Chapter 5: The First Hunt The handshake ended but Dominic didn't release her hand immediately. His thumb brushed across her knuckles in a way that seemed deliberate. Alexia pulled away first. "When do I start?" She needed to focus on practical details rather than whatever weird response her body had to his touch. Dominic checked his watch again. "Now. We have a situation that requires immediate attention." He walked to the door, gesturing for her to follow. "A rogue has been operating in the industrial district for three days. Bodies are showing up in patterns that will attract police attention by tomorrow morning." Alexia followed him out of the cell and down the hallway. Her legs were stiff from sitting for hours. The stairs back up seemed longer than when she'd descended them in chains. "What kind of patterns?" She tried to match his pace through the manor's entrance hall. "Exsanguinated corpses left in public spaces." Dominic led her through a side door into what looked like a study. Weapons lined one wall in glass cases. Old swords, crossbows, stakes made from different materials. "The rogue is either young and stupid or deliberately trying to expose our existence. Either way, the situation needs resolution tonight." He opened one of the cases and pulled out a leather harness with multiple holsters. Modern equipment mixed with traditional weapons. Stakes in quick-release sheaths, silver-coated blades, something that looked like a modified taser. "Your father used a similar setup." Dominic held out the harness. "The network probably has his original equipment somewhere, but this will serve until you can retrieve it." Alexia took the harness, examining the weight distribution. Her hunter instincts immediately understood how it would balance on her body. Muscle memory from a bloodline she'd only discovered yesterday. She strapped it on, adjusting the fit around her torso. Dominic watched without offering help. Each weapon settled into place with satisfying clicks. The stakes were lighter than the makeshift one she'd used at the warehouse. Professionally balanced for throwing or close combat. "What else do you have?" Alexia gestured toward the other cases. "I need to find something that actually suits me." Dominic raised an eyebrow but walked to another cabinet, unlocking it with a key from his pocket. He pulled out a compact crossbow first, the kind designed for close-quarters combat. Modern construction with a tactical scope. Alexia picked it up, testing the weight and balance. The trigger mechanism was smooth, the draw weight reasonable. She aimed at the far wall, tracking an imaginary target. The crossbow felt competent in her hands but nothing special. She set it down. Next came martial arts weapons. Dominic laid out several options on the desk. Escrima sticks made from reinforced polymer. A pair of fighting knives with curved blades. Nunchaku that looked professionally balanced rather than decorative. She picked up the escrima sticks, spinning them experimentally. The movement came naturally enough, muscle memory from her bloodline providing basic techniques. Still, they didn't feel right. Too close-range for hunting something with vampire speed and strength. The knives were similar. Excellent craftsmanship, perfect balance, but requiring proximity she wasn't comfortable with yet. Then Dominic brought out a bow. Not a modern compound bow but something closer to traditional recurve design, updated with contemporary materials. Carbon fiber limbs, precision-engineered riser, adjustable draw weight. A quiver of arrows sat beside it, tips gleaming with silver coating. Alexia picked up the bow, her fingers finding the grip immediately. The weight distribution felt perfect. She nocked an arrow without thinking about it, her body understanding the mechanics before her conscious mind caught up. She drew the string back, feeling the resistance build smoothly. Her aim locked onto a small knot in the wood paneling across the room. Everything else disappeared. Just her, the bow, and the target. "Don't actually shoot," Dominic said. "That paneling is original to the manor." Alexia released the tension carefully, lowering the bow. Her heart was racing in a way that had nothing to do with fear or exertion. The bow felt like an extension of her body. Distance weapon that played to her strengths. Precision over brute force. She picked it up again, testing the draw a few more times. Each pull confirmed what her instincts were telling her. This was her weapon. "I'll take this one." Alexia grabbed the quiver, slinging it across her back. The arrows settled into position alongside the stakes and blades already strapped to the harness. Dominic nodded, studying her with the bow. "Interesting choice. Most hunters prefer close combat weapons. Vampires move too fast for ranged attacks to be reliable." "Most hunters don't have whatever bloodline advantages I apparently inherited." Alexia adjusted the quiver strap. "If I can track movement well enough, distance gives me time to react before they're on top of me." "Your father preferred stakes." Dominic closed the weapon cabinets. "He believed in getting close enough to see their eyes when they died." "My father isn't here to judge my methods," Alexia