Hunted (soldmysoul and Autumn)

[Autumn]

Sebastien took the wine glass in his hand and turned from the bartender, leaning on the polished wood bar. The club was dark. It was almost impossible to see anyone. Well, for humans, he supposed. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip as his eyes danced around the room. The target was there. Seb had been following him for weeks now. Valentina had assigned him this particular subject personally. She had stressed how important it was that he didn't fail, and if there was anything that he had learned in his 302 years, it was that you didn't disappoint a Malinov. Especially not Valentina.


Seb caught sight of him as soon as he walked out the door. Finding other vampires wasn't the difficult part, though. The killing, well, that wasn't so easy. Valentina said this particular vampire was from a rival coven and had been feeding carelessly in Malinov territory. That was enough to earn him a death sentence.


He took one last gulp of wine before he set the glass on the counter along with enough cash to cover what he drank for the night. He had probably burned through three or four bottles of wine waiting on that idiot to stop hitting on people and leave. Alcohol didn't really affect him anymore, unfortunately. It certainly would have made tonight more enjoyable.


Seb emerged from the club, pulling his coat tightly around him. The moon was full and the wind was bitter. He glanced up and down the street, spotting a distant figure to his left. He strode after the man, his right hand in the pocket of his coat, clutching the flask of lighter fluid he hid there. All he had to do was wait until the vampire wandered down a dark enough path and away from humans. Seb really wasn't interested in attempting damage control tonight.


Thankfully, Seb didn't need to stalk his prey for long before he took a sudden right turn down a not-so-well-lit path. Here was his golden opportunity. In three long strides, Seb was upon the vampire. He grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the nearest wall with all his strength. The concrete cracked around the creature, who looked at his attacker with rage in his eyes.


"Nothing personal," Seb said, a smug look on his face. He would make quick work of him.


Suddenly, the vampire was on his feet and running full speed at Seb, fangs first. Sebastien barely had time to side-step the vampire, who managed to sink his teeth into Seb's shoulder. Seb emitted a guttural growl before landing a punch on the man's face. He released Seb and stumbled backwards, slightly disoriented.


"You tore my coat," Seb muttered, pouting. "This is my favorite coat."


He was at the vampire's throat then, eyes boring into the other's. With his free hand, he reached into his pocket and untwisted the top of the flask. He pulled the container out and showed his victim, a sadistic smile plastered on his face. The vampire looked at him with terror in his eyes.


"Please, I haven't done anything wrong," the vampire pleaded.


"Valentina doesn't seem to think so."


Understanding passed over the vampires face before his lips twisted into a smile. "Ah, Sebastien. Valentina's right hand. How fortuitous. I've got a message for your fearless leader."


"I'd be happy to tell her for you when we're done here," Seb said with a sickly-sweet smile. He didn't like this vampire. He wasn't scared of Sebastien and that was a problem.


"Tell her we're coming," he hissed.


Seb glared at his prey before dousing him in lighter fluid. He struggled, gnashing his teeth and flailing his limbs. Seb growled in annoyance as he struggled to keep the vampire pinned against the wall. Suddenly, the vampire's eyes glowed an eerie yellow and Seb was forced backwards by something invisible. He hit the wall hard and the world spun in a nauseating manner. Seb's victim took his opportunity and ran while Seb struggled to pull himself to his feet to pursue him.


He was gone, though. There was no trace.


How the hell did he do that?





Seb sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, examining the alley they had fought in. As far as he knew, no one had noticed their unnatural skirmish.


"Well, let's go see Val."

 

[soldmysoul]

The air was crisp and the cold stung her now flushed face as Kat stepped from the vehicle, going around to the trunk where she retrieved a large duffle bag. She checked her surroundings before closing the trunk, heading over to the motel lobby. Her face twisted as she entered, the musty odor lurking in the air, the old man at the desk seemed a product of his environment with all eight of his teeth, yellowing and rotting. She went to lean on the counter but decided against it after noticing the blood stain, instead, she set her nights fee on the table as the man handed her a key. Bracing herself, she walked back out into the cold night as she made her way to room 204, going inside and tossing her bag on the bed and unzipping it. Out came her crossbow, which was carefully laid across the mahogany comforter that could have passed for around 3o-years-old.


