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

by Suzy Shearer

  “We need to find out where she lives and get her home safely. I’ll alter her mind to forget all this.”

  “I don’t think you will be able to, Michael. I recognise her mind from the other night. This is the psychic woman that lives near Julie’s, the one Louisa found.”

  “Damn! Okay, we’ll have to push the memory back, make it less painful. We’ll need to talk to her to explain things. Did you remove the marker when you entered her mind?”

  “Yes. She’s lucky, he only took her tonight.” He looked at Michael thoughtfully. “How do you want to do this, Michael?”

  “I think we should take her to Julie’s house, the presence of Julie and Louisa will make us seem less threatening. I’ll carry her. I’ll give her a command to sleep until I wake her.”

  “Michael, we need to destroy this lair and the one we found last night.”

  “Yes I know. I suggest tonight you spend some time with Julie, we will come in the afternoon and eat together, then Louisa and I’ll collect some holy water and destroy both lairs. Later in the night you and I’ll do some more searching.”

  “Okay. Let’s go back then.”

  The two transformed into large eagles. Michael picked up the unconscious woman in his huge talons and they flew off through the cool air of the early morning.

  Louisa was waiting for them when they arrived. They carried the unconscious woman into the living room and laid her on a couch.

  “She is going to freak out when she comes to, I hope you realise that.”

  “I know, Louisa, but because she is psychic we can’t erase her memory of tonight. I have pushed it back so it won’t be as painful, but somehow she is going to have to deal with a lot of strange things now. We’ll need Julie, can you wake her, Tomas?”

  Tomas quickly woke a sleepy Julie, explaining what had happened.

  “She is going to panic when we wake her, iubită. She might feel better seeing your face. Do you know her at all?”

  “If it is the woman I think it is, then yes. I’d have to see her to make sure.”

  Julie quickly threw a pair of jeans and a T-shirt on and followed Tomas out to the family room.

  “Yes, it’s her.”

  Michael took a deep breath. Louisa and Julie positioned themselves so they would be the first thing the woman saw when she opened her eyes. Michael sent the command to wake, telling her she was safe and with friends.

  The woman’s eyes fluttered, then opened. She stared at Julie then Louisa, her eyes widening. She looked around puzzled. Then she spied Michael, and she looked to his left and saw Tomas. Memories came flooding back and she opened her mouth and screamed.

  “Hush, it’s over, you are safe. My name is Louisa. These men rescued you. Can you tell us who you are?”

  The woman was clearly frightened, and with good cause. Being kidnapped and tortured by a strigoi, seeing herself in a strange house with a woman she thought she recognised and three strangers, two of whom she vaguely remembered, would be enough to disorientate and scare anyone.

  She sat up and looked wildly from one to the other, her mind not processing what she was seeing with what she remembered.

  She was panting in fear. Louisa reached out and touched her hand. The woman’s mind was a jumble as she tried to think straight, the three Hunters could all read her confusion.

  Julie knelt in front of her. “You’re safe. Remember me? I’m a friend of your mother’s. I’ve forgotten your name, sorry.”

  The woman focused on Julie. Julie beamed at her, her smile was reassuring.

  “A…Avril” she stammered, “I…what…who?”

  “Avril, relax. We’re here to help you. Just relax. Do you remember me? I’m Julie Smith. I live near you, this is my house.”

  “I think so. I…this…I don’t understand” She looked around wildly, took in her torn and bloodstained clothing. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion.

  Louisa’s voice was soothing as she joined Julie, kneeling close to Avril. “Just relax, my name is Louisa.”

  Louisa gestured to the two men.

  “I’m Louisa,” she repeated, “And this is my partner Michael and my friend Tomas.”

  They could all hear Avril’s heart slowly begin to slow to a more normal pace.

  “Avril, can you remember what happened? Remember you are safe now.”

  Avril looked frightened again as she spoke. “A thing. It…I was…someone was calling me outside. I went to see…Oh!” She began to cry.

