5: Amira

She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the rain on the concrete, and the aroma the surrounding forest gave off. Her feet tapped the ground, splashing lightly through the puddles. A single car drove past her, their headlights shining on her face for a moment before the darkness of her hood consumed her again. She stopped at an intersection, looking around before crossing. She skipped a step. A step sounded behind her before lining up with her own again. She knew she was being followed, she knew she was being watched for some time now. She just had to wait until the time was right for the prey to become the predator.

What would Aiden think of me?

She shook her head. She can’t be distracted now. She slowed her pace a bit, hearing the footfalls behind her quickening. Most people would panic. They would run. They would freeze. She remained calm. She steadied her heart, her breathing and let herself get close to an alleyway. A hand grabbed her arm, pulling her into the alley and threw her up against the wall. She grunted, hearing her head crack slightly when it collided with the brick wall. Her vision blurred, but she blinked back into focus and stared at the familiar face of her professor and his long, thin fangs protruded from his mouth. His other hand went to her throat, squeezing tightly.

 “Miss Haddock. Fancy meeting you out here so late at night.” He hissed as he licked his lips. She felt her heart start to race. Her adrenaline started to kick in.

Not good. Adrenaline may do well in making rash decisions when trapped, but it can also make you sloppy.

His lips hovered close to hers, his hand trailing from her throat to over her chest. She felt her blood boil as he felt her up. She reached into her pocket, slipping out a small canister.

“Pepper spray?” He chuckled as he toyed with her. She felt a smirk come to her lips as she brought the canister up and sprayed his eyes with it. He let out a yell, covering his face with his hands as smoke seeped between his fingers.

“Holy water. Interesting, isn’t? You must be a newer Vampire if you're this weak in comparison to your master.” She said, spinning the canister in her hand, “Where is the girl?” She asked him, her hand reaching behind her back. He bared his fangs at her, hissing angrily. He launched at her, his nails sharpening as he swiped his claws at her. She stepped away, bringing out a wooden stake. His elbow came down on it, pushing it down as his other claws dug into her side. She screamed, the Vampire pinning her against the wall. He licked his blood covered fingers, his pupils dilating.

Fuck.

His fangs shined under the streetlight as he yanked down her hood. His claws pressed against her wound, making her grit her teeth in pain. She leaned her head back before slamming it against his, rocking him back a bit. She shoved him against the opposite wall, bringing the stake up to his chest, but his hands pushed back against it.

“I thought I was mistaken with your stench, but for you to be a Hunter, that just won't cut it.” His voice started to change as his features started to shift, his eyes sunk in slightly, his jaw thinning until his chin came to a point. She was horrified by what was in front of her. He didn't carry enough of the original Vampire's blood, so his body become deformed in the process.

“You will die for kidnapping that girl.” She barked back, putting more pressure into the stake, but as he finished changing, his strength increased and he shoved her off. She fell on her back, her head hitting the pavement and her eyes go dark for a second. She blinked them a few times, gaining some vision back as he climbed on top of her, his claws tearing open her hoodie. She punched his jaw, but he held his ground, pinning her down. His teeth came down toward her neck. A shadow loomed over them as her body was freed from his weight. She sat up slowly, holding her head as her vision doubled. Amira managed to lean against a wall when she heard a fight going on beside her. Something large was attacking the Vampire, and it was clearly winning.

With a loud shriek, the Vampire collapsed to the ground, shaking as the shadow stood over it, it’s own teeth buried in its shoulder. When her vision cleared for a moment, she found a very large black Wolf holding the Vampire down. She couldn’t question things yet.

Amira picked up her wooden stake, sliding up beside the Wolf and stabbed the Vampire in his chest. He froze up, the mouth opened to let out a scream, but nothing came. His body slowly broke apart, collapsing into ashes until nothing was left. Even the clothes burned away.

She breathed deeply, sitting away with her back to the wall, her hand resting on her side. She felt the blood soaking her hoodie and shirt. She needed to get back to the apartment. She needed to patch herself up before she bled out. No, she needed to deal with the Wolf first. Her head felt light and she made the fatal mistake of shutting her eyes, but they wouldn’t open.

No, they need to open. Open!

