A Grave Hunger Read online

  "Thanks, that was delicious."

  He smiled cheekily at me. "You have the sexiest accent. Where are you from?"

  I felt colour tinge my cheeks as I answered. "Scotland. I moved over here eighteen months ago."

  "Scotland, huh. I've always wanted to go there. It's meant to be beautiful." He smiled again, his eyes smouldering. "What did you do in Scotland?"

  "Yeah, it is really beautiful," I replied, suddenly feeling a pang of nostalgia. "I was a teacher. I lived in a small town outside Glasgow."

  "You gave up a job like teaching to do this?" he asked incredulously.

  "I had to..." I trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

  He seemed to understand. The curiosity in his eyes turned to sympathy.

  "How are you feeling? You were knocked about pretty good," he said, changing the subject. He was smiling, but his eyes were serious.

  "I'm fine," I lied. In truth, my head was throbbing and my shoulder still ached, but I was alive, so I thought it selfish to complain about a few knocks and bruises.

  He looked sceptical, obviously not believing a word I said.

  "So how did you get into hunting?" I said, changing the subject again.

  "You said hunting, not slaying. You're learning," he teased. His demeanour changed as he started to answer my question. "How did I get into hunting? I suppose you could describe it as the family business. My mother was killed by a demon when I was four, and my father, like most hunters, got into the profession to avenge her death." He looked at me with eyes full of emotion.

  "That couldn't have been easy, growing up in that environment," I whispered, feeling for him.

  "It was what it was," he replied, his voice almost inaudible. "My dad moved around a lot, living in motels, following the jobs where ever he was needed, so he dumped me for weeks at a time here, with Robert." His voice brightened at the mention of Robert's name. "Robert basically raised me, took me to my first football game and taught me how to ride a bike. When my dad was killed on the job when I was fifteen, he took me in permanently. He's a good guy." He smiled at me, but his eyes still looked troubled.

  He stood from his chair and collected two glasses from the cupboard and a bottle of whiskey.

  "If we are going to have this depressing conversation, then we'll need some alcohol," he said, filling the two glasses.

  "Your turn," he said, handing me a glass. "How did you get into this job?"

  I took a large mouthful of whiskey before I started talking.

  "My family was killed eighteen months ago by a vampire, so I moved out here to find out what happened to them. That's when I met Robert. He sort of adopted me too, and taught me everything he knew about vampires and hunting them." I couldn't meet his eyes. I was afraid if I saw the pity, I would break down. I traced the pattern on the glass with my finger as I continued. "I suppose I am the quintessential hunter. I got into the job to avenge my family."

  "You haven't had a chance to avenge them yet. Is that why you pulled that stunt today and rushed into that hunt half-cocked?" His eyes smouldered when I eventually looked at him.

  "You don't think I should be a hunter do you? Are you against women hunters or something?" I replied defensively.

  "I have nothing against women hunters. I've worked with a few over the years. What I do have something against are amateurs that put themselves and others in danger," he seethed.

  "You're right, going in alone was stupid," I conceded. "But I don't think I'm an amateur. I know my stuff, and I'm a good fighter. I just made a mistake, that's all."

  He stared at me intently for a few moments before speaking.

  "You're sure that hunting is the life you want? Once you are in, very few people get back out again. That's you until you're dead. There's no relaxing retirement in your old age sitting in front of the T.V. In fact, most hunters are killed long before they reach old age. You sure that hunting is the life you want?" he said intently.

  After a short pause, I spoke. "Yeah, I'm sure. I need to do this. I've thought about it constantly over the last year or so."

  "All right then, if you're sure you want to do this, I will train with you, and if I think you are ready, we can go hunting together, but I have some rules," he explained.

  "What are your rules?" I asked, intrigued, subconsciously leaning forward closer to him.

  "If I think you aren't ready, you accept it. No running off by yourself for another hunt. Agreed?" he said, his eyes burning into mine.

  "Agreed. But what about Robert? He isn't going to be happy about this." I desperately wanted this. Finlay was giving me another chance, but a part of me still felt guilty about letting Robert down.

  "Don't you worry about Robert. I'll deal with him."

  I wished I had Finlay's confidence, but I knew convincing Robert wouldn't be that easy.

  CHAPTER 7

  My trepidation over Robert's reaction to me hunting was not unjustified. He was furious.

  "How could you have been so stupid? If it wasn't for Finlay, you would be dead," he roared. I watched a vein pulse prominently on his forehead. It looked as though it was in danger of popping at any moment. "Do you know how close you came to getting killed? You purposely defied my orders. I said you weren't ready, and I was right. Look at the mess you're in," he bellowed, gesturing angrily to the large lump on my head and my black eye, which had turned a lovely shade of purple overnight.

  "Don't be too hard on her, Robert," Finlay interrupted. "I've already tore her a new one. Anyway, I think she's learned her lesson."

