Chapter 8

A soft moan escaped from Bo as she opened her eyes lazily. For a moment, she just stayed there while staring at the ceiling. The late afternoon sunlight leaked through the blinds, painting everything with a warm hue.

With her face half buried in her cozy sleeping bag, Bo let that peaceful feeling bubble quietly inside her.

The ambient sounds danced in her ear, so softly and so gently, which surprised her a little. She was expecting her hypersense to be gone by now, but it seemed that it was still lingering.

Just like that bittersweet taste lingering on her tongue. It was something she had never experienced before. There was so much in it that she just couldn't get enough. Strangely, instead of making her thirsty or turned on, the lingering taste made her feel safe and sound.

As her mind slipped to what had happened last night, her entire body seemed to start burning. Whoa...did I really fuck a Huntress and feed off her? She asked herself in daze while blinking.

She had never thought she'd have sex with a Huntress. She had known a few before, but most of the time she had been trying to get away from them instead of flirting with them. She had absolutely no idea that sex with a Huntress would be this aggressive in a very hot, lustful way.

Her mind slipped to those vivid details immediately. Tamsin slamming her to the wall in the shower...those painfully amazing orgasms she had given her...finally her turn...she went down on the blonde...she ran her tongue on her soaking wet pussy over and over...Tamsin throbbing against her...Tamsin's strong pulse under the tips of her fingers...her warm blood on her lips….

God I really need to stop thinking about it, Bo groaned as she got out of her sleeping bag. She freshened herself up a little, before she went to the living room.

There, she saw Tamsin sitting at the table working on her laptop. She had a big cup filled with hot coffee and a box of fresh donuts with her. Too concentrated, she didn't bother to greet Bo or even raise her head to take a look at her.

Bo's eyes quickly wandered to the side of Tamsin's neck. She could barely see the bite marks she had left there last night, but they were there, and now they seemed to be the sweetness invitation in the entire world.

Bo cleared her throat slightly as she told herself not to focus on the taste of Tamsin's blood or anything related to the sex last night. She got herself a bottle of Vermilion Zero and sat down at the table.

She grabbed a donut from the box, a chocolate covered one with colorful sprinkles on it. After taking a bite, she let out a satisfied sigh.

"Hey!" Tamsin hissed as she gave Bo a cold glare. "You are a Vamp. You don't need food, so stop stealing my."

"Well, too late," Bo taunted in a slur while inhaling her donut. "It's gone."

Tamsin shot Bo another cold glare and downed her coffee in gulps like she was afraid that Bo would steal that too. She continued working for about half an hour, before she closed her laptop and went to put the dirty cup in the sink.

She seemed to have finally noticed Bo's wandering eyes. Pulling her lips into a big smirk, she teased, "can't have enough of it, huh?"

"W-what?" Bo murmured absentmindedly. Distracted by the warm glow of the sunlight that outlined the contour of Tamsin's face and those faint golden sparkles in her light eyes. She couldn't help but wonder how Tamsin could look so alive and vigorous if she really had fed off her the way she remembered. How could she not be pale or weak?

She wasn't even aware that she was staring at the bite marks again, until she heard Tamsin's chuckles. She forced herself to turn her eyes away while taking a gulp from her Vermilion bottle, but her favorite drink suddenly became so bland and boring for her.

"Well...if you really want it, all you have to do is..." Tamsin said to Bo as she leaned in.

"...is what?" Bo blurted. With the blonde so close, she could practically see the strong pulse underneath her skin. That bittersweet taste started to roll inside her, giving her a wave of flutters, like she had a cluster of flames inside her burning nervously.

"If you really want it, all you have to do is ask," Tamsin breathed those words into Bo's ears, and chuckled again when she felt the slight shivers from Bo. For some reason, she found teasing Bo like this extremely amusing, and of course a small part of her was aching for something too.

Bo closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She wanted to tell Tamsin that she didn't want it at all, but who was she kidding really?

She thought she should at least say something, but with her entire body shivering in dire desires, she could barely talk. The thought of having a mouthful of that fresh, warm blood turned her on so much that her knees started to tremble.

"Well, I am gonna...just..." she muttered as she stumbled back. She wasn't sure from what she was trying to get away, that very faint smell of blood, Tamsin's teasing whispers, or that soft scent of hers.

"So, are you gonna ask for it, or do you need a few minutes to prepare yourself?" Tamsin asked as she raised her left hand and brushed the corner of Bo's lips with the back of her index finger.

