Walking out into the evening light, light coming only from lampposts, I breathed in and out. Truth was, I was resigned to working with the hunters. I didn’t see any way around it and I knew the sooner I dealt with my unease for Logan the better. Besides, despite everything, what I wanted more than anything was Micah dead. If the hunters helped accomplish that, who was I to be upset?
Slipping out of Claudia’s hold, I sank back into the night. Claudia and Ben continued to walk ahead, but she did give me a questioning look. I shrugged and looked back to where Logan was walking with the other hunter.
This hunter looked about the same size and age as Logan, but he was very different. He had a very relaxed vibe about him. You could tell from his posture and walk. With brown hair and grey eyes he reminded me slightly of a hippy. His clothes were loose and sat relaxed on his body.
Seeing me standing on the footpath, Logan barely acknowledged my presence.
“I want to talk to you” I told him.
“Not now and not here” He brushed passed me and this made my anger flair. I was in a bad mood yes, but I was being polite-ish. This guy better treat me with respect.
“Yes now! Right here.” I indicated to the spot on which I stood.
“Fine.” His teeth clenched and he brushed off the other hunter “I’ll catch up, Greg”
Greg walked passed me, looking directly at me. I couldn’t quite place it. I looked like respect mixed with pity. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the look of blind hatred, which I was starting to get used to from his friend.

As I waited for Logan to walk back to me, I flowed over and over in my head, what exactly I was gonna say to this guy. Whatever it was, I never got the chance to say it because the moment he reached me and we were alone, he pounced.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” It was the first time since I’d first met him that he didn’t look collected and 100 percent in control. It startled me. His eyes blazed and for a moment I stood speechless. “You are supposed to work for me. You don’t run off and do what you want, when you want”
Oh. Oh, that does it! “I don’t work for you.” I took an involuntary step towards him. “We are working with you”
“You’re under my command, you follow my instructions.”
“Yes, and last I checked, you never gave me one.” Thinking of James I added, “I did what I felt was right when I had too. No one else was there. What would you have rather me do? Let him go?”
“We could have questioned him.” Seeing my contradicting look he added, “We have ways of making vampires talk.”
“Not him.” I was positive.
“What makes you so sure?”
“I know Micah. He’d never allow someone to have knowledge and be a weakness if he didn’t know for a fact, could keep his mouth shut. He’d never have told you anything, he’d have died first.”
“You appear to know him well” It was an accusation.
“I...” I stopped. Ties. Alana had said they thought Micah had ties within the Manor. Meaning more than one.
Not a chance in hell! I took two steps and was soon almost pressing myself up against Logan. He seemed rattled for a moment, and then recovered himself. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! I’m not working with Micah. He makes my skin crawl. How dare you think you know me!” I shouted at him.

With that he appeared to thaw. Before I could blink he was looming over me. “Know you? I do know you. Vampire scum! You’re nothing but than a leech, sucking the world dry.”
I flinched; it was though he’d kicked me. It hurt. Why should what he thought cause me pain?
Quickly though, my shock changed to fear. The fear I’d felt the night of the school ambush flooded me. He’s a vampire hunter for Gods sake, I thought! What was I thinking? Yes, I’m trained and I basically have a licence to kill, but so does he. He’d probably killed more vampires than I could count. Why was I standing here provoking him? I’d been taught, don’t poke the bear, never poke the bear. And he scared me more than some damn bear! And here I was, standing with him in the dark of the night... all alone.
I don’t know what he saw in me, but he quickly took a step backwards, away from me. He balled his hands into fists and for I second I wondered if he was going to punch me. He didn’t and I wondered if he knew I was afraid of him? Did I want him to know I was afraid of him?
No, I did not. I couldn’t have him use that against me. I squared my shoulders and looked him right into his eyes. His amazingly beautiful eyes. They were so deep and blue that I could imagine drowning in them. I shook that thought from my mind and spoke in what I hoped was a bold voice. “Look, I’ll listen and follow your orders because I have too, because I have no choice. I don’t like you and I don’t trust you. Call me crazy, but I can see you feel the same. But no matter what you think, know this; Micah is my enemy first and foremost, even more than you.”
His eyebrows shot up but he stayed quiet.
“Don’t treat me like dirt and we’ll have no problems”
“Fine, but for the record I don’t just dislike you, I despise you. You and all your friends” he pointedly looked ahead to where Ben and Claudia had gone, “make me sick. But I also have no choice; I have to work with you, against my better judgement. You will do what I say, is that understood?”
“Yes.”

“Alright then” he ran his hand through his hair. His shaggy messy blonde hair. It looked so soft that for a moment I contemplated what it would be like to run my fingers through it. Oh my God, what was wrong with me? He is a hunter and is ruining my life, I should not be thinking like that. The next words out of his mouth destroyed those thoughts once and for all.
“Roxanne, you and the rest..,”
“Don’t,” I said “call me Roxanne. It’s Roxi.”
“Oh, really?” his eyes got a very wicked glint. “I was told you were Roxanne and that..”
“It’s not Roxanne. Do you understand that?” I stated, cutting him off. I’ve always hated my name, that’s why I like Roxi. Now though, I had a reason for hating it and it wasn’t because I suddenly had an awful feeling that Logan was going to start calling me by it.
“Alana said..” he was smirking at me, a really evil smirk.
“I don’t care what Alana said” I sighed, I was very tired. “Please, just leave it alone.”
His eyes were fierce, where I’d once again cut him off. He really mustn’t like me.
“Fine” he snapped his mouth shut, and then marched off to find his friend.
I was left staring at his retreating figure. Man, this conversation hadn’t gone how I’d hoped. He must really hate me. Not that I cared. It didn’t matter what he thought. I was working with him for now; afterwards he’d be out of my life forever. One thing I knew for sure, there was no way in hell we were going to get along.