The first time they met was in the middle of a trap made by the Hunters to capture the leaders of the head families of Angel Groveâs clan. It was a failed attempt seeing as the Harts, Olivers and Cranstons managed to escape, leaving behind only the Scott family, the second most powerful in the clan. Those too managed to avoid the fate that had been set for them, at least for the most part. Jason was known for being impulsive at times, and thatâs exactly why the blond had decided to return alone from their meeting location near the mines. They had an accord regarding lands and the mines were definitely enemy territory, but still the young vampire, no more than a hundred years old, strolled through there, looking for the thrill of danger. He wanted to find the hunters, to lure them, make fun of them, and then leave uninjured. What he wasnât expecting was to face a challenge.
Zack was a renegade even amongst his peers. He was not human, but also not a vampire, just a creature placed in-between, inheriting some of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides and belonging to neither. While he was stronger, faster and more resilient than humans, he was also affected by the Sun and Sacred territories, being weakened by them. Despite having better senses and better sense of smell, he was also more easily tracked by Vampires, whom seemed to hate him as much as humans did. All of that only served to push him into training harder and more than any other cadet in the Huntersâ forces, eventually landing him in the position of best of his rank, which meant he was included in this trap mission at the mines.
The Dhampir was the first to track the vampire. The sweet smell completely enveloped his senses, making him feel both sick and mildly allured. It was a usual mix of sensations when dealing with purebred vampires, so he was rather used to it. Summoning his partner Trini, they went for the hunt. It didnât take long for them to find Jason. The Vampire was not exactly hiding himself. He was there in the open, walking slowly as if he ruled over the place. Pompous and arrogant; like all the members of purebred families. âStay back!â He whispered to his friend, a hand protectively extending towards her, despite knowing pretty well that she could defend herself without him. Zack could feel the power oozing off of the Scott heir. His first course of action was to draw his axe steeped into holy water. Although the weapon wouldnât be able to kill the Vampire, it would at least diminish the strength of the creatureâs healing abilities, leaving him injured and more and more susceptible to being staked in the heart.
Jason stopped as soon as he saw the weapon, though his stoic expression didnât give off much. It was impossible to read. He smelt the Dhampir and it made his face scrunch up with mild surprise. He was not expecting one of those here, much less on the side of the Hunters. He would have to tell his father about that later, but for now he wanted to play. The Vampire used his enhanced speed to rush towards the Hunters, though he stopped a couple feet away from them, he would let the mortals make the first move. It wasnât long before the male hunter went at him, aiming to whatever part of his body he could reach. Despite his speed, Jason managed to dodge every blow with easy, and also approach his foe. His hand instinctively extended towards the Dhampirâs neck, forming a firm grip around it, strong enough to make him drop the weapon and try to use both hands to set himself free from the Vampireâs hold. With his other hand, the Scott hair conjured the darkness to blind the human Hunter with them, he didnât want interruptions.
Looking the Vampire straight in the eye, Zack tried to conjure his voice. âLet go of me.â His sight was not affected by the darkness, thanks for his Vampire genes, but it still made his head feel a little lighter. âWhy, little one? Does it make you uncomfortable?â The Scott heir increased even more the proximity between their faces, smirking as he heard the Dhampirâs heartbeat quickening. Despite his resistance to it, the Hunter still felt lightly trapped by the seduction pheromones liberated by the Vampire, which made his blood rush southward. âNo!â Zack tried to kick at Jason, but his legs felt paralyzed, so he settled for turning his head to the side and broke their eye contact. The brunet tried to spot Trini, but he couldnât even hear him, so he figured she was gone to call for backup.
The Scott heir was not pleased when the Dhampir managed to break their stare, it made him feel weak, triggering a low growl from the back of his throat. âWhat is your name, little Dhampir?â At first he was met with reluctance, but as soon as he tightened his hold around the other maleâs neck, his eyes were met with a fiery gaze. âZack TaylorâŠâ The response was given in a soft tone. âAh!â Realisation suddenly crossed Jasonâs face, and then anger. âI knew your father!â His hold loosened and he threw Zack to the ground. âHow could you side with them when they killed your father?â Venom was dripping from his voice with every word as he observed the brunet sitting up and rubbing a palm against the bruise on his neck.  âThat was the only way they would let me live!â Zack almost yelled. âAnd itâs not like your kind has been any welcoming towards me either.â The Hunter seemed angry now as well, and he stood up, watching as the darkness evaporated from around them, but the amount of pheromones had almost tripled. The Vampire had lost his focus, but his self defence mechanism kicked in, making the Dhampir feel dizzy.
âNo one knew about your existence.â The words were all but spat by Jason. Humans, Dhampirs, they were always blaming Vampires for their misfortune. That, though, seemed to catch Zackâs attention, seeing as the boy quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing the front of the blondâs vests. âYou are lying.â He muttered, voice getting weaker by the second, to the point he sounded almost like he was begging. âYour kind left my mother to die, too weak from being fed on and no strength to fight for herself.â The Dhampirâs voice no longer held the initial sparkle when he talked of his mother. It was a vulnerability. âThe Hunters killed your mother. I know for one that Michael had turned her.â That seemed to do the trick and for some reason Jason felt that pang of guilt, even if he was not lying. He wrapped an arm around Zack, whom was now in a state of despair. âCome with me! Your âfriendsâ will be here soon.â The Hunter offered no reluctance to follow the Vampireâs orders, but if asked he would claim it to be because of the seduction pheromones.
Jason conjured the darkness again to help they stalk off unnoticed. The fun plans he had for his night had all but vanished at the moment and his caring side had been brought up. That realisation made him think about his motherâs words the one time he asked her how she knew that she loved his father when within their race feelings were an almost extinct concept. âYou feel it, physically. That void inside you will feel crushed. You will not feel pain, but everything youâve supressed unintentionally will surface. You will care, and it will happen at once.â He didnât believe her back then, but her words were proving to be true right now. He could feel.
Weirdly enough, Zack remained silent the whole walk to Vampire territory. For all he knew, it could be trick and Jason could be lying to him, but the warmth he was feeling now, despite the blondâs bodyâs coldness told him otherwise. As they made a stop, he sighed and attempted to detach himself from the other male. The action only resulted in the Vampire holding on to him tighter. It confused him, but he still felt at loss of words, so he just fixed Jason with a look, an eyebrow quirked upwards. He was met with the soft brush of the Scott heirâs lips against his own, and maybe it was not a response, but he understood. He was The One.
