A Hunter's Choice [The Hunters 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Suzy Shearer

  Julie decided to ask the one question that was always in her mind.

  “What does it feel like when you convert? Does it hurt?”

  “I can’t lie, Julie, yes, it hurts. The whole conversion thing takes about twelve hours but for at least half of that time you are in a deep sleep, like a coma. At the very start, it hurts. Your partner takes away a lot of the pain but it feels like it goes on for hours. In reality it only lasts for three to six hours before you partner sends you to sleep.”

  “But you would still do it again if you knew how much it hurt?”

  “Most definitely. A dozen times over, it is worth all the pain in the world to live as a Hunter.”

  “I guess I have some serious thinking to do.”

  “Take your time, Julie, it isn’t as if the world ends tomorrow,” Louisa said with a smile.

  “How long did you wait?”

  Laughing Louisa said, “One day. When I accepted who he was, then we made our first exchange, then I decided to go the whole way over the next four days.”

  “Oh. I have to admit I’m frightened about the blood part.”

  “Did it scare you when you made the first exchange?”

  Julie blushed, “To be honest I can’t really remember doing it. We were…um…we were doing other things at the time.”

  Louisa burst out laughing, “That’s when the exchanges almost always take place. Your mind is on other sensations. It is so erotic when you are converted and you drink from each other, believe me, there is nothing like it.”

  Julie grimaced. “Will I have to bite people?”

  Louisa shook her head. “Most times Tomas will feed you. Still, you must learn how to feed from someone, it is important to know how. There are times when you may need to, like when Tomas was hurt. You could have fed and then given him blood and helped with the repairs to his body.”

  “Okay, I think I understand that, but most of the time it would be just Tomas and me?”

  “Yes.” Louisa grinned. “During mad crazy lovemaking.”

  “The lovemaking I like, the biting, well I guess I’ll reserve judgment on that.”

  The girls talked into the small hours until Louisa could see Julie struggling to stay awake.

  “Go to bed, Julie. Your body will take a while to adjust to night hours we keep. Of course once you convert, oops, sorry—if you convert, it will become part of the natural rhythm. Michael and I’ll return in the afternoon, with your permission.”

  “Of course. You’ll eat here again, won’t you?”

  “Thank you. It would be nice.”

  “Besides meat, is there anything you or Michael don’t eat?”

  “No, we both enjoy anything really. But I have to warn you, Michael has a sweet tooth so if you have any cakes or biscuits in the house don’t let him know.”

  Julie laughed and said she would remember to hide them. She kissed Louisa goodnight and went into her bedroom. Milly realised she was gone, gave Louisa a quick lick, then went in to sleep with her mistress.

  Chapter Eleven

  About two hours before sunrise, they smelt the stench of strigoi. Transforming into small mice, they scurried closer to the entrance and hid. This strigoi was so assured no one was nearby, he landed and walked confidently into his lair.

  The two Hunters quickly took form and attacked. There was no chance an inattentive strigoi could prevail against two seasoned Hunters. Within a matter of moments it was lying on the floor of the cave, its heart pierced by knives. Tomas dragged it outside and looked at it carefully before calling down the lightning to incinerate it.

  “This was not the one that attacked me, Michael, this makes no sense. Four we’ve killed and there is still, at the very least, one more, the one who attacked me.”

  “You’re right, Tomas, this makes no sense. There has to be a master controlling them. That would be the only reason for finding so many in the one area, otherwise they would have torn each other apart and saved us the trouble.” Michael looked concerned. Something was not right. “Still, even a master tends to only keep two or three apprentices.”

  “Michael, remember Julie said there were two strigoi and we dismissed it. I wonder now if she was right.”

  “I’ve never heard of two hunting together.”

  “Neither have I.”

  The two Hunters looked carefully, ensuring there were no survivors in the cave.

