by Suzy Shearer
Stuart Day finally got plans drawn up and had organised the building of all the renovations. The foundations had been poured and once all the visitors had left, the building would continue in full swing. Julie had cleared out her office cum library so Charlotte and Matei could sleep. They were staying at her home along with Michael and Louisa, it was crowded but it was fun.
Julie had been delighted to meet Charlotte and Matei, who had arrived back from Europe. She had heard so much about the pair, she felt she knew them.
When she met Matei, she was surprised at the grey hair that streaked his temples and the length of his hair, remembering that Tomas had told her their hair reverted back to their natural colour. Charlotte caught her surprised look and told her it was his souvenir from calling down the Destruction Ritual.
With help from Tomas, Michael, and Matei, Viorel had set up an enormous marquee in Julie’s backyard. Avril’s mother was pleased it was being held nearby, her yard was too small to cater for the many guests and she knew Avril had wanted to hold the wedding outdoors. If she was surprised at the age of most of the guests, she never mentioned it.
At five o’clock, a radiant Avril walked down a petal-strewn pathway to stand beside Viorel. Julie stood beside her as her bridesmaid and one of Viorel’s brothers was best man. Tomas only had eyes for Julie but had to admit that Avril looked beautiful when Louisa ribbed him about not even noticing the bride.
Presided over by a member of the council, Avril and Viorel exchanged their vows to each other in front of all their friends and relations. There followed a very relaxed meal, catered for by one of Windsor’s finest caterers.
Julie, Louisa, and Charlotte all giggled about having so many delicious-looking men in the one place. One of Avril’s younger female cousins kept staring open-mouthed whenever one walked past her and was so stunned when one asked her to dance that she tripped over in her haste to stand beside him.
Julie noticed one Hunter who kept to himself. He carried himself with such authority that Julie thought he looked royal. Yet about him was an aura of profound sadness and loneliness.
“Who’s that, Louisa?” she asked, pointing him out to the two other women. He had his back to them.
“Mmm, not sure, I think it’s Anthan. Hang on, I’ll ask Michael.”
Michael came over to the three women, with Tomas and Matei in tow.
“Yes that’s Anthan—Anthanasius Vaduva—he is one of the original twenty, our king.”
Julie was stunned, in fact she felt a little light-headed. This was a man who was almost four and half thousand years old. No wonder he looked so regal!
Matei sat, pulling Charlotte onto his lap. “I have no idea how he copes. He has never met his One.”
“I couldn’t imagine how that must feel, being alone for so many millennia.” Louisa’s eyes filled with tears. “To spend so long alone.”
As they watched, Viorel and another Hunter went to him. Matei spoke.
“That is Viorel’s father, Silvius. He and Anthan are distantly related, I think. They are best friends. Silvius was Anthan’s second-in-command before they were converted.”
Julie looked around. “Is Viorel’s mother here?”
Matei pointed out a tiny but very beautiful woman, “Over there. Her name is Lenut̗a. She is actually directly related to Tomas and me.”
“And to me,” Michael said, grinning. “Matei and Tomas are related to me somewhere along the line. Most of the original twenty were related so now most Hunters can trace back and we generally are related to each other.”
The woman noticed their attention and excused herself to come over. She kissed Matei, Tomas, and Michael on both cheeks. “How are my favourite nephews?”
Matei introduced her to Charlotte and Julie. She sat with them, taking Tomas and Michael by the hand.
“Thank you so much for looking after Avril. I shuddered when I think that without you she would have died.” A stray tear ran down her face as she continued. “Viorel has been alone for so long. I…I can’t thank you both enough.”
Embarrassed, both men stumbled over their thanks.
“The Gods must have been with you that night.”
They were saved of further embarrassment by the arrival of Viorel’s father and Anthan. Lenut̗a introduced them to her husband and their friend. Julie felt insignificant against these giants of the Hunter world until Silvius kissed her cheeks and joked.
“My son tells me you make delicious biscuits. You need to teach my wife, she refuses to make them for me anymore. Tells me I eat them too quickly.”
