Caroline McCormick's car was in the garage when Donna got home, and two large suitcases set in the tile foyer by the front door. Mom bounced down the stairs like a 46-year-old street hooker, wearing black shorts that hardly covered her butt and a black top that covered even less than the shorts.
“Hi Donna!” her eyes sparkled. Based on that, Donna figured she hadn't run in to the undead intruder yet.
“Where are you going?” Donna pointed to the bags. Mom stopped at the bottom step, placed her hands on her hips, surveyed Donna from head to toe, and frowned. Could a mother tell when a vampire had taken her only child's long-overdue virginity?
“You look pale.” Mom placed a chilly hand on Donna's forehead. “I wonder if you have a touch of what's going around.” Considering that “what's going around” was soul-stealing, Donna certainly hoped not. “And to answer your question, I've been working so hard, and then there's that little issue between your dad and me -”
“Little issue?”
“Donna, stop it. Anyhow, the partners in my law firm agreed I need some time off so, they're sending me to Hawaii for a week.” She smiled and her bright, big teeth sparkled.
Donna folded her arms. “You won't be here for my twenty-first birthday.”
“But I will bring you back something amazing from Waikiki.” Mom kissed Donna's forehead. She smelled like cheap perfume and giggled when her lipstick left a red smooch mark on Donna’s forehead. She wiped it off.
“But it's a milestone birthday,” Donna whined.
Mom pressed her lips together, which accentuated the fine lines around them. “What do you want me to do? Cancel the trip my colleagues paid for so I don't miss your milestone?”
“No,” Donna mumbled.
“Of course not,” Mom nodded once. “I know you're short on funds these days, so I left money on the counter. If you need anything else, call your father.” There was an edge in her voice when she spoke of her husband and a quality of pity when she spoke of Donna's finances.
“Mom, what if I need -?”
“Goodness, Donna. I've provided you with a roof over your head, a car, money...what else could you possibly need?”
“Nothing, I guess.” She looked down. The fact that her mother hadn't seen the vampire in her bedroom or the Mustang's damage should be enough.
“Good then. I have to be at the airport by 5:00.”
“Do you need a ride?”
“A friend is driving me. Be a dear, honey, and help me carry these bags to the curb.” She picked up the smallest suitcase and sashayed outside with it.
My mother’s ass cheeks are bumping together like a couple of bowling balls in a gutter lane. Donna rolled her eyes and hauled the other suitcase.
“Are there rocks in this bag?” she asked.
“Thank you for your help, you may go back inside now,” Mom said dismissively.
“But don't you want help loading the -?”
“My friend is just arriving to help.” A new model, gold-toned Jaguar rounded the corner. “Go on now,” Mom shooed Donna back like she was wayward waterfowl. “Love you and see you in a week.”
Donna watched through the living room window. A blond guy, probably Brad, exited the Jaguar. He looked a few years older than Hunter and fought to shuffle suitcases in the trunk. Ultimately, he gave up and left the bags bursting out and the trunk wide open. Then he whisked Caroline McCormick off to a paradise in his shiny, five-speed armor.
“The coast is clear,” Donna hollered. No answer. “Hunter?” Still no answer. “Are you here?” Nothing. Donna sauntered to the kitchen, half hoping Mom had forgotten to leave money because then she could stop feeling guilty about the hateful feelings she had toward her own mother. But a stack of cash and her ATM card were right where Mom had promised. In fact, the cash stack was substantial. Hush money. She stuffed the cash and card in her pants pocket then called Hunter's name again. When he still didn't answer, she retreated upstairs.
He must have found a way to get home.
Donna thought it a bit rude that Hunter hadn't even bothered to leave a note, but maybe rudeness was another one of those vampire traits she'd just have to get used to. So Donna stepped in the shower and washed away yesterday’s grime. She had just finished rinsing down when the curtain snapped open. She shrieked.
“Hi to you too,” Hunter winked. He wore a big smile and nothing else.
Donna rubbed steam from her eyes. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry,” he grinned. “I was hiding in the basement, and then I got a phone call. Anyhow,” he grinned again, “here I am.” He observed Donna with a sultry stare. “And so are you.”
Donna clenched her teeth. “Could you warn me before you sneak up next time?”
“We've been through this before, sweetheart. How can I sneak up if I warn you first? Besides, it's more fun to sneak. I never know what I might get - like now.” His voice deepened. “A sexy, soaking wet woman in the shower.”
