Night Hunt Ch. 10

Rosie raised an overdrawn eyebrow, then lowered her heavy, spidery lashes at Connor. Her voice dropped half an octave. "I do like a man with a big... Appetite. Coming right up, Honey," she croaked.

Connor's grin froze as she turned on her heel and sashayed exaggeratedly towards the kitchen, then paused to toss a wink at him over her shoulder.

"Ooh, looks like someone's getting a little something extra with their special," Sam cooed. A smirk played on her lips. Connor shot a glare at her as he slid down in his seat.

Anya couldn't hide her grin. Across from her, she heard Tyrus let out a low chuckle. Connor crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced.

"There goes my lunch," he said gruffly as the others gave in to their laughter.

"Nonsense Connor, you've always had a big... Appetite," Tyrus remarked with amusement.

He shot a glance at Anya, eyes twinkling. Anya forgot to breathe for a second. She'd gotten so used to brooding Tyrus that his heart-stopping smile had caught her unawares. She shot a shy smile back at him. His smile turned into an all-out grin.

Damn it, I'm screwed. Goodbye rational thought, hello Tyrus. Wait, what the hell am I doing? She tried to hold on to the apprehension she felt earlier, but it was dissolving fast. She hated women who blew hot and cold, and now she was turning into one of them.

She didn't know what he read on her face, but Tyrus suddenly frowned and looked away from her. His brooding expression returned.

"Back to business guys," Connor huffed, breaking the moment. "What do you know about what we're dealing with, Tyrus?"

Face serious, Tyrus leaned into the group. "Maraav emailed me a brief this morning. It's not great. We're heading to a small town called Creeksville. It's pretty secluded, with a large nature reserve surrounding it.

"The Governance has lost two of their own over there in the last week, and another two the week before. They went missing after going in to investigate a bunch of fatal 'animal attacks' on humans. The numbers were looking too suspicious to be natural.

"Before they disappeared, the last two agents reported sighting a small group of vampires responsible for the attacks. A human had witnessed them kill his neighbour. He'd seen them feeding. The vampires had not bothered to hide anything. The agents managed to wipe his memory.

"We don't know who these vampires are, but their actions have shown a blatant disregard for the Governance and its rules. We're assuming that the agents are dead. Killing agents means declaring war against the Governance, and will not be taken lightly. I've been given orders to kill on sight.

"These rebels are dangerous enough as it is, but it seems that others have heard of what they are doing, and are moving to join them. I'm being sent there to send a message to any who dare try to oppose the Governance."

Connor gave a low whistle, then cocked his head to the side. "Ironic isn't it, them sending you there as punishment for what you've done? I'm guessing that bitch Karina had something to do with it. She's all about ironic twists and whatnot."

Tyrus grimaced. "Yeah, you're probably not wrong. She was there last night. She still hasn't forgiven you for not calling?"

"I told her I don't believe in commitment, but did she listen? Try having your cell phone turn into a cobra for a week! I had to pay through my nose to get that spell reversed, and it wasn't easy to find someone who could do it. That's the last time I'm hooking up with a witch," Connor grumbled.

Sam's eyes widened. "Ew gross, you did the nasty with Karina? You deserved that if you were dumb enough to screw with that witch. She's pure evil!"

"Like you're one to judge. You're slumming it with a demon! An Incaendo, no less. Those creatures are barbaric."

"More barbaric than running around naked in the forest and killing and eating game with your teeth and claws?"

Connor growled, eyes flashing an ice blue. "There is nothing barbaric about being one with nature, but you'll never understand what that's like, princess."

"Don't call me that, Asshole!" Sam retorted, her own eyes glowing green.

"Guys, cool it," Tyrus hissed.

Connor stiffened, clenching his jaw. His eyes turned back to their normal colour just before Rosie reached their table with their orders. Sam quickly looked down, pretending to search for something in her purse. When she looked up again, her eyes were their usual green, without the glow.

"Would you like anything else honey?" Rosie drawled at Connor, ignoring the rest. The suggestion in her tone was unmistakable.

"Uh, no thanks," Connor replied awkwardly.

Rosie hung around for a couple of minutes more, placing the plates on the table as slowly as she could, eyeballing the two males as she did so. When she was done rearranging the salt and pepper shakers, she headed off, disappointed.

"So, back to the original topic. You got a game plan, Tyrus?" Connor spoke around a mouthful of food, his fork spearing a sausage and squirting grease on the table. At Sam's look of disgust, he took a larger bite, eyeing her as he chewed noisily.

Woah, what is up with these two? Anya had never seen two people with so much animosity between them.

Tyrus sighed in exasperation. "Grow up, guys. We're in this together for a couple more days, at best. You're going to have to find a way to work together, or you'll kill each other before those vampires get the chance to. I need to trust that you two can watch each others' backs."

Sam rolled her eyes but nodded grudgingly. "You're right, Tyrus. Let's focus on those rebels."

She gingerly stuck out a hand at Connor. "Truce?"

Connor looked like he was about to say something, then shook his head. He reluctantly took Sam's hand, engulfing it in his large palm. "Truce."

