Silently Hunted

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

                They had managed to get the office cleared of unnecessary paperwork. And, glancing at the glowing blue numbers beamed onto her wall, they still had half an hour before their new meeting. As she was clearing up the last pile from her desk, looking for the Belkov file Stefan decided that it was time for her to go and make the drinks this time. He took the stack from her hands, and quite forcibly sent her on her way.

                Admitting it to herself, she did like the little luxuries that came as a perk of the job. The clothing allowance aside. The tea, she hadn’t had tea like this since before the war started. How Stefan had managed to find it, she had not a clue. But she would be eternally grateful for the chance to taste it once more. It was almost as tantalising to the taste buds as the blood she still had not managed to curb the cravings too.

                The coffee machine was top of the line. It meant that her job was easier here. All she had to do was press a button, wait then pour. That gave her too much time to think. She had not seen Stefan act as he had today, and it was giving her pause for thought. He had tried to get her into his luxury apartment, and the huge bed he kept there, constantly during her first month in his employ. Only they had come to an agreement. He realised she had a brain he could use to his advantage, and he would back off of with the sexual advances. Now she had to wonder whether he was trying again, but playing the long game this time.

                She sighed and leaned her elbows against the countertop. If that was what he planned then it could create untold complications. The most important of those being the little, miniscule secret she kept of her true heritage. He would become a risk to her in society and could in all probability become collateral damage, when they managed to find her. She could not ever contemplate an ‘if’ situation. It was most definitely ‘when’ they found her again.

                She was so tired. Bone weary. She did not want to run anymore. And now knowing she would not have long before she had to uproot again just made the feelings worse. She had made a life here. For the first time in years had people, that may not exactly be friends, but could be friends if given the chance.

                Shaking her head, she stood straight once more. No. She could not think like that. To think those thoughts was to create a weakness. They could find no weakness, no link to her emotions. They were ruthless hunters after her. They would stop at nothing to get to her. And humans. Humans, well, there were more where they came from for the Vampires and Angels. They had never spent enough time on the other side as she had.

                They had never seen how human the humans were. How she long to be one of them. No matter the mistreatment, they came together. They celebrated difference. Stood together against those who sought to supress them. No matter what the ruling echelon chose to subject them to, they took it with humour, anger, irritation, but above all they chose to forget about the greed of others. Instead they chose to love instead.

                Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

                The coffee machine had an almost silent, cute beep, which never failed to make her smile. For such a masculine piece of machinery it made such a girly sound to say it was done. Well, she defended herself, she had to take pleasure in the smallest things. Or she was in danger of giving into the despair that threatened to take her each night as she lay in bed alone.

                The nights always scared her the most. The vampires may not be affected by sunlight, like some of those ridiculous human stories believed. They were just more comfortable in the night. And the hunters, they were one with the darkness. They melted into the shadows and most never saw them coming. With her sense being more superior to humans, she only had a few seconds head start to escape.