This is where Katarzyna would lay her head for the next couple of nights, until she could meet up with some of the other hunters and stay with them. It was far from cozy, and she knew there wouldn't be much sleep to be had, but it would have to do. She toured the small space, checking the closet and the bathroom before sitting down on the love seat, propping her feet, which were dressed in muddied black boots, up on the outdated wooden coffee table in front of her. It wasn't long when staring at the wooden paneled walls became trite and she began to grow antsy, another minute and she would lose her mind.


Kat stood up, placing her things back into her bag, stowing them away into the closet. However, there was one thing she grabbed, her .38 revolver due to the fact that it could easily be concealed, hopefully she wouldn't need it. Back out into the cold she went, walking down the streets where she eventually came to a nearby club, stopping in front of it. She scanned the building as well as the people exiting, the name suddenly stuck out in her head as she remembered being told about a large majority of the club-goers being "supernatural in nature"- it was where they liked to get their prey. She smirked a bit to herself.

 

[Autumn]

Seb wandered back towards the club, sticking close to buildings. He was a little beat up and didn't need to draw unnecessary attention to himself. Their lair was back this way, in one of the more expensive parts of the city. The Malinov family was old, and old families tended to have a lot of money. Valentina so graciously provided everything her followers needed to stay hidden in modern society. It wasn't so difficult anymore. People had stopped believing in most things supernatural. The only real threat to vampires now was each other and the hunters.


The hunters. The thought turned his stomach. They lived to find vampires and kill them. They hadn't even been a threat until the vampire covens turned against each other. Life was comfortable, but it wasn't necessarily easy. Having to go from something that killed without regard to someone that had to feed in secret. His mouth watered at the thought of feeding again. How long had it been? Two weeks? Three?


He was pulled from his thoughts as he arrived outside the gates of a skyscraper. The moon reflected in the mirrored face of the building. All the way to the top. He pulled out his wallet and rifled through the cards before pulling out a dark red key card. He pushed the revolving door and stepped into the lobby, walking purposefully to the black doors on the opposite end. Before he had even made it halfway there, the doors slid open and a tall blonde woman stepped out of the elevator. She was gorgeous in a way that made you feel like she was about to kill you. Flanked by two intimidatingly sized vampires, she seemed to glide across the room towards Sebastien.


"You failed," she said once he . Her face didn't give her emotions away, but Seb knew her well enough to know she was furious.


"Valentina, I know you're pissed, but there was something... not normal about that guy. He had some sort of power. I'm not sure what it was," Sebastien explained. "Val, he said they're coming for us."


Val's green eyes flashed with realization before they were unreadable once more.


"I see," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Go get Peter out of the bar and get back here. I have a feeling we're going to have a fight soon."


Seb nodded and turned on his heels, heading back out into the cold. This night was not going his way. Although Valentina's reaction was better than expected.


The sound of raucous laughter caught his attention. A drunken couple was making their way down the opposite side of the street. How easy it would be to kill them silently; and how satisfying it would be to feed. It was almost too tempting to refuse. He stopped and leaned against the building in the shadows and watched them make their way closer. No one would ever know.

 

[soldmysoul]

Kat placed her ungloved hands together, rubbing them for friction before placing them over her mouth to exhale some warm air onto them. Once her fingers were able to move a little easier, she reached into the pocket of her black leather jacket, pulling out a small notepad and a pad as she tried to scribble down the address before a reeling male, knocked into her, knocking the things from her hands. "Shit," she exclaimed out loud to herself as she knelt down to collect her notes. "Fucking moron" she mumbled.


The man stopped and turned, pulling her up by the sleeve of her jacket, pushing her against the brick wall, grabbing her by the face. Already, the aroma of whiskey from his breath seemed to consume her, she tried to turn away but he didn't allow it.