“Stop it, Hunter. I'm mad at you.” But he didn't stop it. In fact, he stepped in the shower and let water trickle down his torso, which made his pale skin glisten. He licked Donna's throat, backed her against the tile wall, kissed her hard and then kissed her softly. He explored every inch of her. Donna moaned. Steam drifted up, which made her feel lightheaded. Or maybe that was Hunter's effect. Water beaded at the very tips of his black hair, holding on for as long as it could before finally giving in and letting go. Donna did the same – held on and then let go.
“Come for me,” he whispered. So she did.
Afterward, they lay in bed, resting in each other’s heat. Hunter ran his fingers down her arm. “I could be here exactly like this for the rest of my life. Which could be a while.”
“Well,” she kissed the tip of his nose. “My mom's gone for a week, so you can be here for at least that long. After that, you might have to pay rent if you plan to stay.”
“Oh, I definitely plan to stay.” His hands brushed against Donna's naked belly, and something tingled inside there, like butterflies.
Donna smiled. “But what about Samee? She can't be alone in that house for a whole week.”
Hunter chuckled. “Samee only wishes she could be alone in that house for a whole week.”
“Other people live there?”
He shrugged. “If you use the term 'live' lightly, then yeah. It's a houseful of vampires.”
“Speaking of that,” she pushed herself up, “Mo knows there are vampires in town and that the mayor is one of them. How she ever figured it out, I don't know. But that's Mo for you. What are we going to do?”
“Nothing will happen to Mo if she doesn't make a scene.”
“You don't know Mo.”
“You don't know my source.”
Donna rubbed her temples. “Considering your source's technique, saying that does absolutely nothing to make me feel better.”
“Well then, maybe this will.” Hunter reached over the bed, stretched, groaned, and picked up his pants from the floor. He tugged at something in the front pocket, balled it in his fist and then threw the pants back to the floor. He looked at Donna and grinned crookedly. The fist opened to reveal a delicate, white cloth. Donna looked at him, a slow smile crossing her face.
“What…?”
“Go ahead, take it.”
She did. It felt weightless. Hunter captured her lips with his then laid back and watched her carefully unwrap the cloth.
Donna gasped. “It's beautiful!”
It was the most exquisite sapphire she'd ever seen and it sparkled with dazzling blue flames. Like an ancient, wise eye watching over her. Inside the band was an inscription.
“Eternal Partners,” she whispered.
“I thought you might like to have it back,” Hunter said quietly. Dazzling spears of azure lit up the bedroom like magic. “I had this handmade especially for you. It matches your soul. I gave it to you the very first time I proposed and every time after.”
“Proposed
? But -”
“But you're not ready for me to propose this time.”
Donna searched his eyes. How could she explain that she wanted to be his Eternal Partner, just like the ring said, but that this was all so sudden?
“It's okay, sweetheart. I'll wait until you're ready.” Hunter kissed her forehead. “Will you wear it for me on your right hand?” Donna considered the depth of commitment he was asking. His heart thumped expectantly while he waited for her answer. She knew that's what it was doing because hers was, too. She smiled broadly.
“Yes Hunter, I will wear it. Thank you for asking me to.”
He took her right hand and slipped the ring on her finger.
“It fits perfectly,” she said softly.
“It always does.” Hunter kissed her again and she melted right into it.
Just before 1:00 am, the phone's ringing jolted Donna awake. Before she could become fully conscious, Hunter grabbed the receiver, clicked the talk button and mumbled “Hello.” He grumbled something incoherent and handed it to her. In Donna's groggy state, she dropped the phone in the sheets and it got lost there. She searched frantically in the dark until a voice screeched from it.
“Donna? What's going on?” Donna followed the noise to its source, found the phone and put it to her ear. “Donna? Answer me!”
“Ow, stop shouting Mo. We can all hear you, including the neighbors.”
“Who answered the phone?” Mo's tone was piercing. “Was that Hunter? Why's he over there? Oh no, are you and he doing it again? Why didn't you tell me? Why are you with him after he cheated on you? What's he doing there this late? Are you guys using protection this time?”
Donna flipped on the nightstand light. Hunter shoved his head under the pillow and groaned.
“Yes, Hunter's here.”
Mo scoffed. “What's that cheater doing there?”
Donna rubbed her eyes. “He's not a cheater and he's trying to sleep.”