said. The bow felt right in ways she couldn't fully articulate. Something about the draw and release matched how her enhanced senses processed information. "What else do you have?" Alexia gestured toward the other cases. "I need to find something that actually suits me." Dominic raised an eyebrow but walked to another cabinet, unlocking it with a key from his pocket. He pulled out a compact crossbow first, the kind designed for close-quarters combat. Modern construction with a tactical scope. Alexia picked it up, testing the weight and balance. The trigger mechanism was smooth, the draw weight reasonable. She aimed at the far wall, tracking an imaginary target. The crossbow felt competent in her hands but nothing special. She set it down. Next came martial arts weapons. Dominic laid out several options on the desk. Escrima sticks made from reinforced polymer. A pair of fighting knives with curved blades. Nunchaku that looked professionally balanced rather than decorative. She picked up the escrima sticks, spinning them experimentally. The movement came naturally enough, muscle memory from her bloodline providing basic techniques. Still, they didn't feel right. Too close-range for hunting something with vampire speed and strength. The knives were similar. Excellent craftsmanship, perfect balance, but requiring proximity she wasn't comfortable with yet. Then Dominic brought out a bow. Not a modern compound bow but something closer to traditional recurve design, updated with contemporary materials. Carbon fiber limbs, precision-engineered riser, adjustable draw weight. A quiver of arrows sat beside it, tips gleaming with silver coating. Alexia picked up the bow, her fingers finding the grip immediately. The weight distribution felt perfect. She nocked an arrow without thinking about it, her body understanding the mechanics before her conscious mind caught up. She drew the string back, feeling the resistance build smoothly. Her aim locked onto a small knot in the wood paneling across the room. Everything else disappeared. Just her, the bow, and the target. "Don't actually shoot," Dominic said. "That paneling is original to the manor." Alexia released the tension carefully, lowering the bow. Her heart was racing in a way that had nothing to do with fear or exertion. The bow felt like an extension of her body. Distance weapon that played to her strengths. Precision over brute force. She picked it up again, testing the draw a few more times. Each pull confirmed what her instincts were telling her. This was her weapon. "I'll take this one." Alexia grabbed the quiver, slinging it across her back. The arrows settled into position alongside the stakes and blades already strapped to the harness. Dominic nodded, studying her with the bow. "Interesting choice. Most hunters prefer close combat weapons. Vampires move too fast for ranged attacks to be reliable." "Most hunters don't have whatever bloodline advantages I apparently inherited." Alexia adjusted the quiver strap. "If I can track movement well enough, distance gives me time to react before they're on top of me." "Your father preferred stakes." Dominic closed the weapon cabinets. "He believed in getting close enough to see their eyes when they died." "My father isn't here to judge my methods," Alexia said. The bow felt right in ways she couldn't fully articulate. Something about the draw and release matched how her enhanced senses processed information. "The rogue's last known location was an abandoned factory near the waterfront." Dominic pulled out his phone, showing her a map with marked locations. "Three bodies found within a two-block radius. Surveillance footage shows a figure matching vampire movement patterns entering the factory around midnight each night." Alexia studied the map, committing the layout to memory. "What information do you have about the rogue? Age, capabilities, known associates?" "Turned approximately six months ago by a vampire we already eliminated for unauthorized conversions." Dominic pulled up additional files on his phone. "No formal training in coven protocols. Enhanced strength and speed typical for newly turned. No documented special abilities beyond standard vampire characteristics." The fact that he provided details without hesitation suggested he'd been planning this assignment before she'd even accepted his offer. Testing her capabilities on a relatively straightforward target made tactical sense. "And the evidence this vampire actually broke coven rules?" Alexia needed to verify he'd follow through on providing proof. Dominic swiped through several photos. Crime scene images of bodies drained completely of blood, left in positions clearly visible to anyone passing by. Time stamps and location data from security cameras. A written statement from another coven member describing attempts to counsel the rogue on proper discretion. "Satisfied?" Dominic locked his phone. Alexia nodded. The evidence was thorough enough that she couldn't argue the rogue was operating recklessly. Whether that justified execution was a different moral question she didn't have time to process right now. "Transportation is waiting." Dominic walked toward the manor's front entrance. "I'll accompany you to provide tactical