"What's a pretty girl like you, doing out here all alone?" His face got closer as he spoke. Kat reached her hand, under her jacket to grab her pistol, pressing it firmly against the man's side as the sound of the gun being cocked, caused the man to step back. He fixed his coat collar angrily, stumbling off. She quickly looked around as she slid the gun back in place, covering it up with her jacket. She wondered if any one saw, but by the looks of it, if anyone did, they didn't care or were too oblivious.


She groaned, rolling her eyes as she pocketed her notes.

 

[Autumn]

Seb's eyes were torn from the couple as some drunk guy stumbled into some poor girl. Sebastien didn't necessarily care to go out of his way to help anyone, but he really hated creeps. He had taken a step out of the safety of the shadows, contemplating interfering, when the girl pulled a gun out from under her coat. An amused smile crept onto his face as he watched the man drunkenly hurry away. He walked down the sidewalk, passing the man who reeked of whiskey.


"I was going to help, but it doesn't appear you need it," Seb said to the girl, putting on his most charming smile and running his fingers through his dark hair. Most of the time people were drawn to him. He was good-looking and having three hundred years to perfect your flirting game gave him an advantage. Still, some people seemed to sense he was dangerous and got away from him as soon as they could politely could. Honestly, he wasn't sure what his endgame was here. Maybe he could feed tonight. If he did soon, he might be able to hide the body before the night was over.


He needed to collect Peter, who was no doubt feigning drunkenness in the club after racking up quite a tab, but he was fine. It wasn't like he was going anywhere anytime soon. It was possible Seb could turn this night around after all.

 

[soldmysoul]

"Yeah I'm fine." She muttered under her breath as she dusted herself off before looking up at the young man, giving him the once over. "Thank you for noticing," she said almost cautiously. She started to walk away before stopping and turning back to Sebastien, "actually, you seem to be the only one out here with some sort of sense still in you. Do you know of anywhere I can get some hot tea or maybe coffee at this hour?" She crossed her arms across her chest, taking the few steps back to where she once stood. The moisture from her words turning into a slight fog as they left her mouth.


The cold was bitter but she wasn't quite ready to return to her temporary abode for the night, especially due to the fact that she hadn't had anything to eat since earlier in the day. Not to mention, after her recent run-in, she had no desire to continue her get-to-know-the-area travels so aimlessly.

 

[Autumn]

Seb watched her turn and walk away, frowning slightly. He had hoped this would be easier. He was about to open his mouth to call after her when she turned back. Seb flashed a dazzling smile at the girl. "I know a great place. It's just down the block," he replied, gesturing down the street. It was pretty deserted here right now, but that wasn't too surprising. This wasn't a great part of town and it was closing in on two in the morning. All the better for him, he supposed.


The city was the perfect place for him. You could blend in when there were that many people. It was easier to hide. That was what Seb's life had been demoted to: running and hiding from hunters and other clans. It didn't suit him very well. When you were trained by the Malinov family, killing was all you really knew. Seb tried to push the thoughts of his training from his mind. Those were a difficult few years, and he had a lot of scars to show for it.


"Here it is," Seb announced as he stopped in front of a little coffee shop. He pulled the heavy door open and headed inside, where he was greeted by the smell of cinnamon and fresh-baked muffins. It was a cute little place where he liked to go to people-watch. Padded armchairs were placed around the room and mismatched chandeliers hung from the ceiling.


"Pretty much everything here is great," Seb said, studying the menu as if he hadn't already decided what he wanted. "What do you normally like?" he asked, casting a sideways glance at the girl, memorizing her features. Something about her reminded him of someone.


"You know, I don't think I caught your name. I'm Sebastien."

 

[soldmysoul]

"Ah, perfect." She replied, following closely, she was dying to get something in her stomach, and something that would warm her up a bit. However, she noticed there was something strange about this man. As the walked to the cafe, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander back up to his face, as if there were a way she could read his intentions. She needed to get the idea out of her head that everyone was bad because she knew that wasn't the case. She wasn't bad. To vampires who didn't know her maybe. To the rival hunters that didn't appreciate the amount if mercy she gave... maybe. So what really defined someone as bad?


