Escaping the Hunters

Texas

"Viv, love, are you hungry?" I heard Zander's voice behind me and I looked back to him and nodded. "Blood bags are not so common here... but I did get you some." He took one from the cooler and waved it at me before watching me walk towards him.

"So, when do we leave?" I asked him as he put one arm around my hips and kept me tight against him as I opened the tube. I sucked and watched his eyes take on a red hue and I smiled and offered it to him but he shook his head before I took it back between my lips.

"We are leaving in just a couple moments, as soon as you are finished." He told me and I started to drink faster but as soon as I was done he handed me another bag and I licked my lips. "How are you feeling after last night?" He asked and ran a hand through my hair and I gulped.

"Still a little worried about what that witch did... but after I was with you, things feel normal." I told him and he nodded.

"Good. I know a vampire that has a lot of experience with Witches, I will call him up, he is an old friend." Zander told me and I just nodded and leaned into his shoulder as I finished the second bag in record time.

"Are you not going to feed?" I asked him and he gave me a small smile before leaning in and giving my lips a peck.

"Some of my guys made me feed yesterday after you escaped." He tossed the bag into the trash and grabbed some of my things before keeping me close to his body as we walked out of the room we had been waiting in. We walked out and I saw a lot of humans and vampires walking around and I was glad we were leaving at night.

It was already humid in NOLA, and it was only going to get hotter the farther into Texas we get. I wasn't looking forward to the heat, but Zander did say something about the joys of wearing less clothes. We got into the SUV and he was still driving. But it made sense since I had no idea where we were going.

I sat there, looking at the surrounding and when we stopped for actual food I walked into the Walgreens and grabbed a sketch pad and pencils before simple paints. Zander had given me a curious look but I had just winked and as we got back on the road, I started to draw.

It was an amazing view as the sun started to come up and I took to putting paint onto paper and when we got to the next stop, Zander started to look through all of my sketches.

"You didn't tell me you were this good." He challenged and I smiled slightly before leaning back.

"I usually just do dresses, or outfits... I haven't done landscapes in such a long time." I told him and thought back to drawing my old Villa in Italy.

"You could make a killing selling these Viv." He told me and I gave him a smile.

"Paul always told me to stick to my day job. Who would pay for a landscape like this?" I asked him with a laugh as I brought up the side of the road I had drew and he reached for it. He took it, looked it over before going for the sunrise one.

He smiled as he looked it over and reached into his pocket and took out a handful of money before counting out almost 250 and handing it to me. "I will." He told me and I just smiled as he started to put gas in the tank.

I put the money in his cup holder and started to draw Zander. I kept it hidden when he got back in and started to drive. I turned to face him, drawing him a couple different ways. Each way, getting closer to his face, getting more details into his eyes and in his hair and every aspect. His jaw turned more angular, his eyes more happy since I decided to draw them when he was trying to figure out what landscape I had decided on.

When he started the mile countdown to his home, I got comfortable. I turned back around, looking at all the extravagant homes in the area, loving the green grass, the fountains in the middle of the turnabouts, the kids playing.

I noticed right away when we started to slow and he pulled up to a mansion of a place, and I looked it over. My first glimpse of his home would be the one I would remember always, and I knew I wanted to draw it as well.

"Here we are." He told me and I smiled as he put the SUV in park as he rolled forward. There was an elderly lady waiting out front, smiling and looking so happy and I looked from her to him and he gave me a wink. He got out, gave the woman a kiss and hug before opening my door. "Rosita, I would love for you to meet Vivian. Vivi, this is Rosita, she does know we are vampires, and she has been with me since she was a young mother. Her sons and daughters all know about us as well... and she's the most amazing cook." He was happy and boasting about the older woman, making her blush.

"Don't you listen to this little fibber. He usually eats out when he stays here." She told me and shook my hand. "You are beautiful my dear, shall I get another room ready?" She looked between us and I blushed hard before looking to my shoes.

"No Rosie, she'll be staying with me." Zander grabbed my hand and I couldn't help but feel some sort of pride.

"Oh, well, finally." She said and I looked up to her and saw that she had the biggest smile on her face.