"There, all settled then," Tyrus leaned back , taking a deep breath. "Now lets get down to business."

The plan was simple. Pretend that they were scientists, interested in studying the wildlife in the reserve. The cover would allow them the flexibility they needed to go back and forth between the town and the reserve. It would also give them a reason to head to the reserve if there were any more "attacks".

There was a small motel on the edge of the town that they could put up in. Tyrus hoped to hang around the town's people for a couple of days to see what they knew, and have Connor use his werewolf talents to scout the reserve for signs of where the rebels could be hiding.

Sam had offered to stay at the Motel with Anya, and watch over her, but Tyrus would hear none of it.

"I'm not letting her out of my sight. She stays with me." His tone was resolute.

Anya glanced at Tyrus, surprised at the emotion she saw in his eyes. Her heart fluttered, and she mentally shook her head. This was not the time to get girly. She wasn't even the damsel-in-distress type. If anything, she hated feeling helpless, and hated the fact that she couldn't fight against these creatures.

Sam opened her mouth to protest, but he flashed her a look that shut her up immediately.

"Fine," she conceded, "I'll come with you then."

Tyrus shook his head. "Three people would call for too much attention."

"Well, what do you want me to do then?" Sam grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Go with Conner. You're pretty good in the woods too. Two pairs of eyes would be useful."

"No way!" Both Conner and Sam protested in unison.

Tyrus put a hand up. "Come on guys, this is the best plan. You agreed to come on this trip to help me out. We need to find out what's out there, and you both know your skills will handle the woods much better than I can."

"Dude, if I'm scouting the place out, I intend to go in wolf mode. I don't need a prissy little elf slowing me down," Connor ground out.

"Prissy? You have no idea who you're talking about. A prissy little elf would not have spent two years training in woods, mountains, and desert. My father always believed in being prepared. You should worry about keeping up with me!"

Tyrus sighed, looking tired. "She's right, Conner. I've seen her in action. You guys will be a lot stronger together, if you quit acting like you're about to kill each other. You're not the enemy, alright? Are we all in this or what?"

The two glared at each other. Sam was the first to give in.

"Fine," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Conner looked at the ceiling, as if saying a silent prayer. "Fine," he repeated through gritted teeth.

"Aright then. If we're done here, we've got some vampires to hunt down."

Anya felt a sinking feeling in her gut. This mission was turning out to be a lot more complicated than she thought.

****

"Whaaaaaat?" Conner bellowed.

Anya cringed. They were still a day away from Creeksville, and after a tense dinner, had stopped at a Bed and Breakfast for the night. If she thought the afternoon at the diner was bad, sorting out their sleeping arrangements at the motel was infinitely worse.

As luck would have it, there were only two rooms left, both with double beds. Tyrus had gone up to the counter to book the rooms, and returned to deliver the news to the group.

Not only that, but he had just announced that he intended to share his room with Anya. The obstinate vampire had been consistent with his message. He was not going to let anyone but himself keep an eye on Anya. That meant that the other room would go to...

Anya cleared her throat nervously. "Look, Tyrus, I don't know about this. How about having us girls stay together? You said before that Sam can handle herself. She can look out for me."

On top of the growing tension between Connor and Sam, Anya wasn't sure that she could share a bed with Tyrus and stick to her plan of taking things slow. She licked her lips, recalling their previous night. The thought sent a flicker of lust through her body.

Tyrus noticed. His eyes momentarily flashed amber as he took her in, looking her up and down with a hungry gaze. Oh yeah, he knew what she was thinking. She couldn't stop the blush that she felt creeping across her face.

"Oh hell no," Connor growled, stepping between Anya and Tyrus, his face inches from Tyrus'. "I'm not putting up with prissy here just so that you can get busy with your girlfriend. No freaking way!"

"For once, I'm with the oaf on this," Sam piped up. "I'm dealing with enough as it is. First the car ride, then the woods. Enough is enough!"

Tyrus only smirked. "Deal with it. She stays with me."

Connor and Sam stared at Tyrus in disbelief.

"I don't have to explain myself to you, but I will anyway. Anya's not my girlfriend, and I promised her I'd be a perfect gentleman. She's agreed to let me train her, to see if I can teach her to defend herself. That will require some time together tonight. You two have promised a truce. If you can't get over yourselves, go on and head back to the city."

He gracefully stepped back and tossed a room key into the air, before moving around Connor and reaching for Anya. Connor caught the key without missing a beat, then whirled around to face Tyrus, jaw clenched.

"Watch it Tyrus. I just might do that."

"It's up to you my friend, though I could use your help," Tyrus said calmly. "And you too, Sam. What'll it be?"

"You really piss me off sometimes," Connor grumbled, but his shoulders started to relax. "I suppose a couple of days with this one here can't kill me. Been through much worse before."

"Speak for yourself, you're the worst experience I've ever had," Sam quipped, but she picked up her overnight bag and stepped towards the motel rooms. "Hurry up, I need a shower," she called over her shoulder.