support and evaluate your performance." The idea of him watching her first hunt made Alexia's stomach tighten. Her instincts responded to his presence with that same contradictory mixture of threat awareness and something closer to anticipation. They walked outside where a different vehicle waited. Smaller than the sedan that had brought her here. Something fast and expensive that probably cost more than her mom's house. Dominic drove while Alexia sat in the passenger seat, going over the tactical information he'd provided. The factory had multiple entry points. Loading docks, administrative offices, roof access through old fire escapes. A vampire could enter from any direction. The city looked different at this hour. Streets mostly empty except for occasional late-night workers or people stumbling home from bars. Alexia had driven through these areas during the day. Now they transformed into something unfamiliar. The industrial district appeared after twenty minutes of driving. Warehouses and factories in various states of abandonment or minimal operation. The factory Dominic indicated sat between two functioning businesses, its windows dark and broken. He parked a block away, killing the engine. "Standard approach is reconnaissance first. Identify entry points, assess interior conditions, locate the target before engagement." Alexia got out of the car, her enhanced senses immediately scanning the area. The smell of salt water from the nearby docks mixed with industrial chemicals and something organic rotting somewhere close by. "Your abilities will guide you once you're inside." Dominic walked beside her toward the factory. "Hunter bloodlines evolved specifically to track vampires. Trust your instincts even when they seem irrational." They reached the factory's perimeter fence. Sections had been cut away by scavengers looking for metal to sell. Alexia slipped through a gap, moving quietly across the overgrown lot toward the main building. The loading dock doors were chained but one had enough give that she could squeeze through. Dominic followed with supernatural silence. Inside, the factory opened into a massive space filled with abandoned machinery and debris. Alexia's senses sharpened immediately. Her vision adjusted to the darkness better than seemed possible. She could track air currents moving through broken windows. Somewhere deeper in the building, she registered a sound too faint for normal hearing. Dominic stayed back, letting her take the lead. Testing whether her abilities would actually function under field conditions. She moved between machinery carefully, avoiding debris that would make noise. The sound she'd detected grew clearer. Not breathing exactly. Vampires didn't need to breathe regularly. Something closer to a low vibration. A section of the factory floor had collapsed into a lower level. Alexia peered over the edge, scanning the darkness below. The vibration emanated from somewhere down there. She found stairs leading down, their metal construction rusted but stable enough. Each step required careful weight distribution to avoid creaking. Dominic descended behind her, maintaining distance. The lower level had been used for storage. Shelving units lined walls, most empty now. The smell of decay intensified down here. Old chemical spills mixed with something definitively biological. Alexia's hunter instincts locked onto a specific direction. She moved toward the back corner where a makeshift nest had been constructed from stolen blankets and clothing. The rogue vampire sat in the center, facing away from her approach. "I wondered when the coven would send someone." The rogue's voice was young. Male. Scared despite trying to sound defiant. "Took longer than expected." Alexia pulled a stake from its sheath. "You've been killing people in ways that attract attention. That breaks coven rules." The rogue turned around, revealing a face that couldn't be older than twenty when he'd been turned. Thin features, eyes that hadn't fully adjusted to vampirism's physical changes yet. "The coven turned me then abandoned me." He stood up, his movements carrying new-vampire awkwardness. "No training, no guidance, just threats about following rules nobody explained. What was I supposed to do?" Alexia's grip on the stake tightened. "Not leave bodies in public spaces. That much should have been obvious." "I was hungry." The rogue moved sideways, circling. "Nobody told me how to hunt properly. Nobody showed me where to find willing donors or how to feed without killing. I figured it out myself." His logic had merit even if his methods were disastrous. Turning someone then providing no support created exactly this kind of rogue behavior. The coven's system seemed designed to produce problems it could then eliminate. "You're still alive." Dominic's voice came from behind Alexia. "That suggests some survival capability." The rogue's expression shifted when he recognized Dominic. "Lord Ashford. You're here personally for this?" "I'm here to observe." Dominic gestured toward Alexia. "She's the one who'll decide your fate." Alexia glanced back at him. "I thought the assignment was elimination." "The assignment is resolving a problem." Dominic leaned against a support column. "How you