THE SOUND OF MY FEET pounding against the cement overtakes that of my rapid heartbeat. I push myself to go faster, my legs screaming in protest, the muscles burning as I propel forward. Light blinks at me from the end of the tunnel, taunting me. The harder I run, the farther it seems. Hands circle around my torso, yanking me back so violently I hear a few bones in my ribs crack and break upon impact. Teeth slam into my throat, tearing open my skin. My blood floods out of the open wound, spilling down the front of my dress, soaking it.
I wake with a scream, wrapped in my sheets, drenched in my own sweat.
The crunch and twist of my own bones breaking is a sound I will never forget.
Cold hands touch my face and I whip my head around, meeting the silver eyes of Hunter. He hovers over me as I lay tangled in the bed. Wrapping his arm around me, he sits down, dragging me onto his lap. Pressing his palm against my racing heart, he pushes against it. Gradually, it slows, the adrenaline fading from me as he absorbs all of my fear and worry.
Slumping forward, I rest my forehead into his shoulder.
‘Bad dreams again?’ he whispers.
‘I can’t stop thinking about being hunted to my death.’
‘We shouldn’t have played that game tonight,’ he says quietly. ‘It was stupid and reckless.’
I stiffen. Does he only mean the hunt, or what happened between us? I definitely don’t think it was stupid . . . ’No, it’s good practice for the real thing. I just need to get used to it.’
‘It is not something I wish for you to get used to,’ he says firmly, tightening his hold on me.
‘I chose this, Hunter. I sent myself on this quest knowing there was a high chance I would die before I found my sister. I accepted that long before I met you.’
I will do anything for my sister, including die for her. I’ve always felt this way. She has been the closest person to me in my life, and I miss her terribly. The need to find her, and learn what happened, only intensifies each day.
‘You will not die under my watch, legata una. I promise you that. Go back to sleep.’
I want to ask him to lie with me, but he seems preoccupied, and I can almost hear his thoughts ticking over. We haven’t seen each other since it happened. It was only earlier tonight, but the moment we got home, I went straight to bed. I don’t know if he is regretting what happened, or how he feels about it – and us. Considering we are bonded, I still find him extremely difficult to read.
‘Okay.’ I lay down and close my eyes.
I feel the weight shift off the bed as Hunter stands and swiftly leaves the room. It feels extremely dark and quiet in here now that he’s gone. Shivering, I bring the blanket up under my chin, and close my eyes. After half an hour, I still can’t get to sleep, and with a sigh, I rub my eyes, and quietly get out of bed. I rummage through my bag and withdraw one of Cora’s journals. Flicking through it, I start reading.
Sometimes I wish I was born into a different life.
Of course I love my family. They mean the world to me. But I wish things were different. If only I grew up with a wealthy family, in a nice neighbourhood, with good friends I can rely on, and parents who don’t need me to help so much. It might be a selfish thing, but I wish I got to enjoy being a kid.
I don’t like living here. In this small, cramped apartment. I want to see things. Explore the world. Meet new people.
We never have any money. Always living week to week.
I don’t want this anymore.
Life has always been hard. Hard on my mum, hard on me. I tried to be the big sister Raya could rely on, but it’s a heavy burden to have on my shoulders. I’m envious of her. She has been sheltered through so much because I was always there to protect her.
Life would be so much easier if I was born as someone else.
My heart aches for her. I never would have guessed she felt any of this. I suppose that’s what she is saying. I was sheltered and protected from the harsh reality of everything. Of course I knew things were hard for my mum, but I never knew the extent of it like Cora did.
‘Hey.’
I startle, the journal slipping from my hands and clattering to the floor. Alex hovers near the doorway, rubbing his eyes.
‘Christ, Alex,’ I exclaim, placing a hand on my chest. ‘Where did you come from?’
‘I didn’t want to interrupt you while you were reading.’
‘Can’t sleep?’ I ask.
He shakes his head. ‘No.’
‘I thought I was ready to do the hunt, but it triggered me from that other time. I know what we did tonight wasn’t real, but it still brought all the other stuff up.’ I exhale, flopping back onto my pillows. ‘Ignore me. I’m just complaining.’
‘You have every right to feel the way you do,’ Alex says, strolling over and falling into the space beside me. ‘It’s pretty scary shit we have involved ourselves in.’
‘How are you doing?’ I ask, reaching for his hand, placing mine over it.
‘Fine. I’m coming around to these guys. A little.’ He shrugs. ‘I still don’t like them, but maybe they’re not all bad.’
‘I agree.’
‘I don’t like how close you and Hunter are becoming. It worries me that you’re getting in a bit too deep.’
‘I understand that, but it isn’t like I just have a crush on some random guy. This bonded thing is more serious than I can express,’ I say. ‘It’s stronger than anything. I can’t control the way I feel. I know the bond has affected that, but my feelings toward Hunter are genuine.’
Alex chews his lip. ‘Just be careful.’
‘I will.’
‘I love you,’ he says.
It’s the first time he has ever told me that. I can see it in the way he looks at me, and how close we have become.
