Raven's Desires (Night Hunters)

by Reily, Aminta

  “Veronica. Where is Raven?”

  Veronica blinked. “I don’t know. I walked into the café and then I was out. I woke a moment ago and Raven was gone. Looks like she was taken.”

  Veronica pointed to the wall.

  “Where is the security footage?” Shane asked.

  “In Billy’s office.”

  “Stay here.”

  Kristian followed Shane to the back room. Shane broke the door handle with one pull, and opened the door.

  “Back that up,” Kristian ordered when he saw the camera equipment.

  Shane sat down and worked the controllers, going back until the diner lights were off.”

  “Stop, now go forward some.”

  Shane screened slowly until Veronica and Raven walked into the café.

  They watched closely.

  “There,” Kristian pointed at the screen when Alec walked into the room. “I knew that bastard was up to something.”

  “I’m going to have to kill him this time,” Shane said as they watched the video.

  Kristian’s heart felt as if it dropped when he saw his mate press a syringe into her arm. He knew why she had done it, Alec had another needle pressed to Veronica’s neck.

  “What the fuck is that?” Shane stopped the camera when Alec carried Raven out of the door.

  “Back it up.”

  Shane backed it up to the point where Raven injected herself.

  “Stop. Look, she threw it under the booth. Get that tape, let’s go.”

  Raven, why would you do that? Where are you my love?

  When no answer came he kept looking for the needle Raven had tossed under the booth.

  “What are you looking for and where is Raven?”

  “Veronica, can you remember anything?” Shane asked.

  Veronica shook her head.

  “I got it,” Kristian said.

  “What the hell is that?”

  “That’s what we have to find out. For now, Veronica, look at me,” Shane spoke.

  Kristian let Shane do his mind trick on Veronica while he jumped in his car to drive to the Council.

  * * * *

  Raven woke to notice that she was not in her bed. Where the hell was she?

  “Raven, you are awake.”

  The dark voice made her jump into a sitting position. The lights in the room came on. A tall man stood at the door dressed in a white shirt and black slacks.

  “Who are you?”

  Raven moved closer to the headboard.

  “And where am I?”

  “You are in Meadville, where you have been all your life. I am your father’s best friend, Alec Sullivan. I came the moment I heard your parents were killed in a house fire.”

  “What! When did this happen? I have to go to them!”

  “Easy, Raven.”

  Alec walked into the room.

  “Fire rescue found you right outside the door of your home. They say you were passed out.”

  Raven frowned.

  “Why don’t I remember you?”

  “I used to come over to your home all the time. The doctor at the hospital told me that you may have had a slight concussion and will have a hard time remembering things.”

  “How long was I out?”

  “A couple of days.”

  “I want to go to see my home. I want to see my parent’s bodies.”

  “Sorry, Raven. Your parents left instructions to cremate them and spread their ashes in the lake.”

  “What? I never knew of this? So you are telling me that I missed my own parent’s funeral?”

  Raven grabbed her head, feeling it pound.

  “What’s going on? I feel so sick, so dizzy.”

  “Calm, my slayer. Let the mixture work. You remember everything I’m telling you. You accept this and move on. In a few days we will leave this town, just for a while.”

  Raven heard his words, fighting him, but still accepting what he said.

  Chapter 11

  Kristian burst into the Council’s laboratory.

  “Vampire, you can’t be down here,” Dominick, a young demon seeker spoke as he walked inside.

  Others around the lab stopped and waited to see what Kristian would do to Dominick.

  “I don’t have time for your games—find out what this is and tell me quickly.”

  Kristian placed the needle into his hand.

  “Where…where did you get that?”

  “My mate was forced to inject herself with whatever is in this needle. Now hurry up, shadow demon.”

  “Wait,” Dominick said as Kristian began to walk off.

  “What?” Kristian growled, his eyes glowing red in the room.

  “It’s just that, this needle, the engraved signature on the side of it lets me know right away that whatever is in this was created by a Dreamwalker.”

  Kristian grabbed Dominick’s shirt hauling him up in the air. “I don’t care who or what invented it, find out what it does.”

  Kristian turned to see Shane coming down the stairs.

  “Let him down, Kristian.”

  Kristian snarled at Shane, his nails growing long and sharp. The demon he had in the air shook uncontrollably. Shane took a step back from Kristian.

  “If you kill him, then we can’t find out what is in the needle.”

  Kristian had to control the anger flowing through him. He wanted his mate back and he wanted her now. His mate was gone and he didn’t know if she had killed herself or what.

  Kristian snarled, but then released the guy, who fell to the ground.

  “You have ten minutes.”

  Kristian stalked upstairs without another word.

  * * * *

  Do as I say. Don’t ask any questions. Do as I say. Don’t ask any questions.

  Raven groaned coming awake to see Alec standing over her.

  “Is this how I’m going to wake always, with you hovering over me?”

  Alec let out a low chuckle.

  “No. But I need you to get dressed. We have to go out and do something before leaving.”

  “Oh. That’s right, we are leaving town. Where are we going to move to?”

