Sorry Again, School will be school and I will continue to barely pass Spanish III :P
Lots of line breaks for both time skips and change of views... sorry but mind went chaotic when I wrote this, I enjoyed it though, hope you do too!
TE ODIO!... JK, Te Amo :)
"…Hope to see you soon, Rebecca"
Horatius willed his eyes open just as his heart took its first beat. Coldness surrounded him in a numbing embrace, the lethargic effects loosening as night made its presence. It had been the same for centuries, it had eaten him at too early of an age. The darkness had come too strong.
The Prince had exiled him to South America with the De La Cruz family.
It was always difficult for him to go on with the knowledge that each day carried the same bleakness, the same suffering of riding against the voices, the whispers in his ear. He couldn't even muster up hate or annoyance when Manolito scrutinized him when he visited the farms, always keeping him at a distance from his family, especially his life mate.
He couldn't even admit it was discouraging, he felt nothing.
Horatius lazily pulled himself out of earth's arms, standing for a moment under the moon's rays before continuing on his patrol of the grounds. The dark whispers came alive, tempting him with power, with the thrill of the game.
Come…
He thrust them back inside his head, refusing to carry on the night with their distractions, choosing to exist once more just to meet the sun another day. Another meaningless day.
"MaryAnn!"
Horatius paused in his trek, staring blankly at the tree in front of him, already knowing the grooves and patterns marring the bark. The forest was just another map imprinted in his mind, time meant nothing to him anymore, just means to death.
"Hey, Hora!" A high pitched voice shriveled into his ears, the notes barely recognizable in the darkness. Horatius didn't even muster up the formality to correct his name, "Hey, wanna go on a trip with us?".
He didn't turn, didn't utter a sound, just focused on the tree before him. It wasn't that he felt the need, but he remembered the rules when in the presence of a Hunter's life mate, and it wouldn't be ideal to interact with one in consequence to said Hunter looking for said life mate only to find her with another Carpathian male. So, he stood there waiting for Manolito to pick up his woman so he can continue with his patrol.
"Come on", MaryAnn said hurriedly, her scent wafting in his nose making the whispers fill his head in hunger, "just say yes, I'll convince Mr. Hot Head to let you go with us!". He felt the heat of her hand ease closer- and just when she was about to touch his elbow, innocent as it may be, he was forced to the ground with a hand crushing down on his throat.
And Horatius let it happen. Again.
MaryAnn had always tried to pull him out to a more social position, talking to him from a distance, offering assistance when Manolito was in rare absence. He knew he should feel honored for the attempt to bring light, but she was Manolito's life mate, not his, and he was had far left the hope behind that he may have ever find his.
This event happened on a regular basis.
"Trigovise"
"De La Cruz" Horatius acknowledged, hands limp beside him, eyes still focused on the tree despite the events that had just occurred. He supposed, as a stray thought, it would be the Hunter who would end his existence, not the morning sun, if things kept up.
"Manolito!" MaryAnn protested, yanking at the Hunter's bulky arm without success, "I was just inviting him along with us, you know, for assistance, you said you wanted someone else to accompany us!"
"I did not mention Trigovise, he is too close to turning" His eyes slighted and flickered to his life mate, indicating a private conversation, and when his lips thinned out, eyes returning to Horatius's still form, they burned holes through him, "though I suppose you need to be watched, pack up, Trigovise"
The tree laughed at him and somewhere in the distance a tree screamed in outrage.
Like he had anything to pack.
Save us… too weak, come… take the offer..
What was the difference between the Vampire and the Hunter in this man? Rebecca blinked as she sat completely still in her rocking chair, letting the man relax his stance in front of the walkway. He had come and stayed for three nights, and three nights the cycle continued.
The question replayed in her mind. He called himself a vampire, but she saw the Hunter.
"They're coming" He rasped out, leaning his head on the wall, his once pale, chalky skin ashen with life, "it is time for you to decide". He claimed to be a monster, yet he offered her sanctuary.
But than again he seemed to be hiding something from her.
Redemption… sweet redemption.. Feed us..
Rebecca lowered her eyes in submission to the thoughts yet not submitting to the action. She had almost forgotten how little affect they had on her conscious mind after being asleep for too long. The world had changed, too much where she had found herself away from the noise and cluttered spaces, the days had passed, blurring together and now she wasn't sure how long she had been here.