Bo groaned, both in frustration and excitement. She forced herself not to give in, because she feared that once she asked for it Tamsin would mock her. She also feared that if Tamsin would actually allow her, she'd no longer be able to hold her thirst back.

Before she made a decision of what she should do, the door to the RV was slammed open and someone stormed in.

Startled, both women turned to the intruder (and Tamsin pulled a loaded gun out of the weapon chest) - a woman in her early 20s with lush, long ringlets and a skin so tanned that it gave her a golden glow.

She was grinning at both of them. Her teeth were practically sparkling, and her eyes...it had such a deep, passionate green. She looked so vivacious and bright with waves of heat radiating from her.

"Long time no see, sister," she greeted Tamsin with a silvery voice. She raised her hands playfully while staring at Tamsin's gun.

"Yeah, with all those years passed, I thought you'd at least have learned the concept of knocking," Tamsin drawled loudly as she put her loaded gun away.

"The door wasn't locked or anything," the woman shrugged innocently. She scanned the living room, before she let those curious greens wander up and down along Bo's body.

"Wow, didn't know you were traveling with a..." she trailed off when she registered Bo's fangs, those excited blue flickers in her eyes, and the fact that those two were dangerously close to each other.

"Whoa...did I interrupt something? I...I mean, I could totally wait outside and give you two enough time so you could finish whatever..." she mumbled as she turned around. She was about to leave, but Tamsin stopped her.

"You are not interrupting anything, bitch. There's nothing going on," Tamsin announced as she stepped away from Bo.

"Yeah, of course, whatever you say so," the woman murmured in a low voice as she made a quick, small frown at those faint bite marks on the side of Tamsin's neck. She eventually decided not to say a word about it.

She threw herself into the bench seat and asked, "hey, Valkyrie, you got any cold beer?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. She got a can of beer out of the fridge and tossed it at the woman. "Bring your own beer next time, Athena."

The woman shrugged lazily before she downed the beer in seconds. Then, she leaned back and curled her pinky finger between her lips. She made a loud whistle, and a few minutes later, a bird came in through the door and swiftly landed on her shoulder.

It was an owl with bright, light yellow eyes and brown plumage streaked and spotted with white. When the bird saw Bo, it moved on the woman's shoulder restlessly with a series of angry hoots.

"Easy, Iona," the woman cooed while rubbing the bird's beak gently with the side of her index finger. "You remember Tamsin, don't you…? And I'm sure the Vampire cutie over there is Tamsin's…."

She paused and moved her eyes back and forth between Tamsin and Bo. After getting a cold look from Tamsin, she eventually said, "...friend."

The owl's hoot softened but she still stared at Bo with those sharp eyes like Bo was guilty of something. After giving Bo a warning glare, she took off and left the RV.

The woman stood up and approached Bo. "I guess I'll introduce myself first?" She suggested in a soft smile. As she leaned in, Bo could practically smell the sunlight on her skin.

"I'm Alexa," the woman introduced as she looked into Bo's eyes.

"Oh, I thought you were Athena," Bo murmured.

The woman let out a few soft chuckles. "No, Athena is the code name I used when I was still with the Guild, just like Valkyrie is the co-"

She was interrupted by Tamsin's loud, protesting cough, so instead she asked Bo, "and your name is…?"

"Bo," Bo replied cautiously after she realized that the woman, Alexa, was a Huntress too. She gave the woman a polite smile as she looked at the short sword Alexa was carrying. There was a blood rune embedded in the hilt, in which an owl pattern was engraved.

"Bo? Okay..." Alexa repeated her name and made sounded like a soft kiss. "You are just travelling with Tamsin? You are not her prisoner, right?"

"Prisoner or not, it's none of your business, and she's not allowed to talk to strangers," Tamsin interrupted their conversation again. "Why are you here?"

"Well...I saw your dog outside pooping and I thought I'd just drop by and say hi," Alexa shrugged.

"Drop by and say hi my ass," Tamsin rolled her eyes. "Seriously, why are you here?"

"Working on a case," Alexa admitted casually as she took a glance at all the documents scattered on the table. "Just like you?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes again. "Not interested. You want to say hi, you've already said it. Now if you could get your ass outta my RV…."

"Hey, don't be such a bitch," Alexa complained softly. "I-"

She stopped talking as she raised her eyes and looked at Bo.

Tamsin turned to Bo and ordered, "you, get lost."

"Wasn't planning on staying anyway," Bo snorted as she headed to the door.

