"Socks?" Hunter shot me a look that told me I had better stop questioning him. "Come on, let's go," he told me as he took my backpack, putting it on through one arm then lifting my suitcase off the bed. He walked out of my room and I could hear him stop by my front door waiting for me. I looked around my room thinking this is where I lived and died this past year. I heard him clear his throat and I knew he was impatient waiting for me. I turned and walked out of my room for the last time and went to him and my new future.

Chapter Seventeen

We drove in Hunter's SUV on I-55 heading south towards New Orleans. He insisted that he drive as we left the city, worried his brothers might find us before we were able to leave. After we had driven a couple of hours away from the city I asked him if he'd let me drive for a while. While we drove, I would look at him and I could tell he was hurting. Besides the fact that he looked drawn and tired, the remnants of his fight with his brothers were obvious. The bruises on his face had bloomed to dark shades of blue and purple and his one eye remained swollen.

"Hunter, why don't you pull over and let me drive," I said to him after not being able to stand how miserable he looked.

"No, I'm fine," he'd said never taking his eyes from the road.

"Why don't you let me drive now that I can? I'm not tired at all and it's not going to be dark for too much longer. Why don't you rest because I won't be able to drive at all once the sun comes up," I told him. He didn't say anything but pulled off to the side of the road. "What are you doing?"

"Pulling over so you can drive, babe. What you just said makes sense," he told me as he reached to unbuckle his seat belt and open his door. He started walking around the front of the car towards my side.

"Oh," I said back surprised he was actually going to allow me to drive. I unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car running around the back and getting into the drivers seat. He was already in the pa.s.senger seat rolling up his jacket to use as a pillow against the pa.s.senger window. He put his head down on his makeshift pillow and I heard him sigh as he closed his eyes.

I pulled back onto the highway and set the cruise control, settling back in the seat. I heard a snore and looked over to see he was already asleep. I reached over and briefly touched his arm. He mumbled in his sleep and I although I couldn't make out all the words he said I distinctly heard the words "love" and "vampire." I smiled at him and turned back to the road ahead of us that held our future.

It was an hour before sunrise when I pulled over to wake up Hunter. He had slept for a couple hours while I drove us closer to New Orleans. I leaned over and grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him gently. "Hunter," I said softly, "Hunter, it's time to get up."

He moved his head and groaned at my words.

"Hunter, the sun will be up soon so I can't drive anymore." I didn't want to disturb his sleep, but I would hate for him to wake up in an hour at the side of the road with a pile of dust on the driver's seat. I shook him again and he started to wake.

Hunter looked around us out the windows of the SUV. "What time is it?" he asked as he sat up in his seat. He winced and touched his side gently.

"It's around three thirty in the morning. Are you feeling ok? Can you drive now?"

He nodded his head. "I'm fine, just a few bruised ribs," he said nonchalantly. "We should have what, half an hour or so before the sun comes up."

The look in his eyes made me want to be close to him. I'd never had a man look at me with such love. I unbuckled my seat belt and climbed out of my seat, over the console and onto his lap so that I sat straddling him. I leaned over and kissed him, lightly touching his lips. My body trembled as I sat on him, I couldn't control myself. He wrapped his arms around me and noticed how I shook.

"What is it?" he asked me his eyes full of concern.

I felt tears well in my eyes and I bit my lower lip. "This has all been so much. I never intended to become a vampire. I didn't think we'd ever be together again, and losing Jake was so hard. And now leaving my mom and Chicago-a lot has happened in a short amount of time," I confessed to him as I melted into him. He winced as I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I quickly apologized to him for hurting him.

"It's ok," he told me, "I just want to hold you in my arms again," he said before he kissed my hair the way he used to. He held me in his arms for a moment before I heard him murmur, "Kiss me again," into my ear.

My mouth eagerly found his, opening up to him, finding his tongue. His hands ran up my sides over my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, caressing them. Even though he was touching me over my clothes, I could feel the heat of his hands on me. I moaned into his mouth and rubbed myself against him, feeling his hard s.e.x through our clothes. I wished our clothes would disappear so I could feel his c.o.c.k slide inside of me again.

