Hunter of the Dark (4 page)

Tanitha shut the door quietly then turned to Cameron. She crossed her arms and stood there, looking at him, tapping her foot impatiently. Her chin lurched forward stubbornly, her head tilted up slightly due to Cameron’s height.

“
So, you showed up.” She said simply.

“
Why shouldn’t I?” He looked her up and down. “You look…ravishing.”

Tanitha blushed. She had only thrown on a denim skirt and her favourite black halter neck. She took in Cameron. Now
he
was the looker. Cargo pants from Calvin Klein, a black top with a single stripe of white and leather loafers. His hair was neatly done, if it could be said, in messy spikes, a change from his usual curtains, and he was looking every bit the arrogant jock. He held out his hand and she accepted it rather unsteadily, as he led her down to a four-wheel drive. Seleena and Christian were already there. Tanitha should have guessed they would have all been going together, for Seleena was Cameron’s best friend.

“
Well, Cam.” Seleena said. “You and your
date
ready?”

Tanitha knew that Seleena said that just to make a point.

“I’m not his date.” Tanitha said but Seleena either didn’t hear or chose not to.

“
Chris, you ready?”

Christian nodded solemnly and watched carefully as Tanitha got into the front seat. Tanitha caught a glimpse of him in the rear view mirror. His messy hair was brushed smooth and gelled down, Tanitha noticed with relief, and he nearly rivalled Cameron for looks. Even though Christian was looking downright handsome, though, it was obvious who had the most money out of the two. Cameron’s t-shirt alone probably cost twice as much as Christian’s entire outfit. But Tanitha didn’t mind. She liked Christian for who he was, not how he looked, and wouldn’t have changed him for the world.

They pulled out of the driveway, and Tanitha was glad that the darkness covered all the flaws of the rickety old building. Then she gasped in horror. Was she turning into one of
them,
she thought, looking at Cameron and Seleena? Just another ordinary person with no sense of individuality?

No,
she told herself firmly. The party was just this once.

She blushed as she saw her feet tapping in time to the music that was thumping out of the stereo. The radio itself was a rather impressive little number, illuminated and looking very pretty. She pointed at a dazzling display of bars and lines.

“Could you tell me what that does?” Tanitha asked curiously. Cameron shook his head lightly, his gaze still on the road in front of her.

“
No.” He smirked. Tanitha looked disappointed.

“
Why not?”

He turned to look at her with a laughing smile, his eyes dancing and exuding their natural confidence.

“Because it’s a secret.” He grinned. Tanitha caught on and folded her arms.

“
Bull, it’s because you don’t know.”

Cameron laughed, his voice holding a whimsical quality.

“That too.”

Tanitha sat in silence as the mp3 player shuffled and a new song rolled. Tanitha tried to stop herself from moving to the bass beat but she couldn’t help it. The tune itself was just as catchy. Cameron smiled when she saw her.

“You like that, huh?”

Tanitha couldn’t do anything but grin back so Cameron reached over to turn the volume up. His hand brushed Tanitha’s bare leg lightly on the way. Tanitha stiffened and froze, gritting her teeth. Cameron merely laughed at the reaction.

“Oh, lighten up, will ya? We’re here to have fun. Am I right or am I right?”

“
Yeah…I guess.”

Tanitha looked into the rear view mirror, hoping to snatch a glimpse of Christian, and as she did so he looked up at the exact same time. Their eyes met and lingered for a second, emerald green on slate grey eyes. Tanitha finally looked down to the hands resting on her lap, her soft curls hiding her embarrassment. She could hear Christian chatting easily to Seleena now and wasn’t sure whether he was looking at her or not. She decided the safest thing to do was to concentrate on the road ahead of her.

The car’s suspension carried it smoothly over all the bumps and potholes in the road. Tanitha found it a welcome change to their own car’s shot ones. The very quietness of the engine surprised Tanitha; it was almost like a cat’s purr to the roar of a lion. A sick lion at that. And Cameron was a much better driver than her own mother…She peeked a look at his face and, even in the harsh light of the street lamps, he still somehow managed to stay handsome. Tanitha hated the effect it had on her beating heart. He smiled at her, spying her stare out of the corner of his eye and, surprising herself, Tanitha managed a shy smile back.

