"Hunter?" I breathe. Hunter steps over the mass of blood and gore that had once been a vampire laying at his feet, and extends a hand down to me. Not once taking my eyes off of him, I accept it and he helps me to shaking legs with a firm grip. My mouth hangs agape as I continue to ogle at him.
"You can stop staring now." He teases with a half-smile, dark hair dishevelled and a strand falling seductively over one infinite eye. I don't even blink at his suggestive tone. Instead of saying anything, I launch myself at him and he immediately wraps both arms around me protectively with a surprised chuckle, letting me comfort myself in his familiar coldness that still seems to be warm.
"Why are you here?" I whisper into his grey tee-shirt clad shoulder, taking a slow step back as his arms fall to his sides. "How long have you been here?" I press, frowning when he averts his eyes. The scar has always given this beautiful man a harder edge, a more threatening and dark appeal, but now he just looks... vulnerable. Like a little boy who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I've never seen him so bothered before. That's when I know that he's not telling me something. "Hunter?"
"We should probably clean this up before your friend sees it." He simply says, and before I can protest there's a whirlwind of motion around me happening in a few seconds, while I just stand frozen in the same spot. After that tiny span of time Hunter's in front of me again, all blood and gore cleaned up, and the broken copper table gone and out of sight. It's as if no break-in ever happened.
"Hunter, how did you know where I live?"
-Emma? What happened?" I let out a controlled sigh of annoyance when Julia's shaking voice fills my ears from around the corner. Hunter tries his best to suppress a smirk at my obvious irritation, and the warning glare that I give him just makes him grin wider. I take a deep breath and round the corner, feeling Hunter's immediate presence behind me as I do. Julia is standing by the couch, running her fingers along its top edge nervously and trying to peer around the corner hesitantly. When I come into view she relaxes and opens her mouth to speak, but then she spots someone else. I close my eyes and reopen them, and when I do I see her mouth just hangs open at the sight of Hunter behind me. He steps around me and walks towards her with confidence and casualness, extending a polite hand towards her.
"I'm Hunter. Nice to meet you." When she doesn't make a move to accept his hand he slowly retreats it with a blink, scratching the back of his head with awkward amusement. She's still frozen in spot and doesn't even flinch when he waves a hand in front of her face. "Hello?" He repeats slowly. Finally she shows some life, blinking twice, then again, and taking a shaky step back, never once leaving her gaze from him. Yes, he might be astonishingly handsome, but that scar running down his right cheek makes him look dangerous, lethal. Those swirling black eyes with the red around their pupils doesn't help. She glances at me and I look away nervously, to which her lip wobbles slightly with shock.
"H-hi," She stammers, extending a hand to him, "I'm Julia. It's umm - nice to meet you too." Hunter gives her a dazzling smile and shakes her hand gently, and that seems to win her over. She's practically melting. I decide to put an end to all of... that.
"Okay, Julia you're welcome to stay, or leave," I cut in, watching Hunter let go of the hand that she was practically squeezing the life out of. He tilts his head to me and raises an eyebrow with entertainment. "But I really need to speak to my friend over here." I tilt my head at her and she seems to get the message by my emphasis. She mutters a quick 'goodbye' before grabbing the take-away bag and quickly waddling around Hunter. On her way past me she looks at me with wide eyes that scream 'you're telling me all about this later', and when I hear the broken front door awkwardly shut I let go of a shaking breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I cross my arms and turn to Hunter who's still watching me with a grin.
"Sit." I order, nodding towards the couch. He raises an eyebrow and glances at the darkening sky outside as night falls into place.
"I'm not going to ob-"
"Sit." I repeat, venom dripping from the rage that's currently derailing inside of me.
-Feisty." He comments, but sits down on the couch nonetheless, leaning into the back of it with his arms extended on its top edge as if he's completely comfortable. He scans the area over before looking me up and down as I sit on the other end. "I like what you've done with the place." He begins, searching for words, "It's... cosy."