"G.o.d I want you," I breathed. My words caused a moan to escape him. I knew he felt the same way as me, his erection felt like steel through his pants.

"We can't do this now. Even though I want you right here and now we can't do it." My rubbing against him had fully aroused him and he held a handful of my hair, pulling my head back so I had to look at him.

"Sure we can," I argued, "there isn't anyone around." When I left the highway, I'd chosen a deserted stretch of road. Since we parked, not one car had driven past.

Hunter let go of my hair and stopped kissing me. "No, we really can't Janice. Look outside; it's going to be sunrise soon. We have to get you in back."

"Oh," I said back disappointed. I looked outside and could tell he was right. "So I'm going to sleep in the back?" We never discussed what I was going to do when the sun came up. I was glad that he'd planned ahead.

"Yeah, the back windows are darkened and you'll be safe there until sunset," he told me. He opened his door and I climbed off him exiting the car. We walked around to the back of the SUV and he opened the back door.

He was right: the back windows were blackened. He climbed in and pulled up a black part.i.tion that separated the back of the SUV with the seats in front. It was custom to the car, and when I realized that this was done specifically to transport vampires during the day, my stomach hurt.

"Did you used to transport vampires in here?" I wondered how many like me had been in the back and taken somewhere to be interrogated and later killed by Hunter and his brothers.

"Yeah," he admitted as he looked at the ground. "But don't think about that. Think that you'll be safe here during the day. And as soon as the sun sets, I'll pull over and let you out, okay?"

I looked at the back again, not at all pleased with my sleeping arrangements.

Hunter climbed out of the back and came up to me, stroking my cheek. "Janice, this is the only way, I'm sorry," he said.

I nodded, knowing he was right. It made me realize that even though we were going to be together, there were still so many obstacles we were going to have to overcome. "We're always going to be different," I said to him with tears in my eyes. It seemed I spent half of my time awake crying lately.

"What darlin'?" he asked me as he wiped away a tear that escaped my eyes. "Why are you so upset?"

"You're always going to be the slayer and I'm always going to be the vampire. Look at how different we are. We're acting like everything will be normal for us, but it won't be." My voice trembled and the tears flowed. I never thought that being with him was going to be so painful.

Hunter grabbed me by the shoulders. "Look at me Janice, please," he pleaded.

I looked at him through blurry eyes.

"We're going to work this out. You and I are going to be together no matter what, so don't worry. We belong together," he said then leaned down and kissed me on my lips.

I pulled back from him and attempted a smile. "G.o.d, I love you Hunter," I told him as I touched his face. I turned and climbed into the back of the SUV. I lay down on my side with my arm under my head as a pillow. It was far from comfortable, but it would do.

"I'll see you at sunset," Hunter said. "Remember I love you."

"I'll never forget," I responded and closed my eyes, overcome with the desire to sleep. It was just as well; that way I didn't have to see him close the door.

Chapter Eighteen

At sunset, I woke up rubbing my eyes. I was lying in the back of Hunter's SUV, the back door open wide. I could see him standing with his back to me a few feet away. Slowly I sat up and got out from the back of the car. I stretched my arms over my head before I noiselessly walked up next to him so we stood side by side.

"So what exactly are we looking at?" I asked as I folded my arms over my chest.

Hunter jumped as if he had no idea I was standing next to him. He put a hand over his heart in an exaggerated gesture. "What, is it your turn to try to give me a heart attack?" he asked me.

"Did I scare you?" I asked back mocking him. "How could I sneak up on the big, bad vampire slayer?" I teased him while laughing.

"I was just standing here thinking," he said. He looked serious with his brow furrowed.

"What were you thinking about?" It bothered me that he looked so solemn. I wondered if maybe he wasn't starting to regret all of his recent life changing decisions. What he was doing with me went against everything he'd ever known.

"I was thinking about us," he said as he turned to look down at me.

"Oh," I said and swallowed hard. There was a pit deep in my stomach I couldn't ignore if I tried. I braced myself for what was going to come next. "I know, it's just too weird, too complicated between us to ever work," I started, thinking it would make the break easier if I initiated it before he had the chance. There were too many things different about us. We were from two totally different worlds. His world was bright and full of sunshine mine was dark and full of shadows.