His amber eyes stared her down, "I offer you my protection, to an unmated female of the Carpathian heritage," he paused, self-doubt creeping into his appearance, but then it hardened again, "I give you my word, as much as my word is worth", his eyes begged her.
"The Hunter's come" Rebecca replayed the information they both already knew, "and I will not allow them to harm you, as a fellow Hunter"
"I have not been called that in a long time," he murmured, looking down at his hand where skin used to hang off, but now he didn't have to hide it in an illusion. The woman in front of him, she took away the voices, the bloodlust, and though he still saw in black and white, he felt like a Hunter again, with only the drive of honor as his code once more. He had thought once you turned you could never go back.. Yet…
The woman had a very unique and valuable gift, if he was correct in his suspicions- no, he was correct. She made a monster a man again, made his body Carpathian once more.
And she didn't even realize it.
Her straight black hair touched the undersides of her breast, bangs hugging under her chin, and her butterscotch eyes wouldn't meet his. She reminded him of another Carpathian, but it alluded him.
But the other Hunters, the Hunters of the Prince. Now that the whispers were diminished, he could think his own thoughts, he didn't dislike the Prince, but he wouldn't put it under him or his Hunters to use this woman, abuse her gift without thought to her wellbeing. He had to do something to repay her for the second chance she had given him.
"If you should not follow me", he allowed, "I shall stay with you". If the Hunters still saw him as one of the undead, so be it, he should have chosen the sun his first round about, let them kill him protecting one of their females. They were probably heading in their direction because of his presence, none the less.
Rebecca's eyes flickered to his finally, "If you wish it, my home is open to you".
They will know who you are… run, feed us… come to us..
Her hand twitched and she immediately lowered her eyes once more, uttering, "so be it".
"You lost him?" MaryAnn groaned, scrubbing her face with her palms, scowling up at her life mate before putting her hands on her hips and huffing, "I thought you said you had him".
"Two days ago, I did" Manolito corrected, not really with them, his mind expanding to find the vampire they had been hunting all over South Africa, Africa. He touched all the minds of the natives, finding no strange disappearances or deaths, no dark forebodings. He came back to feel his life mate breath on his chest, staring up at him with a pout, "We will find him"
MaryAnn sighed and glanced at the ever quiet Horatius, seeing him staring at another freaking tree, just.. Staring at it! She could feel the dark in him, but she was sure that if he ever did turn, he would be easy to find and eliminate, he would be too distracted staring at trees- and he never once showed an ounce of the instinct to fight, she wasn't even sure if he ever became a Hunter in his life.
"MaryAnn" Her life mate whispered, making her focus back on him again, he shook his head lightly, "don't underestimate him so quickly, don't let your guard down, not once". He took her hand and kissed it gently, fighting the urge to ditch the said subject and make love to her in an abandoned area of the forest they were currently in.
Why? she asked using their intimate line of conversation, brushing warmth against his tired mind.
Trigovise was a bit… he paused, almost smiled with the memories of the young Carpathian he met when the boy who was just seventeen, he was a hellion, wanting to cause trouble everywhere, getting around anywhere without even our ancients expecting anything- an anarchist if you would. He has matured, but never mistaken him to be dumb minded.
MaryAnn turned an unlikely gaze to the quiet man who appeared to be in his own little world, you sure we're talking about the same person here?
Positive, Manolito chuckled, chucking under her chin lightly before speaking out loud, "what do you suggest, Trigovise?".
Horatius turned his attention back to the present, pulling his gaze from the tree, "Time will answer our questions".
MaryAnn scowled, "Is that a riddle? Gosh, Hora, that you were more intelligent than that" she ignored the warning shot her way and stuck her tongue out at the stoic man. She turned her gaze upwards, missing the moisturized setting of South America already, with the cattle ranches and most importantly, Home. It was so disserted in this area of Africa, and having only male company wasn't doing good on her nerves, sure, she basically is a councilor, but a girl needs time to herself. All that they have been doing is hunting and rising.
She huffed hair out of her face, wondering where the hell the vampire had led them to.
There was a disturbance in the earth.
Come out, come out, little one.. Feed us.
Rebecca opened her eyes, blankly staring at the darkness around her, taking it longer than usual to feel the cold arm that was touching her own.
She frowned.
She was getting rusty, she should be aware of the Carpathian slumbering next to her, though, she mused, it must because she was accustomed to him sleeping in her resting place, he wanting to keep a close proximity with the Hunters close by. She hadn't been near any Carpathian aware of her in many, many years but she knew how to accustom her body not to react to the close proximity of her kind, the nerves and the whispers that gained confidence as they came near.
