A Hunter's Heart [The Hunters 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  * * * *

  Instinctively she felt the conflict in his mind even though she would not attempt to pass the barrier he had erected. She knew he was struggling within himself for some reason. Charlotte turned in her seat and pressed her hand against the wall. She sent wave after wave of comfort, hoping he would respond, but instead she felt only emptiness as he withdrew completely.

  To this day, Charlotte would never know what made her rise and go to the front door. All she knew what he was struggling and as he had helped her she knew she must go to him. She tore open the door and stepped out onto the veranda, instinctively turning to the right, knowing he was there.

  She saw him huddle within himself, rocking back and forth. Tentatively she spoke. “Hello.”

  He raised his head and stared at her in shock. Slowly he stood. She took a tentative step toward him then stopped. Unconsciously she reached one arm out toward him and he stepped forward and grasped her hand. Emotions overwhelmed her—loneliness, hatred, fear and million different feelings but overriding all of them was pure love…for her!

  It rocked her.

  She staggered back. Only his grip on her arm stopped her from falling. She looked at him, really looked at him.

  Oh my, he was like a god. Tall, so very tall and imposing. He had dark hair pulled back from his face. His face was so masculine yet with a beauty of its own, that five-o’clock stubble look, with unbelievable green eyes. He simply oozed maleness and sex…and, oh yes, and he was young, very young. He looked about thirty. Charlotte felt her heart rise then plummet.

  She felt warmth pool in her groin just looking at him but he was a child to her fifty-four years.

  “I am Matei Lupei.” His deep voice was just as sexy as his looks. He held her hand tight as he stared into the depths of her eyes. “In your language my name would be Matthew.”

  Charlotte had no idea what to do. In all her life, she had never been overwhelmed with lust as she was now and yet this was a young man. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and stay there forever. At the same time she wanted to run back inside and slam the door but instead she stood frozen like a deer in headlights.

  “May I enter your home? May you give me permission to enter?”

  For some reason Charlotte thought there was more to the simple question than just asking to come inside yet she could not say no. She nodded her head slightly and moved inside, all the while he kept hold of her hand.

  Harley was excited. Instead of defending her and barking, he started wagging his tail and trying to push past Charlotte to reach this man’s side. With his free hand, Matei reached forward to rub the boxer’s head and then followed Charlotte into the house, closing the door behind him.

  Charlotte had no idea what to say. Here she was standing alongside a gorgeous young man. She could feel his thumb rubbing across the back of her hand, caressing her hand. She just stood there and looked at him.

  “Will you not tell me your name?” he asked.

  “Charlotte,” she croaked.

  * * * *

  He could not believe that she had opened the door of her own free will!

  He had not forced any compulsion on her yet he could not accept she had voluntarily opened it. While Matei could not believe how lucky he was, he also could not believe she would let him enter her house freely yet she had.

  To him she was so beautiful. She stood around five foot nine inches with that spiky short haircut, and with stripes dyed candy pink, she looked adorable. She had grey-green eyes and a voluptuous rich body. He could smell her arousal even though he could sense her reluctance and very real fear.

  “May I remove my coat?”

  “Oh.” Charlotte nodded her head. “Please. Um…yes, please.”

  He could hardly keep his eyes off her, his One!

  He felt himself grow as he looked at her, his erection beginning to feel uncomfortable in his pants. Her body sent thrills through him. It was perfect, with wonderful curves and soft padding. He imagined how it would feel when she was underneath him, while he made love to her. It would be heavenly.

  He looked at her lips. What would it feel like to kiss those full lips?

  * * * *

  She felt tongue-tied and clumsy. More importantly, she felt fat, old and ugly.

  Matei dropped her hand as he removed the great dark duster he wore. It almost reached the ground. Underneath he wore a dark pair of jeans, black boots, and a black shirt open at the throat. As he turned and laid the coat on the kitchen bench, she saw that his hair was bound with a leather thong at the back. His hair was glossy black, raven and reached halfway down his back, to his waist.

  Not only was he tall, probably as tall as her son who was six foot eight inches, but he was broad, muscular. He looked as if he could lift her off the ground with one hand and she weighed almost one-hundred kilos. Except when he put his coat down, he never took his eyes from her and Charlotte could felt her face reddening. She felt he knew she was turned on by him and embarrassed by the idea that a young man could have the power to excite her.

  Harley was still batting at him trying to get his attention and finally Matei crouched down and gave the dog his full interest. Harley was beside himself, trying to alternately jump into his arms or get him to pet him.

  Traitorous dog, she thought, he could at least act like a guard dog.

  Actually, it was weird really, because Harley normally was reserved with strangers and tended to bark or raise his hackles until Charlotte reassured him.

  Matei looked up to Charlotte and laughed, his face full of joy. “What’s his name?”

  “Harley, it’s Harley.”

  She almost groaned aloud. Talk about a wonderful conversationalist, she was barely stringing two words together and repeating those anyway.

  “Hi, Harley.”

