MY HEART STILL HASN’T returned to its regular pace as I follow Cas through his house. For a moment there, I really had panicked that Alex was going to become someone’s dinner. I can still feel the goosebumps across my skin as I shudder at the thought.
Every window is hidden behind dark velvet curtains, giving the place a cold and eerie aesthetic. Everything inside the house – walls, floors, furniture – are a black, a grey, or a deep violet.
I gasp as we enter the living room. Strange and ancient artefacts fill most of the surface space, and the walls are covered in silver weapons in place of normal decor. My eyes slowly travel over the daggers, swords, chains, and handcuffs. The weapons make me feel nauseous. I don’t want to think about them being used on anyone. Considering silver is painful to vampires, it seems a little odd to have it displayed as a feature wall for someone to easily use against him. Maybe that is the whole point of it . . . that he is so strong that he can comfortably live amongst weapons that are supposed to weaken him.
Alex lets out a low whistle. ‘Damn.’
The whole place sets me on edge as my stomach twists in knots. I know Hunter told me I had nothing to fear in this vampire’s house, but I can’t shake the unease that has settled into my bones like an icy chill. This entire house screams creepiness.
‘This is awesome!’ Alex says, plucking a giant crossbow from the wall.
There’s a distinct snapping sound and suddenly Hunter is in front of me. My hair flies over my shoulders as though caught in a gust of wind. He scowls, lowering his hand from in front of my face, and it’s then I notice he’s clutching an arrow. If not for Hunter, it would have hit me dead between the eyes.
The crossbow clatters to the floor as Alex curses. ‘Shit, my bad.’
Cas tsks, gliding across the room at a speed quicker than my eyes can track, his feet hovering above the floor. I see it, I know I do, and yet I can’t wrap my head around it.
‘Don’t touch my things.’
‘Got it.’ Alex looks like a bobble-head as he rapidly nods.
‘Seriously,’ Cas’s voice drops low. ‘Don’t.’
‘I got it,’ Alex snaps back.
Sighing, I shake my head. That smart mouth and attitude of his is going to get him in big trouble one day. I can feel it.
I’m suddenly distracted as Hunter turns and faces me, his eyes roaming over me, leaving me flustered.
‘Are you all right?’ he asks. He reaches out his hand, as if he might touch my face, but it awkwardly hovers mid-air before dropping back to his side.
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Thank you.’
With a nod, he steps away from me once more. I feel my face flush as I notice Cas staring at him before he glances back at me, his interest apparent.
‘Shall we?’ Cas turns on his heel without waiting for a response and swallowing thickly, I trail behind him, glad for the distraction.
As we walk up the stairs to the next floor, I take a moment to study Cas. Dressed in faded jeans and a white T-shirt, he looks completely normal from the back. It’s those silver and almost-black eyes that make you pause. Of course most would assume they are a deep, dark brown, but I know better. The eyes. It’s what I always need to look for when I’m out. It’s a dead giveaway, separating the vampires from the humans.
Cas has a piercing in his left eyebrow, his forearms are covered in dark swirling tattoos. His white, blond hair is spiky, sticking up at odd angles. Combined with his borderline black eyes, there is no doubt that he has an unnatural look about him.
‘If you are to stay,’ he says, barely glancing over his shoulder at me. ‘You will be in here.’ He looks at Hunter, tilting his head. ‘Perhaps both of you.’
Hunter’s cheek spasms. ‘No, only Raya.’
‘Mmhmm,’ Cas replies in a disbelieving tone. ‘And you, emo boy, you will be in this one.’
‘Righto. Thanks ghost-dude.’
Cas arches an eyebrow, a look of amusement falling across his face. ‘Ghost-dude?’
‘Yeah. You look like the fucking walking dead.’
‘Alex!’ I squawk in horror.
Cas flashes a grin, revealing his fangs. I startle, stepping back, and grabbing a hold of Hunter’s bicep before I realise what I’ve done.
Damn. That’s a nice bicep.
‘I’ll show you how close you are to death, boy,’ Cas snarls, his face darkening, contrasting starkly with his white-blond hair.
‘Enough,’ Hunter barks, his voice ringing with command. As Hunter’s fingers discreetly brush against my hand, I relax. It’s as if he clears any fear and worry from my mind with a single touch.
