The Hunted

by Heather McAlendin

  “Andrew.” I cried as my body lurched forward, wracked with pain as each manacle bit further into my wrists. “My love; my life, where are you?”

  I am always with you love, you know that. Physically I cannot be with you right now but draw strength from my love. Who is Drake Von Brugel? How did he get so much power?

  I shook my head, trying to clear the fog I had woken up with. He is…used to be a priest during the Inquisition. Drake is a brutal man and now a vampire. He has strong psychic powers, not unlike you.

  One statement transferred from Andrew’s mind to my own.

  The Queen of Dreams is awake.

  At first, I didn’t understand what Andrew was saying. I had never heard of anyone described in that manner in all my years with the Clans.

  I shifted, only for the restraints to painfully remind me of my bondage and I let out a low growl. “The Queen of…”

  As quickly as Andrew had entered my mind, he was gone. I could feel the imprint of his warm kiss against my cheek. Oh, how I missed him!

  My thoughts turned again to Drake and this Queen of Dreams. Could it be?

  A sudden burst of light blinded me as the room went from pitch black to daylight instantaneously.

  Like a thunderbolt, an image of a willowy, ivory-skinned, raven-haired woman flashed before my eyes, searing her visage into my brain.

  “Good day to you, Silver Devries. I understand you and Father Drake are familiar with one another?” A rich, female voice spoke with an as-yet-unfamiliar accent. Her “W” sounded more like a “V“ when she talked.

  When I opened my eyes, an ethereal looking woman stood before me, dressed in a dark-colored shift. The dress enhanced the pallor of her skin and she seems to glow almost translucent.

  “You are quite a sight my dear. Drake, take those awful restraints off the poor creature. She must know by now that there is no way for her to escape.” With a flick of her wrist, Drake moved forward to do her bidding. It was as if in he was in a trance. It was unusual, as the Father Drake I had come to know always had cause for a biting, sarcastic remark. What mind game was this vampire “Queen” playing?

  The so-called “Queen of Dreams” smiled at me, her fangs luminescent in the bright, white light. Yes, I do have some influence over Drake, nothing he disagrees with I can assure you.

  She spoke to my mind and her lips remained unmoving. One by one, Drake removed the manacles and stepped back to stand by this female vampire’s side.

  She raised her hand again and I noticed a distinctive mark on the side of her thin, feminine wrist. The mark was a small tattoo of a bat-like creature with four stars as a crown representing the four corners of the universe. She nodded and smiled again.

  “Believe your eyes my darling; I am indeed of the Toltec line. In fact I am the mother creator herself.”

  “Yaqui!” I stammered, stunned at the awe in my own voice. “But…you don’t…you are supposed to be…”

  “Extinct?” The ancient vampire mused. “That poor male creature of my race who your Clan saved was not the last of my kind. However, we are dwindling in numbers as we have yet to find a supreme vampire race to mate with. With the fall of the Aztec empire, I had thought for centuries that we had no hope of recovery. With my discovery of Father Drake and the rumblings of a superior male vampire who exists within your own Clan, my heart has hope again.”

  I rubbed my wrists and shook my ankles to try and increase the flow of blood. I had not fed in almost two days and I was feeling weak, the hunger bubbling beneath the surface.

  “I have no idea what you mean by a superior male vampire,” I said, trying to hide Andrew’s image from my mind.

  “Don’t be naïve, Silver. After all he belongs to you; you created him.” Yaqui licked her swollen, ruby lips as she watched the fascination and then the horror that spread across my face as I finally understood who she was referring to.

  “Andrew?“ I froze at the thought of this she-devil coming near Andrew let alone the Clan itself. Andrew was my love and my life. I could not allow this to happen, even at the risk of my own demise.

  Without a second of hesitation, I gathered what little strength I had and lunged forward, baring my fangs and aiming for Yaqui’s throat.

  Yaqui shrank back, shrieking for Drake to protect her. Once again, he raised one powerful arm and threw me to the floor like a rag doll. I was furious!

