by Suzy Shearer
After a while, they stood and he began to wash her, massaging her back and legs at the same time. When they were both clean, he turned off the water and wrapped her in a towel, lifting her and carrying her to the bed. She sat and watched in wonder as he shook like a dog and immediately his hair and body was dry.
“Ha, I love that! Will I be able to do that?”
He grinned at her. “Oh course. You’ll be able to do all that I can.”
He looked serious and knelt in front of her.
“Julie, have you thought this through? We’ve already made three exchanges. I don’t want to rush you, or force you to do something you are unsure of.”
“I know Tomas, I do understand, but I’ve lived my life all alone. Then you came into it and turned it upside-down. I couldn’t bear to think of growing old and dying, leaving you alone.”
He went to speak but she held her fingers across his mouth.
“Tomas, I was scared at first, but being around you all, I feel like I have found my family.” She blushed, “I…I have fallen in love with you. I can’t quite believe it, I’ve only known you for just over a week. It’s like I have been waiting all my life for you and now I’ve finally found you I don’t want to let you go.”
Tomas’s voice quavered as he whispered, “Iubită!”
All the love he felt for her was in that one word.
“Esti respiratia mea, viata mea, si totul care conteaza pentru mine Julie. Te voi iubi mereu.”
She looked at him puzzled.
“You are my breath, my life, and everything that matters to me. I’ll always love you.”
Julie reached out for him. They sat with their arms wrapped around each other until Milly decided she needed some love too. So they fussed over her, then Julie stood and dried off.
“Did you eat last night?”
“Yes, Louisa cooked the food you had in the fridge.”
“Oh damn I forgot Avril was coming, did she?”
“Yes she did, then Louisa went to her home to watch over her.”
Tomas waved his hands and dressed. Julie shook her head and proceeded to dress in the mortal fashion. They walked out into the kitchen together.
“I’m hungry.”
Tomas chuckled. “You didn’t eat last night and slept away the day, no wonder.”
She gave him a playful smack on the arm and opened the fridge door.
“Mmm. Let’s see. Do you like omelettes? We have a lot of eggs.”
“I collected some more this evening when I locked the chickens up and yes, I do like them.”
Tomas sat on the bench and watched as Julie worked. He could not believe how easily she had decided to convert. He was overwhelmed with happiness. They finished their meal and Julie snuggled into Tomas’s arms.
“Tomas—Louisa said it takes about twelve hours to convert but you’ll be with me to help with the pain. She said you’ll send me to sleep.”
Julie sounded worried.
“Yes, iubită, that’s right. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“But what if you are asleep when it happens?”
Tomas shook his head, “We will make sure we time it correctly. I’ll tell Michael when we plan to do it. Then we’ll make the exchange when I wake in the evening. That will give us more than enough time. I generally wake around four or five. I don’t need to sleep until maybe nine or I could even stretch out till ten.”
She gave a sigh of relief. “I was frightened that you would be asleep and I would be alone to face the pain.”
“Never, iubită. We do it all together, as one.”
“Do you think there are more strog…strigoi around here?”
“We have destroyed five. That’s unusual to find so many so close together. They normally hate each other, they will fight to the death. Yet there have been five living in close proximity. Michael and I worry that there is a master in the area.”
“A master?” She sounded scared. “What’s that?”
“It’s a very old and very experienced strigoi. Sometime they gather younger ones around them to watch them hunt and order them about. It would be the logical explanation for so many to be here. Normally they hate each other, so only a master would have control to stop them killing each other. Although to find five with a master is unheard of.”
“Can masters be female?”
“I imagine so. You’re still thinking it was a female you heard.”
“Yes. I know you all think there was only one, but the more I think about it the more I’m sure there were two.”
“Regardless, we think there is one controlling.”
“I guess masters are harder to kill.”
“Yes, they are. They prefer to let the others do their fighting but they are very clever, having lived for so long they have learnt how to avoid Hunters.”
“Can’t you kill them any other way? You know, shoot them with silver bullets or something, hit them with garlic.”
Tomas gave a belly laugh. “That only happens in the movies. No, we must stab their heart and incinerate them. We can immobilise them with holy water. They can dematerialise like us but if we throw holy water on them they aren’t able to, plus it burns them.”
“So what happens if you find this master? What will happen?”
“We’ll plan our attack. Carry lots of knives and a few bottles of holy water and hope we get lucky.”
“So you have to find a Catholic or Christian church and get stacked up with it.”
“Or a Sikh. Also Buddhists and some Islamic traditions use healing water. We can also use any religious artefact but most religions don’t appreciate you running off with their relics.”
Julie chuckled. “No, I don’t suppose they would.”
Tomas asked Julie about her work and then talked about it and Tomas’s business. He explained that most Hunters had some sort of business that generated money. It enabled them to buy properties throughout the world. Tomas was interested to learn about Julie’s computer experience, one of the companies he owned designed computer games. When he told her the name, she was surprised, as it was one of the leading ones. He said he also had his fingers in real estate and computer programs like online databases for companies.
