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

by Suzy Shearer

  There was blood and a few pieces of bone visible.

  For a moment, she stood stunned, then Julie screamed.

  Fred dropped the hammer in shock. He was about to run off when he was grabbed around the throat and lifted off the ground by a monster with fangs, red eyes, and claws for hands.

  Tomas was enraged!

  Julie could “hear” his thoughts as if he screamed them aloud!

  How dare someone touch his Julie!

  How dare someone hurt her!

  He was going to kill this useless piece of humanity. He gave Fred a shake. Julie realised if she didn’t speak he would kill the man. She was amazed that for the moment there was no pain but she knew it would soon come.

  “No, Tomas,” she pleaded, “No, don’t kill him. He isn’t worth it. Don’t choose death for him!”

  She could feel his rage as it poisoned all his thoughts. She screamed again, “Michael, Louisa, help me! Stop him!”

  Julie had no idea how close the others were or even if they had left the apartment. She tried pleading with Tomas again, her fear for Tomas overriding everything.

  “Tomas please, please don’t do this.”

  She moved her arm slightly then began to sob in agony as the pain finally took hold. She dropped to the ground.

  “Help me, Tomas,” she screamed. “Please, it hurts so much!”

  He turned his burning eyes away from the man hanging from his grip to look at his beloved. Julie was on her knees, pain etched deeply on her face, blood running and staining the grass around her.

  The strong voice of Michael cut through her sobs.

  “Drop him, Tomas!”

  There was no ignoring the authority in Michael’s voice. Tomas threw Fred to the ground. He took a last look at the figure cringing on the ground and came to Julie’s side.

  Milly was still growling. She raced forward to hover over the cowering man, teeth bared. Tomas quickly knelt beside Julie. Louisa had wrapped her arms around her. Julie moaned in pain. As he went to lift her, Michael spoke assertively.

  “Louisa, help Tomas take Julie inside. I’ll deal with this.”

  Tomas gathered her carefully in his arms to carry her inside, with Louisa beside him. Julie felt light-headed then felt herself growing faint. As they walked around the corner of the house, she passed out from the pain and shock.

  * * * *

  Tomas laid Julie gently on the dining table. He and Louisa looked at the wound, the bones were crushed in places. It would take their combined effort to heal her.

  Michael came in, Milly at his side. The dog was distressed knowing her mistress was hurt. She had wanted to protect her but forced to obey Julie when she told her to fetch Tomas. Louisa knelt down and held the dog’s head.

  “You did the right thing, Milly. You woke Tomas and he saved her. You’d have been killed if he had hit you with that hammer.”

  Milly licked Louisa, she was still upset but understood she had done the right thing.

  “Now sit quietly in the corner while we help your mistress.”

  Milly moved out of everyone’s way and settled down in the corner, her eyes on Julie lying pale on the table.

  Michael took charge.

  “Okay. Tomas you start at the base of the break and I’ll take the top. Louisa, can you stop the blood?”

  The three set to work. It was a long job finding all the tiny splinters and laying them in the correct place. Julie’s tendons and muscles had been damaged so they needed to be repaired as well. It was over three hours later when the three wearily withdrew from her body.

  Tomas picked her up gently and carried her into the bedroom. He stripped off her bloodstained clothes and laid her in bed. He licked the wounds a few more times to ensure there would be no trace of the break. Michael had given her a command not to wake until the next evening when Tomas ordered her to, that would give the bones all the time they needed to fully heal. Milly followed him.

  “Protect her, Milly, while I’m gone.”

  Tomas pulled the bed covers over Julie as the dog jumped up on the bed and settled close to Julie. He was still seething. He joined the others in the kitchen. He looked at Michael angrily.

  “What did you do with him?”

  “Altered his mind—permanently. He has now developed a need to volunteer his services to the needy. He has also lost all interest in sex with anyone.”

  “That is better than he deserved.”