Cas smirks at Alex, who glowers back at him.
We finally finish the tour of his monstrously big home. Unnecessarily big for one person, but I suppose when you’re a vampire, you really can do whatever you want.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs, my stomach lets out an awkwardly loud rumble, and I place my hand against it as though that would somehow silence it.
‘You’re hungry,’ Hunter states the obvious. ‘I will go get you dinner.’
‘Why don’t we go out for dinner?’ Cas suggests, placing his hands behind his back as his eyes move between each of us.
‘I thought you couldn’t eat food,’ I say.
‘We can eat, but we don’t need to. That’s why we don’t bother. But we enjoy drinking.’
‘Finally, something we have in common,’ says Alex with a wry smile.
‘I’m keen for dinner. What about you, Hunter?’ I ask.
He’s quiet for a moment and I can almost see his thoughts ticking over, calculating any perceived risks. After a few long seconds, he shrugs. ‘Why not?’
I spend the next hour unpacking and getting ready for dinner. It feels nice to do something so normal. My hair, my makeup; things I haven’t done since I started this adventure. I always enjoyed dressing up and wearing a cute outfit. I used to love trying on my sister’s clothes. Her outfits always seemed so much better than mine. She was effortlessly gorgeous and trendy. I always aspired to be like her.
A quiet knock on my door pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn to see Hunter stroll in, dressed in all black, looking mouth-wateringly handsome. So much so that I have to clench my thighs together.
Yikes. I’m in trouble.
‘Hi,’ I smile.
He doesn’t answer, instead his dark eyes travel sensually down my body. I’ve read hundreds of books, seen a thousand movies. I always see it. The look. The look of total lust and adoration. Now I am seeing it directed at me. It feels pretty damn good.
I’m being forced by the bond, Raya. I don’t want to be here.
Hunter’s words ring inside my head. Does he truly feel this, or is it the bond convincing him he is attracted to me? Insecurity ripples up my spine like poison as my smile falters. Yet as I watch him, my mouth becomes bone dry as his eyes trace the most intimate curves of my body. Biting his lip, the corner of his mouth tilts, sending waves of desire through my body.
‘Legata una, sei molto bella.’ His Italian drawl makes me feel warm and fluttery on the inside. Digging his hands into his pockets, his heated gaze continues to feast on me like I’m a cool drink after a long trek through the desert.
‘What does that mean?’ I can hardly get the words out.
‘You are very beautiful,’ he says with a cute, boyish smile. One of those rare, genuine smiles seemingly reserved only for me.
A blush warms my cheeks, but as much as I love the compliment and attention, I bristle a little at it, his earlier words punching through me. ‘Thanks, Hunter. You look very handsome yourself.’ I say a little flatly, smiling sweetly up at him. ‘But maybe that’s just the bond influencing me.’
He stiffens, a muscle in his jaw pulses. His eyes swirl, wisping from a glittery silver, to something darker. Not quite black, but something just as menacing, and not before I see the hurt behind his gaze. Running his tongue across his teeth, he nods, taking a step back. I instantly feel guilty even though it’s exactly how he made me feel earlier.
‘Are you ready to go?’ he asks tersely, looking down at the floor.
‘Yeah,’ I say. He turns to leave, and as I see his fists clenched at his sides it intensifies my guilt, and I suddenly can’t stand it. ‘Hunter . . .’
‘Hmm?’ He stops, turning to face me.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘For what?’ he asks, his expression blank.
‘This situation. You don’t want to be here, I get that. I never meant to involve you in this suicide mission. I’m sorry you’ve had to uproot your entire life for something you don’t care about.’ I let out a shaky exhale, suddenly finding the floor fascinating, unable to meet his gaze. ‘I know you don’t really care for me. Any protective feelings are bond-induced.’ The more I talk, the more pathetic and whinier I sound. Sighing, my shoulders slump. ‘I guess, I’m just . . . sorry. For dragging you into my mess.’
In two long strides, he is before me. I gasp as he raises my chin with his finger, forcing me to meet his gaze as he searches my face.
‘I’m sorry if I seem harsh sometimes. It’s not you – I just want more for you. Being tied to a vampire isn’t going to enable you to live a normal life. I shouldn’t have said that I didn’t care to be here. I do care about you, and that’s why we’re in this position.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask, my voice barely more than a whisper.
