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

by Suzy Shearer

  They followed Stuart down the hall with both the children giggling in Matei’s arms.

  “Hello, sweetheart, this is Matei. Matei, this is Katie.”

  Katie’s eyes were wide with interest. Stuart exchanged a look with her. Not only were their son and daughter completely comfortable with Matei immediately, he looked as if he belonged, not at all fussing at having two toddlers hanging off his arms and demanding attention.

  “Are you a girl or a boy?” Nerida, the eldest, demanded. Embarrassed, her mother and father both yelled “Nerida!” at the same time but Matei only laughed.

  “I am a boy.” He smiled at them.

  “Well, you have long hair and I have long hair too. My daddy has short hair.”

  “You have very beautiful hair.”

  “Oliver is a baby, he doesn’t have long hair. He’s a boy. I like your hair.” She leaned into his head and whispered into his ear, “It’s black.”

  Katie spoke up. “Black is her favorite colour at the moment, sorry, Matei. Please sit down. I’ll just go and check on dinner.”

  Matei sank into the couch with one child perched on each knee. Oliver was quite content to sit quietly but Nerida wanted to talk non-stop.

  “My best friend at school has black hair but she doesn’t have nice black hair. It’s wiggly.”

  Matei was very serious as he replied, “I see, that could be a problem.”

  “Enough, Nerida. Let the grownups talk. How about you and Oliver sit on the floor or go and get some toys to play with. I’m sorry about this, normally they are both shy around strangers.”

  Reluctantly both crawled off Matei but Nerida looked at him and in a soft voice whispered, “I’ll be back.”

  Matei winked at her and she dissolved into laughter as if he had tickled her. Stuart shook his head at his daughter and surreptitiously studied Matei.

  He was protective of his mother and wanted to make sure this man was good enough for her. The fact that both his children obviously liked him immediately was certainly impressive. He had been a little taken aback that Matei had such long hair but he obviously was a confident man to handle Nerida’s childish questions so easily. He was trying to think of ways to get Matei to tell them about himself when Matei spoke.

  “Thank you for allowing me into your home. I imagine it is hard to accept your mother dating someone but rest assured, I only want the best for her. She is very important to me.”

  * * * *

  Charlotte could not sit still so she jumped up to go out into the kitchen. “You boys get to know each other, I’m going to see if Katie needs a hand.”

  As she entered the kitchen, Katie threw question after question at her.

  “Where did you meet him? Wow, he is cute. Where does he work? Has he got any children?”

  “Whoa! Hang on a minute. One question at a time.”

  “Sorry, Mum. Why didn’t you tell us about him?”

  “Basically I wasn’t sure how you would all take it. He is younger than me, he is foreign, and you know how Stuart is about me dating.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “Very much, he is a good man, Katie. I like him, well, I like him so much, in fact I love him.”

  Katie’s eyes widened at her admission.

  “The children like him, couldn’t believe how they reacted to him. That has to be a positive.” Katie grinned.

  “How goes the interrogation?”

  “Ha. We are bonding.”

  “Earth to Mum!”

  “Oh, sorry, sweetheart, what did you say?”

  “I asked what he does for a living.”

  “He and a friend own an environment protection consulting company, they have branches all over the world.”

  “So he is financially pretty safe.”

  Charlotte started laughing. “Er…I think you could say that. He once said he could give me everything I could ever want and still have millions left.”

  Jane’s eyes open wide. “You’re joking? Millions? He’s that loaded?”

  Charlotte laughed. “I guess so. You know me, as long as I have enough to pay my bills and buy paint I’m happy, but apart from that, money isn’t important to me.”

  “You don’t have a materialistic bone in your body, Mum, I have no idea how you would handle being rich.” Katie giggled. “Knowing you, you would get excited being able to buy two Kolinsky paintbrushes instead of one.”

  “Enough!” laughed Charlotte.

  “Dinner’s ready so let’s get them all.”

  “Yes, I think I should rescue Matei before Stuart asks him what his intentions are.”

  She and Katie walked back into the family room to find Nerida sitting behind Matei brushing his hair while he and Stuart were into a heated discussion about the pros and cons of a six cylinder car versus a four.

  “Heavens, here I have been worried about what you were talking about and I find you’re both turned into rev heads.”

  “I told you we were bonding,” Matei replied smugly.

  “Nerida, what on earth are you doing?” Katie worried. “Leave Matei alone.”

  “He said I could.”

  “It is true. I don’t mind. She is enjoying herself and it harms none.”

  “Anyway, it is time to eat. Nerida, you can show Matei where to go to wash up.”

  Dinner turned out to be a very relaxed event, the kiddies were both behaving well and Stuart and Matei looked like they were enjoying each other’s company. Charlotte felt herself starting to relax. The conversation was easy and everyone was included.

  Chapter Fourteen

  By the time the meal had been cleared away and both children bathed and in bed, Charlotte looked completely relaxed. She knew she was worried about the evening but had not realised just how tense she was until it was over and the adults had settled in the family room to drink coffee. Charlotte took a relaxing mouthful from her cup.

  “I have asked your mother to marry me, Stuart.”

