Welcome back, my lovely reader!
A little hunting trip sounds like just the thing to ease the nerves before an important meeting. Still, our bunny has never hunted alone and there are plenty of dangers for a new vampire out there.
Will she find herself a fun mundane to spend the evening with like she did, Sam? Perhaps, or perhaps not... Mayhaps, she finds something she wasn't expecting. Something that will change the course of her life forever.
Let's jump right in!
—♥—
Episode 14:
Now do you trust me?
The wiper blades chopped through the water on the windshield as I drove in the darkness of the night. We drove through the dark country roads, you next to me as you had been for the last several days. I kept my focus on the road while speaking out, "My first hunt alone didn't go nearly how I expected it to..."
I grinned and showed my teeth while thinking back on things. "Yes... it ended up being an interesting hunt indeed..."
—♥—
I hummed to myself as I got ready for my hunting trip with a quick shower. The autumn season began a few weeks ago and though the cold meant little to me, I figured it safer to not dress in a skimpy skirt.
Finally, I decided on a tight set of skinny black pants that shined against the light, I looked at my hips in the mirror and wiggled my fluff of a tail. The style gave me fond memories of the kind that Val wore. A snug blue top that hugged my chest and long-sleeved black jacket finished the top portion of the outfit off.
A set of boots with a modest heel completed the outfit, bringing my height up a few extra inches. I grinned at myself in the mirror, satisfied with the look of shiny leather hugging my short but curvy frame. I lamented for a moment I didn't know how to ride a bike or I would consider a motorcycle as my ride.
I opted to keep my long blonde hair down for tonight, letting it cascade to the small of my back where it curled at the ends slightly. There was a sparse amount of makeup on me, some simple blush, and a thin layer of crimson lipstick, the final touch was some ruby hooped rings in my ears.
Giving myself a grin in the mirror I snatched the credit card and pocketed it in the back of my pants. I moved out of the room and quickly made my way to the garage. When I say garage I mean like the kind you would see at a showroom. The family had a few dozen cars to choose from, but I decided on a little red sporty number that looked like it had several years on it.
I hadn't driven in months and the little sports car certainly had more oomph in it than the compact I used to drive. It was a reliable little thing though and I frowned at the thought of it burning in an explosion. I knew it had been used by Katrina and Alex to fake my death as well as deal with Luciano's remains.
I reined my thoughts in and focused on the driving, it was a clear autumn night and the moon was bright in the sky. I flashed my teeth in the rearview mirror and shifted into a faster gear while my eyes did their own shift to red. I knew I was easily doing over one hundred on some of the small stretches of dark road, but my senses were in full tune and it felt like I had to give the car time to catch up to my reactions.
Elias said it was an hour to the city, I decided I would make it in half that time. Once I entered the more populated areas I reined control back in and let my eyes return to blue. The car also slowed to a more manageable and legal speed.
After a satisfied sigh, I felt the adrenaline taper off from the chaotic driving and found myself feeling nostalgic, as I drove through the streets of my former home. I passed by my old job site and looked upon the large office building for a moment. I wondered how my co-workers took my "death". Probably the little carpool buddy of mine would have been the only one to really care.
I clenched my teeth and pulled from the curb, driving for several more minutes. I found myself at a small dive bar I had visited once before, in my mundane life. I decided this would be a good start and parked the car, stepping out into the brisk autumn air. I took in a deep breath and focused my senses. I willed myself to breathe and pump blood, making my heartbeat strong as my cheeks flushed, as if the cold was affecting them.
My first obstacle was a bored-looking doorman checking ID's, it was a Tuesday night, it stood to reason he wouldn't have seen much action. He gave me an expectant look and I showed him a cute smile and lifted my ears. "Silly... you just checked my ID, I just had to step back to the car for a moment." I pushed my will forward as I spoke the words and he gave me a nod and let me pass.
I grinned and slipped into the small bar, the scent of alcohol filling my nose. The place wasn't too terribly crowded which stood to reason given the day. Still, there were easily a few dozen people here. I felt multiple sets of eyes on me as I hummed to myself and swayed my hips while walking to the bar.
"Evening sweetie... Can you make me a gin and carrot juice?" I cooed the words to the bartender, a grumpy-looking older cat who looked like she hated her life. She took my card without a word, passing it back to me after processing the payment. A moment later I had my drink in hand and hummed to myself as I spun around on the barstool I had perched upon.
I sipped the drink and frowned, not feeling anything from it. There was a faint trace of burn from the alcohol, but it was negligible and left no effects from ingesting it. "Well, I suppose everything has its price..." I sighed dryly while scanning the bar, looking over the various patrons.
Like when I was with Val, it was as if I could feel their energy. The young exuberant energy of youth, the more dull and placid energy of the aged. I could feel the mundanes that were there for enjoyment, to drown sorrow, or just to hunt like me. Then I felt something unexpected, something not of the mundane variety.
A chill went down my back when I scanned over a young woman sitting alone at a table in the corner of the area. She had blonde hair like me, but whereas mine was more on the dirty blonde side of things, hers was a golden yellow. It seemed appropriate given she was obviously a dog and her ears and tail resembled that of a retriever breed.
Her eyes cut right to my own the instant I looked at her as if acknowledging she felt my presence. I clenched my teeth and sipped my drink while thinking. This wasn't good, was she a member of the family I hadn't met, or another member of the court visiting? Regardless of what she was, I had waltzed into her territory it seemed and the last thing I wanted was to turn this into something.
I nodded to myself in a decision, before I stood from the barstool and made my way over to the retriever. Her folded golden ears lifted slightly at my approach and she looked up fully from the beer she had been working on, giving me her full attention.
"Hi, my name is Alice. May I take a seat?" I spoke the words politely, keeping all my will in check to show respect.
The dog shifted her blue eyes away in thought, then looked back to mine. "This is not my home, I cannot reject your request to sit. If you wish to sit I will simply move." Her words came out sharp but in a soothing gentle voice.
I lifted my ears and shook my head. "No no... I mean to say, may I sit and speak with you?"
The dog gave me a hard look and I felt her push her will forward in a warning. "I am not what you seek, vampire."
She spoke the words low enough that only I would hear them, but the challenge was clearly made. I set my jaw and pushed my own will forward, just enough to show I would not be pushed around so lightly. I huffed and pulled the seat out, sitting before the dog stubbornly. "How do you know what I'm looking for?"
"Because your kind always wants the same thing, blood, and death." The dog clicked her tongue and pushed away from the table to stand.
"Hang on. I'm not here to run you off, I'm just here to talk." I raised a hand submissively.
The retriever set her jaw and fixed me with a hard calculated look before setting her chair back. She took a sip of her beer then spoke out pointedly, "Then say what you have to say, then be away from my sight."
"Yeah, aren't you a ball of fucking sunshine?" I growled the words, my patience wearing thin.
She set me with another hard glare. "Were I as such, you would be ash right now, would you not?"