  “Let’s head back. Tomorrow night we will do some more tracking. I’ll get Louisa to check the police databases again. Maybe we can see a pattern in the area of where the bodies have been found. Sadly not all of them will be found.”

  Tomas agreed.

  “Let’s get these remains closer to the city, there are people who will be living half-lives wondering what happened to them. At least this will give them some measure of closure.”

  They took a body each and flew to the city. Carefully avoiding being seen, they left the bodies in the same park Tomas had fed in. Both were saddened at the loss, but their hearts steeled to finding the remaining strigoi.

  Michael said goodbye to Tomas, he and Louisa would meet him at Julie’s late in the afternoon. Michael sent a message to Louisa letting her know it was safe to return. Tomas was glad to be going where he now considered home. He made a brief stop on the way to feed from an early morning jogger before he arrived at Julie’s after warning Milly not to bark.

  He walked into the bedroom and stood, watching Julie sleep. She looked so beautiful, he felt his cock harden just seeing her. He stripped off and slid into bed beside her, delighting when she murmured his name in her sleep and cuddled up against him.

  He lay drinking in the sight of her for about an hour. The sun had just risen. He could no longer ignore her body. He gently removed the blanket covering her, then, sliding his hand between her thighs, he began to kiss her neck and her ear, sucking on the lobe. He felt her begin to wake as he rubbed his fingers across the thatch of hair between her legs and then began to slide it in and out of her wet slit.

  She opened her eyes, and he smiled at her.

  “Good morning, iubită.”

  “Hi, toyboy.”

  Tomas laughed out loud, “I love you, iubită, even though you are so much younger than me.”

  Julie chortled into his chest. “I’ll have to think of a suitable name for you, Mr. Wolf.”

  Tomas grabbed her with both hands and rolled her on top of him. She squealed in delight as he began to nuzzle her neck and shoulders. He stopped long enough to pull her nightie over her head before continuing his way down to her breasts. Julie had her hands on his shoulders and he grabbed them and moved them to the sides, making Julie fall forward onto him.

  His mouth found the corner of hers and began to suck and nibble. He drew her bottom lip into his mouth then released it to kiss her. He sucked her tongue, his mouth roughly taking possession of her. Julie whimpered as his hands ran all over her body. He could feel his erection pressing between them. He gripped her arse cheeks and lifted her lightly, his cock springing to attention.

  He lowered her slowly onto his hardened shaft. Julie closed her eyes as he rejoiced in feeling her tight channel grab him.

  “Iubită, merge with me.” He groaned. “Enter my mind.”

  He felt her push into his thoughts. He could now feel what she felt. She would be feeling how wonderful it felt to have her hot channel wrapped around his firm length.

  He began to thrust his hips. She matched his strokes, riding him. He watched as her breasts moved and swayed, it was so erotic. He felt and heard her gasp as she read his thoughts. Tomas didn’t want to come yet but her beautiful body, the feel of her pussy, the way his cock felt inside her, was making it hard to hold back.

  He increased his speed, dropping a hand to finger her clit. He wanted to taste her, drink from her. His feelings overrode Julie’s fear and she leant forward and kissed his mouth, then his arm. He used a nail to slice across it and watched as Julie began to lap and suck at the cut.

  He
moved upward and sucked on her soft breast. His fangs elongated and he sank them around her pebbled nipple, drinking. It was unbelievable, her mouth sucking his blood while he drank hers. He knew they were both so close to orgasm. He licked her breast to close the wound and looked at her.

  As he watched, she threw back her head, her mouth open, gasping, moaning. Tomas felt her muscles grab his cock tight. In her mind, he felt her tense, hold her breath, and then spasm on his shaft as she came. It was his undoing. With jerking hips he pushed as hard as he could into her and came, letting her muscles milk his cock.

  She fell forward to his chest. Tomas wrapped his arms around her and roll onto his side, his shaft still held inside Julie. He kissed her eyes, her nose, her mouth.

