maggieveach@g*******m

Hunter's Choice Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Open Doors 

-----Cassie's Perspective-----

Hmm! I have never slept so well in all my life. I roll over and there's a tray of food on the bedside table. What the hell? I didn't even notice him coming in. s**t, I need to do better. I have to keep my guard up. The tray is filled with pancakes, bacon, a water and what appears to be a note. Huh, that's odd. 

Dear Cassandra, 

Hopefully, you have slept well this past evening. There are certain things I wish for you to know about residing inside my home. First most, there are many other vampires who reside with me. Please be cordial to them if you encounter their presence. Secondly, if you ever have need of me, simply knock on my door. My quarters are down the hall to your right. Thirdly, all of your meals will be provided for by my people. And finally, if you wish to leave my residence, inform me before doing so. May your stay be joyful. 

Ever yours, 

Lord Malchior 

Okay. This is really f*****g weird. I mean, I can't leave the castle without telling him? Am I a guest or a prisoner? That's not really the most important thing in that note, though. There are other vampires here. Who knows how many of them there are. f**k! I am so screwed. I should never have come here. But, I didn't have anywhere else to go. Especially since I know the hunters are most likely looking for me. This is the last place they'd look for me. 

Still, I can't just stay here indefinitely. I need to figure out what to do next. I munch down on a piece of bacon. Damn, that's good! I wonder who cooks the food? Probably some human slave. Right, you are in the den of evil right now. Except....he took me in. He gave me a place to sleep and food to eat. Just like Magda did. Magda was the one who made me see not all non-humans are monsters. I feel bad about how we left things. She said that ponytail was a good leader. Maybe he is. Maybe he actually is being nice to me. 

Yet, he did that whole eye thing last night. And whenever I'm around him, I feel so weird. Like my heart is beating out of my chest. Also...there's the attraction. That has to be vampire tricks. It has to be. There is no way in hell I would be attracted to a vampire. I mean, he isn't bad to look at. But, he's a vampire. No, it has to be tricks. Which means he's probably toying with me and then he'll strike right when I least expect it. 

I definitely need a new plan. What can I do? All of Hunterdom is hunting me down. If they do manage to get me, they'll take me back to Mom. Then she'll punish me for my insubordination and she'll force me to marry Julian. Julian. Oh God, how did this go s**t shaped so fast? If he had just proposed normally. No. I can't dwell on the past. I need to focus. If I do go down the aisle, I can just say no. It'll break Julian's heart, but I think it's the only option. Of course, the aftermath is something else I need to think about. What happens after I say no? 

Mother will be furious with me. Julian will be heartbroken. They can't force me to say yes. Damn, I wish I had paid more attention to hunter traditions. Then I might know the punishment for saying no. The worst they can do is put me in the dungeons. That's the lower level in Hunterdom. Where we keep prisoners that need to be interrogated or examined. How else do we learn how best to kill monsters? 

And yet, it doesn't seem right now. After my time with Magda and the Council meeting, it's like everything is upside down. There are monsters out there. That's for sure. A monster killed my Father. A vampire killed my Father. Vampires are monsters. That is fact. But...he doesn't seem monstrous. Confusing, strange, powerful, but not monstrous. His eyes. God, his eyes. Such depth and there was something else there. Something more. A....kindness. Yes, that's it. His eyes were kind. Dammit, Cassie! Stop this. It's all just tricks and manipulations. 

I finish off my breakfast and put on my boots. I'm leaving. I have to. If I stay here, I'll just be a pawn in his games. He said to let him know if I leave. I wonder what happens if I don't let him know? If I just leave? I put on my go coat and sneak a peek outside the door. The hallway is empty. Good. I walk out carefully. All this sneaking around is giving me serious deja vu. I go to the left and find the staircase. I walk down carefully. Trying not to make too much noise. 

I get to the bottom and look around to make sure the coast is clear. Seems like no one's around. That's right, it's day time. All the vampires are probably asleep in their coffins. I don't know for sure if that's what they sleep in. Just a guess. I see the big door that we came through. I dash towards it, just in case. 

My hand is on the handle. 

"Good morning, love." f**k! I turn around to see ponytail. 

"Um, morning." 

"Did you receive my note?" 

"Oh, yes. Thank you for the breakfast. It was good." 

"I am glad you enjoyed it. In my note, I believe I mentioned some rules." 

"Right, rules. I just thought you'd be asleep. You know, cause it's daytime. Didn't want to disturb you." 