Christian glared at the two enjoying themselves up the front and sighed as Seleena loaded his head with senseless prattle. Tanitha was unusually quiet, Christian could see, and he knew it was because of Cameron. And Christian didn’t blame Tanitha. He knew Cameron had that effect on people. He’d probably had it since he was born. Christian would have killed for talent like that. It wouldn’t be long before Tanitha would be lapping at the tainted milk he offered. Christian felt a stab of jealousy and pushed it aside, forcing his distracted eyes back on Seleena, who had now sidled up extremely close to him. The door handle dug into his hip as he tried to move away unsuccessfully.

Tanitha flashed Seleena a warning look almost instinctively as she caught the blonde’s movement closer to Christian. She then scolded herself for doing so. She focused her attention on her ‘date’, smiling so sweetly it could have been fake.

“
So, where is this party being held?”

“
Oh, at our place. No parents so it should be fun.”

“
You don’t live with your parents?”

“
Nah, me and Cheyne moved out as soon as I turned sixteen.” Tanitha got a shock at this information. She thought he
was
sixteen, with his little boy looks. “Always hated the ‘rents, eh?”

Tanitha shook her head slowly. She wouldn’t have been able to stand being away from her mother at such an early age. Her mother needed protection, and needed to be looked after. She was too vulnerable to be left alone.

“So, how old
are
you?” Tanitha asked, changing the subject quickly.

“
All of eighteen.”

“
But I thought you were sixth form.”

Cameron laughed, flashing his teeth in a godsend smile to die for.

“I am. They held me back a year. Not that I mind. Gives me more time to play what I love best. Rugby.”

Tanitha giggled nervously. But beneath her exterior, she rolled her eyes. Another sports-crazed jock that wouldn’t get anywhere.

“And you? You’re fifth form right? And how old are you?”

Tanitha blushed. She cursed herself for being so damn smart.

“I’m fourteen. Fifteen next month.”

Cameron’s eyebrow arched but he didn’t say anything. A serious soberness drifted over his once mocking features.

“Bit young, aren’t you?”

Tanitha squirmed uncomfortably. This was one of the many reasons she’d always avoided conversation with peers her own age, if she could. Thankfully Christian noticed her dilemma and butted in, with the trace of a faint smile on her face. Tanitha sank deeper into the plushness of the seat, thankful for the reprieve. Christian knew that he had just saved her backside and he’d probably use it to his advantage later on.

“Decent sounds in here, ain’t there?”

Cameron smiled once again, all previous thoughts vanishing with his cheeky grin.

“Yeah. Should do. Cost me almost as much as the car did.”

As the two guys were talking, Tanitha’s gaze curiously flickered from one to the other. And when they started talking about horsepower and car parts, she tuned out completely, unsure of what each technological term meant. Instead she just looked, from Cameron to Christian and back again. She jumped, her face colouring, as Seleena wrapped her arms around the headrest of her chair.

“Both yummy, eh?”

Tanitha didn’t say anything as Seleena whispered into her ear, though she couldn’t help but agree. They
were
both extremely good looking for their age. She felt proud to know both of them.

When the car pulled to a halt, Tanitha was edgy, wide-eyed with excitement. Already music was thumping the walls of the building, and she could swear she saw it vibrating. The house was quaint, but obviously one which cost a lot of money. The yacht and Mazda MX5 convertible outside only confirmed this fact. Cameron caught her staring and pointed to the deep blue convertible.

“That’s the car I gave my brother for his fifteenth birthday.” He said, pleased with himself. “He loves that car. If he had to choose between his favourite brother and the car, at least I’d know that there would be no rust on it.”

“
Is this party for his birthday?” Tanitha asked, combining the newness of the car with Cameron’s statement.

“
Nah, this is the weekend-after-his-birthday party.”

Tanitha walked up to the car hypnotically. She would kill to have a car like this. Cameron was beside her but she took no notice of him. All her attention was on the amazing car. The numberplates, she noted, proudly displayed the letters Cheyne. She pointed at the plates.

