The Hunter and the Hunted.

She is the most skilled vampire hunter they had ever produced. Her methods are undeniably effective, and her results are unquestionable. There are no survivors when she decides to exterminate...except one. The one that bites her and changes her life forever.

She remembered her training as if it were yesterday. "The demons of the night only live to feed, and they feed on the helpless." She came from a long line of vampire hunters, but none of them had taken the task to heart quite like she had. Her crossbow had become one with her hands as she made her way through the nest. "To hunt, you must think like your prey." Her footsteps were silent, and her breathing was so light that, her enemies would have to strain to hear her. She crept up on the leader, but was shocked when he opened his eyes.

She gasped as she gripped the bow tighter. She had seen plenty of the blood-sucking demons in action, but she had never seen the calm serenity in their eyes. She felt as if every trouble and worry was disappearing from her soul as she stared into his eyes. She couldn't decide if his eyes were blue or grey but they were absolutely gorgeous. She shook her head and regained her focus. He was the enemy; it didn't matter how handsome he was. She raised her bow once more, but before she squeezed the trigger, he did the one thing she didn't expect. He spoke. "Why do you seek suck violence?" His voice was the deepest, smoothest voice she'd ever heard. It entranced her but only for a minute. "You are the blood-sucking demon." She said through clenched teeth. He opened his arms much like a martyr being sacrificed. "You have hunted our kind for so long, but yet you do not know anything about us." Oh boy, his voice was doing that trick on her again. She had to fight, or run, or do something besides let this prince of darkness deter her. Her legs made the decision. She turned and bolted.

She made it outside, and instantly, felt better. The cool air nipped at her nose and cheeks, and her breath puffed white. She wasn't sure what that had been about, but she felt more in control. She had never ran away from the enemy, but then again, she'd never had a conversation with them either. Did all of them have those powers? Or was it just him? She didn't know, but she knew that she had to get away from that place, away from him.

He should chase her, but there was something about the way she looked that just rooted him in place. He had never seen a female look so enticing yet so powerful, but when she had ran away, she had a stunned look in her eyes. He could tell that she had never failed at a mission, and yet, she ran like a scared pup. There was also something else. There was a smell that he couldn't quite place, an aroma from her that intrigued him. He decided that he would pursue her but later. Right now, he needed to mourn his nest. They had been his family, and she had slaughtered them without a second thought. She didn't know that Jared was his brother, and his mate, Kate, had been a part of their family for years. He was sure that she didn't care that Millie had been a lost orphan before joining their clan, or that Jason had a knack for writing the most beautiful poems. She had called him a blood-sucking demon, but she hadn't even know the truth. Vampirism couldn't be transferred by just biting any person, it could only be obtained by biting your mate or being born with the traits. If you'd been born with the traits, they wouldn't show up until you were in your twenties or thirties. You would have been normal until you woke up one day, and couldn't handle being in the sun, and had a craving for blood. Nothing would satisfy that craving except the flow of warm blood. He wondered if her blood would taste different.

She had been in the barn, training for hours, when her mother came out. "What are you doing?" She didn't answer, just continued to hit the punching bag. "Armaria Renee, what are you doing?" She finally stopped. "I failed my mission. There was one left." Her mother didn't do the motherly thing and pull her into a hug. She didn't tell her that she hadn't failed. She looked her in the eyes, and asked what she was going to do about it. She looked out of the doors, and said fiercely "I'm going to hunt him down and kill him." Her mother smiled as she left the barn.

He watched her silently, but the arousal he felt was undeniable. He watched as she did different training routines. This woman was powerful, graceful, and beautiful, but she was also a fierce hunter. She had trained all of her life to fight his kind, and he could see the precision in each hit. They would encounter each other soon enough, and he wasn't entirely sure who would win this match.

It was days before she found him. She had spent all of her time training, looking over maps, and devising a plan. She would not be caught off guard again. She opened the door to the abandoned factory, wincing as the door squeaked. She followed the walkway until she saw him. "Ah, the hunter has returned." He said as she inched closer to him. His voice echoed through her body, encouraging her to relax. "The mission will come to an end tonight." She said smoothly, trying to pretend his voice didn't affect her. "If it must." His voice seemed to paralyze her. She noticed how tall he was. He stood a foot taller than she did. His eyes were the same shade of calming storm that had first caught her off guard, and his jet black hair was a curly mess. She found herself longing to run her fingers through it. What was wrong with her? He was the enemy, she shouldn't even engage in such thoughts. She raised her bow to her shoulder, but in an instant, his face changed, and he became as quick as the wind. One minute, he was standing in front of her, as the prey, and the next minute, he was behind her, now the hunter. She tried to protest, but felt him move next to her. His solid body was pressed up against her back, and she felt very meek. She tried to push away but he already was embracing her. It was just a brief moment before she felt the piercing pain followed by the extreme euphoria, and then the passionate arousal.

Her blood flowed over his lips. Oh boy, it was like the sweetest honey. He wanted to continue to suck on her until every drop was gone, but then he felt her knees give out underneath her. He had to stop or he was going to kill her. He reluctantly pulled away. She pretty much fell into his arms, and he noticed her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green he'd ever seen. In an instant, he decided to let her live. She'd be back but not to kill him. He transported her home, and left her to sleep.

