The Hunter Chronicles : The Beginning

Chapter 9

By the time we reach the bar the sun is beginning to set, I am so nervous but I have to hide it from Michael. He is a breaking point. He is a wreck. I open the door and the bar is relatively busy as we walk in further I feel like everyone is staring at me. I have no idea where the kidnappers are or who they really are. I don't know if Melissa is even still alive. My head is scrambled. Michael lets my hand go and I am able to finally focus again.

“Maybe you should leave before they get here, I will find Melissa.”

“We’re in this together, besides none of this would be happening if it wasn’t for me.” I reply. I am the one they want for whatever reason.

“You didn’t know about any of this. We did. We should have told you if we did then this would have been avoided.”

“Well we can’t change any of it now.” I reply looking out Michael. I feel brave not the way I expected to feel. I check my watch. Ten minutes left. I need a drink.

I order and when the water returns I take a big mouthful of brandy. My throat burns as I swallow. I question myself. Why on this green earth did I feel like I needed a drink? I can’t help but make a sour face, I look up and see Dean walk through the door.

“So are we really doing this?” He asks.

“How did you even know we were here?” I ask. I don’t remember either of us phoning him. Not that I even own a phone.

“Saw the note at Michael’s place.” He replies unfazed by what is going on. “You need to snap out of it, everything will be okay.” He snaps at Michael.

I can’t take my eyes off of the door; it’s past 6pm and still no sign of Melissa or Jared. I wonder what had happened between Dean, Michael and Jared that made them hate each other so much.

Melissa walks through the door alone. Before Michael or Dean could stop me I jumped up and ran to her. I can’t think what it means when she is alone. She’s alive. Thank the gods. I throw my arms around her and hug her tightly.

“Run.” Melissa whispers.

“What?” I mumble but have no time to react as I am torn away from my friend and thrown into the back of a van. 

The van speeds off causing me to lose my balance, I hit the side of the van hard, my already hurt shoulder throbbing even more now. It’s dark and smells terrible. I can’t see anything, I know that there must be at least two others with me. The man who grabbed me and the one that was driving.

“Who are you?” I ask, forcing my voice to cooperate.

“Shut up!” An unknown male voice shouts at me.

Oh s**t! I have no idea where they are taking e. I feel around the inside of the van hoping no praying to find anything I can use to defend myself with. There is nothing. The van stops suddenly and I lose my balance once again. My shoulder is killing me. The van doors open and I stand up begging my legs not to turn into jelly. There are five men standing at the opening looking at me I can’t read the expressions on their faces. One yells at me to get out of the van. I hesitate, willing a plan to jump into my brain. One of the men jumped inside and roughly pulls me out by my arm and just when I thought the pain in my arm couldn’t get any worse.

I refuse to let them see me scared or crying. I hold back the tears. Fully aware that I’m outnumbered and could never outrun these thugs. I can’t even fight one of them let alone all five.

The man pushes me towards a small cabin. I’m going to die! I get shoved through a door and when I look up I see Jared. He is sitting on a chair near the fireplace. The room is cozy, I think, I can see two couches and a chair, there is a coffee table in the middle but I don’t see any personal photos or anything. Jared looks up and smiles. Damn! I want to scratch his eyes out. But goodness this man is hot. How can I be so attracted to this man and want to kill him at the same time?

“Good evening, beautiful, thank you for joining me.”

“It’s not like I had a choice.” I snap at him pulling my arm free from his goon, I try not to flinch as the pain shoots up my arm.

JAred nods at the man and he leaves the room. “We don’t want to hurt you.” He says when the man is gone.

“Could have fooled me.” I roll my eyes, “You kidnapped my best friend and just did the same to me.”  I say angrily but damn there's just something about him that drives my hormones crazy.

“I had to get you away from your watchdog besides we didn’t hurt Melissa.” He replies calmly.

“Why am I here?” I ask frustrated. Why am I not scared?

“I want to apologize for last night. It didn’t go the way I expected it to go.” He frowns.

“Well that’s your problem.” 

Jared smiles and I feel like I can melt into a puddle here on the floor. I feel slightly bad for being so bitchy so I ask, “What did you expect?”

“Honestly. I’m sure what I expected but it wasn’t you.”