‘Theo told me there has to be attraction beforehand for a bond to form.’
‘Oh.’ I don’t know what to say, and he sighs deeply, his thumb drawing a circular pattern onto my cheek. I lean into his hand, seeking his comfort.
‘I guess what I’m saying is . . . I don’t need to have the bond to know how I feel about you.’
My lips part as I absorb his words. I never suspected that the infatuation I felt toward him before the bond was possibly returned. I assumed it was because a vampire is designed to lure a human in. Of course I would think about him and want to be around him. But for him to feel the same way . . . not as intensely, I’m sure, but still . . .
‘Um . . . I . . .’ I mumble, half-smiling, half-attempting to bury my face into his palm so I don’t endure this growing-more-heated-by-the-second stare between us. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘We should be careful,’ he says quietly. ‘We can’t . . . It will only make it . . .’ He sighs.
‘You mean, have a relationship? A romantic one?’ I ask hesitantly, my mind having instantly taken a dirtier train of thought, but I was not going to be asking that.
‘I mean sleep together.’
I stiffen as the words leave his mouth. If I was blushing before, it’s nothing compared to what is happening to my body right now. The thought of having sex with him does all kinds of wild things to my body.
‘Oh,’ I say, trying to look anywhere but at his face.
‘Yeah,’ he breathes, pushing his hand through his hair.
‘So. No sex.’
‘No sex.’ He nods, eyes fixing onto mine a little too intensely.
‘It will make the bond stronger?’
‘That’s what I’ve been told.’ He sighs. ‘It might make it so strong that I turn you. Even if you didn’t want me to because the thought of your human life ending will make me desperate and irrational. I could never live with myself if I took that choice away from you.’
‘Wow,’ I whisper. ‘That’s a lot to take in.’
‘Mmhmm.’
‘But we could do other things?’ The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. My face feels like it’s on fire.
Okay. Turns out I can ask him that.
The corner of his mouth tilts, and he breathes a laugh, looking down at his feet before his gaze travels back up to meet my eyes.
‘Yes. I suppose we could,’ he murmurs, and my heartbeat thuds loudly in my ears. ‘We can’t let things get out of control, however.’
‘How would that work?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘If you turned me. Aren’t I supposed to be your only blood source?’
‘The bond would still be present, but we both can drink human blood freely. It breaks that part of the bond. Unless you died of natural causes. Then, I die, too. Of starvation, if I don’t end my own life because of the misery of losing my bonded.’
‘This sounds like it’s all made up,’ I confess. ‘Some crazy plot in a movie.’
He offers me a lopsided grin. ‘Yeah. Well. I wish it wasn’t our reality.’
‘Still. I’m sorry.’ I wince.
Capturing my hand, he brings it to his lips, kissing it softly. ‘I’m sorry, too.’
‘What’s going to happen to us?’ I ask. ‘Where will this lead if we don’t pursue a relationship? You will be my forever bodyguard? That doesn’t seem fair to you.’
‘Let’s worry about finding your sister. The rest we can figure out later.’
Nodding, I accept that. I have to. Though the thought of not taking things further just now leaves a hollow pit in my stomach. I remind myself that it is the bond trying to control me. He will never be far – even if he wanted to be. I consider it the silver lining of the curse. It will all work out as it should. I believe that.
The door to my room bangs open, and Alex strides inside. He stops abruptly when he notices the proximity of Hunter and I. Hunter ignores him completely, most likely having heard him coming long before he knocked on the door.
‘Um,’ he says, his expression hardening. ‘It’s time to leave.’
‘Okay,’ I reply, reluctantly letting go of Hunter as he excuses himself, and swiftly leaves the room.
Alex tries to catch my eye as I gather my things, but I refuse to look up. I don’t want to hear whatever he wants to say. I know it will be negative. My head is spinning with the information Hunter gave me. Later, when I have the time, I will conduct my own research. See if this whole having-sex-will-strengthen-the-bond thing is true. Sure, it makes sense, but I want to explore that thoroughly. In case it doesn’t need to be ruled out. Totally hypothetically, of course.
