry, and it made her push herself to try and be of use.
Stay sharp, Rach. There're bound to be Hunters around. Even though he wore sunglasses, Daniel shielded his eyes from the sun as he scanned the street in front of the chapel where their trial was held.
Would we be able to feel them a mile off? She watched an old lady walk her dog around the corner of the building next to the chapel.
Not really. Some of the Hunters here are too old and cunning to let themselves be detected.
"Can we do that? Hide our nature?"
From each other, yes. From vampires... eh, no.
"Hmph. That's a pretty useless ability."
"We could use it to our advantage right now, but we're both way too young for that." Daniel gave her a smile and rushed across the street.
Rachel followed, focusing so hard on detecting any unusual presence that she tripped over the border of the sidewalk. Daniel caught her elbow and pulled her up before she touched the ground.
"Be careful," he whispered. He took her hand and hurried on.
What? Really? Where was the joke, the teasing? And it wasn't the worry that made him act like this. He'd said it so tenderly, as if he really didn't want her to fall flat on her face. Oh, my God, we're a couple!
He smirked. "I don't usually sleep around with random strangers."
She tried really hard not to giggle. "Does that make me your girlfriend?"
"Oh, yeah." He pulled her around the chapel and went straight for the house which faced its back. "The storage rooms should be in here." He stopped and stared at the door as though he wanted to tear it down using brain power.
"What are you doing?"
"Searching for guards." After a few more seconds of staring, he walked closer to the door. "There are other Hunters in here. I can't tell exactly how many. We have to be careful."
"Do you have any idea where the room we need is?"
"Of course not. Where's the fun in that?" He grinned and tried the door. It didn't budge, so he put his hand against the door, next to the handle and pushed harder. The wood cracked and the door opened. We go to radio communication from here. And try not to trip, babe.
Ha, ha. Very funny.
They tiptoed inside and Daniel shut the door in their wake. Darkness engulfed them, but it took Rachel less than a second to adjust. "Whoa!" she whispered and blinked. Her super powers had really improved.
Daniel took her hand and the two of them tiptoed down the narrow hall, toward a door on the other side. The closer they got, Rachel began to pick up on the presence of other Hunters. The bitter taste in her mouth made her wish for chewing gum.
Once they reached the door, Daniel lowered the handle slowly, and opened it an inch, soundlessly. A strip of light illuminated the floor. Voices came from the other side.
How are we going to take them down silently? Rachel asked, trying to steady her pounding heart.
I'm not sure yet. I'll think of something. He reached out his hand to push the door open.
Rachel grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Are you crazy? You're going in without a plan?
Daniel moved away from the door. Look, there isn't much we can do. We can't kill, immobilize or knock them out in any way.
Um, why not? She didn't think there was a way to knock them out without the darts or mortally wounding them. But why not try to immobilize or even kill them? She and Daniel already had a death sentence over their heads. What could be worse than that? And it wasn't like the Hunters wouldn't kill them if they got the chance.
Because harming another Hunter is really against the law.
Oh, sure, that didn't stop them from sentencing you to death.
Yeah, but that was legal. Anyway, we're in enough trouble as it is. He inched toward the door again. Maybe we should just ask. Not everyone knows what we look like.
Doubting that was true, Rachel nodded. It wasn't like there were many other options. Daniel pushed the door open and strode inside. Rachel followed. The small, square room contained a narrow desk, a few filing cabinets and two Hunters.
"Hi. We ran out of supplies. So we need to get in there." Daniel waved his hand in the direction of the door on the other side of the room.
The two guards looked at him as though he were crazy. Then, they both whipped pistols out at the same time.
Daniel raised his hands and stepped back. "Whoa. What's with the hostile attitude?"
"Do you think we don't know who you are, Paxton? There's a reward on your head." One of the Hunters stepped closer.
Rachel analyzed the weapon. It wasn't the standard type, and she knew her guns. She would bet anything that it was full of darts. "You don't understand. Those tranquilizer darts work on vampires. We just need some of them."
The other guard eyed her as if she were a talking monkey. A grin spread across his face. "Well, well. You got your pet back."
Daniel lunged and punched the guard in the jaw. His head snapped back, and he crashed into a filing cabinet. Daniel kicked him to the ground. "She's not my pet, asshole! Show some respect."
The other Hunter pointed his gun at Daniel's head. Rachel rushed forward and kicked it out of his hand. It skidded across the floor to Daniel. He picked it up and shot the guard under him, then turned and shot the other one.
"Marvelous. Darts." Daniel disarmed the other guy and handed the gun to Rachel. "Let's go."