  “I don’t know. What do you think of New York?”

  “Never been there. What’s going on?”

  “Raven, you know what you are don’t you? You kept it a secret.”

  Raven thought back. She remembered something about her being a fighter. She was here to do things for Alec. He would protect her now that her parents were dead.

  “Yes, I remember what I am.”

  “So you know of your talents?”

  Raven nodded.

  “Good. This is going to be fun.”

  * * * *

  Kristian looked at his phone when it beeped. He jumped up from the chair, running out the door.

  “Where are you going?” he heard Shane asked from behind.

  Kristian drove his car wildly th,rough the streets, not caring for anything. Elisabeth sent him a message saying Raven was home.

  “Raven!” he yelled her name as he walked into the living room.

  His beloved mate stood from the couch. Her eyes were glossy.

  “Are you alright?”

  He ran up to her, hugging her.

  Raven shied away from his touch.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”

  Kristian’s heart felt as if it fell to the floor at those words.

  “How…why did you come here?”

  “I don’t know. Some strange force pulled me to this area. Who are you?”

  “Raven, I’m your mate, Kristian. Your partner for life.”

  It came to him that Raven had to inject herself with a forgetting solution. But why had Alec released her?

  “I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”

  Kristian looked up to Elisabeth as she walked up to him.

  “She was wondering around the grounds when I pulled up. She didn’t remember me so I sent you a message. I will leave you be. Call
me if you need me.”

  Kristian nodded then turned his attention back to Raven.

  “So you don’t remember the fight with Alec? Him making you inject yourself with something?”

  Raven shook her head. “I don’t feel anything inside. I feel so empty. I have nothing. I remember nothing.”

  Raven fell to her knees crying.

  Kristian picked her up and carried her upstairs, laying her on the bed.

  He lay beside her, holding her as she cried.

  “Don’t cry, love. We will figure out how to get your memories back, then I’m going to kill that bastard when I see him.”

  Kristian stroked her hair, holding her close. He thought he had lost her. In a way he still had. She didn’t remember him, but at least she allowed him to comfort her. When she pulled away earlier his heart broke at the thought of her not wanting him to touch her.

  Raven stopped crying and lay there for several minutes not talking.

  “Raven?” he called her name making sure she hadn’t falling asleep.

  Raven lifted her head from his chest, her brown eyes staring at him.

  “Are you okay?”

  Raven watched him for a few moments then pressed her lips to his. At first, Kristian wanted to pull back but the thought of them showing emotions might trigger something in her mind. Raven deepened the kiss, pushing him to his back, then moving over him.

  Raven pulled back, staring at him again.

  “I don’t know why, but I feel this pull to you. I want you to be inside me.”

  Kristian shook his head.

  “You don’t want me?”

  “God knows I want you, Raven but I don’t think it is right to take you now, when you don’t remember what we shared. The love we had.”

  Raven tugged at the sundress she had on, tossing it to the floor of the room. Kristian growled at seeing her sitting on top of him with nothing but a bra on.

  “Make me remember, Kristian.” She moaned as she unclasped her bra.

  Kristian could not deny his mate a release, even if she didn’t remember him. He sat up, kissing her deeply. Raven fumbled with his pants while they kissed. She reached inside, wrapping her hand around him, releasing him from his pants. She stroked him, sending pleasure to every nerve in his body. Raven didn’t wait for him to undress—she raised up and, before he could protest, ease her body onto his. They both moaned into each other’s mouth, never breaking the kiss.

  They moved together as one, the passion growing inside them both. Kristian didn’t take Raven fast as he wanted. He made love to her, hoping that something would trigger a memory.

  Raven made love to him all that night and into the morning hours until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.

  Kristian woke from a sharp pain shooting through his leg. He tried to sit up but chains held him in place.

  Raven stood at the edge of the bed, fully dressed and staring down at him with a snarl on her face.

  “Good girl,” Alec said as he walked into the room.

  Kristian tugged at the chains when the vampire moved up to his mate and touched her face. Fury went through him.

  “Easy, vampire, don’t hurt yourself,” Alec taunted.

  “Did I do well?”

  “Yes, you did, my young slayer.”

  “Thank you. I don’t have to pretend to want him anymore do I?”

  Kristian stopped moving. She had pretended to want him? This was all some plot.

  Kristian blinked a couple of times staring at her, his heart feeling as if it would break.

  “Look at her one last time, Kristian,” Alec said, touching Raven as he did. “You will never see her again. Enjoy your time in prison.

  Kristian let the darkness take over him. He couldn’t fight it knowing that his love did not love him anymore.

  * * * *

  “Kristian man, tell me that you did not do this,” Shane voice woke him from his sleep.

  Kristian opened his eyes to see his room was full of people. He made sure he could move before sitting up in the bed.

  “Do what?”

  “Look around? You drained these girls!”

  Kristian looked in his bed, there were two naked girl’s body next to him.

  “What? Shane, you know I didn’t do this!”

  Arthas walked into the room, his lovely wife following in his footsteps.

  “Take him away, trial begins at sunset.”