Connor flipped his middle finger at her retreating back, and then picked up his own bag and followed after her. The two continued bickering as they moved down the hallway.

Anya felt a mixture of anticipation and apprehension as she watched them go. She was about to spend the night with Tyrus. Alone. And share a bed.

Her stomach did a mini summersault. As much as he said he could be a gentleman, she had no idea how she was going to control herself. His mark was only a day old and still wreaking havoc on her libido.

Tyrus watched her for a moment, his gaze dark. Then he turned and picked up their bags, walking towards the hallway. What was going through his mind? He had been this way since their morning in the car.

She bit her lip. If it had something to do with her crying in the car, she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Damn it, she wasn't equipped to deal with stuff like this.

Their room was on the same floor as Conner and Sam's, but at the other end of the corridor. It was small and basic, but also neat and clean. It only took a minute for them to shut the door and set their things down.

They stood at opposite sides of the room in awkward silence, facing each other. They'd had so much to say in the car this morning, and now they were back to square one. Anya tried not to look at the bed, which was difficult, since it practically took up the whole room.

She let out a slow exhale, pulling her focus together. "Shall we begin with that training?"

"Are you ready for that?" He asked, studying her face.

Training was the one constructive thing she could do about her situation. Yeah, she was more ready than ever. Anya placed her hands on her hips.

"What did you have in mind?"

Tyrus took a step in her direction. "I'd like to test if you're able to repeat what you've done before. I'm going to use my mind to hold you. See if you can break free."

She stood straighter, bracing herself. "Okay."

The next moment, she felt that he was holding her down, although he was still standing too far away from her to touch her. She tested her right arm. It didn't budge. Although she'd been prepared for it, a shiver ran down her spine, as memories of the previous night's attack came rushing back.

Calm down! It's only Tyrus. She forced herself to draw slow, deep breaths.

Tyrus moved in to circle her, still keeping his distance. "Try to break free, Anya. You've done it before, show me how you did it."

She couldn't concentrate when he was looking at her so intensely. His eyes had gone amber again, and they seemed to burn like flames. She could feel her heart rate increasing.

"Don't worry Anya, I'll never hurt you."

Focus. You can do this. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what she had done before. With her mind, she probed at the invisible force, trying to find a weakness. There didn't seem to be one.

Tentatively, she tried giving a little 'push'. Not surprisingly, nothing happened. She opened her eyes and looked at Tyrus. He stood still, waiting patiently. She couldn't tell if he had felt that or not.

"Think back to what you did last night, Anya." His deep voice was gentle, soothing.

Still unsure of what she was doing, she imagined herself mentally gathering all her strength. With a gasp, she pushed as hard as she could. The weight on her body lifted, and she was suddenly free.

Tyrus took a step backwards, as if he had been knocked by a force. He stared at her, stunned.

"Good girl," Tyrus whispered, his voice tinged in admiration.

She could only stare back. Even though this was her third time now, she was still finding it hard to believe. She felt a thrill go through her and couldn't stop a grin from breaking across her face. Had she really just done that?

Strong hands reached out to rest on her arms. Sparks danced on her skin where Tyrus touched her. She realised she was shaking. Before she could register what he was doing, she felt him lean forward, and soft lips press against hers. Her lips burned, overcome with sensation as she kissed him back. The kiss was a brief one, over before she knew it. She looked up at him, wanting more.

He stepped back, shaking his head. "Forgive me. I... wasn't thinking."

She opened her mouth to protest. Her body was waking up, the adrenaline from what had just happened turning into an all too-familiar arousal. Lust pooled in her belly, and she could feel herself getting wet. An image of her jumping onto Tyrus and wrapping her legs around his hips flashed across her mind. She froze, fighting against her impulse. It would be a really bad idea. She wouldn't be able to control herself if she let things get too heated.

Tyrus' nostrils flared and his eyes flashed amber. "You're going to have to stop doing that if you really want me to behave."

"What if I've changed my mind?" she responded, before she could stop herself. Why did her voice sound so breathless?

He bowed his head and moved further away from her. "I'm sorry, Anya. It's the mark. I promise, I'll keep my hands to myself from now on."

She was surprised by the disappointment she felt at his words. So it was just the mark then. Not at all what she was starting to let herself feel for him. She frowned. Why the distance now? Hadn't he wanted what she wanted? Maybe he'd had a change of heart after what had happened in the car.

"Tyrus I..." She swallowed, unsure of what to say. What if she told him how she really felt, and he rejected her?

Before she could go any further, Tyrus cleared his throat. "Shall we keep going? I need to know that you can take control of this. This time around, let's see if you can do it faster."

He spoke matter-of-factly, his eyes giving away nothing.

Latching onto the task at hand, Anya pushed her thoughts aside. Evidently, he wasn't ready to talk about it either. She could worry about what they were, or weren't, later. She needed to learn as much as she could from Tyrus in the short time that they had. The last thing she wanted to do was walk into Creeksville unprepared.

"Alright," she looked up at him, squaring her shoulders, "Give me what you've got."