maggieveach@g*******m

Hunter's Choice Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Crossing Words 

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

I open my eyes. I feel this weight around me. Wait, what? I look above me and see Mal's sleeping face. Oh, right. I asked him to stay with me. Last night was a whirlwind. I'm now lying in bed with the very man who killed my Father. And yet, I've never felt safer. This is so f*****g odd. I need to get up. I don't want to wake him though. His arms are wrapped around me, I'm on top of him. Hmm, feels so good to be this close to him. 

I look to his face again. His blue eyes closed and his hair all over the place. I wonder what it feels like? No, Cassie, focus. You need to get up. I slowly move one arm off of me. I look at his expression, still dead asleep. Hmm, I wonder if he is dead for the day? Another time for that. I slowly take his other arm and push it off of me. I creep off of him and get out of bed. I look back and see he is still sleeping. Seriously?! 

If I really wanted to kill him, all I have to do is wait for him to fall asleep. I mean, how the hell have hunters not thought of this. Probably because we don't normally find their lairs during the day. So, we never see vamps like this. But, I'm not that kind of hunter anymore. No, I'm different. I won't keep this cycle of vengeance going. No, I'm gonna break it. And I know just who to talk with to do it. 

I go to the closet and pick out my clothes for the day. I sneak into the bathroom. My hair is a bit of a mess. I comb it with my fingers. I undress and put on a black t-shirt and black pants. I slowly go through the room and pick up my go coat. I go towards the bedroom door. 

"Good morning, love." s**t! 

"Um, morning." I can feel him behind me. I turn around and there he is. Practically naked!!! Right, he was only in his underwear when we went to bed. 

"Did you sleep well?" I can see the smirk on his face. Damn him, the cocky bastard. How the hell am I supposed to think, let alone talk with him all....exposed? The muscles are carved and go down to his legs. And in between his legs.......hmm, his manhood. 

"I asked you a question, love." He looms over me. Gulp. He's so intimidating. So powerful. Hmm, so utterly sexy. 

"Yes." 

"Yes, you slept well? Or yes to my asking you a question?" His eyes sparkle with mirth and lust. Dammit to hell!! 

"I...slept...fine." 

"Is everything alright, love? You seem...unsettled?" He smiles and I hate him. Yep, I definitely hate him. 

"Clothes." 

"Yes, that is a lovely outfit you are wearing." 

"No....you....wear....clothes." Dammit, I'm a blathering i***t. I can't concentrate with him like this. 

"I see. Of course, love. Though, it is extremely enjoyable to see your reactions to me." He turns around to find his clothes. I scurry out of the room. s**t. I need to put as much space between us as possible. I can't handle him like that. I'm so not ready. I run down the hall and jog down the stairs. 

"Momma?" Dammit!! 

"Dani, hi. Don't have a lot of time. Got some stuff I need to do." I blaze past her confused face. I am a really bad parent. I'll deal with it when I get back. Yep, I get to the front door. I see his hand on the door. f**k! 

"And where are you going?" I turn around and he is usual put together self. I forget how fast he is sometimes. His hair is tied back and he's wearing a button up white shirt with black pants. Damn, he is so sexy no matter what he wears. Or what he doesn't. Focus, Cassie. 

"I have some hunter business to attend to." 

"Really? Before breakfast?" I feel a rumble go through my stomach. Curse my appetite. 

"I thought I might grab a bite on the way. I should go." He pins me against the door. 

"I thought we already discussed this. No more solitary hunts." His eyes glow and I can feel the power on him. Hmm, so good. I really have a problem. I love it when he does this. 

"Yeah. We did." 

"So, why are you going out alone?" 

"I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." He lets me go. I rub my wrists. I feel a whoosh. What the hell?! I'm all of a sudden behind Dani. Dani who is standing in front of me, her hair tied in a ponytail. She looks cute. 

"Are you okay, Momma?" s**t, she thinks Mal was trying to hurt me. 

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's okay. You don't need to protect me." She looks back at me. Her eyes are swirling with all kinds of colors. 

"Sweetie, really. It's just a game Momma and Dada play. Okay?" Where the hell did that come from? And Mal is now 'Dada'? I really should think before I speak. Dani's eyes stop swirling and go back to a calmer colors. Good. 

"Sorry, Momma. I didn't know you were playing. Can you forgive me?" Oh God, she is so damn cute. 

"Of course. And you couldn't have known. Now, Dada and I need to talk about grownup stuff. So, how about you get me some breakfast, okay?" She smiles big and runs off. Phew. 