resolve it demonstrates your judgment." The rogue looked between them, trying to understand the dynamics. "She's human. Why would a human be working for the coven?" "Hunter bloodline." Alexia watched him process that information. "Apparently I'm more useful hunting rogues than dying for revenge." Recognition dawned on the rogue's face. "Thorne descendant. The coven's been talking about capturing you for months." He laughed without humor. "They really did turn you into their weapon." Alexia's jaw clenched. "You've killed at least three people in three days. That's not a political statement. That's just careless slaughter." "Those people were homeless." The rogue's defiance returned. "Nobody cares when homeless people disappear. I was being practical about victim selection." The casual dismissal of human life made Alexia's hunter instincts surge. She moved forward, closing the distance between them. The rogue backed up until he hit a wall. "Last chance." Alexia raised the stake. "Stop killing or I end this now." "You won't." The rogue's confidence seemed forced. "You're human. Humans hesitate." He moved with vampire speed, trying to dodge past her. Alexia's enhanced reflexes tracked his movement. She pivoted, driving the stake toward his chest. He twisted away but not fast enough. The point grazed his ribs, drawing blood. The rogue hissed, showing fangs. He grabbed a piece of broken shelving and swung it at her head. Alexia ducked under the attack, sweeping his legs. He crashed down, losing his makeshift weapon. She was on him immediately, pinning him with enhanced strength that surprised them both. The stake pressed against his sternum, right over where his heart should be. "Please." The defiance crumbled completely. "I don't want to die. I'll stop hunting in public. I'll follow whatever rules you want. Just don't kill me." Alexia's hand trembled slightly. This was different from fighting the vampires at the warehouse. Those had been immediate threats. This was execution of someone who'd surrendered. She looked up at Dominic, who watched with complete neutrality. No guidance either direction. Testing whether she'd follow through or lose her nerve. The rogue was young, scared, and had been created then abandoned by the same system now demanding his death. Killing him meant participating in the coven's cleanup of their own failures. But letting him live meant risking more deaths. His promises might be genuine or just self-preservation. No way to verify which. Alexia's instincts provided no clear answer. Violence came naturally when defending herself. Cold calculation of whether someone deserved death required different capabilities she hadn't developed yet. "You've killed three people in three days." Alexia kept the stake pressed against his chest. "Give me one reason to believe you'll actually change." The rogue's eyes darted around, searching for escape routes that didn't exist. "I can provide information about other rogues. Names, locations, vampires who've been breaking coven rules but haven't been caught yet." Interesting that he'd try to bargain with intelligence. Suggested he'd been paying attention to vampire politics despite his claims of abandonment. "What kind of information?" Alexia didn't move the stake. "There's a group operating in the university district." The rogue spoke quickly. "Four vampires who've been feeding on students. They're careful about it, never killing, always using coercion to make victims forget. But they're breaking consent protocols." Alexia glanced at Dominic. "Is that accurate?" "Possibly." Dominic pushed away from the column, walking closer. "We've had reports of suspicious behavior near the university. No concrete evidence yet." The rogue seized on this. "I can give you locations, schedules, everything you need to catch them. Just let me live and I'll disappear. Leave the city entirely. You'll never hear from me again." Alexia's hand still trembled. The violence of staking him would be intense. She could visualize how the wood would pierce flesh and muscle, the resistance before breaking through to the heart. Her bloodline carried memories of hundreds of similar kills. But she could also visualize letting him live and finding more bodies next week. More homeless people drained and left in alleys because this rogue decided promises made under duress didn't count. "Give me the information about the university group." Alexia made her decision. "Names, locations, everything. If it checks out, you get twenty-four hours to leave the city. If you're still here after that or if I find out you lied, I'll hunt you down personally." The rogue nodded frantically. "Building addresses, feeding schedules, all of it. I've been watching them for weeks." He rattled off details while Alexia committed them to memory. Building names, apartment numbers, class schedules they used to identify targets. Enough specific information that verifying accuracy would be straightforward. When he finished, Alexia stood up, removing the stake from his chest. The rogue scrambled backward, putting distance between them. "Twenty-four hours." Alexia pointed the stake at him. "If the information is wrong, I'll assume you're still a threat and act accordingly." The rogue nodded