  Louisa sat alongside her and put her arm around her shoulder. She could imagine how scary this whole night had been and now she was in a house she didn’t know with strange people, not knowing how she got here. Avril looked to be around thirty, she was very pretty, with shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. Louisa thought she was around her height but a slightly bigger build.

  “We’re friends of Julie. We brought you here.”

  Avril looked lost, “I don’t understand.”

  “We can explain. It…” She raised an eyebrow and looked at Michael, “It will be difficult to understand, but can you just listen to us?”

  Avril nodded her head.

  “The creature that took you. It is a strigoi, or vampire, in English.”

  Avril was looking as if she would start screaming again. Louisa sent a message to Michael asking him to make some tea—Louisa’s answer to everything. His hand brushed across her shoulder and he smiled at her with such love. Avril saw his look and for some reason it made her feel safer. The Hunters all heard her think that someone who obviously loved another could not be evil.

  “There are no such things as vampires.”

  “Avril, I’m sorry, but they do exist, that’s what took you. These creatures do feed on blood like the movies say, but they are evil. One of them found you and tricked you into going outside. It took you away from your home.”

  “I remember!” Avril voice quaked. “I remember—it sounded so loving, that’s why I went outside. I thought it loved me!”

  “It tricked you, Avril. That’s how they catch people.”

  “It…it bit me, I was bleeding!”

  She started looking at her body, suddenly realising that although her torn clothes were covered in blood, there were no wounds anywhere. They could see her terror rising again.

  Julie took her hand. “It is okay, Avril. Just listen.”

  She looked from Julie to Louisa, then nodded.

  “Tomas and Michael are Hunters, they search out these creatures and destroy them to protect people.”

  “It’s dead?”

  “Yes. It’s dead.”

  Avril seemed to relax at this news. Michael came back in with a mug of sweetened tea for her. He passed her the mug.

  “This will make you feel better, drink. It’s just tea with sugar.”

  She took it gratefully and had a sip.

  “Thank you. I still don’t understand. I was…it cut me.”

  Louisa looked at Michael. This could get tricky.

  “Avril, Hunters are special people. They have special abilities so they can fight these creatures. They can make you heal very fast.”

  Avril looked confused as Louisa continued.

  “When they found you, you had been hurt, so they made you better and brought you back here because they didn’t know where you live.”

  They could all see Avril trying to make sense of what she had been told.

  It was a strange thing about psychic humans, especially ones who were destined to be a Hunter’s One, they seemed to accept things quickly once it was explained to them. It was as if once they knew of Hunters, the rest followed naturally.

  Tomas and Michael exchanged thoughts.

  “She is taking this well, do you think she is meant for a Hunter?”

  “I would say so, we will have to let the Council know and they can trickle out single Hunters to the area to meet her.”

  “So that thing, that vampire, it was going to kill me, wasn’t it?”

&nbs
p; “Yes.” Michael answered her, “Yes, Avril, it would have killed you, but not until it had inflicted a lot of pain on you.”

  “So I would have died tonight if you hadn’t rescued me.”

  “No, not tonight.” Michael crouched down in front of her, “You’re psychic, aren’t you? The strigoi love to torment and torture psychic mortals. It would’ve kept you alive as long as possible, maybe two or three weeks, before it killed you.”

  “No!” she cried.

  “You are safe now.”

  Avril shook her head. “There are more of those things out there, that’s right, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Avril, there are. That is why there are Hunters in the world. To find them and destroy them.”

  “Am I safe?”

  Julie looked at the other three. Michael looked at Avril sadly, “We honestly don’t know. You may never be found by a strigoi again but then we don’t know what the future holds. Julie is also psychic, that is why we are at her house, to protect her.”

  “In other words, one or even more could come again at some time and I’ll die if there is no Hunter to save me.”

  “Believe me when I say, you will be protected from this day onward.”