  Charlotte choked on her coffee. She looked from Matei to Stuart, stunned. Katie jumped up to take her cup as Charlotte had a coughing fit. Katie got her a drink of water then when she had stopped, Matei continued.

  “It would be wonderful to have your consent. I know you do not know me but I love your mother deeply and wish us to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  Matei reached out and took her hand, bringing her fingers to his lips before resting them on his knee.

  “Perhaps you would feel better if I answered any questions you may have,” Matei told Stuart.

  Stuart had the grace to look embarrassed but it seemed he decided that if this man was going to be part of the family he needed to know just who he was. He wanted Matei to know he was looking out for his mother and would not tolerate anyone thinking they could ride roughshod over her.

  His words sounded a little harsh as he said, “I guess the most important thing, aside from loving her, is can you care for her financially? I mean she has a house, she has no debts, I don’t want you thinking you can take it from her.”

  Katie burst out laughing, recalling the conversation she and Charlotte had before dinner. “From what Mum tells me, Stuart, I don’t think there is any fear of that.”

  “I have my own successful business, Stuart. I would never expect anything from your mother but her love. To set your mind at ease let me assure you that my estimated wealth puts me up there with the Bill Gateses of the world.”

  Stunned silence met his announcement. Even Charlotte was speechless. She knew he was wealthy but never considered that he may be a billionaire.

  “Breathe, Cara. I told you I had millennia to amass a fortune or two.”

  Katie gave a nervous giggle. “Gee, Mum, now you can buy four paintbrushes at once.”

  Matei looked puzzled but Charlotte only smiled and repeated the conversation she and Katie had before dinner to Matei in his mind. He gave a soft laugh then continued.

  “I completely understand your concern, Stuart. I respect the fact th
at you care enough for your mother to question me. Believe me when I say, I only ever want the best for your mother, whatever she desires, and if it is in my power, I will give it to her. I want to devote the rest of her life to making her happy. I would love to have your permission to marry your mother, that is all I ask.”

  “I appreciate your honesty.” Matei knew Stuart felt silly but he knew Stuart had his mother’s best interests at heart. “Anyway, Mum is old enough to know what she wants and if she has agreed and is happy then so are we.”

  Matei got to his feet and took one of Stuart’s hands in his and one of Katie’s. He bowed over them and said, “I promise I will put your mother’s life before mine in all things. I thank you for this honour you do me.”

  Charlotte’s eyes threatened to fill with tears and she made the mistake of looking at Katie. Both women started crying as soon as their eyes met.

  He looked at the two women then dropped a bombshell. “It is tradition among my people that we bestow a present onto our partner’s family as a wedding gift. Instead of bestowing just a dowry on your mother’s family, I would like to give your family enough to clear any debts you may have and ensure your future is debt-free. I know your mother would feel happier knowing you have no debt. This would make me happy also.”

  Stuart appeared shocked. He tried a few times to speak and resorted to coughing before finally he was able to say, “I don’t know what to say. I mean, well I just don’t know except to say thank you, although that doesn’t really seem sufficient.”

  He and Katie looked at each amazed at what had just happened. Their building business was just starting to bring in a reasonable revenue but there had been many times when they struggled to pay their mortgage.

  “There is something else I feel we need to tell you both.”

  Matei looked at Charlotte. “Iubită, it will be easier for you if your family knows all.”

  Charlotte felt all her nerves kick in again. This was going to be awful. How would the kids take it? Stuart and Katie looked at each other and then at Charlotte.

  She looked at them both then very seriously said, “Please give us the chance to talk. Do not make any sort of judgment until you hear everything.”

  “What is going on, Mum?”

  Katie looked worried. Stuart looked as if he were about to revoke his permission.

  “We need to tell you more about Matei. Just listen, okay? It’s nothing bad.”

  They both nodded but looked warily at Matei.

  “Where to start?” he muttered.

  Charlotte reached across to take Matei’s hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze and he looked into her eyes, smiled and said, “A history lesson of sorts, I guess.” Charlotte decided to break the tension and stress that was evident.

  “Maybe a little proof to start with? Then the history lesson.”

  “Proof?”

  “Yes, I think they need some proof, Hotshot.” Charlotte laughed. “Show them your fangs.”

  Her children looked at each other in puzzlement then at Matei. He shrugged his shoulders, resigned to proving what he was about to tell them. Very slowly he let his canines slide out to their full three centimetres. It would be very obvious that these were not plastic store-bought toy fangs. These were meant for serious work.

  Katie screamed, then gave an embarrassed titter. She was wide eyed, not sure she could believe what she had seen.

  “Fuck!” Stuart summed it up with that one word. “Fuck me dead!”

  Charlotte felt slightly hysterical.

  Stuart and Katie were both staring at Matei, trying to decide what to say and how to say it. Matei was looking smug. Katie looked pale, as if she would faint any moment. Stuart didn’t look much better. But even if they were in a state of shock now, they had not run screaming from the room or insisted Matei leave.

  Charlotte had the feeling that they were so astounded, so stunned, that they couldn’t react in any way other than to sit and stare.

