For a Thousand Years

4

When I came to I saw I was in a cell. I looked around and groaned. My steak of never being captured is broken. The cell door opened and in came..."Blake?" I said shocked. He knelt in front of me and I saw that there were tears rolling down his cheeks. "What's wrong?" I asked panicking now. "Is Alice..."

"She's dead," he whispered.

Dead? "They...killed her?"

"She tried to stop Kale but she has no training so he killed her."

"Oh." I had tears rolling down my cheeks now. I hugged him and was glad he didn't pull away. In fact, he leaned into it. We both sat there and cried for a while.

He pulled back. "We need to get you out of here."

"How?"

He stood and pulled me with him. "My parents believe I was protecting you because I own you. Helen and Kale got in trouble. Everyone went to bed early so we can get out."

"I thought you were keeping me alive for Alice?" Because she never had a friend before and I was the only one willing, I added silently.

"I was but that changed."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I've fallen for you."

"Fallen for me?" I asked shocked again.

"Can we discuss this after we get out of here?"

I nodded and we both walked out of the cell. He led the way and we went out the back door. Then we got into what I'm assuming is his Jeep and drove to a forest. He got out so I did too. "Now can we discuss what you said?" I asked.

"I fell in love with you when I caught you. That's why I let you go."

"Love at first sight," I muttered.

"Yes."

"You're a hunter though."

"And? In truth, we're both people."

"I know." My phone rang (Blake had slipped it in my pocket at some point. Huh.) and I saw it was Stephen. "Hey, Steph."

"Catherine! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I've been calling you for the last few hours and you haven't responded. Have you been purposely ignoring me?"

I winced. Oops. "I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Hanging out with friends and doing homework." That was the only excuse that popped into my head.

"Homework sucks."

"I know but it still needs to be done."

"I know. So who did you become friends with?"

Crap, I should have known he'd ask that. "People. How's Mom and Dad?" I evaded.

"Fine. They found out the baby is a girl."

I closed my eyes and made a split-second decision. "They should name her Alice." Blake looked at me in surprise.

"Alice? Why?"

"It's a good name."

"What if the doctors are wrong and it's a boy?"

"Angus."

"Ugh! You always come up with the names."

I snickered. "I came up with your name, dork."

"I know," he grumbled.

"I have to go. You better tell Mom and Dad those names."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up and was instantly wrapped in a hug. I smiled. "What?"

"Do you think your parents will do it?" Blake asked.

"What? Name the baby Alice? Yes."

He hesitated. "Do you think they'll be okay with us being friends?"

I nodded. "I told them that you let me go. They have always wanted to meet you. We'd be safe if we go there."

He nodded and we got back into the Jeep. I directed him to the house and went in with Blake following me. "Mom, Dad, I bright someone you've always wanted to meet," I called and found them in the kitchen.

Steph froze. "Catherine, you brought a vampire hunter to our house."

"Shut up, Stephen," I said. "This is Blake Hunt, he's the hunter who caught me all those years ago."

Mom stood. "Hello, Mr. Hunt. Thank you for not killing Catherine."

Blake smiled slightly. "Honestly, I did it because I fell for as soon as I saw her." I blushed and glared at him at the same time.

"Oh, how sweet."

"What did you tell your family?" Dad asked.

"That I killed her."

"Are you going to tell them you found a whole bunch of vampires?" Stephen said angrily.

"Stephen!" I exclaimed. Wow, I had not expected him to act like this.

"What? I bet he'll murder us in our sleep."

"I won't," Blake said quietly.

"Why should we believe anything you say?" Stephen snapped.

"Your sister was captured today and I saved her." Blake looked at the ground. "They killed my sister. I will never go back." I glanced at him and saw that his eyes had a little sheen of tears on his eyes. I put a hand on his shoulder to hopefully help calm him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mom said.

"That's why I suggested Alice for the baby," I said. "Alice was his sisters' name. She was my friend too."

Dad nodded. "Mr, Hunt, we'd be honored to name our daughter after your sister."

"Yes, and you will always be welcomed in our home," Mom added.

"Only you though," Stephen said through his teeth. I glared and snarled at him. He snarled back. Then we started growling.

"Enough," Dad said. We stopped.

Blake nodded. "Thank you and please call me Blake."

Mom sat. "Please join us for dinner then Catherine will show you your room."

He sat so I did too. "Um, may I ask how the hunters never found you? I drove past this place a lot and I never sensed anything."

I hid my smile as Mom chuckled. "Did Catherine not tell you that she can cloak anything?"

Blake looked at me in surprise. "She didn't. Why didn't you do that at school?"

I shrugged. "You would have recognized me anyway. We can sense when there are hunters nearby but Alice didn't feel like one so I hadn't done it/ Plus, she didn't know what I was until I told her."

Mom started cleaning up. "Why did you?"

"She would have found out anyway. I didn't do it once she or Blake know because of our plan." I stood.

"I see," Blake said as he stood.

"I'll lead you to your room." I did and sighed. "Night."

He nodded. "Night." He closed the door and I went to my room.