  “Perhaps, but we don’t kill. At least from now on he will be helping others.” Michael shrugged his shoulders. He turned away from Tomas, knowing Tomas would settle down now that Julie was asleep. “I’m hungry after that. Is there anything we can eat in the fridge, Louisa?”

  She checked inside and found the vegetables and tofu.

  “Looks like Julie had something ready for us. Let me cook this, it won’t take long. We all need food after that, and blood.”

  They heard a car pull up, then the doorbell ring.

  Michael opened the door to find Avril.

  “Um…hi. Julie invited me for dinner.” Michael ushered her inside and Louisa went to her.

  “Hi, Avril. Julie told me you were coming. There has been a—an incident. Julie was hurt but she is okay, she is sleeping now.”

  “Oh no! Will she be okay?”

  “Yes, she will be fine.”

  “It wasn’t another one of those creatures?”

  “It was a creature all right, a human one.” Tomas said in disgust.

  “Look, I’ll go.”

  “No!”

  Three people all shouted at once and Avril looked at them bemused.

  “Sorry.” Louisa laughed. “No, stay. We can all talk. I’m just finishing off dinner.” Louisa went back to the kitchen, Avril following her. Fifteen minutes later the food was ready. Louisa called Milly out and fed her. Milly ate and then went back to her guarding duty. Louisa remembered Julie had locked the chickens away last night. She sent Michael out to round them up into the coop.

  Avril and Louisa carried the meal into the dining room. It was obvious Tomas was still seething. Louisa quietly explained to Avril what had happened. Michael went over to Tomas sitting in the family room.

  “I know how you feel, Tomas, but we don’t kill.”

  Tomas looked angry until Louisa spoke, “Tomas, you know Michael did the right thing. Imagine how Julie would feel if she knew you had killed.”

  His anger dissipated immediately. He knew Julie would be upset and maybe hate him if he had killed. For a moment he had lost all control. He realised how easily it had happened and he understood a little of what Matei must have felt.

  “I’m sorry Michael, Louisa. When Milly woke me and I saw her images of what had happened to Julie in her mind, I just lost it. I couldn’t think straight.”

  Michael squeezed Tomas’s shoulder. It was a lesson learned and Tomas would never forget it.

  They all went into the dining room and ate. Louisa steered the conversation to mundane things to give Avril a chance to get used to them all. When the meal had finished, she and Avril cleaned up.

  While Avril was in the kitchen, Michael said to Tomas, “I think you should go and feed before we leave, you need to replace blood after the healing, then we can go.” He nodded and took off to feed quickly. When he returned it was close to nine o’clock.

  Michael clapped Tomas on the shoulder. “You okay? There is nothing you can do for Julie tonight, she will heal while she sleeps.”

  Tomas nodded he repeated. “I couldn’t think straight. Now I know how Matei must have felt. When Milly came in, her thoughts so confused, but I could see blood and I could hear Julie screaming…”

  His held his hands over his face for a minute, running his fingers through his hair. Louisa and Avril stood listening. Louisa kissed Michael then touched Tomas’s cheek.

  “I’m okay,” Tomas reassured Louisa.

  He went into the bedroom and looked down at Julie lying pale on the bed. His heart caught for a moment, to lose he
r would kill him. He bent forward and kissed her gently, sending a tendril into her mind to reassure himself she was going to be fine. He touched her face softly, straightened and walked back to the others.

  Michael gestured for the others to sit.

  “We need to watch you, Avril. We believe there may still be a strigoi in the area. In light of what has happened today, Tomas, I suggest tonight you stay here with Julie. You won’t be able to concentrate on anything. Louisa and I’ll head over to your house, if it’s okay with you, Avril. Louisa can stay with you while I do a search for traces. Louisa can tell you a little about the history of Hunters.”

  “You think there is another vampire here and there is a good chance either Julie or I’ll attract it.” Avril statement showed just how aware she was of what was happening.

  “Like I said, we believe there may be. We don’t know, but you both need to be protected.”

  “I don’t fully understand, but okay.”