Darkness consumed her mind, and for a brief instant she felt weightless. She almost wanted to sleep. A jolt of energy surged her heart and her eyes fluttered open. The black Wolf was near her, his deep green eyes looked concerned. She met its gaze tiredly.

A Werewolf.

Amira tried to look around, but when she moved her head just slightly, it sent a throb of pain through her.

Concussion. Check.

Her eyes fell on the pile of dust that was once her professor. A Vampire. The wooden stake lay in the pile. She pushed off the wall, managing to crawl to the pile and took up the wooden stake. The Wolf let out a soft whimper and she glanced over to it. Her vision blurred and she collapsed again. She felt the heat of the Wolf over her body. It felt... welcoming.

“No.” She said weakly. She felt the Wolf nudge her with its nose. Was it trying to get her up? Why did it help her? It was like before.

She helped once to.

Amira groaned, wincing in pain as she forced herself to her knees. She coughed, grabbing her side as pain stabbed through her. She struggled to her feet, her legs buckling, but the Wolf rushed to her side, letting her lean against it.

“Go away. You shouldn't be helping me...” She got out before her vision went dark.

----------

Warmth sunk into her body, and throbbing bounced along the walls of her skull. Opening her eyes was torture, but she managed it barely. The sun peaked through the curtains, explaining the warmth she felt. Her heavy eyes looked around her room carefully, confusion settling in. She recalled fighting the Vampire, then she blacked out when a large black Wolf intervened. She threw off her blanket, seeing that she was wearing her bra still and her side was stitched up. She ran her fingers over the stitches, wincing lightly.

“Did I do this? I don’t remember much.” She spoke, touching her throat. Her mouth was dry. She looked to the door of her bedroom, vaguely hearing the sound of her sink running. Amira slipped out of her bed carefully, taking out an over-sized shirt from her closet and peeked out the door. She ran her eyes over the small living room, seeing it vacant. Her eyes swept to the counter that separated the kitchen and the living room and she could see Miss J washing dishes at the sink. A sweet aroma filled her nose, refreshing her glands as her mouth started to water. She creaked open the door, stepping out into the living room.

“Oh child, I’m so glad you’re okay.” She turned her head to see Amira standing outside of her room. She shut off the water and quickly made her way to her side, taking her hands on her own, “How are you feeling? Are the stitches okay?” She piled on question after question to her. She felt dizzy from the bombardment.

“Miss J, you’re making me dizzy.” She told her, and Miss J stopped immediately.

“I’m sorry, Sugar. Take a seat, I’ll bring you some water and food.” She told her as she escorted her to the couch and helped her sit. Amira winced lightly, leaning back against her couch as Miss J went back to cooking.

“How did I get home?” She asked her. Miss J paused for a second.

“Amira, your mother and I were great friends. She trusted me with an important duty.” She said, continuing her cooking.

“And what was that?” She asked, feeling a little annoyed that she dodged her question.

“To watch over you. I know what you are, and where you came from.” She mentioned and Amira stiffened slightly.

“You know?”

“Of course I know and I’ll take it to my grave before I told anyone about you. I know I’m not supposed to say anything, but I’m the contact. I sent you your target last night.” She started piling something onto a plate. Amira’s eyes lit up at the sight of a stack of fluffy pancakes.

“How are you able to track these targets?” Amira asked her as she dug in almost instantly. The flavor bubbled on her tongue. She could die happy at this very moment.

“I'm either too good at my job, or you still need some fine tuning. I'm a Witch. Newer generation of Vampire's are easier to find than the older ones.” She said, taking a seat beside her. Amira stopped, a fork full of pancake half way in her mouth and side eyed Miss J.

“I presume that you’re one of the Light Witches then?” She asked to confirm and Miss J nodded.

“Of course. The Haddocks would never make a deal with a Dark Witch.” She mocked, taking a bite.

“I didn’t know.” Amira admitted, and Miss J patted her knee gently.

“Don’t fret over it. You would have known when you were a bit older with more experience under your belt.” She set her fork down, turning to face her, “To answer your question from earlier, you were on my doorstep this morning.” she said and Amira frowned.

“Was anyone with me?” She asked, but Miss J shook her head.