“Is that so he won’t lose it in the parking lot?” She smiled, managing to gather her wits enough to form a joke.

“
Ha ha, very funny.” Obviously Cameron had caught her look of longing. “Take a look inside if you want.”

Tanitha’s heart leapt and she opened the unlocked driver’s side door. She gracefully climbed in, and was greeted by the cool freshness of leather. Her fingers trailed lovingly over the upholstery and she whispered breathlessly, “Wow, it’s beautiful.”

Cameron leaned across from the passenger side and brushed her face with his fingers, making her look up in shock.

“
Not as beautiful as you.” He said, his sapphire eyes sparkling. He leaned forward more to kiss her but Tanitha was immediately out of the car.

“
Um…they’re probably expecting us. We’d better go.”

Cameron shrugged, unfazed by the rejection.

“Whatever you say.”

He got out, shutting the door lightly, and Tanitha followed him into the house. She was relieved and a little embarrassed about wedeling her way out of that sticky situation. She just wasn’t ready for him. She’d never had a boyfriend before and wasn’t sure she wanted one now. She’d wait till she was ready.

All eyes were drawn towards the door as Tanitha and Cameron walked through it. Tanitha drew in a breath and held it. Would they accept her as a member of their society? It was funny; she had never cared before what impression she made. Now she was hoping she’d make it good.

Cameron walked up to Cheyne. Cheyne smiled at him smugly and Tanitha snuck a good look at him. He was exactly like his brother, same style of hair, facial features, clothing and certain arrogance. The only differences were where Cameron was raven, Cheyne was blonde, where Cameron had sapphire, Cheyne had hazel. Cheyne was much shorter than Cameron was and a lot stockier. Tanitha knew that they’d been on the same rugby team, the first fifteen, last year, but that was all she had known about the brothers.

Cheyne slapped Cameron on the back and Cameron wrapped him into a brotherly hug. She noticed Cheyne’s shoes, a bright red and white, unlike any sneakers she’d seen before.

“Enjoy the ride?”

“
Yeah, I’ll have to make it a habit.”

Cameron’s voice was lighter than his younger brother’s was and much more musical and interesting to listen to.

The sound of tinkling glass met Tanitha’s ears and she winced. The expensive stained glass lay scattered over the floor, a drunkard standing in the center of it all. Cheyne stormed over angrily.

“
Drunk already, huh? Get out!”

The person he’d confronted looked shocked but his face quickly clouded with envious anger.

“Yeah, so what? What you gonna do about it?”

Cheyne’s face looked like a storm about to break. He stepped forward, looking the guy directly in the eyes. His body was squared aggressively to the troublemaker.

“You wanna fight?”

The guy’s palms hit his thighs in a mock parody of toughness. He stumbled forward, quickly refinding his feet.

“Bring it on.”

Cameron stepped up behind Cheyne and the guy took one look at the tall foreboding rugby player and took off, taking his alcohol with him. Cameron smiled lightly but tensely.

“See. What would have happened if I wasn’t here?”

Cheyne merely snorted then worked his way through the maze of people into the kitchen. He seemed to have his eye on a tall blonde. Cameron looked to Tanitha and Tanitha looked back with wide-eyed innocence. Seleena and Christian were nowhere to be seen. This disconcerted Tanitha a little. She wondered where they had got to, or even more importantly, what they were doing. Cameron broke into her thoughts.

“Care to dance?”

Tanitha hesitated a little before nodding her acceptance. What harm could one dance do? He took her hand and, as they moved, Tanitha could feel the muscles gained by exercise working easily.

The song changed to a slower, more placid beat and suddenly Christian’s face was there. Tanitha breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.

“
Mind if I cut in?” He asked Cameron before whispering to Tanitha, “You still owe me one anyway.”

Cameron shook his head and went to find and dance with Seleena. Tanitha smiled nervously up at Christian. They moved closer together and found the slow rhythm with their footfalls. Christian sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. It was clear that he wasn’t going to take advantage of the closeness and Tanitha was glad for that. She knew Cameron would have tried something.

“You know how annoyingly obnoxious that Seleena is?”

