A Grave Hunger Read online

  "A visitor. How exciting." It chuckled. Its voice was low and gravely, and sent an instant chill down my body. It slowly turned to face me. An involuntary gasp escaped from my lips as I finally saw it. A lopsided grin snaked across its face. However, the thing that had put an icy fear into my heart was its eyes. It stared across at me with steely, cold eyes, which seemed to pierce into my soul.

  "You came here alone." It smirked at me. "Either you are a very good hunter, are very stupid, or you have a death wish."

  I wondered which one was correct. Had my arrogance and obsession for revenge clouded my common sense, or was he right to think I had a death wish? A part of me did wish that I could stop the constant pain; it had taken over my entire life.

  "Well, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, would I?" I retorted, my voice showing no hint of the self-doubt I was feeling.

  It chuckled. It was a low gruff sound, which sounded more like growl than a laugh.

  "So what makes a pretty little thing like you become a hunter?" it asked, curiosity tingeing its voice. "Let me guess. Someone you loved was killed and you are here to avenge them." This time its voice wasn't cold or menacing, it was neutral, devoid of all emotion. I wondered if this creature had any humanity left. It had once been human after all. Did it feel fear, hate, or even love? I knew that they certainly had no compassion when it came to humans, but wondered if it felt any emotions towards its own species.

  "So tell me, was it me that killed them, is that why you are here?" it asked, smiling. "I do love a good story of revenge."

  "I'm going to enjoy killing you, you evil son of a bitch." I seethed, fury again washing through my body.

  "Evil?" it retorted, feigning mock hurt. "Come on, as if hunting is such a noble profession. It's just a lot of vengeance-driven sociopaths playing hero."

  It smirked again, a smile that was pure ice. Its eyes stared at me playfully. It was confident it was going to win this fight. It was enjoying this, like some sort of verbal foreplay.

  I glared at him. I'd had enough the games. I just wanted this to be over. The image of the happy smiling family, torn apart by this monster, flashed through my mind. I was thankful for the raw anger and adrenaline pulsing through my body. I would need this for the fight. I rushed towards him, all feelings of doubt and hesitancy forgotten.

  Already predicting my attack, it had slumped forward into a crouch and suddenly pounced, looking more animal than man. Before I knew what was happening, a crushing blow struck me and I felt myself flying backwards. I hit the wall with a deafening crash. I scrambled on hands and knees trying to get to my feet as plaster and dust from the wall rained down on me. I lunged forward, wielding my machete, but it met empty air as the vampire dodged the blow. The speed at which the thing moved was terrific, and it easily landed another blow before I had a chance to correct myself, sending me stumbling forward. I righted myself and swung around quickly. A shriek escaped my lips as the vampire moved into my blind spot and gave a swift kick to the back of my left knee, sending me tumbling to the ground.

  Awkwardly climbing to my feet, I thrust my machete towards the creature, missing again. The vampire was simply too quick. Its eyes showed a sense of playfulness; it was toying with me, enjoying the game, like a cat batting around a mouse before he devoured it. I heard a loud crunch as the vampire sent a powerful blow into my upper body, dislocating my left shoulder. I cried out in pain and terror as white hot pain fired through my body.

  Distracted by the pain, I failed to notice the vampire setting up another blow, which connected in my abdomen and sent me tumbling to the ground once again. My head hit the wall on the way down, and I felt warmth as a thick stream of blood oozed from the deep cut on my forehead, running over my shirt and pooling in a large puddle in front of me. I fought to control the nausea and dizziness sweeping through my body as the vampire towered over me. I saw the playfulness in his eyes fade as it was replaced with a hunger. This was now no longer a game. His eyes burned with bloodlust.

  It was in this very second that I knew. All the planning, preparation and training I had endured for the last eighteen months was in vain. There was no way I was leaving here alive. Robert had been right; I wasn't ready for this fight. I had been foolish to think I was.

  "Your fear smells delicious. Very intoxicating," it said coolly, licking its lips.

  "I wonder..." His voice trailed off. "Someone with so much spunk as you would make a great vampire."

  That was his plan for me, to make me into a disgusting bloodsucker like him. To turn me into the thing I hated the most. I would rather die. No way would I drink vampire blood. Its smile slowly widened, as the second set of teeth descended. All that could be seen was a contortion of teeth, sharp and glistening in the dim light. It raised a wrist to its lips and bit down on the skin, a thin trail of blood dripping from the wound.

  I instinctively raised my right arm, still gripping the machete, to protect my face. I closed my eyes, and waited for the moment that would either kill me or transform me into what I hated most.

