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

by Suzy Shearer

  Louisa looked at Charlotte and said, “You can do it. Remember how you did the owl? This is the same. Hold the image firm, then insert yourself. Link with me to see how to form the wolf.”

  Charlotte was nervous but wanted to run with the others. She linked with Louisa and watched as she transformed back and forth a few times.

  “Your turn.”

  She took a deep breath and held the image of the wolf then transformed. It was breathtaking! She tried to laugh with joy but all that came out was a funny bark. She looked down at her body and tail and saw she was a deep russet colour.

  Louisa changed into her wolf and led the way. Louisa made a very beautiful blonde wolf, her pelt almost glowing in the night light. The other three were chasing Harley, who in turn would spring out from behind a tree and roll one of them down.

  Charlotte took it carefully to start but as she got used to having four legs, she found herself relaxing. She hung back, not sure of herself yet. She lost sight of the two men as they raced each other. The two girls and Harley were rolling on the grass, just reveling in the joy of feeling.

  Suddenly she felt a nip on her tail and turning saw Matei. He pressed his head against her flank then licked her muzzle. She stood still and waited until he sat alongside her then took off as fast as she could run through the trees. He quickly caught up to her but let her lead the way between the trunks. It was exhilarating. In no time, the others joined in and soon she felt herself tiring.

  “Cara, don’t risk anything. You tire, come, let us go back to the porch and rest.”

  She did not want to admit it but she was glad that Matei had suggested stopping. As much as she loved the feel of being a wolf, it was starting to overwhelm her senses. The pair walked to the veranda and transformed. Matei wrapped his arms around her, and she could feel her heart pounding and was still panting. He linked their hearts and breathing until she was able to maintain a normal rhythm.

  “I can see why you and Michael love to transform into wolves as much, that was so amazing, it was wonderful.”

  They sat and watched the others play. She had her head on Matei’s shoulder, his arm around her.

  “I’m glad when they can be near. I miss it when we are posted in different places of the world.”

  “Where are they going once the wedding is over, do they know?”

  “No, not yet. The Council had not given them a new posting. I imagine Viorel Nicolescu, the Council official, will let them know sometime next week.”

  “It will be sad to see them go, already I have grown to love them and Ştefania. They are like the siblings I never had. I’ll miss them.”

  “As will I, Iubită, as will I.”

  The rain from earlier in the evening came back and settled into a solid downpour. The others came onto the veranda, shaking water everywhere. Within a few seconds they were all dry. Harley rolled onto his back and tried to dry off until Charlotte got up and grabbed a towel to help him.

  Once inside Charlotte and Louisa made tea for all, and they sat on the couches and spoke of this and that until the early hours of the morning.

  “I think we’ll return to my home, if you three have no objection. Charlotte’s car is still there and by the sound of the shopping expedition you’ll need it tonight to carry all your purchases.”

  “That makes sense, my friend. I think you and I should do a little shopping also without the distraction of these girls.”

  Michael winked at Matei and Charlotte wondered what they had planned.

  The rain has stopped when they made their good-byes, Matei ensured that Charlotte was not too tired and that she held the owl’s image firmly before they took off and returned to their bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The next evening the three girls took Matei’s SUV. He insisted they would need it to fit in their shopping and it would be easier than removing all of Charlotte’s art gear. Fortunately, it was a manual, Charlotte hated automatics and had not driven one since she was around twenty. She felt nervous in the big SUV but once she got behind the wheel fell in love with it.

  “Sorry, Hotshot, think I just found my new car.”

  He laughed at her and said, “Don’t get too used to it, Cara.”

  “Ha, you have yet to get it back, Hotshot.” She giggled as the girls piled in and they drove to Katie’s home.

  Charlotte could hear Nerida through the door as they rang the bell. “It’s Nanny, it’s Nanny, and there are two other ladies, Mummy. Open the door, I want to see.”

  Katie opened the door, rather surprised that Nerida had known who was at the door and how many people were with her. She always guessed when her Nanny was there but it was surprising to think she had known of the other two.

  Louisa and Ştefania asked formally to be allowed to enter the house. Katie stood open-mouthed when she saw Charlotte.

  “Mum!” she squeaked, “Mum, you are so beautiful, so young!” She threw her arms around her, crying in delight.

  Charlotte had forgotten to change her face back to her sixties but Nerida surprised them all by saying, “Nanny, you look much nicer now you have painted your face. You should do that all the time.”

  It seemed as if she would not have to worry about the children accepting her new look at all. Katie told Nerida to lead the way and they all went into the family room to greet Stuart.

  Ştefania knelt down, then without speaking aloud, said hello to Nerida and told her her name. Nerida looked up at her mother and said, “This is Ştefania, Mummy, say hello.”

  All four women looked at each other in surprise.

  “Looks like Nerida has my genes,” she said to Katie. Louisa and Ştefania looked excited.

  “This is wonderful. She’ll need to be watched but it is really exciting.”

  Katie and Charlotte looked a little confused until Louisa said, “We have found that mortals who are very psychic are usually the One for some Hunter. There is a good chance that somewhere in this world there is a Hunter who searches for this little one.”