When they arrived, Katarzyna was immediately comforted by the atmosphere and the faux fire they had going off to the side. It was definitely more pleasant that the place she would be staying for the next couple of nights and allowed her mind that had just a second ago been running rampant, slow down. There was nothing to worry about, not yet.


She walked up to the counter, looking up at her options. "That's a good question," she answered in reply to the strangers question. The words on the hand-written menu board in front of her seemed to run together, she couldn't remember the last time she had a good nights sleep. "I think I'll get a chai tea, haven't had one of those in forever."


"Oh, and I'm Kat." She turned to shake his hand, she should have introduced herself earlier but her mind was running on 6 or so hours of sleep over the last 3 days. "It's nice to meet you."

 

[Autumn]

Seb searched his memory for any Kat. He was positive he hadn't met her before. "Are you new around here?" he asked, trying to get information about this girl without seeming like he was prying. She seemed exhausted, like she had been travelling a lot recently. Or something else.


Sebastien shook the thought from his head. Not everyone he encountered was a hunter. Still, caution was always better than getting caught alone with one of them. Humans weren't usually a problem, but hunters were well-versed in the different ways to dispose of vampires. They never forgot about the existence of vampires, even when the rest of the world decided vampires were for children's stories.


Not that it bothered Seb. It made his life easier. Well, the last 100 years hadn't been the best. You couldn't really just feed without regard anymore. Societies cared when their members went missing or turned up dead. Still, there were ways to ensure you wouldn't get caught. He realized being seen in public with this girl was probably not ideal suddenly.


He ordered Kat's chai tea and himself coffee. He enjoyed eating food. It wasn't exactly the same as when he was human, but eating was still rather enjoyable. He grabbed their drinks and steered Kat towards the faux fire and two armchairs that sat to the left of it. "It's cold outside tonight," Seb commented. He wasn't really bothered by it, but the poor girl looked like she had been freezing.

 

[soldmysoul]

"Yeah I just got here actually, which is why I'm out so late." That was her excuse for being out late, she wondered what his was, especially after noticing the tear in his coat. These days, she was suspicious of anyone and everyone, it seemed no one could be trusted anymore. The fact that she was even having a drink in a cafe with someone she had just met was rare enough. "I actually came here to meet up with some friends."


Had she told him too much? Even if she had, she trusted the fact that she knew how to take care of herself, she had just proven that not too long ago. If she could avoid a troublesome situation, she would. If she was in one, she usually prevailed which is the reason she was still here today.


When the drinks were ordered, she took hers, before making her way to take a seat. "Thank you," she said as she took a sip, "this is definitely what I needed." She took another sip, it was amazing what a warm drink could do, it was almost like an instant mood enhancer, she now felt more relaxed than tense.


She gave a nod to the last comment the other had made, glancing out the window. She could see that the wind had picked up a bit, the walk back to the motel was something she was dreading even more so than before.


"So, Sebastien, are you from around here?" Kat sipped from her tea, her eyes going back to the tear on his coat, but she tried not to make it so obvious.

 

[Autumn]

Seb nodded as she spoke, sipping his coffee. He was curious about her, about who she was and where she was from. His curiosity always made things more difficult for him.


Resigning to the fact that the wouldn't be able to satiate his hunger tonight, he relaxed in his chair. "Warm drinks on a cold night do wonders for the soul," he said, a small smile on his face. He heard her ask if he was from here, but he noticed her eyes flit to the tear in his coat from earlier. He was kicking himself for not being more careful. The only way he had managed to survive this long was by being extremely cautious.


Unsure of how to explain the tear, he removed his coat and folded it over the back of his chair with the tear hidden. Out of sight, out of mind, he hoped. "I've been here for a long time now," Seb responded with a small chuckle. Only if you consider 250 years a long time. His own personal joke.


"Where did you live before you came here?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the faux fire to look at Kat. All of a sudden, there was a ringing noise coming from his pocket. He sighed, patting his pockets for his cellphone.


