by Rue Volley
“Halo.” He said with his beautiful accent. I had never hated my name, but coming from his lips it sounded like song.
“Dorin, I…” I started to say and he stepped up and cupped my face with one hand. I closed my eyes as if I had no control with him, as if he was leading and I was simply a follower. He then leaned in and I could not feel breath, as he did not breathe, but I could feel his presence. It engulfed my senses, each one, taste, touch, smell. It was as if he set my inner animal on fire. I parted my lips and took a small breath as his eyes watched me. Then he turned me and held me close to him. When I opened my eyes a knife was placed to my throat and I sighed, knowing this was a fucking test as everything was here.
“Fuck me.”
“It looks as if I could.” Dorin whispered into my ear as I reached up, twisted his hand and cracked every bone in it. He dropped the knife and I flipped him over me, slamming his body into my mirror and shattering it to pieces. He laughed as he laid in the mess and stared up at me. I shook my head at him and felt completely disgusted. Of course they were testing me, I am a killer of killers now.
I heard clapping behind me as Gunner stepped into my room and stared at Dorin on the floor.
“Well, that is good.” He said to me as I became a bit flush. I hoped he did not think that I liked Dorin; I mean he was obviously using his vampire voodoo bullshit on me. I narrowed my eyes and looked down at Dorin who grinned up at me.
“Fuck you.” I said as he pushed himself up and then pulled his mangled hand up. He popped one finger back into place and then the rest. He then turned his wrist and reset the bones as his vampire blood fixed the rest.
“That was brilliant Halo.”
“Oh thanks.” I said as I stared him down.
He leaned into my face and then tapped my nose.
“There was no chance I would have fucked you, I prefer boys.” He whispered and I opened my mouth to yell at him but he walked away as I turned and looked infuriated. Gunner placed his hand over his mouth and watched me as Dorin left my room and closed the door behind him. I shook my head as my arms crossed on my chest once again and Gunner kept his laughter to a minimum. He then watched me as I stepped up to my mirror and looked at all of the shards on the floor. I looked down and saw many of me, all splintered off and in bits and pieces just as I felt now. I was not quite sure of who I was, who I would become or where I was headed. Then Gunner stepped up behind me and I saw him in the shards along with me. I calmed down as he looked …right, as if standing behind me made a difference. I turned, having to look upward as he was at least a foot taller than I was.
“That was bullshit Gunner.”
He reached up and touched my hair as the small act just left me a bit flustered in a seriously hot way. He pulled his hand back and had a small piece of mirror in his hand. He looked at it as he turned it over in his hand and then tossed it behind me. It landed amongst the rest of the mess on my floor.
“It was a necessary evil Halo.”
“Really? I really needed to be humiliated by a vampire?”
“You needed to understand how dangerous they are, a vampire is a worthy advisory and to survive with them you have to stay focused and impervious to their lure.”
“I feel like an asshole.”
He paused and I tilted my head.
“You are not an asshole, it doesn’t matter who you are, a vampire is a predator and can kill at will. They are built for it. I am just grateful that Dorin is a Hellhound and not a target. He would be a pain in the ass to kill.”
“I can only imagine.” I said as he watched me walk to the window and stare out at the setting sun. The sky was streaked in pink and gray as the sun was quickly escaping this world and travelling to the next. I knew that we would be going out soon to kill, my first hunt. I won’t lie, I am nervous. I mean what if I…
“You will be amazing Halo.” Gunner said as he stepped up next to me and stared out at the sky with me. The colors lit up his face and I had a hard time ignoring his beauty. He was truly stunning and before I could look away he turned and looked down at me. His expression was calm, as always, which was confusing. He seemed to a master of hiding his emotions, I, on the other hand, seemed to be a fucking failure at it.
“What if I fuck up?” I said to him and he stepped up to me and took my hands, he held them and let his thumbs run across the tops of both of them, sending small waves of nervousness up my arms. I looked at his hands as he watched my face too closely. He then cleared his throat.
