Dead Before Dawn: The Vampire Curse

Chapter 11 - Not Quite Free

All Max wanted to do was go home. He loved Russia, he really did, but he needed familiar surroundings and a place where he could forget the fact he was not quite human for a while. At least he was out of the hospital, which was one thing to be thankful for, but he really didn't want to be in a hotel. It was a very nice hotel; Darius had seen to that, but it was definitely not home.

However, it did have a very nice large, opulent shower, which Max had spent a good half an hour under, just enjoying the hot water. Gian and Cal were in the main part of his room ordering them all some food and Max hoped that it would be about time to eat once he was finished.

Looking at himself in the mirror he decided his hair needed cutting; it was beginning to look messy. The natural wave was making it curl at the edges where it was drying. He was also too thin where he hadn't been eating properly, but he was ignoring that for now. Cal was seeing that he ate enough and Gian kept producing chocolate from a pocket universe as far as Max could tell, so he wasn't worrying about that part.

The hotel robe was fluffy and comfortable. He had brought some clothes into the bathroom to put on, but decided that could wait. It wasn't as if Gian and Cal hadn't seen him in worse.

When he opened the door he wished he had made a different choice, because the first thing he saw was a gun and it was pointed directly at Gian. Cal was sitting next to Gian on the couch looking frightened. Max froze as he recognised Anton.

He had to fight with himself not to attack as his instincts screamed at him to do something about the threat, and his vampire side didn't really understand vulnerability.

"Please don't hurt them," he said in very careful Russian.

He flicked his gaze around the room; it was the whole team from the alley and all of them were holding guns with silencers, including Zhanna. The woman did not appear overly happy with him, but then he had taken advantage of her at their last encounter.

"You try anything he dies first, she dies second," was the simple response from Anton.

"They have nothing to do with this," he said, barely daring to breathe let alone move.

Cal was staring at him in total disbelief. Her Russian wasn't as good as his, Max knew, but his sister had to have understood that. She probably took the invaders for a gang of some kind and, since he clearly knew them, she had to be horribly confused.

The hunters were dangerous people, he was well aware of that, he had lived with them for days and he knew that they did what they had to. He was not about to let them do anything to Cal or Gian.

"We're not here to hurt anyone," Michal said simply, "we're here to make sure everyone stays safe."

There was a chinking sound and Max felt his blood running cold as he saw the chains in Zhanna's hands.

"No," he said and finally stood up straight.

"We are taking you back," Michal said as if it was nothing bad.

"I will not live in a cage," he said with a shake of his head; "I will not go back."

He looked Michal in the eyes.

"If you want to treat me like an animal you can put me down like one right now," he said, speaking the words slowly and clearly.

He did not want there to be any misunderstanding; he was never, ever being caged like that again, he couldn't stand it and he had to make them realise that. Maybe they did not understand what he was, but he was not going to be a specimen in a glass jar.

"What the hell..." his sister began to say.

"Please, Cal, let me handle this," Max interrupted.