A rewrite of The Hunters: Destiny Rising. By LJ. SMITH.
LJ.SMITH created Klaus.
A stand alone monster.
No family.
No redeeming qualities.
"I'm one of the Old Ones! An Original! Do you know what that means? I've never died. Every one of you has di...
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Chloe stalked silently through the forest, every move precise. She tilted her head alertly, her eyes tracking some near-invisible movement in the undergrowth. Enzo followed her, a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Stopping, Chloe blinked for a moment, sniffed the air, and then stretched her hands out toward the bushes to their left. "Come on," She murmured.
There was a rustling, and slowly a rabbit nosed its way out from between the leaves, staring up at Chloe with wide, dark eyes, its ears quivering. With a quick swoop, Chloe snatched it up. There was a shrill squeak, then the little animal was still and docile in her arms. Chloe's face was buried in the rabbit's light brown fur, Enzo watched with a sort of detached approval as she swallowed. A drop of blood made along, sticky track down the animal's side before dripping to the forest floor. Waking from its doze, the rabbit spasmed once, kicking out with its hind legs, then lay still. Chloe wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and laid the rabbit onto the ground, looking down at it mournfully. "I didn't mean to kill it," She said, her voice low and sad. She pushed back her short ringlets of hair and looked up at Enzo beseechingly. "I'm sorry. I know how gross and weird this is."
Enzo opened his messenger bag and pulled out a bottle of water to hand to her. "You don't have to apologize," He said. It was a hundred percent worth it: Chloe hadn't relapsed at all, seemed content with drinking animal blood instead of hunting humans. That was all that mattered.Chloe rinsed out her mouth, spitting pink-tinged water into the bushes, then took a drink.
"Thanks," she said shakily. "It's been hard, I guess. Sometimes I dream about blood. Real human blood. But the things I did, in those days with Ethan, I can't really forgive myself for. I don't think I'll ever be able to. And Ethan—why did I ever trust him?" Her Cupid's-bow mouth trembled.
"Hey," Enzo caught her arm and shook it lightly. "Ethan had us all fooled."
"Yeah." Chloe leaned against him. "I guess you're saving me, too."
Enzo tangled his fingers with hers. "I wasn't ready to lose you."
Chloe tipped her face up to his, her eyes widening. Enzo brushed his mouth against her cheek and then her mouth, just a light brush of lips a first and then more deeply. Enzo closed his eyes, feeling the softness of her lips against his. He felt like he was falling. Each day he spent with Chloe, helping her turn toward the light, seeing her strength, he loved her just a little more.