“You are a Hellhound, just as I am. We are protectors of this world and we were chosen for a reason. We have greatness inside of us, not only are we able to kill that which should not be, but we have compassion. It is a blend that is not found often. You should be proud to be with us Halo. This is a mission that we cannot fail at, many lives depend on us and I have faith in you as does everyone here.”
“Really, I mean you believe me?” I asked him and he leaned up as I closed my eyes and prepared for the kiss I knew was coming, then I opened one eye as he spoke to me.
“You will be amazing, now come.”
I opened my other eye and once again felt like an asshole for prepping for the kiss that would not come. I had to get this shit out of my mind. The one kiss he had given to me in the elevator was obviously out of pity and not love. He let go of my hands and walked to my door as I stood there and sighed. Maybe this was Hell for me, having this hot guy so close and yet a million miles away.
“Halo?” he said and I nodded to him.
“I am ready.” I started to follow him as my heart sank a little deeper into my chest.
Chapter Five
HUNT
I lowered my goggles that Finna had handed to me before we came on the hunt. They reminded me of some Steampunk style glasses, all bronzed metal with two spikes coming off the tops of each round lens. The strap was the same color and held my red hair in place as I watched Ari riding a beast from hell. We had encountered it while on this first hunt, it appeared as a small child on a street corner like some fucked up horror movie, but when Gunner leaned into my shoulder and told me to lower my goggles I could suddenly see it for what it was. Unfortunately we cannot see the demons as they appear on earth unless we wear, what I will call “Demon vision goggles”, which is almost comical. I mean we are Hellhounds, we can feel the demons, just not see them as they are because earth is an even playing ground as both Lucifer and God fight for control of it.
“Mother Fucker!” Ari screamed at the beast as he held onto his back. I stared at him as he stabbed his long knife over and over again into the side of its neck. Black blood oozed and covered his hand and then squirted onto his face as the beast screamed and exposed rows of sharpened dagger like teeth. It must have been 11 feet tall, three large men wide and its skin looked charred, like it had been roasting in a fire pit. It glowed between the cracks like fire raced through it and perhaps it did. This was a demon we had tracked down and now fought in this back alley, as time seemed to stand still. When we fight no one can see it here, time stops for humans, or “mortals” as I should get used to calling them now. I am not mortal; I will never be that again.
“For shits sake, kill it already!” Finna screamed up at him as Ari rolled his eyes.
“Does it look like I am playing?” he yelled back at her as she shook her head and leaned into me.
“I think he is losing his ability to kick ass.” She said, loud enough so he could hear her.
“Oh really?” he yelled down as the beast spun and tossed him across the alley and into the brick wall. A few bricks fell as he did, he lay still in a lump of fur for a moment and then I stepped forward, but Finna held her arm out and stopped me. Ari stood up and shook off the brick dust as the beast extended his arms out and screamed in his direction, it belched fire, as you would expect a demon of hell to do.
“Come on!” Ari screamed as he lunged forward. The beast ran at him as Ari suddenly leapt into the air. Finna tossed him his large ax and he swung it as his body spun i
n the air. The ax made contact with the side of the beast’s thick neck and started to plow through it like butter as Ari gritted his teeth and yelled like the Viking king that he truly was. Finna crossed her arms on her chest as the ax went through the demons neck and it stood there for a moment as Ari landed, his fist hitting the ground, ax tightly held in the other and he rose up. The demon head dropped before him and body slammed to the ground, making a rumbling noise beneath out feet. I stood there as Finna walked up to him and then the tongues and making out became a bit disgusting. There wasn’t much that the two of them did that was not aggressive and looked like it may hurt a little bit. I jumped slightly as Gunner touched my arm and I looked up at him. He lifted my goggled to the top of my head as my eyes remained wide. I must have looked like I may be in shock.
“Are you okay?” he asked me and I nodded to him. I had no choice. I mean what was I to do? Say “Oh listen, I think I shit my pants?” which would be closer to the truth, but not beneficial to me or this team.
“Good, because the next one is yours.”
