Night Hunter (BL)

It felt like something was gnawing at my skin, like at any moment, my body might erode into the surrounding darkness.

I took several deep breaths to calm myself, parked my motorbike near a convenience store, and began walking. My steps carried me to the alley where my dad's partner's body had been found.

Where were Dad and Jerry going? I wondered, scanning the area for anything suspicious or out of place. Factories surrounded me, their cold, metallic exteriors offering no clues.

Turning a corner into another alley, I caught a shadow moving swiftly out of the corner of my eye. My head snapped in its direction, but it vanished into yet another alley.

What was that?

Curious, I strained my ears and picked up the sound of hurried footsteps. Whoever it was, their heartbeat pounded fast, showing their fear. I followed at a distance, matching their pace and timing my steps with theirs to avoid being detected.

After a few minutes, I turned into another alley and spotted two figures standing in the distance. Their faces were obscured, so I moved closer, pretending to be a passerby. This could be unrelated to what I was here for, but they did look suspicious.

As I approached, fragments of their conversation drifted toward me, but I couldn't make out the words. Strange. As a Hunter, my hearing was as sharp as a young wolf's. At this distance, I should've been able to hear them clearly.

One of them noticed me. His gaze locked onto mine even as he listened to the other person. He muttered something, and the second figure vanished into the shadows.

"It's really dangerous to follow random strangers around in alleys," the man said, suddenly standing right in front of me. His green eyes flashed under the night sky.

I couldn't help but stare. How could anyone look so perfect? His scent, faint and masked, carried a hint of old books. A scholar, maybe? But that wasn't the point. Was he the guy I was looking for?

I met his gaze, studying him for any reaction. "You look familiar," he said, tilting his head as if trying to place me. Then, his eyes lit up with recognition. "It's you."

Before I could react, he pulled something from his pocket and took a step back. "You've grown since last time. I told you to stop coming after me," he threatened, a ball of light forming in his palm.

Shit. A vampire who uses magic. I hadn't signed up for this. Only ancient vampires or those with prior magical skills could wield magic. Either way, vampire plus magic was a terrible combination for me.

He waited, clearly expecting me to attack. "I don't want to fight," I said, trying to sound casual, though I wished I'd stayed in my cabin tonight.

"That's not what it looked like last time," he hissed.

Did he think I was Jake? Who the hell was he? I needed to tread carefully.

"I'm giving you five seconds to turn around and leave," he warned, his tone final. "Or else, this ends badly."

He began counting down, but I didn't move. At "five," he hurled the ball of light at me.

Shit.

I jumped out of the way, blinking rapidly to recover from the blinding flash. True to his word, he wasn't holding back.

"I should just get rid of you," he snarled, closing the distance in a heartbeat. His punch landed hard against my ribs, sending me crashing into a wall. Pain flared through my side.

"Fuck," I groaned, pushing myself upright and stretching to ease the pain. "Okay, that's enough!"

He lunged again at vampiric speed, but I dodged, redirecting him into the wall with his own momentum. The loud crunch as his body connected with the brick made me wince.

"It'd be easier if we just talked," I said, though it was clear he wasn't interested. Dusting himself off as if the wall hadn't cracked, he glared at me.

"Shit. Looks like your death keeps getting postponed," he growled, his attention shifting behind me.

"Damien! You stupid boy. I just want to talk," a familiar voice called. But I couldn't focus on that now—the vampire was still in front of me.

"I told you to stop looking for me!" he shouted, just as I grabbed his shirt. He tore away, disappearing into the night and leaving a scrap of fabric in my hand. Damn it. Now I was sure he thought I was Jake. Pocketing the cloth, I resolved to use it later.

Ginevra flashed past me, chasing the vampire but soon returned empty-handed, his face a mask of anger.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, furious. "You let him get away."

"I don't answer to you, pup. Did Jake send you to kill my brother?" Ginevra snapped. We stood in the dim alley, tension crackling between us.

"Your brother? The one who might know what happened to my mother?" My hands balled into fists. "The one you just let escape?"

"I didn't see you chasing him," he shot back, his contempt evident.

Anger surged through me. I grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall. "Are you part of this?"

"If I were, I'd have let Jake die." Ginevra didn't resist or fight back.

This was pointless. I released him, fixed my clothes, and walked away. "If I find him again, I'll kill him," I said without turning back. "Especially after he threatened me."

"Then how about I kill you right here?" he challenged, suddenly beside me.

"He thought I was Jake," I scoffed. "Looks like we're both trying to protect people we care about."

Frustrated, I shifted into wolf form and ran off, but Ginevra kept pace beside me.

Growling, I warned him to back off.

"We should talk," he said, his voice calm and soothing. His words eased the anger in my chest, and I slowed down but didn't stop running. His fingers combed through my fur, gentle and deliberate, and I found myself leaning into his touch.

"You carry so much pain," he whispered, brushing the top of my head.

I feel so light underneath his touches like a weight is lifting off of me with each stroke of his fingers. Everything about him just relaxes me.
"Why did I even follow you? It's too soon," he released a sigh and knelt down in front of me.
I wondered what he was talking about, but I was too enchanted to even speak. I took in a deep tired breath, taking note of his light floral smell, like the other guy, his scent was masked, but I could still smell him.
Not sure if I want to lick his face or bite him. Nuzzle my nose into him to memorize his scent. I craned my neck slightly.
"What's your story this time, how did you become a werewolf? Goddess sure knows how to pick them for us." Why was he suddenly speaking like we knew each other?
It was when he rubbed down my back that I realised I had stopped running completely and was leaning into Ginevra.
What the hell am I doing? I pulled back from him, his hand remained raised and frozen in place, and his eyes widened slightly as if he also just realized what he was doing.
This is messed up. I could hear Ginevra's heartbeat quicken, it's a little odd considering that he was a vampire and they had slow heartbeats.
"I'm sorry." he looked away from me
I shifted into my human form. "What was that, did you use some kind of magic on me?"
"Maybe?" he responded, looking slightly embarrassed that he was caught.
Was he playing some trick on my mind? Make me feel all these feelings.
"Don't ever do that again!" I glared at him
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. It's in my nature to...," he paused and cleared his throat then looked back at me
"Pardon me," he showed no emotion as he spoke this time but the pitch in his voice said otherwise.
"Pardon? Pardon you? It's forbidden to try and compel or manipulate humans or anyone under vampire law. Or does it not apply to all of you?" I pressed an accusing finger into his chest.
His eyes bulged out in shock "What? I didn't, I was just..."
I raised my hand angrily, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear it."
"You know that's not..."
I ran off, not wanting to hear what he had to say and this time Ginevra didn't follow me.
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Back in my cabin, I lay on the couch, my mind racing. Mostly about Ginevra.

"Convincing yourself he compelled you?" my wolf scoffed.

"He admitted it," I snapped.

"A vampire can't compel a Hunter. Just admit it."

Groaning, I rubbed my temples, irritated. I hated that I could hear and feel the thoughts of my wolf. Why couldn't he just be there without any opinion? "How do I get you out of my head?"

"I wonder the same thing," my wolf retorted. "You felt something. It happens."

"I'm not attracted to a vampire!" I argued. But deep down, I wasn't so sure.