  CHAPTER 5

  What happened next seemed like a blur. A loud curse, from an unknown voice, made me aware that we were no longer alone. My eyes snapped open, and through my concussed daze I saw a dark figure rush across the room towards us. The vampire looked torn. Should he defend himself against this new threat or feed? The blood lust too much to control, the vampire decided on the latter and launched towards me. Sharp pain tore through me as its twisted teeth pierced my neck. I let out a yelp as the pain heightened, and I felt an involuntary shudder rip through my body. I felt my body grow weaker and weaker as I lost even more blood. I'm not entirely sure what happened next. Everything seemed disjointed, a kaleidoscope of images flashing through my brain. I saw the mystery man pull the vampire off me and throw it to the ground, giving it a fast and powerful kick to the ribs. I must have passed out because the next thing I knew, strong, powerful arms were scooping me up, cradling me against his body as he carried me outside. Then once again everything went black...

  I awoke to familiar surroundings. I was lying on Robert's sofa in his living room. I attempted to sit up, but a sharp, shooting pain flashed from my shoulder down my left arm. I tried to piece together recent events but drew a blank. My brain misfired, failing to connect the images that flashed through my skull in any sort of coherent pattern.

  "Try not to move. You've lost a lot of blood, and it looks like you have a dislocated shoulder," a deep, husky voice explained.

  He was sitting on the chair opposite, watching me with concerned eyes. He had an imposing build, with broad, muscular shoulders and arms. He exuded sexuality, and I wondered if this was intentional or if it came naturally to him. He looked as though he could have been a male model doing a photo shoot, apart from the fact that he was covered in blood and dirt. Then the memories came flooding back to me. It was my blood he was covered in. He had saved my life. Who was this mystery man? He must have seen me staring at his blood-soaked clothes because he continued.

  "I managed to stop the bleeding, but I'll still need to pop that shoulder back in."

  My right hand automatically reached up to touch the wound on my neck.

  "Who are you?" I replied, stuttering.

  "I'm Finlay, Robert's friend. I came down to hunt a vampire with him, but it looked like you beat me to it," he replied sarcastically.

  Finlay. The name instantly registered. I promised Robert I would wait for him. Robert would be furious with me. Furious that I had been so reckless, furious that I had broken a promise, and above all furious that I had put myself in such blatant danger.

  As I sat up, a stabbing pain rolled down my left arm. He got up from his seat and sat on the sofa beside me.

  "Thanks for everything," I replied, my voice trailing off. "You saved my life."

  "Don't thank me," he replied gruffly. "What were you thinking, going hunting on your own? Have you got a death wish?"

  That was the second time today I was asked that quest
ion. I pondered the answer.

  "I--I know it was stupid, I don't know why I did it," I said stuttering, embarrassment colouring my cheeks.

  There was something about the way he was staring at me with those piercing green eyes that turned me into a faltering, inarticulate mess.

  His hypnotic eyes stared at me coldly for a second before softening.

  "You must be in a lot of pain, let me pop that shoulder back in for you," he said in a soothing voice.

  He helped me to my feet and gently pulled me towards him. A jolt of electricity sparked through me when he touched me.

  "OK, after three," he said, wrapping his arms around me. "One, two..."

  On the second count he pulled my arm sharply, popping my shoulder back into its socket with a loud crack.

  "I thought you said on three?" I seethed, recovering from the sudden shock of pain.

  "The thought of pain is often worse than pain itself. I was taking the trepidation out of it." A slow playful smile spread across his face.

  "How very considerate," I said, laughing. His playfulness was infectious.

  A thought suddenly occurred to me. "How did you know where to find me today?" I asked.

  "No one answered the door when I arrived at the house, so I phoned Robert. He told me that he had been called away on an emergency, but had left his young apprentice to entertain me until he got back." He smiled warmly, teasing me again. His piercing eyes seemed to penetrate me, and I felt my heart rate quicken. "When I told him there was nobody home, he explained your enthusiasm for the hunt." He continued paraphrasing Robert's words. I knew Robert would have added a few expletives in his conversation with Finlay. "So I broke into the house to find out where you had gone and found the laptop with the address. Then your knight in shining armour came to your rescue."

  He paused, smiling arrogantly. "Robert isn't very happy with you by the way," he said. I knew this was an understatement. I hated to think what Robert would say when he saw me again. As if on cue, Finlay's phone suddenly started to shrill.

  "Speak of the devil," he said, grabbing the phone from his pocket and checking the caller ID. "Robert, hey, was just about to call you." He paused while Robert spoke. "Yeah, I got her. She's ok. A bit roughed up, but she'll survive." I could hear Robert shouting and cursing over the other end of the phone. "I think she knows what she did was stupid." Robert's voice continued to buzz on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I'll stay with her until you get back. No problem, see you tomorrow." He clicked off the phone and turned towards me.

  "I don't need a babysitter, you know," I said, annoyed that I was being treated like a child.

  "You have a concussion and have lost a lot of blood. I'm staying. Anyway, Robert would be crushed if anything happened to you. He sees you as the daughter he never had." His words struck a chord and a feeling of guilt swept through me. I had never considered how Robert would feel if I had died in tonight's fight.

