Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

HUNTER

H unter started to follow Mercy, but the rigidity of her spine indicated she had no desire to be followed. Instead, he returned to the fae-shifter's room and stood at the foot of the bed, his sharp gaze locked on the unconscious woman lying before him. Her breathing was steady, but there was something deeply unsettling about the situation. He couldn't shake the sense that something far more sinister was at play. The doctor's words echoed in his mind: fae-shifter . Wolf, to be precise. The term wasn't unfamiliar, but to see a fae here, topside, was another matter entirely.

Mercy returned to stand beside him—obviously as conflicted over this most recent turn of events as he was. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she stared down at the woman, her brow furrowed in concentration. "That makes sense," she murmured softly, her voice carrying a note of deep thought. It was as if she was trying to piece together a puzzle, one that had been set before her without instructions.

The doctor, a younger man—but wasn't everyone younger than Hunter?—with sandy hair, kind eyes, and a demeanor that suggested he'd seen it all, stood at the foot of the bed, his tablet in hand. He glanced between Hunter and Mercy, concern etched into the lines of his face. "I can't find anything physically wrong with her," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "There are no injuries, no trauma, nothing that explains why she won't wake up."

Mercy shook her head, her expression troubled. "Shifters heal quickly, especially wolves. If she's not waking up, it has to be something magical."

The doctor nodded but offered no further insight. "We'll continue to monitor her, but there's little more we can do for now. My mate, Adriana, has had a look at her and could tell something was off, but not what it was. She said it was like a void. Well, I'll leave you two to it." With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Hunter and Mercy standing in silence.

Hunter didn't take his eyes off the unconscious woman. There was something about the situation that gnawed at him, an unease that went beyond his usual instincts. Faeries rarely left their realm. In fact, the fae despised the human world and typically stayed within the parallel dimension they called home, hidden from mortals and even from most supernaturals. A fae-shifter was rare enough, but for a fae-shifter to be found here, vulnerable and unconscious, was not only rare—it was incomprehensible and dangerous.

After a moment, Hunter glanced at Mercy, his curiosity getting the better of him. "You don't live at the abbey, do you?"

"No. As you know, I'm a falcon-shifter. We are solitary by nature. I like having my own place. It's a smuggler's cottage not too far from here."

Hunter nodded. "What brought you here?"

Mercy's eyes flicked to him; her lips set in a tight line. "That's none of your business."

Hunter shrugged, his gaze still probing. "I find it interesting that someone who works alone as both an airborne sentry and a librarian happens to be here when a fae-shifter shows up. It's more than coincidence."

Mercy's jaw tightened, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before lifting to meet his again. "Coincidence or not, I'm here to help." Her tone was defensive, guarded, but there was something else beneath the surface. "If you're so curious, why don't you start by telling me about the altercation? The more I know, the better chance we have of figuring out what's going on with her."

Hunter's eyes narrowed. Mercy wasn't exactly forthcoming, but he understood the need for caution. He was the same way, after all. Still, the situation demanded cooperation. "The witch and vampire I was hunting had her tied down, siphoning her life force. It wasn't just about draining her power—they were taking something more, something fundamental. When I intervened, I had to choose between getting her out of there or finishing them off. I was able to get her away before they could finish the job. By the time I got to her and got her out, she was like this. I saw a light on in the library so I figured it was the best choice to find help."

Mercy studied the unconscious woman, her expression darkening. "It doesn't make sense," she muttered, almost to herself. "Why would a fae even be up here, in the human realm? They avoid it like the plague."

Hunter nodded in agreement. "That's the real question. It's rare for anyone to have contact with the fae, and when they do, it's not like this. They have their own realm, their own rules. The fae have never been interested in human affairs. Usually, I only encounter those who have been banished from the realm, have become bounty hunters, or are set on some kind of vengeance."

Mercy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "So, why is she here? Why would a fae-shifter risk leaving the safety of her own realm?"

Hunter crossed his arms, his mind working through the puzzle. "There's no real reason I can think of. Or at least none I want to consider. Fae aren't banished for no reason, and a vengeful or bounty-hunting fae can be incredibly dangerous. I just get the feeling she wasn't here by choice. She was brought here."

Mercy's eyes snapped to him, her expression sharpening. "Kidnapped? By the vampire and the witch? How would they do that?"

