A Hunter's Heart [The Hunters 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Suzy Shearer

  “Many Hunters do the same thing. Mother Earth gave us life and in return we serve her however we can. So to own large areas of land we protect her. We create natural reserves that are safe for the plants and animals.”

  Charlotte was overwhelmed. Just how rich is this guy? she thought to herself, forgetting for a moment he could hear everything she thought.

  “Do not forget, Cara, that I have been alive for thousands of years, plenty of time to amass a very large fortune. I pour much money into helping the Earth but I still have plenty to satisfy your every desire and there would be still a great many millions left.” He laughed down at her and then smiled. “You will never want for anything. At̗i capturat inima mea.”

  She cocked her head at him and he translated.

  “You have captured my heart.”

  She looked up into the face that was becoming so precious to her, and her heart plummeted at how gorgeous he was. She could read his face without even attempting to read his thoughts—the love he felt for her was there for all to see.

  With a sudden jolt, she realised that she had been ignoring the fact he looked thirty and instead was seeing the man inside. She was afraid to admit to herself that she was very close to being head over heels for him. She guessed this was what he meant when he told her falling in love would happen quickly. She snuggled into his chest, afraid her face would betray her but knowing he could easily read her thoughts.

  “Tonight I must go out.”

  “I thought you fed last night?”

  “I did but I must see if I can find the vampire’s old lair and destroy it. I have contacted my friend and he will inform the Council. I am sure they will send a Hunter to come here to help me track him down. I am hoping it will be my friend and his partner.”

  Charlotte shivered, remembering the vampire’s fetid breath and the claws ripping her flesh. She could imagine another person being drained by the horror.

  “It is all right, Iubită, you are safe. We will find the beast and destroy him.”

  “What about you? I want you safe!”

  Charlotte was surprised at the emotion in her voice but she could not lose this man.

  “Dragostea, I will not be harmed, I have been a Hunter for many years. I am one of the oldest and the most experienced. Danŭt Vasilecu will not find me easy to kill.”

  “A name? It has a name!”

  Charlotte sat up horrified. It seemed to personalise the vampire by knowing it had a name.

  “Cara, they all have names,” he soothed her.

  “Well, just make sure you come back to me in one piece or you will see one angry woman!”

  Just then, her stomach rumbled and Matei laughed and held her tight. “Come let us find some food for you to eat then I will go out.”

  Charlotte and Matei made their way to the kitchen, Harley had heard the word food and was waiting beside the fridge. Matei rubbed the dog’s head as he passed.

  “Do you eat? I mean I remember you said you ate food like us but do you do it all the time or is it only so people don’t realise you are different?”

  “Yes, we eat. For us it is essential, like you. I can go without food for a short period but we need it as much as we need blood. It has been a great many years since I enjoyed eating. We tend to lose our appetites after a few hundred years but I find myself hungry for food again. It must be your influence on me, I feel more alive than I have for the last two thousand years.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think I will ever get used to hearing you talk about thousands of years so casually.” She stuck her head in the fridge. “Do you like tofu? I can make a stir fry with some rice and vegetables?”

  “I will eat whatever you put before me”—he grimaced—“as long as it is not flesh.”

  Laughing, she replied, “Don’t worry, I am a vegetarian so no meat here except for Harley food.”

  He watched her as she fed the dog then seemed to waltz around the kitchen as she chopped vegetables, cooked rice and created their meal. He thought he would never tire of seeing her, watching her move. She delighted him with every moment that passed. They sat in comfortable silence and ate together. Matei was amazed at how the food tasted, he could not remember it being this way. It could only be the influence of the One on his system.

  He ate with such enjoyment that Charlotte started to giggle.

  “Why do you laugh?”

  “You. It’s just a few veggies, tofu and some peanut sauce but you’re eating like it is the most amazing food on the planet.”

  “I cannot believe the taste of this food.”

  Aloud he said, “I am trying to remember the last time I ate and enjoyed food.”

  “Oh my! I don’t think I want to know.” She grinned up at him. “At least you are enjoying it now.”

  “Enjoying it! It is wonderful!”

  Charlotte gathered the empty plates and was surprised when Matei announced that he would cook them a meal.

  “You cook?”

  “Of course. Even though I have not enjoyed eating for a long time, I do know how to cook and have often done so, in fact I like cooking. Remember, even if I no longer enjoyed food, I still needed to eat. We will shop for the things I need tomorrow night when we drive home from your family, unless it is late.”

  “Mmm, I can hardly wait.” But she didn’t sound as confident as her words.

  He laughed. “Just wait and see.”

  Standing beside her, Matei gathered her in his arms.

  “I will not be away for that long, perhaps two or three hours. Do not wait up for me if you are tired. I’ll join you in bed when I return.”

  With that, he kissed her tenderly then in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

  “I doubt I will ever get used to that.” She growled in surprise.

  “Imagine when we can do it together, you will enjoy the sensations.”

  “I think I will just ignore that comment.”

  She felt Matei laughing in her mind then felt him run his hand along her face. She cleaned the dishes and tidied the kitchen then went into her studio to look at the sketches she had done earlier of Matei.

