Lurking in the Shadows (Completed)

Chapter 17

Unknown

I stumbled my way home after a long night of hunting and a few drinks at the local tavern. I could’ve sworn that I smelled that intoxicating scent of the Mortem girls as I was in town, but maybe I was too out of it to notice. I finally made it home and was about to lie down on a couch when I heard my father’s footsteps.

“Out drinking again? You reek of whiskey again!” The pounding headache was reminding me not to drink that much again.

“Can you not yell so loudly?” I put a pillow in front of my face so I couldn’t face his yelling.

“Did you at least get something good while you were drinking our money away?” He asked me angrily.

“I did. When I first got there Mortems, Thorne, and some other guys I didn’t know were also at the tavern.” This piqued his interest.

“Go on?”

“Well, apparently one guy has connections to the Grave Shadows!” They’re supposed to be the best hunters in the area. No one messes with them unless you have connections somehow.

“Hunters?! What could they possibly want with them?”

“They’re using them to get to us! Course they don’t know it’s us, but the serial biter as they call it.” I tell him angrily. This is dumb we’re just doing what other vampires have done basically forever. Why are we any different?

“Great, so the next ball is going to be even harder to get someone.” He lets out an annoyed sigh.

“Yup, also two of the three girls are mated. I could smell it.” He growls at that. He wants to take over the town and to do that is to get to the daughters. Their father is making it harder than expected.

“Damn it! That only leaves one of them to feed on…” He growls again as his plan crumbles.

“Unless she finds her mate by or at the next ball. Even I have a moral code of not biting couples. I don’t want an angry mate after me.”

“Fine, fine… we’ll just have to be extra careful at the next ball. We don't want to get caught up with the hunters.”

“How? They’re going to be everywhere and they’ll still have more security?”

“We’ll just have to get creative.” He smirks and I usually know that he has some form of plan.

Willow

I’ve finally been released from the infirmary and I’ve been sticking to three chalices of blood a day. I’d like to think I’m handling this better than Mina has. Sure I may not have liked how my transformation came to be, but it happened. I can either be bitter about it like Mina or make the most of it. I’ve been going to lessons with Jasper when he’s not teaching Mina and I’ve been keeping up with the garden with Juniper. Someone has to help her with that big garden of ours, and she can’t do it by herself. I’ve been daydreaming what it’d be like to have a mate lately. Must be nice to have someone supporting you through this. I mean I have father and Jasper, but that’s not the same. Nightfall is about to happen and I guess I can get up and enjoy the night. I take my chalice of blood with me to keep me calm. I walk around the garden and I bump into one of the hunters.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I was just taking a walk.” I didn’t see which one it was, but at least they weren’t yelling at me.

“Not a problem. You must be one of the sisters.” He smirks at me like he knows me. I let out a huff through my nose but try to stay calm.

“I am, my name is Willow. I guess you met Mina and Nyx.” I give him a small smile just to be polite.

“I have. I’m Azrael. I’m looking for Edward. Have you seen him?”

“Probably with Nyx. So check either their room or the training grounds near the woods in that direction.” I pointed behind me and I could hear the faint sounds of them somewhere.

“Thanks, and it was lovely to meet you Miss Willow.” He gave me a nod and went his way. I’ve heard lots of things about these hunters, but so far they haven’t been true. They’ve all been really nice. At least the one that I met. Haven’t met the others yet but I guess they’ll come closer to the summer ball. I’ve been enjoying the warm spring evenings now that the cold of winter has finally gone away. I usually keep a light cloak on me just in case I get cold, but I haven’t needed it. I decided to follow Azrael to the training grounds so maybe I’ll learn something.

On my way I thought I smelled the faint smell of something, but I guess it’s just my imagination. I finally get to where their training and it’s like a dance. Bows everywhere, on the ground, some on a target. Hay bails near a hill with targets in front of them for pistol target practice. Mina and Victor working on her bow. There’s another with them this time and I don’t recognize any of them.

“I don’t remember inviting anyone over?” I shout to the crowd laughing a little.

“Willow!” Nyx runs me over with a big hug “So good to see you out and about. I honestly thought you’d still be inside for a while.” She eyes Mina and giggles a little.

“Let’s not make fun of Mina, she’s had it rough.” She crossed her arms at me having some compassion for Mina.

“Yeah, yeah. Almost killing herself because some random creep bit her is a bit extreme. I mean it's happened to me as well and I’m not wallowing.” She looks at me surprised. Nyx has been the only one who hasn’t been bitten.

“Yeah, I’m kinda surprised you’re not. Why aren’t you?” She looks at me confused and I just take a deep breath.

“I can either let it consume me like Mina did or I can learn from it and learn how to defend myself. Although I didn’t think learning to defend myself would end up like this.” Looking around at the band of creepy misfits.

“Why do we have a creepy version of Robin Hood and his Merry Men?” I look around at the group and everyone is just minding their own practice.

“They’re here to help us find ourselves a biter.” She smirks to them and then to me.

“This has Edward all over it and that’s all I’m going to ask about it. I just was wondering what you were up to, and now that I know I’m sorry I asked. I’m going to walk around the gardens.” I walk away for the sake of my sanity. I go back to the gardens to relax. Luckily the few hunters who weren’t doing target practice are hiding around the gardens. Two ladies who I’ll introduce myself to later. I hear some chatter but don’t mind it. I see some veggies are ready to be picked so I grab a basket and some gardening shears and grab some. I hear footsteps get closer and I move to another side of the garden. I just want some alone time for goodness’ sake! As the footsteps get closer to me an intoxicating scent hits me like I just ran into a brick wall. Cedarwood, moss and pine… I run around the garden like a madwoman trying to find this smell and I find it in the kitchen. So I put down the veggies before dropping them and I realized that I just found my saving grace…

“Mate…” I breathed out so quietly I doubt anyone besides me could hear.

“Mate…” He says louder than me and he’s just as nervous as I am. Well I suppose that’s good.

“Boy, am I glad to meet you.” I ran up to him and kissed him. I don’t even know his name yet and I'm already kissing him. Not sure if that makes me nuts or just in love. I hear footsteps go inside and I’m guessing that’s who he was talking to.

“Nice to meet you too.” He says as we catch our breath.

“What brings you to our kitchen talking to our cook?” I smirk at him. I know he’s not cheating on me, but it is funny.

“Scientific research.” He says so seriously and I guess he’s not lying.

“You’re joking? Research? What kind of research?”

“Not joking. I’m researching vampirism and their social etiquette.” I couldn’t help but giggle.

“So pretty much me and my family?”

“You’re a vampire?” He seemed surprised and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“The whole house is, well except for my sister Nyx she got bitten by her mate not some random serial biter.”

“Serial biter?!” Great way to scare the guy…

“That’s for another time and a huge mess. Not all vampires just randomly bite people. My name’s Willow Mortem, what’s yours?”

“Mine’s Henry Mercer.” He gives me a warm smile, and he kisses me.

“I’ll be happy to help with your research, but aren’t you tired? It’s the middle of the night?”

“I don’t mind. You?”

“I’ve already been changed… I was a victim of the biter.”

“I’m sorry.” He seemed sympathetic, but I just took his hand and kissed his cheek.

“Don’t be. I was meant to be this way. If I didn’t get attacked, then I wouldn’t be able to change you, if you want to.”

“I’ll learn what that means in time, but for now I just want to get to know you.” He smiles at me and I just feel myself melt in his arms.

“Well, I got all night. How about we go to my room and get to know each other?” I smile back as I lead the way.