Hunter Maximus

When I finally catch up to Maximus, I slow when I am just behind him – suddenly lost for words.

I listen to the sounds of the forest, leaves rustling in the wind and Maximus’ sure and steady stride ahead of me. Just as I’m finding the words to say, he stops abruptly in his stride and turns around to face me. I nearly halt too, but I just slow my pace and walk slowly towards him.

“What are you staring at? –” Maximus doesn’t let me walk past him, he grabs me, pulling me into his chest. Then he is suddenly leaning in to kiss me. It’s a short, sweet kiss, his lips only lingering a little as he pulls away but I watch his eyes look past me, to just behind us.

I quickly look over my shoulder and see Luke and Charlotte following from a safe distance, but they are staring straight at us. Luke saw the kiss.

Maximus did that on purpose.

I go to glare at Maximus but he is already walking once again away from me, towards the cars.

“Hey!” I call out, angry that the kiss was clearly just another provocation aimed at Luke – when I thought it might have been for the fact that I chose to go with him instead of Luke – the sensible choice.

“You’re going to have to go a little faster,” Maximus replies, looking over his shoulder at me with somewhat a neutral expression. Okay... what the hell? Shouldn’t he be happy I chose to go with him?

“Isobel!” I hear Luke call out from behind, they were catching up.

I look over my shoulder at Luke and Charlotte, feeling confused as hell. I thought I had made the right choice following Maximus, but why was he acting so strange?

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I hiss at Maximus as I run up to his side and grab his arm, “What’s your problem? I’m going with you, aren’t I?”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that,” Maximus stares straight ahead, a road now becoming visible – and two parked cars, “At least I am training you somewhat well.”

"Training me?" I ask in disbelief.

He doesn’t reply as we near the car. He presses the unlock button on the key and the silver car lights blink once in response. That was our ride.

“Get in, Isobel,” Maximus orders, opening the driver’s door and hopping in the same time I do in the passenger seat. I watch out the window and see Luke and Charlotte break through the trees just as we drive off.

I expect Maximus to thank me any moment for choosing to follow him but he doesn’t speak a word.

When I look to Maximus’ once again neutral expression, I’ve had enough.

“Fuck you,” I snap, undoing my seat belt, “I don’t want to sit next to you.” I climb into the back seat and when I settle down in the middle seat and put on the seat belt, I see Maximus glaring at me in the rear view mirror, his grey eyes stormy.

“Calm down,” Maximus says slowly, “You’re the one that lied to me about Luke being your ex fiancé."

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you,” I can’t hold back my temper any longer, ”You kidnapped me, I don’t owe you anything! And he isn’t my ex fiancé, we were always just friends!” I see Maximus considering what I’ve said, and his hands tighten on the steering wheel, I continue quietly this time, “I only said he was my ex fiancé because I wanted to upset you on purpose – for the all the emotional games you’ve played with me in the past. I was returning the favour, idiot.”

“Watch your tongue, Isobel,” Maximus snaps.

“I’ll speak however the damn I please!” I yell back. I pause, noticing his anger only seems to be increasing, “I said he was never my fiancé, don’t you believe me? It was a joke!”

“You seemed pretty unhappy to see that girl with him,” Maximus points out. So now he was mistaking my shock at realising Luke’s feelings, as me being jealous of Charlotte?

“So you don’t believe me,” I state.

“The only thing I believe right now, is my hand needs to come into contact with your mischievous ass until it’s bright pink and sore as hell,” Maximus tries to growl but obviously he can’t because he is human. I can’t help but laugh.

“Try that again! You sound pathetic,” I snap back at him.

“I said to watch what comes out of that smart mouth!” Maximus’ tone drops an octave, he was cracking the shits too now.

“Fuck that, you ungrateful, jealous, moody idiot!” I yell, just to push his buttons. I watch for his reaction in the rear view mirror.

Mission accomplished!

A fire seems to light in his swirling, beautiful grey eyes.

I’m jolted forward into the seat belt, which tightens against me as Maximus slams on the breaks and pulls off to the side of the road.

“...what are you doing?” I ask quietly.

“Get out, Isobel,” Maximus says darkly, looking at me in the rear-view mirror, ”Now."

“Why?” I ask, truly shocked and confused, “We’re having an argument, what, you can’t handle having an argument?"

“Luke can pick you up,” Maximus explains, “I’m going back to the palace to get Darrius to turn me. Then I’m going to hunt you down.”

“You can’t be serious, what are you going to do if I’m already a vampire hunter at that stage? Kill me?” I ask.

“No!” he snaps, turning to look at me over his shoulder, “I’m going to fuck you into submission. Get out.”

I pause, glaring at him, trying to figure out what the hell he was trying to achieve from this.

I give up.

“I’m done Maximus,” I snap, he was crazy, “I’ll leave, okay? But not to fulfil your wishes, you’ll never find me!”

I jump out of the car before he can reply and slam the door shut as hard as I can.

Good riddance.

I watch him drive off and the cold slowly sets in as I wait for Luke and Charlotte to pass by any time now.

I think about what just happened a little bit more carefully.

And I suddenly figure it out.

He baited me, he baited me into playing one of his games again!

“Fuck it!” I yell out, kicking the dirt beneath my shoes, “That bastard!”

I told him I was paying him back for playing games with my emotions. Hence I played a game with him by convincing him that Luke was my ex. He baited me to get out of the car – to fall into one of his games once again.

He was probably laughing hysterically right now as he drove away.

“This isn’t funny...” I mutter.

Really, it wasn’t funny at all.

Maximus, and his sense of humour... somehow, someway, I would find a way to win this stupid new game he had started with me.

Let the hunt begin!