Raven's Desires (Night Hunters)

by Reily, Aminta

  “Oh yes, you can take more than just my order. I have an itch that is out of my reach that needs to be scratch. Care to help?”

  The girl giggled and that was Kristian’s cue to let Shane work his charm on the young lady. That also meant that he would probably be walking home tonight.

  “Really now? Just where would this itch be?”

  “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll tell ya.”

  Kristian grabbed his coat and slid out of the booth. As he walked over towards the young lady who caught his attention earlier, he felt this strange pull to her. When he smiled at her before, it was just a teasing smile and nothing more. But now that he stood closer to her, he felt a magnetic pull towards her.

  Not only did he feel a pull, he felt something else. A level of pain he’d never experienced before in a human. Her body screamed of agony. There was so much around this young lady. Where had he witnessed that type of pain before? He had to find out. “You mind if I have a seat here?”

  The young lady lifted her hand from her head. She looked up at him with her bloodshot eyes. He could see the agony in those eyes. He heard her heart pounding against her chest. With each beat he could feel her insides screaming for relief of the constant pressure in her head.

  The young lady looked back at the waitress and Shane then back to him.

  “If you think that I’m going to go home with you like my friend Veronica, you are wrong,” she growled at him.

  Kristian had to stop himself from smiling. If he wanted to take her home with him, there was nothing she could do to stop him. He could easily will her to do as he wanted.

  “That’s not why I asked to sit here but if you think that I’m that way, I could sit in one of the other booths. I only asked because you seemed a bit troubled.”

  As Kristian turned to walk away, her hand grasped his wrist. Kristian didn’t have time to close his mind before he was quickly pulled into hers. This woman was in pain, so much pain that he did not know if he could stop it. Image after image of her crying, begging and pleading for the pain to go away assaulted him until he thought the pain would knock him onto his knees.

  “I’m…I’m sorry. I’m not usually this way. I’ve had this headache for so long. You can have a seat, but I doubt I will be very good company.”

  Kristian knew he had to try to ease the young lady’s pain.

  “I studied the Chinese art of pain and stress massage. I could try to help ease the pain in your head. That’s if you don’t mind a complete stranger touching you.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “Does it involve any touching below the waist?”

  Kristian laughed, taking in her appearance. She was beautiful to him. Her light brown eyes were sparkling with mischief as she asked the question. Her smile could brighten anyone’s day. Anyone could easily fall in love with her. Even him…wait, he wasn’t in love, just caught up in the moment.

  He gazed into her eyes. “It will not involve any touching below the neck. I promise.”

  She shrugged. “I have tried everything. Why not try this?”

  Kristian laid his coat on the booth.

  “What is your name by the way? I would at least like to know the name of the stranger I’m letting touch me.”

  “I’m Kristian Blackburn, and you are?”

  “Raven Nowles.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Raven Nowles. Now that we have that out the way, just relax and let me take over. Close your eyes and count backwards from twenty.”

  Once Raven closed her eyes, he placed his hands on each side of her head.

  “Now, count for me.”

  “Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…”

  Kristian released a great force of energy from him to her. It started from her head then moved through her body. He focused on her pain, searching through her body. Kristian opened his eyes when he found the problem. Raven was a new slayer being transformed. It has been over a hundred years since he had even seen a slayer. Now to be here, touching one was like a miracle. Some slayers did not have any pain while transforming. In Raven’s case, she was having a hard time because her body was rejecting the change. She was becoming stronger, more powerful with each moment.

  Kristian focused on that pain, taking it away from her to make her transformation more tolerable. Any vampire who was not a part of the Night Hunters would kill Raven on sight.

  Kristian released her.

  Raven’s eyes fluttered a couple of times before opening.

  “God, I feel so much better now. What did you do?”

  Kristian smiled. “I only eased your headache.”

  “I haven’t felt this good in months. I would hug you, but that would be too strange for me.”

  Kristian sat in the booth in front of her. “Hugging me would be strange? I just had my fingers on your forehead. I think we moved past strange and onto uncomfortable.”

  Raven laughed.

  It brought joy to his heart to hear her laughter. Sadly, this young woman would not be so happy if her destiny caught up with her.

  There were not many Trainers anymore. Most had quit or just given up. If Raven was put out in the world without any training or not even knowing what she was, then she could die. For some reason, some strange reason, he didn’t want Raven to become a slayer—he wanted her, just her.

  * * * *

  Raven watched Kristian from across the booth. Whatever this man had done to her to ease her pain, she would be forever grateful for it. The pain had gone and she felt like her old self again. Maybe she could get a decent night’s sleep, for a change.

  “Thank you so much, Kristian,” she told him.

  “You are very welcome, Raven.”

  Raven turned to see what Veronica and Kristian’s associate were up to when she didn’t hear Veronica giggling anymore. Veronica moved quickly—she was sitting in the booth with the guy and they were kissing. Not just a simple first kiss but a tongue down the throat, I wanna take you to bed type of kiss.