She gasped. “So you are sleeping together.” Hunter flipped back over, smiled lopsidedly, and raised an eyebrow at the phone. His hair was tousled and his chest exposed. “Did he explain why Samee was all over him? What was his excuse? I barely got a look at him that time in The Dark Side. Is he cute? He sounds cute. He must be cute. Tell him I said he’s cute, but only if he's not a cheater. If he's a cheater, then he's an asshole. Tell him I will personally kill him if he cheats on you. Tell him that now. I'll wait.”
“Speaking of waiting,” Donna yawned. “What's so important that couldn't wait until morning?”
“It is morning, silly.”
“I mean real morning, Mo. The kind with daylight.”
“Okay,” Mo paused, rounding up her thoughts like a herd of cats. “I have some bad news. There was another kidnapping at The Dark Side and I'm here I'm looking for clues.”
“You're at the crime scene right now?”
“Yes, and before you go off about how irresponsible I am, just remember. I'm not the one ditching my education to get hot, unprotected sex from my new boyfriend. He left a note this time.”
“Who left a note?”
“The kidnapper, Donna. Wake up,” Mo spoke impatiently. “It reads, and I quote - 'I took another one tonight, but your turn is next, Donna.' I don't know if he means you, but...it’s a strange coincidence, with your hair being blonde and all. Please, be careful. Oh shit, a cop just showed up. I gotta go.” The phone clicked and Mo was gone.
Hunter whispered, “We'll catch him.”
Donna's head drooped. “How do you catch a nightmare?” Hunter's phone rang. He sifted through his clothes until he found it.
“What is it?” His tone was surly. He went silent while the person on the other end spoke, then he clicked the phone shut and bolted from bed. He pulled on his pants.
“Where are you going?” She grabbed Hunter's wrist. “Don't leave me.”
“I have to.” He hugged her fiercely. “Give me your phone.” Donna handed it over. Hunter flipped it open, punched in some numbers, flipped it shut and handed it back. “I programmed in my number. Call me if anything happens.” Hunter's gaze bored into hers. “Do not, under any circumstances, leave your bedroom or let anybody in. Anybody. Keep the door closed. Do you understand?” Donna nodded. “You're safe in here. I put a protection charm on this room the minute I came to town, and I've reinforced it every time since.”
“Are you sure it works?”
“Of course it works,” he said impatiently. “Why else do you think Stephen can only bother you in your dreams?”
“My dreams...”
“Listen to me, Donna,” Hunter cupped her face between his hands. “The way Stephen has gotten to you in the past is because you didn't listen to me. So, listen. Are you listening?”
“Yes,” she said with a note of irritation. Why did he think she couldn't listen?
“Every charm has its limitations. This one's limitation is at your bedroom door and window. You're safe in here and in the bathroom. But nowhere else. Don't open the bedroom door, don't open the window. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “Why can't you put a charm on the whole house?”
Hunter tied his shoes. “A protection charm grows pockets of weakness as it gets bigger - like Swiss cheese. The charm I have on your room is nice and strong right now, no holes. If an Underworld creature tries, they won't be able to access you in here.”
“Then how can you?”
“It's my charm, sweetheart. I'm immune to it.” Hunter stood up and pulled on his jacket. “Keep the door closed and the window shut.”
“Why can't I go with you?”
“You'd be a weak link.”
“Weak link?” That stung.
Hunter sighed. “I don't mean it like that. It's just that...you're his target. I can't risk having you there.”
Donna didn't particularly like that answer. She frowned. “Hunter?”
“What?” he said impatiently.
“What about minions?” Will the charm keep them out?”
“No. But your security system will.”
“But -”
“I have to go. I love you.” Hunter planted a frantic kiss on Donna, then was down the stairs and gone before she could finish asking her last question, which was this: If the security system couldn't keep out vampires and the charm couldn't keep out minions, then what if a vampire and a minion showed up at the same time and each gained access for the other?
Donna put on a camisole and navy blue sweats then sat on her bed and listened to the maddening silence. She bit the nails on her left hand and twirled the ring around on her right. She peered through the window shade, but she kept the window closed as per Hunter's instructions. Within ten minutes Donna was pacing the floor and cursing the darkness. She sat at her desk to doodle and all that would come were pictures of a menacing dark force with hair the color of blood and eyes to match. Samee's words echoed against Donna's soul.
“I'm a weakness to him.”
Weakness.
Donna hated how it sounded. She hated the idea of being weak. She also needed a weapon that could hurt a mortal minion if one made its way in, and she knew exactly where to find one. Dad's gun was in the nightstand on his side of the bed.