Mal is grinning from ear to ear. 

"What?!" He bursts out laughing, filling the whole foyer with warmth. 

"So, I am 'Dada' now?" 

"Shut up. It's the first thing that came to mind." He pulls me in and kisses me. Hmm, his tongue weaves itself with mine. I missed this. I missed him. Hmm, so damn good. We break apart. 

"You are extraordinary." I blush. He is wonderful. Even when he's being dictatorial. 

"And you are a pain in my ass. We need to talk about my hunt." 

"Yes, we do." Okay, here we go. 

"I want to break the cycle of vengeance when it comes to hunters. And I know just who to talk with to break that cycle. Um...this is the hard part....it's Julian." Mal looks a bit shocked. 

"Before you say anything, just hear me out. Julian isn't like my Mom. He is kind, caring, and thoughtful. He does his job as a hunter, he doesn't hurt innocents. I think I can reason with him." 

"Of course you can, love. He wants you as his wife." I can see Mal's eyes darken. Dammit. 

"Actually, I think that ship has sailed. I think he's realized what a f**k up he's been. He keeps trying to fix things, make things better for me. Ultimately his plans are stupid and sometimes insane. But, it shows that he still cares and wants to makes things right between us." I can see the wheels turning in Mal's head. This will work. I know it. 

"Alright, love. On the condition, that you do not go alone." Dani walks in with a tray of food. Charlie is following her with two chairs. He sets them down. 

"Here's breakfast, Momma." 

"Thank you, sweetie." I sit down and she puts the tray on my lap. What a spread! 

"Do you agree to my condition?" I look up at Mal. Damn, fine. 

"Yeah, I agree." 

"Good, now dig in." He gives me a chesire cat grin. He is such a cocky bastard. But... he's my cocky bastard. 

-------End of Cassie's Perspective------

-------Julian's Perspective-------

I pace back and forth. 

"You really need to stop doing that. There's no other option. Cassandra needs to die. You know this. She killed three hunters last night." I look over at Cass's Mom. 

"I don't know how you can. She's your child. Your daughter. How can you be this....cold?" 

"What you see as coldness, I see as practicality. Cassandra has chosen her side. Even though I told her what that monster did. Even though I gave her a chance to come back, to restart. She still decided to choose her Father's murderer. Cassandra is a monster. And so, she must be slain. That's what we do." 

I see the weight in Cass's Mom through her ice blue eyes. This is killing her. She won't let anyone else see it. Hell, I don't even know how I'm seeing it. She really thought Cass would come around the other night. She really thought Cass would come back and things could go back to normal. Instead, Cass chose to side with the very vampire who killed her Dad. I don't understand. 

"How could she do that? How can she even be with him? After what he did?" 

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I know she loved her Father. I know she was shattered when he died. There was nothing I could do for her. Nothing. I left her with her grief. I thought, with time, she would be able to move on. Clearly, I was wrong." 

"But how could we know? She never talked about him. Never even mentioned it. She just kept hunting and being her happy self. I had no idea what she was going through. No idea." 

"No, we didn't know. It doesn't change what we must do." 

"I can't do it. I can't kill her. She was my best friend. I can't just kill her." 

"That's alright. I'll do it." I see something flash in her eyes. Some kind of crack in her icy gaze. I don't know if she can do this and come out the other side. 

"Please, let me try one more time. Just one more time to get Cass on our side. She was in shock. She had just found out about her Dad. She probably wasn't thinking clearly." 

"Fine. One more chance is all she gets. Then, she dies." 

"Thank you, Head Mistress." 

"Of course, Julian. I, more than anyone, want her to come home. Still, that doesn't mean I won't kill her if it comes to that." 

"Right." I grab my go coat and run out of HQ. I know I can do this. I'll bring her back. She was in shock, that's all. How could she possibly process what she heard? She couldn't. I mean, it was like her Mom dropped a bomb on her. So, she lashed out. Of course she did. That's Cass. She lashes out at the messenger. But, now that she's had some time, she'll see who she needs to be with. She'll see him for what he really is, a monster. 

I run towards the castle. That castle crawling with vampires. Can't believe we never thought to look there before. Who knows how many vamps are in that hellhole. I'll fight every last one for her if I have to. I won't let that den of monsters take her from me. I know that things can't back to normal. Not after what I put her through. No, it won't be the same. But maybe, with time, she'll be able to forgive me. Maybe we can be friends again. Just maybe. 

