Night Hunt Ch. 06

Hi guys, so... I hope you can forgive me for being away for so long. I know I left things at a cliffhanger for a really REALLY (and utterly inexcusable) long time. The only explanation I can give is that work got really out of hand, and then when I tried to pick up the story again, I had a bad case of writer's block. However, the characters have never left me, and eventually I felt I had enough push to carry on with Anya and Tyrus again. Believe me, I still have a story to tell and potentially lots more in store for the two of them.

I'm pretty anxious that the momentum is lost now, but I hope that the story still makes sense to you readers, and I hope that I haven't lost my original readers. Your comments were so encouraging and meant a lot to me! I can't promise that I can get the next chapters up in a reasonable amount of time, but I will most certainly try. A warning before you read this: this chapter is more about developing the plot, and might raise more questions than give any closure from the last chapter. PLEASE forgive me for staying away from writing for so long, and I hope you enjoy reading this!

*****

Loud music continued to pulse through the club. Strobe lights flashed, the trick of the lights making it look like everything was moving in slow motion.

Tyrus cursed under his breath, contemplating his next action from his seat in the hidden booth. He had to make a decision fast. He knew the predators on the dancefloor were not going to wait much longer. Goodness knows how long they had been marking out the group of humans. To go to Anya would reveal his interest, but to stay away would be to leave her at their mercy. Not everyone had respect for the laws that ordered them to leave their prey unharmed.

His eyes fell on Anya, drawn by the sway of her hips. He didn't think he had ever seen her so relaxed. Her hands trailed from her neck, down her body and to her thighs, moving in time to the music. The tightness of her dress on her perfect figure did not go unnoticed. Black high heels lengthened her already long legs, making them seem endless.

The man dancing across from her took her hand and spun her around. She smiled shyly at him as they danced. It was all Tyrus could do not to lunge forwards and force himself between them. He had to remind himself that she was not his, and he had intended to stay away from her. Every time the man touched her, Tyrus felt a pang of jealousy reverberate through him. If only he could offer her what this man could, to be human and to live out a full human life.

He studied them closely, wondering what their relationship was. No, they did not seem to be lovers, despite what the nagging jealousy tugging at his chest told him. She was too careful with their distance. Whenever he tried to draw her into his arms, she would find a way to move away. The observation appeased him a little.

"Tyrus, you are staring," Conner's voice broke through his thoughts. The werewolf was grinning, "I can see why though. She is just your type."

Tyrus let out a small huff of indignation from his throat. He knew that his friend was right. It wasn't just her long dark hair, or her full lips. She was effortless in her beauty, and carried herself in a confident yet unassuming manner. He knew that there was a lot more going on beneath that prettily packaged exterior.

He shrugged in defeat.

"Careful there Tyrus. If you do this, you're never going back."

"I know, Conner," Tyrus responded. He felt on edge, restless. Every instinct in his body told him to go to her. His demon wanted to claim her all over again. He recalled the feel of her soft curves against his body. Her faint scent was calling to him, enticing him. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

Leave her alone. She'll be fine. You'll put her in much more danger if you are with her, Tyrus tried to reason with himself. The others know the rules. They are not going to do anything more than feed.

Who was he kidding? He knew there was much worse that they could do. He had done much worse to his prey.

He cleared his throat, "I need some air."

He got up and pushed past Conner, ignoring the warning look on his face. Conner knew him well enough to know that he had made up his mind. Without looking back at his friend, Tyrus walked silently to the dancefloor.

****

Anya smiled politely as Luke placed his hand on her waist. As the music slowed down, she somehow managed to maintain her distance as Luke attempted to pull her close. Cute as he was, she just wasn't that interested in him. She didn't want to give him any wrong signals.

Other than having to watch her proximity to Luke, she had to admit, she was enjoying herself. The music was good, even though she didn't recognise any if the songs. The beats were infectious, and the tunes catchy. They made her feel as though she could dance all night long.

Luke's friends were good company too. They kept her included, even though they had just met. Jenna exuded confidence and energy, injecting life into the group. Jude had a wicked sense of humour, and Alex was charming and eloquent.

Anya realised that it had been a long time since she had let herself relax like this. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so hard, or felt so carefree. At least, not in recent years. If it meant swatting Luke away every now and then, she figured she could deal with it.

It was a couple of songs later when Luke reached out for Anya again. She turned away for a moment, in a move that forced him to remove his hand without her having to push it away herself. As she spun, she thought she saw a familiar face in the crowd of clubbers.

Her chest leapt as she recognized Tyrus, his intense eyes glowing as he looked directly at her. She turned back, trying to act nonchalant, even though her pulse was racing. What was he doing here?

