Heart of Ice

Prologue

Song: Die For Me- Post Malone Ft. Future & Halsey 

Lesson number one: If at all possible, try not to be the daughter of the two rarest vampires to ever live.

"You can't just do that and expect everything to be okay!"

Hunter rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't act like you didn't think about it for years. I know you better than you know yourself. It's always been this way."

"Oh, screw you," I growl, pushing his chest. "The world doesn't revolve around you. Not everyone loves the great Hunter Moreau."

"Is that right?" He inches closer to me, his eyes hooded as he stoops down to my level. I can't tell what he's thinking or where he's going to go with what you says next. All I know is, it's territory I'm definitely not ready to step into. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, which I find strange, considering he has never scared me. I stand tall though, and narrow my eyes as he brushes his fingertips against my cheek. "You and I both know there's one girl who has always loved me, and she's--"

I have to admit, standing there with him cowering over me, that intimidating, teasing look in his eyes, I'm afraid of what he is going to say, but I am even more scared when a dagger presses against my chest, aimed at my heart. Hunter's eyes grow wide as he watches, unsure of what to do. I swallow hard, frozen in my spot, as someone's hot breath fans across the back of my neck.

"Alaska Rivera," The voice growls in my ear, and I stare at Hunter, who is still planted in his spot, eyes unwavering as he stares at the dagger tipping toward my chest. "I've been waiting for this moment far too long-- capturing the rarest Rivera to ever live."

I swallow hard, and as the man presses the dagger harder against my heart, I glance at Hunter's hand, noticing how he has discreetly moved it to his other wrist. He taps it twice, and I subtly nod. No matter how mad we are at each other, he always has my back-- especially when someone I don't know is holding a dagger too close to my heart. With one swift kick, I knock the man off balance and whip around, twisting his wrist and grabbing the dagger. Once it's in my possession, I plunge it into his chest, letting out a breath of relief as he slowly dies. Ripping the dagger out of him, I dust off my hands before turning around.

"Anyway, back to the topic at hand--" My jaw unhinges as I stare at an unconscious Hunter, held by another man in black. The man is smirking devilishly as he holds a dagger to Hunter's heart. Slowly moving closer, I grip the dagger tighter in my hand. "Please don't hurt him. Let him go."

The man guffaws, his laughter echoing around the room. I watch as he taps Hunter's chest with the dagger, as if to mock me. I lift the dagger high above my shoulder, pulling it back so it is ready to be used, until I notice the man's neon green eyes, and all the breath is knocked out of me. I have only seen those eyes in dreams, and something in my gut tells me whoever he is, he's there for a specific reason. Maybe one I have known all along.

"Silly little girl. It's not him I want. Although now, he knows too much," He drops Hunter to the floor, causing his head to bang off the concrete with a loud thump. I cringe, wanting to run to him, but still too afraid to. While staring at Hunter, I fail to notice how the man moves closer, or the bunch of others that are circling around me. In the dark of the night, the monstrous smile spreading across his lips drenches my body in a cold sweat, and it's only then that I realize I am trapped without anywhere to run. "It's you."

I'm ready to fight, but then someone plunges something sharp into my neck, and my whole body aches with pain. I collapse to my knees, struggling to breathe as I hold my throat.

"Grab her!" I hear the man holler just as my vision fades to black.

***

I can barely move when I finally return to consciousness. My whole body feels as if it is paralyzed, and as much as I try to fight to get free, I'm trapped. Glancing down, I notice my hands and legs are in chains, and duct tape sticks tightly to my lips. Breathing heavily, I glance to my left to see Hunter, pretty much in the same condition as me, but nevertheless, working hard to get the chains off. His black hair hangs over his eyes, shielding them away from me, and for some reason, that causes me to panic more than I already am. Whimpering, I try to move closer to him, but fail, seeing as I'm too weak. He looks at me, his eyes roaming over my body before he reaches out for me, pulling me closer with all his might. When I'm close enough to see every little detail of his face, from his dark hair to his chocolate brown eyes, and the faint mole on his nose, I whimper again as I try to talk to him through the duct tape.

