A Hunter's Choice [The Hunters 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Suzy Shearer

  Louisa and Michael looked at her with understanding.

  “I know this all seems like a bad dream but believe us, Julie, we would never hurt you or do anything to endanger you.” Michael spoke quietly but sincerely.

  “It’s just so much to take in. Vampires, immortals, drinking blood, now even people who talk to dogs.” She shook her head.

  “It’s as if books have come to life. All those scary stories you read late at night. I just never guessed that any of it could be true.”

  “We try not to advertise the fact that there are vampires in the world. There are already enough monsters,” Michael answered.

  Julie looked across to him. “Why have I never seen Hunters before?”

  “We blend in,” Michael said.

  Julie looked at him stunned, her eyes wide. She looked at Louisa, who rolled her eyes and started to laugh. Michael looked at his mate puzzled.

  “Oh Michael, you could never blend in, none of you could. We kept telling you that but none of you get it.”

  “Why don’t we?”

  Julie hid a grin as he looked at her and asked. “Why?”

  “If all Hunters look like you, then you all stand out. The average man is not almost seven foot, build like a wrestler with long hair. Not to mention you are both extremely handsome.”

  Michael preened a little when Julie mentioned handsome but shook his head. “Maybe you just don’t see us unless you want to. Anyway, there are only a couple thousand of us in the world, so you would have to be really lucky to bump into one of us.”

  “Are you a Hunter too, Louisa?”

  “Yes but I was a mortal until recently. Michael converted me when we met. I’m his One.” She looked lovingly at Michael. “We have been together since he found me. I was born in 1823 in London, I met Michael in 1855, when I was thirty-two.”

  Julie shook her head, it was so much to take in. She felt a little lightheaded again.

  “One day soon, we will talk about what it is to be a Hunter’s One, what a rush of feelings it generates, what it feels like to convert, but not tonight. You have enough to comprehend,” Louisa said. “You need time to think about everything that’s happened. You need to talk with Tomas, but you and I will talk very soon.”

  Julie knew she sounded bewildered as she answered. “Okay. Thank you, Louisa.” There was so much to comprehend, she felt like her mind was overloaded.

  Michael stood, so Julie rose and Tomas stood up beside her. Michael pulled Louisa into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

  “I think we should go back to the apartment, iubită. Tomas and Julie have a lot to talk about. Kid, tomorrow night we will hunt.”

  Michael took Louisa’s hand. “Take tonight to be with your woman and tell her our ways.”

  Louisa rolled her eyes at this. “Ignore the way they speak, Julie, especially my mate, he is so old. At least Tomas is young and would never call you ‘his woman.’”

  “Actually he did. He told me I was his woman. I believe he thinks I need a ‘toyboy.’”

  Louisa burst out laughing, “Oh boy! You men are such sexists at times.”

  Tomas looked puzzled. “But it is true, Julie is my woman, she does need me.”

  Louisa threw her arms up, “I give up. Have fun, Julie. We’ll talk very soon.”

  She kissed Julie on both cheeks, then did the same to Tomas. Giving Milly a pat on the head, she told the dog she would come and run with her another night. Milly gave a joyful little bark in answer. Michael kissed Julie goodnight then also said goodbye to the dog.

  Tomas kissed Louisa’s cheeks and bade her goodbye. Then Michael and Tomas grasped each other’s arms. “Live şi lupta cu onoarea Mihăiță.”

  “Live şi lupta cu onoarea Tomas.”

  He turned to Julie and asked, “May we come here tonight and hunt from this house? If you have no objection.”

  Julie nodded. Then she gasped as they both vanished in front of her eyes.

  “How…What…They.”

  Tomas held her hand, “We can dematerialise and materialise. I told you we could do many things. Come, let me tell you.”

  Chapter Eight

  He let her sit on the couch, then sat beside her, taking her hand.

  “I know this has been overwhelming for you, iubită. So much has happened to turn your world upside-down in only a few days.”