  “Now hang on, she is only four! No way is she going to be handed over to some immortal just like that!” Stuart protested.

  “No! Stuart, no. She would never have that happen,” Louisa explained. “No, what would happen is that she would be watched to make sure she does not draw unwanted attention from the strigoi. Over time, single Hunters would meet her and if she turned out to be the One for someone he or she would wait until she was in her late twenties before approaching her.”

  Ştefania took Katie’s hand. “Never would a Hunter force himself on another. We have a code of honour that we all accept to uphold. Your daughter would never know we are watching her. It would be for her safety also.”

  “When your son is a little older we should test him as well. It would make sense if he had abilities as well. Charlotte is a strong psychic and, by the looks of it, little Nerida will surpass her.”

  Stuart suddenly sat up looking a little stunned. Ştefania had spoken in his head as well.

  “Looks like it runs in the family.” She grinned at his discomfort. “Don’t worry, Stuart, no one is going to come and take you away from Katie. Anyway, your ability is nowhere near as strong as your mother’s, I had to shout before you even got part of the message I sent you.”

  Stuart shuddered. “Thank heavens for that!”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Why didn’t Matei realise Nerida was psychic?”

  “Babies and very young children do project their thoughts, he would have not thought anything of it and neither would we. It was only when we heard her say who was at the door that I thought maybe she had inherited a little something extra from you.”

  Nerida wanted to know why Matei hadn’t come to visit her. He had promised that she could brush his hair again.

  “He will visit another time, sweetheart. Tonight Mummy is coming out with us. If I know you have been a very good girl for Daddy, we’ll buy you a surprise. But if I find out you have been naughty you’ll get n
othing.”

  “Okay, Nanny. I can be good. I will even help Daddy bath Oliver.”

  Stuart rolled his eyes in mock horror at the thought.

  The women took their leave and headed out on their shopping expedition.

  * * * *

  Charlotte knew she could have easily made a gown to wear but she also knew Katie would want to help her choose something. It was also a way of ensuring the bond between them.

  Louisa and Ştefania had fun, neither usually worried about shopping and both went slightly crazy. Charlotte warned them both that their credit cards would melt down from use if they were not careful.

  Louisa had the grace to look flustered as she said, “I hope Michael doesn’t get angry when he sees how much I’ve spent.”

  The other women laughed and told her he would probably tell her she did not spend enough.

  After her initial tentative meeting with the others, Katie soon warmed to them both and by the end of the night’s shopping was encouraging them both to buy everything in each shop they went to. Charlotte bought a cute little suit for Oliver. She also remembered her promise to buy something for Nerida for being good and picked up a soft toy she knew she wanted, along with one for Oliver.

  She still had not seen anything she wanted as a wedding dress. They had been to a few bridal shops but nothing excited her. In an exclusive bridal boutique that Katie found, Charlotte wandered through the racks without really seeing anything that spoke to her. She did, however, find a simple column dress in eggplant satin with a matching wrap. She thought it would be perfect for the girls and would suit all of their colourings perfectly and the shawl would give added warmth to Katie. There was even a child’s version, which would be perfect for Nerida so she would feel included in the wedding.

  She called the others over and talked Katie into allowing her to buy the outfit by telling her she would be maid of honour. Katie burst into tears at the news. Ştefania told her not to cry but ended up joining her when Charlotte asked if she and Louisa would act as her bridesmaids. The salespersons in the bridal shop they had chosen was stunned that these beautiful women had chosen their store and were bending over backward to accommodate them. It helped that the woman realised that money was no object with these four.

  The three girls went to change and when they returned Charlotte saw she was right in guessing the colour would suit all three. They all loved her choice and then said they would find something for her. Changing back into their clothes, the three searched the racks with two salespersons helping.

  Charlotte was taken aback when they found a dress they thought would be perfect on her. She was certain they were wrong.

  It was a lovely cream colour with tiny spaghetti straps, the bodice covered in Swarovski crystals, with a sash under the bust to just above the waist. The silk chiffon overlay draped from one point on the sash and then fell in a layer to the ground over the silk lining with a long train behind. Charlotte would not have even considered it, but she was still forgetting her new figure.

  One of the salespersons helped her with the gown and Charlotte was shocked when she saw the woman looking back at her in the mirror. The gown was simple elegance, nothing overstated but it looked stunning on her.

  “Would you like to wear a veil?” the woman asked, but Charlotte shook her head.

  “No, I would rather just have some fresh flowers. We are being married on a beach and I would prefer to just have the gown speak for itself.”

  “Would you like to show your family?”

  Charlotte hesitated until the woman said, “You look absolutely beautiful. I wish all our brides looked as stunning as you are and the cream sets off your hair. It is perfect.”

  Taking a deep breath, Charlotte walked out into the salon area where the other three were sitting and drinking champagne. Charlotte looked at herself in all the mirrors circling the salon. The gown was perfect, she was sure Matei would love it as much as she now did.

  Silence greeted her, and then Katie and Louisa burst into tears with Ştefania not far behind. That in turn set Charlotte off and she heard Matei say, “Cara, you weep? What is wrong, you all cry? Do you need us?”