“No. I heard a knock at about three this morning, it was rather persistent, but when I opened the door, you were the only one I found.” She said to her. Amira looked at her last pancake, already half eaten and recalled the black Wolf.

“A Werewolf stepped in last night. If he hadn’t, I might’ve died.” She said, the truth stinging more than she wanted.

Miss J raised a brow, "He?" Amira stiffened as Miss J leaned over and squeezed her knee gently, “Be grateful that he did. Maybe he was out hunting or something.” She said, her eyes wandering off. Amira set her fork down, unable to finish the last of the pancake.

“How did you manage to get me here?” She asked her.

“I used a spell to teleport us here.” She said, and Amira stared at her wide eyed. Miss J let out a laugh, “It’s possible, but you can’t find the spell online if you dared to try it.” She said, picking up Amira’s plate and took it to the kitchen. Amira sat back again, laying her head back against the cushion. She wanted to sleep. Her eyes went up to the clock above her television, and she jumped to her feet.

“Fuck, my classes.” She said, letting out a yell as her side sent a stabbing pain through her again.

“I already called. I’m labeled as your guardian for contacts, so they let it slide. Besides, I believe they were canceling a few classes anyways.” She said, and Amira hobbled to the counter, propping herself up against it.

“Canceled?”

“It’s all over the news right now. A relative of that professor showed up at his house and heard screaming from inside. Police arrived and found two girls tied up in the basement.” She shivered, rubbing her arms, “Poor sweethearts were traumatized, and they don’t remember how they got there either.” She said. Amira sighed in relief.

Thank goodness the girls were fine.

“I guess I can open the shop early.” She said, getting to her feet slowly, “Oh, Miss J? That profes... The Vampire I killed last night, he gave me a book with no text. Can you take a look at it for me?” She asked her and Miss J tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“A book, huh? I can definitely peek at it later.” She said and Amira nodded.

“I’m just going to shower first.” she told her, disappearing into her bathroom that was next to her room. Once she was inside, she leaned up against the door and sighed. "What am I supposed to do now? That bastard saved me when he could've let me to die instead." She recalled his deep green eyes, blushing lightly, "Fuck me."

----------

Amira sat at the table while Miss J took the book she was given and walked off into the restricted section behind the small desk. She had flipped the open sign and unlocked the door, and taken a seat at the table while she waited. After her shower, she put on a tight shirt and jeans. She can’t wear anything revealing until her wounds heal. She pulled out her sketchbook and started to draw. Her mind was distracted to the Werewolf again. The large body, as black as the night sky. It’s fur was the softest thing she had ever felt in her life, and its eyes. They had this eerie glow to them, but they were kind and filled with concern for her well-being.

He saw my face. He knows what I am and yet he still saved me. Why?

The door chimed, but she didn’t glance up. Her eyes were stuck on each stroke of her pencil. Even though it was on paper, she felt drawn to it, the eyes swallowing her whole.

“Earth to Amira.” Miss J slipped past her thoughts and Amira looked up finally, seeing Aiden standing before her. They made eye contact for a second until his eyes fell on her book. She blushed, quickly shutting it and stashed it away while searching for her hunting knife that she tucked in her bag below the desk.

“Sorry, I was uh...”

“Distracted.” Miss J nudged her and Amira swallowed nervously.

“I wouldn't do that.” He gestured to the desk, his foot nudging her backpack beneath it. Her eyes narrowed at him, "I just came to talk."

“Easy child. You'll open your stitches.” Miss J chipped in.

“I don't care." She got to her feet, slamming her hands down on the desk. A sharp pain flashed in her side. She gasped, faltering a bit when his hands grabbed her arms to steady her. The jolt of electricity was the same as the first time they touched at her school and when he was as a Wolf the night before.

“I came to check on you first of all. My mom heard the news about your professor and sent me over.” He mentioned.

“What happened the other day?” Miss J asked.

“Nothing happened. My professor got a little too close for comfort, but Wolf boy here got between us. He hasn’t done anything like that since then.” She informed Miss J, watching the woman cross her arms.

“Honey, you can’t keep this sort of thing to yourself. Did you tell your dad?” she asked.

Right, like she tell him and that's not important right now!

