Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

MERCY

D amn it. Mercy had known this was a bad idea. The second she stepped into the abbey and felt the energy shift around her, she had felt it. A pull. A tether. And now, standing just inches from Hunter, her suspicions were confirmed. His touch—cool and steady, a vampire's touch—sent sparks down her arm, igniting something in her she hadn't felt in years.

But it was all wrong. Completely wrong.

Mercy side-eyed him and yanked her hand free from his grip, her jaw tightening with frustration. "Walk away, Hunter," she'd said softly, her voice barely above a growl. "I have no interest in whatever it is you think you're offering."

Hunter's laughter had been low and rich, as if her rejection only amused him. "We'll see each other soon enough, Mercy. And then, maybe we can discuss that in greater detail."

Mercy rolled her eyes, her annoyance flaring. Without turning back, she raised her middle finger high in the air as she strode away, not caring if he saw. Vampires . They always thought they were so damn charming. They usually were, but still, they were arrogant sots.

She made her way to the large, stone-hewn table where Brie and Colby sat, both of them watching her approach with matching grins that did nothing to improve her mood. Colby's laughter was the first to break through, a deep, amused chuckle that rippled through the room.

"A shifter and a vampire," he said, shaking his head. "Fate has a warped sense of humor."

Mercy dropped into the chair opposite them, folding her arms over her chest. "That bitch," she muttered under her breath. The laughter between Brie and Colby only grew louder, but Mercy's mood remained sour. "This isn't funny, you know."

Brie's smile softened, but it didn't vanish. "Oh, come on, Mercy. You've survived far worse than a fated bond with a vampire."

"I'm not so sure," she shot back. "This is a disaster waiting to happen." She paused, then added, "I need to talk to Adriana. Maybe she can whip up some sort of pheromone spray or something to keep him at bay."

Brie and Colby both laughed harder, doubling over with amusement as Mercy glared daggers at them.

"Pheromone spray?" Colby wheezed between breaths. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll work."

"You think this is a joke?" Mercy snapped. "It's Hunter. Did you miss the part where he's a vampire? He's… dangerous."

Brie composed herself, though her eyes still danced with amusement. "He's dangerous, sure. But so are you."

Mercy snorted, not in the mood for compliments. "Whatever. I'm here to see the woman. You know, the one who actually matters."

The smiles on Brie and Colby's faces sobered, and they exchanged a quick glance. Brie nodded toward the far end of the abbey. "She's resting in the west wing. They've got her in one of the recovery rooms."

Mercy stood, brushing off her pants and muttering something under her breath about vampires and fated mates before heading off in the direction Brie had indicated. She could still feel Hunter's presence in the air, like an itch under her skin she couldn't scratch. Fucking matchmakers , she thought as she stalked down the long corridor. Brie and Colby would probably get a kick out of it if she found Hunter waiting in the woman's room just to screw with her.

She pushed open the door to the recovery room, her eyes immediately scanning the space. Of course, there he was. Standing near the foot of the bed, looking as cool and composed as ever, was Hunter.

Mercy's fingers twitched, and she fought the urge to throw something at him. She swallowed her irritation, standing straighter as she approached the bed where the woman lay, pale and still, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Hunter glanced up at Mercy as she entered, something unreadable flickering in his ice-blue eyes.

"I see you've made yourself comfortable," Mercy muttered, her voice thick with sarcasm.

"I was just making sure she's still alive," Hunter replied, his voice steady but without its usual arrogance. "There's something off about her."

Mercy stepped closer; her brow furrowed. "She's a shifter. But I can't quite figure out what kind." She paused, biting her lip in frustration.

"I didn't think shifters could always tell what kind of shifter another was, just that someone is a shifter."

"That's the case for most of us, but I'm usually pretty good at figuring it out. It's not supposed to happen to me." It was almost a musing to herself, the unease crawling up her spine as she studied the woman's face. "I should be able to tell."

Hunter's eyes flicked toward Mercy, his expression softening slightly. "It's okay. We're all supernatural beings here, but very few of us are omnipotent. You can't be expected to know every single one of us."

"You don't understand," Mercy murmured, her gaze still on the unconscious woman. She wasn't ready to explain her gift to Hunter—or anyone else, for that matter. What she could do went beyond mere identification of a supernatural being. It was like knowing their DNA, their essence, their weaknesses and strengths. A tool like that in the wrong hands could be dangerous. Deadly, even.