"Ummm...sweetie, it's not dark outside yet," Alexa reminded her but it was too late. Bo groaned as the sunlight touched her skin. It was not strong enough to burn her, but it still felt hot. She rolled her eyes at the two chuckling women, before she went into the bedroom and locked the door behind her.

"Slia kaliv aes (she's cute)," Alexa commented.

"Slia silamaev aes (she's stupid)," Tamsin scoffed. "Why are you here, hmmm?"

"Like I told you, I'm working on a case," Alexa replied.

"If you are working on that serial killer Vampire case where a bunch of human chicks were murdered, you are out of luck, cuz I'm gonna solve it and the reward will all be mine," Tamsin taunted with a smirk as she sat down on the other side of the table.

"Huh," Alexa hummed. "So I guess we are working on the same case?"

"Nope, I am working on the case, and you are not," Tamsin warned her. "There are plenty of cases out there, just pick something that I don't want to bother."

"Ummm, Tamsin, I'm glad that you are still you, but I don't need the cash," Alexa laughed. "Technically I am not working on this case either, not for the Vamp affairs division anyway. I'm just searching for the killer's whereabouts for a client in exchange of some info I need. I heard the latest victim is from this town so-"

"Don't bother. There's nothing here for you to find," Tamsin interrupted her. "The eye witnesses? They don't know shit and you'll want to punch them in the face after talking to them."

Alexa sighed and threw her hands into the air. "Great."

"But, maybe there's something that I know but you don't," Tamsin said as she leaned in and rested her chin on her hand.

"Like what?"

"If you tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine," Tamsin shrugged.

"Hmmm…" Alexa crossed her arms in front of her chest. "If you took this case from the Vampire related crime division, my guess is that I know all your secrets but you don't know mine. So...if you want the things that I know about this case, you'll have to make a better offer."

"In that case, I got something way more interesting than a psycho serial killer," Tamsin said.

"Care to share?"

"Two words for you, Black. Death," Tamsin said it in a voice so low that Alexa could barely hear her.

"Black...Death, as in the rumors?"

"Not rumors. That shit is real," Tamsin told her.

"And you know this how?" Alexa asked as she narrowed her eyes at Tamsin.

"Let's just say that I run a bunch of Vamp-hating hobos who seemed to have kidnapped and tortured quite a few Vamps in their dungeon. They have that."

"Wow, really? Did you get a sample?" Alexa beamed.

Tamsin rolled her eyes and tilted her head towards the bedroom door. "I could have, but instead I was too busy dragging her fat ass out of the dungeon to grab one," she drawled loudly.

"She got captured or something?" Alexa raised her eyebrows.

"Yep, she got captured. Slia silamaev fha'liyel aes (she's that stupid)."

Alexa shook her head. "I guess I could check out the dungeon too while I am here."

"And I'll tell you where it is after you give me a copy of whatever you have on the serial killer case," Tamsin offered.

"Deal," Alexa nodded after a brief ponder, "so when are we leaving?"

"I would say now, if you can get your ass off the seat and get going."

"What about your-" Alexa pointed at the bedroom.

"Do I look like I care?" Tamsin rolled her eyes. She put her hunting knife back into its sheath, before she yelled to Bo, "hey we are leaving. If you are gonna go have fun later, lock the door behind you. And please, stay away from whoever that wants you dead cuz I'm not gonna waste my time rescuing you again."

Bo opened the door and came out. "Where are you going?"

"A place called none of your business?" Tamsin replied.

"Are you two going to that dungeon?" Bo asked. Although Tamsin and Alexa kept their voice low, she still grasped a few words with "dungeon" being one of them.

"Are you eavesdropping?" Tamsin hissed.

"I can't not hear you loud voice, okay?" Bo retorted. "If you are going to the dungeon, I'm going too."

"I'm gonna say no to that, but since you'll follow us with or without my permission so...why don't you just stay far, far away from me while I pretend that you are not there, hmm?" Tamsin smirked.

Bo gave her a cold stare, before she went to put on a heavy cloak. The cloak had a deep blue color like the color of the night sky. The old gold clasps gave it an elegant look, and the blue rim of the hood matched the blue flickers in Bo's eyes perfectly.

"Are you sure you are coming with us, sweetie?" Alexa asked her. "It's still gonna be a while before sunset."

"I'll be fine if I'm in a car," Bo said as she pulled her hood down a little. "The sun's almost down anyway."

"Or, how about we just wait for the nightfall?" Tamsin suggested.

"Why? Because you are worried that the sun might hurt me?" Bo drawled.