“Absolutely not. He would’ve taken me out of that school.” She sighed, rubbing her neck and scowled at Aiden, “I’m fine. I’m just really sore.” She said. He sighed in relief.

“I’m glad. I have to get back to the shop, but we’re still on for next week?” He asked her. She blushed lightly as she recalled the date they set up.

“Yeah, totally." Her eyes widened, "Wait! No no, don't change the subject. I have questions that need to be answered!" She demanded. He inclined his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided her gaze.

"I'll answer your questions during dinner." He smirked lightly, "Unless the Hunter is afraid of the Wolf." He mocked teasingly as he turned away from her to walk away. She reached into her backpack, grabbing her hunting knife and flipped it until the blade was between her finger tips. She brought her hand back before throwing it, just missing his ear as the blade stuck into the door frame. He stopped beside the door, taking the knife out and waved it to her before leaving the shop. She groaned as she sat back down, wincing at the pain again when Miss J peered at her face.

"Was that a date that I heard?" She asked innocently, though she looked amused of the situation. Amira rolled her eyes.

"I can't consider it a date. He's a Werewolf and I'm a Hunter." She argued when Miss J poked her nose suddenly.

"He's a man and you're a woman." She corrected her before walking back into the restricted section once more. Amira let out another sigh, glancing down to her sketchbook and placed it back on the desk. She turned back to the page she was drawing of his Wolf and rested her head on her arms.

"Jax is gonna kill me..."

----------

When the day came for her birthday, she was a bundle of nerves when the bell dinged for the end of class. She let out a breath as she put everything away slowly. She couldn’t stop the inevitable, but she can delay it. Deep down she was looking forward to it, she hadn’t had a birthday dinner in years. Then again, this wasn't a formal dinner, nor the average date either.

How can I make this seem normal when I'm supposed to kill him?

She ran her hands over the creamy colored dress she wore, the skirt airy and flowing to just above her knees. Thin straps rested over her shoulders. She felt several eyes on her throughout the day, but she ignored them just as she normally would. How would Aiden react though?

You idiot. You went out of your way to dress up for the guy. What were you thinking?

The sun greeted her as she left the building, only to be met with numerous murmuring. She looked over to a small group of girls, their attention toward the parking lot. Her eyes followed where theirs were and she stopped in her tracks. Aiden was sitting on his motorcycle, the sun beating down on his well muscled shoulders. He wore a black tank top and jeans, his hair tussled a bit. He looked rugged and dangerous, and sexy. She felt tingling between her thighs as she approached him.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Are all Werewolves this hot?

“What are you doing here?” She asked when she got closer, pretending she had no idea. His eyes swept over her, taking her in with a smirk on his lips. The area between her hips ached.

“I noticed you didn’t take your truck today, so I figured I can take you sight seeing.” He said to her. She looked at the bike, then back to him.

“I’ve seen the town already though, and you still have questions to answer.” She told him and he chuckled lightly. She sighed inwardly at the sound. He got on his bike, making room for her.

“Just hop on. You can interrogate me later.” He told her. She adjusted the strap on her backpack before climbing behind him. She rested her hands on his back, trying her best to ignore the sparks she felt on her fingertips. “You’ve never been on a bike, have you?” He asked her.

“Not a motorized one.” She admitted. He took her hands, the electricity sparking when their skin made contact, and slides her hands around his waist. She blushed brightly as her hands rested on his muscled abdomen. His abs tensed at her touch and she shuddered a bit.

“You good?” He asked, trying to catch his own breath.

“Yes. I’m ready.” She replied. She couldn’t admit to him that the close contact was driving her heart crazy. He started up the bike, the vibrations making her pussy quiver and she panted lightly, gripping his shirt reflexively. He took off down the street, the wind brushing against her face and whipping back her hair.

He zipped through the streets until the town was behind them, the forest blurring on by. She pulled back slightly, looking around them. It was exhilarating.

He slowed down when a path to the right appeared and he turned down it. It was a single road with the trees lined alongside of it. The sun peeked past the canopy, but the shade gave her some comfort.