Smiling, I pull him towards me and wrap my arms around him. ‘I love you, too.’
When we break apart, Alex swings his legs over the side of the bed and gets to his feet, stretching.
‘Night, loser. See you in the morning.’
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. And there he is, the Alex I know all too well.
Leaning over the side of the bed, I close the journal and toss it onto my bag. I make my way to the bathroom. As I wash my hands, I look out the window. I miss going for night-time strolls. I used to do it all the time. Now, I sketch, or reread Cora’s journals. I miss the simplicity of going for a night stroll and forgetting about everything that is going on, even if it is just for a few moments.
Deciding not to think too much about it – since rationality will surely win out if I think too hard about what I’m about to do – I step into my shoes, shrug on a jacket, and slip out the side door. When it softly clicks behind me, I hold my breath, waiting for one of the vampires to appear. After a few seconds, I keep moving. I trot down the porch steps and inhale a long, deep breath of the fresh night air. My shoulders slump a little in relief. This is exactly what I need right now. The snapping sound of a stick causes my head to whip around and I gasp when I see a shadow disappear behind a tree.
‘Hello?’ I call out, taking a tentative step closer.
‘Raya?’ Inhaling sharply, I spin on my heel, seeing Hunter standing on the porch behind me, scowling. ‘What are you doing?’
My knees knock together, and my heart beats wildly in my chest. I glance back at the tree, but nothing is there. I’m sure I saw something move behind it, but whatever it was, is gone now. Shaking my head, I flick my hair back and walk towards Hunter.
‘Just needed some air.’ I sigh. ‘I can’t sleep.’
Hunter holds his hand out to me. I take it in mine, and he tugs me up the steps. Wrapping an arm around my shoulder, he kisses me on the temple.
‘Are you still thinking about the hunt?’ he questions.
‘I’m thinking about a lot of things.’
Without a word, I allow him to lead me inside, and back up to my room. I kick off my shoes, and Hunter gently slides my jacket down my arms, hanging it up on the back of the door.
‘Why don’t you draw?’ he suggests.
Glancing up at him, I raise my eyebrows. ‘How do you know I draw?’
He nods at the black leather-bound sketch pad. ‘I’ve sneaked a peak a few times.’
Blushing, I duck my chin. ‘You’ve seen my drawings of you, then.’
‘Only little bits. I would love you to show me. Whenever you’re ready to.’
‘I’ll show you now,’ I say, wandering over to the sketchpad and picking it up.
‘Only if you’re sure.’
‘Positive,’ I reply, sitting on the edge of the mattress. ‘I used to be embarrassed about people seeing these because they’re so dark and twisted. But I feel like out of anyone in the world, you would understand them the most.’
Smiling softly, he holds out his hands. Gently, he flicks through the pages. Swallowing, my eyes switch back between the pages, to his dark eyes, and back to the sketchpad again.
His hand pauses when he gets to one of my drawings of him. It’s a pastime of mine when I can’t sleep. Faint lines cover the pages, indicating the hotel room we stayed at when we first started the trip. Hunter is resting against the wall, looking out at the moon through the window. He has a sad, serious expression on his face. His fingertips trail down the sharp lines of his sketched jaw. ‘You’re incredibly talented, Raya,’ he murmurs.
‘Thank you,’ I whisper.
‘Would you want to do something with this?’ He questions, shifting so that he is facing me. ‘As in, a career with your art?’
I shrug. ‘Yeah, I guess so. I don’t really know what I would do with it.’
‘You can do anything you want, Raya.’
I brighten under the seriousness of his tone. The faith he has in me fills my heart with joy. I have never felt like someone truly and whole-heartedly believed I could succeed. If anything, I was always made to think my art was a silly side-hobby that would never generate any income for me to live off.
As though reading my thoughts, Hunter shakes his head. ‘You can do anything you want with this, Raya. You have the talent. The world is at your fingertips. Anything you want, you can achieve.’
Tears spring to my eyes, and I smile at him. ‘Thank you, Hunter. I appreciate that.’
Leaning in, he softly kisses the tip of my nose, and I flush all the way down to my toes.
Crawling into bed, this time, I feel like I can sleep.
Again, I don’t want him to leave.
‘Will you lie with me?’ I ask hesitantly.
Nodding, he lays back against the mattress. Curling his arm around me, he pulls me against him, allowing me to bury into his chest. My body feels relaxed and boneless being so close to him.
‘I don’t want tomorrow to come,’ I whisper, the thought of Hunter going back to being closed-off and distant makes my heart hurt.
‘Why’s that?’ he asks, stroking his fingers through my hair. I love the feel of it. It’s soothing, almost lulling me to sleep. His hand moves to the back of my head, down to my neck. A shiver of desire rolls through me once more.
‘I don’t want you to regret what happened and push me away.’
His fingers, which are trailing up my back, pauses for a moment.
‘I don’t mean for you to feel this way. We just need to be careful,’ he says regretfully, looking troubled.
‘I understand,’ I murmur.
