Hunting Jessica

by Elizabeth St. John

  We left our room, Rayce had a hold of my hand as we walked toward the elevator. He was alert. I tried to use the new senses I had acquired but they were fading. I hadn’t consumed any blood in two days. I didn’t like that feeling. I got used to being able to hear and smell everything.

  Rayce pressed the button on the control panel and we waited. He stroked my cheek with his knuckles softly and bent down to kiss me. “I love you,” he said softly.

  The signal above the elevator dinged. Rayce’ happy face faded into one that was serious. He looked at the double doors. His nostrils were flaring. He gripped my hand tightly and the doors slid open. Inside stood a large man dressed in biker’s leather and dark shades.

  The man reached inside his jacket.

  “Run!” Rayce growled. Before I knew it, Rayce was pulling me down the hall and we were running. Gunfire raged in the long narrow hall. Bullets whizzed past our heads. We reached a fire exit which led to the stairs. Rayce nearly busted the door down trying to open it. He pulled me down the stairs skipping two steps at a time. I almost couldn’t keep up with him. Once we reached the ground floor, I turned to look at the door to the stairs. I didn’t see Leather Man.

  “Wait,” I pulled Rayce by the hand to halt his running so I could catch my breath. We were standing in a crowded lobby. To the right of where we stood was the indoor pool where kids were playing and people relaxing. Still holding his hand, I walked toward the populated area.

  “Jessica, we have to go,” he insisted.

  I spotted two lounge chairs and we sat down, “Rayce, he isn’t going to make a scene. He will wait until we are alone to make his move. If we go outside now, he will follow us where ever we go. Let’s sit and think about what we are going to do. Have you ever seen him before? Who is that guy?”

  Rayce’ body was ridged as he scanned the highly-populated hotel lobby. “He is a member of the Oklahoma City pack, he is a bounty hunter. He was called to find us. I knew it was a mistake to check us in under my real name,” he hissed.

  “A hellhound bounty hunter?”

  “Yes. The best.” He watched the elevator door. So, they had found Gage’s body and now they were looking for me. Because I depended on Rayce they are looking for him too.

  “I have put you in danger. I’m sorry,” I stated.

  “We are in this together, babe,” he expressed as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

  “I did this. You wouldn’t be in danger if I hadn’t gone to that damn bar. I’m so sorry, Rayce,” I said shamefully.

  He smelled the air, stood up and pulled me up with him. We walked to the front desk and told the clerk we would be checking out of the room. He gave me the keys. While he returned to the room for our things, I started the truck and waited for his return. I was on pins and needles once again, until I saw him exit the front doors of the hotel. I pulled up to the door and he got in on the passenger’s side. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I could see police cars pulling in. They were called to the location because of the gun fire.

  “They refunded my money due to the disturbance,” Rayce smirked.

  “At least we didn’t waste it,” I said trying to smile.

  The bounty hunter was nowhere to be seen, but he wouldn’t be far from his target. I knew this city like the back of my hand. “Where are we going to go?”

  “We can’t go to your parents’ house,” Rayce expressed.

  “Agreed. At least not until he’s dead,” I snarled slightly. I wanted to go to my parents’ home and find my adoption papers. I needed to validate or disprove Gage’s claims.

  “You plan on killing him?”

  “If we get the chance. Yes.”

  I pulled into an old park I used to frequent as a child and parked the truck. The sun had begun to set already and we didn’t have a place to go. We could sleep in the truck. I needed to stretch my legs.

  “Don’t get out,” Rayce said.

  “I’ve been driving for two hours. I need to stretch,” I explained and shut the door. I leaned up against the truck door.

  “We are completely exposed,” he said as he walked around the truck and stood with me. He had me move so he could open the door. “Here, get inside.”

  “I’m tired of sitting,” I whined slightly.

  “I know, but we do not only have a bounty hunter on our tales, but we also have vampires to worry about,” he explained. My eyes lit up at the thought of vampire hunting. Rayce wrapped his arms around to hug me but the wind shifted. I was hit with a wonderful mouth-watering scent. I looked in the direction it was coming from. My arms fell from around my boyfriend and I took a step toward it. Rayce was on me in an instant and holding me by my arms. I fought against his grip.