  “I feel like everything I knew to be true is a lie. I…it is all so confusing.”

  Tomas lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers tenderly.

  “I’m so glad you found me, Tomas. Not just because of the vampires, I was so unhappy.”

  “Oh iubită, so was I. I was lost.”

  “I didn’t know how I could find you again.”

  Julie leaned into his arms, her head against his chest. She gave a sigh. The nearness of him, the masculine odour of him, was over-riding everything else. She found herself remembering how it felt when he had kissed her, made love to her.

  He pulled her into his arms, “Let me show you what I can do,” he said huskily. Giving her a very sly come-hither-type look, he lowered his lips to cover hers. Julie tried to resist but within his arms, she felt safe and protected. She melted into him, allowing his tongue entry to her mouth.

  The kiss intensified, their passions rising. Julie was moaning into his mouth, her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him even closer to her. She felt him stand and then lift her.

  “Which way to the bedroom?”

  Julie realised he spoke directly to her mind and she tried to answer the same way, she didn’t want the kiss to end. “Left, go left and end of hall.”

  He carried her down the hallway and into her bedroom, depositing her in the middle of the bed as he broke the kiss.

  “Iubită, oh my Julie. I despaired when I thought I’d lost you. Never leave me again. I love you more than life.”

  He sounded so forlorn, Julie felt her heart melt.

  “I won’t, Tomas. I’m sorry but I was so frightened, it overwhelmed me. But these past few days have been hell. I knew I was wrong to leave you.”

  “I know, my iubită, but now we are together.”

  “I really am sorry, Tomas. I realised once I got back that I’d lost you. That it was my own stupid fault.” Julie felt her eyes filling. “I thought I would never see you again. I didn’t know how to find you. I was so despondent without you.”

  He crawled onto the bed beside her and gathered her into his arms once again. Milly jumped up onto the bed.

  “No, Milly. In your bed,” Julie said.

  Milly looked at them both, huffed and jumped into her bed. Julie giggled.

  “Julie. I need to talk to you. There is something I need to do to keep you safe. You… just listen before you decide.”

  “This sounds serious, Tomas. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you say, but I’ll listen.”

  “Do you understand what it means to be my One?”

  “I think so. It means that in the whole world there is only me for you. I’m the only person who can be your partner.” She blushed as she continued, “I guess it explains why I have such feelings of love when I think of you.”

  “That’s right. And it’s not only in the world at this moment, but in the world ever. I told you I can convert you to become an immortal.”

  She stiffened in his arms, “No! I don’t want to live on blood!”

  “Hush. I’m not asking you to do that, I’m explaining something very important. Please understand I’ll never force you to convert. It takes five exchanges of blood. Yes, I have taken some of yours, but I didn’t give you any of mine, so we haven’t made any exchange. Understand?”

  Julie just nodded warily.

  “When we are close, say within thirty metres, I can talk to you and you can talk to me. We are telepathic, but because we have never exchanged blood it’s only over that short distance.”

  “Okay. I can understand that.”

  “Hunters can talk to each other no
matter where they are in the world. I can talk to my brother who is in Europe or to my parents in Asia.” Julie nodded that she understood, but was amazed. “We talk to each other on a general pathway. It’s like a radio that we are all tuned to the same frequency. However, there is also an intimate frequency between partners, one that no one else can hear.”

  “So when you talk to me no one else hears and when I reply nobody knows.”

  “Not quite. No one can hear me but you have not learned to block your thoughts when with other Hunters, so those thoughts are in the forefront of your mind. Well, anyone who is a Hunter and nearby can hear.”

  “Oh no!” Julie looked shocked. “So…um…so that means if I was thinking something about you or maybe something about Michael when they were, everyone could hear?”

  Tomas laughed. “Sorry, but yes. Michael was most amused that you found my eyes more attractive than his.”

  Julie pushed her face into her hands. She was mortified. Now she understood why he almost choked on his tea and why Tomas had such a big grin on his face. She felt Tomas trying to pull her hands away.