Practiced not to create any disturbance in the area she left her spot, disappearing in mist to place herself above ground, taking in her surroundings in a single breath. It was quiet, but she learned at as a child not to trust the silence, not even that of death.
You think you could hide from us?… we're coming for you..
Rebecca raised her head to the wind, listening to the pulses of the trees, to the stories their roots were seeping out to her, the disturbance of the surrounding forest. She felt the moment her companion jerked awake, heart beating loudly and felt the brush of his essence as he searched his resting place with his mind, and she let him take her in so that he didn't mistaken her for an enemy.
Where were the Hunters?
In the heavens.. The trees.. We are coming for you…
Patience was the key, and tolerance, Rebecca reminded herself as earth spewed everywhere, some landing on her straight blouse and short skirt, and a small growl emitting from the chest of the Carpathian. Some people just didn't know how wake up on the right side of the bed.
But, again, she was not the one to judge.
"The Hunters are coming" he hissed, shifting his body to protect her from the right, where he stared intently at the open space in between the trees. She felt the sudden surge of power that flung out of him, a dark power that had the whispers hum in pleasure, that had the whole forest still as if it was holding its breath, then-
There!
"There!" Manolito shouted in a whisper triumphantly, catching the surge of darkness directly in front of them, maintaining the illusion of a bird in flight, narrowing his vision to catch any abnormal movement, ready for an ambush of any sort.
Slow down! Mary Ann shouted, her heart racing as he started getting carried away, something inside her shifting uneasily, something not right in this- they had suddenly felt it, like it just.. Appeared, like it was there all along, waiting for them. Come Back!
It was already too late, a dark shadow hurled itself on to the charging bird that was Manolito, forcing him to shift into his own form, sending them both to the ground only to quickly detach themselves with one another and circle around like mad wolves, fangs bared.
MaryAnn and Horatius landed near them, taking in the vampire before making their move- and before MaryAnn could lung to defend her life mate she was stopped. Her eyes snapped to the moving form of Manolito, whose eyes narrowed dangerously, his lips thin with recognition.
A Scarletti he murmured, in thought as he regarded the vampire who was throwing malice at him, ignoring the other two Carpathian's. Out loud he spoke.
"What happened to you, Scarletti?"
"Nothing of your concern, I assure you" The vampire sneered, never breaking his footing as they continued there circles, coming in tighter, muscles sprung tight, "What has brought you to Africa, Hunter? As my past knowledge tells, you should be harvesting Bambinos' in South America".
"We'll see how much of a Bambino after this, foul one" Manolito snapped, fury rising at the jest pointed towards his life mate.
This wasn't part of the plan
Giovanni Scarletti didn't let his body falter as his mind did, absorbing the soft voice of Rebecca, pointing out the obvious, calming his nerves even as the red flames behind his eyes still shown brightly. He couldn't have helped it, the urge to confront, not to flee, over ridded his pride as he ran toward the Hunters. He didn't know any of the Hunters personally, or the female, but he had heard of the De La Cruz brothers and the rise of their life mates.
They said they had committed themselves to the new prince, but for all anyone knew, they would abuse the unique, unclaimed, female that was with him. That he would never allow, the Hunter in him rose to the challenge to protect.
I suppose it is no use, is it? She asked, gaining part of his attention when he realized she had used the most intimate ways of the Carpathian's to communicate with him, having him wonder how when they hadn't even exchanged blond. It just made it even more important to protect her, though in the back of his mind he considered it may have been his doing, his family was known to be sensitive to psychics.
Hide, piccola. He shot back to her, his fangs lengthening when the Hunter in front of him edged forward, just the slight flex of muscle in his calves, but enough to alert him.
That is fairly new to me… She mused softly to herself, making him smile inside, proving his humanity inside.
Then the Hunter lunged forward forcing him to twist a flexible back to avoid being touched, then went into full action when the other Carpathians sprang to his aide, his only option to evade or else he be caught, and that alone was a death sentence.
Once a Carpathian Hunter gets their hands on you, your dead.
As the dance of life continued the clouds above swirled ominously blocking out the light of the moon, forcing eyes to adjust to the change. Thunder rumbled dangerously just as shadows seemed to play with all their eyes, and if it wasn't for the hand that appeared from the darkness that pressed him warmly against a tree he would have been caught in what seemed to be quicksand, yet was not. The female Carpathian cried in distress, the other two hunters struggling, trying to shift but seemed to be unable to fully accomplish the task.