Tanitha giggled, relaxing, as she was always able to do in Christian’s presence. It felt so much easier to be able to dance without living in fear that you were going to be kissed.

“No, fill me in.”

“
She talks too much.”

He pulled apart from her and flicked the hair out of his face. He batted his eyelashes and said, “Hi, you wanna go to bed with me?” in a high squeaky voice. Tanitha laughed.

“And the loser she hangs out with, don’t even get me started on him.”

Tanitha’s grin dropped but Christian was unconscious of that fact. With him, once he started something, it took a lot to stop him.

“What’s wrong with Cam?”

“
Oh, everything. Mister ‘I’m too big and arrogant to hang out with commoners’. Get my drift?”

Suddenly Tanitha was pushed roughly aside as Christian was shoved. Christian tripped, nearly falling, but was able to hold his precarious balance with acrobatic ease. He faced Cameron, who was standing there with a steady scowl on his face. Christian seemed unfazed but Tanitha could see the cold sweat that had broken on his untainted forehead.

“If you think you’re so man enough, why don’t you say it to my face?!”

The angry rain cloud that had settled now marred Cameron’s once handsome face. With his expression so dark and thunderous, Tanitha hardly recognised him. She knew that he wasn’t pleased and was voicing his intentions clearly.

“Hey, man, can’t you take a joke?” Christian said, trying to sweet talk himself out of it. Drifting stragglers had now crowded themselves around the two fighters, eager to view all the upcoming action. The two guys in the middle and Tanitha slightly off to one side didn’t take any notice of the group that had formed a circle around them like a pack of wolves waiting overeagerly for the kill.

“
Obviously not.” Cameron retorted, his eyes glistening with an uncontrolled fury. He shoved Christian harshly again and Christian stumbled backwards but held his ground firmly, not wanting to reveal that he would come out as the weaker of the two. Cameron was built for action; his muscles solid from countless hours of training, making his body all the more impressive. Christian was slight of bone and couldn’t seem to get the weight on. He ran a hand through his hair.

“
Now, we don’t have to get all uptight about this…”

Cameron’s punch was expected. His intentions were quite clear in the way his muscles bunched in his left arm, for he was left-handed, and in the way his eyes scanned Christian’s body in search for the most vulnerable area. Tanitha clapped her hands over her mouth, barely smothering a scream.

“Stop it!” She shrieked unsuccessfully. Christian was now a couple of feet away, holding a trembling hand to his mouth, then bringing it away covered in blood.

“
Now
that
was uncalled for!” He shouted, spitting out the blood that seemed to invade his orifice. He lunged at Cameron who swung another punch, missing where he had aimed, Christian’s chest, and instead hitting him on his left shoulder. Tanitha’s eyes widened. Her slight hit had hit him there not long before and he had overreacted big time. She scanned Christian’s eyes for emotion. Was it her imagination or did the usual green flare ten times brighter than usual? Whether it was a trick of the light or not, it disappeared a few seconds later. Christian leapt forwards, taking Cameron unprepared, and knocked him down. He hooked Cameron’s face with his good hand three times, before Tanitha ran out of the room, shoving people out of her way. She glanced back to see Cheyne moving in to break the two up before she burst out the front door, tears trickling down her face. Had she really just experienced that horrific scene of uncontrolled blood lust? If this was what parties and popularity were all about, she wanted absolutely no part in it.

A call, her name, brought her to her senses. She turned around, sobbing her fears. Christian came limping out, clutching his left arm. Blood pulsed steadily from between his fingers, leaving a trail of dripping crimson, but he took no notice of his source of agony.

“Tanitha, I’m sorry.”

“
Don’t.” She whispered, backing up with every step he took closer, still crying. She felt a tremor of fear and realised she was now scared of him. “Don’t do this.”

“
Tanith…”

Tanitha started off at a brisk run. She knew he wouldn’t be able to catch up to her in his state.

“Tanitha! Tan…”

He broke off as a ripple of pain invaded his senses. He snarled as he dropped to his knees, trying to fight the overwhelming sense of destruction heavily implying itself on his mind. His headache beat mercilessly. He crumpled to the ground, writhing with pain.