She turned again, but he was gone. She frowned, scanning the crowd for him, but the club was dark.

"Anya? What's wrong?" Luke asked, concern in his voice.

Anya plastered a smile on her face and shook her head. "Nothing, I just thought I saw someone I knew," she said as evenly as she could.

Too many questions were clouding her head right now. She wanted to confront Tyrus and force some explanations out of him. Hadn't he said that he would never see her again? Was he stalking her? Was this some sort of game for the vampire?

She felt a tiny burst of anger at the last thought. She had to get to the bottom of this. He was here now, and she wouldn't let him get away without some answers. She certainly wasn't the sort of person to fall for mind games, and she hated the way she had been over the past week.

"Hey Luke, I'm just heading to the Ladies. I'll be right back," she said to Luke, who let go of her reluctantly. She disappeared into the crowd, heading straight for the spot that she had last seen the mysterious vampire.

When she was sure that Luke and his friends could not see her, she turned around slowly, scanning the club as she did. Where had he gone? She bit her lip in frustration. The club was a big one, and it was packed with people. It felt like an impossible task. She had to find him. This was the closest she would ever be to getting any answers.

She headed off the dance floor, in the direction of the bar. She thought she caught a glimpse of the back of Tyrus' head. He was moving away from her, shifting easily through the crowd. She pushed past the crowd, picking up speed. She was closing in. Just a few more steps...

Suddenly, her body froze, her feet stuck firmly to the ground. She tried lifting her arm, but it was like trying to lift a ton of cement. She was trapped. An arm slid across her waist and draped itself on her hip.

Her heart thudded. Was this the vampire's idea of a joke? Why couldn't he just talk to her like a normal person?

"Hello there darling," a male voice reached her ear. It was deep and gravelly, not at all like the rich warm tones that she remembered from her encounter with Tyrus.

Alarm prickled through her body. Something was wrong. She tried desperately to move but her body wouldn't budge an inch.

"You look simply delicious. I can't wait to taste you," the stranger's warm breath hissed against her ear. Chills ran up her spine.

The arm around her waist nudged her body against the stranger's. It felt hard, muscular. Even without his mental control over her, he would be much stronger than her. She racked her brains for a plan to escape, but nothing came to mind.

"Come along with me," the stranger said, as if she had a choice. Her feet started moving, as if being pulled by invisible strings. They were heading towards an exit sign in the side of the club. To anyone watching, she probably looked like she'd had too much to drink, and he was supporting her out of the club.

She fought against every step, willing her body to resist the forces pulling at her. She could see the exit sign looming nearer. In about ten more metres, they would be out of the club and away from help. Her mind was frantic as panic rose in her chest.

A part of her snapped, knowing that she would not survive if she let fear overtake her. With all the willpower she had, she forced herself to calm down. She needed to think, to find a way out of this. Despite the fact that her limbs were still moving, her mind stilled.

"There, that's more like it," the vampire purred.

She was surprised. She had no idea that her mental resistance had any effect against the powerful creature. Maybe if she concentrated a little harder...

Too late. She saw a thick arm push the exit door open. The cool night air hit her. She was outside now, away from all the people.

They were in a dark alley, sandwiched between the huge skyscraper that housed the club, and the back of another equally large building. From what she could see, there were no windows nearby and no chance of anyone spotting them. The street was nowhere in sight, meaning that they were probably in a secluded corner at the back of their building. She didn't know how far she would have to run to get out.

The stranger turned around to face her. He was a well-built man, with young, handsome features. He had a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and short cropped blond hair. As she glared at him, his face twisted into a cruel grin and his incisors lengthened into sharp fangs.

Her heart was pounding. So he really was a vampire. He was still keeping her in place with his mind. It has only been a week, but now she found herself in a predicament that was all too similar to the one she had been in just those few days before. Except, she doubted that this one was going to end in quite the same way as the last one.

Without warning, strong arms pushed her in place against the building's concrete wall. She gasped as she felt her back hit the hard surface. Still, she didn't struggle, her mind quiet, watching out for any opportunity to escape.

He eyed her quizzically, "you're a quiet one aren't you?"

She didn't respond. Her mind was working now, searching along what felt like some sort of mental barrier. She couldn't explain how she knew this, but somehow, her instincts told her what to do.

The vampire leaned roughly against her, sniffing at her neck. It made her skin crawl, but she ignored it. She felt his breath just below her ear, followed by two tiny sharp pricks, and then the warmth of his mouth on her.

A warm, pleasant sensation settled in the pit of her belly. It calmed her mind, made her feel as if there was no danger. She knew it was his doing, somehow, and ignored it. His body was relaxing against hers, gradually, as he started to feed. If there was any opportunity she had, it was now.