“You said you buy properties, is that for your real estate business?”
“Sometimes, although I do own several places around the world. Nothing out here though. This is my first time in your country. I’m only filling in for my brother while he is on his honeymoon. He is assigned here for the next one hundred years.”
Julie looked startled. “Does that mean when he comes back you have to leave?”
Although she had no family, she did like where she lived.
“Not any more. I would have but now I’ve met you, I’ll be assigned here for a while. That’s to help you adjust to being a Hunter, we stay in familiar territory for you. Not sure how long we’ll be here, but maybe fifty to a hundred years, then we’ll be assigned another area.”
“That’s good. I mean, I like living here. I would live anywhere with you, Tomas, but it is nice to know we can stay here.”
“Would you mind if we made some alterations to the house?”
“I guess not, what did you have in mind?”
“Shutters.” He sighed. “I know the curtains are there but I worry something will happen and the sun will shine in.”
Julie chuckled. “Maybe we should arrange that soon, although I have no idea who to call, especially after the fiasco with the dog door.”
“Actually, Matei’s son-in-law has a building company. He is thinking of working with a Hunter, designing and building homes specifically for us.”
Julie replied, “I have to admit I have been considering doing some renovations. I would love a proper office, I have been using the third bedroom although it is mainly stacked with books. Do you think he would help us?”
“I can contact Stuart, he and his family are back in the capital.”
“Great idea! Can you call him
now? It isn’t late.”
Tomas quickly rang Stuart. He told him he would be glad to take on the work. He could fly up the following weekend to discuss the changes they wanted. He told Tomas he would employ locals and they should be able to start once they had approval.
Tomas had laughed and said approval was a “given” and that the work could start once he and Julie had decided exactly what they wanted. He hung up, came back into Julie and looked over at her, telling her what Stuart had said.
Tomas looked at Julie. “As well as the shutters, I asked him about a full renovation on the house.”
“A full renovation? Oh.”
Tomas could hear Julie worrying about how much money it would cost and he started to laugh.
“What?”
“Sorry, you’re broadcasting. I should teach you to block but if you’re converting soon I guess it isn’t important. Anyway, you needn’t worry about money. Don’t forget I have had nearly three hundred years to amass quite a tidy sum. What do you think if we let Stuart design everything? You could just tell him what you want and then give him free rein.”
“Oh.”
Julie looked as if she might faint when Tomas announced.
“Hate to brag but you are now the partner of a very wealthy man, multi-multi millions.”
Tomas quickly hugged her when she suddenly paled.
“Sorry, guess I should have phrased that better.”
“Millions? Oh wow.”
She gave a weak grin. “Maybe I should think about painting the house, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
Tomas howled with laughter. He was still laughing when Milly started to bark and wag her tail as Tomas told Julie that the others were here. Sure enough, Michael and Martin appeared at the back door. Tomas and Julie went out to greet them.
“What’s funny, kid? We could hear you laughing from miles away.”
“We were talking about putting in shutters and I just sprang on Julie that I have millions. She decided she might paint the house as well.”
Tomas introduced a blushing Julie to Martin. She thought that a girl could get very used to seeing handsome men in her life. When the three men laughed she realised she was broadcasting again.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Martin.”
“Don’t apologise, it’s nice that you think I’m handsome.” He laughed then asked, “May I enter your home? May you give me permission to enter?”
Julie agreed and walked back inside the house, the men following her. As soon as she got inside, she heard a car pull up and someone at the front door.
Opening it, she found Louisa and Avril. The women all greeted each other. Julie took Avril’s hand. “How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
“Yes, it is all so surreal but I’m getting used to the idea. Louisa told me all about Hunters and their mates last night. What about you? Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes I’m fine. Come in.”
Everyone was holding their breath as Julie led Louisa and Avril into the living room. Martin gave a tiny shake of his head and they could all sense his disappointment, even Avril.
Tomas made the introductions and Avril said she wished she could have been destined for him. The Hunters could all “hear” her appreciation of his looks and regret that he was not destined for her.
He thanked her and everyone sat.
Julie looked around the room. The Hunters were all so attractive. She looked at Martin, he was certainly handsome. He was not as tall as the other two, maybe six foot two.” Like them, he looked to be thirty, his hair was longer still, past his waist, glossy and as shiny as a raven’s wing.
He gave a grin to Julie, “My last name is Blackbird. My father is a member of the Cree First Nation and my mother is Italian.”
Julie blushed again, the sooner she knew how to stop broadcasting, the better. Still it was easy to see his First Nation heritage, she was curious as to his age. It was impossible to tell with these gorgeous Hunters.
“My mother is the Hunter and she converted my father when she found he was her One. That was in 1001, I was born just over thirty years later. I’m nine hundred and eighty-two.”
Julie gave a gasp. “I don’t know if I’ll ever reconcile the looks to the ages.”
“Me neither,” Avril agreed, shaking her head in amazement.
Louisa looked over and said, “So what was the big joke Tomas?”