Or is it Brad's side now?
Donna scanned the hallway in both directions, ran down the corridor to her parents' room, pushed open the door and snapped on the light. It flipped off almost immediately. She pushed it on again, but nothing happened. And it wasn't just the bedroom light. The hall light was dead, too. In fact, every light in the house had flipped off. And what was that smell? It was like something had died...
“Donna,” his voice was like icicles. The room chilled.
She ran back to her bedroom, but the door slammed shut before she got there. She turned the knob. It wouldn't open. She stumbled for the stair rail and blindly fled down the steps, tumbling down the last few and landing on her hip against the cold entryway tile
.
“Be careful, Donna. I do not want you to hurt yourself. That's my job.”
Hunter's words struck her like lightning. “...call me if anything happens.” Donna reached in her pocket for the phone.
It was upstairs on her bed.
Every light in the house flickered on. She squinted at the sudden brightness and then gasped at the towering fortress in front of her. He looked exactly like he did in the nightmares. He smelled just as wretched as in the nightmares, too. His hair, a long, tangled mass, looked like he'd ripped strands from those he had killed and weaved them with his own. His heavy boots stretched to the middle of his mountainous calves and his hands were like cannons preparing to explode. When he spoke, it felt like death rushing up to greet her.
“Are you looking for this?” His mammoth fist opened to reveal Donna's phone, resting in his palm. She reached for it, but he pulled back and flung the phone over his enormous shoulder. His grip was cold as iron and strong as steel. He took Donna by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet, pressing her against the front door.
“It is time to play with your other Eternal Partner, Donna.”
“You're nothing but a nightmare!” she cried.
“I am much more than that, Donna. I am the better brother. Hunter does not have what it takes. If you had been under my supervision, I would have broken your legs so you could not have defied my instructions to stay in the room.”
“Get away from me!”
But he didn't. “Do you know what we are to each other, my pet?” He smiled, exposing hideous, black teeth. “We are Eternal Partners.”
“No -”
“And do you want to know what else we are?” He grabbed Donna's chin. “Lovers. You have loved me, Donna, and you will love me again. Tonight. It will be just like the first time and every time since.”
“I don't love you,” she snarled between clenched teeth. “I love Hunter.”
Stephen sighed. “You are wasting your time loving him. He does not love you back as you deserve to be loved, Donna. Why do you think Hunter tries so hard to save you? Do you really think it is gallantry on his part?” Stephen scoffed. “Hunter is from a time when a woman was the property of her man. Hunter simply does not want to share his ill-gotten possession.”
“Hunter's not like that, he's a decent human being.”
Stephen's hand clamped her throat. His fingernails clawed her flesh. “Hunter is not even human. He and I are night monsters. This is why my brother is drawn to you. He needs to feed from your sunny soul. Listen to me, pet. When he tells you, 'I would never feed from you,' realize he is lying.” She shook her head frantically, choked. “It is interesting, Donna, that you keep falling for him over and over, as if the love you experience goes both ways. Vampires are symbiotic creatures, searching for homeostasis. You give, he takes.” Stephen peered down hungrily at her. She gasped for air. “The living take for granted how much beauty they possess in their souls. Your beauty is all-consuming, Donna. This is why Hunter craves you so. He is starving. Do you now see, my pet? His love is false. But that is not true with me. My love for you is pure. Pure evil.” Stephen pulled Donna away from the door and threw her at the stairs. Her head slammed against the banister, sending stars before her vision. “Now, Donna. You get to decide how terrible this goes. The more you anger me, the worse it will be. Remember, I can read your thoughts. So I suggest you keep them loving ones.”
That's when it hit her.
Hunter can read my mind.
She'd begged him not to do it, but hopefully he hadn't listened.
HUNTER! HELP!
“How quaint - calling out to your other lover. But he cannot help you. He has failed again.” Stephen inched close to Donna's face, his breath stinking and hot. “What sort of keeper do you have, my lovely little lamb, who cannot keep his livestock safe in his own barn?” Stephen spat on the floor. A bit of drool lingered on his bottom lip. He slammed her against the banister again. “He's the reason this keeps happening. He won't leave you alone. I ask you Donna. What half of a loving soul would allow for the endless torture of its other?” Stephen roared with iced laughter. The air swirled like a cyclone and the strangest feeling overcame Donna - like her eye had exploded. Pain seared across the side of her face and Stephen loomed above, his brow a bulging clump above his eyes. “That ordinary life you wanted, pet? It has eluded you once again.”