Knowing what kind of supernatural you were up against meant knowing how to destroy them, if needed. She wasn't about to advertise that.

Hunter's brow furrowed, as though he sensed the shift in her thoughts, but before he could press further, another voice cut through the room.

"That's because she's fae," said a voice from behind them. "Well, some kind of fae-shifter."

Mercy whipped her head around, startled to see a man standing in the doorway. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a casual, professional manner, a tablet in his hand. His sharp eyes were fixed on the woman lying in the bed as he scrolled through something on the electronic tablet in his hand, clearly reviewing something.

"Fae? Fae-shifter?" Mercy echoed, her voice rising in disbelief. Hunter, standing beside her, mirrored her surprise, both of them speaking in unison. "She's fae?"

The man, clearly some kind of doctor, glanced up, offering a brief nod. "Yes. I'm Greg, the chief medical officer here at the abbey. Her being fae could explain why neither of you could pinpoint her shifter nature. Fae magic has a way of masking certain aspects of their identity. It's very subtle, but powerful. My guess is she's wolf, as am I. It's always easier to pinpoint what kind of shifter if you're the same kind."

Mercy stared at the unconscious woman, her mind racing. Fae. She hadn't dealt with a fae in a very long time. They were notoriously secretive and difficult to track, their magic working in ways that confounded even the most experienced supernatural hunters.

"What's she doing here?" Mercy asked, more to herself than to anyone else.

The doctor set his tablet down, his gaze serious. "That's the question, isn't it? We've stabilized her, but it's clear she's been through something intense. We're still trying to piece together what happened before you found her."

Hunter's jaw tightened. "She was being drained. The vampire and the witch were using her life force for their own power."

Mercy's stomach twisted at the thought. A fae, subjected to that? No wonder her essence had been so faint. If they had drained enough of her magic, they could have completely erased her shifter nature. What were they trying to achieve? It was a troubling thought and one that would need answers.

"Does she have any family? Any connections?" Mercy asked, her voice softening as she looked back at the woman.

"We're not sure yet," the doctor replied. "We're working on it."

Hunter's expression hardened. "I need to find the witch and the vampire. They're still out there, and if they've done this to one fae, they can do it to others."

Mercy could feel the resolve in his words, the undercurrent of fury and purpose driving him. Despite her reservations, she knew he was right. The longer the witch and vampire remained free, the more dangerous they became.

"You're not going alone," Mercy said, surprising herself with the firmness in her tone.

Hunter glanced at her, a flash of amusement crossing his face. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

"I don't," she shot back, her eyes narrowing. "But this isn't about you. It's about stopping them before they hurt anyone else."

Hunter smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting in that infuriating way that made her want to smack him—or kiss him; she couldn't decide which. "I'll take what I can get."

Mercy rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the fae woman. Her pulse was steady now but faint. Whatever magic had been used on her had left a deep scar, and it would take time for her to recover—if she recovered at all.

She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. "What a mess."

Hunter stepped closer; his voice lower, more serious. "We'll figure it out. Together."

Mercy glanced up at him, her expression guarded. Together. The word felt foreign to her. She had spent so long working alone, relying on no one but herself. The idea of teaming up with anyone—let alone a vampire—felt like stepping into dangerous territory.

But there was something in Hunter's eyes, something that made her believe him. Whether she liked it or not, their fates were entwined now. And if she wanted to stop the witch and vampire duo from causing more destruction, she would have to swallow her pride and work with him.

For now.

"Fine," she muttered, crossing her arms. "But don't get any ideas."

Hunter's smile widened. "Wouldn't dream of it."

She shot him a glare, but before she could retort, the doctor cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to the woman in the bed.

"I'll keep monitoring her," he said. "If anything changes, you'll be the first to know."

Mercy nodded, grateful for the doctor's calm professionalism. "Thanks."

With one last glance at the fae woman, Mercy turned on her heel and headed for the door. Hunter followed behind her, his presence lingering close. As they stepped into the corridor, Mercy couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.

She had walked into the abbey, hoping to get answers. Now, she was leaving with more questions—and the unsettling realization that she and Hunter were far from done with each other.