He explained that the first thing Julie had said when she learned Tomas was a multi-millionaire was that she might paint the house.
Louisa burst into hysterics.
“Reminds me of Charlotte.” She looked over to Julie. “That’s Matei’s wife, remember. We were picking out a wedding dress and she wasn’t sure if she could afford it. Matei told her he had transferred some money to her account—a few million just in case she needed it. She practically fainted on the spot.”
“I can remember a certain English woman who panicked because she thought I would be broke when I paid for the repair of the carriage she was in that had crashed.”
It was Louisa’s turn to blush.
“I guess we just don’t realise how long you boys have been alive and accumulating wealth. Mind you, Julie, they are very altruistic, there’s not a Hunter alive who doesn’t run some sort of charity or give regularly to those who are in need.”
Tomas and Michael both shrugged their shoulders.
“It is only fair, we have the ability to help so therefore we should.”
The three men looked embarrassed. Michael dropped to the floor to wrestle with Milly for a while.
“Would you like some tea? I have some biscuits, too,” Julie asked the room at large.
Michael stopped immediately. “I couldn’t find any biscuits when I looked.”
Louisa and Julie exchanged a glance. “I have them stashed.”
Michael looked at Louisa, “You told on me, didn’t you?”
“Guilty.” She grinned at him.
“Wait until I get you alone. You will beg for mercy.”
“Bring it on, mister, bring it on.”
Michael followed Julie out into the kitchen and grabbed the container off her before she had a chance to open it.
“I shall have to sample these just in case.”
He wandered back into the living room with the container under his arm and two biscuits in his hand. When Julie took in the tea, Michael had eaten nearly all of them.
When she sat, he looked at her and grinned, then spoke.
“Okay let’s talk about tactics.”
“We have destroyed five strigoi. Last night I destroyed the two lairs we had located but I also found a third which I destroyed.” He looked across at Tomas. “I’m thinking it was used by one of the ones you killed, Tomas.”
“Possibly, I just hope there aren’t more around.”
“Interestingly I did notice that the five were all centred around the one area. Your suggestion that there’s a master in control is looking likely, Tomas.”
“Wish it wasn’t. Okay, so what do we do now?”
“I think we need to do some snooping. See if we can narrow down where the central lair is likely to be without tipping off the strigoi, last thing we need is for it to move.”
Tomas looked at Julie. “Michael, Julie still thinks that there were two strigoi here that night and she thinks one was a female.”
Michael cocked his head thinking.
“That would be damn unusual. No way of knowing really. Guess we just keep searching.”
Michael finished off his tea, and the biscuits. They all heard Julie thinking that she would have to go to the shops to refill or else make some.
Michael jumped up and kissed both her cheeks then said, “I like homemade ones but if you don’t have time, shop ones are fine.”
Julie blushed realising they had all heard her then gave a chuckle. “I’ll see what I can do, Michael.”
Tomas came to her and gave her a very passionate kiss that would have had him dragging her into the
bedroom if the others were not there. Louisa smiled at her, she was staying with the two women while the men did the search. She and Michael said goodbye then the men vanished.
“That’s so cool!” Avril was looking at the spot where the three men had vanished and shaking her head.
The three women settled down to talk, Julie had made tea and “found” another tin of biscuits that she had hidden. Louisa burst out laughing when she saw them.
Avril looked at her and asked, “Do they all have a sweet tooth?”
“Most of them. Maybe it has something to do with the fact they don’t put on weight regardless of what they eat. I have to admit it does feel great to indulge in something sweet and not have to worry about it ending up your hips.”
They spent a pleasant evening talking about this and that. Louisa tried to tell the two women as much as possible about Hunters and their lives. Avril said she was a little disappointed when Martin had not been her mate.
“Silly I know, but I want someone to love me like you and Michael, and Tomas and you, Julie. Not to mention Martin is gorgeous.”
“He is, isn’t he.” Louisa gave a giggle. “Still, all Hunters are handsome or beautiful so I don’t think you need worry, Avril. I have never met an ugly Hunter.”
When Louisa could see the two mortals struggling to stay awake, she sent them to bed. Avril had come prepared and was sleeping in the spare room. Julie told her not to worry if she was still asleep when she woke, she could leave or stay for as long as she wished. Avril thanked her.
From tomorrow, Martin would be staying at her house until her mother returned, then they would have to figure out something else until she moved into her rented house and was safely in the arms of her One.
* * * *
Tomas, Michael, and Martin flew to the last lair that Michael had cleansed. They landed, transformed back into human form, then Michael drew a rough map in the dirt with a stick.
“Okay, so this is where we are.” Using the stick as a pointer, Michael prodded his map.
“These are the other three lairs. If we draw a line from each, this is the central area we need to search. I don’t want to start in the middle, we don’t want to warn whatever is there. Let’s start from the outer edge and fly inward. If you go in one direction, Martin can follow up in case either of us misses anything. I’ll go in the other. There is more chance we may find something. When we meet at the end of each circuit let’s compare before we go to the next.”