HUNTER! PLEASE HELP ME!
Stephen threw Donna to the cold, entryway tile. He grabbed her throat, lifted her off her feet and smashed his fist against the side of her head again. Then came the sensation of flying through the air and after that, everything went black.
Donna wanted to open her eyes, but they felt glued shut. She didn't know where she was, or even what she was.
Maybe I’m dead.
She tried to move but sharp pain bolted from her goddess toes to the top of her head. Unless being dead came with the added insult of being in pain, Donna figured she probably wasn't dead. She groaned.
“She's waking up!” An excited-sounding female voice.
“Don't move, sweetheart.” A male voice. Hunter? A hand was on Donna's shoulder, keeping her down. She was lying down.
“We should take her to the hospital.” Mo's voice splinted the darkness. Donna would recognize that pitch anywhere. The word hospital echoed like a bad dream. Her eyes pushed open and there was Hunter, holding something to her temple. It was cold. A wet, cold, purple washcloth from her bathroom.
Why does he have that?
Samee and Mo hovered over her. Samee bit her bottom lip and wore a similar expression to Hunter's, which was worry. Mo's mascara was smeared, like she'd been crying. Donna wondered if it was because of the pregnancy hormones.
“Stay still,” Hunter instructed.
“Can you remember anything?” Samee asked.
“Do you want to go to the hospital?” Mo demanded.
Donna moved her lips to respond, but her mouth felt full of rocks. Hunter ushered Samee and Mo from the room, closed the door quietly and then the three of them talked in hushed voices on the other side of it. Even Mo's voice was too low to hear, other than when she exclaimed, “That's a load of bullshit!” Then Donna heard the other two shush her.
The room spun. She needed the bathroom. She wanted to throw up. Come to think of it, was she even at home? Donna blinked a few times and focused. There it was; the mirror above her dresser. Well, she was home then. She tried to rise but pain seared through every inch of her. The door opened. Samee stepped in first and cautiously walked up to Donna.
“I'm so sorry,” she said in a teary-sounding tone. She bit her lip again.
“Okay Samee,” Hunter said sternly. “That's enough.”
Next, Mo was at Donna's side. She looked miserable. She glowered at Hunter in that way only Mo can do. It usually scared paint off walls but it just made Hunter hiss. She called him a Freakenstein asshole and he called her a nosy nit-wit. Then Donna's room filled with something that felt like unclapped thunder. Hunter and Mo eyed each other like a couple of feral cats negotiating turf.
What’s that all about?
Mo kissed her fingertips and then placed them gently on Donna's forehead.
“I love you,” she said in a quivering voice. Those hormones were something else. Donna would have to remember about that when she got pregnant. Oh, wait. Hunter couldn't have kids. Never mind.
Mo stepped away from Donna, grabbing Hunter's elbow. She dragged him to the door and whispered loudly, the way she always whispers.
“You damn well better take good care of her or I'll skewer you faster than you can suck blood from a mosquito.” Then Mo was gone.
What had brought that on? Donna tried to move again, but Hunter was quickly at her side.
“Sweetheart, don't try to get up.” Why not? She just wanted to go to the bathroom and puke up her guts. Maybe Hunter read her mind because he scooped Donna up and rushed her to the bathroom then held
back her hair while she vomited up something that looked and tasted like blood. Every heave hurt and every fiber of her being felt like it had been hit by a truck.
What in the hell is the matter with me?
She probably should have been embarrassed but wasn't sure what for. Hunter didn't seem daunted. He just flushed the toilet and carried her back to bed.
“Hunter -” Donna's voice sounded thick.
“Don't talk,” he brushed hair from her face. “Just sleep.” She didn't want to sleep. She wanted to know why she hurt so much and why everybody was acting so strange. Her eyelids grew heavy. One of them felt tight. She tried to force them both open but Hunter stroked her right cheek and whispered in her ear, which made her drift into unconsciousness.
Donna woke up with her throat on fire. She panicked, though she wasn't sure why. She got up and dizzily walked to the bathroom for a glass of water. Every step was torment. She arrived at the sink, glanced in the mirror, and her knees buckled. The entire left side of her face looked like it had done ten rounds in a boxing ring and her eye was a startling shade of purple - like that washcloth Hunter had dabbed at her earlier. The bruising went from her ear to her jaw. Slowly, it dawned on her, like shattered glass being glued back together. Stephen. In the house. Her crying for Hunter. Stephen, grabbing her throat. Stephen, furious. She couldn't remember why.