Cas is waiting for us by the door. He’s dressed in leather pants, boots, and a leather jacket with studs on the shoulders. With thick eyeliner around his midnight eyes, he looks demonic – or maybe like he belongs in a heavy metal band.
‘That’s a vibe,’ I say, grinning at him.
‘Is that a good thing?’ He frowns.
‘Yeah.’
‘Okay.’ He shrugs. ‘Thanks. Are you ready?’
I nod. Cas opens the door and we file out before he follows closely behind. We walk out to the garage where his Ferrari awaits. Alex’s jaw drops at the sight of the sleek black car with its blacked-out windows and matching rims. The darkest of dark. Totally fitting for Cas.
‘Like?’ Cas smirks.
‘Love,’ Alex breathes, his face lit up like it’s his first Christmas, reaching his hand out hesitantly, as if afraid to touch it.
‘Can this fit all of us?’ I ask, eyeing the subwoofer that takes up most of the space in the back, allowing legally only two passengers to fit other than the driver.
‘Yeah,’ Cas replies. ‘You may need to sit on someone’s lap though.’
Alex sneers at that, and I hide my smile as Hunter climbs in first. He shoots me an amused look as he pats his lap. I don’t need to be asked twice. Considering our conversation five minutes ago, sitting in this proximity to him seems to go against what he said we shouldn’t be doing. Although he didn’t seem opposed to the other things I suggested . . .
Drawing in a breath, I slide across onto his lap. His large hands settle on my waist, securing me better than any seatbelt. At his touch, every inch of me feels like it’s on fire. His grip tightens, his thumb sliding down the slit in my dress, touching my skin.
Jesus.
‘Hold on.’ Cas smirks moments before the car launches forward.
I let out a yelp, holding on for dear life as Cas flies through the streets, overtaking cars with the ease of a racecar driver. He never slows for an intersection and runs every red light. In the end, I close my eyes and grip Hunter’s hands as we careen down the road. Cas inches the music up to a deafening volume. The bass vibrates the seats and the doors, the music pulsing up my body. Neon strips light up the dashboard and along the inside of the car, casting a deep purple light over the interior.
Hunter leans forward, pressing a kiss on my bare shoulder. Heat burns like an untamed fire through me. I wriggle against him. I stare down at his hands on me, realising that it has been a little while since he last fed. Considering how heated things get when he does feed on me, it seems risky to let him right now, but since the others are here, it can hardly get too out of hand.
Turning my head, I feel his breath against my cheek.
‘Do it,’ I whisper. ‘Bite me.’
He kisses my shoulder again. With his grip tightening ever-so-slightly, his self-control snaps. I hear the lengthening of his fangs before I feel them sink into my shoulder. A moan leaves me, and I shamelessly grind on his lap. My eyes flash over to Cas who has his arm out the window, gazing out of it as we weave in and out of lanes that are clearly not designed for overtaking.
Alex is not paying any attention to what we’re doing as he lets out a whoop, drowning out the sounds of me whimpering as Hunter takes what he needs from me.
The cool night air flows over me, my hair whips around my face, blanketing my expressions from anyone who may look our way.
Hunter’s hand moves between my legs, and I almost stop breathing. His fingers walk up my thigh.
‘I thought you said . . .’ I whisper, trailing off, suddenly not wanting to finish that sentence in case he stops touching me like that.
‘I know,’ he murmurs, his deep voice making a shiver run down my spine. ‘But you’re right. We can do . . . other things. Even though I know we shouldn’t.’
Electricity crackles between us and I lean back against him, loving the feel of his hard muscles against my back.
‘Don’t stop,’ I whisper, squirming in his lap.
My chest is heaving as I look over to Cas, who is still looking out the window, and if I wasn’t so caught up in Hunter’s touch, I might have been more concerned that he hadn’t looked at the road in minutes.
‘I don’t want to stop,’ Hunter murmurs into my neck, lightly tracing patterns onto my thigh. ‘But this . . . these moans . . . seeing you like this . . .’ His hold on me tightens. ‘This is only for me.’
He bites harder into my shoulder, and the desperate ache inside me grows.
I need more.
My heart is galloping inside my chest, threatening to burst free at any moment. I have never felt more alive than I do at this moment.