"Cut the bullshit Hunter. Why are you here and how the hell did you know where I live?" I hiss, making him narrow his eyes slightly. He isn't used to being dished out, but frankly, I couldn't care less right now about how his scar glistens dangerously from the city lights beginning to turn on from outside. His canines extend as annoyance creeps into him and mine do as well. "Watch it. You're in my home."
He blinks as if grasping onto my words properly, but then, gradually, his razor-like canines retract and I allow mine to do the same after a few tentative seconds. "I've been watching you." He states simply, as if that would answer all of the questions in the world. I freeze at his blunt words, with no care for explanation behind them, and straighten up in my seat.
"What did you just say?" I whisper.
-You heard me." He answers calmly, dropping his arms to his knees and leaning in forward towards me. His gaze drops briefly to my lips before rising up to my eyes again. "I've been watching you Emma."
Dangerous irritation creeps into me like a sizzling snake and I suck in a breath. "I've been gone for what, Hunter? Five weeks? Maybe six? And you had so little faith in me and didn't believe for a second that I could truly start over and lead a close to normal life so you were following me?" Every word seems like another weight dropping and holding onto my chest, and if my heart could beat, it would be going at an erratic pace right now. His eyebrows scrunch together as he scrutinises my words, and I continue in a shaking voice. "Why can't you just let me do this on my own for once? Why, Hunter?" I press on again, when he doesn't respond. I see his eye twitch as he tries to control his temper.
"Do you have water in the tap? Blood in the fridge?" He demands, inching closer to me on the couch as I freeze up again. He's touching a sore spot and he knows it. That's the moment that the light chooses to flicker, turning off, then back on with difficulty. He scoffs and lets out a disbelieving breath.
"This is a phase for every young adult starting their own life!" I protest, my voice rising in octaves as my temper begins to waver. I spring to my feet and he does the same, leaving little space between us. I want to punch his face so badly. "I'm finding my own way Hunter! Before any of this I was having an actual conversation with a normal person! I felt normal!"
-Shut the fuck up Emma," He roars, voice trembling. "I saw the shards of that glass bottle that you hammered. I saw the blood stains inside of those shards. How fucking long did it take you to down that blood, huh? A second, two?" I flinch with every word that he speaks.
"Stop it Hunter." I whisper, feeling my anger slowly deflating and being replaced by a desperation that I want to let go of so desperately.
"You're loosing it Emma! What the hell do I have to do for you to realise that?" He presses, taking another step towards me. I place a hand on his chest with a trembling hand and let out a shaky breath, my eyes blurring as he tilts his head down to me. His hair brushes over his haunting eyes. "Why can't you just admit that this isn't it for you and come back home?"
A silence passes during which none of us speak. Then, I regain control of myself and take a step back, feeling my remaining energy leave my body. I nod towards the entrance. "This is my home now Hunter. Accept it or leave. The door is that way." He looks at me intently and I avert my gaze, focusing on the paint peeling off of the walls next to the window. Outside, rain has begun to fall on the sleeping city once again, drowning the world in the tears that remain unshed from my eyes. I'm not going to cry in front of him. He seems to ponder my offer and I hold the breath that I don't need.
"I'm going out." He states, swiftly brushing past me. For some reason, my heart deflates. i don't like it. "Be here when I get back." At that my head peeks up and I watch his back as he leaves my apartment, the door rattling behind him as it shuts. I let go of my held breath and wipe hastily at my eyes. I wouldn't have cared if he'd decided to leave anyway.
Lies.
I brush that nagging word away and turn around, viewing my apartment with a more intense contemplation. It's all just so... bare. Suddenly, my phone rings, and I nearly trip over my feet in a rush to pick it up. "Hello?" I whisper into the phone, clutching it tightly.
"Emma?" Alice's voice comes through in a single breath and I close my eyes.