  “Babe, you need to stop! You don’t want this.”

  I let out a laugh I had never heard come out of my mouth before. It was a sinister laugh. My dark and hungry side was taking over once again. “Rayce, don’t proceed to tell me what I want. Let me go right now,” I demanded.

  I took off in a sprint toward the smell that called me like a moth to a flame. My stomach growled violently. I didn’t stop my pursuit. I could feel my legs beginning to burn but I did not stop. I needed to find what I was looking for. The trees grew thick, which slowed. I didn’t let my feet stop moving.

  I came up on a small creek, it was only three feet wide. I could make the jump. I stopped to smell the air. I was on the right path. I backed up a little and ran toward the creek and jumped in order to get across to the other side. I didn’t land gracefully. My knees were covered in mud from the side of the creek and my left foot did end up in the water, but I made it. I stood up and brushed myself off. I began to follow my nose again and the smell grew stronger.

  Hunger was eating away at me. My stomach rumbled and rolled until I found myself wrapping my arms around myself. I dropped down to my knees and clawed at the dirt on the ground. My emotions were a wreck. I began to cry until the smell seemed stronger on the ground. I crawled on the ground like a dog, letting my nose find the scent. I ran across a tiny pool of blood and it smelled so beautiful. It was glorious, like fresh cut grass in the summer or one of my many roses from my garden back home. I dipped my finger in the blood and it was already beginning to coagulate. I put my finger on my tongue and tasted the sweet delight that my body craved.

  My body took over and I felt like a jungle cat on the hunt for my kill. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I was on the prowl. I followed the smell low to the ground until I came up to a small opening that led into a very small clearing. This was a part of the park I had never seen. I stopped in my tracks and looked around. Something didn’t feel right. I followed the tree line around the opening. I didn’t want to expose myself. I felt hunted.

  A vampire was hanging upside down from a tree by a piece of rope. Its throat had been cut and the wonderful blood was dripping down, wasting in the grass. I moved forward a little until I heard a sound come from behind me. I turned my body in the direction, ready to take on anything that got in the way of the hanging vampire and the blood I was after.

  The trees and bushes were moving, something was coming. I let my nose attempt to identify what it was. The smell was of an animal and yet it also smelled human. I knew it was a hellhound and it was following me. Maybe it was the bounty hunter. My instincts told me to protect this delectable treat. I crouched and readied myself to attack. I wasn’t going to let this hellhound have my vampire. I bared my teeth and waited.

  I heard a low grunt and deciphered it quickly, “It’s going to be okay, I’m not going to hurt you, babe.” A familiar voice rolled around in my mind. How could I understand an animal?

  “Rayce?”

  “Yes,” he said in my mind. His monstrous form came out of the bushes with such grace. I watched as his huge paws hit the ground making no sound at all. He was beautiful. He approached me cautiously.

  “How am I able to understand you?” My voice was a whisper.

  Low grunts come out of his cat-like lip
s but in my head, it sounded like his voice, “I don’t know.”

  “Please don’t try to stop me,” I begged and looked back at the hanging vampire. In my head, he made a sound of disgust. “Rayce, give me a break here.” I pointed to the clearing, “Something doesn’t feel right here.”

  “The bounty hunter put him there. I can smell him.”

  “How did he know about my craving for the blood? Nobody knows about it but you, Jay and,” I stopped with a gasp. “Marie.” The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. My friend, the cream-colored hellhound, could be in trouble, all because of me.

  Rayce lifted his head up to the air and sniffed, “You’re right. She is with him. Her scent is next to nothing.”

  “Why?”

  “He has covered it up with his own,” Rayce explained and flexed his claws into the ground as his lip lifted to expose his teeth.

  “We have to do something,” I whispered.

  “He’s waiting on the other side of the clearing. He’s no fool. He won’t make his move until one of us comes out.”