  I looked up and noticed the distinctly blank look Drake had on his face. When he first captured me, he was at least in control of his senses. What had this creature done to him?

  “Drake.” I panted, trying to capture the breath that he had knocked from my lungs. In combination with my thirst, I was becoming weak very quickly, which would not help myself or save Andrew from this Toltec vampire. “Where are your balls, man? You are letting a female control you. What would your men have thought of that?”

  Knowingly baiting him, I kept low and waited to see if he’d strike back or if Yaqui herself would step forward to quiet me.

  Much to my amazement neither moved. Very slowly, I stood up and reached for my dagger. Gone! I should have known that they would remove it. Frustration welled up inside me; I began to shake with fury.

  “It won’t work, Silver.” Yaqui purred. “He will do only what I allow him to do and you are too precious a commodity right now to let you die needlessly. I can sense the hunger within you and I will take care of that so you don’t wither away or go insane. Not a pleasant way to die. Have you ever watched a vampire starve to death? It is a very painful process indeed.”

  “I would rather die and go insane than give you any more clues as to where Andrew and the Clans are located.” My anger and hunger caused my voice to sound husky and rough. I was so tired and was trying hard to focus. I could not afford to lose my senses…not now.

  The Toltec vampire walked forward, holding my gaze with each step. Ensnaring me in the inky blackness of her eyes, I became frozen and unable to move or speak. My thoughts were jumbled and panicked as I watched her lick her moist lips and reveal her extended, glistening fangs. My heart sped up and I could feel the rushing of blood in my ears.

  Drake stood just behind her, his arms hung loose at his side. The blank look I had seen earlier was still there but with every movement she made toward me, I noticed a flicker that was not present earlier—or was I imagining things?

  “You are so beautiful; and your hair. I can see that you are aptly named, my dear.” Yaqui ran one long, slender finger over a lock of my long, silver-colored hair. If I had any will to move, I would have shuddered in repulsion.

  Yaqui moved in very close to my face; so close, I could feel her breath on my cheek and neck and she seemed to inhale the very essence of me. Every muscle in my body tensed as her hand drew down my neck to just above my collarbone and hovered there, stroking lightly with her fingertips. I could feel how cool and smooth her skin was as it touched mine. In any other circumstance, it could have been a lover’s caress.

  My eyes darted sideways at Drake, almost wishing he would wake from his trance-like state.

  “Don’t worry about the good Father; he will have you in time. Right now, you are mine and I intend to see what is so special about the great Queen! Do you know how long it has been for me? Since I fed from another female vampire…an Ancient such as you?”

  She means to kill me! I thought. My brain squirmed at her continued touch, I thought of those lips and teeth slicing a vein and draining any remaining blood I had left. It didn’t seem real.

  “Oh, I have no plans to kill you my darling. You have to understand how intriguing you are to me. You live amongst humans, couple with humans and bond with them. I am fascinated you have not taken over such a pitiful race. Then again, there are always exceptions to those rules now aren’t there?”

  Andrew.

  “Andrew,” she whispered into my ear. “Yes, he is an unusual and powerful creature, comparable to Father Drake.”

  It seemed as if Yaqui viewed Drake as her pos
session. My fatigued brain tried to find even the smallest weakness that I could use that to my advantage.

  “Although Drake is a strong man and a wonderful companion in many ways, I always wondered what it would be like to have a man after he had succumbed to vampirism, especially one such as Andrew.” Yaqui purred as she drew close to my neck and chest and ran her tongue along the length of the vein that pulsed there. I could feel my chest heave and my body shudder in disgust. Yaqui mistook it as misguided sensuality.

  The hatred I felt for this creature, this ancient she-devil, was beyond anything I had ever felt for either a human or vampire. My thirst was so overwhelming but my love for Andrew kept my wits intact.

