The Hunter's Vampire {Re-writing}

Chapter 23 The Pie

The sun was still taking it's time to awake from behind the mountains that framed the woods and villages below. Marissa had tossed and turned and Adam had twisted, Leeland had fidgeted and Lexander had grumbled and twitched.

Snapping fangs sent Marissa flying from the bed, to tumble on the floor in a heap of sheets and pillows. She shrieked fighting with the sheets but calmed down when she remembered where she was. This was not her home, and she was the only defenseless human amongst skilled and dangerous men. She stood up, being cautious not the cause anymore noise. The floor creaked a soft whisper that spread around the room then faded into the air. She exhaled a sigh then her heart dropped and she jumped back, slipping on the sheets and falling to her butt. She screamed as the dark figure of the unconscious Vampire stood before her fully awake. His gray eyes now pitch black and his fangs bared. "You're a virgin. I smell it on your skin, and your blood... how sweet." She was trembling, her mouth no longer trying to cry out for help. The Vampire stepped forward and she cowered away. Was she going to die this way? She covered her eyes but then nothing happened, a loud thud made her open her eyes the Vampire was on the floor, and wrapped around him was the werewolf, Leeland. "I'm sorry Marissa, he needs to feed.

The Vampire got out of his hold and then tackled the wolf, holding his throat as he pinned him to the floor. "How... the hell are you, still this—this strong?"

Lexander tilted his head. "Vampires were always stronger, wolf. His eyes had flickered back to gray and he released the boy. "Apologies, my mind was far away... I hope I didn't cause any trouble." Leeland coughed before he landed a punch to Lexander's face throwing him back, but the Vampire caught himself and crouched down on his hind legs as he chuckled. "Good one, I nearly felt my jaw move." He stood up and offered the boy a hand. He took it and stood up before they both took in Marissa who was still in awe on the floor.

"Oh shit. I'm sorry..." he searched for her name which Leeland provided with a roll of his eyes. "Marissa, yes, I am truly sorry. I'm still hungry you see and you happened to smell... delicious, so my instincts took over." His eyes had reverted to a soft gray that shined as hew smiled at Marissa.

"I am okay, you just scared me... a lot. This is so damn weird! A Vampire, a werewolf and a hunter all cohabitating in the same house and I nearly became your damn breakfast! So no, I take it back! I am not okay!" Tears brimmed her eyes and she began panting as she wrapped her arms around herself.

He bowed his head. "I understand, and I'm terribly sorry. I hope you can forgive me." She nodded, knowing that her heart was still beating inside her throat and that the Vampire and wolf knew that also. Marissa hesitantly took the hand that Lexander offered, her body refusing to relax as she watched him straighten the bedsheets which she had been guilty of messing up.

Leeland and Marissa took a seat at the table before Lexander joined them. "So, I found something when I woke up—by the way, Leeland, you are a terrible watchdog." The Vampire said as he got up and then was gone and back before Marissa could blink twice. He presented her the basket that held the very reason for half of this mess. "Here. The contents are still in one piece which surprised me, but you did a great job of sealing everything up nicely." She took the basket from his hands, a smile meeting her lips which also made him smile. "The basket was tossed into the bushes and I was honestly surprised at the distance it flew."

"How—thank you." She took the basket and sighed. "This was supposed to be for Adam... it was to convince him to talk to me on an adult level... but he'll always see me as a child won't he?" The tears from before fell and she wiped her nose, hating that she was crying before them over her foolish attempts to become Adam's lover. "He'll never love me will he?"

Lexander and Leeland look at each other then shrugged and turned back to her. "Well, how about you move on from him." She brushed away her tears as she met the gray eyes of the Vampire. "I mean, why should you waste your youth chasing after some man who doesn't understand your love for him? Marissa, you're young and beautiful and a very skilled cook because this pie smells delightful," she chuckled at that part, "but what I'm trying to say is that Adam... isn't the man you deserve."

"Harsh, and here I thought I was worth the life of an old Vampire." Lexander hissed at the hunter who had just woken up, his brown hair disheveled from sleep, his usually groomed beard was wild and poking out in different directions; his trousers hanging low on his hips and his chest bare, the scattering of chest hairs full and curly against his tan skin. Marissa's cheeks were on fire as were Lexander's. "Hunter, there is a young lady present. Please get dressed."

Adam shrugged him off. "She'll be quite alright she has four brothers, but I do apologize for my state Marissa, but I'm rather drained from the long night and I overheard your conversation. I think a day off would be greedy of me, but I need to go in after what went down last night."

"Oh, nonsense Adam." Lexander was at his side in the next instant, even though his body was still healing, he had ignored his state in turn for the hunters. He reached out for Adam's beard as he used his fingers to comb through his short thick hair. The Vampire had taken to hiding away his puncture wounds with a black blouse that Adam recognized as his. "When are you going to stop raiding my closet?" Lexander grinned.

"I'll stop when you kill me."

"I can make that a promise you know." He said with a smirk. Lexander's eyes darkened and he bent forward and kissed the hunter making Marissa gasp. His ears caught it and he sighed to himself and moved the hunter to the chair between himself and Marissa. "So, Marissa dear, would you mind if we cut your pie? It smells ever so fragrant and I do quite miss indulging in human food from time to time."

"Huh, oh yes. Of course, if Adam doesn't mind, then of course." Her freckled cheeks were still red as her voice dropped down a handful of octaves. "They were originally for him." She reached for the basket and took out and unwrapped two strawberry pies. "My father's a Baker, and well... it was quite the adventure to gather these strawberries."

Leeland chuckled, "why it's not as if you stole them... right?" He asked when she did not respond right away.

"Marissa! Why would you do such a thing?" Adam pressed.

Lexander scoffs. "She did it for you, you fool."

Adam shut his mouth and touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I just... there has just been a lot going on. I'm grateful, but please don't do that again." She nodded and Lexander smiled, somewhat sad, but happy knowing that the hunter was not interested in the young girl. "Now, let's wet our palates with some of this beautiful pie." Adam hadn't seen when Lexander moved to retrieve a knife and a few saucers and forks but he had begun to cut and plate the pies, it was a lovely pie. After he was done Lexander greedily slid his tongue over the sticky red strawberry filling on the knife, his eyes were zeroed in on Adam, making him blush at his gray eyes flickered black for a quick second.

Leeland took this time to distract Marissa away from the Vampire and the Hunter. "Your pie is wonderful. At what age did you learn to cook and bake?"

She smiled back. "I learned pretty young, I think I was two years old when I showed a curiosity to cooking, me ma and pa were always in the kitchen, so I would always wander in on them and shove my hand into whatever they were making." Leeland laughed and she joined in as she warmed up to him then continued eating and talking. Lexander found himself straddling Adam's lap as he fed him a bite of pie. Adam reluctantly took it but motioned towards Marissa, Lexander rolled his eyes and bent his forehead to the hunters. "Worry not hunter, the wolf has her quite occupied." He pressed a kiss to his lips and smiled against them. "Thank you so much, Mr. Doxly."

Adam rose a brow, "for what Lex?"

"For saving me without hesitation."

His tired features brightened. "You did the same for me, risking your own life for me, why wouldn't I have saved you? No one does that unless they care."

"Well, I hope for only the best for you, Adam dear." Adam wrapped his arm around his waist and kissed the man who he would have killed for.