I see the big gate in front of me. Alright, how do I get inside? Well, it is day time. So, maybe all the vamps are asleep? I start to climb the gate. 

--------End of Julian's Perspective-----

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

Damn, the breakfasts here are amazing! 

"Okay. I'm officially full. Now, we need to pull up a game plan. It's not as if Julian's gonna be easy to get to." 

"Right." I see Charlie coming towards Mal. Huh, wonder what's up? 

"Excuse me, Master. There is someone climbing the gate. It appears to be a hunter." 

"How strange. Bring him to me. Immediately." 

"Right away, Master" Charlie bows and whooshes off. 

"Um, I have a question." Dani has her own chair now. 

"What is it, sweetie?" 

"I thought vampires couldn't go out in the sun." Yeah, they can't. 

"Right, they can't. They'll burn." I hear Mal chuckle. 

"What?" I look at him. 

"I thought a hunter such as yourself would know this. Clearly you have not been properly trained. Yes, younger vampires burn up in the sun. But, those that are older can be in the sun and not burn." Wait, what?!!!!

"But, how?!" He smirks again, the bastard. 

"As a vampire ages, they grow in power. Simply put, the older vampires can will themselves not to burn." How the hell didn't I know this?!! Some hunter I am. Charlie comes through the doors with a hunter in tow. Wait, that's Julian! 

"Well now, seems that our prey has come to us." 

"Dammit, Mal, don't talk like that. You'll scare him." Charlie puts him down and Julian takes a fighting stance. 

"Hi, Julian." 

"Hi, Cass. We need to talk." 

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing." I get up and offer him my chair. He looks suspicious. Of course he is. He's in enemy territory. 

"Hey, no one's gonna hurt you. Not while I'm here. Okay?" I look into his wary grey eyes and see him thinking. He sits down. Good. Dani gets off of her chair. 

"I'll go play. Find me when you're done. Okay, Momma?" 

"Of course, sweetie. Have fun playing." Julian looks shocked. Right, he doesn't know about my adoptive kid. 

"Um, Cass, when did you get a kid?" 

"Oh, shortly after I found her. She's just so cute. Plus, she has no one to look after her. So, I'm taking her under my wing. But, that's not what you came here to talk about." 

"No, it's not. Can we talk in private? Without him." He jabs a finger in Mal's direction. 

"No. You might try to kill me. Can't have that. So, we have an audience. Say what you need to." 

"Cass. I don't want you dead. I could never kill you. I apologize for my part in all of this. I know things can't go back to normal for us. I just hope one day you can forgive me. I know what your Mom said was a bombshell. I'm sure you were in shock. Hell, it was shocking to me too. And so, you may not have been thinking straight that night. I'm here to offer you, one last time, to come home. To be with your people. I promise you I won't force you into anything. You will be free of me, if that's what you want. Just come home." I can see the pleading in his eyes, the hope. 

"You really are an optimistic son of a b***h, aren't you? Always have been. I know that you are genuinely sorry for what you did. I do forgive your part. I forgive you for what happened. Hell, if you hadn't done what you did, I wouldn't have discovered the world. I wouldn't have found out how blind I've been. This world of hunters, monsters and non-humans. It's a cycle of vengeance. A hunter kills a person, and then that person kills a hunter and on and on it goes. Never stops. I need your help, to break the cycle. To stop the vengeance and violence. To help bring a peace." Shocked doesn't even begin to cover his face. 

"Cass. I am so happy that you forgive me. Really, I am." 

"But-" 

"But, I can't do that. There are monsters out there, Cass. They hurt people, innocent people. I won't stop hunting them." 

"I'm not asking you to. There are monsters, there always will be. I still hunt them. It's the non-humans that I need your help protecting." 

"Cass, they're monsters. This man killed your Dad. He killed him. How can you forgive him for that?" 

"Because he isn't that man anymore. He's changed. Also, I know that my Dad would've killed Mal. Mal is a good person. He's kind. He's not a monster." 

"I don't understand this." 

"How can you? I'm going about this all wrong. The girl. My child, Dani. Is she a monster?" 

"What?" 

"Is Dani a monster? She's not human. She's a witch. You've seen her handiwork yourself. So, is she a monster?" 

"Well. I mean. That's different." 

"Why?" 

"She's just a kid." 

"That kid put you in a hole. She used her powers to stop you from hurting me. Dani could kill you with a blink of her eyes." 

"She wouldn't. Again, she's a kid. Kids are innocent." 