  “Your hatred for me will make this all the more sweet, my dear. I will take you when you least expect it. Hatred is akin to love and passion, is it not?” The ancient vampire hissed low into my ear, her breath was warm and moist. “It won’t be much longer, I promise you that. I do not want you to die before I drain the last drop of your precious blood myself. Your blood is my salvation.”

  My eyes and head began to feel very heavy and thick. My eyelids fluttered, but before they closed, I caught sight of Drake. With all of Yaqui’s attention on me, it seemed as if her hold on Father Drake had weakened enough for him to come to his senses. His face contorted in an angry, hateful scowl as he watched Yaqui caress and kiss my cheeks and neck.

  The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was a familiar male growl as Drake lunged forward and grasped an unwary Yaqui by the throat.

  Chapter Four

  “Wake up! Get up now if you want to keep your life!” a male voice ordered from above my head.

  I opened one eye and squealed as ice-cold water sloshed across my chest and face. The salty, sweet smell of fresh blood flooded my nostrils and my pulse sped up with excitement. My body craved nourishment and like a starving beast, I grasped the flesh that was placed before me and drove my fangs into it, drinking deeply.

  The blood was dark and warm, and so delicious. I kept my eyes closed as I continued to suckle, not caring who or what was watching me feast.

  As I continued to drain the presented flesh of its blood, I felt warmth slowly seeping back into my limbs; my lips felt plump and my cheeks burned. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, a rough hand grabbed my hair and forced my mouth from the cooling flesh.

  “You’ll be sick soon if you don’t stop.”

  From deep within my throat, a low growl emanated a warning. When I opened my eyes, I saw Drake standing in front of me, his powerful arms crossed over his chest and his face contorted in a scowl. Streaks of gore and blood streaked his pants and leather boots. The smell of death permeated the air.

  I lifted my hand and wiped my mouth of any remaining trace of blood. I was satiated and felt stronger than I had in days.

  “What are you looking at, Priest?” I asked sourly.

  Drake shook his head in disbelief and pointed one large finger down to my feet.

  Yaqui lay in front of me in a bloody, broken heap. Her neck was broken and torn open. I had gorged on her blood. It was no wonder I felt so restored, so powerful! Her blood was the most ancient off all vampires. She was, or at least had been, the head of the Toltec line. Now she lived on in me.

  “How ironic,” I muttered. As I glanced up, I viewed a wry smile that was spreading very quickly across Drake’s face.

  The giant man shifted from one foot to the other as he stared down at the lifeless body of the Ancient Vampire Queen. The muscles in his arms and legs rippled as he moved.

  “No irony involved in this,” he said dryly. “She broke her word to me and that is unacceptable.”

  I blinked for a moment and stared, incredulous at the thoughts that were building in my brain. He had actually cared about her.

  Forgetting that Drake had Ancient blood running through his veins, I was startled when he spoke.

  “Yes, even I have a heart. I was lost after she bonded and turned me. She was all I had in the world other than my thirst for power. Yaqui promised me a seat at her right hand after she conquered your Clan. Now I see it was just a veiled attempt to take your blood and your lover. She was so taken with a King…a human turned Vampire King.”

  “Why did you break my bonds? Why did you feed me? Surely you know now I could end your life?” I asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

  Drake was silent at my question. I steeled myself for a lunge or blow against me.

  A long, deep sigh escaped his throat and he laughed quietly at the confused look that must have been spreading across my face.

  “You could kill me if you want,” he said, “but I think you need me just as much as I need you right now.”

  His arrogant smugness was irritating but I kept silent.

  “Nothing from the great Vampire Queen? No words of anger or hatred? Nothing at all? I am no longer even worth a droll thought?” Drake stood and stared at me with bemused eyes as the sarcasm spewed forth from his lips.

  “The only thing I need from you is the whereabouts of Hannah’s bastards. I know damn well you are familiar with where they are hiding. I have a task to finish and whether you want to help me willingly or not, is none of my concern.” My voice was low and calm. I had not felt this confident in days. Whether it was the Toltec blood coursing through me or hatred...I no longer cared.

  I stared at Drake from under my eyelashes and waited for his next move.