“What?” I said as my voice cracked and I followed him out of the alley.
Dorin stepped up next to me and grinned.
“You are about to pop your cherry.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced at him.
“I am not talking to you yet.”
“Really?”
“Really.” I said as I started to follow Gunner. He walked down the middle of the street.
“Don’t hate me Halo.” I stopped and turned to him. I raised my sword into his face and he grinned, his teeth still looking normal and quite human.
“What you did was not cool.”
“What I did will someday save your life and that is my job, to show you what a vampire can do.”
I tilted my head as I watched his teeth elongate in his mouth and he looked behind me.
“Oh shit.” I said as I started to turn. I then saw a man, walking towards me. He looked normal, business suit, clean cut. I then looked back at Dorin.
“What?”
“Googles?” he said to me as I lowered them and turned to see what I could have done without, a demon, a nasty one. He looked a few feet taller than Ari’s had and this one had wings that expanded out to his sides. It then stopped and stared me down as its wings rose up higher and it suddenly screamed at me as it leaned forward, its claw like feet tearing into asphalt like sand. It flapped its wings and that, combined with its stinky hot breath, blew my hair back as Dorin stood behind me and avoided it. He then nudged me from behind and I almost stumbled. I looked back at him and raised my eyebrows. He waved his hand as if he was telling me to get on with it. I took a deep breath and turned back, gripping my sword tightly in both hands as the beast stood up taller and I watched it rise. Fuck me.
“Listen. I am new at this so I would appreciate it if you just settled the fuck down.” I yelled up at it as it stopped and tilted its head at me. I then nodded to it.
“Yes, this is my first time so let’s just be civil.”
It then started to laugh, a deep and rumbling one that was a pure mockery of me and I knew it. I mean am I really trying to reason with it? I glanced behind me and Dorin was shaking his head.
“Not prudent.” He said to me as I turned and suddenly felt the grip of its large hand around me. It lifted me up to its face as I tried to remain calm. Gunner stepped up next to Dorin and stared up at me.
“Shit.” He started to step forward, but Dorin stopped him.
“You know that is not the way we do things; she has to do this on her own Gunner, no help from us at all.”
He looked back at me as he lowered his knife and stared the beast down. He knew, as I did not yet, that I had to kill on my own this first time out or the branding would rise from me and out of my skin. It would leave me to go back to purgatory forever so he could not interfere.
“Gunner?” I yelled as it started to shake me like a rag doll. Gunner gripped his knife tightly and gritted his teeth as Dorin sighed.
“You have to stop this.”
“Stop what?” Gunner asked him and Dorin touched his shoulder.
“You protect mortals, not us.”
Gunner looked down and the memory of his sister falling to a beast played over again in his head. He knew he had to stand down, but his heart ached for his sister and now for me.
I felt the last shake and then gritted my teeth as the beast pulled me close to its face and stared me down. It then opened its mouth and popped me into it like a fucking snack at midnight. Gunner and Dorin cried out as the beast swallowed me whole and Ari and Finna came running up and stared in horror.
“Did it eat her?” Finna yelled as Ari gripped his ax and ran forward. Just as he started to swing his ax the beast suddenly cried out and started to stumble, back and forth and then it held its stomach as I started to cut my way from it. I screamed loudly as I shoved my sword into the fiery flesh and slice through it like butter. The beast tried to expand its wings and managed to get a few feet from the ground as I finally cut through the layers of its flesh and could see a bit of the outside world. I gritted my teeth and pushed down on the blade and cut a long hole and then lunged forward, pushing my way out of it as the beast cried out one last time and fell onto its back, wings trembling and chest slowly lowering as the fire extinguished itself inside of it. I pushed upward and climbed out, standing up and slamming my sword into the flesh, letting it stand independently as I reached up and wiped muck from my goggles. I flicked my hands and looked down as Gunner, Dorin, Ari and Finna stood there, mouths hanging open as they stared me down. I lifted my goggles and then looked down at my vinyl dress. I was covered in demon muck.