again, already moving toward the stairs. He disappeared up them with vampire speed, leaving Alexia alone with Dominic in the factory basement. Silence stretched between them. Alexia waited for criticism about not following through with execution. Instead, Dominic walked to where the rogue had been building his nest, examining the stolen belongings. "Interesting choice." He picked up a blanket, examining it briefly before dropping it. "Most hunters would have staked him immediately." "He's a problem created by poor coven management." Alexia holstered the stake. "Killing him fixes the immediate issue but doesn't address the systemic failure." Dominic smiled slightly. "You sound like you're writing a policy paper rather than hunting vampires." "You gave me the choice." Alexia's adrenaline was starting to fade, leaving her shaky. "So I chose based on what seemed most effective long-term." "And if he kills someone else before leaving the city?" Dominic walked toward her. "That death would be your responsibility." Alexia met his eyes. "Then I'll accept that consequence. But executing someone who surrendered and provided intelligence felt more like murder than hunting." The space between them decreased until Dominic stood close enough that she could register his unnatural stillness. No breathing, no heartbeat, just perfect control of a body that no longer needed autonomic functions. "Your father would have killed him without hesitation." Dominic's hand came up, fingers brushing along her jawline. "Hunter bloodlines traditionally don't allow mercy for vampires regardless of circumstances." Alexia's breath caught. His touch sent electricity through her enhanced senses. Her body responded to his proximity in ways that had nothing to do with combat instincts. "My father isn't here to judge my methods." She didn't pull away from his touch. "You said you wanted an effective hunter, not a copy of previous generations." Dominic's thumb traced across her lower lip. "You're right. I did say that." The violence of the hunt was transforming into something else. Her bloodline's response to vampire presence shifted from pure aggression into complicated desire. She could kill him right now if she moved fast enough. She could also close the distance and discover what his mouth tasted like. "This is a terrible idea." Alexia spoke even as her body leaned slightly toward him. "Probably." Dominic's other hand settled on her waist. "Violence and desire often intertwine in complicated ways. I mentioned that earlier." Her hunter instincts screamed contradictory information. Threat. Attraction. Enemy. Potential ally. The combination made coherent thought difficult. Dominic pulled her closer, eliminating the remaining space between them. His mouth found hers with the same precision he'd used for everything else. The kiss was controlled, deliberate, testing her response. Alexia responded instinctively, her hands coming up to his shoulders. The weapons harness pressed between them. Stakes and blades positioned perfectly for combat now serving as barriers to something completely different. His hands moved across her back, exploring the harness straps. She could register every point of contact through her enhanced senses. Temperature differences where his supernatural cold met her human warmth. Pressure variations as his fingers traced weapon placements. The kiss deepened. Alexia's back hit a support column as Dominic pressed her against it. One of his hands slid into her hair while the other worked at the harness buckles. "Wait." Alexia broke the kiss, breathing hard. "This is insane. You're a vampire lord. I'm supposed to be hunting your kind." "You are hunting my kind." Dominic's mouth moved to her neck, finding the spot where her pulse hammered visibly. "You're just doing it under contract rather than family tradition. This doesn't change that dynamic." His teeth grazed her throat without breaking skin. The sensation sent fire through her nervous system. Her bloodline responded to the threat with heightened awareness that somehow amplified the desire rather than dampening it. "Your teeth." Alexia managed to articulate the concern. "If you bite me—" "I won't." Dominic pulled back enough to meet her eyes. "Biting requires consent in all circumstances. Coven rules I actually agree with." The clarification helped. Alexia's hands moved from his shoulders to his chest, feeling muscle through the shirt. No heartbeat underneath, just the strange stillness of a body sustained by supernatural forces rather than biological functions. Dominic's hands resumed working the harness buckles. The straps loosened and fell away, clattering to the factory floor with all their attached weapons. Without the equipment, Alexia was just a human girl pressed against a wall by something that could kill her effortlessly. The vulnerability should have triggered survival instincts. Instead, it amplified the attraction. She pulled him closer, kissing him again with intensity that surprised them both. His hands found the hem of her shirt, sliding underneath to explore bare skin. Cold fingers against her ribs made her gasp. Dominic used the opportunity to deepen the kiss further, his tongue exploring her mouth while his hands mapped her body with