"I'm sorry I didn't call. I haven't been-"
"Are you okay Em?" Alice asks slowly, cutting me off from any pathetic excuses that I might have given her once again. It's been a pattern, her calling and me offering up lies for her to eat up. But she isn't buying it anymore.
"No," I begin, my lip quivering as the words rush out of my mouth, "I'm not okay Al..."
...°...
After two whole hours of intense heart-spilling moments with my big sister, I put the phone down and inhale slowly, before blowing the air out again in an attempt to calm my jittering nerves. In a few slip-ups, Alice has dropped hints on what has been going on back home. It's not pretty.
Hunter isn't back yet. He told me that he would come back, but will he keep that promise?
My mind wanders with irrational thoughts at that possibility. I shake my head with determination to forget about that and take a few small steps to get to my bathroom door, closing it behind me as I enter the small room. I turn to the mirror to face the girl identical to me, but yet not. Two golden eyes stare back at me from the glistening glass, but they look defeated. Vampires don't need sleep, but somehow, I look drained. That bottle of blood didn't do much more than revitalise my needs, but physically, I look exhausted. Another craving for more of that sweet liquid fills my mind but I force it out of the way. I need to get a job, because this move hasn't been anything near to what I'd planned out in the first place.
I shower and slip a towel around me, the absence of the luxurious cotton from the mansion back home creating a dull sense of homesickness in me. I don't feel the cold at all even though it's the middle of the winter and I can't afford heating, but I decide to put on some warm clothes anyway.
Wouldn't want Hunter walking in on me butt-naked when he gets back now would we?
'If he comes back,' My annoying consciousness reminds me. I close my eyes as the familiar headache that means hunger pulses in my head, and try my best to ignore the black spots beginning to fill my vision. Don't faint, don't faint, don't faint...
I open up my wardrobe in the single, bare bedroom and scan the minimal contents of it in between half-closed lids. I opt for a pair of grey draw-string joggers and a simple cotton long-sleeved, pulling on my favourite pair of thick and fluffy socks. My usually blond hair tumbles down my back in dark, wild and wet curls as I pull the second towel from my head, discarding it onto the floor. Everything I do seems harder than usual, and there's a slight sting in my throat that indicates the first steps before that horrible burning of starvation. I can't keep on like this... I need to be able to control my hunger, before it becomes too dangerous.
The sound of the front door opening and closing abruptly suddenly rips me from my thoughts and I'm out in the living area in a second. I let out a breath of relief when Hunter walks into view from behind the curved wall, a bag of something heavy in one strong hand. I open my mouth to speak but stop when I take in his appearance. His black hair is plastered to his head in wet ringlets and dark eyes scrutinise me intently from underneath long lashes. Drops of rain run down his jawline and along the sides of his pale neck, and the loose tee-shirt is soaked through and plastered to the defined muscles of his abdomen. My acute vision that's more blurry than usual can still follow the lines of the veins in his arm muscles and the water running along his hard edges. "Are you done?" Hunter brings me back to reality and sets down the bag onto one of the kitchen countertops harshly. I gulp and a blush creeps up my neck.
Dammit.
"What's that?" I nod towards the bag to change the topic and hopefully alleviate some of the thick tension. Wordlessly, he pulls out one of the things from the bag. All of my senses suddenly sharpen as the hunger comes back with full force once again, taking in the sight of the glass bottle in his hand that's filled with a tempting deep red liquid. He sets it down onto a counter with a loud bang, and he quickly follows with the remaining bottles. My eyes are narrowed with starvation and take in all of the bottles placed neatly in front of me. I raise an eyebrow at him as he looks at me intently, obviously waiting for a move.
Ah-ha.
I got him.
He's trying to trick me into showing how hungry I am. He wants an excuse to call me out for being hopeless and irresponsible. I won't give him that satisfaction. I turn around silently, even though it kills me slightly to do so, and walk away from him and that delicious-looking bottled blood, towards my bedroom. I soundlessly settle onto my bed cross-legged and bounce slightly as I do, staring at the blank wall ahead of me with what I hope looks like a nonchalant expression.