  Finlay's eyes suddenly became serious. "You nearly died today. You can't underestimate a vampire, and a novice certainly should never go on a hunt alone."

  The patronising tone of his voice hit a nerve. "A novice? I've been training every day for eighteen months to be a slayer. If I wasn't ready now, tell me when would I be?" I replied, my voice as cold as ice. However, even as I was saying the words, I knew that he had a point. I knew that if it hadn’t been for him, I would be dead right now.

  What he did next surprised me. I expected another patronising rant, or for him to snap back at me, but he did neither. A grin spread across his face and he roared with laughter. I watched him, dumbfounded for a few seconds, failing to get the joke.

  "A slayer, ha. What will we call you? Buffy? God, what has Robert been teaching you? A slayer... hilarious," he said between laughs.

  I couldn't work this guy out. He completely confused me.

  "What would you call what we do then?" I asked, confusion colouring my voice.

  "Well I don't know what you do," the patronising tone was back, "but I'm a hunter."

  He saw the blank look on my face.

  "You know, a hunter? Saving people, hunting things that go bump in the night?" he explained.

  "Same thing," I replied, failing to see the difference. "You slay/hunt vampires. What's the difference?"

  "I do a lot more than that," he explained. "Robert hasn't told you, has he? Typical. He's that obsessed with vampires. He just pretends nothing else exists."

  I'm sure the confused look was back on my face again. "What do you mean pretend nothing else exists?"

  "I hate to break it to you, but there is more to worry about out there than just vampires."

  "What are you trying to say? That there are ghosts, ghouls, witches and werewolves out there?" I asked, sarcastically.

  "Of course there are. You think that it's only vampires that are causing all the problems in this crappy world?"

  "Ghosts and witches exist? I suppose aliens and UFOs are real too." I scoffed. What was this guy about?

  "Don't be ridiculous. There is no such thing as aliens," he answered. Those piercing green eyes stared right at me with no signs of mocking.

  "You're being serious?" I asked incredulously.

  "Afraid so. I hate to shatter the soft and fuzzy view you have of the world, but there are a lot of evil sons of bitches out there."

  I suddenly felt woozy, not sure if it was the injuries I had suffered, or the realisation of what he had said. I sank back down on the sofa before I embarrassed myself any further in front of Finlay by fainting. He had to be winding me up. Then again, if I could accept the fact that vampires walked among us, why not other creatures?

  "I can't believe Robert didn't tell me about any of this," I said. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"

  "Robert has always been pretty focused on vampires," he explained. "Did he tell you about his wife?"

  "Yeah, she died in a vampire attack, years ago," I replied.

  "Well he never really got over it. He is still obsessed with killing vampires into extinction. I don't think he can think about anything else until that happens. He knows these things exist, but just has another priority," he murmured.

  His words struck a chord. It was as if he were describing my life. I chastised myself for putting my revenge mission above my own safety, above Finlay's safety. I was silent for a moment while I thought about what he had said.

  "I'm going to make us something to eat. I'll have a rummage in Robert's fridge to see what he has," Finlay said over his shoulder, walking to the kitchen. Popping his head around the kitchen door, he added, "I'll have something ready in half an hour. It will give you some time to, erm, freshen up," he said, snickering.

  Mortified by the realisation of how I must look, I darted to the bathroom. I gasped as I saw my reflection in the mirror. A pair of sunken blue eyes stared back at me. I looked pale and battered. To say that I looked worse for wear would be an understatement. I had a large gash on my forehead, just above my left eye where I hit my head against the wall. I ran my fingers tentatively over the wound, evaluating the damage. Crusted blood and a lump the size of a golf ball burned beneath my fingertips. My eye was puffy and a bluish-purple tinge had started to appear around the socket. My hair was tangled and caked in dried blood, and my white T-shirt was ripped and covered in blood and dirt. I looked at the large raw bite mark on my neck, and again thought about how close I had been to death today. Dismissing the dark thought from my head, I switched on the shower, undressed, and then stepped into the cubical. I winced as the warm water stung my wounds. Thoughts again swirled around my head. There were other creatures out there. The world had just become an even more dangerous place than I already thought it was.

  CHAPTER 6

  The shower had a calming effect on me. I felt refreshed, and the swirling thoughts in my head had calmed. I changed into the spare clothes I had left here from my training sessions, and I made my way down to the kitchen. Finlay had also freshened up, he had changed out of his blood soaked clothes, an
d had washed the dirt from his face. He looked good in the tight T-shirt that showed off his broad shoulders and muscular arms. I chastised myself for drooling over him. After the day I had, this should be the last thing on my mind.

  "You hungry?" he asked.

  "Starved," I replied, sitting down at the dining table. I realised that it had been hours since I last ate.

  "Well don't get too excited. It's not exactly a Michelin star meal. Robert's cupboards were pretty bare, well apart from the alcohol cupboard. That he keeps well stocked." He chuckled.

  He sat an omelette in front of me and a glass of water. I devoured it immediately.