An illusion. An illusion powerful enough to blind any being caught in it.
Even Hunters from an ancient race.
Piccola? Is this you? Even though he didn't need to ask, he felt obligated to even when he found the small wrist that was linked to the fist clutched to his side, keeping him to tree. He turned and saw Rebecca's slight form against the shadows, sharp shoulders standing out at her slightly angled silhouette. Rebecca?
The clouds broke for a split second, the moon light letting him glance at her eyes that were trained on the Carpathian Hunter that had been on the sidelines in the beginning, her lips neutral, not in the usual tight way it usually was in, eyes studying the struggling man who was stuck in the illusion.
The Prince's men, two different generations She made it a statement, finally letting her hand fall and body relax, do you wish to leave?.
It is up to you, whether you think they will listen or not, piccola. He replied back, watching as indecision played across her eyes, her face forever neutral, seemingly an inner conflict, weighing of outcomes playing in her head.
Move, she suddenly whispered, slipping behind the tree where he immediately followed without question, just out of sight when the Hunter she was watching jerked his head in their direction in an audible snap, stilling as he searched for them. His whole frame went still before he burst into rage against the illusion, clawing to get to them, sudden, rough, need in his eyes, getting darker and darker as he failed to escape the trap. He began to yell things out the were not in any language he had come to know yet, probably to spite him.
Your choice Giovanni reminded her, sliding unashamedly against the shelter just her mere presence brought, touching her arm slightly.
Everything seemed to bombard him all at once, everything.
Colors, emotions, feelings, just everything.
It had to be her, the one meant for him, his possession, his life mate. She was here, right now, just out of his reach. His eyes swung wildly to the darkness around them, looking for her, struggling against the devil's sand that wouldn't let go. He shouted to the heavens, cursing them to let him go, let him go to her, his savior.
"What's going on!" Mary Ann cried out, past the point of panic, going into hysterics even with Manolito trying to reassure her, "this isn't right, a vampire shouldn't be this powerful-can they?", there were tears in her eyes now, hands clawing at her ankles to get them out of the sand.
"Come out, you pity excuse for the undead!" Manolito roared as bait, trying to tempt the being back to them.
Vampire. His life mate was close to a vampire.
All the years in caves with his parents, hidden escapes, and foolish pranks flushed into his system, clearing any of the darkness away and made him focus on this moment in front of him, focus on the thing that held him back from his goal, his life.
And it was just as easy as that, his dark eyes mentally looked past the sand and into… nothing. The sand was nothing. With smirk that he thought he would never again shed as a Carpathian he trained his eyes where he knew eyes were watching them.
"Bravo", he praised, catching his companions off guard enough to make them stop struggling and stare at him astonished, "practicing to be a magician,?"
"I didn't know Hunters had a sense of Humor, young one" the dark voice taunted back, the sound bouncing from different directions, trying to confuse the Hunters but Horatius kept staring at the spot he knew they waited.
"Let me show you how humorous we can be" he rallied and lifted his foot and started walking forward, dispelling the illusion, now stalking the target with a dark promise, "come play with me".
White teeth flashed in the dark and shadows moved, "that, Hunter, is too old for me, ask your litter mates for that honor". Horatius could see he was about to engage with him but he stopped and his smile widened into more of a baring of teeth, "give my regards to the prince, and warn him his people aren't welcome on my territory".
Then his image faltered, streaming away and Horatius didn't bother to follow, already holding the traitors stench in his lungs to hunt him down later, more concerned with more important matters.
Very old worldly of you Rebecca commented as they traveled in swiveled paths to scatter their scents so it would take the Hunters longer to follow them, staying at a slow pace, careful not to disturb any animals. Amusement flooded her mind, taunting the voices in her head as they came back with full force now that she put distance between herself and the youngest Hunter.
I thought so Giovanni replied giving the expression of a smile before he turned somber You knew them?
One she admitted, refusing to let old memories of their one meeting to resurface, she had groused over that too much in her younger days, But it has been a long time since our last encounter.
What happened? It came softly, not knowing how deeply the simple question may strike, not knowing it had indeed struck the deepest part of her being, the escape, the departure of a world her parents created, the numbness of sleep she forced herself into, the loneliness of the years after she awoke to a changed world.
Time she answered in a meek voice, the voices laughing at her.
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