Anya could feel the invisible hold on her weakening. Could she really break it? She didn't even know what she was doing. She breathed as evenly as she could and counted to three in her head. On the last count, she reached deep into herself, and pushed with every last ounce of mental energy she had.

The vampire stumbled back as if he had been struck by an invisible force. A stunned look crossed his face.

"What the- "

He never got to complete his sentence as Anya lunged at him, delivering a firm kick to his groin. He doubled over, hissing through his fangs. His eyes were flashing a cold, steely blue, as if they were lit from within.

Anya turned and ran, letting out a scream as she did so, hoping that there was someone nearby who would hear her cry for help. Her heels hit the concrete hard as she scrambled around the corner of the building.

Her heart sank when she saw the dead end. She ran to the wall anyway, scanning for any ledge or crevice that she could use to get her away from her attacker.

Suddenly, she felt herself being pushed from behind, against the wall. Strong hands held her in place, trapping her arms against her body, with her facing the wall. She struggled, but found that he had once again taken control of her movement with his mind. Her entire body felt like lead, frozen in place. This time the force wrapped around her so tightly, she felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs.

"You'll pay for that, bitch. I don't know how you did that, but you're never going to do it again," he snarled in her ear.

A searing pain tore through her neck. He had bit down hard and was now sucking viciously through the wound he had created. Anya tried to cry out but her vocal cords would not cooperate. Tears streamed down her face.

The night was silent, except for the sound of the vampire feeding. His lips and tongue were making slippery, squelchy sounds that made Anya feel sick. Her head was getting dizzy, and she was finding it difficult to form her thoughts. She was losing blood fast. Her mind raced to try to find a way out, but she had used her only chance, and now she was going to die.

From behind her, Anya heard a low growl. The pressure around her lifted suddenly and air rushed into her lungs. Something yanked the vampire backwards, pulling Anya with him. She staggered backwards before her knees crumpled beneath her. She landed in a heap on the ground.

Snarls and growls erupted around her, filling the air. Anya struggled to turn her body, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her neck and down her spine. She was too weak to push herself off the ground. Rolling onto her side, she lifted her head just in time to see her attacker on the floor, and a familiar figure straddling him, a hand gripping the vampire's neck in a choke hold.

"Tyrus?" She whispered, not daring to believe what she saw. Moments ago, she had thought she was taking her last breath.

"What the fuck?" Her attacker's faint, strangled voice was laced in shock, his eyes darting between Anya, still crumpled on the ground, and his angry captor, "She knows you?"

Anya watched as Tyrus stiffened. She couldn't tell what it was, but something seemed to have snapped in the vampire. He looked caught. He remained silent, regarding the helpless vampire beneath him.

The vampire took on a pleading tone, "Dude, I know she's not yours. I didn't scent any mark on her... she's not a slave. What the fuck are you doing? She's my hunt, my prey!"

It seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Anya felt as though she could see the menace rolling off Tyrus' shoulders in waves. She shuddered involuntarily. He was scaring her. The other vampire sensed the change too. He started to flail hard against Tyrus' grip, attempting to escape.

Slave? Mark? What the hell is going on?

"Tyrus?" She hated the way her voice was shaking, "What's he talking about?"

Tyrus didn't look at her. Instead, he kept his attention on his victim. The other vampire glanced over at Anya, understanding dawning in his eyes. Tyrus' grip tightened, leading to an increase in the other vampire's desperate struggling.

"Y-you... You didn't wipe her... m-memory.." his voice was barely audible now, "Please don't... don't kill me.. I can keep your secret. I-I won't tell anyone I promise..."

There was no answer from Tyrus. Anya couldn't look away in time. She heard the sickening crunch of cartilage and bone being crushed. She drew a heaving breath. It didn't end there. In one swift motion, so fast that she could barely see what was happening, Tyrus plunged his hand into the vampire's chest and ripped out his heart.

Anya froze, not believing what she saw. Before she could form any thought, the body on the ground and the heart in Tyrus' hand burst into dust.

Tyrus stood still for a moment, looking down at where the vampire had been. A few seconds passed. Anya realized that she was sobbing.

She saw Tyrus turn towards her. The menacing look on his face was gone now, replaced by an unreadable expression in his eyes. He reached out to help her up, but she shrank back before he could touch her.

"No!" she couldn't keep the terror out of her voice.

"Anya.." The sound of his voice came as a shock to her. It was the first time she had heard him speak since the time he had been in her room. It sounded pained now, hurt by her reaction.

He dropped down to his knees, cautiously keeping his distance. Slowly, he extended his hand towards her again.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she shouted.