  Avril looked puzzled at Michael’s words but she could hear the truth in them.

  “I want to go home. Can I?”

  Michael nodded yes. “Julie, can you drive her? The sun is well risen. Louisa and I’ll need to talk to Viorel. I don’t think he has left the country yet.”

  Julie agreed and went to find her car keys. Tomas kissed her and waited while Avril stood and thanked the other two.

  “I still don’t understand it all but I do know that I owe you and Tomas a debt of thanks for saving me.”

  Michael leant forward and kissed both her cheeks. Louisa followed suit, and then Tomas.

  “We will talk again soon, there’s much you need to understand and learn. Will you come back here and let us talk?”

  “I think I’ll need to, for my own sanity.”

  Louisa smiled at her as she and Julie left the room. Julie drove her home but a thoughtful Avril was silent on the drive. When they arrived, she helped her out of the car and they walked to the back door. It was still wide open from when she had walked out to meet the strigoi.

  “When is your mother coming back, Avril?”

  “You know she is on holiday at the moment?”

  “Yes. When does she return?”

  “She will be home in a week. I moved in with Mum while she is away to look after the house, then I’ll move out. I think I told you when we saw you last, I was living interstate but I quit my job and looking for another in the city here. I’ve rented a house about fifteen kilometres away. The lease starts the weekend after next so I’ll only stay here with Mum for a couple of days when she first gets home.”

  “Avril, I don’t have to warn you, but if you get the urge to go outside at night please don’t. You must fight against it. It is important for your safety.”

  “I understand.” She shivered. “Don’t worry, I’ll do as you ask.”

  “Okay. Go inside now. We’ll talk to you again very soon. Listen, why don’t you come over to my place tonight for dinner? The others will be there.”

  “Can I? Oh yes, I think I need to. I need to comprehend all this, I’m so confused.”

  “Okay, come before the sun sets and hopefully we can help you understand things.”

  Julie said goodbye to her. She waited until she locked the door behind her, then walked back to the car and drove home. Michael was talking to the others.

  “I spoke to Viorel, he’s going to start organising single Hunters and in the meantime he wants us to keep an eye on her tonight to ensure her safety.”

  “I invited her over for a meal tonight and she agreed.”

  “That’s excellent! Anyway Viorel is sending Martin Blackbird out. He was on his way to Europe and stopped off to deliver some paperwork and to talk with Viorel so he got roped in. With luck maybe Avril will be his.”

  Louisa smiled, “I like Martin, he is so funny at times. Wouldn’t it be great if Avril was!”

  “It would be good but if not, Viorel is sending out the word so until her mate is found there will be Hunters travelling through. You will have a lot of visitors, Julie.”

  Julie looked surprised at the news.

  “The good thing is whoever it turns out to be, will become your partner, Tomas. You will both be assigned here. I can go back to Matei’s area till he returns.”

  Michael looked thoughtful. “Wonder how many partners are out there that escape our notice. Wish we had a way of locating all psychic mortals who are potential partner.”

  Louisa looked at the others. “Strange that there are two living so close together. Wonder if there are any more in the City? Maybe when we finish cleansing the area we could do a search around for any. I did feel a couple of psychic males when we were searching.”

  “That’s an idea, we still wouldn’t know if they were potential ‘Ones,’ but at least they could be checked out by any single Hunters when they came to see Avril.”

  Michael put his arm around Louisa. “It is almost eight-thirty, come my love, let’s go home and I can check you out.” He leered at her then said to Julie and Tomas, “We’ll see you in the afternoon, then leave together around midnight.”

  They all said goodbye.

  * * * *

  Julie and Tomas walked into the bedroom after Julie let the chickens out and fed them and Milly. Tomas wanted to make love to Julie but he could feel the sun’s influence making him lethargic.

  “Avril said she is only staying at the house for another week and a half, it is her mother’s and she is on holiday but returns next week.”

  “Do you know Avril well?”