  Mateo rubbed his hands over the boxer and Harley fairly reveled in delight. Suddenly Charlotte wondered what it would feel like if Matei were rubbing his hands over her the way he was with the dog and a small gasp escaped from her mouth.

  Matei looked up, an eyebrow lifted, and he smiled wickedly as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Charlotte tried to look at anything else except him and she thought to herself, I can just imagine his revulsion if he did, an old wrinkled saggy woman, and she felt her eyes fill with tears.

  Biting back her tears, she moved around Matei and Harley and asked him if he would like a cup of tea, all the time wondering what she had gotten into her by allowing a stranger into her house, hell, she was even offering him tea for heaven’s sake.

  Although by the way Harley was acting, it seemed like he belonged.

  She felt so sad. All her life she had wished to find someone to love, someone that would love her without reservation. She had reached an age where she realised that was never going to happen. If only she was a young woman, she could fall in love with this man in a flash. In fact, weirdly she could feel her heart stirring with love when she looked at him now.

  Chapter Three

  Matei seemed to sense her sadness as she walked past him. He stood and reached out his hand to catch her arm as she passed by.

  “What’s wrong? Please don’t be saddened, all is so very well.”

  Charlotte felt delicious warmth flowing around her as he spoke and she wanted to throw herself into his arms but was so ashamed by the feelings this young man was generating in her. She had never been a prude and enjoyed sex as much as most people but never before had she felt the almost animalistic urges she felt with this man, this boy.

  Maybe it was because she hadn’t been with anyone for a number of years, maybe she just needed to have sex with someone or maybe it was because this man made her feel loved, special even though he was a child in her eyes. Her strange feelings of love were threatening to overwhelm her.

  Without realising it, Charlotte was projecting her sadness and her sexual desires. She had unconsciously lowered her barriers and now Matei could read her confusion, her thoughts, the beginnings of her lov
e and her sexual attraction to him.

  He held her gently and whispered in her hair “Hush, Iubită mea, it will all be fine.”

  He kept murmuring endearments while stroking her back. Charlotte tried to pull away from him but he held her firmly in his arms and she slowly felt her resistant melting away. He began to feather kisses across her nape of her neck, all the while softly whispering in another language. She had no idea what he was saying, what was happening to her, all she knew was she wanted to stay within his strong arms for the rest of her life.

  Slowly he began to pull her tighter into his embrace and she felt herself respond against her wishes, her body molding against his. She could feel his erection pressing against her body and could not believe she excited him. Her body seemed to have its own ideas of what should be happening and she could feel herself dampening. Charlotte tried to push him away, tried to move out from his arms but he held her firm. “No, Cara, you belong here in my arms, safe with me.”

  Dragging strength from deep within herself, Charlotte wrenched herself free and, panting, almost screamed at him.

  “This is wrong! What are you doing? No, no please go away.”

  She realised she was using her compulsion voice to try to force him to leave.

  “Please,” she whispered and yet her body wanted nothing more than to be tightly wrapped against his. Matei looked at her with eyes filled with love and longing.

  “I know you don’t understand what is happening but believe me, I want you more than life itself. You are my own, the One to make me whole. I need you, I want you, I adore you.”

  “I don’t understand. What are you saying?”

  She almost shouted as confusion swept through her as she listened to his words. He seemed so earnest, so truthful, but it made no sense. Trust her to let someone deranged into her home. She stepped further away from him.

  “You’re some crazy person, I was stupid to even open the door let alone let you into my house!”

  “Cara, please. You must listen, I honestly want you, can you not see that?”

  He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms again.

  “Already you mean more to me than my life.”

  “I’m an old woman, look at you! You’re in the prime of your life and yet you say these things to me. I must be more than twice your age, I’m ugly, fat, filled with wrinkles. Don’t say those things to me, I am not a child to believe crazy things! You’re a madman.”

  She tried to leave the circle of his arms but he held her tight. He tilted her head to look into her face. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

  She snorted in derision.

  “It is true, you take my breath away. I want to spend all of eternity making you happy, loving you. Whatever you want I would give you in a heartbeat.”

  Wrenching herself free once more she looked at him with blazing eyes, muttering, “Just great. Great, bloody great. I’m insane, I open the door and let a madman into my house.”

  Charlotte shook her head. “Have you looked at yourself, have you heard what you’re saying?”

  She actually stamped her foot in anger at his words, she heard herself beginning to lose control, her voice rising sharply.

  “I’m fifty-four years old. I’m overweight. I am old! You, well you are gorgeous.”

  He interrupted her and said seriously, “You insult yourself, it is wrong and it’s not true. Oh and men are not gorgeous, we are handsome or manly. It’s true, all I say to you. We shall be together forever.”

  “Oh, whatever,” she raged. “Can’t you see? You’re young. I am old.” Tears filled her eyes. I will not cry in front of this stranger, she thought to herself.

  Aloud she shouted, “Leave, leave me now! Get out!”

  She went to move into the hall toward the door but stopped with her back to him.

  “Just go,” she whispered, but she was ashamed at the longing in her voice even while pleading with him to leave. He gently turned her around, dropped his hands from her, and stepped back.