Cas yanks on the steering wheel, almost taking out the car next to us as he does a completely illegal park in front of a dimly lit restaurant that is packed to the brim full of people. The whole trip here seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. If Hunter didn’t have such a firm grip on me, I certainly would have flown through the front window at Cas’s hazardous driving.
Looping his arm over the steering wheel, Cas flashes his fangs at me. ‘Here.’
Turning, I smile at Hunter. ‘Thanks for being a great seatbelt.’
Smirking, he drags his tongue across his lower lip, collecting the blood from it.
‘Sure. Anytime.’
Heat blossoms in my cheeks.
I want him so bad.
When we exit the car, I look at the others. Cas’s wild blond hair is totally windblown and messy, but it makes him look even more handsome. He winks at me, and I feel a flush right down to the tips of my toes. He definitely knows what just happened.
I could die right here, right now.
‘That was epic, man,’ Alex breathes, fumbling his way out of the car, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. It’s nice to see him coexisting with Cas and Hunter without the snarkiness. ‘You gotta let me drive it one day.’
‘We’ll see,’ Cas replies as he exits.
‘He is so much cooler than you are,’ Alex points out, directing a bitchy look to Hunter as he and Cas head off in the direction of the restaurant.
Well. I spoke too soon.
I turn to face Hunter, and for a brief moment, it’s just the two of us. ‘For the record, I think you’re pretty cool.’
And I really do. Hunter is effortlessly magnetic in a way I’ve never experienced. I’m desperate to know more about him, and to spend more time with him.
‘I think you’re pretty cool, too,’ Hunter replies, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
‘Thanks,’ I say.
Slapping my butt, he inclines his head. ‘Off we go.’
‘Yes, sir.’
The street is loud and busy with chatter, laughter, and people loitering out the front of several bars and restaurants. Cas makes a beeline for the entrance, bypassing the huge line that goes most of the way down the street.
I’m delighted when Hunter reaches for my hand. I know my feelings for him are developing a little rapidly. I’m still in two minds about how genuine they are, and how much my feelings are impacted by the bond. I’m starting to believe it is a mixture of both. It’s exhausting feeling tense and on edge all of the time. I just want to enjoy this moment without overthinking it. I know the closer we get to finding Kian and Cora, the more danger we’ll all be in. Right here, right now, I want to just enjoy being with Hunter, and getting to know him and his friend.
‘Cas,’ he says to the girl behind the desk, almost completely hidden behind a display of menus. ‘I have a reservation.’
Shouts of protest follow us, but I don’t make eye contact with anyone. I’m running with the vampire crowd now, and I’m going to enjoy it.
The young girl frowns, skimming over the list. ‘I’m sorry, sir. I don’t see your name.’
‘Look again.’ His voice is deep and a little rough. Alex’s head snaps to look over at Cas. He shakes his head, fidgeting, as if realising Cas has an effect on him. Ignoring Alex’s scowl, I look back at the girl as her expression becomes dazed. She blinks once and looks down at the list. ‘Oh. There you are.’ She beckons over a young man. ‘Anthony will direct you to your table. Have a lovely evening, sir.’
Nodding at her, he winks. ‘I will, thank you.’
‘That is freaking cool,’ Alex mutters to me, seemingly unaware that his cheeks are flushed, and he can’t seem to take his eyes off Cas. I wonder if Cas is laying the charm on a little thickly on purpose, or whether he is oblivious to the extent of his effect on mortals. I’m even more convinced I’m not affected because of my bond with Hunter.
It’s the classiest restaurant I’ve ever seen – I’ve always wanted to come to a place like this. As we follow the waiter to our table, it seems like every pair of eyes we pass swivel in our direction as we weave through the bustling restaurant. With Hunter’s striking tattoos on display, Cas’s white hair and their identical inky black eyes, we must look like a strange, motley group. I hold my chin high trying to ignore that I feel a little inadequate in my humanness. Alex must feel the same because he is pulling the collar of his button up like it’s choking him all of a sudden.
The waiter stops at a table in the centre of the room – somehow vacant despite how packed the restaurant is. Hunter pulls my chair out for me, and I drop into it, shooting him a grateful smile. I love this side of him. The more I see it, the more of it I want. Violin music plays softly from a small band located at the back end of the restaurant, playing covers of well-known classics.