"Relax," He whispers, still holding my arm with his hands. "You're okay. I'll get us out of here. Just give me time."

"Mmm..." I mumble, trying to talk to him, and he shakes his head, slowly lifting his hands to my mouth. My eyes water as he slowly peels the tape off my mouth, trying his best to be gentle, but seeing as it's duct tape, that's easier said than done.  When it's finally off, Hunter throws the tape aside. I blow out a few shallow breaths, hanging my head low. I'm so weak, even keeping my head up is hard to do. "I... I'm scared, H-Hunter..."

Hunter grabs my wrist again, forcing me to look at him. He stares into my eyes for a minute before slowly caressing the inside of my wrist with his thumb. "I know, angel."

"Well, isn't this just adorable." A deep voice snickers from behind us, and we glance back to see a tall, shadowed form outside of the cell we're in. The only thing I can make out is his neon green eyes, cat-like as they pierce through the dark. "I'd say I'm interested in this love story, but personally, I'm more interested in destroying the daughter of the only mind deceivers to ever live."

My breath catches in my throat. I should've known.

"You lay a hand on her, and I swear I'll--"

"You'll what? Kill me?" The guy snickers again, moving closer to our cell. "You can barely hold your little girlfriend, let alone attack me. Besides, from what I've heard, you two aren't very fond of each other anyway. I'd be doing you a favor."

Hunter suddenly grows silent, and it's enough to make me look at him. He's just staring at the guy, his face emotionless. My heart drops in my chest. Somehow, I know exactly how Hunter feels in that moment, not only about me, but also our predicament, and I also know it won't end well for me. Having enemies is one thing, but having enemies who want to end you for something that is out of your control is another. The two never mix well.

"Oh, shit. I think I hurt your girl with that one." The guy suddenly slides the cell door open, moving dangerously close to us. When he's finally close enough to the light, I can see his features are too familiar. The neon eyes. The smirk that stretches across his whole face. But most importantly, the scar that stretches from his eye to the corner of his nose. He's the one. The one I've known all these years but could never pinpoint. As he steps closer to me, he seems to grow in size. "But I guess that's where you and I have one thing in common, Hunter; we don't care about her."

The guy zips to me, trapping me in his hold. He holds me so tight, pain spreads throughout my entire body, and I wail out in agony. The guy begins dragging me towards the cell door, and as much as I try to fight against him, I'm still too weak to escape.

"Hunter!" I cry out, tears streaming down my face as I plead with him through my eyes. "Hunter, please!"

But even as I beg him to help, even as I try to reach the connection through our minds that has been broken for years, it isn't enough. In the dim light of the cell room, and the further the man drags me away, Hunter appears more and more like a stranger, like someone who wants nothing to do with me. The only thing coursing through my veins is betrayal. He's supposed to have my back. He's supposed to put up a fight for me. We are supposed to protect each other, even when we've been enemies for years. Yet, as the man pulls me through the doorway of the cell, all he does is look to the side, that same emotionless expression he's worn ever since that day four years ago.

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Hello, my loves! 

This book has been a loooong time coming, but I am so excited to finally share it with you! This is my favorite book I've ever written, and I hope you are able to see that through each chapter. I put so much time and effort into this one, into these characters. 

I wanted to post the prologue so you all would know that the story IS coming. My goal is to begin posting regularly mid-June or beginning of July, so be on the look out for further updates. Whether it's June or July, it WILL be posted, most likely on a weekly schedule. 

I'm sorry for how long this took, but ecstatic to be back and share this journey with y'all once again. To my dedicated readers who read Immortal Love/Heart of Fire and are returning for this new book, I appreciate your patience and love so much. I hope this book meets all of your expectations and more. 

PLEASE vote, comment, and share this book! I would love to hear what you think and also if you're eager for more! Let's spread the word about Heart of Ice!

Thank you so much for your love and support! 

Much love always, 

Abby