  “I’ll go. She’s here because of me,” I expressed and stepped forward but Rayce stepped in front of me.

  “Stay here.”

  Rayce moved into the trees and I was alone. I couldn’t stand it for too long. I watched the clearing for any sign of the bounty hunter, but there was none. The only thing I saw was the hanging vampire. My stomach growled but I had to ignore it. I needed to find Marie and rescue her somehow.

  The distinct smell of the leather the hunter wore hit my nose as I made my way through the foliage. I knew I was growing close to where he waited for me to make a mistake. I slowed my pursuit as soon as the smell grew stronger. Looking through the thick bushes, I spotted Leather Man crouching in the bushes and aiming a rifle in the direction of the vampire. His face was covered in a long graying beard.

  There was no sign of Rayce but I could see my friend. I sighed in relief when I realized she was still alive. Leather Man had her tied up and gagged. She was leaning up against a tree and she had been beaten to a bloody pulp. My heart sank. Jay would kill him if he had any idea what happened to her.

  My friend had tears rolling down her face and she was trying not to cry. Her mouth was gagged and her nose was stuffed up. Leather Man looked back at her, “Shut up, you little bitch! You’ll scare my target away, and if you do that, you will have to pay for that mistake. I can’t have you giving away my position,” he hissed and looked back through the scope on his rifle. “I’m going to get my hands on that half-breed. I may even have a little fun with her first,” he chuckled to himself. “I will have to kill the guy with her first, though,” he said smiling.

  I hated him. He had hurt my friend and planned on hurting me and Rayce. I couldn’t help but wonder where the hell he was, anyway. He should have been there already. I stepped closer. As soon as I did, Rayce jumped on top of Leather Man from the tree tops. I had no idea they could climb trees in their hellhound form. Rayce forced him to drop his weapon and they went rolling into the clearing. I took that as my chance to free Marie.

  I jumped out of the bushes and ran over to my friend who was frantically trying to talk to me through her gag.

  “Marie, don’t talk. Let’s get you the hell out of here,” I said frantically. She turned her body so I could have better access to the ties that held her hands behind her. The knots were tight. As soon as I got them loose she began working on her feet. I turned from her and I could see Rayce and Leather Man rolling around on the ground.

  Rayce took him in his mouth and flung him several feet away. Leather Man was pissed and began to remove his clothes. When he rose to his hellhound feet, I noticed he wasn’t an average color. He was gray with black splotches, almost like spots. The hair on his back stood and he let out a growl and charged Rayce.

  Rayce bared his huge onyx teeth at Leather Man and the fight was on. Panic rose up in my throat. I turned to look at Marie for help. I could still hear growling and snapping of jaws behind me. “Marie, are you okay?”

  “Jessica, help me up. I have to help him.”

  Then I heard a yelp and I looked back to see Leather Man had Rayce on the ground by the throat. He was trying to use his hind legs to push him off of him. Marie undressed behind me. She painfully went down on her knees to turn but she couldn’t. I could see how much it pained her to do it.

  A crazy idea came to my mind. I helped my friend to her feet. Rayce struggled with Leather Man, I had to move fast. I pulled Marie with me to the hanging vampire and she dropped to her knees. I got down on the ground with her and took her bruised face in my hands and looked at her in the eyes.

  “Marie, Rayce needs your help. You need to drink to gain your strength.”

  “I…”

  “Please,” I begged and looked back at the fighting hellhounds. Leather Man had Rayce on the ground again but he wouldn’t give up. I was sure he never would, even against a hellhound high on vampire blood.

  She touched her mouth to the cut throat of the vampire. With her first swallow, her breathing grew stronger. The natural heat inside her hellhound body grew hotter. “Marie, hurry up and change.”

  Before I knew it, Marie had turned into the beautiful cream-colored hellhound I knew. She turned and bit down on the throat of the vampire. The blood began to flow once again. My friend charged into the fight, snapping her jaws. Her body collided with Leather Man and he was knocked off balance. She stood over Rayce with her teeth dripping with blood and she snapped her jaws at Leather Man.