"Sorry, it's a friend I was with earlier," Seb said, glancing at the name on his screen. "I'll just be a moment," he muttered as he stood and walked outside, forgetting to grab his coat.


"Peter, what in the world do you need?" Sebastien demanded.


"Seb, listen. I was hanging out at the club and there was a rumor going around about people being in town that shouldn't be here. I can't say too much. I'll explain it all in person. Just meet me back at the apartment," Peter replied, not waiting for a response before hanging up.

 

[soldmysoul]

Of course she thought it a bit strange that the question about his jacket had been ignored, why would someone ignore a question like that? Unless of course their was a terribly embarrassing story behind it, or maybe something else. However, she chose not to say anything else of it, he had played it off rather smoothly, but it did not necessarily mean her attention had been completely distracted away from it.


"I'm actually from-" that's when his phone ring and Kat decided to quiet herself with another long sip of tea. She gave Sebastien a slight nod, "no, go right ahead." She watched him walk out, a chill coming over a large portion of the cafe once the door had been opened. Glancing around, she was the only one left in there besides the baristas, chatting among themselves behind the counter. Back to the outside her attention went as she watched him on the phone, waiting for him to come back inside.


However, the thought of his jacket came back into her mind as she noticed it still on the back of the chair. Carefully, she picked up the part of the coat with the hole, leaning forward to get a better view before checking that Sebastien would not notice her doing so. Blood. She noticed a small amount of blood on it. That was good enough for her as she placed the coat back onto the back of the chair just the way it had been before. She took another sip of her drink, placing both hands around he cup.


Kat then set the cup down on the small table in front of her, pulling out the small notepad she had stored in her pocket, jotting down the name Sebastien. Things had just become a little more interesting for her.

 

[Autumn]

Sebastien hurried back inside, thoroughly annoyed at Peter's cryptic message. It wasn't the first time that he had called Sebastien with conspiracies he had heard at the local bar.


"Sorry about that," Seb said, returning to his chair. "Drunk friends are great, right?" he said with a chuckle. It was a small lie. Peter acted drunk most of the time anyway. He took a sip of his coffee and looked over at Kat. "Now what were we talking about? Oh, you were going to tell me where you're from."


Peter can wait. There's no way what he has to say is anything Val wouldn't know already anyway, he thought to himself. It was nice getting away from all of them. They were his family; he loved them, but they frustrated him to no end sometimes. Well, he wasn't so sure about the love part. They were a pack. They worked together, but only because it benefited them to do so.

 

[soldmysoul]

She forced a smile, nodding slightly. To be honest though, Katarzyna could not actually remember the last time she had dealt with intoxicated friends. In fact, she could not even remember the last time she dealt with 'friends' at all, she really didn't have any in the first place and this whole 'travelling hunter' thing didn't help either. There were times when she honestly thought about giving this whole thing up, finding a real job, a place to call home, all those good things that every American dreamed of. Of course, what kept her going was the thought of finding her brother, the only person she had left, or hope she had left. Sadly, his status was never really confirmed as 'living', but then again, it was never confirmed as 'deceased' either, that was the hope that she held on to. Then when she really started to think about having a normal life, the whole idea seemed pish posh, what reason does she have for a normal life now when she never even had one in the first place? Until she could find out what happened to her brother, she would continue to search, she would continue to collect bounties, and she would continue to lead a far from normal life.


"I'm actually from Baltimore." She said casually, sipping the last few sips of her now, lukewarm beverage as she looked him up and down once more. There was something about him that made her almost uneasy, the blood she found on the coat was really the cherry on top. Sebastien's good looks, his charm, there had to be something else behind all that, not to mention she met him outside of the club she had been told about where vampire's usually 'hang'. Kat wasn't sure of it just yet, but she had her suspicions about him, she certainly did. However, if it turned out that he was what she thought he was, she wasn't necessarily going to do anything other than keep her distance. She would never intentionally hurt a vampire, or give up and secret information she could find unless she knew that specific person was a threat, and as far as she was concerned, he was not. In fact, so far he was rather pleasant.


"I hope I'm not keeping you from anything important."