“Is it always so fucking messy?” I asked as I looked up at all of them and they started to laugh, at first I thought I did something wrong, but when Gunner ran up and held his hands out to me, I knew. He held me by the waist and helped me down, holding me a bit longer that I expected, I knew that I had proven myself and I was so relieved. Ari and Finna came running up and slapped my shoulders and back as they laughed too. Dorin remained where he was, but the grin on his face told me that I had done well and with that my branding sank deep inside of me and made me the Hellhound I was destined to become.
***
I sat in the large black porcelain bathtub and let the very hot water relax me. I had no idea that I would feel this way. That some traces of my mortality would linger, leaving me sore. I guess I should not be surprised. I mean I am capable of feelings, feelings I did not know I could have for someone. Those I tried to swallow for Gunner, but it seemed to linger inside of me as did his kiss. I then heard the door open and close behind me as I sunk down a bit further, but when I heard his voice, something in me made me rise up and simply sit in the water, letting my breasts remain exposed. Gunner stood in the large bathroom with his back to me. I glanced behind me and grinned.
“Hello.” I said as he remained still and then decided to speak to me.
“I am so proud of you Halo. I just wanted to say…”
I stood up and stepped out of the bathtub, my new found power making me more aggressive, as the Hellhound in me started to take over. I stepped up behind him, water streaming down my skin as he stood rigid and refusing to turn.
“Gunner.” I said in a softer tone, even a tone that was a bit foreign to my own ears. He then turned slowly as I stood there before him completely naked. His eyes remained on mine until I stepped closer to him and his wandered down, but quickly settled back onto mine. I grinned as I reached up and touched his face, my hand gently touching his skin as he closed his eyes. I pulled it back and touched his lips with the tips of my fingers, I sighed as the memory of his kiss was making me want him so badly. He opened his eyes, his expression looking more vulnerable than I expected from him.
“Stay.” I whispered as he took a slow and deliberate breath.
“I should have waited, until you…” he started to say and I grinned.
“I wanted you to co
me, I hoped that you would.”
He stepped closer to me and then scooped me up into his arms, walking me back to the tub as he kissed me softly. He stopped and set me down as I reached up and pulled at the bottom of his shirt. He stopped me as his hands touched mine and he pulled it over his head on his own very slowly, his eyes never left mine. He then dropped his shirt to the floor as I looked at his chest. It was large and muscular, I let my hands touch his stomach first, feeling the muscles tighten even more and tremble a bit as I started to move them upward. I felt his hands on my sides, strong and willing as they pressed against my skin. I leaned in and let my lips gently kiss his chest, he made a small noise, a moan of sorts that rose from the back of his throat involuntarily. I then opened my mouth and bit into him, not hard in anyway, but just enough so that he sighed and let his head fall back. I then lowered and started to undo his pants, but he reached down and pulled me back up, he lifted me into the tub and I stood there as he kissed me on my neck. He jerked at his belt and then tossed it aside, undoing his pants and leaning down slightly to pull them off. He never stopped kissing my skin, refusing to break contact with me but when he straightened up I moved back to see him and I felt my heartbeat speed up as his body was amazing, his cock rock hard and very large. I watched as he stepped into the tub. I stepped up and pushed him down into a sitting position as I straddled him. I reached into the water and guided him into me as I hissed and felt the size of him fill me up as I had never been before. He gritted his teeth as I lowered down very slowly and took the length of him into myself, my pussy tightening on him as he stared into my eyes.
“Halo.” He whispered as he was already half out of breath. I grinned and rotated my hips against him, his moan turning into a growl as he placed his hand to the back of head and wound in fingers into my long red hair. I rose and fell, getting into a rhythm that pleasured him beyond anything he had experienced before along with myself. I stopped suddenly and stared into his eyes.
“This is not a test right?” I said to him and he reached down and cupped my ass with two hands as he suddenly thrust upward and shoved me closer to him, my clit was suddenly being massaged as he continued to do this. I opened my mouth as the climax started to rise in my lower abdomen and threatened to consume me.