  “No, not that well, I know her mother Ruth. Avril has only been here about three weeks.” Julie thought about it. “I like her, she seemed…I don’t know. There was something about her. I felt a kindred spirit sort of thing.”

  “Makes sense. She is psychic, you probably recognised it on some level. She will have to be protected.”

  “But you protect all mortals.”

  “Yes, but those who are psychic are more likely to incur the interest of strigoi. Plus, if she is destined to be a mate to a Hunter then we need to care for her as if she were a precious jewel.”

  “Michael said there would be Hunters coming. They’ll have to stay here or else somewhere in the city, won’t they?”

  “The Council will arrange for single Hunters to pass through here, it will keep happening until her mate is found. So yes, either they sleep in the city or, if you permit, they bunk here.”

  “I can’t imagine Avril’s mum would like strange men turning up at her doorstep to sleep when she gets back.”

  “You’re right. Hope you don’t mind, iubită, but it would be great if they could stay here, if her mate has not been found.”

  “Tomorrow I’ll have to tidy up the spare room.”

  She looked up at Tomas, she could feel his energy dwindling as the sun rose higher.

  “You need to sleep.”

  He nodded his agreement. Gathering Julie in his arms, he kissed her softly, composed himself, and they both slept.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Julie woke close to eleven. Tomas was asleep beside her. She yawned and got out of bed. After showering and dressing, she wandered out to the kitchen to make a coffee then took it outside to drink. Milly came around the side of the house when she heard Julie talking to the birds.

  “Good morning, Milly, been on patrol?”

  The dog wagged her tail and demanded a rub and cuddle. Julie couldn’t imagine life without her. She was such a lovely dog with a great personality and intelligence.

  Milly ran and grabbed her ball, so Julie spent a while tossing it for Milly to fetch. Feeling hungry, Julie went back inside and made a salad sandwich, giving Milly a bowl of dried food for her lunch.

  Julie spent most of the
afternoon working, finishing one design and updating another with a client’s new information. Dinner tonight would be a stir-fry so she prepared the vegetables and marinated diced tofu in some ginger, kecap manis, coriander, and crushed peanuts. That done, Julie made up a peanut sauce for the stir fry and set everything in the fridge.

  Looking at the clock, she saw it was four-thirty. Tomas would wake soon. Julie thought she would check on the mail then go and see if he was stirring. As she reached the gate, a van pulled up. It was Fred, the horrid handyman who had put in the dog door. He got out, opened her gate, and walked over to her. He had a tool belt around his waist with a hammer and a few other tools hanging off it. He swaggered as he walked. Julie thought he looked rather silly.

  “Afternoon. Just wondered if you’d decided when to put in that door.”

  “I told you I’d ring when I was ready. Sorry but I don’t want it done yet.”

  He moved closer to her.

  “So you live here alone?” He leered at her and ogled her breasts.

  “No, I don’t.”

  It was easy to see he didn’t believe her. She cursed under her breath when she remembered she told him she had bought Milly because she lived alone.

  “I’d like you to leave, please.”

  He moved even closer. Julie looked around, trying to see which way to move but he edged her up against the fence.

  “Don’t be like that, you and I could have some fun.”

  He ran his finger down her front then squeezed her breast. Julie slapped his hand away and screamed, “Leave me alone! Go away!”

  She tried to push past him but he put a hand either side of her and onto the fence. He stepped so close to her she could feel his erection on her leg. He grabbed her on the shoulders and went to pull her closer to him but barking and growling, Milly came rushing from the side of the house. Pushing Julie away, he pulled the hammer out just as Milly was about to jump and bite his arm.

  Frantic, Julie yelled at Milly, “Milly, no! Go Milly! Run! Wake Tomas! Go!”

  She slid her body between Fred and the dog’s in the same instant as Fred swung the hammer in a huge arc. Time seemed to slow down, as with a sickening crunch, the hammer landed on her arm. Julie felt the bones shatter. She looked down in amazement.