  “I see that I will be walking home tonight.”

  Raven turned back to Kristian. “Is your friend usually so outgoing?”

  “Yea, why?”

  “I know Veronica, and I just don’t want your friend to get hurt. Veronica breaks people’s hearts. I think she should have been a man.”

  Why did she say that? This man makes me want to tell him everything. If she was like this from a simple touch from him, what would she be like if he kissed her?

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Because she doesn’t care who she sleeps with and she doesn’t want any commitment.”

  “Really? Is that what you think a man is all about? Sex and no commitment?”

  Raven frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect to men but does that…” Raven pointed back to Veronica, “look like a person who wants to take it slow?”

  Kristian looked past her than back to her. His light blue eyes watched her closely.

  “You are right, but trust me, Shane will be the perfect match for her.”

  Raven smiled again. She could not stop smiling at him.

  “So, Raven, why are you up so late at night?”

  “I don’t know. Even before my headaches began, I was up late at night. It got later and later as I grew older. Now, I don’t need much sleep. What about you?”

  “I’m a night hawk. I like the night life. It’s so much more interesting than day life.”

  “What do you do for a living?”

  Kristian was quiet for a moment and Raven thought that she had overstepped a boundary.

  “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

  “It’s not that, Raven. It’s more like I am a night time patrol officer. I scan the streets to make sure that nothing bad is out there.”

  “Oh, so you are with the police department.”

  Kristian shook his head. “More like freelance. My company is a very private company. I think you might be interested in visiting it sometime.”

  Ra
ven frowned at him. “Why would I be interested in visiting your private company? Wait! Are you being sexual because if you are I’m about to kick you?”

  When Kristian laughed, Raven couldn’t help but notice the goodness in his laughter. It made her feel so good inside that she could make this man laugh.

  Kristian looked down under the table. “I hope not. I may want kids one day.”

  “Well, I’m sure your girlfriend or wife would be happy to provide them for you.”

  Oh my god, why did I say that?

  Kristian tilted his head and looked at her closely for a moment then sat back in the booth.

  “Sadly, I don’t have either of those at the moment.”

  Raven snorted. There was no way in hell she would believe that a man like Kristian would not have a female in his life. Just look at him. He was handsome as hell. The wet damage to his hair did nothing to ruin his features. The man was, in other words, flawless.

  “You don’t have a girlfriend is like telling me you don’t need air.”

  Kristian smiled. “I don’t, Raven. I have not been really looking for any companionship at the moment. It’s hard to find a woman that is as old fashioned as I am.”

  “Old fashioned? Yeah, right.”

  “I am, Raven. You women today are very hard to keep up with. I’m not use to the fast life as you are.”

  Raven laughed. “You speak as if you are almost ninety years old. What are you, like twenty-five?”

  “Around the age of twenty-six,” Kristian answered.

  “Around the age? What does that mean?”

  “That means that I am a lot older here,” Kristian said and pointed to his head. “Than my body.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Keys.” Shane said as he walked up to the table, almost startling her.

  Raven looked up to see his arm around Veronica’s waist, and she was smiling more than a child on Christmas morning.

  Kristian groaned. “Don’t wreck my car.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know the drill.”

  “I will see ya later, Raven,” Veronica said.

  “Uh, Veronica, does Billy know you are leaving?”

  “Yep. I told him and he said he would lock up when you two leave.”

  Shane picked up Veronica before she could get the words out of her mouth and put her on his shoulders.

  “Don’t wait up,” Shane said then slapped Veronica on her butt.

  “Hey!” Veronica protested.

  “You know you like it.”

  Shane turned and walked towards the door. Veronica waved as she was being carried.

  Raven looked back at Kristian. “I guess I better get going also. It was nice meeting you, Kristian, and thank you so much for getting rid of my headache.”

  “The pleasure was all mine.”

  Kristian stood from the booth and extended his hand. “If you need any more help just look me up.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. It had his name and cell number on it. The top of the card read NH.

  “NH—what’s that?”

  “I can’t really tell you, but just know that I work undercover.”

  “Nice. You must work for the C.I.A.”

  “You can say that.”

  Raven grabbed the cup of cold coffee.

  “Nice to meet you again, Kristian. If that headache thing comes back I will make sure that you are the first I call.”

  “I will be very happy to receive your call, Raven.”

  Raven placed the cup and money on the counter. “I’m out, Billy.”

  “Okay, Raven. Try to get some sleep.”

  “I will.”

  Raven walked out of the diner and to her car. The rain had lessened but it was still drizzling. She started the car then looked at the door of the cafe as Kristian walked out. Raven remembered that he had given the keys to his car to Shane. Maybe it would be all right to give him a ride home. She drove up to the door of the cafe.

  “Do you want a ride home?”

  Raven thought he would decline her offer when he looked away from her.

  “Sure. I doubt that anyone would be out in this storm.”