He had hold of me.
She looked down at herself. Her clothes had been changed. She now wore a white t-shirt instead of the camisole and a fresh pair of pajama bottoms.
What happened to me?
Donna’s ears rang and her vision darkened. She fell back on the toilet and tried to catch her breath.
“I told you to stay in bed.” Hunter's sudden appearance in the bathroom doorway made Donna jump. He frowned. “Take my hand.” She did, and he helped her back to bed.
The room smelled like food. Hunter picked up a tray from the dresser and deposited it across Donna's lap. A bowl of chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwich, a small plate of fresh fruit and a thick, chocolate milkshake. There was also a big glass of juice which she grabbed and guzzled in only a few swallows. She turned up her nose at everything else.
“What's wrong?” Hunter's brow furrowed. “Samee told me these things go together fine.”
“It actually looks wonderful and you're sweet for fixing it for me. It's just...”
“It's just what?”
“It's just that I don't have an appetite.”
“You need to restore your reserves.” Hunter glared. “And I'm not such a vampire that I don't know food is how mortals do it.”
He looked so worried that Donna grinned, sipped the soup, and then nibbled some fruit. The sandwich was just too much to bear. She picked up the milkshake and took a large swallow. Its sweet chill soothed her throat. So she swallowed more, leaned against the pillow, closed her eyes and gulped the rest of the milkshake. It froze her insides, which felt good. Then she dozed off, but it must not have been for long, because the empty milkshake glass was still in her hand when she jolted awake.
Donna frowned at Hunter. “What day is it?”
Hunter shrugged. “Why don't you tell me?”
She thought about it. The last thing she remembered clearly was a phone call from Mo at about midnight on Tuesday...
“Is today Wednesday?”
Hunter nodded.
“What time?”
“Just after 3:00.”
“AM or PM?”
“PM.”
Donna groaned. “I missed another day of classes.” She shifted the tray. “Where did all the food come from?”
“I sent Samee in a cab to go shopping for you.”
Donna giggled. “I bet she had fun.”
Hunter shook his head. “She's really obsessed with food and I don't understand why.”
Maybe because she’s a normal human being.
“Yeah,” Hunter said. “Maybe.” Donna threw him a look. “Sorry,” he added.
“Samee didn’t get anything with peanuts, did she?”
“No, sweetheart. I know you’re allergic.”
“How do you know that?”
“You’ve always been.” He gently kissed the tip of Donna's nose, removed the leftovers, and then carried the tray downstairs. Dishes clanked for several minutes. The noise set her on edge. Why was she so jumpy?
When Hunter returned, Donna looked at him with glazed eyes. “I have no idea what happened.”
“Your mind is protecting you.”
“It's frustrating. I want to know. Do you know what I mean?”
“I know things I wish I didn't.” Hunter's face was a kaleidoscope of emotions.
“Stephen...” she said quietly, and that made Hunter's jaw clench. Donna frowned. “I might not know my own mind at the moment but, I can tell yours. This wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself.”
He pulled away and stood up. “Who do you suppose I should blame?”
Donna's stomach knotted up. “Hunter, please...”
“Now do you understand what we're up against? Why I've been trying so hard to protect you?” He slammed his fist on the bed. She flinched. Hunter didn't notice. “If I would've been here with you instead of out chasing shadows...” Hunter turned away. Donna arose from the bed, painfully followed him and touched his elbow. He whirled around, his eyes fierce - like Stephen's. Donna jumped back. Hunter looked startled and then realized she was reacting to him. He apologized and backed against the wall then slid to the floor.
“I know you want to always be here for me,” Donna explained. “But you can't. I'm a mortal with countless ways to die. Most of them have nothing to do with Stephen. Have you never considered that?” Hunter’s blank stare assured her he hadn't. “I could walk across the street and get hit by a bus. I could be caught in the crossfire during a bank robbery. My number could be up at any time and there's nothing either one of us can do about it.”
Hunter shook his head. “Death can't have you. I won't let it.”
Donna chuckled, which felt good. “Don’t be ridiculous. You don't have a choice.” She offered her hand. Hunter took it and they returned to the bed to sit down. “Tell me what happened last night,” she said gently.