Hunter nodded. "Unknown. But it would explain the ritual. Fae magic is powerful. If they were able to tap into her life force, they could use it for their own purposes."

Mercy's brows furrowed, and she glanced back at the woman in the bed. "That kind of power could be dangerous in the wrong hands."

"Exactly," Hunter replied, his voice tight with the gravity of the situation. "It's not just about killing rogue vampires anymore. We're dealing with something much bigger."

Mercy turned to him, her eyes hard. "I'm not working with you, Hunter. You might think we're on the same side because we both want to solve this mystery, but I'm not about to team up with a vampire."

Hunter's expression remained calm, but there was a glimmer of something deeper in his eyes—amusement, perhaps, or maybe intrigue. "I didn't say we had to be best friends. But you can't deny that we're after the same thing right now. You need my help just as much as I need yours."

Mercy scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't need anything from you. I'll figure this out on my own. Everything seems to be under control here, so why don't you crawl back into whatever hole you came out of?"

Hunter's gaze darkened at her sharp dismissal, but rather than backing down, he stepped closer, closing the distance between them with deliberate slowness. There was something predatory in his movements, a quiet power that he wielded without effort. Mercy tensed as he approached, her instincts flaring. She took a step back, but before she could react, Hunter's body was pressed against hers, pinning her back against the cold stone wall.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she found herself trapped, Hunter's body towering over her. His eyes, cool and unyielding, bore into hers, but beneath the surface, there was a heat—an intensity that ignited something in her that she seemed to be trying desperately to ignore.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Mercy spat, her voice low and dangerous.

Hunter leaned in, his whisper cool against her ear, "Admit it, Mercy. You feel it, too."

Mercy

Her heart pounded in her chest, her body reacting to his proximity in ways that infuriated her. He was too close, his presence overwhelming, and yet she couldn't deny the pull between them. It was there, undeniable, like a live wire humming beneath the surface of her skin. There were some similarities to how someone would feel when encountering one's fated mate, but like the vampire himself, it was just off.

"You're delusional," she hissed, her voice trembling with barely contained fury.

Hunter's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Am I?" He shifted slightly, pressing his body more firmly against hers, trapping her in place. "You can pretend all you want, but we both know there's something between us. You feel it just as much as I do."

Mercy clenched her fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know enough," Hunter murmured, his voice a dark, dangerous whisper. "I know you're scared. Scared of what this means. Scared of what you're feeling."

Mercy's eyes flashed with anger, and she shoved against him, but he didn't budge. His strength was overwhelming, his body a solid wall of muscle and power. Her heart raced, adrenaline surging through her veins, but no matter how hard she tried to fight it, the truth was there, staring her in the face.

She was scared. Scared of him, of this connection that she didn't fully understand and refused to accept. Scared of what it meant for her, for them.

"Let me go," she demanded, her voice trembling with frustration.

Hunter's gaze softened slightly, though the intensity never left his eyes. "You're a coward, Mercy," he said softly, the words cutting through her like a blade.

Mercy's breath caught in her throat, shock and fury flooding her senses. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Hunter said, his voice steady and unyielding. "You're running. From me, from us…"

"There is no us, you arrogant bastard."

"Well then, from whatever this is," he chuckled softly. "You think you can handle this on your own, but the truth is, you can't. You're not equipped to do this by yourself, and even if you were, you're terrified. You're afraid of losing control."

Mercy's chest tightened, the weight of his words pressing down on her, suffocating her. She wanted to scream at him, to deny everything he was saying, but the truth—the awful, undeniable truth—was that he was right.

She hated him for it. Without thinking, she brought her knee up into his groin. Hunter grimaced but didn't back away.

"You'll find that vampires can endure far more pain than mere mortals."

"I don't need you," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she stared up at him, her eyes brimming with defiance.

Hunter's smile was small, almost sad, as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Maybe not. But you want me."

With that, he pulled back, releasing her from the wall, his expression unreadable as he stepped away. Mercy stood frozen for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind spinning with a thousand thoughts and emotions she couldn't untangle.

Hunter turned, giving her one last glance before heading for the door. "We'll figure this out, Mercy," he said quietly. "Whether you want to admit it or not, we're in this together."