Escaping the Hunters

Humans

"I hate that humans don't know about us." Bianca whispered to me in the back of the truck. Jesse, the other vampire and a good friend of most 'good vamps' was talking about how to go about finding a witch. He seemed slightly distracted as it was, but he was nice enough.

He was obviously gay, the way he looked at Zander after they hugged then to me made me feel like he was a proud older brother approving of me and him.

He was coming around to not only help find a witch... but get me sorted with an entire line of clothing. He told Zander and I that he did his best thinking while shopping.

I walked with Bianca's arm wrapped in mine. I saw a few other vampires in the mall, scented a few wolves but no one made a move to attack. We were among humans, and while they were present everyone knew that we had to be good. We didn't want to expose any of us.

Hunters wouldn't even attack in broad daylight in front of too many humans.

We were safe in large crowds, and a mall was the biggest idiotic place. I hated them. I did most of my shopping on line. But we didn't have time to wait for packages. We might have to leave at a moments notice, and I wasn't sure if Zander had an escape tunnel in his home.

I giggled at the thought and he looked over at me and raised an eyebrow but I just smiled wide at him. Bianca tugged my arm and pointed at something and I looked over and saw one of my own designs and I just nodded and knew that was part of my comfort line.

"Let's go." I told her and we walked off, the two men still talking about witches and how exactly they would help still. Jesse was mostly listing names and how he has either helped them, or how they could help at a price.

I got a few pairs of jeans from my own store and line, a couple sweaters, a lot of tank tops, and then I was in the dress section when Jesse started tossing skirts and outfits at me to try on.

When I was done ringing up thousands of dollars I made sure that I had my discount and only paid what the cloths cost and it was less than what any of them thought. I shrugged when Jesse asked how I did that big of a discount.

"She owns the label." Zander told him and I saw the shock on his face and I smiled. 

"You're that Vivian?" He asked me and I nodded. "I didn't know you were a vampire. Oh my god. I need to know-"

"Jesse. I need you to focus on what we really need done. After this I am sure Viv will give you the best discounts in all of her stores and fashion stuff." Zander cleared his throat as we walked out, Zander had both large bags and I walked towards another store, Jesse now leading me around.

"You help me Jesse, you can have couture whatever you want. Name it and it's yours. You want me to make you an entire wardrobe it's done." I told him and he squealed before doing a little dance and shaking his head.

"Punch me in the face if this is a dream. Oh my god. You are a goddess. And you're from England? How the hell did I not know?" He let his accent slip and I just smiled at him.

"It's easy to miss when I was never in the spot light all those years." I told him and then he started to think hard as I got to another high end label.

"I am going to start making calls to all the witches that owe me favors. See who hates who and who is willing to work together. I have heard that some witches, if they are strong enough, or have enough power can not only kill another witch wishing harm, but can also put a blessing on someone so no other witch can find them or track them like they are doing you." He took off after finishing and I started looking around for shoes.

Zander had sat down, rubbing his hands together and looking around, on guard at all times as Bianca and I got to try on lots of pairs on. I ended up with three running shoes, flip flops, heels, pumps, boots, booties, and just about every color of converse this store had in my size.

Zander added the other bags to his hands and gave me a look as I wrapped my arm around his now and he looked around. "Now where?"

"A little place I've never really had a reason to shop before." I told him and he laughed.

"We don't need condoms." He told me and I shook my head.

"More like something for you... to rip off me later... and if you don't ruin it, again and again until new bras and panty sets are made and I want to buy them-" I giggled as he snarled and leaned down to kiss me briefly.

"I would those bags happily too. Let's go." He nodded to the pink and black store and Bianca blushed as we walked in and Zander seemed all too happy to help pick things out.

I was waiting in line with a tote bag filled while he went to track down Jesse. I was watching her smell some perfumes that had body glitter and I felt it.

I was being watched. I looked around, hoping it wasn't some creepy human wondering what I would look like in my bag full of items. But I only saw one person watching me.

I dropped my bag and started walking. It couldn't be.

I saw him turn and start walking as I got out of the store and I chased him down, not being able to use any vampire skills, I just pushed through the people, was almost out he door when I lost track of him. I looked around, not wanting to step outside since the mall was the safe haven and I just took deep breaths.

My mind was playing tricks on me again.

There was no way I saw who I might have.

It was magic, had to be.

I got back into the store, seeing Zander just outside and he started ot breath easier. "Where did you go? Bianca said you just disappeared." He told me and I just gulped.

"I saw him again. I saw my brother. He was here. Watching me. I followed him until I lost him. He must have gone outside. But I didn't. I know better. It had to be the witch. I swear Zander. It wasn't just someone who looked like him, it was him. The witch is doing this again." I whispered to him and he pulled me into his arms, shushing me.

"Let's head home." He told me and I just nodded. "Bianca paid for your things with my card... we can head out now." He added and I just turned to look around. She was holding one big bag, her face still as red and scarlet as ever, I saw Jesse talking on the phone behind him and pacing slowly, but he looked over and smiled and nodded. 

"Let's go home." I told Zander and he nodded and moved to tug on me until we were outside, we rushed to the car, getting in and on the road.

Everyone was alert, I was now sitting in front with Zander's hand firmly in mine and he squeezed every minute as if to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating that I was there.

"Let's get everything inside. The witch I was talking to is going to see about going to a coven. Older family ties the deeper the magic. They can do a protection spell on a location and they are going to try and make sure that only those you invite can be on your property." Jesse told Zander and I as we got everything into the house.

"Good." Zander sighed and pulled my hand. "We aren't leaving again then." He told me and I just gulped.

"What happened?" Jesse asked and I told him, everything. About my brother, about seeing him and hearing him as well. "That would be dark magic. Is it like him back from the dead? Can they do that if he was ash though?" He asked himself before shaking his head and scoffing at the idea. "No." 

"It's a witch, messing with my head." I told him and for some reason he looked slightly skeptical, but just nodded with my assumption.

"Okay, well, what are we going to do? How are we going to kill that witch the Hunters have... if we don't even know where the Hunters are stationed or whatever?" Bianca asked and I gulped. I had no answer. And looking to Jesse and Zander I could tell that while they have ideas, they didn't know for sure either.

"We will have to figure that out. But until we find a way, at least we are all safe under one roof." Zander grabbed my hip and tugged me into his body and kissed my temple. "No more wandering off." He whispered as well and I just nodded. "Go and put your things in our closet. I am going to see what we can cook." He told me and I nodded. Bianca and Jesse both offered to help me set and organize things so we all went up to the room.