“So now that you’ve apologized or at least tried to, can I go now?” I ask trying to keep my voice steady. I have no idea what’s going to happen next or what I should do.

“You are free to leave but…” 

“But what?” I ask, there is a strange look on his face one that I don’t recognize.

“Don’t you want to know what’s happening?” 

“Are you going to tell me?” I ask, hoping the answer is yes.

“What I know, yes.”

“Which is?” I ask then I hear my stomach growl. I can’t recall the last time I had something to ear.

“Would you like something to eat?” Jared asks.

“How did you…”

“Sensitive hearing.” He replies like I should have known.

“Right. Do you eat?” I ask before I know it.

“Yes, we need to consume food or we will expire.”

I start giggling I can’t help it, it sounds like he is comparing himself to milk that can spoil. “Do you drink blood?” I ask between giggles.

Jared lets out a chuckle and I stop giggling and just stare at him. I think that might just be my new favorite sound.

“There are some who only drink blood but truthfully the older we get the less we need to stay looking, well human.”  He says.

“How old are you?” 

“Almost a thousand years.” 

“What? How is that even possible? This is just too weird.” I say in disbelief.

“I can imagine this all sounding unbelievable to you.”

I must be crazy! Why am I even listening to this? I am sure that the nice people from the psych ward will pop in here any minute now to take me to a nice padded room.

“First things first, let me get you something to eat.” He says standing up, I watch him move to the door, there is definitely something stirring up in me and it freaks me out a little. He briefly speaks to a man outside and returns, I have to sit down following his every move.

“So do you know what makes me so special?” I ask sarcastically signally quotation marks with my index fingers at ‘special’ I need to keep my mind focused on the conversation and not his gorgeous mouth or his chest. I know he’s got an amazing body beneath those clothes. Oh my, I can feel my cheeks redden.

“Jessica, I can’t give you all the answers that you are looking for. I can only tell you that most of the supernatural creatures in this world fear you or the legend that is you.”

“What is my legend?” I ask cautiously.

“You have the power to kill or control us.’ He replies leaning forward in his chair.

“Why would I want to do that?” I asked surprised.

“it’s part of who you are.”

“I can’t be capable of killing.” I mutter to myself.

“You never know what you are capable of until the time comes when you faced wit a choice.” He replies deep in thought.

I relax a little and cross my legs on the couch, “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Because I believe that you are strong enough to decide what it is that you want to do. I thought that if I spoke to you then you would see we are not all the same, some of us just want to exist and be left alone.”

“Did you really want to kiss me?” I ask. I have to know if he says no then at least I will know. I would really like to kiss him.

“Yes.” He answers and then adds, “I wasn’t prepared for the attraction I felt and acted like a complete ass. There is definitely something between us and I know you felt it too.”

I don’t want to answer because my answer will be yes instead I change the subject, “Why did Dean say that you can’t control me?” 

“Humans are pulled to us and some become completely obsessed, like for example a woman who is only attracted to a certain type of man or a man that will only date a blonde for example, it is human nature to be attracted to certain things. We have learnt over the years what to say or do to get our way.” He replies and I can see it’s hard for him to explain something that is more complicated than I would understand but I appreciate him trying. My mind wanders from his mouth to his neck to his chest and I find myself wondering what he looks like naked.

I clear my throat and shake my head then ask, “But you didn’t try your mind controlling thing on me?”

“No honestly I didn’t need to, you seemed happy to be around me.”

That’s because you are ridiculously hot! He must think I’m so easy. “Why can’t you go out during the day?” 

“Story goes that some ancient god cursed all vampires way back when but the story has been told so many times that I can’t be sure.”

The door suddenly opens and a young boy walks in carrying a tray,  I smell food and immediately jump up and make my way over to the boy he looks so young, the closer I get to him the more terrified he becomes so I stop in my tracks. I don’t want to scare a child. 

“Don’t panic, Steve, she won’t hurt you.” Jared says suddenly next to me.

Apparently Steve doesn’t believe him, he shakily puts the tray down on the table and bolts out of the door. I feel so bad then I realize while I was scared of these people they’ve all been terrified of me. 

Melissa! I was so scared of her being hurt or worse and how she must feel now like I did when she was missing. I need to let her know that I am still in one piece.