Hunter Maximus

Isobel’s POV

My vampire hunter instincts were nagging at me, I knew I was being hunted. I don’t have much time to think, I don’t want Maximus to get the best of me. I hold one of the stakes from my inner jacket in my hand as I run down the back alley and turn into a main street. When he doesn’t run up to me straight away I know he is playing yet another game.

As I turn down more streets I eventually start checking over my shoulder to see him casually strolling after me, his eyes trained on mine, his hands in his pockets like he knows he has already won the chase.

Unfortunately for him I still had a couple of tricks up my sleeves that Luke had taught me. I didn’t doubt that Luke would be out looking for me also right now, but I didn’t have time to tell him I was running.

I have been jogging away from Maximus at a steady rate and when he still hasn’t approached me I’m thankful that I have found a building where I know I can play a trick on him. It had been a part of my training with Luke.

I spring around the corner into a back door leading into old apartments. The door’s lock was known to be broken and hadn’t been fixed in a long time so I access the apartment block, head up the grimy old grey stairs to the second level and open the window looking down over the pavement of the small alley way below. The door I had come through was directly below this window.

I look out the window and can’t see Maximus yet but I can feel his presence.

I back away from the window and close my eyes, so I can focus my ears onto the steady familiar pattern of steps Maximus is taking towards me. My enhanced hearing allowed me to hear ever so faint footfalls turn the corner and stop, where I assumed to be the outside of the apartment block.

Now I couldn’t hesitate, I had to act fast like Luke had taught me.

I run up to the window sill, put my hand on the frame and jump out the edge, swivelling as I near the bottom I hear the heels on my boots crack as I land directly behind one tall, handsome and cocky vampire.

I ignore my broken heels by grabbing onto his shoulder for support and pressing the tip of the stake to his throat.

“I got you, you bastard,” I hiss.

“I’m impressed, Isobel,” Maximus slowly reaches up a hand to grab my wrist so I just push the tip of the sharp stake into his throat until it must surely be painful. Instead I hear him start to laugh and I hesitate when I feel his tight grip on my wrist - his vampire strength clearly back once more.

“Why are you laughing, I could kill you right now!” I blurt out, annoyed that he is so relaxed. I had caught him while he was chasing me!

“You’re clearly a rookie, you made one vital mistake,” Maximus purrs this while I furrow my eyebrows as he forcefully pulls my wrist and the stake away from his throat and he turns to face me.

I quickly take a wobbly step back and go a little red in the face as I realise what I had done wrong.

“It’s always the heart that you go for,” the new voice comes from down the alleyway and both me and Maximus turn to see Luke standing at the end, no Charlotte in sight, “You were nervous and went for his throat instead,” Luke points out, a stake of his own in his hand.

He slurs his words a bit, he has already had too much to drink.

“You shouldn’t have followed me, Luke, go back to Charlotte. Maximus is a Hunter now and he might hurt you or worse if you try to attack,” I try to say it as calmly as possible, “I can deal with Maximus on my own.”

“You won’t ever be able to handle my strength, darling,” Maximus teases, suddenly squatting, he leans down to pick up one of my legs unexpectedly... he starts taking off my first damaged boot, completely ignoring Luke’s presence, “You’ll always lose to me and eventually submit.”

“Don’t you dare talk to Izzy like she is some sort of pet,” Luke snarls, losing his temper and running forward, fast but with not as much grace as I knew Luke was capable of. Maximus finishes taking off my other boot and quickly stands, turning to Luke and facing him head on.

“Don’t hurt him -” I stop as Maximus literally kicks the stake out of Luke’s hand, grabs him by the throat and then pushes him into the brick wall hard enough that his head smacks against it and he is knocked out cold. My hand flys to my mouth as I watch Luke slump to the ground. Maximus lets go of Luke and turns to face me, cracking his neck like he was just getting warmed up. He pauses when he see’s the shocked expression on my face.

“What?” Maximus growls, looking pissed off.

“You -”

“I didn’t kill him,” Maximus cuts me off, “Be happy I didn’t, next time he won’t be so lucky. Isobel, stop looking at me like that. That girl will find him... I can smell her repulsive scent getting closer.”

“I don’t know what to think... are you going to charge me now like last time and suck me dry out in the middle of this alleyway?” I ask dryly, feeling like I have no choice but to resort to accusations.

“Oh no, I’m going to turn you after I’ve fucked you to the point that you feel you can’t move,” Maximus comes forward and grabs my chin, leaning down he looks into my eyes, “Are your feet cold?”

“Not as cold as your heart,” I whisper back.

“Being naughty isn’t going to help you right now Isobel,” Maximus scans my eyes and runs his thumb along my jaw, “You’re just giving me more reasons to tie you up in all sorts of positions... ones you might not necessarily like.”

“Fuck that, I don’t care if I only have socks on, goodbye!” I pull my face out of his hold and walk away from him towards the street; my second attempt at ‘running’ away. In all honesty I was just finding a way to avoid his gaze. I didn’t want him to see the curious excitement in my eyes in response to his threats.

I hear him chuckle behind me and walk so close that when he leans down to whisper in my ear as I walk, my hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

“Turn left and keep walking, you’ll see my car, it’s just around the corner,” as he says this I abruptly turn right instead of left but he stops me with a strong hand on my hip, “Ah, ah, darling, that’s not left.”

He forces me to turn the other way and I just stop and glare at him.

“I didn’t want to turn left,” I glare at him as he simply smirks at me in amusement.

“I don’t care what you want,” he replies instantly, shrugging.

“You abandoned me on the side of the road!”

“Only to teach you a lesson,” Maximus grabs my hand and pulls me along with him, “I don’t have much patience. I have a lot of stuff planned for you.”

“I hate you,” I say, my mind slowly shutting down as I get distracted by thoughts of him actually following through with his warnings that he was finally going to fuck me.

“Say what you like darling, I’ve been in your head before and I know you don’t hate me,” he stops by the car and opens the door at the back and I notice Anthony and Carla in the front, Anthony in the driver’s side, “Get in,” I don’t have a choice as he pushes me into the back seat, following directly after.

“Sorry, Izzy,” Anthony says apologetically, “We had no choice but to help him, he is a higher rank after all and he can make our lives miserable if we piss him off. Are you okay?”

“Her welfare is my concern, not yours,” Maximus growls to Anthony, “Mind your own slave’s business.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Anthony hums sarcastically, glaring at Maximus before turning to Carla and ruffling up her hair while smiling, “Let’s get back home.”

“I need a nap,” Carla yawns and it makes me want to yawn too, “I admit I’m glad you are coming back with us Isobel, I like your company!”

“Thanks, I like yours too!” I’m thankful for both their company right now so I’m not left alone with Maximus right away.

As I ignore Maximus and relax back into the seat I notice how sweaty I am from how nervous I was before, “I also need a bath...”

“That can be arranged,” Maximus murmurs to himself, a secret all knowing smile on his face as he imagines god knows what.

I try to avoid his gaze again as he looks to me, amusement shining in his grey eyes.

I didn’t want him to see that I was a little aroused just thinking about him naked in a bath with me.

I would keep up my defences for as long as I could.

I couldn’t let him win.

Even if I was in denial that he had already won.