Instinct

You watch Sara as the blood on your finger rises to a small bubble. You see her eyes shift from green to red, as the smell--completely imperceptible to a human--fills her nostrils. All that remains is instinct.

It's no different for you. The latch on your cane is undone, the sheath is thrown off, and the blade swings forward to drive straight into Sara's heart before you are even aware you're doing it. You set yourself, ready to feel the blade pierce her perfect skin. Ready to see it tear past clothes that until now you've hardly noticed.

But it does not. Sara does what you thought impossible. She stops herself.

"How did you know?" she asks softly.

You stare down the thin blade that rests against her dress, between a deep cleft of her breasts. How the hell did I not notice those? "There were lots of things. How much dust there is in the kitchen, or that all of the food is unopened. Lots of little things together that add up."

A sad smile crosses her lips, "Which makes you a Hunter."

"Retired," you let the sword drop from between her breasts to your side.

She cocks an eyebrow at you, "You're not going to kill me?"

"I've never seen a vampire stop themselves after the frenzy starts," you admit. "And there's been no evidence of vampire attacks here in 2 years. So you're not feeding on the locals, and you aren't feeding on me despite the opened wound."

"You have no idea how hard it is not to."

"Is it because you're a Karnstein?" you ask.

She smiles, "You know what I am. And you must be one of the Hamiltons."

"I am," you answer.

"So, what now?"

You sheathe your sword. "I don't know," You admit.

"You don't know?" Sara seems surprised.

"I'm... I'm not a Hunter anymore, and I know you haven't attacked anyone. Honestly... I'm curious about you. About how a vampire can live without attacking humans. If you still want me here, that is," you add.

"I do want to you to stay. But you need to know that my ex, Vladimir will come once he knows you're here. He will try to kill you. That's why I wanted a Hunter for a room mate. Do you still want to stay?"