‘So,’ Cas drops into the seat opposite me, and I’m a little surprised as Alex takes the one directly beside Cas. He eyes Alex for a moment, and then sends us a cat-like grin. ‘What are we drinking tonight?’
His jibe misses the mark as Alex snarls and I look at him, my head tilted to the side before I realise what he’s looking at.
‘What the hell is that?’ he hisses.
Stiffening, I lightly touch my fingers to my shoulder, and feel the wetness there. Hunter and I were so caught up in our stolen moment that we forgot to heal the bite. A smirk stretches across Cas’s mouth as he leans back in the chair. I glance at Hunter, who has his eyes closed for a brief second, most likely berating himself for his mistake.
‘Nothing,’ I say quietly.
Cas smirks, glancing at Alex. ‘What, you want one, too?’
Colour rises in Alex’s cheeks, and his jaw tightens. Glaring down at the table, he refuses to meet my eyes. I sink into my seat, feeling like I was caught doing something wrong. Hunter’s hand touches my arm and I feel all sense of shame and embarrassment evaporate.
Alex knows that I am Hunter’s only source of blood. Why is he acting like feeding on me is a cardinal sin?
I’m oblivious to the slight debate Cas and Hunter have over the wine list before Cas waves his hand and declares he’s ordering the restaurants ‘finest’ wine. I’m not sure if the compulsion is somehow lingering, or if it’s just their presence, but all the staff bend over backwards making sure we have everything we could possibly desire.
‘How is everything?’ A man asks, looming over us, hovering so close to Cas that it looks like they’re about to touch.
It seems like the staff are on thirty-second rotations to check in on us.
‘Enough!’ Cas snaps in irritation, shooing the man and causing him to stumble back in surprise. ‘Leave us be. Tell everyone to leave us alone unless our glasses are empty.’
‘Y-yes sir,’ the man stammers before rushing away.
Alex and I share a brief truce as we exchange equally awkward glances over Cas’s flip in temperament. The staff certainly wouldn’t be treating us this way if it was just the two of us.
After one glass, the wine totally goes to my head, and I can’t stop talking, and thankfully, everything seems back to normal between the group. As normal as it can be, anyway. Alex seems to have calmed down from earlier, and while I’m sure he isn’t impressed with the situation, he must understand that neither Hunter nor myself can help it. When dinner arrives, it is mouth-wateringly delicious. Quite possibly the best food I’ve had in . . . well . . . ever. I haven’t had a decent meal for what seems like a very long time. I inhale the food so quickly, I should probably be embarrassed by it. I get so caught up in eating, I barely pay attention to the idle chit-chat between Hunter and Cas until Cas directs a question to me.
‘So, that’s why you’re here?’ Cas asks. ‘Your sister.’
Placing the glass down, I nod. ‘Yeah. I’m trying to find her.’
‘If she is out there, we will find her,’ Cas assures me. ‘Most vampires go overseas. Here in Australia, it is much less populated than a lot of other countries. It’s easier to blend over there. If she’s not here, we will just have to travel.’
‘I’ve never been overseas before,’ I admit. ‘The thought of chasing her across different countries scares the hell out of me. I also don’t have the money for that.’
Cas waves me off dismissively. ‘Money is no problem, little human.’
‘I am not little,’ I huff.
He grins. ‘You are tiny. You barely come up to my chest.’
‘Maybe you’re just a giant.’ The wine gives me bravado.
Alex snickers and even Hunter smiles, taking a sip of his wine. He looks relaxed and carefree, which is so nice to see. It’s like he can finally ease up a little, knowing he has another person to help make sure we aren’t in danger.
‘Besides, that’s assuming my sister is out there,’ I say sourly, returning to the previous conversation. ‘What if this is all for nothing?’
‘It won’t be all for nothing. You met me. That’s an incredible thing not everyone gets to experience,’ Cas declares.
Alex scoffs, shaking his head, but the corners of his mouth twitch. Hunter chuckles and I join in, our laughs blending together almost musically.
‘Sure,’ I say.
‘So, let me get this right,’ Cas says, leaning forward onto his elbows, linking his fingers together and resting them against his chin. ‘You two completely untrained and inexperienced humans travelled to a known-vampire-infested town with literally no clue where to start your quest of finding your missing sister.’
