22 **Ch 22: Hunting in the Baltic Cold

Long after Victoria had left for college, Kai, his friends, and some of his friends' offspring went out to hunt, which wasn't such an easy task during the early hours of a wintery baltic day in January. Because of the Arctic chill in the breeze, hardly anybody was around, and if people were out and about, they were in an area that had too many eyewitnesses to feed off of anybody.

"I can't recall hunting being this difficult in the early ages," Kai irritatedly grumbled as they walked between the alleyways around the city.

"That's because you're used to us living in the isolated areas of the Europeans and the Middle East. Now we are proud to call ourselves Americans!" Rome beamingly announced, standing between everyone in their group.

Ahead of the group, Kai rolled his eyes as everyone started to chuckle. "I think you need to tighten a few screws in your head, Rome," he grumbled, making Rome laugh louder.

"Come on, Kai, where's your red, white, and blue spirit," Ace added to tease him, and everyone, minus Kai, was starting to laugh harder, including the teens.

"Last I checked, most of us weren't even born on this planet. And who the heck in my family decided to move us to live amongst these filthy humans!" Kai griped loudly.

Back in the ancient periods, Vampire Covens always lived in treacherous locations where the humans wouldn't go. Over time, things must've changed, Kai figured to himself.

Going next to Kai's left shoulder, Rome replied, being a smart mouth as he beamed to tease him. "The Headmaster!"

"He must've lost his mind." Kai rolled his frustrated eyes.

Last he knew, his grandpa Vlad hated humans like he did. He couldn't fathom why his grandfather moved the Coven right in the middle of these pests.

Somewhere by Kai's right, Jack's suggestive voice took him out of his pondering thoughts, "Maybe we should split up?"

Normally, they always hunted together because it was safer that way, but the males were known to hunt solo every now and then. Lately, since there have been multiple rumors of a third vampiric world war, every Coven has been taking extra precautions at staying in groups, and as of recently, some Covens stopped crossing on other vampires' publicly owned property and businesses if they weren't their allies.

"Stay in small groups. Everyone is to keep in touch," Kai agreed to Jack's idea, yet he was sure to firmly bade his strict orders.

He figured some of them should stick together since a few of his guardians had their nineteen-year-old and eighteen-year-old offspring with them, because they were teaching them how to properly hunt.

When Kai went about his way, he heard Rome, Ivan, Jack, and Ian follow behind him. After leaving the alley, he turned into a shadow with Ivan and Rome. Meanwhile, Jack zipped around the buildings and alleyways at an unseen fast speed because his son Ian still didn't know how to contour his body into shadows, sand, dust, wind, smoke, leaves, or whatever else they could break their bodily form into.

Once they were back on the main streets, Kai walked into a hotel that was owned by a wealthy businessman. One at a time, they all walked through the spinning door before they stepped into the main lobby.

"May I help you, gentlemen?" the lady at the desk politely asked them.

Kai heeded her no attention. Not a glance was presented to her by him.

So Rome smiled in his alluring charm. "We're here for a business meeting," he lied through his lustrous charming pale green eyes at her and she melted.

With ease, they roamed around the hotel until they reached the restaurant that had a fancy bar section in the middle of it. Tons of people were present. Some were already drinking in the early hours, while others were too tired from their travels. Kai smirked because they were all perfectly vulnerable and right, for the choosing to fulfill his achy thirst before he lost it.

While his friends went in different directions to do what they do best, Kai crept on the sole of his heels as he discreetly took a glance here and there. His posture was dignified, and he carried a fashionable debonair with his appearance. On top of his soigne looks, his alluring aura enhanced a captivating attraction that would surely entice the ladies' interest toward him.

"You seemed to be looking for trouble." A young lady with red hair approached him from off to his right as she spoke with a kittenish voice to flirt with him.

"Maybe, or it comes looking for me." Kai flashed her a charming wink, and she ate it up in one breath. Deep beneath her chest, her heart fluttered as if a bird was caught somewhere in the depths of her chest. Just by peering into his agate-colored eyes, it felt as if he had won her heart.

"Have a nice day," Kai's enchanting voice whispered before he turned back from where he came.

"Hey, wait." She called after him, yet what she didn't see was the sinister smirk on his lips.

Unaware of his true intentions, she blindly pursued him out of the restaurant. She wasn't aware that she had been snared by his alluring charm that all vampires and vampiresses could lure over their prey.

"I didn't catch your name!" she hollered, chasing after him in the corridor that was closed off for maintenance, but Kai did not stop as he searched for a good place where he could devour her in under less than ten seconds.

Right in a dark gallery, Kai stepped inside it as he scanned the room. It was more than ideal. Cameras or other humans weren't anywhere in sight since the area was closed off to guests and employees. He noted, taking an extra glance everywhere just to be sure. He even breathed in the air to be extra certain.

"Hello," the woman uttered when she blindly stepped inside the dark gallery.

A smile curved on her cherry-red painted lips when she saw him further in towards the back as he appeared to be staring at a large portrait that was mounted on a wall.

"Is there a reason why you are in the dark?" she giggled, going to him.

"What you call dark—" Kai veered in her direction, and she saw that his eyes were now glowing redder than blood "—I call light."

"Aah—" the woman was barely able to scream when Kai tackled his body on her.