deliberate precision. Alexia's own hands worked at his shirt buttons, wanting to feel his skin directly. The fabric parted to reveal a torso that looked like classical sculpture. Perfect muscle definition frozen at whatever age he'd been turned. She ran her palms across his chest, feeling the cold firmness of supernatural flesh. Her fingers traced down his stomach to the waistband of his pants, learning every contour. No warmth, no pulse, just impossible perfection held in permanent suspension. The contrast between his cold skin and her feverish heat created sensations that her enhanced senses amplified beyond normal perception. Dominic's mouth moved from her lips to her jaw, down her neck to her collarbone. Each kiss left cold impressions that her enhanced senses tracked with perfect clarity. She could map exactly where his mouth had been by the lingering temperature differences on her skin. His hands slid up her ribs to her breasts, cupping them through her bra before his thumbs found her nipples through the fabric. The dual sensation of cold touch and building arousal made Alexia gasp. She arched into his hands, wanting more contact. Dominic unhooked her bra with practiced efficiency, tossing it aside. His mouth descended to her exposed breasts, tongue circling one nipple while his hand teased the other. The cold wetness of his tongue against her heated skin sent shivers through her entire body. Alexia's head fell back against the column as he worked her breasts with his mouth and hands. Each flick of his tongue, each gentle bite that never broke skin, built the arousal higher. Her enhanced senses tracked every point of contact, creating feedback loops that amplified the pleasure beyond what should be possible. His free hand slid down her stomach to the waistband of her pants. He popped the button open, dragging the zipper down slowly. His fingers slipped inside her panties, finding the wet heat between her legs. "You're already so wet for me," Dominic murmured against her breast, his fingers exploring her folds with deliberate care. Alexia couldn't form words. His cold fingers against her most sensitive flesh created sensation that bordered on overwhelming. He found her clit, circling it with exactly the right pressure while his mouth continued working her breasts. Her hips rolled against his hand, seeking more friction. Dominic obliged, sliding two fingers inside her while his thumb maintained pressure on her clit. The combination of internal and external stimulation, combined with her enhanced senses tracking every movement, pushed her rapidly toward the edge. "Not yet," Dominic pulled his hand away, leaving her gasping with frustration. He stripped off her pants and panties, leaving her completely naked against the column. His eyes traveled over her exposed body with obvious hunger. Then he knelt before her, his hands gripping her hips. "Dominic, what—" Alexia's question cut off as his mouth found her pussy. His cold tongue licked through her folds, tasting her arousal. The temperature contrast sent shocks through her nervous system. He explored every part of her with his mouth, learning what made her gasp and moan. When his tongue found her clit, circling it with the same precision he'd used with his fingers, Alexia's legs nearly gave out. He held her steady against the column, his supernatural strength keeping her upright while his mouth worked her relentlessly. Two fingers slid inside her again, pumping in rhythm with his tongue on her clit. Alexia's hands tangled in his hair, holding him in place. The pleasure built with intensity that her enhanced senses amplified until she couldn't tell where one sensation ended and another began. Her orgasm hit without warning, crashing through her body with devastating force. She cried out, her pussy clenching around his fingers while waves of pleasure rolled through her. Dominic didn't stop, extending her climax until she was shaking and gasping. When he finally stood, his mouth glistened with her arousal. Alexia pulled him into a kiss, tasting herself on his lips. Her hands fumbled with his belt, desperate to feel him inside her. The buckle came free. She worked at his pants, shoving them down along with his underwear. His cock sprang free, hard and cold like the rest of him. Alexia wrapped her hand around him, stroking his length. Dominic groaned against her mouth. "If you keep doing that, this will end before it begins." Alexia stroked him again, enjoying the power of making a vampire lord lose control. His hands gripped her wrists, pinning them above her head against the column. "My turn," he said, his voice rough with desire. He lifted her with vampire strength, positioning her against the wall. Alexia wrapped her legs around his waist as he lined himself up with her entrance. The head of his cock pressed against her, cold and hard. "Ready?" Dominic's eyes met hers, waiting for confirmation. "Yes," Alexia breathed. "Fuck me." He thrust inside her in one smooth motion, filling her completely. The cold length of him stretching her open created sensation that bordered on painful pleasure. Alexia cried out, her back arching against the column. Dominic gave her a moment to adjust before he started moving. His thrusts were controlled and deliberate, each one hitting deep inside her. The angle allowed him to reach places that made her see stars. Her enhanced senses tracked every detail. The cold slide of his cock inside her hot pussy. The pressure of his hands gripping her hips. The roughness of the column against her back. All of it combined into overwhelming sensation. "Harder," Alexia demanded, her nails digging into his shoulders. Dominic obliged, increasing his pace. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoed through the factory basement. Each thrust drove her higher, building toward another orgasm. His mouth found her neck, kissing and sucking without using teeth. The knowledge that he could bite her, drain her, kill her, but chose not to, added an edge of danger that amplified everything. "You feel incredible," Dominic groaned against her throat. "So hot and tight around me." His words pushed her closer to the edge. One of his hands released her hip, moving between their bodies to find her clit. He rubbed circles around it while continuing to thrust deep inside her. The dual stimulation was too much. Alexia's second orgasm hit harder than the first, her pussy clenching around his cock in rhythmic pulses. She screamed his name, not caring who might hear. Dominic kept moving through her climax, prolonging it until pleasure bordered on pain. Then his rhythm faltered, his thrusts becoming erratic. He buried himself deep inside her one final time, his cock pulsing as he came. The sensation of him finishing inside her, cold spurts filling her, triggered aftershocks that rippled through her body. They stayed locked together, both breathing hard despite only one of them actually needing air. Slowly, Dominic lowered her back to the ground. Alexia's legs trembled, barely able to support her weight. His cock slipped out of her, followed by the wetness of their combined fluids. "That was..." Alexia couldn't find words to describe what just happened. "Intense," Dominic finished for her, his voice still rough. "Your hunter bloodline responds to vampire presence with heightened arousal. Combined with the adrenaline from the hunt, it creates quite the reaction." Alexia leaned against the column, trying to steady herself. Her entire body felt hypersensitive, every nerve ending still firing with residual pleasure. Reality reasserted itself gradually. They were naked in an abandoned factory where she'd just hunted a vampire and then had sex with another one. The absurdity of the situation would have been funny if her mind wasn't still processing the intensity of what just happened. Dominic stepped back, reaching for his clothes. "That was unexpected." Alexia grabbed her own clothes, dressing quickly. Her hands still trembled slightly. "Unexpected but probably inevitable given the circumstances." "Your hunter instincts responded to combat with arousal." Dominic pulled on his shirt, not bothering to button it immediately. "That's documented in historical accounts of hunter-vampire interactions." "You're saying this is normal?" Alexia hooked her bra, trying to regain some composure. "Normal is subjective." Dominic watched her dress with obvious interest. "But common enough that it's recognized as a pattern. Violence and desire intertwine more than most people acknowledge." Alexia pulled on her pants and shoes, feeling more grounded once she was clothed again. The weapons harness lay on the floor where Dominic had removed it. She picked it up, strapping it back on with practiced efficiency. "What happens now?" She needed to establish what this meant going forward. "Now we return to the city." Dominic finished dressing and headed toward the stairs. "You'll move into the apartment I've arranged. Tomorrow you'll verify the information the rogue provided about the university group." The casual transition from sex back to business felt jarring. Alexia followed him up the stairs, processing the rapid shifts between different kinds of intensity. They drove back in silence. Alexia watched the city pass outside the window, trying to organize her thoughts. She'd hunted her first vampire and chosen mercy over execution. Then she'd had sex with the vampire lord employing her in an abandoned factory. Her senior year had definitely taken turns she couldn't have predicted. The apartment Dominic indicated was in a decent neighborhood. Modern building with security and parking. He handed her a key. "Top floor. Everything you need is already inside." Dominic kept the car running. "I'll contact you tomorrow with verification results on the rogue's information." Alexia got out of the car, pocketing the key. "And if it's accurate?" "Then you'll have your first real assignment hunting the university group." Dominic leaned across the passenger seat to look at her. "Get some rest. Tomorrow starts your actual work." The car pulled away, leaving Alexia standing on the sidewalk. She turned toward the building entrance and stopped. Elena leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed. Her expression carried careful neutrality that didn't hide the anger underneath. "We need to talk." Elena pushed away from the wall. "The hunter network just got word that you've accepted employment with the coven. That makes you a collaborator."