Hunter Wars

Chapter 4

As I lie here waiting for whatever these vile creatures are going to be doing to me, my mind drifts to Phillip and the way he has always been so kind to me ever since the day he found me. I was wandering around the city out of my mind with blood lust. I didn't understand what was happening to me at the time. I was in front of the mall stalking a young man, I was just about to grab him when I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and start to drag me back. I started to struggle against his hold. I dug my fingernails into his arm drawing blood. With each swipe of my nails, he never loosens his grip.

"Stop it, I'm not going to hurt you," a man's husky voice says inside my ear, "I'm going to help you. But to do so, you have to stop fighting me. Do you understand?" This man has the nerve to say he is trying to help me when he is the one holding me back from what I want. I throw my head back connecting my head with his nose and with that he grunts and lets me go to hold his nose. I take off sprinting after my prey. The only thing on my mind now is food. I must have blood, that is the only thing I can think about. My veins burn with the dryness.

I get maybe ten feet away from my attacker when he tackles me to the ground. "Okay, that was not very nice of you. If you could just be still long enough I can explain how all this is going to work." Laying under him not seeing a way out of this I just nod. This man is stronger than me and I'm not sure I would be able to take him. "Good," I can feel his weight being lifted off me. "Turn around and face me slowly, as long as you do as I say I will not have to restrain you again."

I sit up and turn to face him. I look at his ice-blue eyes and wait for what he is going to say next. "I want you to come with me. I will be able to help you with that blood lust you are having. I'm going to guess that you weren’t turned long all that long ago." Turned? What does he mean turned? I just woke up feeling hungry and wanting to sink my teeth into anyone's neck to get a taste of their blood. Finally a moment of clarity since waking up in the alley. Turned, blood, oh my gosh I have been turned into a blood-sucking vampire!

"Wake up!" I hear some yell right next to my ear slapping me across the face. I open my eyes and see Morris standing there looking smug. "Did you have a nice nap, Cleo?" I look at him feeling very weak and my veins are burning to remind me what it was like the first night I was turned. "Now then. Are you ready to talk now?" If he thinks I'm going to tell them anything, he is sadly mistaken. I stick my tongue out at him in reply. He chuckles under his breath and dangles a red bag over my face. "Now is that any way to behave when I can give you what you are needing?"

"Sir, there is a commotion at the top entrance." I hear someone come in and say. Morris moves out of my eyesight and I hear "Vampires?" from someone. "We are not sure if it is the vampires or just some curious humans coming to trespass on the cave."

"Johnathan, take our friend here back to her cell. This discussion will have to be later after we find out who is at our door," Morris says. Then I feel the straps that are keeping me pinned in place begin to loosen. As I sit up I feel very weak and the cuts down my stomach are still flowing. I place my hand on one of them and bring the blood to my lips. It won't do much good but it is better than nothing.

Johnathan grabs me by my upper arm to stand me to my feet and I begin to wobble. "Can you stay on your feet long enough for me to get you out of this room?" Jonathan asks me as he helps me gain my balance. I give a slight nod of my head as he leads me slowly to the door. I never knew that a vampire could ever feel this weak but I suppose that is what happens when you have been bleeding out for hours.

Once we are outside the doors Johnathan scoops me up into his arms. "What….what are you doing?" I stammer out pushing against his chest trying to get him to release me.

"If you don't stop I will drop you and be forced to take you to your cell. I want to take you somewhere else for the day." Can this man get any more confusing? First, he tries to kill me in the club. Then, he doesn't put the collar on me that would allow him to control me. Next, he actually does the torturing himself. And now, he’s not taking me back to my cell. Clearly, this man has something wrong with his brain. I don't struggle against him anymore and allow him to carry me like a baby. We go in the opposite directions of the cells that I was being held in. We go down another long hallway that is slanted up like we are headed above ground. Once we come to a door he sets me on my feet. "Stay here and don't move from this spot. I have to make sure the way is clear to move you."

I just huff at him and watch him open the door with his palm and then he slips through the door and closes it behind him. I am left bracing myself against a wall. I look down at my stomach and my shirt is drenched in my blood. I need to try to slow the bleeding to keep a little bit of strength. I remove my tank top and start to make strips of fabric out of it to tie around my stomach. Standing here in my bra I begin to wrap the fabric as tight as I can around my stomach. It probably won't do much but hopefully slows it down enough to allow me to stay conscious.