"How kind of you to think of me." His hands go on either side of me. 

"But, I believe I said you could come to me any time. I will forgive you this time seeing as you were being considerate. I will not forgive you a second time." I can practically feel his power coming off of him. Hmm, damn is he sexy. Wait, what?!! No, this is his tricks. I know it is. I have to focus. 

"I...understand." He pulls away from me. 

"Good. But, you should address me when you are talking to me." Crap, I can't remember his name. It was something long and weird. 

"Um, I'm sorry. I don't remember your name. I only heard it at the trial and I kind of had other things on my mind at the time." He laughs and it rubs against my insides like a cat. Hmm, damn him. 

"I understand, love. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Lord Malchior Everett. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He bows to me. s**t, what do I do? 

"It's nice to meet you too." I bow with my coat flourishing around me. 

"What a lovely bow. Now then, where are you going?" Does he think I'm just going to tell him? I don't answer to him. He may have given me a place to crash, but that doesn't mean I have to report to him. 

"If you really need to know. I'm leaving for good. I'm taking care of my problems. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. It's been nice knowing you." I bow again. I turn towards the door. 

I can feel him behind me. All of a sudden I'm pinned against the door. This is the tree all over again. My arms are pinned overhead. His other hand cups my chin. 

"You ran for a reason. You were escaping an arranged marriage. How exactly do you plan to take care of that?" 

"Why do you care?" s**t, my mouth is gonna get me killed. 

"As always, you cut to the point. I do like that about you. I care because you are my mate." Wait, what?!!!

"I don't understand. What do you mean, I'm your 'mate'?" 

"You are my mate. You are the one person I am meant to spend eternity with. And so, I care very much about you and your plans." This isn't what I expected. What is it with men and them assuming I'm theirs?! 

"That's nice. But, I don't want to be your mate. I don't want to be anyone's mate. That's sort of what got me into this mess in the first place." 

"Are you sure you do not wish to be my mate?" His hand moves from my chin to my neck. He tilts my neck and lays his lips on my skin. Damn him! He pulls away and looks back to me. 

"I'm....sure." 

"You do not sound very sure." He tilts his head and licks down my neck. His tongue hits every last goose bump I have. Hmm, that feels so good. So very good. Dammit! I can't let him win. 

"I am sure. I don't want you. The thought of a vampire makes me want to kill something. I'm a hunter. I don't date vampires. I kill them." He looks back to me. I look at his lips. Those lips that were just on my neck. Dammit, focus, Cassie! 

"It does not change the fact you are my mate. It also does not change your attraction to me. I can practically feel how much you want me." 

"That's because you're using your vampire tricks on me. You're manipulating me into wanting you." Wait, s**t! I didn't mean to say that. I just admitted that I want him. s**t, f**k, damn! I'm so screwed beyond belief. 

He lets go of my hands and moves away. Wait, what? 

"A vampire is unable to force attraction. Vampires do have the power of compulsion, they may compel humans into acquiesing. But, they are unable to create new emotions. Vampires cannot compel attraction or love from a human. A human must give that freely." 

"That's a nice picture you just painted. I don't buy it. You've been manipulating me from the start. You act all kind and good but then you put me into a corner. A corner that you want me in." 

"I am sorry if my actions towards you have seem manipulative. I was merely flirting with you. I thought I was courting you in a way you liked. Clearly, I was mistaken. So, how may I court you?" Um, okay, this is beyond weird. 

"What if I don't want you to court me at all? What if I just want to be left alone?" 

"Is that truly what you wish? To be alone for the remainder of your life? To have no love, no affection, no touch or taste? To be completely isolated?" 

"I was hoping that I could fall in love someday. I was hoping I would find someone who would respect me, who would understand me. But, those were childish dreams. I'm awake now. So, to answer your question: if it's a choice between freedom and marriage, I will choose freedom every time." 

"Marriage does not have to be a shackle upon you. It can be joyous with the right person." 

"And you think you're the right person?" 

"Yes, I do." 

"Well, I don't. I was raised a hunter. I hunt your kind. I kill your kind." 

"And yet, you did not kill me." 

"Because that would be suicidal. You're way too powerful." 

"I feel as if we are going in circles. What is the real reason you do not wish to be with me?" 

"Because you're a vampire." 

"That is not it." 

"No, that's exactly it. You're a vampire. I hate vampires. There's nothing left to say." 