  “That is me!”

  “Oh great, not only do you invade my mind but now you look through my eyes. What else do you do?”

  Expecting a reply Charlotte was stunned when she felt a mouth on her breast and a hand running between her legs.

  “Stop that!”

  He answered slyly, “Ah, Cara, I could never stop enjoying your body. When did you draw these pictures?”

  “While you slept, they are just sketches.”

  “Is that what I look like to you?”

  “Yes, why, don’t you think they look like you?”

  “Yes, they do, but they also do not. You have made me very handsome,” he said cheekily.

  Charlotte laughed. “Arrogant man, you are handsome and you know it. Stop fishing for compliments.”

  Unrepentant, Matei planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Mmm, I could get used to this distance kissing and talking.” She giggled as what felt like a sloppy wet kiss was planted on her lips.

  “Behave.” She laughed as he blew into her ear.

  “I am almost there. I will not speak with you until I am returning home. Take care, Iubită.” With that she felt his arms hug her, a kiss on her lips and then he was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  Matei materialised where he had found Charlotte the night before. Grief and anger overtook him as he remembered the sight of Danŭt Vasilecu’s claws gripped into her ankle, the blood spilling from her. He had felt so powerless, so very afraid for her.

  Fists clenched, filled with rage, he lifted his head and screamed loudly to the heavens. Clouds roiled across the sky, thunder roared and lightning jagged from cloud to cloud as he released his anger. There would be no doubt in Danŭt Vasilecu’s mind if he were anywhere nearby, Matei had thrown down more than a challenge with his anger. Locals would be hesitant to go outside, to them it would seem like a
strange violent storm had appeared from nowhere.

  Drawing in his breath and trying to calm his anger, Matei attempted to concentrate on searching for any trails. As he suspected there was nothing in the immediate area except the odour of Charlotte’s dried blood. That was enough to make him feel his anger rising again and he sat to center himself. He needed to remain emotionless if he was to be successful in his hunt. When he felt more in control, he destroyed all trace of Charlotte’s blood on the ground. He did not want anything to remain for the Vasilecu or any other vampire to find.

  Once done, he took to the air again. It would make sense that Vasilecu would have entered around the scene of the accident. Charlotte has seen him walking toward her car and the scent of blood in the air would have been a magnet to him.

  Once he reached the spot where debris still littered, he landed and began to sweep the area. Suddenly to the left, along the roadside, he caught the familiar stench of a vampire. Walking through the area, he pinpointed where Vasilecu had landed near the accident site. Now he called on all his abilities to find the traces left on the treetops as the vampire had flown over them. Transforming into an owl, he circled the trees until he picked up the first sign. Following, he was able to trace backward and like a dog following the scent, he backtracked trying to find where Vasilecu had first taken to the air.

  It took a good hour but he was finally able to locate the deserted lair. He had not expected to find the vampire there, he would have fled to another location knowing that there was a Hunter in the area.

  Sadly, there were the remains of two mortals. Matei felt grief threatening to overwhelm him. Some strigoi drained and left their prey where they found them, others preferred to feed in private. But every strigoi who found a psychic mortal eventually brought them back to their lair to torture. These people had died senselessly, suffering much pain and agony before they had finally escaped into death. He would ensure their bodies were found, and their families would finally be able to mourn them. All that remained was to make the lair inhabitable to strigoi.

  Matei flew to a local church nearby and collected a container full of holy water. He returned and poured it across the entrance to the lair. No vampire would ever be able to cross and gain entry. Gently he picked up the two bodies and flew with them. Reverently he placed them in the church grounds, his heart saddened by their senseless killing by the vampire. That Charlotte had been saved was his only consolation.

  Matei materialised inside the church again. He needed the quiet solitude and peace that was inherent inside. He sat for half an hour, letting the calm of the church quieten his emotions. He wanted to return to Charlotte’s arms but he did not want to take his anger with him. She had enough to get used to with the fact that he was an immortal and wanted to convert her without seeing a Hunter in anger. Finally, he stretched and left the church.

  Hunters worshipped Mother Earth but still found strength and tranquillity in the temples, mosques, churches and holy places of all religions. They spent their lives in the service of Her, ridding the land of the foul strigoi and doing whatever they could to protect the land. They gained peace in the calming influences of these places of worship.

  At least now he felt calm enough to go home to Charlotte.

  He materialised at her bedside. It was much later than he had anticipated, and there were only a couple of hours left until sunrise. She obviously had tried to wait up for him, her tablet dropped onto the bed beside her. He picked it up and placed it on the chest of drawers.

  Harley had stretched out alongside her, resting but alert. When he saw Matei, he slipped from the bed to his side, expecting, and getting a proper greeting and belly rub. He sent warm thoughts to the dog and told him to go back to sleep. Harley trotted over to his bed and curled up, satisfied that his protection duty was now over and mistress was now safe with Matei.

  Removing his clothes, he slid into the bed, pulling her gently into his arms. He lay quietly with her held softly. He did not want her to wake. He enjoyed feeling the way she fit into his arms. Lying there, he felt such quiet and peace. The warmth of her body slid the last knots of tension from him, and he knew he was finally home. He had always thought of home as a place with walls and roofs but now he understood that home was wherever this woman was.

