Chapter 14

Vasil and Lonut take the other two chairs, Mihai carefully positioning himself next to me on the sofa. I know that they can al hear the frantic beating of my heart, but none of them mention it. They don’t have to, i suppose that they see human slaves a lot.
My father talked about them, but i had never met one, some become so loyal to their vampire that they would kill their own kind just to gain some favour with their master.
I'll never be like that. I'd kill Mihai and all the others before i hurt another human. If i can even class myself as such.
“She smells different, Mihai. Is there a reason for that?” Lonut asks, his eyes roaming over every edge and curve of my body.
Mihai smiles like he knew the question was coming, his hand wrapping around my hip and pulling me closer to him. “Her name is Mae williams, her father is the hunter who has been trying to track us down for years.” his voice is thick with humour, though i do not find it funny at all.
If only my father had succeeded and destroyed them all.
All three of their eyes turn black at the mention of my father and my name, it is clear that they know exactly who i am and what my family has done.
Vasil growls, leaning forward, “We should detach her head from her shoulders and send it back to him.”
Yeah, i really don’t like him.
“I’d like to keep my head where it is, thanks.” I growl back, not realising what i had done under Mihai’s hand is wrapping around my throat.
He turns me towards his, cutting off my oxygen, “I did not say you could speak, little hunter, be careful, otherwise i may do exactly as Vasil suggests.” he leans so close to my face that i can smell the stale blood on his lips, “Do you understand?”
My eyes widen, my lungs burning from being unable to breathe, “Yes.”
He releases me and i cough, hard. Each small breath i take burning my throat.
“On your knees.” He orders, pointing to the floor in front of him.
I pale, terrified of what he is going to do to me. “W-what?” i stammer, shaking my head, “I don’t think-”
“On your knees!” He says louder, the walls trembling under the power of his voice.
I instantly obey, dropping onto my knees in front if him, my eyes on the cream carpet. If he spills my blood here, he is never going to get the stain out.
“You will stay there until dinner.” He says, and i manage to breathe a sigh of relief.
He isn’t going to hurt me, not yet anyway.
I hear Soryn shift a little in his seat, “I would love to have a taste of her before i leave, there is nothing quite like pure hunter blood.”
I'm going to be sick.
I don’t want any of the feeding from me. Not even Mihai, which i know is probably foolish. He is under the impression that he owns me, and he can do what he wants with me. But I will find a way to escape. I have to.
I cannot live like this.
Mihai growls, his eyes flashing with rage, “You may be my guest, but that does not give you the right to ask such things of me and what is mine.”
“Forgive me, my lord.” Soryn says carefully, “I will not ask again.”
I'd do anything to see the look on his face right now, i bet he looks as shit scared as i do. Mihai is a force to be reckoned with.
Mihai stands, grabbing my arm and dragging me to my feet, but just as he opens his mouth to speak, a loud crash shakes the entire room. The window on my left shatters and i bow my head to avoid getting pierced by flying glass.
What the fuck is going on?
The Nati vampire shoves me back onto the floor, his eyes a little rounder at the edges, whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.
Vasil growls, heading straight for me, “It’s hunters, i can smell them from here, we should have killed her when we had the chance.” He grabs me by my hair and drags me across the floor, throwing me onto the coffee table.
I scream when he pulls out a knife and kick him as hard as i can in the knee, causing it to buckle and bend in ways that it shouldn’t. I roll of the table and quickly climb to my feet, if it is hunters that are attacking i might be able to get them to help me. This might just be the chance that i was waiting for.
Vasil launches himself at me, ready to stab me in the chest, but i saw it coming, i twirl to the left and knock the blade from his hand with my elbow, slamming my fist into the side of his jaw.
Lonut and Soryn are head forward, ready to take me down, all whilst Mihai watches, but before they can, the room erupts in chaos, and suddenly we are all surrounded by hunters.
I quickly pick up the fallen knife and hold it by my side, in a moment the fighting is going to start, and i do not want to be the only one who isn’t armed.
“Put that down, Mae.” Warns Mihai, but before he can stop me, three hunters lunge at him, dragging his attention away from me.
Vasil is also locked in combat, as are the others, now it my chance to get the fuck out of here, and that is exactly what i am going to do.
The hunters can handle themselves, destroying vampire’s is what they are trained to do. They'll be fine on their own. I slip past everyone silently, they are all too caught up in battle that no one notices me heading towards the door. I'm the branded property of a vampire, and these hunters do not know who i am, my life is as good a forfeit if i stay here. They will not show me mercy just because i was once one of them.
Some hunters show vampire slaves mercy, but most do not, a slave who has exchanged blood with their master can be dangerous, and though that hasn’t happened to me, they don’t know that, and I'm almost certain that they will not take the risk.
I glance at Mihai one last time, the hunters have surrounded him, and somewhere, deep in my chest, my heart begins to ache. A sick, and delusional part of me wants to help him, but i won’t, he is my enemy, and he always will be.
He kidnapped me, branded and beat me, he does not deserve mercy.
I bolt from the room, knowing that i cannot waste any more time standing there and watching, if i want to get away, i have to do it now. The halls are the same, hunters and vampires are everywhere, and they are tearing each other apart. It is war, a war that has been going on as long as the world has had people. Nothing i do will stop it.
I've always hated this part of my life, i never wanted any of this, i should be far away from here, living the life that i choose. But I'm not, and if i don’t move my fucking ass, i am as good as dead.
I hold the blade close to my chest and sneak around the fighting, using one of the sliding doors to rush out into the night, the fresh air burning my lungs and filling me with urgency.
All around the mansion is mountains and woodland as far as the eyes can see, but i know the hunters must have driven here, i just have to find a car or a van and then I'll be far away from here before Mihai even realises that i am gone.
I have one chance to get this right, if i fail, my life is over, in more ways than one.
I rush towards the road, my bare feet screaming in agony as i bolt over tiny sharp stones. But I've faced enough pain in my life to know that i cannot let it stop me. This is my only chance to take back my freedom, and i am not going to fail.
I spot the numerous black vans parked around the corner and just down the street, hopefully the keys have been left inside, i really do not want to waste time trying to hotwire one.
I jump when i hear screams from behind me, my heart hammering recklessly against my chest, i don’t know who is winning, but either of them means bad news for me. I have to move faster, I'm wasting too much time.
I careless jump into one of the vans, searching around in the dark for the keys, a sigh of pure relief escaping my lips when i find them hidden in the glove compartment. I shove the keys into the ignition with shaky hands, the van roaring to life almost instantly.
It's just a shame there isn’t a phone in here, i could have called my father for help. But i cannot dwell on that, i have very little time, and my life is hanging on the fence.
I've only driven once or twice in my entire life, and i completely fucking sucked at it, but this van is an automatic, so hopefully that’ll make it easier on me.
It was either take the van and drive or take my chances on the road on foot, and i am not stupid enough to think i can run for miles barefoot in the middle of nowhere. I'd be caught before sunrise if i did that.
I turn the van around, almost crashing into a tree before i manage to get it facing the right way, knowing that my time is running out i step on the gas and shoot off into the darkness, the screams of those left behind haunting me.
I can’t save any of them, vampire or hunter.