"Rosie-"

"I have seen all my babies married off and now, my adopted man of the house!" She cooed and walked to Zander and cupped his cheeks. "Happiness has finally found you." She said and moved to grab me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Let's get out of this heat... come, I did make brownies." She held my hand as she tugged me into the house and I turned to see Zander following me.

He had a shy smile on his face and I walked through the house, looking over the gorgeous art and décor. "You have one of her famous brownies, I will get all the bags." He kissed my temple and nodded towards the kitchen.

I walked in slowly, looking at all the black and grey marble and the light grey cabinets. I walked in, saw the pan on the counter and smiled as Rosita started to cut generous squares. "So, what do you do Vivian?" She asked as she grabbed a napkin and pushed it towards me.

"I mostly draw. I do a lot of everyday style for my company. My parents owned one of the first fashion companies a long time ago. I have now taken ownership but let someone else handle the important things... I like to make the outfits." I told her and she smiled and seemed to want to ask a question.

"Would you like anything to drink?" She asked me and I gulped and she looked behind me and I followed her eyes to see Zander walking in.

"Milk would be fine." I told her and he walked in, snagging the corner of my brownie and popping it into his mouth before going towards the other chair.

"How are Marcus and his bunch?" Zander asked her as she poured milk from a glass container and I took my first couple bites of the brownie.

"They are well, Marcus is my oldest," She added for my benefit before turning and telling Zander about how his oldest child was going to Dartmouth on a full scholarship and how his only daughter was cast in the school play.

"And the others?" He asked and I sat and listened about her children, and their children and I saw Zander peek over to me and I just continued eating bits of the brownie as they talked. "Well, seeing as I am here, and since I do have a guest... I will see to you having your long over due vacation time. Visit them all." He told her and she gave him a wink before shaking her head.

"You sure? I do have everything here for your favorite." She enticed Zander and I smiled when he seemed to pause. "You know... it will take a few hours to make... you two can go and rest up and by dinner I will be ready to head out on my vacation."

"Thank you Rosie. I have missed you, but the things that might come here... I would rather have you safe." Zander got up, kissed Rosita on the cheek and gave her a hug.

"Okay, but you be safe... and protect her." She gave him a small glare before she smiled over at me. "We both know how long it has been since you have been with a woman here." She patted his cheek before turning and told us to go get refreshed.

Zander walked around, took the last bite of brownie and grabbed me around my hips and pulled me with him. "She's great." I told him and he nodded and smiled.

"She's the closest thing I have had to a mother for the longest time. She started out as my housekeeper when she was 24, she had her son Marcus already and before I knew it, she was pregnant again with Diego. And then she walked in on me fighting off some other vampires. I had been distracted and tried to protect her when another one came at me and struck me through the thigh... she threw a glass bottle at him, distracted him enough for me to kill him, and then she took the stake out of my leg." He told me and I just bit my lip and he pulled me towards the stairs. "She asked me what was going to happen to her now that she knows my secret. I told her as long as she didn't speak or tell anyone... she could just keep her job, and I promised to never hurt her."

"She handled it well."

"She actually laughed when I told her that. She said that she knew that I wouldn't hurt her because I never had before." I smiled as he gave a shake of his head. "The woman surprised me years after that when she ordered me to tell her kids because they were getting suspicious and it would be better if they just knew." He laughed this time and we got to double doors, he pushed them open and I smiled at the bedroom.

"It's very you." I told him and he laughed lightly and I walked in and looked around. "I like the big bed-" I squealed as he wrapped his arms around me, hoisted me up and sped to the side of the bed as he tossed me down.

"I like you in my big bed." He told me and I smiled and laid back as he undid my shoelaces. He tugged off my shoes, leaned over, undid my jeans and moved to tug them down over my legs.

"Anything else you like?" I asked and his eyes started to glow as he tossed my jeans down and pulled my ankles until the apex of my thighs were against his hips.

"I like you in my house." He growled and I lifted myself up and tugged off my shirt before feeling his hands smoothing over my skin and I felt him lean in and kiss my collarbone.

"Zander... will- she's downstairs." I felt myself blush as I looked to the doors.

"All rooms are soundproof." He told me and I nodded to him as he leaned in to give me a kiss. "Besides, I get it Vivi, we can just sleep." He told me and leaned down to give me a softer kiss. "But when Rosie leaves... I will have you on every flat surface of my home."