  Matei allowed his fangs to withdraw and looked over at his audience staring at him dumbfounded.

  * * * *

  Charlotte looked at the children. They were both still in shock. It was obvious they were trying to understand what exactly Matei was and what it meant to them and to Charlotte.

  “Matei is a Hunter, a hunter of vampires.”

  Stuart looked at his mother as if she was crazy. He and Katie were completely bewildered.

  “Vampires? Fuck, mum, vampires?”

  “Will you both listen? Please. If only for me.”

  Stuart took Katie’s hand and nodded. They both looked panic-stricken and apprehensive. Charlotte thought that if they could have got to their feet, they would have ran screaming from the room.

  Still, for the next hour Matei told his story. At times Stuart and Katie looked terrified, at others shocked, sometimes asking questions, sometimes shaking their heads in disbelief. However, they both listened, and so did Charlotte. This was the first time she had heard all the history of the strigoi and the Hunters.

  “When humans came down from the trees so did another species. You will not find anything about it in the history texts, most of what we know comes down from oral traditions. This other species was nocturnal and lived on the blood of other animals. As man began to thrive, this second species was in danger of becoming extinct.

  “Somehow, a few managed to survive and at some point, they discovered the blood of humans was easier to obtain than that of animals. Keep in mind that these creatures were on the verge of extinction so there were very few of them, but they were cunning. The old tales of creatures drinking the blood of man developed from these, they were the strigoi.

  “Move forward in time to the third millennium, to Dacia, which was located in the area in and around the Carpathian Mountains, now known as Romania and Moldavia.

  “The people were terrified of the creatures that came at them at night, draining them of blood. They tried to fight them but the strigoi had developed skills over the centuries to help them adapt. They were still nocturnal but they seemed to vanish at will. They had the ability to appear fair of face, could bewitch with their voice, and they had superhuman strength.”

  “So we’re really talking about vampires, that’s what they are. Like Vlad the Impaler, Dracula?” Stuart interjected.

  “Yes, the strigoi are also now known as immortal vampires.”

  “But isn’t that just fiction?” Katie wanted to know, then she shook her head. “No, I saw fangs. Are you are vampire?”

  “No Katie. I hunt the vampire. There is often some element of truth in fiction, so there is in the tales of the vampire.”

  Stuart and Katie were interested despite the fact they could not really grasp all they were hearing and thought Matei was crazy to believe this. Yet they could not deny they had seen him lower his fangs. Something must be true. But what?

  “So there appeared no way to fight the strigoi. People were being killed, and some were even tortured before being drained of their blood. A select few hunters began to study the strigoi and their ways. At first they were killed, but slowly they managed to kill a few strigoi in return. Nevertheless, there needed to be some way to ensure that future generations of man would be protected.

  “The leaders begged the gods to help. In those days, the gods were appealed to all the time. There were many rituals performed, many spells woven, and thousands of prayers and offerings made trying to create the perfect Hunter over the following centuries.

  “Finally, the gods took pity on them and they created the Hunters, men adapted from the strongest and bravest who had fought the strigoi. I have no idea who these gods were but Hunters always pay tribute to Mother Earth as a compendium of them all. Anyway at first, there were just twenty, the finest Hunters in the land.

  “The gods took them and made them immortal. They gave them the same strengths as the strigoi but because they were from human stock, they had greater intelligence. Unfortunately, they also had the same restrictions placed on
them—they were nocturnal, needed blood to survive and, like the vampire, could not exist in the sunlight, although the Hunter could tolerate early-morning sun and late evening whereas the strigoi were, and still are, forced to hide in darkness when the sun rises until it sets. The vampire is unable to wake through the day whereas the Hunter, though lethargic through the middle of the day, can be awakened during some daylight hours.

  “So from around 2,500 BCE until now there have always been immortal Hunters who protect humans from the vampire.”

  “This sounds like a fantasy. I honestly don’t know whether to believe you or to get my mother as far away from you as possible.” Stuart ran his fingers over his face. “If I hadn’t seen your fangs I would say you needed to be committed.” He was shaking his head, trying to comprehend it all. “I guess we listen to the rest of your tale, then decide.”

  “I am honoured that you at least have allowed me to tell you this.” Matei nodded his head in acknowledgment before taking up his story again.

  “As I mentioned, at first there were only twenty immortal Hunters created. The gods saw that it would be a long and lonely existence for them so they told them that for each Hunter there would be the One just for them—a partner, a person who they would instantly love and who would immediately love them in return.

  “Ironically, they never told them where they would find them, when, or if they would. They also told them that this partner would be mortal with a human lifespan. They would also be psychic. Once they met them, they could convert them by exchanging blood five times. Their partner would then also become an immortal.

  “Some Hunters were fortunate and met their partner, and so over time the amount of Hunters increased to where we now have around fifteen hundred in the world. Some Hunters are still searching, some have been killed and some may never meet their One.”

  “So this is like their soul mate, their life mate—like in books.”

  Charlotte laughed. “Yes, Katie, just like those vampire romance books you read.”

  “So I guess that means these Hunters can have children.”