  Drake’s feet were quick and silent as he seemingly materialized at my side. I jumped as he thrust my dagger into my hands. “Here, you may need this if you are to follow where I will lead you.” He hissed.

  The weight of the dagger was familiar and comforting. I could sense, at least for now, that Drake was not out to harm me. I thrust the weapon into my boot and quickened my pace to keep up with his as he hurried out the door and into the night.

  Chapter Five

  The evening air was cool and fresh on my face as I sped after the long-legged vampire priest. For a brief second a pain caught in my breast as I thought of the cool evenings I had spent with Andrew. They were evenings when he and I would walk around the gardens and talk of flowers and plants. Evenings when I would feast on his lifeblood in the moonlight, which would inevitably lead us to feast on one another in every sexual act imaginable until we lay sweaty and exhausted in the dew-covered grass. He was my partner in every way possible; both while human and as the Vampire King. My heart and body ached with need and my eyes filled with bloody tears at the great sadness I felt being apart from him.

  Drake stopped quickly and held his hand up. I brushed my tears aside and silently moved up behind him.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  I looked up and frowned as Drake started down at me with a scowl.

  “You need to focus on what is at hand and not on frivolous thoughts of lust or fanciful ideas of love.”

  I shrank back and shook my head. What do you know of love anyway?

  “Do not presume to know me Vampire Queen. At any rate, you wanted to know where the brood is holding up. We are here. Can you not hear them?”

  All I could hear was silence and the beating of my own heart...and Drake’s? I had almost forgotten that the Toltec bloodline would enhance my awareness considerably. I closed my eyes very briefly and could hear breathing. Yet the breathing did not belong to either of us!

  Drake froze in front me. His large, dark head cocked to the side and his eyes closed. It was like watching a predator smelling or sensing his prey. For a second I could appreciate the danger Drake was putting himself in for me. He had initially sought out Hannah’s brood for himself and now he was helping me to destroy them. It was unfathomable.

  “You can thank me later,” he said dryly. “Right now, I have vengeance to execute and you will be useful in helping me in that regard.”

  Vengeance? Why does he want vengeance?

  I did not have time to consider the matter any further when Drake crouched forward and placed a finger
upon his lips. I nodded and gathered in close behind.

  Someone...no…many were just beyond the shadows, well hidden in the thicket of trees just ahead of where we stood. Although I could feel the fledgling vampires, I had never before been able to hear their thoughts and feel their very breath as I could now. It was a thrilling sensation.

  Drake thrust a hand forward, an indication we needed to move forward and quickly. I nodded and followed as stealthily as I could. I was amazed such a big man could move so swiftly and without a whisper of a sound.

  The faster I moved, the more the ground seemed almost nonexistent beneath my feet. I blinked rapidly while my eyes adjusted to the inky blackness beneath the dense trees.

  “They are just ahead of us,” Drake whispered. “I have been here many times but now they know she is gone. I do not know how I will be greeted and I cannot guarantee your safety.”

  “You always have to be a smug bastard, don’t you? You have lived so long that you’d think...”

  A loud cracking noise curtailed my words and broke the silence of the night. Flocks of startled night birds blanketed the velvety-gray sky just above our heads.

  “Damn!” I yelped.

  Perturbed at my continued lack of silence, Drake swept me aside like so much dust in the wind. I knew if the brood had not known of our presence, they certainly did now and it was my own stupidity. Would my life as a hunter ever end? When would I ever regain any sense of normality? I had taken so much for granted, never assuming my role as Queen would ever be jeopardy. Now that life was just mist in a dream.

  “Normal? Since when has being what humans call the undead normal? You and I will never be normal. Not many people would consider a former priest turned vampire normal.” Drake hissed menacingly as he lurched forward. Before I realized what he was doing, the head of very young vampire girl rolled on the ground toward my feet. I jumped, the blood splatter barely missing my leather boots. The gore from the brutal decapitation clumped in her unkempt, blonde hair.