  “When we got home this morning, Louisa plotted a map for us and divided it into sections. I’ll take the first one near here tonight, then work our way through them until I find something.”

  Tomas thankfully agreed, he knew his mind wouldn’t be on hunting tonight. Louisa kissed him goodbye and the three left in Avril’s car.

  Tomas went into the bedroom to check on Julie. She looked pale but was sleeping peacefully. Milly was lying at her side. Satisfied Julie would sleep, he wandered idly through the house. If there were going to be Hunters coming, they needed to get organised. He had intended to talk with Julie about remodelling her home tonight but now she was hurt.

  Around two in the morning, he was scribbling plans on a piece of paper when Milly came out barking softly as Tomas felt another Hunter call him. He walked out to the front verandah.

  Martin had arrived.

  “Live şi lupta cu onoarea, Martin.”

  “Live şi lupta cu onoarea, Tomas.”

  The two grinned at each other. Despite Martin being over six hundred years older than Tomas, the two were great friends.

  “I’m pleased you have met your One, Tomas, bad thing to have a strigoi attack her, and now take another human.”

  “Actually there have been two strigoi after Julie. Then another after Avril. We have destroyed so many already and still know there’s another in the area. Michael is out searching at the moment.”

  Martin shook his head. “Strange to find so many in the one area, they usually tear each other apart if they get within one hundred kilometres.”

  “Louisa is at Avril’s house. Julie is asleep so I can’t get her to let you inside, and I imagine Avril is asleep as well.”

  “That’s fine. I have the directions to the apartment you have, so I’ll sleep there this day and return here tonight. I just wanted to let you know I’ve arrived.”

  The two hugged each other and Martin flew off, promising to return as soon as he woke.

  Tomas went back inside the house. He went back to his plan drawing, wondering exactly what Julie would like. Still, he would show her his ideas and then they could add them to hers. He just hoped she would agree to let him do them. Somehow he would have to convince her that his money was now hers and he could afford to build a dozen houses and still have plenty of money.

  When the sun finally rose, he let the chickens out and put some food down for Milly. He went into the bedroom and lay on his side alongside Julie. He loved looking at her while she slept. He was pleased to see her colour was back to normal. He checked where they had made her repairs, noting they were all healing well. Then slowly he felt himself grow lethargic as the sun rose higher in the sky and he slept.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tomas woke close to four thirty. He checked on Julie. She was still deeply asleep. He entered her body and was reassured to see the damage was completely healed. Before he woke her, he locked up the chickens after collecting the eggs, something they had all forgotten to do. He called Milly and fed her, she had been so good guarding them both while they slept. He praised her and she wagged her tail so fast he thought it would fly off.

  Reassured that everything was done, he went in to wake Julie.

  “Wake, iubită, wake!”

  Julie stretched and slowly opened her eyes. She looked ahead then turned to look at Tomas.

  “Tomas! Fred!” She gave a little scream then looked down at her arm. “My arm?”

  Tomas pulled her into his arms, “It is over, iubită. We repaired the bones. You’ve been asleep for a day while your body healed.”

  She started to shake as she remembered what had happened.

  “I don’t understand why he did it, Tomas, he was trying to tear my clothes off. He was going to kill Milly! I got in the way.”

  “He won’t hurt you ever again.”

  She looked frightened, “Tomas please, please tell me you didn’t kill him.”

  “No, he is still alive. Michael rearranged his mind. He is doing volunteer work and hates sex.” Tomas sounded bitter.

  “I’m glad. I know you wanted to kill him Tomas, but you couldn’t.”

  “I know, iubită, I know.” He put his forehead on hers. “I couldn’t think straight. I saw the blood, the hammer. I just reacted. If Michael had not come, I don’t know if I could have stopped.”

  “Hush, Tomas. I believe you would’ve chosen the right thing. You are an honourable man.”

  She kissed his forehead and felt his arms tighten around her.

  “I need to get clean after that. Are Michael and Louisa coming?”

  “Yes, they should be here around six, along with Avril and another Hunter, Martin. That give us plenty of time.”