  “Do you truly, in your heart, wish me to walk out from your house? Think and speak honestly. Do you?”

  The word “yes” was on the tip of her tongue but she could not speak it aloud. Instead she hung her head without speaking and the threatened tears began to fall.

  None of it made sense to Charlotte. She, who never did anything senseless, had let a stranger into her house, had let him hold her in his arms, had been tempted to let him kiss her. In fact, she would have let him make love to her. It was madness and she knew it but deep inside she wanted him, oh how she wanted him, this man, this boy. In fact she needed him. She felt as if she would die if he walked out the door and left her. She felt him close the gap between them but refused to look up and let him see her tears.

  “Please don’t cry, Cara, please. I can’t bear to see you unhappy. I know this seems wrong, seems strange, seems like madness, but I need you and in truth, you need me as much also. I will try to explain it to you.” She could hear the desperation in his voice as he pleaded with her, “Please don’t shut me out. Please don’t make me leave.”

  He gently lifted her head and bent to kiss away her tears but she stiffened and he stopped. Charlotte looked him. He seemed so earnest. She felt her heart turn as she looked into his eyes, his beautiful vibrant green eyes. She could sink into those eyes.

  “I know how confused you are, Cara, but please let me explain,” he repeated.

  She dropped her eyes and looked away from him. Harley was lying beside them looking relaxed. For some reason that seemed important. Maybe she would regret this for the rest of her life but maybe she would be glad she at least gave him the chance.

  “Okay,” she whispered to the floor then looked at him.

  He reached out to catch a teardrop on his finger then placed it on his tongue. It was the most intimate sexual thing Charlotte had ever seen. It caught her breath and she could not look away from his face.

  “I would kiss every tear from your face but I know you are not ready for me to do that. Instead I drink your sorrow to share your pain.”

  He stared into her eyes and she could read the truth in his words.

  Matei reached out and took her hand, then pulled her into the living room alongside them. He gently pushed her into a couch then sat alongside her, still holding onto her hand. Harley came in and lay at their feet. Charlotte waited expectantly. She knew that what he was going to say would be life-changing for her yet she could not explain why she felt this way. He surprised her with his question.

  “Do you know things before they occur?”

  She turned slightly toward him, a puzzled look on her face.

  “You know when people greet you if they are good or evil, sometimes can tell their thoughts. Is this not true?”

  “Yes, but how…?”

  “How could I know?” She nodded her head. “I need to tell you many things. I need you to understand. I only speak the truth, I will never do the discourtesy of lying, especially to you. In fact it is impossible for me to lie to you.”

  Charlotte nodded her head to show she understood what he was trying to tell her.

  “Do you remember what you felt when you touched my mind this evening in your front yard?”

  She licked her lips, unconsciously trying to gain the strength to acknowledge what had happened.

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Do you remember what happened to you today in the car park?”

  Charlotte shrank back from him. “How do you know what happened?” she screamed.

  “You are safe. Hush, Cara, please, you are safe.”

  He put an arm around her and pulled her into the circle of his arm, trying to give her comfort, as if to protect her from the things he would say.

  Chapter Four

  “Do you recall the difference you felt, when you touch my mind and when you felt the evil one?”

  She nodded only as words failed to reach her mouth.

  “Do you believe
in evil, pure evil? Tonight, in the car park, one of the undead was reaching for you.” He felt her body tense. “I broke the hold it had on your mind, allowing you to leave.”

  “Undead?” she stammered, and she remembered that hideous evil voice calling her a vampire so long ago. “Undead?”

  “Yes, the undead, a strigoi, or what you would call vampire.”

  Charlotte was sure she would faint. The terror of that night six years ago threatened to overwhelm her again. Surely, it could not. What was happening? Matei caught her distress, could read the thoughts in her head, knowing tonight was not her first experience with the undead as both experiences jumbled in her mind despite him pushing them back earlier. He stroked her head and pressed kisses into her hair. “It will be all right, Iubită mea, and nothing will harm you.”

  “You called me that before, what is it?” she asked, trying to avoid dealing with vampires and the undead.

  “Iubită mea, it is from my homeland, Romania. It means ‘my beloved’ for that is what you are, Cara.”

  “Mi-ai intrat in suflet,” he whispered into her hair. “Listen. My heart is beating with yours. Inima mea bate alaturi de a ta.”

  “I honestly don’t understand any of this. It’s too much to comprehend.” Charlotte tried to tell him, tried to move from the protective circle of his arms. “You appear from nowhere, you speak of vampires, and you speak words of love to me. You don’t understand. You expect me to just accept and believe all you say.”

  “My Cara, I do understand, far more than you realize. As you entered my thoughts tonight, so I can enter yours. I see what happened, I see your fear but know it can no longer harm you for you are the One to me.”

  He settled her back into the safe circle of his arms.

  “I know all that has happened to you, know of your fear. I know how confusing this is to you. Just know all I tell you is the truth. Will you listen as I tell you of my people and the monsters we fight?”