  “My iubită, dragostea mea. I love you. I adore you. You make me complete.”

  He punctuated each sentence with a kiss on her face. Her hand rubbed his face, tracing his lips. He caught a finger in his mouth, gently biting and sucking it. She looked at him with such love, it took his breath away.

  “Is this the normal way a Hunter wakes his partner?”

  He grinned at her and gave her another sweet kiss, this time on her lips, “I have no idea but I’m sure I can arrange to do that just for you.”

  They lay contently wrapped in each other’s arms until Tomas reluctantly sat up.

  “I must soon sleep. The sun has been up for a while and I can feel my lethargy. Will you lie with me for a while until I sleep?”

  Julie nodded. “I’m tired still. I’m not used to being awake half the night, so I’ll sleep with you a while longer.”

  She pulled the covers back over them both, Tomas wrapped her in his arms, and they settled down to sleep.

  * * * *

  Once again, it was close to ten thirty when Julie woke. These late nights and early mornings were taking a toll on her. She let the chickens out, fed and watered them, then went inside to make something for herself and Milly.

  The others were coming tonight, so she needed to make something for everyone to eat. She thought a Moroccan vegetable casserole would work. It could sit in the oven in her large tajine until they were ready to eat and she could quickly make an orange-flavoured couscous to have with it.

  Julie got the tajine organised and put it into the fridge. She would put it in the oven later in the afternoon. Feeling in a cooking mood, she made an apple pie and some vanilla custard for them to eat as dessert.

  Her afternoon was spent working. She finalised a website and did a preliminary one for a new client. Once all that was finished, it was getting close to time when Tomas would wake and the others arrive, so she put the tajine in the oven and then sat for a while to read.

  About four thirty Tomas wandered out. He stood behind the couch and leant forward to give her a kiss.

  He sounded unhappy. “Michael and Louisa will be here in about fifteen minutes.”

  Julie looked up at him, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

  “I was hoping to wake earlier so I could make love to you, but now it’s too late.”

  Julie laughed at him and pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

  “You’ll have to make it up to me in the morning.”

  His face brightened up at her words.

  “You don’t mind that I’m staying here, iubită?”

  “To be honest, Tomas, I don’t think I could bear it if you weren’t here.”

  Milly started barking and Tomas ran his hands down himself to dress, as the others materialised.

  “Hello.”

  They both kissed Julie and greeted Tomas. Milly ran around them both until they acknowledged her. Tomas sat alongside Julie, pulling her onto his lap as Louisa and Michael sat.

  “Louisa checked the databases, there have been more reports of missing people and a few bodies found.” He looked sadly at Tomas. “The ones we put in the park.”

  Julie cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “There must be people whose deaths are misreported.”

  “What do you mean, iubită?”

  “Well since I found out about vampires I have realised something. My mother was killed seventeen years ago. I wasn’t here at the time. I was renting in the city. The house was found open by the local postman, who was delivering a parcel from me. The police told me they thought she had been attacked by robbers, her body taken and dumped.”

  Tomas’s arms felt comforting as she struggled to repeat what had happened.

  “But nothing was disturbed in the house. I told the police but they still insisted it was thieves.”

  Unheeded, her tears began to fall.

  “Her body was found a few weeks later, by some bushwalkers. The police told me that she had been killed by an animal, they told me her body was badly damaged. They came to the conclusion that she must have gone for a walk in the mountains and was attacked.”

  Louisa looked at her with compassion.

  “I think it was a vampire.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, she was psychic and she told me that she heard voices calling her. I never believed her, thought she was crazy. The sad part is I would hear voices too, although I always believed I was dreaming and never connected them with Mum’s voices. I was the stronger psychic of the two, I guess that is why I resisted their call when I was half asleep.”

  The Hunters looked at each other.

  “You know, that makes sense. I’d say you are right, Julie.” Michael looked at Louisa.

  “I think you should check for deaths attributed to wild animals also. I have a feeling the number will go higher.”

