The Vampire's Virgin Hunter

Retribution (1)

Chapter 8: Retribution (1)

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“She was just a girl…” I said with my hands trembling on top of the table, to think she’s dead made me feel nauseous.

“She was a hunter.” Daniel responded instantly.

“Even so she was my classmate!” I refuted.

“Who also dragged you into a dangerous situation and tried to hurt you.” Daniel reached out his hand and grasped mine while looking into my eyes. “I did it so it won’t happen again…” Those words brought me back to that night we met a week ago… if I wasn’t so stupid I would have realized it then and there what he meant but I chose to ignore it…

It’s all my fault…

“You don’t get it! I don’t want there to be blood on my hands!” I lashed out, I was angry.

“Then let it be just me… Let me be the only one that has to have their hands dirty… it’s not your fault, what happened with her was going to happen regardless of you.” Daniel continued speaking in a calming voice but it didn’t calm me at all to hear any of it.

“Why’s that? Some twisted sense of justice?” I asked while looking up at him but he smiled in a way that I hadn’t seen before, as if he found my words silly.

“There is no justice in this world… no divine punishment, but there is retribution.” Calmly as always, Daniel spoke without rushing, as if to make me understand in the simplest way possible. “Jeca was never a good person to begin with, and it was about time her wrongdoings caught up to her…” Daniel further explained as he pulled back, letting go of my hand.

“I do understand if you dislike that about me. There’s no need for us to be together. I took an interest in you because you’re different than the rest… you’re not scared of me, at times I think you don’t even believe I’m a vampire at all.” Daniel continued, his tone because a bit more relaxed.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, I just don’t care… cause I like you.” I admitted but then felt as if a heavy burden was placed on my shoulders. “You’re saying we don’t need to be together, so you don’t want me?” I asked a bit scared of his reply. Even more so than the fact he killed someone, somehow being rejected by him felt worse.

“I can’t force you to be with me if you don’t want that. So you have the chance to let go of me now… but if you do choose me then… Then there will be no going back.” Upon hearing Daniel’s incredibly vague words, I didn’t know what to expect… I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Why are you making me choose?” I asked while looking at him, he didn’t reply. It was quiet, as if he was telling me to figure it out by myself.

We sat there in complete silence for a while, for a long while…

Until I finally spoke up, maybe it wasn’t the right answer but at the time it felt right…

“I’ll choose you but… you have to listen to me.” I said with a stern expression almost like I was scolding someone.

But then I realized…

The embarrassing thing I just said. “I choose… you’re not a damn Poke-dom or whatever they are called!” I sighed as I sat back down and buried my face in my hands.

“You mean pokemo-!”

“Don’t say it! We could get copyrighted!” I interrupted him with urgency.

“Ah… so… we’re together now?” Daniel asked as he reached out his hand towards mine. As usual whenever he held my hand I felt calmer somehow.

“Depends… will you listen to me?” I asked him again.

“Depends on what the request is I suppose…” Daniel said as he averted his gaze away from me.

“That doesn’t answer my question…” I mumbled in a low breath but I did think it was better than getting no response.

“What about your family?” Daniel suddenly asked me. At that I gave him a surprised look. He seemed to understand and further explained. “I mean what are you going to do? You can’t introduce me to them without revealing I’m the very existence they hate.” He said while his shoulders sunk a bit lower than before. I could tell it was bothering him.

“Well… I’ll think about that when the time comes! Since what they don’t know can’t hurt them, I guess it’s fine…” I reassured him but by the look on his face I could tell he wasn’t convinced.

“Oh, look at the time, I have to go now, or I’ll be late for my afternoon classes…” I said as I hurriedly stood up and pretended to look at the time on my phone.

“Wait…” Daniel held onto my hand calling out to me.

“Yes?” I asked a bit hesitantly as I turned back, on his face was an expression I haven’t seen before.

“……..” Daniel hesitated to speak.

“If it’s not urgent…” I turned around fully and he gave me a rather saddened look as he stood up. He stepped forward and hugged me.

It was so endearing that I didn’t know what to make of it, by the nape of his neck I could feel his perfume, and his suit that didn’t have any wrinkles before was now surely wrinkled because of this strong yet so vulnerable action of his.

I didn’t have anything to say, I just stayed in his arms for less than a minute… then we parted ways.

As I headed towards my University I couldn’t keep that out of my head, I didn’t understand what made him look so anxious all of a sudden, although the only expressions I’ve seen on his face were that of a strong person, someone with willpower much stronger than my own… someone great…

At that moment I felt like I saw him more human than vampire… Although his body was definitely cold due to the lack of blood circulation, although I knew he’d killed someone to protect me, and that he was well aware of my family being hunters…

None of that seemed to bother me, but I’m sure it bothers him very much, otherwise he wouldn’t have such trouble speaking to me…

“Ah, Katlyn good to see you, head to the principal’s office, now.” One of my professors greeted me and sent me off in an instant.

I slowly made my way there and knocked on the door, the second I was let inside I felt a strange tension in hanging in the air…

“It’s good to finally meet you my dearest.” The principal spoke in a low raspy voice, but that combined with a man that likely smoked about 2 packs of cigarettes per day and the allure disappeared.

He was a man in his late sixties, it was surprising he was even still working.

“I heard you called for me?” I asked, ignoring that weird first greeting he gave me.

“I’m sure your father hasn’t told you yet but I’m the principal of the school, and also your grandfather on your mother’s side.” He spoke in a calm manner while signaling for me to sit at the sofa opposite of him.

“Huh? How come nobody told me that?” I asked, though my head ran all kinds of situations I could have been excused from if I knew I had the principal’s backing.

“Well we didn’t want you to feel like you could get away with things.” He remarked after a bit of a pause.

“Tsk…” I clicked my tongue without meaning to since it was the only thing that having a family member as your principal was worth it for. Other than that its just a nuisance.

“I heard from Jeca you had yourself an unusual boyfriend.” The second I heard those words escape his lips I froze.

How did he find out? Wasn’t Jeca dead? Even so she might have told him before that… or maybe she’s still alive and Daniel lied to me?

There were many things running through my head, before I could realize what was happening I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“There’s no need to worry, everyone your age has had a partner or two before. I won’t tell your father if you feel more comfortable that way.” He instantly reassured me.

But wait… did that mean Jeca didn’t tell him Daniel is a vampire? Or maybe she just didn’t know at that point and realized it later?

“What’s got you so lost into thought? I hope I’m not prying too much, but I heard you’re going to be taking up the family business soon, so I wanted to congratulate you.” He spoke kindly but his eyes weren’t smiling, it was strange that I felt like he was more threatening than Jeca and those two men I saw that night…

“Family business?” I hesitantly asked.

“Of course, killing vampires.” At that moment he had a smile like no other, and the eyes of a hunter that enjoyed torturing it’s pray before killing them… and those were the eyes that sent shivers down my spine…