"And why, exactly, do you hate my kind?" Dammit. How does he do this to me? How does he know just what to say to get me right where he wants me? No. No, Cassie, that's not it. It's that he knows your tells. He knows there's something you're not saying. Dammit. Maybe if I tell him, maybe then, he'll see it's pointless. 

"Alright. I hate vampires because a vampire murdered my Father. He ripped out his throat and left him to bleed out. Just left him there like garbage on the road. That's why I hate vampires. You're evil. You're f*****g evil. And no kindness, no words, no actions can ever bring him back or make me stop hating vampires. So, just let me go." I feel the tears hit my cheeks. Dammit, I'm supposed to be stronger than this. 

I turn to walk out. This is it. Now he gets it. Now he'll give up on me. I pull on the handle and I feel the door open slightly. Boom! It slams shut. He embraces me. He holds me in his arms. What the hell?! Why? Why? 

"I am so sorry. You are right, there is nothing I can do to bring your Father back. There is nothing I can say to make up for the tragedy you have faced at my kind's hands. But, I will not let you go. I will never let you go. I do not care if you hate me. I do not care if you despise me. I will never let you go. You are my mate." 

I'm....stunned. I thought he would give up. I thought he'd let me go. I...didn't expect this. He is so damn kind. So kind. Here I am, telling him I hate him. And here he is holding me, comforting me. No one has ever done this. My Mother kept her distance after what happened. And Julian, Julian. He was just a kid. He couldn't comfort me. No one could. No one cried. No one ever mentions it. No one talks about it. It's as if he was never there. As if he never even existed. 

I can feel the waterfall of tears hitting my cheeks and going onto his shirt. I clutch at his shoulders, adrift in my grief. I can't stop. I want to. I can't. I never cried. I never talk about him. I never remember his laugh. It was like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. Or his eyes that sparkled with joy. Or the way he called me kitten. His reassuring pat on my head. He was ripped from me and he was gone. Just gone. And no one cared. 

But, Malchior cares. This vampire, my sworn enemy. He cares. Here he is comforting me. Taking care of me. Apologizing to me. I pull back and wipe my eyes. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go all weepy on you. I'm not normally that weak." 

"Crying is not a weakness, love. It is a strength. To cry, to let out your emotions, it makes you stronger. Allows you to move forward instead of being stuck." 

"I really don't understand you." 

"And what, love, do you not understand?" 

"I'm a hunter. My Father was a hunter. And yet, you comforted me, apologized to me. I don't understand how you can be so kind when I've shown you nothing but hatred." 

"Because I know that is not all you are. Remember, I was there at the trial. I heard your testimony. You were ready to die. You threw your life into our hands, even though you knew we might kill you. And you did it because you acknowledged that the way you were raised, the way of the hunter was not absolute. That you may have been wrong in judging us all. That is the reason you were pardoned. And that is why I know you are my mate. I felt it when we first met, but it did not fully come to me until I saw you last night." Wow. What do you say to that? 

"Um, that's beautiful. You're amazing. It still doesn't change how I feel about vampires. Or how I feel about marriage. And I still need to deal with my problems. I'm not one to run away from my problems." 

"So why did you?" Yes, why did I? Julian. Damn you, Julian. 

"Because I am an i***t. I didn't want to hurt someone. Even though, they did something that hurt me. That really hurt me. I just couldn't hurt them. But now, I have no choice but to hurt them. Ugh, it's really f*****g complicated." 

"No, it is not. You love him. You love the man you are arranged to marry." 

"Yes, I love him. He was my best friend. But, I'm not in love with him." 

"That is good to know. For if you were, I would have no choice but to never allow you to see him again." 

"Excuse me, you don't get to dictate who I see and who I don't." He backs me into the door again. My arms are free. But I feel his presence loom over me. 

"You are my mate. You are mine. Whether you hate me or not, it does not change that fact. I will not let another have you, ever." Hmm, damn. Why is this turning me on? Why is it, whenever he pins me or corners me, it feels so good? Focus, Cassie. Focus. 

"I belong to myself. Not you. You can call me whatever you like, but nothing will ever change that fact." 

"And that is one of the many things I enjoy about you. Now then, we can talk about us later. What is your plan for dealing with your arrangement?" 

I wonder how he'll react to my plans. He'll probably bust a fang. Heh, I'll have to use that sometime. Alright, here goes. 

End of Chapter Five.