  Julie got up and went into the kitchen to finish dinner. Tomas followed her, hugging her to him and kissing her.

  “I’m so sorry, iubită, to lose your mother must be hard enough, but to know she was taken by a strigoi is heart-wrenching.”

  Julie leant against him for a while, the comfort of his arms helping to ease the pain she felt when she thought of her mother, of the agony she must have endured before finally gaining release through death.

  “That could have happened to me if you haven’t found me.”

  “Don’t remind me! Each time I remember that night I feel sick.”

  Tomas kissed her again. She leant her head against his chest until she felt better. Tomas locked up the chickens for her then helped serve up the meal and carry it into the dining room. It was a quiet and subdued meal until Julie brought in the hot apple pie. She had warmed the custard. As she carried it in, Michael jumped up to grab her around the waist.

  “Julie! I love you. Is this home-made custard and pie?”

  She laughed and said yes. He gave her a kiss and went to take the dishes from her until Louisa told Julie not to give them to him until everyone had a piece.

  “He will eat it all, Julie,” she warned.

  True to Louisa’s words, once everyone had a large serving, Michael went back for seconds, devouring the remaining pie in a few minutes.

  “That was delicious, Louisa. I don’t suppose you could make another for tomorrow night?”

  Everyone burst out laughing, they were full from all they had eaten, yet Michael was already planning what he would eat tomorrow.

  Once the meal was finished, the two men said goodbye and left. Louisa and Julie cleaned up and then settled in the living room.

  They filled in the hours talking about their family life. Louisa told Julie what it was like to live through the centuries, seeing all the improvements and wonders. Julie thought it was the most amazing thing listening to Louisa talk of things she had only read about in history books.

  It made her realise that Tomas would be able to tell her amazing things also. Then she thought about Michael and the wonder he must have seen and lived through. The changing world would be even more outstanding to him.

  By eleven, Julie could not keep her eyes open any longer, so she kissed Louisa goodnight and went to bed.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tomas and Michael landed in the middle of the first search are
a. They would fly in ever-increasing circles from the centre, searching out traces of the strigoi. No matter how careful they were, strigoi always left some tiny trace of themselves, especially around their lair.

  Tomas was sure it would be a long night. He was still worried about Julie but he knew he had to concentrate on the search. Sure enough, it turned into a long, tedious night with no results until two hours before sunrise.

  Tomas heard screams.

  He “spoke” to Michael, who flew to join him. They both landed quietly in a tree top, listening.

  Another scream pierced the deep silence of the early morning.

  They flew toward the location. There was a dark cave ahead, the vile stench almost overpowering. Michael and Tomas landed nearby.

  “Want to do the mouse trick again?” Michael asked.

  Tomas agreed and they both transformed from owls into mice and scurried into the cave.

  The strigoi was preoccupied and didn’t notice their arrival. It had a young woman in its clutches, her clothing torn and bloodied, the talons of one hand embedded deep in her waist. She was bleeding from several places where it had fed from her and the vampire was now tormenting her. She was writhing in agony and screaming.

  The strigoi was laughing and using the nails of the other hand to cut across her breast. He didn’t notice when the two transformed behind him. The woman screamed even louder as she saw them suddenly appear and fainted. Michael drove his knife through the strigoi’s back. And as it turned toward him in surprise, Tomas plunged his knife into its chest.

  It fell, releasing the woman, and Tomas caught her before she hit the ground. Michael spoke to Tomas, nudging the strigoi with his boot.

  “Recognise this one?”

  “Yes, that is the one that escaped from me. Thank goodness we found it.”

  Michael nodded and dragged it outside. Tomas saw the flash of lightning as it was incinerated. Tomas examined the woman, she had lost blood and had some deep puncture wounds, but most of her injuries were slashes.

  Michael re-entered the cave. He and Tomas quickly repaired the woman’s injuries.