Drawing me closer, he kisses my temple. I crave this. I crave him. The urge to have him close, and to know more about him surges within me. It makes me wonder about Hunter. What was he like growing up, what were his hopes and ambitions? Was he always this kind, logical, and level-headed? Did he get in trouble at school, or was he good? I’m desperate to know more.
‘Where did you grow up?’ I ask.
Keeping his lips on my skin, he presses a little harder into my back. I sigh at the touch, letting my eyes drift close.
‘I was born in Italy, but we moved to a small town in South Australia when I was a baby.’
‘What brought you to the East Coast?’
‘My parents moved us when I was about eight or so. Dad got a new job opportunity.’
‘Do you like it here?’
‘Love it,’ he says. ‘We used to spend every day at the beach, surfing, swimming, diving, snorkelling. I love the water more than anything. I often go out into the ocean for hours and hours at a time. It’s even better now. I can go so long without breathing and I can withstand any harsh conditions.’
‘Maybe you were meant to be a mermaid.’ I giggle. ‘Merman, rather.’
He chuckles. ‘Maybe.’
‘I used to swim around in the pool at midnight underneath the full moon and wish that I would wake up the next morning and be a mermaid.’
I feel his lips spread into a smile. ‘That’s cute.’
‘Little cringe, but cute, sure.’
He breathes a soft laugh. ‘Was it always you three? You, your mum, and your sister?’
I deflate a little at the reminder of my family. Having two people with you, by your side through everything, suddenly taken from you . . . it is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
‘Yeah. My parents got divorced when I was two or so. My father has a new family now. I don’t even know where he is.’
‘Do you miss him?’
‘No,’ I reply honestly. ‘Because I never had the chance to know him.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. I had a great life. We struggled a lot, sure. Mum was a single parent raising two girls on her own, but she did what she could to give us everything.’
‘I get it,’ he says, drawing me out of my thoughts.
‘Get what?’
‘This bond that runs so deep inside you when it comes to family. They’re all you had and you lost them both so suddenly.’
The hole inside my chest that my family left behind burns inside me. The dark, empty feeling of nothingness that has burrowed deep inside aches for me to let out all the emotions I’ve tried so desperately to keep in.
‘It’s a pain I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.’
‘You have no other family?’ he asks. ‘Aunts, uncles, grandparents?’
‘My mum was fostered. She never knew her family. We had aunts and uncles when my dad was around, but when he left, so did they.’
‘Christ,’ Hunter mumbles, and I feel him moving his face a little closer, rubbing comforting circles on my back. ‘That’s . . . rough.’
‘Yeah,’ I reply softly. ‘And you? What about your family?’
‘Oh, I have a huge family back home in Italy. Massive,’ he replies, and I can hear in his voice how much he cares about his family, and how much he misses them. ‘I have an amazing family here though. They did everything for us.’
‘Did?’
‘I’ve compelled them. They think Kian and I are travelling the world together, and that we call every Sunday to update them. They’re living life under my protection. I fear Kian will hunt them down and kill them.’
‘Oh my God. He would do that?’
‘There is nothing he wouldn’t do.’
I shiver at his words. The thought of my sister possibly being tied up with him makes my stomach clench in terror.
‘You don’t ever get to see them?’
‘Not really.’ When he moves, I re-open my eyes. Reaching over for his phone, Hunter brightens the screen and clicks open one of the apps. He tilts it so that I can see. Squinting, blurry figures come into view and after a moment, the screen clears. A security camera, watching over a family. The screen is split into different views, and they’re all in night mode as the people sleep. ‘I check in on them constantly. Making sure they’re all okay. But not in person, no.’
‘You must miss them,’ I say, wishing I could see their faces. I’d love to know who Hunter resembles.
‘Terribly,’ he admits. ‘A heartache I never thought I could endure. But as the years go by, it seems easier letting everything I once knew go. It’s just a part of it all.’
‘I see. Have you been back to Italy since you turned?’
‘I’ve been all around the world. The first year after I turned is a blur of travelling, partying . . .’ He sighs. ‘I let my vampire side take over. I’m not proud of the things I did.’
Pausing for a moment, I shift, wondering what he means by that, and whether I will be okay with whatever he may be about to admit to. I swallow thickly and gaze up at him. He truly is beautiful. Sharp jawline, smooth skin, dark hair that falls messily onto his forehead. Perfection.
‘Did you kill people?’ I manage to force out, terrified of the answer.
‘I have only killed other vampires who have threatened me or someone else’s life. But I would take blood and toss people aside like they were nothing but leftovers. It’s disgusting.’
‘At least you didn’t murder people,’ I say. ‘I bet a lot of vampires can’t say that.’
‘I’ve always seemed to have a moral compass that prevented me from going too far. Even when I thought I was totally out of control.’
‘See?’ I say softly with a smile. ‘You are a good vampire.’
A ghost of a smile flickers over his handsome face. ‘If you say so.’
‘I know so.’
‘Get some sleep,’ he says.
‘Okay,’ I mumble. ‘Goodnight, Hunter.’
With a final kiss as soft as a feather, he tightens his hold on me. A sense of warmth and safety floods through me, and I feel totally and completely untouchable in his arms.
‘Goodnight, legata una.’