  This seemed to appease Robert, if only slightly. He let out a weary sigh before turning his back to me. He had obviously decided that continuing this conversation was a lost cause.

  "It's good to have you back, boy. It's been far too long," Robert said, giving Finlay a hug. "Come on, let's have a drink and a catch up. You can tell me how Canada was." Ignoring me completely, he guided Finlay into the kitchen. I sighed, wondering how long the silent treatment would last.

  The next day, I headed back over to Robert's for my training session with Finlay. I still felt guilty over defying Robert's orders. I wondered what mood I would find him in today. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for another screaming match as I pushed open the front door of Robert's house. Robert was sitting on the sofa reading when I walked in.

  "Hi, Robert. Am I forgiven yet? I am really sorry. I promise I will never do anything so reckless again," I said in my sweetest voice.

  He gave me a hard look and shook his head imperceptibly, before his eyes softened. "You're forgiven, just don't do it again," he replied, smiling.

  I was surprised at his mellow attitude. Finlay must have a calming effect on him. His usual surly mood was replaced by an air of contentment.

  "Finlay is waiting for you in the basement. I hear you are going to do some training," Robert said smirking. "Good luck. He's good and he won't let you off easy."

  I made my way down to the basement, a feeling of trepidation settling in the pit of my stomach. I had a lot to prove, especially after the fiasco of the last few days. If I didn't prove to Finlay that I was ready for hunting, how could I ever begin to move on? I needed some sort of closure, and hunting was the only way I could think of getting it.

  Finlay was bending over, arranging crash mats on the floor. I admired the view for a moment, the way he filled his jeans sent the hair on the back of my neck standing to attention. There was no denying that he was easy on the eyes.

  "Hi, Scotland," he greeted me. I smiled, enjoying the moniker he had given me.

  "You ready for this?" he challenged.

  "Bring it on," I replied with mock confidence.

  "Test number one," Finlay began. "To kill a vampire, would you use a wooden stake or silver bullets?"

  "What kind of moron do you think I am?" I groaned, rolling my eyes. "You do neither. You decapitate it. I have been training for eighteen months, you know."

  "I thought I would start off easy, ease you in gently
. Obviously you don't need that, so no more Mr. Nice Guy."

  Without giving me a warning, he launched towards me, throwing a punch. The strike had not taken me by surprise as he had expected, and I reacted fast. My arm jerked upwards, automatically blocking the punch. Robert never gave me any warning when he would attack when we were training. He said that vampires wouldn't do it, so neither would he. He had taught me to observe body language for signs of a possible attack, and I had been watching Finlay carefully since he had greeted me. He smiled, clearly impressed with my deflection. He reached out to grab me, and I darted away, laughing. However, my arrogance was short lived. He threw a lightning fast blow into my stomach, winding me and leaving me doubled over.

  "Ow," I complained through laboured breath. I knew he was reining in his punches, but it still hurt like hell.

  "Don't be a baby," he retorted, smirking as he kicked out in an attempt to knock my legs from under me. I jumped backwards, avoiding his kick before throwing a punch that sent him stumbling back a few steps. A look of determination crossed his face and his eyes narrowed in concentration. A bead of sweat trickled down my back, as I threw another punch into his stomach. I felt exhilarated as a surge of adrenaline pulsed through my body. With a lightning quick move, he pounced. He managed to grab me from behind, wrapping his strong arms around me, and securing my arms firmly in place. He squeezed me tightly, leaving me unable to move. My breaths came in short, sharp gasps as I struggled to breathe under his strong grip. I lifted up onto my tiptoes and threw my head back, hearing a crunch as it made contact with his nose. He grunted, releasing his grip enough to let me wriggle out of his vice-like grip. A thin line of blood trickled from his nose.

  "Nice move, Scotland." He grunted, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand.

  Before giving him any time to recover, I kicked out, knocking his legs from under him. He grabbed me as he went down, and I landed on top of him with a grunt. We both lay there winded, panting for a few seconds, trying to breathe. I tried to take advantage of my position by pinning his arms. The problem however, was that he was stronger and far more experienced than I was. He easily managed to flip us both over, pinning me to the floor with his weight. In one swift movement he had pulled my arms above my head, his hand holding them in place at my wrists. Goosebumps erupted up my arms as his index finger, gently circled the inside of my wrists. It felt like my skin was ablaze.

  "Not bad, Scotland, not bad," he said, his face inches from mine. He stared at me, eyes sparking excitedly, the sexual tension between us electric.

  Robert's voice suddenly snapped us out of our moment.

  "Good training session?" he asked, smirking, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  Unconcerned with Robert's presence, Finlay replied without moving from our compromising position.

  "You could have warned me, Robert. She's good. I think she might have broken my nose," he joked.

  I wriggled out from underneath Finlay, embarrassment touching my cheeks.

