A woman shrieking in pain and fright. A baby’s loud protests-
Hunter Redfern sprang abruptly upright in a cold sweat, his hands clutching at the linen sheets of his bed. Fear and anxiety coursed through him, widening his golden eyes even more. He lay there completely motionless for long moments, willing his heart to stop pounding against his ribs like it wanted to fly out. Always the same blasted dream, he
thought agitatedly. He concentrated on taking deeper and slower breaths, feeling the tension drain slowly from his body. Finally his breathing returned to normal and he relaxed somewhat, laying back against the mound of silken pillows at his back. He shook his head ruefully.
"That’s it, no more midnight snacks," he announced to himself. "These dreams are beginning to annoy me."
Hunter shook himself, raking a hand back through his titian hair, which sweat had turned to a blood-red color. Glazed yellow eyes shone as he thoughtfully pushed his tongue against a slightly-sharpened canine tooth. Well, maybe the snack isn’t to blame, he thought. These dreams are seeming to come more and more often lately. A familiar ache shot through his jaw as he remembered his latest snack. Hunter blinked and looked down at his still-clammy body. He had to do some errands in town today, and it would never do to go out on the streets of London in this state.
"Jeanette!" he bellowed, pushing aside the mussed sheets and standing up smoothly onto the bearskin covering the cold stone floor. He quickly stripped off the soaked white linen tunic in which he slept, dropping it haphazardly on the ground. Hunter looked around his expansive room, eyeing with distaste the died-down fire. The room was evidently a room belonging to an owner of stature, filled with any comforts a 15th century adolescent could want. It helps to belong to the most powerful lamia family in England, he though with an arrogant smile on his face.
The massive stone door slowly was pushed open and a pretty, auburn-haired maid scurried inside, curtseying in front of him. Hunter barely glanced at the almost-healed twin burgundy marks on the side of the girl’s neck. He wasn’t feeling particularly hungry yet. Besides, wouldn’t want the girl to pass out in the middle of her work, he thought with a smile.
"Was there something you needed, my lord?" Jeanette asked in a trembling voice. Hunter could practically smell her fear perfuming the air, making his teeth ache once
more-
Control yourself, he told himself sternly. The girl was, after all, only a few years younger than his nineteen, and didn’t have the strength to withstand another feeding after
only a few hours. Although why should that bother you? he thought to himself. Hunter shook his head to clear it and refocused his eyes on the girl.
"Fetch me some water to bathe in," he said curtly, turning and walking away to gaze out of the window to the foggy morning outside.
In spite of herself, Jeanette surveyed her master’s rumpled bed, then her eyes slid to the bare-chested figure himself. "Another dream, my lord?" she asked cautiously,
stepping over to pick up the pile of damp linen from the floor.
Hunter spun around, anger blazing out of his amber eyes. How dare she question his behavior? What a presumptuous little-
"It is of no concern to you or anyone else what goes on in my life, is that understood?" Hunter said tightly, punctuating each word with a step closer toward where
Jeanette stood, clutching his shirt protectively to her, trembling with terror.