"What?" he asked me, sounding confused. His eyes squinted and his brow furrowed even more than before. "Do you think I was standing here thinking that we weren't going to stay together? No darlin', I was standing here thinking that everything was going to work out fine. I happen to have a plan," he said smugly with a grin. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead before going back to the driver's seat of the SUV. "You coming?" he asked back to me with a smile before getting into his seat.

"Yeah," I said back nodding as I closed the back of the truck and hopped back into the pa.s.senger seat. "So do I get to hear about this big plan?" I asked him as I buckled my seatbelt.

"As soon as I find us a hotel and get us checked in. We're around twenty minutes away from New Orleans. So have you ever been to the French Quarter?" he asked me as he pulled away, back onto the highway.

Chapter Nineteen

We pulled up in front of The Chateau Dupre Hotel on Bourbon Street and Hunter parked the SUV. While we got out of the car and went inside a bellman took our bags out of the back seat. I could feel Hunter was tense when we checked in. He kept his arm protectively around me after we got our room key and we went up to our room with the bellman that brought our bags. As he tipped the bellman, I walked across our room and opened a door that led to a small balcony that overlooked Bourbon Street . People were walking up and down the neon lit street and there was the sound of jazz music floating in the air. As I leaned against the railing, taking it all in, Hunter came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. Without even thinking, I rubbed my a.s.s against him, feeling his arousal behind me automatically turning me on.

He moved his hands up my body cupping my b.r.e.a.s.t.s in both his hands. "I want you so much," he murmured in my ear then turned me around leading me to the bed in our room. He peeled off my sweater and unhooked my bra letting my clothes fall in a pile on the floor. First, he brushed back my hair off my shoulders then leaned down and started to kiss my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. I grabbed his head and sighed reveling in the feel of his mouth on my skin. He sucked one of my erect nipples, then let his tongue circle it before his mouth moved to my other breast. As he sucked my breast, I felt him unzipping my pants so he could slide his hand past my panties. He slid a finger inside of me and I moaned. He had the ability to make me swoon. He moved his finger in and out of me slowly, deliberately taking his time while making me crazy. When he took his hand from me, I was silent as he finished undressing me.

Hunter sat on the bed and removed his shoes and socks, then stood up and unzipped his pants.

"Let me," I said, breaking my silence. I pulled down his jeans and briefs and he stepped out of them for me. He pulled off his shirt so he was naked before me. My eyes danced over his body, my own excitement was difficult to contain. I actually throbbed in antic.i.p.ation of the two of us being together again. I moved closer to him and placed an open hand on his pectoral over his beating heart.

"I don't ever want to be apart from you again," he said as he took my hand and led me onto the bed with him.

I lay down next to him on my back, stretching out beside him. He climbed over me and I parted my legs so he could settle between them. He looked down at me, his eyes so serious I was scared with what could be on his mind, making him appear so grave.

"What is it? You're scaring me." I had no idea what was happening between us but there was definitely something else happening besides s.e.x. I could feel a vibe from him that was electric.

"Nothing bad... I'm thinking of how serious I was when I said I never want to be apart again. I really mean it Janice."

Hunter leaned down and gently kissed my lips. The kiss reverberated through my entire body, snaking through me like a long fuse that finally ignited deep in my core. With one kiss, he had set me ablaze. I raised my hips and rubbed myself against him longing to feel him deep inside of me again. His kisses became harder and his tongue brushed across my partially closed lips. I was concerned with hurting his swollen lips, but he didn't seem to care. I opened my mouth to him so our tongues could rub and caress each other. I could feel him gather up fistfuls of my hair that he pulled playfully.

While we kissed, I felt something strange and I pulled back away from him and stood up. "Hold on a sec," I said then ran my tongue over my teeth. d.a.m.n, my incisors had come down again.

"What's the matter?" Is it time for you to get more blood?" he asked me.

It shouldn't have surprised me that he would know what was wrong; he knew more about vampires than some vampires knew about themselves. I nodded to answer him.