  "Well, she had a good teacher. I taught her everything I know," Robert remarked smugly.

  The pair seemed oblivious to my embarrassment, which soothed me.

  "Does that mean I can go hunting with you next time?" I pestered.

  Robert's jovial disposition disappeared and a frown crossed his brows. I prepared myself for another rant.

  "What do you think? You think she's ready?" Robert asked Finlay.

  "I think she can handle it," he remarked. winking at me. "Anyway, we will both be with her if she gets into any problems. The only reason that happened last time was because she went in on her own."

  I wondered if I would ever live that mistake down. After a moment's pause, Robert sighed.

  "Fine, you can come hunting with us, but I have some ground rules," Robert warned.

  "No problem, anything you say," I said earnestly.

  "I mean it, Leah. I'm the boss. You do as you are told. If we are going to do this, we do it right. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. Either of you," he added, looking from me to Finlay.

  His words touched me. I realised that the feeling was mutual. Over the last eighteen months he had become my family, I loved him for taking me away from my loneliness and giving my life a focus. Even if it was a dangerous and life-threatening one.

  "I promise I won't let you down again," I said, and I meant it. The thought of disappointing Robert again made me feel awful.

  He slowly nodded, satisfied by my answer.

  "All right then, I'll leave you two to continue your training." He smirked. Nothing got by Robert.

  "Thanks for that," I said, turning to Finlay. "He would never have said yes if it wasn't for you."

  "No need to thank me. I meant what I said. You can handle yourself. The only reason that vampire kicked your ass the other day was because you went in alone. Even experienced hunters rarely hunt alone," he replied.

  "Well thanks anyway, and thanks for the training session," I replied, heading for the exit.

  "Where do you think you're going?" he retorted, grabbing me by the hand.

  His touch sent my heart racing, and I silently berated myself for acting like a love struck teenager.

  "What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "Aren't we finished?"

  "Afraid not. Did Robert always let you off this easy?" He laughed. "We haven't done any weapons training yet."

  A sly smile passed his lips, and I wondered what else he had in store for me.

  CHAPTER 8

  I was awoken by a loud banging sound. Through my groggy haze, it took me a few moments to realise where I was and what was happening. Someone was banging on the front door of my motel room. The banging persisted. Opening the door, I saw Finlay standing there. Over the last few months, Finlay and I had become close friends. His charismatic personality and cheery disposition made him easy to like, and our tragic pasts gave us a common goal. We had spent countless hours together, discussing life and just hanging out together. Although it was obvious that we both found each other physically attractive, we had kept it professional, never acting on our lustful feelings for each other. We had a job to do, and it seemed to be an unspoken rule that acting on these feelings would distract us from our mission.

  "Nice PJs, Scotland." Finlay smirked.

  I silently berated myself for wearing my pink cosy PJs, with pictures of bunnies emblazoned across them. Not exactly sexy.

  "What time is it?" I mumbled sleepily. I wasn't the most verbose person when I had just been woken up.

  "6:00 a.m.," he answered cheerily, pushing past me into the room and flopping himself down on the bed.

  Finlay had moved into the motel room next to me a few months ago, having decided that he needed space from Robert. I didn't blame the guy. Robert's house was a mess. Books and newspaper articles were scattered everywhere, and heaven forbid if you actually moved anything. I learned that lesson the hard way. Not to mention Robert's erratic mood swings and surly disposition. I imagined that Robert would be pretty difficult to live with.

  "Why are you here at six in the morning?" I snapped. "I thought I told you no coming over until at least nine a.m."

  Since Finlay had moved next door, these early morning wake up calls were not uncommon, but I never quite got used to them. I mean, could training really not wait a few hours?

  "You're really not a morning person, are you?" he teased. He must have seen the unimpressed look on my face because he answered my question. "We caught the trail of a vampire. It's a five hour drive so we are leaving in half an hour. Are you still up for a vampire hunt?" he enquired.

  His words snapped me out of my sleepy daze.

  "Yes, definitely," I responded enthusiastically.

  "We finally caught a trail," Finlay replied. It had been pretty quiet on the vampire front for the last few months.

  Finlay had worked tirelessly getting me ready for this moment, with hours of physical training and research sessions. It looked like the time was finally her
e when I could put it to good use.

  "All right then. We're taking two cars. Robert is taking his own and will meet us there. You go get ready. I'll just make myself at home," he said, switching on the T.V.

  I made a mad dash for the bathroom, where I quickly showered, brushed my teeth and got dressed. This was it, the moment I had been waiting for, obsessing about for almost two years. I felt a nervous twinge in my stomach, remembering my last hunt. I shook off the feeling. This time it would be different. I wouldn't underestimate the creature, and there would be three of us instead of one.

  "Make sure that you pack those pink PJs. You looked very sexy in them," Finlay shouted through the bathroom door.