Hunter shook his head. “I don't think that's a good idea.”
“Please. I need to know.”
He sighed. “Okay, but stop me when it gets to be too much. Promise?”
“Promise.” Donna swallowed hard, which burned her swollen throat.
“We set a trap at The Dark Side for Stephen.”
“Who's we?”
“Me, Samee, Trent and Dante.”
“Dante?” Like the subject in Ms. Schmill's painting.
“He’s my friend,” Hunter explained. “He and Trent each stood by an exit and Samee kept close to the bathroom in case Stephen had aims to kidnap his next victim from there. Just before closing, a waitress handed Samee a note.”
“The note Mo read to me over the phone?”
Hunter nodded. “That friend of yours barged right up and grabbed the note from Samee shortly before Trent called me. She accused Samee of being part of a vampire plot to take over the world.” Hunter's jaw clenched. “You do know your friend's a pain in the ass, right?” Donna couldn't argue and she didn't want to agree, so she shrugged. “It turns out the note was a distraction. No other girl had been kidnapped from The Dark Side that night. Stephen tricked us instead of it being the other way around. He'd already come and gone before Samee and the guys even got to The Dark Side last night. Early on in the night, he found a waitress, handed her the note and $100.00. He said to keep her mouth shut until just before closing, then to find the petite reddish-blonde girl named Samee and give her the note.” Hunter snickered. “But, the waitress didn't keep her mouth shut once Dante dangled a 500.00 bill in front of her nose. That's how we eventually put everything together. And when Samee got the note, they thought for sure Stephen had just written it. So t
hey assumed they had him trapped somewhere in The Dark Side because that's where he's been hanging out. Trent called me for help, and that’s when I left you here alone, confident we had Stephen trapped where he couldn't hurt you.”
Donna tilted her head. “How did Stephen know you guys were planning a trap?”
“My guess is he read Samee's mind at some point the night before. I love that girl,” Hunter sighed. “Unfortunately, her mortal side poses a weakness for me.”
“Then so will mine,” Donna said quietly.
And that explains why he doesn’t want to tell me anything important. Keeping me uninformed makes me less of a weakness.
“Anyway, your nosy friend followed us around like a lost poodle nipping at our heels. I was just about to plan my next meal around her blood type when I overheard her telling Samee I'm shockingly gorgeous...”
“See, she likes you.”
“...for an asshole.”
Donna stifled a laugh. “At least she approves of your looks.”
Hunter curled his lip. “We were just beginning to understand Stephen had played us when a cold chill ran down my back and I knew something was wrong. That was smart of you, sending me the message.”
“He said it would be too late for you to help me.”
“Stephen says a lot of things that aren't true,” Hunter sneered. “I ran like hell, beat everybody else here. You didn't answer the bell so I broke the front door off its hinges.”
“Oh, shit. My mom's going to have a fit when she sees that.”
“It's already fixed. Anyhow, you were unconscious in the living room. Stephen had thrown you through the glass coffee table, but he fled when he felt me getting close. After Trent and Dante arrived, they searched the neighborhood,” Hunter's eyes lowered, “while I tended to you. You were bleeding…quite a bit.” He sounded uncomfortable when he said that.
“When did Mo and Samee show up?”
“While I was carrying you to the couch.”
Donna gasped. “Don't tell me the couch was involved.”
“It was. We cleaned it up, though.” Donna wondered how “we” cleaned blood out of white linen furniture. “Mo saw me carrying you and naturally she assumed I was doing something terrible to you. So she punched me in the jaw.”
Donna shrugged apologetically. “She was trying to protect me.”
“Samee pulled her off me. That kid may be small, but she knows how to fight.” Hunter smiled proudly. “I taught her. She held Mo in a headlock while I took care of you.”
“Why did Samee have Mo in a headlock?”
“Because Mo thought I was killing you and she wanted me to stop it.” Hunter shifted uncomfortably. “When Stephen does what he does to you, you bleed out. There's no way to stop the bleeding once it starts. Except…” he looked at Donna and cleared his throat. “As much as it pains me to be brothers with Stephen, that fact is the one thing that allowed me to save you.”
“I don't understand.”
“Life is about balance, Donna. Chaos and Order.”
She shook her head. “I'm still confused.”
“Stephen is a cold blooded killer. It’s my job to stop the blood.”
“I'm still not following.”
Maybe those knocks to the head had done more damage than I realize.
