“This is how it should be between us. Predator and prey. It's what makes the hunt so fun.” His hand cups my chin and his thumb drags across my bottom lip. “So why is it I take no pleasure in this?” He's almost speaking to himself as he murmurs the last admission.
He pulls away from me slightly. Enough for me to see his eyes. Pale grey and filled with confusion. We both lay there for a moment drenched from the rain looking at each other. He seems deep in thought as his eyes flicker between my own.
I'm too scared to move but the fog from his aura shrinks away allowing my head to clear. I feel the humming of energy from the ground beneath us. I picture the blades of grass covering the floor around us to be as sharp as needles and they shoot from the ground like darts. Alistair is snapped out of his thoughts as they pierce through his clothes and into his skin. He yells in pain as he jumps off of me. I get to my feet. Drawing more power, I force a couple of branches from the trees surrounding us to grow. They speed through the air towards Alistair as he's pulling the green shards from his face. His black suit now tinged with blood as it soaks through from his punctured skin. He looks up in time to see the branches streaming towards him and he jumps out the way quicker than my eyes can follow. He ducks one branch and kicks the other. It snaps in half and shrinks away. I try and get the one that's left to wrap around his throat but I'm too slow. He grabs it and rips it apart.
The pain rips through me like it was my own arm and tears fill me eyes. He looks at me in shock as I stand before him in agony. His face is already healed from the blades of grass and the rain has washed most of the blood from his skin.
He steps towards me in two quick strides and cups my face in his hands. His lips crush mine in a deep desperate kiss that knocks the breath from me. His lips are demanding but they're oh so soft. I fall into him and tilt my head allowing his tongue better access. He moans against my lips making warmth pool between my legs.
He tastes like dark chocolate and honeyed bourbon. Its exquisite and I want more. I press myself against him as his hand slips through my hair to the back of my head. He pulls slightly tilting my head back further. His lips kiss and caress my jaw and down my neck until I feel his breath on the sensitive spot beneath my ear. I shiver against him as his tongue licks andsucks up and down the side of my neck. His other arm wraps around my back pulling me against him in a vice like hold. I feel his hardness jutting against my pelvis and I grind myself against him. He growls deeply in my ear and it vibrates through me down to my core and turns the heat between my legs to a blazing inferno.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm aware of the darkness flooding from him, surrounding us, blaring out a warning but I ignore it. His touch is far too addictive for me to resist. I know I shouldn't want this but I can't help wanting more. He's intoxicating and delicious.
I feel two sharp points graze against my neck and I freeze. Alistair goes ridged as if woken from a dream and jumps away from me suddenly. I fall forward into the empty air and land on my knees in the mud. His arms grip my shoulders and stop me from falling flat on my face. I'm still trying to catch up on what just happened. I look up at him and his expression is full of... fear? Why? I'm the one that should be terrified. I snogged the guy that's trying to kill me!
He licks his lips and I catch a glimpse of two long white fangs. His eyes are black with a smoke like pattern swirling around in the whites of his eyes. He blinks and shakes his head as he lets go of me. He almost looks vulnerable.
“Fuck!”
“Wha-” Before I can finish a single word he disappears from sight. I whirl around just in time to see a dark shape shoot away down the street. I get to my feet and stand there in the park, rain cascading around me as I try to make sense of what just happened. I see my purse by my feet and pick it up. I must have dropped it in the heat of the moment. Without permission tears run down my cheeks. I rub them away angrily just in time to see my mums’ car come speeding around the corner and come to a screeching stop right in front of me. The passenger doorswings open and still stunned by the whirlwind of events from the past hour I get in.
“Krista whose blood is that? Are you OK?!” My mums voice is panicked as she takes in my dishevelled appearance.
“I'm fine. It's not my blood.” I sound hollow and empty. I sit there unmoving as we speed down the road.
“Where did Alistair go?” Mum keeps shooting me quick glances as she switches gears in rapid succession.
“I don't know he just disappeared.” I realise we're not going home. “Mum where are we going?” I sit up and try to make sense of the blurry landscape whizzing by.
“It's too dangerous to go home now they've found us. We need to get away.” She sounds on edge and it's now I notice her constantly looking at the rear-view mirror.
“Who's they?” How can this be happening? I just wanna go home.
“Hades and Alistair. Alistair is his son. The Son of Hades and Gaia! One of the most powerful beings in existence. Hades and Alistair are more than just vampires. They’re Gods. Hades has gone by many names over the centuries. Pluto, Lucifer. He's the Devil Krista. Vampires are ancient. Created by Hades millions of years ago. They’ve hunted Nymphs nearly to extinction. It's a game for them.” She spits the last bit. Her tone drips with disgust and hate. Her knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
My head spins at the insane amount of information that it’s trying to process. Bile rises in my throat and I open the window to try and stop my head from spinning.
“What the fuck mum?!” My hands are shaking. “Are you saying The Devil himself is chasing us? You said Hades. Like the blue cartoon Disney guy with fire on his head?” I start to laugh. It sounds just as hollow as my voice. I think I've lost the plot. I lean my head against the window frame and watch my mum.
“Not quite like that baby. I know this is a lot. You've done so well at taking in all this so far. We've got a long drive ahead of us. Using your powers has exhausted you. Sleep if you can. I'll keep us safe.” She smiles at me and pats my leg. I take her hand and hold it tight.
My eyes feel heavy and I yawn. I hadn't realised how exhausted I am. Since waking up this morning, everything has gone level 10 crazy. Is there such a thing as emotional whiplash? Either way my mind is officially overloaded. Sleep sounds amazing right now. I yawn again. “Fine but you've got a lot -splaining to do...” I slur my words as sleep overtakes me.
*
Suddenly I'm back at home. I'm looking around frantically. Moving with impossible speed through the rooms. I get to my bedroom and see Cassey crying on the bed. I grab her by the throat and pin her to the wall. Her eyes are wide in terror as she struggles to try and get free. When I speak the voice is not my own.
“Where did they go?!” Alistair's voice is stern and terrifying.
Cassey is desperately clawing at his hands. Her voice comes out between laboured breathes. “I... D-Don't... Know.”
He moves his face closer to hers and catches her panic-stricken gaze. “Stop moving.”
Instantly her body freezes and he removes his hand from around her neck. Her empty stare is haunting as she stands like a zombie.
“I'll ask again. Where did Gwen and Krista go?” His tone is irritated.
Cassey's voice is hollow and emotionless. She doesn't even blink. “I don't know.”
