Shadows of Deceit

Just as they relaxed a little bit they heard steps moving away from the cabin. Maria and Steve exchanged a startled glance as the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. The realization hit them like a bolt of lightning.

"That son of a bitch watched us the entire time!" Maria said, fury burning on her face.

"I'm gonna kill that motherfucker!" Steve jumped from the bed and ran to the door.

"No, Steve, wait!" Maria yelled but Steve was enraged, unable and unwilling to calm down and think this through. He ran outside after Connor, completely naked.

"Fuck! God damn idiot, he's gonna get us both killed by that psycho!" Maria muttered to herself as she headed out after Steve.

Steve was running after Connor as fast as he could but had trouble manoeuvring through the pitch black forest barefoot and naked. He saw Connor running in front of him, keeping the safe distance. Something about this was weird but still he pressed on. He heard Maria behind him, calling him to stop. Just as Steve began questioning the wisdom of his chase Connor suddenly stopped, turned around and pointed his rifle at him.

"Stop right there and don't move a muscle, moron!" Connor shouted, his gun pointed directly at him. Steve stopped and instinctively raised his hands up. Maria caught them and stood beside Steve, raising her hands as well.

"You sick bastard, you watched us fuck, didn't you?" Steve fumed.

"Yeah, and? Whole goddamn forest heard you two, so I checked if it was really that good. So fucking what?" Connor barked back, his gaze never leaving the couple.

"Connor, please, this is just a misunderstanding, there's no need for that gun. Let's talk and..." Maria attempted to defuse the situation and made a step towards the hunter.

"NOT ONE STEP FURTHER, SLUT! I'm not kidding, if I see you make another step, you both are dead!" Connor threatened.

"But...why?" Maria asked, confused by his aggressiveness.

Connor took something out of his pocket and showed it to them. "Because I have you two right where I want to. If you look around closely you'll see a number of sharp stakes, ready to spring and kill you at site if I press this button. I'm going to lower my gun now but my finger will remain on the controller so don't think about anything. Am I clear?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, man? We came here for help and you lure us into a trap just to...wait..." Steve stopped as he figured out what their true purpose was.

Connor laughed at his realization. "See? You're not that stupid after all. Yes, Prince Charming, your new role is bait now. Congratulations."

Steve's jaw tightened, his grip on Maria's hand tightening as he faced Connor. "What the fuck is this, Connor? We trusted you."

Connor's lips curled into a cold smile. "Trust is a luxury we can't afford in this game, my friend. I've been trying to catch that vampire for years and you two lovebirds finally made it possible. Now, let me explain what you have to do if you want to walk out of this alive."

"You see," Connor continued, his eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction, "Nikolai will be drawn to your scent, Maria, to your desire. He won't be able to resist coming to claim what he thinks is his. And when he does, he'll find himself right in the heart of my trap. When you see his approach just make a few steps away from him and when he enters I'll trigger the spikes."

Maria's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and anger. "Connor, that's fucked up, if something goes wrong we could die!"

Connor shrugged indifferently. "Survival is a messy business. Now, enough talk. I need to prepare. I'll hide nearby and with my skills I'll remain undetected. When Nikolai arrives, I'll strike and end this once and for all."

As time went on, Steve and Maria reluctantly took their positions. They exchanged a determined glance, silently vowing to outsmart both Nikolai and Connor. They embraced, trying to keep each other warm on a chill night. Maria sensed her desires growing rapidly and she assumed it meant Nikolai was closing in fast.

An hour or so passed in tense silence, the forest suffocating them with its eerie stillness. Suddenly, a rustle in the underbrush caught their attention. Nikolai emerged from the darkness, his eyes locked onto Maria with a hunger that sent chills down her spine.

A mixture of desire and dread radiated from Maria. The intoxicating allure of Nikolai's presence threatened to overwhelm her senses, drawing her closer to the very danger she sought to escape. Steve, fueled by a **** need to protect her, positioned himself between Maria and Nikolai, a human shield against the darkness. He pushed her back, away from the approaching Nikolai, hoping they were already out of the deadly trap.

Nikolai, his eyes burning with hunger, lunged forward, driven by an all-consuming desire for Maria. Oblivious to the concealed spike traps lurking in the shadows, he pressed on with reckless abandon. Suddenly, the trap was triggered and a piercing cry echoed through the night as Nikolai stumbled, his body impaled on one of the menacing stakes.

Seizing the moment, Connor emerged from his hidden vantage point, determination etched across his face. But due to his overconfidence, Connor decided to deliver a decisive blow with his axe and decapitate the wounded Nikolai and not shoot him first from a safe distance. He overestimated his injuries and his mortal limitations proved glaringly evident as Nikolai, fueled by centuries of immortality, swiftly retaliated. He grabbed Connor's axe and after a short clash it ended flying out their reach behind Connors back. Connor drew out a dagger and stabbed Nikolai but with limited effect. A struggle ensued, their bodies entwined in a ferocious dance of predator and hunter.

Maria's mind whirled with a storm of emotions as she stood there in Steve's protective embrace, a witness to the violent struggle between Nikolai and Connor. It was a battle that encapsulated her own internal conflict, mirroring the turmoil that raged within her heart.

On one side, there was Nikolai, her vampire lover. He represented a world of passion, intensity, and forbidden pleasures. Maria couldn't deny the magnetic pull she felt towards him, the allure that drew her into his dangerous embrace. The thought of succumbing to his desires, to surrender herself to the alluring darkness, ignited a fierce longing within her.

But on the other side stood Steve, her loyal and devoted boyfriend, who had risked everything to protect her. His steadfast presence embodied safety and stability. Steve offered her a love rooted in loyalty, trust, and the promise of a future together. Maria loved him, his unwavering support, and the sense of security he brought to her.

"Axe! Someone take the axe and end him!" Connor cried desperately as he overpowered Nikolai but was unable to land a finishing blow.

In that pivotal moment, Maria's inner conflict reached its peak. She watched as Nikolai fought for his life, while Connor, the vampire hunter they once trusted, aimed to strike her lover down. She felt the surge of anger and betrayal course through her veins, the realization of the risks Connor had put them all in, of the dangers he had unleashed.

She broke free from Steve's protective grasp, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and resolve, and grabbed the axe and plunged it in Connor's back.

"Maria, no!" Steve yelled behind her.

Connor screamed in pain and fell down on his back, further impaling himself. Nikolai looked at Maria, surprise and admiration on his injured face.

As Connor cried and rolled in agony Steve seized the opportunity and grasped Connor's discarded dagger. Rage and desperation coursed through him as he headed to finish the vampire that almost took it all from him. But Maria read his intentions and pulled out the axe from Connor's back. Armed, she was now standing between Steve and Nikolai, her voice trembling with authority and vulnerability. "Stop! Both of you! Enough blood's been shed. I won't let anyone harm another. We need to find another way."

As all three remained frozen in this stand-off, Connor turned his dying gaze towards Maria, his voice laden with bitterness. "You fucking fangbanger slut," he gasped. "You'll never escape him. See you in hell."