  “Iubită ,do not be ashamed. It’s only natural. All partners feel this. Even when they have been together for thousands of years. Their love only grows stronger, as does their desire for each other.”

  “But…but the things I was thinking. Oh no. How can I ever face him again, or Louisa?”

  Tomas only laughed, “I imagine that as soon as they were alone, they’d be doing the very things you were thinking of.”

  He finally managed to pull her hands from her face and looked at her tenderly. “It took all my willpower not to drag you into the bedroom there and then. Even now, I want to make love to you all night, but we must talk first.”

  Julie was still shaking her head, she was so embarrassed. Tomas felt sorry for her as he continued talking.

  “I’ll teach you how to block your thoughts. It isn’t that hard, although it seems to come naturally when a person converts. Anyway, understand that you and I are restricted by distance to using telepathy.”

  Julie nodded.

  “Now hear me out before you say anything. This is very important.”

  Julie looked at him, wondering what he may say.

  “You understand that because you are psychic you attract the strigoi? That the dreams you thought you were having were in actual fact strigoi calling to you, trying to get you to come outside where you could be taken? Fortunately up to now you’ve been able to resist, but there may come a time when you won’t.”

  Julie nodded fearfully.

  “It was really hard to resist tonight.”

  She was still coming to terms with the knowledge that what she thought were dreams were reality, were living nightmares.

  “So the intimate telepathy that occurs between partners also has no distance restrictions if they have exchanged blood one time. For example, tonight when the strigoi came, if I hadn’t been close to you but we had made one exchange, you could have called to me. No matter where I was, I would hear you and be able to come to you.”

  “We were lucky tonight that it came when I’d found your location and was almost at the house. I imagine you wanted to go to it but the dog helped to stop you.”

  Julie was trying hard to understand what Tomas was saying but all she kept thinking of was having to suck his blood. He pulled her into in arms and rocked her.

  “Let me finish, don’t worry so much.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “Know this, Julie. I don’t want to scare you, but if you’d left the house, you would’ve been taken. Milly wouldn’t have been able to stop the vampire. Milly could have attacked it. She could wound it but she could never kill one or rescue you from it. Once it had you outdoors, in all likelihood she would have been killed or badly injured. You’d have been lost to us all. If we had made just one exchange, I could have come to you. Even if the strigoi had taken you away, I could follow it and talk to you. We would be able to save you.”

  Resignedly she reasoned, “What you’re trying to tell me is you want me to agree to one exchange.”

  “Yes, iubită, you don’t have to do any more. Just this one. Then no matter where you are or where I am, you can always talk to me.”

  Julie was shaking her head, but at the same time she could see that it made sense. Her fear was blood. She was frightened that she would turn into a monster.

  “Look at me, iubită. Am I a monster? Is Louisa or Michael?”

  “No. No, you are nothing like that creature. But….I’m frightened, Tomas. Would it hurt me?”

  Tomas grinned at her, “Far from it, iubită, it would be very pleasurable. I have been told it enhances the sexual experience when we drink from each other. The other benefit is you would be able to merge with me and I would feel all you did when we made love. The same way you would be able to feel what I feel.”

  “Feel things? You mean if I kiss you I could feel what it was like for you as well as for me?”

  “Yes, iubită, we would merge with our minds as well as our bodies.”

  It was easy to see the idea was becoming interesting to Julie.

  “What is that word you keep calling me?”

  “Iubită? It means ‘beloved’ in my language, Romanian. You are my beloved, dragostea mea, my love.”

  “Iubită, I like that. It sounds very romantic.”

  * * * *

  He needed to press the point. Regardless of her decision, he was going to make this exchange, but he would much rather do it with her consent. He decided he would take the initiative, and he began to kiss her face, her neck, her ears. At first, she was hesitant and then she began to respond. He found her lips and forced his tongue between them. She grabbed his arm, holding him to her body. The kiss turned fiery between them as their passion ignited.