"No, I just don't want you to ruin my car in case you burst into flames under the sun," Tamsin replied coldly.


The dusk slowly shrouded everything, and the three of them drove to the dungeon.

Just as Tamsin suspected, the group was no longer there. It looked like those people left in a hurry and left a lot of personal belongings behind.

Tamsin and Alexa briefly checked the prison cells, before they went to the other section of the dungeon that looked like the living area. It wasn't too different from the cell area anyway. There were small rooms with crude furniture in them, and they all smelled. The only difference was that there were no dead bodies in those rooms.

Tamsin and Alexa had a short discussion in the language that Bo didn't understand, before they started to take pictures of the place. They also bagged some items they found there, including small pieces of hair clusters and abandoned vials

Bo stood there watching them work for a while. After getting a lot of curious glances from Alexa and a tons of eyerolls from Tamsin, she decided to wander away from them.

She walked into the cell area again. Her heart sank again as she saw the body parts and remains left in those small, dark cells. The dangling light bulb above her flickered frequently. Every time when it was out, she felt like she was in hell and she was alone.

She shuddered in fear as she slowly came to the conclusion that if Tamsin hadn't gotten her out, she'd have ended up being one of them. Or maybe, even worse, because of that Black Death drug thing.

She found the cell that she had been held in. It was just as filthy and dark, with old blood stains all over the place. In the corner she found a few pieces of bones, darkened and chipped. She couldn't bring herself to ask the questions like whom they had belonged to or what had happened to thom.

As the smell of death thickened around her, those memories that had haunted her suddenly came back to her again.

She could practically smell the summer storm outside the windows now, hinting her that her life was about to be tossed into the unknown darkness.

"Hey, we are leaving!" Tamsin's impatient voice came to her, "but if you want to stay, you are more than welcome to."

Bo rolled her eyes and walked out. For some reason, Tamsin's voice seemed to have suddenly become the only thing reminding her that she wasn't in hell.


After they returned to the RV, Alexa exchanged info with Tamsin. They had some casual conversation and discussion afterwards. Then, Alexa gave Bo a flirty wink and left with her owl.

Tamsin organized the things she had gathered, before she told Bo, "finally we are leaving this shithole today, and you are gonna be driving while I go get some sleep."

Bo nodded quietly as she watched Tamsin heading to the bedroom. Before Tamsin went in, though, Bo stopped her.

"What?" Tamsin frowned, feeling a little confused when noticing the heavy hesitation in Bo's eyes.

"I ummm...you asked me why I cared about Lydia," Bo started. "It wasn't because I knew the killer or anything like that. It's...it's because I was once her."

Tamsin narrowed her eyes a little. She suddenly found it difficult for her to breathe as the painful look flooded Bo's eyes. "Huh?"

"I was just like her, a long time ago," Bo explained. "When I was 10, someone-I mean, a Vampire killed all my family one night and turned me.

It was all she could say. She couldn't bring herself to describe any details of that night. Deep down inside her, a small part of her was still in denial maybe, and all the blood and deaths, it was just too heavy for her right now.

Tamsin could barely nod. The bitterness and agony in Bo's voice almost crushed her. For a brief moment, that strong, dull pain in her chest slammed against her chest and squeeze the air out of her lungs.

She took a deep breath and turned her eyes away from Bo's. "Well, as long as you don't have anything to do with the stupid case, it's fine with me. Now get your ass into the driver seat and drive."

Bo nodded. After Tamsin went into the bedroom and closed the door behind her, it was her alone again. She felt heavy, and she was shaking a little, but strangely, at the same time, she felt somewhat relieved.


A/N: so here I've introduced another Huntress, Alexa, who seemed to have known Tamsin for a long time. She won't be showing up too often but she's an important character in terms of the big plot and things related to the Huntress Guild. Here, she mentioned to Bo that when they were in the Guild, they all had code names. In the next few chapters, Tamsin (probably) is going to tell Bo more about the Guild, the code names and how the Huntresses are all doing now since the Guild is gone.

Also, I'll introduce some back stories about Sugarmuffin (how he met Tamsin and stuff like that) soon, which is closely related to what had happened to Tamsin while she was in and out of the Guild. The flashbacks of Tamsin's old life is probably going to be scattered and presented non-sequentially. If anyone feel it's too confusing, let me know.

And as I am writing the story, I feel that I may need to actually make the Huntress language/argot less random and more like a real thing, so later I will probably have either Tamsin or Alex explain some simple stuff to Bo.