Anthan roared with laughter. “I’ve seen you eat, I’d have to agree with Lenut̗a.”
The laughter relaxed Julie and she realised, although these people were thousands of years old they were still normal people who lived, loved, and laughed just like everyone else. They just happened to be immortal. Anthan kissed her cheeks in greeting, his hand on her shoulder. When he touched her, she sensed great sorrow about him.
There was a darkness, a hole. It was as if his life was no longer important to him. She choked back a tear and tried to remain upbeat as she listened to the conversations around her.
Later Julie danced with Michael and Silvius until Tomas demanded they find their own partners. She laughed when Matei whirled her away while Tomas was trying to find a partner for Silvius.
The hours passed as old friends caught up with each other and new friendships were made until the crowing of Julie’s new rooster heralded the rising sun and the start of a new day.
Gradually everyone departed until only Tomas, Julie, Michael, Louisa, Matei, and Charlotte were left. Yawning, they retired to their beds to sleep away the daylight.
That evening, after a laughter-filled meal, Matei and Charlotte returned to their home, along with Michael and Louisa, who were scheduled to return to Europe in a week now that Matei was back.
Their friends had left and Julie felt sad that she wouldn’t see them again for a while. She wondered when they would all meet again, especially Louisa and Michael. They had fast become like family. Tomas reassured her that they could visit them anytime she wished and now she had converted, she would always be able to talk to them.
Julie and Tomas had located the missing hidden lair of the strigoi and destroyed it. They had monitored the police databases and there had been no reported deaths that could be assigned to strigoi.
Julie had designed a website that she thought would lure local psychic mortals. She was hoping they would be intrigued enough by the wording on the site to join the mailing list she had included. Once she and Tomas had an address, they intended to seek them out and test if they were genuine psychics, then contact them if they were.
Julie was optimistic that they would find a few genuine ones, and surely at least one would be destined to be a Hunter’s mate. After all, Windsor was a very large area. They both hoped the system worked, and Viorel had said if it did they would extend it world-wide.
A few days after their guests had left, Julie had gone outside to lock the chickens away for the night in their new coop. Tomas wandered out to join her on the back verandah as she watched Milly chasing after a butterfly.
His arms around her waist, Tomas heard her sigh. Thinking she was missing their friends, he tried to reassure her.
“Iubită, don’t be sad, we can always visit any of our friends. The extensions will be finished in less than three months and they won’t be as crowded when they visit here, so we can ask them to call in any time.”
Julie leant against him. She had been thinking of something for the past few weeks but wondered how to approach it with Tomas. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him.
“Actually, it may still be crowded. We need to talk to Stuart about the building.”
“Why? Don’t you like what we’ve planned? Stuart won’t like changing things now it had started.”
“I think he won’t mind.”
Tomas looked at her oddly as she continued. She seemed in a strange moo
d.
“Would you like to be a father?”
“Of course, iubită, when the time comes it would make me the happiest man, but truthfully it’s for you to decide. The choice will always be yours.”
“I spoke with Louisa a few weeks ago.” She turned in his arms to look at him. “I was feeling a little weird when I converted, so I talked to her.”
Tomas looked down at her in puzzlement.
“Apparently I was ‘in season’. I thought it would be the same as when I was mortal but it isn’t, there is no comparison. Anyway, um…oh hell! You are going to be a father in less than eight months’ time.”
Tomas pushed her away from himself and looked stunned. Suddenly he grabbed her, lifting her off the ground. He was spinning her around and around until she screamed that she was getting dizzy.
She was stunned to see him crying as he set her back on the ground. “Iubită, my dragostea mea.” His voice was husky with emotion as he quickly lifted her into his arms and carried her inside, depositing her on the couch as if she were some piece of fragile porcelain.
He knelt in front of her.
“I…oh, iubită, I love you so much. I can’t believe this.”
“Neither can I. Louisa told me that sometimes when a woman converts she come into season immediately. I had no idea. With all that was happening she forgot to tell me the signs to look for.”
Tomas kissed her tenderly. “This is almost as wonderful as when I found you!”