She had dreams of being entangled in his arms. Dreams that would make any girl blush. When she woke up, she realized she was back in her bed, but she was fully dressed. It took her a few minutes to remember what had happened, but she still couldn't figure out how she had made it back to her bed. Did she walk? Or did he somehow get her home. Her head felt fuzzy, and her limbs didn't want to work. The window was open too. Finally, she was able to gather enough strength to close it. Maybe she dreamt the whole thing. No, that couldn't be right. She went to the bathroom, and looked in the mirror. On her neck, there was two little pinpricks. That proved it. It hadn't been a dream, but that meant that dirty blood sucker had fed off her. She had to find him, and kill him, but right now, she didn't have the strength. She changed her clothes, and climbed into bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

He couldn't forget how she tasted. He hoped she would be back soon. He had never encountered a female that intrigued him so much. How could a hunter be so damn beautiful? Most of the hunters he'd seen, looked like Amazon women with battle scars that would make most men weak. She wasn't anything like that, and he could tell that she had been hunting for a long time just by her hunting methods. She had grown up in a family of hunters.

He tried to sleep but he couldn't. He kept thinking about how perfectly she fit next to his body, as if she'd been made for him, how beautiful her eyes were, and how he wanted more.

She woke up with a churning in her stomach. She almost felt nauseous but it was almost like a craving too. She crawled into the bathroom willing herself to throw up but nothing would come. This was the worst hangover feeling she'd ever had, and vampire hunters could definitely hold their liquor. Cold sweat slicked her skin, and she felt like she was dying. It was later that she realized she had fallen asleep on the bathroom floor. She finally made it down to the kitchen, and was able to drink some water. She didn't think she would be able to make it back upstairs but somehow she did.

It was late the next afternoon before she woke up again. She was sure she was dying. She had to find that blood sucker and figure out what was going on. Every move killed her, and she felt like she wasn't going to make it but she pushed on, putting on her coat and shoes, and heading out the door. The snow was falling, making it difficult to walk. She wasn't sure how far she had made it before she collapsed.

He felt at unease. Something had happened to her, he was sure of it. He headed out into the snow storm, finding her just in time. She was pretty much just a pile of snow by the time he got to her. He picked her up with ease, and carried her back to the barn where they had originally met. He'd be able to start a fire there, and keep her warm until she came to. She felt the warmth, and began to wonder if she'd lost her mind. When she opened her eyes, she saw the most calming eyes in the world. "Are you okay?" He asked with that deep voice.

She blinked a few times. "I think so. How did I get here?" Her voice was soft, like that from a lullaby. It made his knees weak. He wasn't really sure what to tell her, so he just stayed quiet. She tried to sit up but the nauseous feeling came back. "What's happening to me?" She asked as she laid her head back down. "What do you mean?" He said gently, as he stroked her head. It was a minute before she spoke. "I'm nauseous, weak, and feel hungover." His gut dropped. She was changing which meant she was his mate.

He hadn't meant to change her, but a part of him was thrilled. He had watched other vampires find their mates but he never got to experience that. Of course, his mate would be a hunter. He bit his wrist and handed it to her. "Drink." He could see her stomach turning at the thought but she was so weak, she couldn't fight it either. She placed her mouth on his wrist, gently sucking. Her warm mouth against his skin made him moan. After a minute, she pulled away. She looked a little bit better. Her skin wasn't quite as sallow, and she had a little bit of shine to her eyes. She laid her head down. "Why did you bite me?" He smiled. "Well, it was either that, or you were going to kill me." She knew she should fight him, but she didn't have the strength or the want to. She just wanted to lay here next to the fire, and be warm.

She woke up to his arm wrapped around her, and the fire dying down. She pushed him away. "What are you doing?" He yawned. "I was sleeping." She felt strange like her gut instincts knew this was wrong, but her mind kept saying to lay back down. She stoked the fire, and sat there looking at him. She didn't have the desire to kill him anymore, in fact, she really wanted to kiss him. She pushed that thought away. He didn't say anything, just looked at her with those eyes. "I'm sorry if I offended you." He said offering his hand to her. "I've just never woken up next to a blood sucker." Her words stung but he pushed it away. She then did something he didn't expect, she laid back down next to him. He scooted closer to her. He felt her stiffen but then she relaxed. It was mere seconds before she was asleep again. He wondered if she would always resent him.

It was after dusk when they woke up. She sat up, and rubbed her arms. It was cold in there. He sat next to her, not that he could offer heat but she at least wasn't pushing him away. She once more stoked the fire. "You're changing." He said softly. Her eyes became wide. "What?" "You're becoming a vampire." His voice was hardly a whisper. Fear spread across her face. She would now become the thing that she had hunted for so long. "Come away with me?" He asked as he stared into the fire. What on earth would she do if she wasn't a hunter anymore? What was it like to live a life where you didn't slay the demons of the night but instead joined them in their activities? "What would we do?" She asked fearfully. "What do you want to do?" He asked calmly. "Hunting is the only thing I've ever known." It was barely a whisper. "We could travel, or settle down." Thoughts of seeing places she'd never even thought was possible flooded her mind. They could go see Paris or London. It sounded like a fairy tale. Of course, there would be hunters everywhere, so it would be dangerous as well. But at that moment, she couldn't think of anything better. "Okay." She said sheepishly. He responded in a way she didn't expect. He kissed her. She felt the euphoria spread through her body. If a kiss was this good, how good would the rest be?

They were married shortly after she turned, and then they spent years traveling the world. She had never imagined that life could be this rewarding. Her only regret was that her family never knew. They would've both been dead a long time ago