Seconds after Hunter joins me in the room, leaving the door ajar to give view to the beautiful bottles over in the kitchen. He holds one of them in his hands, and casually sets in on the bed in front of me. I try not to salivate at the sight. Ew, that would be disgusting. He's still soaking, and when he moves to sit on my bed I hold an accusing finger towards him.
"Don't you dare." I hiss with narrowed eyes, and he actually smiles arrogantly, before doing the thing that I least expected. The man slides his shirt off and leaves his defined and muscular bare chest out in the open, arm muscles flexing as he tosses it carelessly to the floor with a smirk.
"Better?" He asks mischievously, not waiting for my reply as he settles down on to the bed beside me, leaning in to the pillows by the headboard and gazing at me with amusement. I don't say anything for a while, doing my best to stare at anything and everything but his beautiful half-naked self. To break the unbearable silence I reach for the bottle instinctively, about to say something, but when Hunter tenses beside me I stop mid-action. I quietly retrieve my hand and hear him sigh. "Drink, Emma. You need it."
"Don't tell me what to do after how you've behaved. You don't get to do that anymore." I hiss sharply, not meeting his burning gaze. I can already imagine them beginning to take on a dancing red flame.
"What? Bring you blood so that you can feed? Or do you mean just earlier tonight when I saved you from death from a blood-thirsty vampire?" He retorts with a sting to every word as he sits up slowly. I inch away from him and flinch at the mention of blood on his tongue.
"That's not what I mean and you know it." I begin, finally bringing my gaze to his. I'm shocked when I see that they're already completely consumed by a blood-red colour. That was too quick for my liking. "I'm talking about the fact that you've been watching me as if I was some helpless puppy who can't take care of herself, and how I wasn't the reason that you were coming to London in the first place. You just randomly decided to let go of your real reason and come chastise me about my choice of life. But you know what, you don't have that right anymore, Hunter, so unless you stop scrutinising every move I make, I suggest you leave and get back to what you were doing in the first place." I finish, breathless even though I don't need the air, and no longer having anymore words to explain my anger. He tilts his head and inches closer, looking at me from hooded eyes glowing a crimson red.
"And what is it exactly that you think I'm doing here?" He asks calmly, his tone tinged with malevolence.
"Alice told me, Hunter." I answer in a controlled voice. He freezes.
"What did she tell you?"
-I know that unknown vampires have been killing innocent humans back home, and the lead has brought you here. When I asked who the victims were, Alice just froze up. She wouldn't answer me. But I have a feeling that they're all linked, and I know that you know that I'm right. So tell me, Hunter... how are they linked and why are you here?"
He looks at me for a few seconds before gazing at a spot on the blank wall behind me. "All of the victims were young girls, eighteen to early twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes. Some of them had a kind of heterochromia. Two eyes of different colour. They were targeted with one profile in mind."
"Mine." I say in a whisper, and he just looks at me without answering. Then, the red in his eyes fade and he stands up on his feet, proceeding towards the bedroom door.
"Drink." He nods towards the bottle and I think I can see a pleading glint in them. I'm too preoccupied by what he just told me to think much about it. "I have to go out for a while again, but I'll be back. Call me if you hear anyone suspicious outside, but don't leave the apartment. The last victim was killed here in London, that's why I'm here." He finishes, ripping his gaze from me. "That's the only reason I'm here." And then he's gone, the door closing behind him.
I just turn in my position and stare wordlessly out the window that has darkened completely with the pitch-black night outside. Only a few stars that have managed to escape the thick clouds up above shine down onto the sleeping London city. I reach for the bottle and let out a moan of relief when the blood touches my lips, my tongue, before sizzling down my throat. I take my time this time. It's going to be a long night.