“I counteract my brother.” Hunter looked pointedly at her. “There's black and there's white. There's off and there's on. There's darkness and there's light. There's -”
“- blood draining and blood filling.” She finished his sentence slowly as Hunter's explanation sunk in. “You fed me your blood. Stephen drained, you filled. That's why I vomited blood. It was your blood. Or is it more correct to say it was the blood of somebody whose neck you sucked?” A new wave of nausea washed over her. She stumbled to the corner.
Terrible surprises…
“You gave me some poor, innocent person’s blood, didn’t you?”
“I knew you'd be put off by it.”
“Of course I'm put off by it.”
“I had to save your life. You mean more to me than anything.”
Donna’s breathing quickened. “So this is about you?”
“I'm not reading your mind here, Donna.” Hunter's brow furrowed and he shook his head. “You need to help me out. I knew you’d be turned off by the idea, but I don't understand -”
“You don't understand why I'd be mad that you Turned me by using somebody else’s blood?”
Hunter's face changed from complete confusion to mild amusement. “Is that what you think? Donna, you're not a vampire.”
“But I thought -”
Hunter shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint you sweetheart, but that's not how blood giving works with Eternal Partners. When I absorbed that blood it became mine. And my blood is so closely linked with yours that your body thinks it's just getting a transfusion. There's no way for me to Turn you by blood exchange.”
“So,” Donna shook her head. “You're saying I'm not a vampire?”
“Yes.”
“Yes? I am a vampire?”
Hunter shook his head. “No. I mean, yes. You aren't a vampire. It's just that Stephen knows how to bleed out a person slowly and painfully. There's no stopping it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then how did you stop it?”
“My blood heals you.” Hunter gingerly touched Donna's face. “In fact, you're healing already.”
She rushed to the mirror and gasped. The purple had faded to apple red and the puffiness around her eye had gone down by half.
If I can heal this quickly in only a couple of hours, what did I look like right after the attack?
The milkshake churned in Donna's stomach. “How bad was I when you found me?”
Hunter shook his head.
“Did Mo see me like that?”
“I'm afraid so.”
Donna gasped. “She's going to kill me for not telling her about you.”
Hunter chuckled. “She wouldn't have believed you anyway. Most mortals don't think the Underworld is real.”
“Are you kidding me? The more far-fetched a story is the more likely Mo is to believe it.”
“She had trouble believing this one,” Hunter admitted. “In fact, I had to restrain her to keep her out of the way.”
Donna rubbed her temples and flinched when her finger made contact with the swollen side. “I don't even want to know what you mean by 'restrain.’”
“Oh, good.” Hunter looked relieved, at least until Donna threw him a hard look. Then he sighed. “Okay...well unfortunately, Samee used the only restraining device she could find in a pinch, which happened to be a plastic garbage bag from your kitchen. Even though I wrapped up Mo good and tight to the railing in your stairway, she worked her way through it pretty quickly and then came at me with a spindle she forced out of the railing.”
Donna cringed. “Oh God. Poor Mo. Would it have killed you to take ten seconds to explain things to her?”
“No, but it would have killed you.”
“My life was that close to over?”
Hunter looked at her severely. “Yes, sweetheart. Time was not on our side. My back was turned and your dimwitted friend tried to stake me with the spindle. It wasn't even sharp enough to do any real damage.”
“Well, at least she tried.”
Hunter's eyebrow lifted. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry,” Donna blushed. “What I mean is she tried to help - in her own way.”
“In her own way, Mo almost killed you. Her staking wouldn't have damaged me, but it would've slowed me down enough that you wouldn't have survived.”
“Oh…”
“Samee saw Mo coming at me from behind and yelled, 'Watch out!' I threw my arm back.” Hunter looked apologetically at Donna. “I didn't even think about it. It was sheer instinct.”
“What did you do to her?”
“I elbowed her in the chest.”
“No!” Donna's hand went to h
er mouth, she gasped.
“But before you get mad -”
“Too late,” Donna said with a catch in her voice.
“She landed against the edge of that cushy chair in your living room.”
Donna groaned. “The baby...”
“The baby's fine,” Hunter tried to take Donna's hand, but she snapped it back. “Your friend has an overactive imagination.”
“She has a protective nature,” Donna snapped.
“Mo and I dislike each other,” he admitted.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“No, but here's something that might help.” Hunter kissed the tip of Donna's nose. “Someone we both love is alive and that might be all we need to keep from killing each other.”
chapter fifteen