  Leather didn’t like that one little bit and jumped at Marie, trying to spook her. She didn’t flinch. The hair in between her shoulder blades stood up into spikes. It looked like thorns and they pointed in Leather Man’s direction. He stood back as if she could directly shoot them. Rayce recovered quickly and in an instant, he got back up on his feet.

  Rayce’ hair began to stand up like Marie’s as they circled the bounty hunter. He was backing away from them. Rayce’ head was low to the ground and his black onyx teeth gleamed in the moon light. I knew Leather Man was tough as nails and could handle himself in a fight. I wasn’t too sure how this fight would turn out for him when he was being surrounded by two hellhounds ready to kill him.

  He was trying his best to defend both sides of him but he was not successful. When he turned his head to watch Marie, Rayce chose his moment and sprung on top of him. They went rolling together into a massive oak tree. The impact shook the trunk and the branches at the top. Leather Man pinned Rayce down on the ground and I could hear a strange rumbling sound coming from inside him. I had never heard a hellhound make that sound before. The sound was almost like a bubbling growl. He took a deep breath, bared his onyx teeth at Rayce, and then he opened his mouth.

  Marie ran over and knocked him off of Rayce. She stood between Leather Man and Rayce while he got to his feet. She slashed her long talons at him and he backed away growling. He snapped at her and she lunged for his throat, bringing him down quickly. Rayce took him by his haunches, holding him down as he tried to get away. Marie slammed his head to the ground and bit down on his throat. The crunch of his windpipe was sickening. He tried to claw at my friend on top of him but there was no hope. His movements slowed to a crawl and a gurgle escaped his lips with his final breath.

  I took a deep breath of relief. The scent of the blood captured me again. I grabbed the vampire and drank from the bite that Marie had given him. He tasted like Christmas morning. My body felt so warm as energy rolled through me. I felt flush but great. The wounds on my face healed almost instantly, and when the vampire ran dry, I was left wanting more.

  I closed my eyes and licked the remaining blood from my lips with a sigh. I felt brand new. My body felt strong and in a matter of a few minutes, my body would look different and be beautiful. I was hopelessly addicted to the blood, its taste and the after effects.

  I turned to see the two people that I loved, watching me. I ran up to Rayce and wrapped my arms around his massive neck. �
�Oh, Christ. Are you alright?”

  “I’m perfectly alright, love,” he said softly in my mind and leaned his body gently against mine.

  “He’s dead? I mean, for sure?”

  “Well, he’s not breathing. I would say he’s pretty much dead,” he replied and sat down next to Marie. They were too amped up to change back yet so I sat down on the ground and looked at them.

  “Good,” I glared at where his human body lies. His hellhound body had faded.

  Marie looked at him and then me strangely. “She can understand you?” Marie asked him.

  “I can,” I smiled, replying for him.

  “Woah. That’s awesome,” she confessed, looking at me in a peculiar way.

  “I know, right,” I giggled. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fantastic,” she said excitedly. Her mouth fell open as if she were smiling. “I’m so high right now.”

  I laughed with her and Rayce rolled his eyes.

  “I feel pretty good myself,” I said happily.

  I took in my surroundings. The grass looked sharper, the trees seemed to grow before my eyes. Marie’s blue almost white eyes looked as if the color was moving, swirling. I wondered if my eyes had taken on the same cat like appearance that all hellhounds get when they change. Every star in the sky danced in my clear vision. It was breathtaking.

  “What are we going to do with him,” I asked as I looked back at the dead bounty hunter.

  “We will have to bury him here in the wooded area. We can’t risk him being found. Marie will dig the hole and I will put him in.”

  “Hell can have him back,” my friend snarled in his direction.

  I didn’t have any problems having to bury the man but the thought of hell gave me the creeps. Was that really where hellhounds went when they died?

  CHAPTER

  22

  Rayce was on a mission to feed me, “Now that you have consumed some blood, will you at least eat some real food?” he asked me as he held my hand. The thought of eating food made my stomach turn. I settled on some French fries to ease his mind. His body relaxed the instant I chewed.