  She murmured sleepily alongside him then pressed her body closer. Unable to stop his reaction to the scent and feel of her body, Matei began to run his hands along the length of her body. He leant to take the pearled nipple of one breast into his mouth, running his tongue across as he began to suck, feeling it stiffen.

  Charlotte moaned in her sleep and rolled onto her back so Matei was able to attend the other breast while he continued to suckle. He rolled the hardened point around his tongue, rasping it with his teeth. He could hear her blood pumping through her heart and suddenly felt his fangs lengthen.

  He paused as he struggled to stop himself from sinking them into her breast, she aroused so many instincts in him. Once he was under control, he continued to lightly stroke her lovely soft bosom with one hand. The other he slid down the length of her body to tangle his fingers in the nest at the apex of her legs, delighting when he felt her getting wet.

  Gently he parted the tender folds and using one finger rubbed against her moist inner lips, Charlotte responded subconsciously by opening her legs for him. He saw her slowly wake and open her eyes to look at him. Her eyes widened and as he stroked the slick inner walls, she arched her back to meet his plunging fingers. When he felt her start to clench, he withdrew and waited a moment before diving back into her wet slit.

  She was moaning in both pleasure and frustration as he kept taking her to the brink then holding her back. He loved watching her face as she gave over to the ecstasy of sensations. Once more, he withdrew his fingers but this time she took charge and flung her leg over his erection.

  He laughed in delight as he felt her slide over his shaft, felt her begin her rhythmic grind onto it. He grabbed both her breasts, squeezing their nipples. This time it was his turn to feel both pleasure and pain as she impaled herself and sank his cock deep into her body.

  Her breath was quickening and her pulse racing as she pounded. So close to achieving her goal, she threw back her head, and he felt the walls of her channel clamp around his cock. He thrust as deep as he could at the same moment she drove down, reaching her climax. She fell forward still with his cock inside, so he rolled her over and began to pump into her. One hand had slid between them so he could rub her hardened clit as he thrust into her.

  He knew Charlotte was lost in the sensations. Little spasms shook her from her orgasm but, merging with her, he could feel another hot on its heels as his hand and his cock worked their magic. This time she knew Matei would join her as his thrusting became more frenetic. Throwing back her head and screaming his name, she clenched her pussy muscles tight onto his hard shaft as he filled her body. She knew he could feel her milking all the seed, his ejaculation finally subsiding as he stopped pounding into her.

  He rolled to the side, his arms wrapped around her, and pulled her with him and together they lay recovering.

  “Inima mea bate alaturi de a ta iubită,” he whispered into her ear, “Ţi-am spus cât de mult Te iubesc.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “My heart beats next to yours, beloved. Have I told you how much I love you?” Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Do not cry, Iubită, I can only tell you how I feel honestly. You are my world.”

  He overwhelmed her. Clearly he heard her think. How could this man love her as passionately as he did? He kissed each eye softly. “How could I not love you.”

  She grinned and said she felt her heart turn over as butterflies filled her stomach. He would lay down his life for her if needed, he would always think of her first and he truly loved her. After just a few days, he knew he had turned her life upside-down and she realised that not only had he wormed his way into her heart, she loved him deeply.

 
; She gasped as she realised the depth of her feelings. Never before had she felt like this. It felt so right, so perfect. Sitting up stunned, she leant forward and placed a hand either side of his handsome face.

  “I love you.”

  She sounded surprised but smiled before her joy bubbled up and she began to laugh.

  She shouted, “I love you!”

  Matei grabbed both her hands and kissed each one. He was stunned that this woman had fallen so quickly in love with him. Once he had found her, his love was immediate. She was the One made just for him, but he never expected that she would return his love like this, although others who had met their One had told him this was exactly how it happened. Neither could escape their destiny to love the other.

  “Iubită.” His voice was thick with emotion and he could say no more. Enveloping her in his arms, he thanked Mother Earth for sending her to him.

  “Te căsătoreşti cu mine, marry me. Marry me in the way of your people.” He croaked. She looked into his face and saw his raw emotions. He looked like a little boy afraid she would say no.

  Nodding her head, she kissed him passionately before saying, “Yes.” She kissed him again. “Yes.” And then she kissed him more time, but this time the kiss never seemed to end. Their bodies entwined, their kiss deepened until both were pouring all their emotion and love into that one kiss.

  Slowly they came back to their senses and she laid her head on his chest, idling, playing with the hair that ran across it and tracing the tattooed patterns. He rubbed the back of his hand across her cheek. There was no need for words between either aloud or in their minds. They both knew instinctively the depth of love the other felt.

  She tweaked one nipple and when he twitched, she leant forward to lick it then sucked it into her mouth. He drew his breath. The feeling of her mouth on his nipple was so erotic, and he felt himself harden in response. Using that as encouragement, she wrapped one hand around his cock without stopping the attention she was paying to his nipple. Slowly with every increasing length, she drew her hand up and down its length.