  Raven never invited a stranger into her car before but with Kristian he didn’t seem like a stranger to her. It seemed like she had known him all her life.

  Chapter 4

  Raven knew it was crazy having a complete stranger—well almost stranger—in her car at nearly two in the morning. The rational part of her brain seemed to shut down when Kristian had asked to ease her headache. She was glad he could do that and she hoped that if needed he could do it again. Now her brain had gone on vacation to some distant place and she seemed to be making all the wrong decisions tonight. Maybe having a clear mind was what was making her think unclearly. She didn’t know what was going on but the only thing she wanted now was a nice long bath and deep sleep.

  She glanced at Kristian, who hadn’t said a word since he got into her car. Mr. Talkative had gone quiet.

  “Are you alright?”

  Kristian looked at her. “Yes, why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know. You have gotten quiet. Thinking of something you might want to share?”

  Kristian gave her that drop dead smile.

  “Trust me, it’s nothing. I have a lot on my mind lately. My job is about to make a hell of a turn around.”

  “What’s about to happen?”

  “There is going to be a new worker. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to have a more important job than the president.”

  “The president? How is that?”

  Kristian looked at her for a moment then looked out the window.

  “She will have to protect a lot of people by fighting evil and making dangerous decisions. She will not like it at first, but soon she will know this is what she is destined to do and will accept it. Hopefully.” Kristian pointed. “Make a right here.”

  Raven turned down the street where Kristian directed her to go.

  “Well, if it is so dangerous, why would anyone take that type of job? I understand you want to save the world, but why put yourself in a situation where you can die at any moment?”

  “She will not really have a choice in the matter. The danger will follow her, and soon she will have to accept her job.”

  Raven slammed on the breaks. “Are you trying to tell me something? Because you are freaking me out a little. You are talking about dangerous situations and other things as if I should be worried about having you in my car.”

  Kristian chuckled at her, which made her think giving him a ride was a bad idea.

  “Raven, I assure you that I am in no way putting you in danger. It’s hard sometimes for a person to just tell the newly born about what is going to happen to them. Trainers are very few and many don’t know what to expect in their lives. They live their lives in danger and if they don’t know what they are or who they are, then they are killed.”

  “I don’t under—”

  Kristian growled loudly, making Raven jump. The sound resembled an angry dog about to attack.

  “Raven, drive now.”

  Raven was taken aback by the tone in Kristian’s voice.

  “What…”

  “Don’t question me. Just go, now!”

  “What the hell!” Raven screamed as the side window of her car broke and her body was pulled out of the window by a large hairy arm.

  Raven clawed at the arm around her neck but doubted she was getting any results from it.

  “Kristian!” Raven screamed and fell to the mucky ground.

  Raven opened her eyes to see Kristian jumping over her car and towards whatever had grabbed her. Raven could see that Kristian’s eyes were now a dark, red color and he had long teeth in his mouth that looked like…like…fangs. What the hell was going on? What the fuck was Kristian?

  A loud snarl erupted from behind her and the next thing she saw was Kristian’s lifeless body being tossed back across her car.

  The hair on Raven’s head
was jerked back and she reached up, grabbing her hair to keep it from being torn from her scalp. Whoever had her hair pulled her away from the car.

  “Let me go! Let me go!”

  A snarl came as a reply. Raven tried to fight the pull but she couldn’t. She was pulled up from the ground like a rag-doll and turned to face—what the fuck was it? A wolf? But she didn’t know of any wolves that stood up on two legs like this thing. She didn’t even knew wolves got this big.

  It gripped her arms and held her off the ground. Raven stared into its golden eyes and did what any woman in her predicament would do.

  She screamed.

  The wolf howled the moment she started to scream and she stopped.

  It leaned forward and sniffed her. Raven leaned back but could not make it release her.

  “If you are thinking about eating me, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  The wolf snarled at her and she took it as a sign to shut the hell up.

  “Wolfy, play nice?” Raven could feel her entire body trembling from fear. She doubted she would be able to hold her bladder for much longer.

  The wolf continued to sniff her then placed her over its shoulder and began to walk towards the wooded area. Raven saw Kristian lying on the ground beside her car. Was he dead? God, she hoped not.

  “I don’t think going off in the woods with a wolf would be a nice thing.”

  The wolf snarled quickly.

  Well, isn’t this grand. This was the way Raven Nowles would die. By a mutated wolf.

  Kristian began to move and she almost called his name but she didn’t want this thing to do any more harm to him.

  Kristian’s red eyes lit up the night. One moment he was at her car, the next he had reached them. He kicked the wolf in the back and Raven went flying. She hit the ground hard.

  “Raven, run,” Kristian screamed.

  Raven jumped up and rushed to her car, not waiting to see what happens.

  When she touched the door on her car she felt bad for leaving Kristian with that thing. She couldn’t let Kristian get killed. She opened the door and pressed the button for the trunk. She raced to the back of the car looking for anything that could help.

  A loud howl came from the wooded area where she knew Kristian and the beast were.