Page 16 of Fated to the Hunters
“I lured him out,” the scary one hummed with pride.
“That doesn’t sound safe.”
The warm chuckle returned. “Oh, little toy, if you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“I let him drain me, but he quickly regretted it—I was tainted with silver.”
A shudder ran down her spine at the mere mention of the precious metal. “Why would you do that?”
“Vampire blood is very valuable,” the quiet one continued. “Any injury we obtain during the hunt the blood will heal in a matter of minutes.”
“So, that’s what you do for a living?”
“Mostly, yes.” The silent one. “I do some custom carpentry, but we mostly focus on our hunts.” As she’d suspected.
“What would you do if your father let you pick?” the gentle one asked.
“I wanted to study business, or maybe art.”
“So, you’re artistic?”
“A little.”
“Don’t be shy, little princess.”
The way the dark one hummed the last two words, made the pet name a little bit sweeter—not that she would let him know that.
“When will you be back, love?”
“The day after the Wolfmoon.”
“We’ll be waiting for you in the shadows of the night.” And again, the scary one’s words sounded a little like a threat.
“Go get some rest and enjoy your time out there,” the gentle one added. “You know how to reach us if you need anything.”
The call ended and she tucked the phone away. Though the call had done little more than stir up her emotions, it also left her with a warm, cosy feeling that helped her drift off to sleep.
To her greatest displeasure, her parents joined her a day early. So instead of having a full day to herself, she was greeted with a family lunch when she returned from the lake the next morning. Maximilian had arrived as well, and seemed to sense her dampening mood. After lunch, he knocked on her door with a gentle smile.
“I was hoping you would come join me on a hike.”
She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. “You hate when I go on hikes with you. You always complain that I go too slow.”
“Fine, let me rephrase. Would you like to join me on a stroll through the woods to get away from everything?”
“Only if you carry the snacks.”
“Of course.”
Thirty minutes later, she walked by Maximilian’s side onto a trail she hadn’t taken in years. It would be a long walk, but she didn’t argue her brother’s choice. He wouldn’t have taken it if he wasn’t prepared to spend the next few hours with her. The silence between them was comfortable in a soothing way, with only the forest’s sounds surrounding them.
She wasn’t sure how long they’d been walking, but Maximilian initiated the first break by setting his bag onto a fallen tree. “Snack or just a drink?”
She sat down, her body already fatigued. She wasn’t used to much exercise. She’d kept up her fitness as long as possible, until her mother disapproved of her body becoming more muscular. “I’ll take water.”
He handed a bottle over and sat down next to her. “We haven’t had much time alone lately.”
