Escaping the Hunters

T-Bone

Zander took me to a small non-expensive place to get some clothes, since I told him I didn't know how to get home. He let me buy my own clothes, despite him trying to get me some. I got mostly pants, and shirts, I didn't need shoes as bad as I thought. Got a new pairs of socks before getting under-garments and then we were on our way to what he likes to call, somewhere safe.

I went with him until my hunger did get too much, and then he waited for me to eat. He ate with me. When we were done we got on a bus and headed for Chicago. He had another place there. Another club.

I didn't know how long he was going to let me tag along, and once we got to Chicago I was in need of a good sleep. He showed me to his room. He told me how to work the shower like I hadn't been in many in my long years.

He got me towels, I showered and then braided my hair before finally laying down. I could hear him in the next room, pacing and making calls, getting his people or whoever to check on the club that was taken down and see if they can find any identification or tell who was taken down.

I closed my eyes and tried to think my lie out thoroughly. I would tell him in a day, tomorrow when I wake up, that my friend wasn't among the ones who were killed. That I had to get back to New York before she thought I was and left.

I gave her, Michelle, a name, age, and she was from Canada. She was a newer vampire. After all that I was tired, so I gave in to my day sleep and tried hard to steer my dreams away from my past memories with my brother.

But to no avail I dreamed about our last day together. It had been just the day before he died. He had left the house before I woke up and I didn't get to see him the day of. The day before we were celebrating a new design and how well it faired and we ate and cheered to more dresses for the summer collection that would do just as well. I showed him a few more of my designs and he took a few for his folder, ones that I had already planned out the best fabric that was also good on our back account.

I was going to make plans for the other kinds of dresses I had the next day after he got home and then he never did. I had the sketches with me when I went into the office. I walked in calling his name, happy that he didn't mind already working through dinner, and then I saw the dust pile.

"Paul." I called out as I walked farther into the room before seeing his ring, it was our fathers, and he never took it off. It was just two inches away from the ashes. "Paul!" I shouted again trying to figure out what was happening in my head.

Before I could even touch the ring or the note on the desk someone was shaking me. "Vivian! Wake up. You're shouting. What's wrong?" I gasped as I opened my eyes and was reminded about the dream. I pulled away as I pushed Zander away and I covered my heart and face as I turned to sob. I relived that almost every night. If it wasn't that, it was waking up and thinking he would still be around.

"This is her?" I heard another voice and I gasped again before standing.

"It's alright Vivi, he's a friend. Are you okay?" Zander asked getting my attention.

"Just reliving my past." I said and sat back down on the very edge of the bed and wiping my face.

"Who is Paul?" The other guys asked and I looked at him.

"He was my brother." I told them and something flashed across Zanders face, something mean, and then he looked over my face.

"What happened to him?" He asked and I gulped.

"Hunters." I told him honestly and wiped my face again.

"Recently?" He asked and I shrugged before nodding.

"Sometimes it still feels like yesterday." I whispered and pulled my knees up. "Sorry for interrupting your meeting. I can go now if you'd like." I said getting up and seeing my small bag of clothes.

"Vivian, you don't have to go anywhere. We're two survivors after last night. I can't let you go out into the world without a friend to help you." He told me and I looked down and then up at him.

"You can't protect me until the next attack. I appreciate you taking care of me... but I can't let you keep taking care of me." I said and he worked his jaw. "I owe you my life. And if I had anything... I would give it to you in a heartbeat, but I don't have anything." I said and sighed before looking down. "If my friend is gone then I have no one, and I won't burden you-"

"You are no burden. Trust me. I have an ex wife that is a burden. I pay her bills and take care of her because of Vampire Law. She is stuck in my life, and I would much rather have you around than wonder about you." He told me and I gulped. He had a vampire wife. Ex or not if they were bonded then he could never choose another again until she died, if she died before he did.

I got to my feet again, this time without him reaching out to stop me and I grabbed the bag before nodding at his actions of waiting. "Fine. But only until I figure out what to do." I told him and he nodded before standing.

"We'll leave you to yourself." He said and looked to his friend before going towards the friend. He nodded and they both filed out. I saw him turn back and we held eye contact for just a moment until he closed the door slowly and I turned and started to go through the items I had. I pulled out a black pencil skirt before a floral top that fell off of my shoulders.

I slipped on the shoes I had the other night and walked out and saw both men ready to leave. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Yes, we have to keep moving." Zander told me and I nodded before looking down. "You look-" I looked up and titled my head when he just stopped.

"Sir? The car is waiting for you both." The friend finally cut in and I moved towards the other side of the apartment. I got to be right next to the door and waited for Zander. He nodded and moved to leave and as he stepped out and looked around before he reached his hand back.

I took a moment before taking it and then as he pulled me along I kept up and then going downstairs. I saw the car and someone stepped out before holding the door open.

"Come on." I heard Zander as he took me around the car. "Here." He opened the passenger door and waved me in. I got in, pulled the buckle tight, and waited as he walked back around and got in.

"Where are we going now?" I asked as he put the car in Drive.