  He moved his hand underneath her shirt at the same time as she tried to unbutton his. He tore his aside, buttons flying off and then he grabbed hers and lifted it over her head. She fumbled at his pants. Tomas pulled them off then unzipped her jeans and slid them down her legs.

  Tomas felt as if he was on fire, he wanted to taste every part of Julie. He pushed her down, looking at her. She was panting, her face flushed. He looked at her brassiere and panties, they would have to go.

  Watching her face carefully—he didn’t want to frighten her—Tomas lengthened one nail into a talon and hooked it at the front of her bra. With a deft twist, he cut through it. Her eyes widened but she didn’t look scared, indeed she looked aroused. He ran his talon lightly down her body, delighting when she trembled. The talon was between her skin and the fabric of her panties. He grinned wickedly at Julie and slit through the flimsy fabric. She gasped as he lowered his head and licked the top of her leg.

  He twined his fingers through the mat of blonde curls, tugging lightly as he licked across her mound. Her legs were trembling as he pushed them apart and settled himself between her legs. He took a deep breath, taking in the heady aroma of her arousal before beginning to lap at her juices. He heard Julie moan as he sucked her clit, one finger rubbing up and down in the sweet juice. Tomas felt her hands on his head as she was torn between letting him lick her and wanting him to kiss her.

  He pushed a finger into her, moving it back and forth as his tongue and teeth continued their assault on her clit. He circled his finger inside her, touching and pushing, while he sucked her clit into his mouth. Then he felt her muscles tighten onto his fingers as she orgasmed, but he continued to suck and lick her until the spasms died down.

  Climbing up her body, he stopped to roll each nipple in his mouth and used his teeth to pull them harder. The temptation to sink his fangs into her was almost overwhelming, but he needed Julie overwhelmed with passion, needed it to override her natural instincts.

  He finally reached her mouth and she pounced onto his lips. The taste of her juices mixed with her mouth, and he gave a groan as he felt her hand on his cock. The kiss became aggressive, as they both wanted more and more. Fin
ally, Tomas could wait no longer. He allowed her to guide his cock between her legs and then pushed hard into her. She moaned in delight against his mouth.

  Thrusting hard back and forth, her hips matching his rhythm, Tomas dropped his mouth from her lips to take her nipple once again. Julie was moaning, as he could feel her nails in his back as she wrapped her legs around him, pushing him deeper into him. Her mouth was on his shoulder, kissing and sucking.

  As he felt her muscles tighten on his cock, he lowered his fangs and sank them into her soft breast. At the same time, he lengthened one nail and slashed across his shoulder near her mouth. He drank as he made love, her orgasm rolling across her. He could feel her tremors in her legs as she moved her mouth and sucked at the cut on his shoulder, drinking his blood.

  He almost called aloud in triumph but then his own orgasm overtook him and he shouted her name in both joy and release.

  Licking Julie’s breast where he had bitten her, he continued licking across her chest, up her neck, feathering kisses as he went until he reached her delicious mouth. He kissed her, forcing his tongue between her lips and tasting the coppery sweetness of his blood now mixed with hers.

  He matched his heartbeat and breathing with hers and slowly brought them down to a normal pace. His kiss turned tender and soft as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Tomas settled alongside her and pulled a blanket over them both, then settled her in his arms after quickly licking his shoulder where he had slashed it.

  Julie put her head onto his shoulder and relaxed. Tomas wasn’t sure if she knew they had exchanged blood. He didn’t want to ask her how she felt about it in case she didn’t realise that she had done it.

  * * * *

  Julie was no saint, she had lovers before, but never had she felt this close to a man. She felt as if he were her entire world, she felt she had come home to where she had always belonged. The sex was more than wonderful, she felt sated and relaxed. Lying safe in Tomas’s arms, she remembered the feelings he had induced with his lovemaking, how she had almost lost control. Never before had making love been so amazing, so arousing. Usually she was lucky if she managed to orgasm. With Tomas, she felt she could climax just with a simple touch of his hand or a kiss.