"Good, I'm glad it's time."

"Good?" I asked back. I didn't understand how my craving to drink his blood was a positive thing. "How is my wanting to drink your blood a good thing?"

"You feeding is part of my plan," he told me. "Come on," he said as reached out his hand and led me back to the bed.

I went to him reluctantly, not sure what his plan was. Something told me I wasn't going to like it. I stood in front of him.

He sat on the bed and took hold of his rock hard erection in one hand. I could see the tip glistening where the pre-c.u.m had escaped him. "Janice I want you so badly. Look at this," he told me, nodding down towards his c.o.c.k.

As I stood there, watching him stroke himself, my p.u.s.s.y clenched and I could feel wetness trickle down the inside of my thighs. I wanted him with an ache that was as intense as the hunger in my belly. I moved closer to him and straddled his legs as I placed my hands on his shoulders. As I lowered myself down onto his lap, he guided his c.o.c.k to my glistening swollen s.e.x. As I felt him enter me, I held my breath until I'd completely lowered myself onto him. He filled me completely. Hunter put his hands on my waist and leaned in to kiss my neck.

"G.o.d, you feel so f.u.c.king incredible," he murmured between kisses. I tilted my head back exposing my neck to him. After a few moments of raining hot kisses on me, he grabbed a fistful of my hair pulling my head back. "Kiss me," he commanded me.

"Hunter," I started to say, but then the look he gave told me it was pointless to argue with him. I leaned in towards him and he let go of my hair. As my lips moved in closer to his I pushed myself down further on him, grinding myself against him.

"Yeah," he breathed the moment before our lips met. His arms moved around me hugging me close to him so my b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed up against his chest. As we kissed he brushed his tongue against my lips, but this time I didn't open my mouth to him. "Open your mouth for me," he whispered.

"I can't, my teeth are down," I told him. Being this close to him was starting to affect me. The sound of his blood was rushing in my ears, my desire to taste him again fierce. My fingernails started to dig into his shoulders. I felt tears start to sting my eyes again as I fought my body's urge to feed.

"Janice, please," he said and gave me a look that almost broke my heart in two. He leaned in to kiss me again and I opened my mouth for him as he had asked me. Our tongues brushed, and I felt one of my teeth sc.r.a.pe his tongue. I immediately pulled back from him. My fingers went to his lips to touch them.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized. "It's my teeth," I tried to explain. "You must thing I look like a monster with them this way."

Hunter cupped my face with his hands. "No, you're beautiful Janice. I could never think of you as a monster, you're the love of my life. I want to be with you forever so this time when you feed from me I don't want you to stop."

"What?" What he was saying to me was absolutely insane.

"It's okay because it's part of my plan," he explained.

"My not stopping is part of your plan? That's a crazy f.u.c.king plan. Why would you want me to change you?" I asked.

"Because I meant it when I told you I wanted to be with you forever." He ran his hands up my sides as his hips moved to push his c.o.c.k even further inside of me. He was distracting me on purpose, as I was trying to think.

"You really want me to change you?" I asked in disbelief. He was telling me he wanted me to change him into the very thing he had stalked and killed most of his life.

"Yes I really want you to change me. I don't want you to stay the same while I get old and end up dying. I want to spend eternity with you. And I want to be the one you rely on for feeding, like how you did with Jake. Let me into your world. Make me like you and we'll have forever," he said.

I didn't know what to say back to him. His words to me were so incredibly beautiful. I wanted him with all my heart and now he was offering himself to me.

"You're certain you want to do this?" I asked him. I put my hands on his chest, running them over his nipples, down his abs. He would look this way forever and never grow old or get sick and die. "Forever with me is a long time, Hunter. It might be too long for you."

Hunter leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips. His mouth moved to my cheek, where he placed another kiss, then to my ear. "Impossible. Forever with you is all I want."

I closed my eyes and let his words sink in, already knowing what I was going to do. I was going to give him what he wanted because it was exactly what I wanted too. All I wanted was forever with him.

"Kiss me again, Hunter," I whispered with a quivering voice.