"We're headed south, Houston." He told me and looked over. I nodded and looked out the window. I watched the other side of the freeway as we went down the highway.

"Can I turn on the radio?" I asked and he looked at me before looking towards the radio and hitting the one button. I reached over and hit the 2 to change the channel and when it was Slow Hands I smiled and leaned back to listen to it.

"Are you hungry?" He asked after three more songs and I shook my head. "Thirsty?"

"Kind of. What about you?" I asked and he nodded and I looked at him a bit more before seeing a strong grip on the steering wheel. "Should we stop and try and find a supplier-"

"You drink bagged blood?" He stopped me and I looked at him before nodding. "Damn. Well, I will go and see if I can find a contact when I feed." He said and I gulped.

"You feed off of people? Like off the street?" I asked and he sighed and shook his head.

"No, I go to the blood clubs." He said and I tilted me head and waited for a little more than that. What was that? "You know where humans who know about us offer their blood?"

"Those are real? Well, they're still around? I knew in the 1800s there were some in certain places in the UK." I got to go to one once. I didn't like it much. I had been new to that kind of thing, Paul had finally found another vampire and we were invited. It was horrific.

"They're more humane now than they were back then." He told me looking over. He must have saw the look on my face.

"Wouldn't need much to become more humane." I muttered and shook my head.

"Well it's all voluntary now. Any humans who want to become like us have to learn everything about us. Which includes how to feed, what it feels like to feed off of humans. That way, if they do turn... they know why they need to control themselves." He told me and I just shrugged and nodded. "Don't approve still?"

"I don't approve of turning anyone. I didn't want this... and I don't want to die, so I live with it. But it's torture now that I don't really have anyone to spend my life with. When my brother was still alive we were inseparable. It was like we were still human. And friends help I guess, but it's different." I said with a quiet sigh at the end and shrugged.

"You didn't want to be turned?" He asked and I shook my head. "Who turned you?"

"A man named Allan, we didn't get a last name. My parents really wanted it. They didn't survive the turning. They were dying anyways, and if they were to become a vampire couple, so were Paul and I. He didn't fight it like I did. I tried to run." I gave a laugh at the memory.

"Run from your parents?"

"From the vampire. I was the last to be bitten. Paul was the first. I watched him basically kill my whole family before I even tried to run. And running back then, with the dress and the land being what it was back then. I got outside before he grabbed me." For a moment I forgot about where I was. Who I was talking to. I didn't talk about my turning. Paul always asked but I never went into detail.

"What did he do?"

"He made me scream out. Call for help. We barely had any money for food so the servants we once had were gone. He made me feel completely helpless before he bit me. H was gone by the time I woke up. He left me outside. Covered in mud and water and then Paul found me. He was turned. He thought Allan had taken me." I gave a dry laugh and shook my head.

"Did you ever see Allan again." He asked and I looked over at him.

"No." I said and sighed. "He wasn't English. Never saw him in London, or anywhere else I traveled." I said and shrugged before looking over at him.

"Was he Russian?" He asked and I took a moment to consider it.

"Maybe. He had an accent like that, not thick though." I said and he nodded before huffing.

"I know who your maker is." He said after a moment and I didn't know how to react.

"Friend of yours?"

"My ex-wifes brother. I met her after we were both turned. She was younger than I was. So innocent and a breath of fresh air. I didn't realize she just wanted to be taken care of while her brother plays a vampire god. He likes to turn people. Either for a price, or to have slaves. He invokes the sire bond. We had the same sire. All of us. And when mine died, Allan became the next high rising lord of what our sire left behind."

"My parents couldn't pay him." I shook my head at the thought.

"Then they gave him something else." He told me and I just looked outside.

"It doesn't matter now I guess. It's been centuries." I said and looked away from him completely.

"He won't touch you while I am protecting you." He told me and I looked over at him after he spoke and I watched as he looked at me for moments at a time before looking back at the room behind him before going over a lane with a slight jerk.

"Not like he could do any more harm to me." I whispered thinking about what I really have to fight for. Nothing. Not one thing.

The company was in safe hands. They could hire another designer with my talent in a week if they looked hard enough. I turned into the car door and curled up a bit.

"Are you still tired?" He asked and I looked over at him and shrugged.

"It's not like there is much else to do. It takes one person to drive these days." I said and sat up just to keep him company. "Why clubs?" I asked looking over at him after a quiet minute.

"Because even the undead love to party. Because our kind can't really make friends in normal clubs without getting questioned why they can't meet up in the daylight." He laughed lightly and shook his head. "At least when the vampire is still under 150 he can't go out." He said and I felt a little confused.

"150? It took you that long to be able to walk in the sunlight?" It only took me 50.

"Well, I don't know exactly. I was working nights mostly, so I would sleep all day. I was 150 when my sire was dead, and I moved on."

"It took 50 years for me." I said and smiled lightly. "I was more worried about going out, my brother went out first, then he just yanked me out and I had forgotten what the sun felt like. Just the instant warmth when there wasn't a breeze."

"Where were you?"