  “No, Hotshot, it’s a girl thing. I think I found a dress.”

  “Oh, Mummy, it’s so beautiful. You look wonderful.”

  The shop assistants looked a little askance wondering how Charlotte could possibly be old enough to be the mother of one of these women but concluded she must be a stepmother.

  Charlotte got the shock of her life when she saw the price tag. Matei heard her gasp and asked what was wrong.

  “I thought you found a dress.”

  “I did until I saw the price tag,” she replied ruefully.

  He started to laugh. “Remember, my Cara, you are now what could be referred to as rich.” Charlotte chuckled but sobered and said, “Matei, I don’t have this sort of money in my bank account.”

  “Yes, you do. I got my accountant to transfer a few million over a couple of days ago, thought you might need some spare cash.”

  Charlotte felt faint and she sank into a nearby chair. The other three rushed over to her.

  “Are you okay, Mum?”

  Louisa was worried. “Charlotte, what is the matter?”

  Charlotte checked that no one could overhear her. “Matei just told me he transferred some money over to my account, thought I might need some spare cash. He transferred a few million!”

  Louisa and Ştefania burst out laughing, while Katie sank into the seat alongside her mother-in-law.

  “A few million? A few million! Oh my god!”

  “Is Madam okay?” The owner seemed concerned but Charlotte thought it was because she was worried a sale might walk out the door.

  “Yes, thank you. I’m okay. I’ll just change back into my own clothes.”

  “Would Madam like to see any other dresses or would you like this one? It is a one-off designer gown.”

  Charlotte shook her head. “No, no thank you. This is definitely the one I want.”

  She could see the woman’s eyes light in delight at the sale of the four bridesmaid dresses and the designer wedding gown.

  There was an argument at the register when Charlotte wanted to pay for all the dresses, and in the end the women allowed her to when she threatened to walk down the aisle alone. She handed over her card to the owner who said she would have to check the funds. Katie tittered as the woman dialed up the card company and reeled off the numbers. She looked pleased when the company obviously reported that there were more than enough funds to cover the purchase.

  They arrived back at Katie’s laden with so many bags it was fortunate that they had elected to bring Matei’s car rather than her own. Charlotte had no idea how they would have managed all their purchases. The two Hunter women had gone a little crazy with their shopping spree. They dropped Katie off and continued back to Charlotte’s house. The girls full of excitement as they walked into the house, it took several trips to the car until they had unloaded their purchases.

  Charlotte threw herself into Matei’s arms.” Thank you. I thought I would have to walk out of the shop and leave my beautiful dress behind.”

  “Cara, I told you I would give you everything I could if it would make you happy. When do we get to see what you bought?”

  “No!” The three girls shouted, “Not until the day!”

  The boys laughed and Matei hugged Charlotte even tighter.

  “Stef, Mum and Dad will be here in two days. Mum said she might have to do some shopping too when I told her where you girls were.”

  The girls grinned at each other, “we should ring that store and demand they stay open for us, I bet they would,” Louisa said.

  “Especially if they thought there would be more money for them,” added Charlotte. “But they did have some lovely clothes.”

  “Well, that’s what we will do once Mum gets here. Are Tatiana, Tomas, and Radu coming?”

  “Yes, they said they will be here toward the en
d of the week.” To Charlotte he said, “They are my sister and two of my brothers.”

  He took Charlotte’s hand and winked at Michael.

  “It’s time for us to leave. We’ll see you all tomorrow night. You’ll check on the catering and things, Michael?”

  Michael nodded and shook his hand, then cuffed him on the shoulder. With kisses all around, they took their leave. They flew home, leaving the SUV in case the others needed it. Charlotte’s dress would be brought up in the car tomorrow night.

  Landing then materialising in the family room, Matei asked, “Do you want some tea, Iubită? Are you hungry?”

  “No, I’m fine. We ate. Stef and Louisa wanted to eat junk food. They filled up on ice cream and cakes. I stuck with some toasted-cheese sandwiches. I couldn’t believe the amount of ice cream those two tucked into.” She laughed. “Make sure you add that to the catering for the wedding.”

  “We have. I’m afraid to tell you but most Hunters are junk food and sweet treat crazy.”

  “Oh, sounds like I will be making lots of cakes and biscuits then.”

  Matei grinned at her in delight.

  “Did you and Michael eat?”

  “Yes, we grabbed something while we were out too. Are you cold?”

  “No, I thought you said we don’t get cold. You seem nervous, what’s wrong?”

  “Come outside with me.”

  Matei reached out his hand and led her outside.

  It was a lovely clear night, and the moon bathed upon the water shed a lovely light.

  He led her to the sand and knelt in front of her. “Îmi place de tine mai mult decât viaţa însăşi, iubit. te căsătoreşti cu mine? I love you more than life itself, Beloved. Will you marry me?”

  He held out his hand for hers and she put hers in it.

  He placed a ring on her finger and Charlotte gasped when she saw how beautiful it was. Two large emerald-cut diamonds were either side of an equally large emerald-cut emerald, the filigree band in platinum. Speechless, Charlotte could only sink to her knees in front of him as the tears began to fall.