The Hunter Chronicles

Chapter 7

Darius walked me home, carefully holding my hand the whole way. He acted like he was afraid that he was going to break my wrist or something. Even though I told him I wasn’t afraid, I really was. I hardly knew Darius, and now I was trusting that he wouldn’t sneak up behind me and kill me for my blood. A small tremor passed through me as I shuddered, of course Darius noticed, “Are you ok?” His voice was oddly protective, “Yeah,” I murmured, “I’m just cold and my leg hurts a little bit.” Darius scooped me up into his arms and carried me like I weighed little more than a feather, “Aren’t you worried that I know?” I asked curiously as I observed his calm expression.

He smiled a tiny bit than replied, “Julie, I trust you. When you are, like me, you have special things that other people don’t have. I personally have a tiny idea of what is going on inside your head, so that is to say I can generally tell what you are thinking. And betrayal is not on your mind right now. However there is a little fear.” I blushed and looked at the ground. I would have to keep my emotions in check around Darius now. I also understood why he always hung around the back of the crowd. If I knew what people were feeling all the time then I wouldn’t want to spend much time with them either.

“That’s funny.” Darius whispered to himself, “What is?” I questioned, looking up into his dark eyes. He looked down at me, startled that I had overheard him, but he explained, “I think this is the first time in the history of the world that a human has truly felt understanding for a vampire.” I frowned slightly, “How would you know that?”

He sighed and looked back up, carefully dodging an uneven section of the sidewalk so he wouldn’t trip, “I’ve been around a while.” He stated slowly.

“How long is a while?” I shot back, thirsting for more information.

“Just a while.” Darius replied. I could hear a certain strain in his voice that told me not to pursue the subject any further. It was clear that while Darius was telling me some things, he was not prepared to tell me the majority of his story.

     When we arrived at my house Darius set me down on the steps. Of course he sat me down a few steps up so I could be at the same eye level with him, “One more thing Julie.” He began. “Do not, under any circumstance be caught alone at night. There are many vampire out there that would love to get their hands on you, but as long as you are in your house you are safe.” Immediately something came to mind, “Darius those men that tried to kidnap me—“ “Yes, they were Vampires. A disgusting lot if you ask me actually. They always prey on young girls, especially if the brains of their group told them too. And you were already a high priced item. Maybe it’s because you are so lovely, or maybe it’s that bit of feistiness in you. But either way just say inside after dark. I will try to be around here then but even I have to hunt sometimes.”

     He gently pressed a cool kiss to my forehead and brushed my hair out of my face, then he was gone. I laughed a little nervously than backed into my house and slammed the door shut. Darius’s kiss had made feel a bit queasy inside. I couldn’t imagine Darius killing anyone, but the thought that those lips could have drained the life out of someone was enough to make me feel uneasy.

     Just then the garage door flew open and my parents came storming in, “Julie where are you?” They cried. After my initial fright of thinking someone broke into my house I hoarsely croaked, “Over here!” They both rushed into the room and a look of withering anger that I found hard to ignore, “What has gotten into you lately?” My dad demanded. I shrunk back into a corner, but didn’t reply, “Julie, we think it would be best if you started to go to a councilor, just until you can get over your breakup with James.” My mom sounded cool and indignant to what she had just said, so she wouldn’t ever know why I was infuriated by the thought of a councilor.

     “I’m over James!” I cried, “Honestly, I’ve been over him for a long time now, you don’t need to worry about me.” I stopped talking when I realized that my parents were tuning me out like always, “I’m going to bed.” I growled unhappily, but as I passed my parents my dad caught my arm and pulled me roughly back, “No you are not. Your first session is tonight. I’ll drive you.” I looked at my mom in confusion, but she looked right through me, as if she didn’t care about me, “Fine.” I hissed and I pulled my arm from his grasp.

     The councilor my parents signed me up for was a man that appeared to be in his mid to late twenties. He smiled a fake, unconvincing smile at me as I walked into the room, “Welcome Julie. Please have a seat.” I sat, “Now tell me, what seems to be the problem lately?” He pulled a thick notebook out of a drawer in his desk and plopped down in the chair opposite of me. We seemed to stare at each other expectantly for a while, then I said simply, “Nothing is bothering me. My parent’s signed me up for this and I’m just here to make them happy”

     He nodded and scratched something down in his notebook, “I see, how does your recent breakup make you feel, angry, sad, depressed, wanting to die?” His words dripped with darkness, and it almost seemed like he thirsted for these kinds of feelings, “Not hardly. How did you know about that anyways, I haven’t told you anything yet.” I snarled. He chuckled a little and looked at me with a tilted head, “Your parents informed me of your, situation.” I definitely did not like this therapist. The way he sat cat like in his chair seemed completely wrong and strange to me.

     “I need to go, thanks for the help and all, but I don’t need it. Sorry for wasting your time.” I mumbled as I grabbed my coat and started for the door. But he was there before me and he smiled icily, “Don’t go yet. We have so much to talk about.” That’s when I saw them. Pointed fangs were extending from his upper jaw. They looked lethal and terrifying in the fading light. Now Darius’s words were ringing in my head, Do not, under any circumstance be caught alone at night. Now Darius would never know what happened to me until someone found my cool dead body in the forest, completely drained of all blood.

     My vision began to flicker with fear and I could only mutter one word as he casually stalked across the room towards me, “Vampire.”

**Well thanks for reading, J I would love it if you would recommend my stories to your friends just so I can get more opinions and such. Comment?? Vote?? Fan??