The Vampire's Requiem II [malexmale]

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Five (Xed)

It felt as if I had been walking for eternity.

The dogs had both grown weary, so we stopped near a snowy park so that they could rest. I let them loose, watching them chase each other in circles, barking happily and scooping snow up in their mouths. I watched them with an envy that ached to the marrow of my bones.

I needed to find Newell. I could practically feel his pain. It was unbearable.

And even worse was knowing that he was with Hunter. The man wasn't who he said he was and I didn't trust him around Newell. I never have. There was something suspicious about him the moment we met. While I made the assumption he was just a human swimming in the rivers of insanity, there was something more to him. Something that was inhuman, something dangerous.

I tried to go through a list of creatures in my head, but I didn't know many, and the few I came up with didn't match anything that Hunter did. Most creatures had at least one habit or feature that identified themselves as such. Vampires drank blood, werewolves shapeshifted, demons could do anything, dragons had silver eyes, my people couldn't speak on land. So what was Hunter?

Thinking about it frustrated me because my thoughts kept running around in circles, much like the dogs as they chased a squirrel right up a tree. I sighed, getting up and clicking my tongue. It instantly grabbed their attention and they came dashing over through the snow, slipping on the sidewalk as they came up to me and plopped down in front of me. I hooked their leashes up and held out the photograph to the dogs, who sniffed at it and whined.

They circled each other for a bit, as if communicating in a way I couldn't comprehend before the larger one pulled me down the sidewalk. I followed at a quick pace, frowning as we walked all the way through the park and came out near a very nice hotel. It was six stories tall, styled rather anciently with red brick walls and freshly painted white doors and windows. The parking lot was a bit crammed with cars, but most of the people were probably inside now as it was getting later in the day.

And much colder. My breath came out in clouds and even with the coat on, I was getting goosebumps and chills. The dogs whined, walking around me in circles. Even they were beginning to freeze.

I led them across the street to the hotel, approaching the doors. I paused, remembering that Newell said something about hotels not allowing animals, but I couldn't leave them here. It would be cruel, and they were the only ones who'd kept me company all this time. I had grown attached to them, even not knowing their names. I only knew one was female and one was male, both of them wearing blue collars of different shades.

I went around the side of the hotel, pretending I was taking my dogs out for a walk as a man in a suit stood outside, taking out his cell phone. He completely ignored me, much to my relief. I safely made my way to a side exit, frowning down at the lock mechanism on the door.

I did not have time for this.

I reached out, grabbing the handle and tore it off, along with the lock mechanism. I waited for an alarm to go off, but heard nothing. I tossed the handle aside and came in, relieved at the sudden warmth. The dogs whined and nuzzled me, sniffing at the hallway when the male suddenly growled low in his throat. His sister began to growl as well, their tails straight and fur bristling. I frowned, looking down at them, then up at the hallway as a door opened and someone stepped out.

My fury mounted at the sight of Hunter. He was perfectly fine. No blood, no wounds, nothing. He wore a pair of fresh clean black jeans, a matching band t-shirt, his beat up leather jacket, his riding goggles on his head, and his boots thumping as he came out. Worse even was when he stopped, when I expected him to keep walking, but he must have heard the dogs growling at him. He turned and his eyes glinted in the fluorescent lights above, making the dogs squeak and scurry to hide behind me.