He looked at her with such love transparent on his face. “If I could choose to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing, with you my life is perfect.”
“I’m frightened, Tomas, how can we raise a child? What will happen through the daylight hours?”
“Have no fears, iubită. There are people who will help us. We can either move to Romania or we can stay here.”
“I don’t want to move!” Julie interrupted Tomas. “But how can we stay?”
“Easy.”
He then explained about “aunties” and “uncles.” How they took over the raising of Hunter children in the daylight hours and became part of the family.
“I can send word to Viorel. Then he and Avril can select a couple to come and live with us. They’re usually a couple in their twenties or thirties, married, and either have children or intending to. They would live here as our extended family.”
“So they know about us?”
“Of course. Their families have been doing this for a great many generations. They choose to help Hunters and we are eternally grateful.”
“Wow, that’s a relief. I’ve been so worried. I was worried about telling you and then scared at how on earth we could raise a child.”
Tomas pulled her closer.
“Iubită, never worry. We are a team in all things. This is the most wonderful thing to have happen.” He grinned at her. “We’ll get Stuart to add a whole wing to the building. That way the couple that comes will have their own ‘house’ attached to this one.”
Ruefully, Julie replied, “Poor Stuart, he thought we’d finished making changes.”
“As you said, he won’t mind. It’ll all work out well. Once Viorel has selected a couple and they make the journey here, the build would be completed. As long as they are here for your last trimester.”
Tomas knelt down in front of Julie and put his hands on her stomach. He leant forward and kissed her tummy, then whispered.
“Welcome to your new home, little one. We can’t wait to hold you but until then know how much we love you.”
Julie gasped and looked at Tomas in wonder.
“I swear I heard a tiny voice!”
“You would, iubită, you’ll be able to talk to our baby and reassure it all the way through. You’ll know if it is a girl or a boy. When we merge I can talk to our baby, too, we can show how much we love it.”
Julie closed her eyes and went still. When she opened them, she shook her head in amazement. Tears fell down her cheeks.
“She is happy but tired! Tomas, it’s a girl! We are having a little girl!”
Julie put her hands over her daughter. She sent warm thoughts to her, wrapping her in comfort and love. She was overwhelmed that she could touch her daughter’s thoughts when she was so tiny.
Tomas joined Julie in crying. He found it difficult to speak for a few minutes.
“If she is half the woman her mother is then she’ll be wonderful, amazing, perfect!” His voice broke. “Iubită!”
At last everything she had worried over was now gone. The future for the three of them was stretched in front. It would be filled with love and laughter. It had been her choice to become a Hunter and she would never regret it.
Now the only choice left for her and Tomas was naming their beautiful daughter.
Epilogue
Almost two thousand kilometres north-west from Julie’s house was an old abandoned mine. It was about sixty-five kilometres from the nearest town, isolated and never visited—until now.
Curled up and screaming in pain, a strigoaică gave birth to her offspring. As she lay with him in her arms, she swore she would take her revenge on the Hunters that had forced her from her abundant feeding ground.
She didn’t care that they had killed her suitors. It saved her from doing it. What she was furious about was having to leave an area where she had plenty of food and a choice of clean, dry lairs. She had stayed there for almost twenty years and now she was forced to start again!
They would pay!
Once her child was old enough to fend for itself, she would return.
Each miserable Hunter who had forced her to flee would be found. She would search the world for them. Each one would be destroyed along with their puny mates!
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Suzy is single and lives in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. She is an author, an artist, a computer nerd, and a voracious reader. She has a penchant for crazy-coloured hair—pinks, purples even rainbowed…it changes every month—oh yes, and for tattoos!
Her books always feature older heroes and heroines, ranging from forties to sixties.
“Just because we are older doesn’t mean we aren’t intriguing, desirable, open to challenges, and willing to experiment.” Suzy wants her readers to understand that sexy isn’t just for the under thirties…lol.
When not writing, she is usually painting—an accomplished watercolour artist. Her subjects range from portraits and animals to nudes and landscapes.
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