The road opened up as the trees came to an end to a cliff side. He came to a stop, turning off the engine. Her eyes went out to the cliff as she hopped off and dropped her backpack beside the bike. She walked up as close as she dared, and let out a soft gasp. Before her eyes was a landscape of a dense forest that seemed to spread out for miles. Closer to her was a large lake where the sun glistened off of it. Being this high up, the breeze felt slightly cooler, relieving her of the heat from the sun.

This would be an easy place to take him out...

“This is breathtaking.” She said instead, pushing her hair back as another breeze came through. She was met with silence as she turned to see Aiden leaning against his bike, his eyes only on her. He got up, making his way over until he stood next to her, “Do you come here often?”

“When I want a break from people and work.” He said, his hands going into his pockets. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, admiring the view beside her.

“Is being a mechanic frustrating?” She asked him, and he shrugged.

“I don’t talk much to the customers. My old man does that for me. He’s more of a people person anyways.” he said to her.

“Your old man? Your dad?”

“God no, my grandpa. He technically owns the shop, I just do the work for him since he can’t at his age now.” He said. She inclined her head when he pushed the idea of his father off. She felt somewhat relatable to that.

“I wouldn’t mind knowing more about cars and how to fix them. I travel a lot, and it would save me a ton of money if I can just do it myself.” She said. He raised a brow at her.

“Not anymore. I fixed up your truck, it’s got my signature now, so you’ll be stuck with me as your mechanic.” He smiled at her. Her heart fluttered in her chest.

“I hope you haven't forgotten. I have questions and you have answers. You wouldn't bring a Hunter out here just for the perfect view." She said.

“Just you.” He said, meeting her gaze full on. She looked into those green eyes of his, captivated by them. He cleared his throat, gesturing to the lake below, “Do you want to check it out? We have some time before dinner.” He said to her as he made his way back to the bike.

"You're dodging my question."

"Not dodging, just postponing." He called back to her as she followed him back to his bike.

----------

Amira sighed happily as she walked along the shore of the lake, the cool water splashing her feet. Aiden was walking ahead of her, skipping stones as they walked. They were able to take the bike down another path until it ended and had to hike the rest of the way. This was all new to her. Being part of the Hunters meant changing locations frequently and being on your guard at all times.

You can’t trust anyone blindly.

She looked at his strong build, his height and how he carried himself. Compared to the first time she saw him at the book store, he seemed reserved and quiet. Since then he joked with her, rescued her and is treating her on her birthday. In only two weeks, it felt like she has known him a lifetime. And yet...

“Aiden?” She called to him and he stopped, turning back to look at her. She walked closer to him until they were a foot apart. The wind tossled his hair, making him appear more wild. The image of the black Wolf wandered into her mind, but she pushed it away. She gazed into his eyes, “Are you lonely?” The question threw him off and he turned his eyes to the water. He took a seat on the grass and she followed, dipping her toes back into the water.

“Not the start of the questions I was expecting, but you could say that.” He finally said, his eyes taking in the lake. She looked out with him, listening to the wind in the trees.

“I can relate to that,” She started, “I spent most of my life with Jax, but we haven’t really talked to each other since my mom died.” Her mind started to shut out everything around her, “We have friends in the Hunters Organization, but it’s usually just the same nonsense every time we meet up.” She brought her legs to her chest, the skirt sliding down her thighs a bit. “I’ve moved around so much as a kid, I went to a new school almost every year because of it. I couldn’t make friends for long, and I couldn’t really date either.” She leaned her head back and shut her eyes, drinking in the warmth of the sun. It felt great to finally get it off of her chest.

“I couldn’t possibly compare to how you felt all this time, especially after losing a parent at a young age,” He finally spoke up, drawing her attention to him. He was leaning back on one hand while the other draped over a knee, “but loneliness has been familiar company of mine for a very long time.” His eyes darkened with a shade of sadness she hadn’t seen before. She reached over, placing her hand over his gently. His eyes went to hers right away, the sparks starting in her fingers and gradually working up her arms. Her breath caught in her throat as the sparks jolted her heart, sending the sensation through to her blood.

“Do you feel lonely now?” She asked him, and his fingers mingled with hers. He leaned in a bit closer, closing the distance between them until his body was almost touching her own. He hovered his face close to hers, making her blush, but he didn’t push any further than that. Just having him so close sent her heart racing furiously.

“For the first time in a long time, no.”