‘Well. When you say it like that, it sounds pretty stupid,’ Alex says.
‘Because it is,’ Hunter mutters, swirling the glass of wine in his hand.
‘But charmingly brave, nonetheless,’ Cas continues as he arrogantly taps on his glass, and a man appears to quickly refill it before scampering off.
‘We have had training,’ I interject. ‘We did a bunch of self-defence courses and learnt ways to escape dire situations. We didn’t walk into this with no thought.’
‘Not completely,’ Alex added.
‘Right.’ Cas nods, looking at the pair of us like we’re simply children with unachievable ambitions. ‘You’re saying then that you are trained to outrun a hungry, crazed vampire?’
‘I’m saying we did training to increase our chances of getting away.’
I ignore how uncomfortable Hunter looks about this conversation. I suppose he doesn’t like the thought of me being in these situations that we are hypothetically speaking of. Or maybe it reminds him of when the danger isn’t so hypothetical.
Cas runs his tongue across his teeth, a challenge lighting up those endlessly deep eyes. ‘Let’s prove your theory, then.’
‘What?’ Hunter growls, whipping his head to look at his friend.
‘Let’s see if they can escape us.’
‘Fuck no,’ Hunter splutters, gaping at him. ‘Are you insane?’
‘Insane as they come, my friend,’ he says, turning his attention to Alex, then to me. ‘What do you say? Are you up for a little game?’
Swallowing my last bite and washing it down with the last remaining wine in my glass, I set it back down and fix Cas with an intrigued stare. ‘I’m listening.’
‘We go out on the street; the hunt begins.’
‘Don’t say hunt.’ Hunter winces.
‘The game,’ Cas amends. ‘Let’s see if you can escape us.’
I lean back into the chair, exchanging a glance with Alex. He doesn’t look opposed to the idea, even though I’m feeling a little reluctant. Clearly, Hunter doesn’t think it’s a good idea, and I trust his judgement.
‘Could be fun,’ Alex says.
‘It’s not meant to be fun,’ Hunter grumbles, his hand balling into a fist. ‘It’s supposed to show you whether you really are equipped for a life-or-death crisis.’
‘Do we get a prize for winning?’ Alex asks.
‘Surviving is your prize.’
Alex rolls his eyes. ‘This is a game, no?’
Cas considers this. ‘All right then. If you somehow escape me, say, you get back to my car safely, I will give you anything you want.’
Alex nods. ‘Sold.’
‘And if I catch you,’ he says, voice smooth like silk whilst simultaneously rough. ‘I bite you.’
The colour drains from Alex’s face.
‘You will like it.’ Cas smirks, looking like he is enjoying this far too much.
‘Fuck no.’ Alex recoils.
‘Ah, come on.’ Cas tsks, looking disappointed. ‘I grant you anything you could desire, and you will not grant me one, measly bite? A bite, mind you, that will give you a high no drug can offer.’
Alex is silent for a few long moments. Cas leans forward, looking at him intensely. The flush on Alex’s cheeks deepens. ‘It will hurt, won’t it?’
‘Perhaps at first.’ Cas shrugs. ‘Depending on how I feel. But the pain will not last long.’
Alex’s fingers drum against the table. His eyes move to each of our faces. I can see the gears of his mind ticking over. I don’t dare say a word, unsure if I want the game to proceed or not.
‘Okay. I’m guessing it isn’t as easy as just walking out to the car?’ he asks, and I’m a little surprised at how chilled he sounds about this. Perhaps it is Cas’s influence that is persuading him.
‘No. You must go somewhere else, and then make your way back to the car.’
‘Okay,’ Alex relents. ‘Let’s do it.’ He faces me. ‘Raya?’
As reluctant as I feel, a part of me wants to test this. We trained hard for this very thing, and since it is not a real hunt, it will show us what the limitations of our capabilities are. Besides, I know Hunter won’t let anything bad happen to me.
‘I’m in,’ I say, looking at Alex.
‘Me too,’ he agrees.
Hunter exhales, downing the remains of his wine in one swallow.
Cas’s gleam is wicked and an excited tension crackles around the table.
‘Let the game begin.’