Chapter 5 - Dorian
One Week Later
I swung my ax, and the massive piece of wood on the ground split in two. Behind me, there was a pile that I'd been working on for two hours now, and I was just starting to break a sweat. I needed this to be active. I couldn't stop seeing Marian's face, hearing her voice and her anger.
I don't need looking after, and I most definitely don't need you pretending to care about me.
Those were the words she spat at me last week in the forest, and since then, we didn't cross paths again.
Her words had stung more than she knew. I wasn’t putting on an act. I hadn’t stopped caring for her, no matter how the years ticked by.
I'd kept tabs on her, keeping up with her life in my way, as creepy as that was, but I wanted to make sure she was safe. That had always been my top priority, even if done from a distance. She was more than safe, though. She’d done well for herself, better than if she’d stayed with me.
She went to college, was at the top of her class, graduated with honors, was the valedictorian, and returned to Wolfcreek. She opened her own supermarket and retired her mom early.
Marian did everything she said she would and more. She was brilliant and independent, and I'd always liked that about her. However, even with all that success, she lived alone, making her the perfect prey for a vampire. She had family, just not immediately with her, and that was what most tame vampires with a secret untamed bloodlust search for, a prey with no one they could latch onto.
But Marian wasn’t really alone.
I swung my ax, and the moment that vampire's face flashed in my mind, the ax came down with more force than needed. The wood and the more enormous stump beneath it both split, leaving the ax embedded in the ground.
I exhaled and stood up, releasing the ax to remove my shirt. Memories from my past—gruesome memories—surfaced in my mind, and I turned away from the ax and wood to drink some water.
I could hear Nikoli washing the dishes from our late lunch inside the house. This was his first visit to Wolfcreek since I moved back, and he'd arrived yesterday, Friday evening, and would be leaving tomorrow to head back for school on Monday.
Actually, this was his first visit to the pack in years. He didn't have any reason to return home after a while. Still, he was welcomed, and last night many of the pack members gathered at the pack house for dinner and drinks.
The shame I felt at how awkward it was being with my son after so long was like a slow-killing poison. Every time I looked at Nikoli and noted how much he'd grown and listened to him talk about school, his friends, and achievements, and knowing I hadn’t been a part of any of it, I died a little.
Nevertheless, he was healthy, happy, and well-protected at his private school, which cost thousands but was worth it. He was safe and had remained so all these years, just like Marian. He was charming, and people were drawn to him because of his easygoing attitude.
I took comfort in knowing he was growing into a great man.
I went back to chopping wood once I finished my water and wondered what mission I’d be on right now if I wasn’t here.
When I was recruited, I was told that I wouldn't have a normal life until I retired, and because of the things I’d have to do for my job, my life would not be regular even after retirement. I was warned that becoming a Hunter would cause me to see too much and do too many things that would change me.
I knew that now to be true.
If I took the job, I was told I would have to say goodbye to my life and everyone in it, but I'd be changing the world.
There were powerful forces in the dark creature world and among those in governing positions. My job wasn’t just hunting vampires at night. Being a hunter meant fighting corruption, infiltrating black market organizations dealing in human and supernatural trafficking, organ trafficking, and a barrage of evil deeds.
Dark creatures were equally good hunters and killers and were sometimes even hired by people.
Being a hunter was a messy profession, and it came with the price of making enemies, but I took the job. I'd joined the police academy because I wanted to save and protect lives, and what better way than to become a hunter, to fight those who had sunk their claws into society and were silent holders of too much dark power.
I recalled my team taking down a senator in bed with demons and partaking in human trafficking. They'd harmed so many people from so many species, young, old, and in-between. That was one of my first jobs before I’d finally told Marian the truth about becoming a hunter.
That job had scared the shit out of me and showed me what I was really facing, what risks humans like Marian were facing leaving their homes every day and at night while in bed.
I saw my comrades die on that mission, some who had families, and I couldn't do that to Marian. So I pushed her away. Having emotional ties and people to suffer at my death or become targets for my enemy wasn't a price I was willing to pay. So I paid another price, not growing attached to anyone.
Now, seeing that Marian had been marked by a vampire was like a slap. It was like my life was coming full circle, or maybe this was penance because, dark creatures or not, I'd slaughtered thousands.
Vampires tamed and untamed marked whoever they felt were potential mates, and this Isaac had his eyes set on Marian.
The wind caressed my exposed skin covered in beads of sweat, and I stilled.