THE HUNT

CHAPTER-ELEVEN

Rough hands stroked her, skin against skin, the friction generating heat. The heat reflected in those blue eyes. The world had been fading around her, she'd heard his name. Adam.

She moaned and reached for him, fingers outreached. Seeking. Longing. But she found only air. His name closed like a tight fist around her, squeezing her heart, forcing out her breath.

"Please."

It was her voice, but it was so full of need, she barely recognized it. She was moving. Her feet carrying her to an unknown destination. A thick mist swirled around her, and she blinked, calling out for him, her heart pledging a wish as she saw flashes of him in the dense fog.

His Silky black hair, his piercing cobalt eyes. His top biceps, flexing as he moved closer. His strong muscular arms pulled her toward him.

They were bound, she thought, now, bound together. "Please," she said again, and this time, he was there. Touching her. Stroking her. And whispering her name.

Kate. . .

Kate. . .

She opened her eyes, disappointed, and realized she was in her bed, and no one was there whispering her name. With her head field with haze, she set up, trying to get her bearings as she pulled on a clean white t-shirt.

The last thing she remembered, she was sliding under the covers and wanting to sleep for a hundred years. She shivered, whether out of disgust, or something far more complicated, she didn't know.

The vampire had worked his way into her dreams. She knew she should feel disgusted by the thought. Disgusted at herself for letting such a nasty creature into her mind, even if, he had forced his way in, against her will.

Except, of course, it hadn't been entirely against her will. All she knew was that she didn't trust Vampires and this weird . . . connection . . . she felt for this mysterious vampire who showed up in her dream, it wasn't safe. She knew better.

Murdock had warned her last night, about the vampires, how they were master, mind manipulators, and this one, he knew exactly how to play her and get what he wanted. At least, that's what she told herself.

The orange and pink sun rays peeked through her bedroom window shades. Signifying, that the evening would be arriving soon. She looked at the clock on the nightstand. And with the curse still fresh on her lips, she pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans and tugged on her boots, frustrated by her mind's fuzziness.

It was past 5:30 now, and she didn't want to be late, on the first day, at her new job. She hurried downstairs, snatched her keys from the decorative, bronze, tray, stepped out of the house, shut, and locked the door behind her. She climbed into her vehicle and started the SUV. Kate hated this time of the day because the congested highway traffic always came to a crawl driving to South Freedom road.

Sometimes, life was like a festering boil and when it was ripe and ready to burst, it always seemed, to explode right in your face. At least, that's the way Kate looked at the world.

She'd known for years that there was some weird shit out there. You couldn't be a homicide detective and not realize that. She never believed in psychics who claimed, they could see into the future or mediums who said they could channel the dead, but she had arrested some screwed-up freaks in her career who swore they had been possessed by the devil.

Well, maybe they actually were.

But knowing all that creepy shit existed, was a lot different than actually getting up close and personal with an actual monster. Come on, Kate, you can do this. Don't give yourself a headache.