"Tell that to the hunter I gutted. He wanted to kill her. He wanted to take that sweet smile away from this world. So, I killed him. Does that make me a monster?" 

"No! You were just protecting her." 

"That's not how you saw it at the time." 

"I didn't understand. I was distracted. I just thought you killed him out of bloodlust." 

"You thought I was a monster. So, that's what you saw. Just as that hunter saw Dani. So, you see it's not so clear, is it Julian?" 

"Dammit, Cass! I've never seen you as a monster. Never! You're a hunter who has lost her way because of me. I made you run. You don't have to run anymore." 

"A lost hunter, am I? No, I'm not lost. I know exactly where I stand. Do you? Do you know who you're working for?" 

"Look, I know you and your Mom have history. And her dropping that information on you, that was probably hard to handle." 

"That's not it. She sees me as a monster. She wants me dead. And she was going to kill me. I saw it. If anyone is a monster, it's her." 

"You don't know what you're saying. Your Mom sent me here to bring you home. She wants you home more than anyone. She loves you!" 

"If she loved me, then how could she kill me? How could she, in front of all of hunterdom, in front of the world, tell me who killed my Father? How could she say it as if it was nothing? How could she do that to me?! Answer me, dammit!!" 

"Cass, she has her reasons. She is the Head Huntress. If you turn into a monster, then she is the one who has to kill you. That doesn't mean she wants to though." 

"But, I'm not a monster. You're the one who said you don't see me that way." 

"And I don't. You just sided with monsters to get away from me. You did it to escape." 

"But, that's just it. They're not monsters. You're still not hearing me. You're not listening. What makes a person a monster?" 

"If they're not human. Then, they're a monster." 

"By that logic, Dani is a monster." 

"Dammit, Cass. We're going in circles. Dani isn't a monster cause she's a kid. Kids can't be monsters." 

"So, what is she then?" 

"She's a kid." 

"But, she's not human. She's a witch." 

"Yeah, but that doesn't change her innocence. I know that there are hunters who think differently. And those are the ones we need to discipline and weed out. I get that. I even understand why you killed that hunter. You were protecting her." 

"Yes, I was. Because she is an innocent child who doesn't deserve to be hunted just because she isn't human." 

"Alright, I get it. But what about the three hunters you murdered last night? What did they do?" 

"They nearly beat a woman to death. I stopped it." Julian looks shocked again. 

"They beat a human woman?" 

"No, she wasn't human. All she was doing was walking home. She didn't do a damn thing and yet they were beating her. Not killing her. Not slaying her, they were beating her. They were enjoying themselves. And then I eviscerated them. Because I hunt monsters and they were monstrous." 

"Cass. I don't know what to say. We hunt monsters, that's what we do." 

"Yeah, monsters. Not innocent people. And we sure as hell don't beat the s**t out of them. We don't bully and we don't torture. At least, that's what i thought." 

"You're just seeing some bad hunters, that's all. When you come home, you can talk to your Mom about it. Explain why you did what you did." 

"You know what she'll say. 'What does it matter, they were monsters.'" 

"Cass, your Mom is more understanding than you think. She let me come here and talk to you. Even though you turned your back, even though you've killed people. She's willing to give you one more chance to come home." 

"Yes, one chance. The second I step out of line, she'll kill me. You and I both know it. Let's not pretend different." 

"I can intercede for you. Get her to agree to let you remain unmarried." 

"That's not what I want. I don't want to go back there. I don't want to live with her. I don't want to be that kind of hunter. I like being here. This is my home. This is where I belong." 

"Cass, please. You can't stay here. He killed your Dad. He took him from you." 

"Yes, he did. He apologized and he made up for his actions. My Mother has not done the same." 

"You haven't let her!" 

"Julian. When my Dad died. I went to her. I was crying, I was just a child. I was sad and alone and I wanted my Mom. You know what she did? She told me to stop crying, that it was weak. That I needed to be strong. So, I stopped. I went to hug her and she pushed me away. She physically pushed me away. She never told me what happened. I had to find that out on my own. No, she never told me anything. Never talked about him. Until that night. That night when she shoved my Dad's death down my throat in order to gain the upper hand. In order to upset me. She used it to hurt me. To get me to switch sides. The only thing it did was tell me exactly who she is. She is a monster. And if she ever tries to kill me, I will kill her. And I won't feel a damn thing. Cause I know she won't." I get up and walk away. 

I walk up the stairs. I can't do this. I can feel the tears hit my cheeks. s**t. I need....I need....I need Mal. 

End of Chapter 14