"Italy. My brother and I took over our parents company. Small little fashion venture, mostly the skirts and hats when we started, and when we stopped looking our age we had to move, and Italy was becoming the top fashion industry, so we moved down there. It was so hot at night... but during the day it was worse." I gave a laugh.

"Italy is always hot in the spring and summer and most fall until it's late October." He nodded along and I looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "I went there a lot as a child. My mother was Italian and my father was Greek. Decent anyways. Dad liked to think of himself as a Viking. His father was, which is why he didn't grow up in Greece. And my mothers parents were rich so they lived in many places." He shrugged before sighing.

"What happened to them?"

"A raid on Vikings. The Irish were tired of them, they slit my fathers throat and took my mother away to be a slave. I was left to myself and a couple other kids that they took mercy on." He shrugged yet again like that wasn't a big deal.

"How old were you?"

"12." He seemed to rethink it before just nodding at the estimate.

"By the way, I am older than you." I stated and poked his shoulder before looking out of the window. I needed to lighten the mood, if just a bit.

"Yeah? A decade doesn't count, I was 28."

"It's more than a decade." I told him with a small laugh and he kept glancing over at me and waiting for more. "Guess." I told him because I really didn't want to tell him.

"15?" I shook my head and he smirked. "25."

"No." I said and looked back out to the passing cows.

"It can't be more than 30." He said and I just nodding. "It is?"

"Yes."

"Not more than 35."

"34." I said and he laughed but shook his head.

"Never would have guessed. You're still so-" He stopped and we made eye contact for a moment before he just cleared his throat and looked back to the road.

"Why do you do that?"

"What?" His voice had grown a hard edge to it and I sighed.

"If you don't want to compliment me on what I am wearing or how young I look don't start to say it and never finish. It already seems like a fake statement." I told him before sighing and turning so I would curl up by the door again. I used the seatbelt as a sort of pillow and just closed my eyes.

"Don't be so hard on him." I heard Paul and I felt my eyes pop open and I turned to look in the back seat.

"Paul." I called out and unbuckled my belt.

"What are you doing?" Zander asked reaching my waist as I tried to get into the back.

"You didn't hear him?" I asked trying still to get into the back.

"Hear what? We're the only two people in this car." He said and then I heard it. Screeching tires just before we were t-boned from the side. I was still in the air when the SUV was sent toppling over. We rolled right into the ditch on the other side of the road, a door and half the sunroof blocked.

"Witches." I whispered and he groaned when we finally stopped creaking.

"You alright? Anything broken?" He asked me and I looked down at myself and didn't see a spot of blood and I shook my head.

"How about you?"

"My leg is pinned. Give me a moment and then we can get out of here." He said and then I heard him reach to get the metal door and he pulled it apart before he sighed. "Go to the back." He nodded and I climbed over the seats and to the back door as he followed me and I pushed it open as hard as I could but let it shut right away. "What?"

"They're waiting for us." I said and he growled and I gulped as his eyes turned red.

"Stay in here... I will take care of them." He told him and I gulped and shivered as he raised his hand and brushed my chin. "I mean it. Stay in here Vivian." I nodded this time and he stepped in front of me and as soon as the door open opened he was gone and it fell shut with a loud bang.

I heard clangs and a few shouts but then there were people running away and I waited until Zander opened the door and reached in. It was like that sewer drain, that wasn't a sewer drain, all over again. He lifted me and set me down.

The decapitated head drew my eyes first, I looked at the body next, then another one that had fang marks in its neck. I knew he fed on humans, but to leave them this way... I gulped and closed my eyes for a moment.

"Come on." He stepped in the view as I opened my eyes. He blocked the two bodies and I backed away as he took another step forward and turned to walk in front of him.

"Where are we?"

"5 miles from Nashville." He sighed and I felt confused.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Maybe an hour or two, why?"

"Because I always dream... and I closed my eyes and heard my brothers voice."

"No, you were out for a while." He told me and I paused.

"Was there a witch with them?" He looked confused by my asking and just narrowed his eyes.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because... I heard my dead brothers voice clear as day like he was sitting right next to me." I said and I noticed how he looked at the dead bodies.

"I didn't concentrate on the scents. There might have been a witch but Hunters and Witches don't really parade around together." He shrugged and went to the other car they had hit us with and looked inside. "Still don't smell one." He told me and I closed my eyes and reached out to Paul.

For the first time the link we shared didn't feel empty. But it didn't feel familiar either.

I tried to concentrate harder but it started to hurt. "Hey, come on... let's get moving." He called out and I opened my eyes to look at him. "I have a club here, we'll get more food, another car, more clothes... and a way to hide our trail that they are apparently following." He sighed and looked at both cars behind us.

"Should hurry before someone comes along and things we were in that accident." I said and he nodded. He held out his hand and I took it and for a foolish moment I thought he wanted to just hold my hand, but nope. He sped with me until we were in Nashville. Then he dropped my hand like he probably would bagged blood.

"You still need to feed, I know a man here that only drinks that, let's see how much he'll give us for our trip." He said and I nodded and walked behind him as he navigated this town.