  “What are you talking about? You know damn well I didn’t kill these girls.”

  Three vampires surrounded him, gripping him.

  “Don’t fight it, Kristian,” Jana said.

  Kristian let them men pull him down the stairs and stuff him in a black car with tinted windows.

  He looked out as Shane walked onto the porch staring at him as the car drove off.

  * * * *

  Hours later they had put him in a cell with no windows. He had fallen asleep not believing that this was happening.

  The sound of keys in the keyhole woke Kristian from his restless sleep. All night, he dreamed of Raven, his Blood Mate, his life, deceiving him for Alec. A slayer killer. Now, he had nothing to live for. He lost Raven and he knew that he would never get her back. Kristian knew that even his father couldn’t get him out of this now, not that he would bring his family’s power into play. Yes, they were strong and controlled most of the Council but nothing could be done when you were convicted of committing murder, especially human.

  “Let’s go Blackburn,” Jasmine Hayes said from the cage door.

  Kristian stood from the cot and followed the Dreamwalker out the door.

  Jasmine stood at the door that she wanted Kristian to go into. Kristian walked inside the room. Every chair in the room was filled with all types of beings. Some he seen before, some he’d never met. Shane sat in the front row of the guest seat. Arthas walked into the room the moment he made it to the table.

  Arthas fumbled through stacks of papers, looking through them carefully.

  “Kristian Blackburn, you are brought here today to be sentenced for killing humans…”

  “I didn’t kill any humans!” Kristian interrupted. “That fuck, Alec, framed me!”

  Arthas looked up from his paperwork.

  “Don’t interrupt me again, Blackburn.”

  Blackburn? Did he just called him out as if he meant nothing to the Council? All the shit he did for him!

  “Now, looking at your paperwork. We will put a hold on your accounts. Myself and the Council will not sentence you to death, but you will spend two-hundred years in Acadia. After that you will return to the Council and try to renew your membership.”

  “What the fuck!” Shane jumped up from his seat. “I know Kristian didn’t kill those people, and you know it also.”

  “Sit down, Santiago,” Arthas ordered.

  “No. No. It’s not right. I know he was upset for losing his mate to Alec but think about it, you know who Raven is. Where is she? Why isn’t she here to protect her mate? You tell me, Arthas.”

  Everyone in the room gasped at Shane calling Arthas by his name.

  “Say one more word and you will be in a cell with your friend, Santiago.”

  Kristian turned around and shook his head at Shane.

  “One…More…Word,” Shane said.

  “Detain Santiago—he will join his friend Kristian in Arcadia for two-hundred years.”

  “Fuck you! You know this isn’t right,” Shane screamed.

  “Get him out of here. Now!”

  Two Dreamwalkers materialized next to Shane. They touched his shoulder and the three of them disappeared into thin-air. Kristian turned back to Arthas, not saying a word. Two hundred years for something he didn’t do was long but if he said a word it could turn into four or even the death penalty.

  “Now, thank your friend when you get there, Blackburn. As for Raven, she died last night in a fire at her parent’s home. There were three skeletons found but they were burned so badly they couldn’t be iden
tified.”

  Kristian shook his head. He knew that either Arthas was lying or that Alec set the whole plot up, making everyone think that Raven was dead.

  “I am sorry for the loss of your mate, but that does not give you the right to kill innocent people. Your sentence has been set. Guards, take him out of here and make sure that Shane knows that when I say quiet I meant it.”

  Kristian opened his eyes and looked at Arthas, knowing that he had to connect with Alec or anyone that his mate Raven was connected to. He had to get to his mate, he had to have her in his life. Without her he was nothing.

  From this point on, he would have to spend his life connecting to Raven, and he would, no matter what. He would not give up on his love.

  Chapter 12

  Present…

  Alec dropped the suitcase to the dusty floor. Ten years ago today he stood in this very room waiting for his lovely slayer to finish fucking her mate so they could frame him. It had been so lovely—Raven had done any and everything to please him since then.

  His master spoke to him a week ago and told him to bring her back here. After her episode last night, he had to see if the solution worked as well as before. Kristian had somehow broken through to her. It could be a good thing that he could sense her again. When she died at the hands of his master, Kristian would feel everything.

  Now, he only had to get Raven to befriend this witch and warlock. Calvin Norton’s children. They said that Calvin cast a spell to close up a hell dimension five years before and hadn’t been seen since. Calvin’s kids didn’t really know who they were, but he would get them to help him out.

  “Why did you bring me back here, Alec?” Raven placed her bag on the dusty table. “It’s all dusty and the vampire smell is still here.”

  Alec smiled and framed Raven’s face. She looked the same as she did years ago. No scars on her beautiful face or body, just one mark, the one he wished he could erase, the bite mark on her neck from Kristian. Not very noticeable until you looked closely at her neck. That mark was like a curse. When he even got close to biting her to place his mark there, he would get this sickly feeling over him and could never do it. She never asked or wondered why he shied away from that side of her neck. It wasn’t like he was going to tell her the truth anyhow.