I hear footsteps coming down the hall. I back myself into the shadows as much as I can so that I won't be noticed. "Come on, Hunter. Where are you?" I ask him in a whisper. The footsteps are getting closer. There is no way if they come to the door that they won't see me. I start to get really anxious waiting here for either Johnathan to come back or the other hunters to find me. Just when I don't think I can stand here any longer, Johnathan opens the door and pulls me through. I look at him. "Just in time there, Captain," I say with a little more venom in my voice than I should.

"I had to make sure the coast was clear. Unless you want to go back to the cell? I didn't know you were so fond of it," he spits back at me. He picks me back up cradling me once again and heads down the very pretty hallway. The floor has a really soft-looking carpet lining it and there are pictures of storms and sailboats going down the walls. This is definitely not something I'd have imagined hunters living in. I watch Johnathan as he is carrying me down the hall. We reach another door and he opens it with his hand and once we step into the room I see that it is a bedroom. It has a large bed in the middle of the room with a red comforter on top of it. There are two bookshelves filled with books.

"Nice place, Cap," I tell him, starting to feel a little fuzzy in my head. My head rolls back and I feel like I am about to blackout. He lays me down on the bed and starts to untie my makeshift bandages around my waist. "I'm really sorry that I had to do this to you," he tells me as he is looking at the cuts that he made on my body. "If I don't follow orders it could mean my head. I know that it is messy but I don't like it when I have to be the one causing the mess." I meet his purple gaze and shrug at his words. "I have something that might make it up to you a little bit." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out the antidote to the blade. I reach up to grab it but he pulls it away from me.

"If I give this to you, you have to swear not to attack me. I am trying to help you get out of here with your life and give you a fair chance in this war. I'm not sure why, but I believed you when you told me you are not a monster. I want you to prove that that belief is right." I nod to him and tell him I swear. He removes the cap from the vial and pours it onto my stomach. I wince a little as the magic goes to work mending my skin. It takes no longer than a few seconds and I can feel that the cuts are gone. Now, if only he had a blood bag for me to drink to replenish my energy.

"Thank you," I tell him as I sit up in the bed and scoot myself against the headboard so I can be facing him. He may have just given me the antidote, but this could all be part of their plan to make me trust one of them enough to spill my secrets. I'm still weakened from the blood loss but it wasn't enough to make me go into a feeding frenzy. So this hunter is safe for now unless he gives me a reason to take him out. I look down at my stomach to see faint lines across it, it is amazing how magic works. "So do you bring a lot of vampire girls to your room?" I ask, trying to break the silence that has fallen between us.

He lets out a laugh and perches on the side of the bed. "No. You would be the first vampire to step foot in this room. As a matter of fact, you are the first vampire to my knowledge that has ever been on this side of that door." He looks over at me and runs his eyes down my body and I see a faint hint of red in his cheeks. "Umm….would you like me to get you a new shirt?" he asked me. I look down at my red lace bra and start to smile.

"Does this make you uncomfortable, Cap?" I ask him as I lean up to get a little closer to him. I just want to have a little fun with him. See what kind of buttons I can push. Who knows maybe if I push the right ones he might let me get out of here faster. What is that old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer? I sit up on my knees on the bed and run my fingernail over his cheek and smile sweetly at him. I place my other hand on his chest in order to keep my balance as the room starts to spin.

He quickly gets off the bed and heads to his closet. When he moves I go face-first to the mattress, that did not go as planned. I hear him rummaging in his closet. When he returns he is holding a black t-shirt and holds it out to me. I take it and place it over my head and start to fall backward. I need to find blood soon. "You don't look too good. Are you alright?" he asks me.

"For a hunter, you don't really know much about vampires do you?" I look at him rolling my eyes how can this man be a Captain in the hunter army if he knows next to nothing about us. "I know your kind attacks the humans and leeches off their blood in order to become more powerful." Oh, I see. They think we drink just to become powerful.

"I'm sorry to break it to you. But, we drink blood to stay alive. I only drink from blood bags, the only time I take a vein is when I have to." I lean my head back begging everything to stop spinning for just a few minutes.

"Do you need to take from me?" Jonathan asks and holds out his wrist looking me in the eye.