"What? We're leaving?" She threw a longing glance at the door leading to the storage room, then ran to catch up.
He was already halfway along the corridor when he slowed down to give her the chance to catch up. "Yeah. We don't want to risk meeting more than a couple of guards with these guns. And since there's a bounty on my head..." He stopped, grabbed her hand and pressed her against the wall.
Voices reached them from the end of the hallway.
"I told you something was off," someone shouted. "The Head Hunter is going to kill us!"
"He doesn't have to know. Look, we'll just—"
"Their guns are missing! If Paxton has them, Angus will have our asses."
Rachel's eyes widened. Angus is Head Hunter? What are they, mad? Even her thoughts sounded screechy. That crazy son of a bitch was the worst possible choice.
Daniel squeezed her hand and started running again. Rachel followed as bitterness came to her in waves. More Hunters were moving toward them, from all corners of the building. They would block their access to the door.
Daniel stopped and took a deep breath. He pulled back and rammed his shoulder against the wall. The bricks gave in and dust clouded the air around them. Rachel coughed, trying to wave away the choking particles of busted brick and mortar . Daniel grabbed her hand and pulled her through the hole.
"This makes things much worse." He ran and hopped on top of the chapel, dragging her after him. "Angus, Head Hunter. So much for asking for their help."
"You wanted to ask for their help?" They jumped through the air, landing on the roof of the building across the street. That was like asking Vlad for candy.
Daniel ran to the edge of it and jumped across to the next roof. "Come on, Rach!"
Rachel bent her knees, ready to follow, and looked over her shoulder. Three figures stood on top of the chapel. She jumped and rolled onto the adjoining building's roof.
Daniel helped her up. "I figured they'd understand. We can't take Vlad down on our own." They dashed and leaped on the next building.
"You did pretty well against him last time." She drew a huge breath. "Without your ultra-awesome powers." And maybe now, she wouldn't freeze like a moron, and help.
They both skidded to a halt. The building in front of them sported three Hunters, guns pointed. Daniel and Rachel both stepped back. The three leaped over the street and landed before them.
"By order of the High Council, you are to be—" one of the Hunters started.
Daniel raised his hands as though in surrender. Rachel grabbed his shoulder. She suddenly felt very weak, as though someone was drawing all the energy out of her. Daniel's arms tensed all the way down to the tips of his fingers. His hands jutted forward in a quick movement. The air rippled before him like heat waves on a scorching day. The three Hunters were instantaneously knocked off the roof.
Rachel's eyes widened. How on earth did he ...?
"Move!" He rushed across the roof, in another direction. He jumped toward the next building, and crashed through the window on the top floor.
Rachel followed and ended up in a dusty attic, surrounded by shattered glass. Daniel scrambled off the floor and yanked the door open. The two ran down flight after flight of stairs until they reached the basement.
Hold my hand. His thoughts were urgent so she complied. We should be safe here for a while.
What did you do out there? she asked. Her heart beat so erratically, she could hardly focus on her own thoughts.
I have no idea. He yanked a piece of glass out of his forearm.
But you did it before. In Bucharest, in the park.
I... Daniel rubbed his forehead. I have no idea what that is. I just channel my energy and this happens.
It's awesome. Do you think I can do it?
I don't know. I've never heard of anyone doing this before. Not even Max. And even I can't do it all the time. Sometimes I just can't charge up. Like with Vlad.
Rachel tilted her head. He'd been right when he mentioned some sort of evolution. She could feel it inside him, and she could also feel something amiss going on with her, though she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe she'd be able to shove people off buildings using brainpower, too.
"Do you think they're gone?" she whispered.
"No." He closed his eyes. "But they're looking in all the wrong places right now. We have to get out of here and fast. Angus won't help us."
"Do we really need the help?" She tried to say this as a form of encouragement, but it came out wary.
"Rach, the two of us are no match for Vlad. We barely scraped by with our lives last time. Plus, if we go after him, he's bound to have more vamps around." Daniel sounded more worried than she'd ever heard him. "We need a damn good plan. That bounty on my head means every Hunter on this planet will be trying to get their hands on us."
"That sucks." That was an understatement. Vlad was after them, and now so was Angus. Attacked from two directions. Even with her new powers, she felt weak and vulnerable. Fuck!
Daniel squeezed her hand. Don't worry, Rach. We're gonna be fine.
They rushed out of the basement and to the ground floor. The street was Hunter-free. Once out, Daniel hotwired a car and they were soon on their way to the airport.
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Thanks for reading another chapter of Hunters. Hope you had fun! Leave a comment or vote in case you enjoyed it. And thank you for your support!