Burning Souls (F.T Sequel)

Thirty-Two

A/N: I'M ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THIS CHAPTER. I hope you guys will feel the same way =) Enjoy!

-xoxo, Sophia

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Hunter's hands are cool against my closed eyelids. His presence right behind my back warms the night air around us. Whispers of the drifting wind caress my cheeks and blow my hair around my face, and I sometimes confuse them with Hunter's light touch on my skin. Minutes tick by as his whole-hearted laughter mixes with my surprised squeals whenever I trip over a crooked branch on the ground, walking around in complete blindness. "It's not much farther now," Hunter whispers in my ear tenderly. My excitement grows in quick, graduate strides inside of me until I feel like my heart is going to burst from my chest. Unable to stop the looming curiosity, I concentrate hard on the sounds around me. Branches, leaves and rocks crunch and roll underneath my footsteps, so we must be deeper into the forest and possibly higher up the mountain. Owls' wise hoots and crackles of nightlife echo, far away from any sign of civilisation. How long have we been walking for? I don't even know anymore, but Hunter insisted on walking at a normal speed all the way to his secret hide-out.

Suddenly, Hunter halts me and his hand slowly, teasingly falls away, until I cover it with mine and outright yank it away from my face. His warm chuckle fills the air, but my eyes widen as amazement fills me, leaving me immune to anything else but the sight in front of me. "Go on," Hunter urges. In front of us, on the side, rests a rocky facade that protects the little cave from any passerby views. An invisible path leads up to it, and without another second waisted I begin to climb. I ignore the scratches from the wood and rocks on the mountain side as we go, and the forest's trees' leaves whipping into my face I mere obstacles meant to be surpassed. I reach the cave in no time and my hand whips up to cover my mouth that's open with shock as I take in every single detail. The cave is small and nestled into glistening rock, and a disarray of plaid blankets and pillows have been sprawled all over the smooth floor. Soft candles host bright, burning flames all around in small crooks of the walls, casting flickering shadows onto the uneven surfaces. There are even flowers from the surrounding woods, thrown across the blankets and around the pillows: iris fairy slippers, bright fireweeds, beautiful mountain bells and tiny star flowers. But what the most amazing surprise is - as I discover when I've turned around with Hunter's arms wrapped around my waist from behind - is the view that spills from the cave onto the vast landscape beyond. Hunter's hair tickles the side of my neck as he plants a loving kiss there, and I lean into him with a calmed sigh. I tilt my head back and reach up to mould my lips with his in a passionate, tender stroke.

"Thank you," I whisper, looking up into his dark eyes. I smile widely when I notice a little flicker of light in those black depths. He frowns slightly with amusement and brings me closer into his hard chest.

"Why are you smiling like that?" I shake my head, my grin growing wider, and let out a big sigh.

"You've grown on me little one," I tease playfully. He shakes his head at me with exasperation, dark locks framing his face, and then we both stare out the mouth of the cave for a while. Soaring mountains split the nocturnal sky, and for once, it's cloudless, completely covered in splatters of brilliant stars. Green foliage mingles with the now melting snow as the temperatures begin to drop with time, and it coveres the tops and sides in long strokes of evergreen. The moon smiles down at us like a Cheshire cat's grin, watching over the dormant world. For once, everything seems peaceful. Hunter rubs my arms and then turns me around, bringing me down into the midst of fluffy blankets and feather-soft pillows. He leans back on his elbows and I lay my head on his torso, nestling into his side. He brings a blanket around me, more for comfort than actual warmth, and then we just gaze. The silence is peaceful, welcoming, and after so much chaos, it's paradise. I begin to draw patters over the shirt on his muscled abdominals, beaming widly when I feel his body relax even further underneath my fingertips. We rest like that for a while, and an hour must have gone by in soft chatter and whole-hearted laughter, until the past struggle presents itself to me. It crashes down on me in an instant, painfully sudden, and I groan as the familiar licks of fire travel from my burning stomach and up my throat. Sensing my immediate hunger, Hunter reaches behind him, and I watch his muscles ripple in his arms and stomach as they stretch out. He comes back with two, clear bottles, filled with a bright red liquid. "Thanks," I say quickly, and before he's even uncapped his bottle, I've already downed half of mine. He laughs.

"Hungry?"

"Starved," I reply, fully aware that my golden eyes are blazing red. His stare takes on one that's very close to adoration as he looks at them.

"You're beautiful Emma," he whispers suddenly, his voice dropping to something lower. Something more intense. I flush under his stare and casually lick my lips to retrieve the last drops of blood. His piercing eyes follow the movement closely. I set the bottle down and lean into him, just as the words escape his lips. "I love you." My eyes widen for just a fraction of a second, but then he brings our lips together, as if sealing the statement. I feel the blood rushing under my skin in a torrent of heat, tingling in my fingertips rendering me completely speechless as the feelings crash over me. He pulls back and traces a spot by my collarbone. A different kind of sensation travels right to that center at his touch, one that I'd experienced before but somehow forgotten. He tilts his head, locks of hair falling over an eye as he gazes at it deeply. "Your previous Mark has disappeared," he whispers, mostly to himself. I shift and glance at the sleeping landscape.

"It's been a while since-"

"I know," he cuts me off, eyes still not leaving that spot by my neck. My head whips back, and when he doesn't do anything, I bring up a hand to cup his left cheek, running my thumb gently over the smooth skin.

"I'm ready," I say earnestly, anticipation filling me completely. I feel like I'm right below the surface of water, not quite managing to breathe but knowing that the envigourating feeling of air filling my lungs is right above. I just need to pierce that thin veil. "I love you," I add. My smile matches his as his eyes flash red and that electric scar that I've come to love glistens. His arms wrap around my waist and he rolls me underneath his muscled body. I run my fingertips over the hard edges of him as his lips part, revealing two, imposing, gleaming fangs. Hunger runs through his eyes, a different kind, and his face nears the spot right in between my collarbone and my neck. He seems to inhale the scent of my skin deeply, and the air that comes back out is one of a growl. Then, his fangs pierce my skin. My toes curl and I arch my back against him, feeling his essence flow into that spot. My hands wrap around his neck, pulling him closer, and I feel the veins move as he takes my blood into him. When I feel his fangs retrieve themselves from my skin, I sigh and lay my head back against the pillow. His body trembles against mine as his face stays buried in the crook of my neck, and I stroke his soft hair, complete vitality coursing through me. My whole body is on fire, and all of those flames soar right to the Mark that he's etched into the side of my neck. "You're mine too, Hunter," I whisper in his ear, running my fingers over his shaking back. He nods against me and when he pulls back, a loving smile has stretched across his face. When he pecks my nose playfully, I laugh, and the sounds of him joining in with my happiness fill the air around us. The candles' warm glow shadow the prominent features of his angelic face.

Suddenly, he tenses completely, and every single sign of joy disappears completely. I tense as his previous smiling lips twist into a terrifying snarl, fangs protruding threateingly once again. "Hunter?" I whisper, confusion mixed with fear taking me over in a second. Without replying he rolls off of me, and I perch up onto my elbows. My mouth falls open, before abruptly closing again as fury clouds my vision with red. My eyes narrow and I spring to my feet, right along with Hunter. Jay takes a step forwards, his fists balled and his body shaking with rage.

"Did I miss something?" he snarls. Hunter lets out a roar and attacks.