  “Time? Time for what?”

  “This.”

  He grabbed her and straddled her body. Holding her arms above her head with one hand, he began to kiss her neck. He pushed her nightie up with the other hand and latched onto one breast, suckling and licking her nipple. He felt it harden under his tongue. He gave it a playful nip then paid appropriate attention to the other. With his free hand, he caressed and teased them until Julie was moaning softly.

  He moved to one side, his hand running along her leg to her stomach. Julie tried to free her arms but he held them tight. He twisted his fingers in her thatch of blonde hair, then pulled it gently. She shut her eyes. He moved his fingers to hold one lip, gently pulling it aside.

  Julie moaned.

  She was dripping as he lowered her arms so he could drink from her. She tugged her hands free and wrapped her fingers in his hair as he lapped at her wet slit. His tongue dove in and out and he used his fingers on her clit, rolling the nub until it hardened. While his tongue laved her, he pushed a finger inside, curling it and rubbing at her g-spot. He was rewarded when she screamed softly and came. He drank the rush of juices while all the time he pressed and tickled inside her.

  Julie’s grip on his hair tightened as she came again, and he could feel her muscles grabbing onto his finger. He stopped licking her and looked up at her face. Her mouth was slightly open as she panted, her face flushed, her eyes closed. He could not take his eyes off her as he pressed the g-spot again and felt another orgasm rippled across her.

  He let his finger slip from her and ran it up and down her leg, waiting until her heart and breathing settled.

  She opened her eyes and looked at him with such love that his heart jumped. He took her sweet lips and kissed them tenderly, tasting her juices. Tomas broke the kiss.

  “So I thought you wanted to wash? What are you doing lying in bed still?”

  Julie grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head. He laughed and pinned her once again.

  “Remember I told you things happen to naughty girls.” He grinned as he released her.

  Julie just stuck out her tongue and ran into the bathroom. Tomas waited until he heard the water running then materialised behind Julie. She gave a startled scream as he grabbed her around the hips, pulling her back against him.

  Kissing her neck, she moved her h
ead to the side, resting it on his shoulder as he nibbled her ear lobe and kissed it. He grasped her breasts, one in each hand, feeling their weight and massaging his fingers into them. Julie slid a hand between them to find his cock. She ran her hand up and down the length of it and it was Tomas’s turn to moan. Julie turned in his arms and kissed his mouth before sliding down his body to kneel before him.

  Her eyes on his, she took his erect shaft into her mouth. One hand holding the base, the other cupping his balls, she began to lick and suck, sliding it in and out of her mouth, her tongue teasing and licking.

  “Merge,” he rasped.

  He felt her enter his mind as he entered hers. Together they explored each other’s feelings, the sensations. Julie pushed her tongue around the head of his dick. He shivered as he felt it explore the hole. Julie dropped one hand to rub between her legs. He could feel her fingers in her wet channel, feel her mouth on his cock.

  He wanted to come in her, so he pulled her up and lifted her.

  She gripped his cock with one hand as he lowered her onto it, her legs wrapped tight around his hips. He rocked or she rocked, neither could tell where one body finished and the other ended, their sensations mixed. She wanted to bite him, amazingly he could tell it was her thought more than his own.

  He sliced across his chest and felt his legs weaken as she latched onto the cut and began to suck. One side of her neck was exposed and he sank his fangs deep into it. He put his hands beneath each arse cheek, rubbing and teasing. He could feel her tense as she about to come so he pushed one finger into her arse.

  She stopped sucking to scream his name as she came hard. Tomas pushed her down onto his cock, feeling her grip it. With her climax squeezing him in waves, Tomas came deep inside her, shuddering at the intensity of their combined orgasms.

  He sank to his knees. Julie uncurling her legs from his hips, they moved to both sit on the floor of the shower, trying to settle their racing hearts, Julie sitting between his legs, leaning against him while Tomas had his back against the shower wall, their legs cramped up in the tiny shower.