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Mercy hesitated for a moment, then said, "We need to wake her up. Greg says there’s nothing physically wrong with her, but she won’t wake up. It has to be magic."
Adriana considered this for a moment, then nodded. "It’s possible. Fae magic is tricky, especially when it’s intertwined with shifter abilities. I can try to help, but there are no guarantees. Fae magic is… unpredictable, even for me."
"I’ll take whatever help I can get," Mercy said, her voice firm.
Adriana smiled, her expression softening. "All right, then. Let’s get to work."
The two women spent the next few hours working together, Adriana guiding Mercy through various exercises designed to help her control her magic. They had been doing this for months now, ever since Adriana had first discovered the trace of a witch in Mercy’s bloodline. Mercy had always been able to sense the supernatural, but Adriana had helped her tap into that ability more deeply, teaching her how to focus it, control it.
Tonight, though, Mercy’s mind kept drifting back to Hunter, no matter how hard she tried to stay focused on her magic. His touch, his words, the way he seemed to know exactly how to push her buttons—it all lingered in her mind, distracting her.
"You’re not concentrating," Adriana said after a while, her voice gentle but firm.
Mercy huffed, frustrated with herself. "I’m trying."
Adriana gave her a sympathetic look. "You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?"
Mercy groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I don’t want to be. He’s… he’s infuriating."
Adriana chuckled softly. "Vampires do have a way of getting under your skin."
"It’s not just that," Mercy muttered, lowering her hands. "It’s… everything. The fae, the mystery of why she’s here, some witch and vampire duo who are up to something, and now Hunter on top of it all. I don’t know how to deal with any of this."
Adriana reached out, placing a hand on Mercy’s arm. "You don’t have to deal with it alone, you know. I’m here, as are the rest of the Shadow Sisters and everyone here at the abbey. And whether you want to admit it or not, Hunter is, too."
Mercy sighed, nodding reluctantly. She knew Adriana was right, but that didn’t make it any easier.
"Let’s focus on one thing at a time," Adriana said, her voice calm and reassuring. "First, we figure out what’s going on with the fae. Then we can worry about everything else."
Mercy nodded, taking a deep breath. "Right. One thing at a time."
They continued their practice for a while longer, and by the time they finished, Mercy felt more centered, more in control of herself. But even as she left the abbey and made her way home, the thought of Hunter lingered in the back of her mind.
She had agreed to help him—reluctantly, yes, but she had agreed. And now, she couldn’t shake the feeling that their partnership, however temporary, was going to complicate things far more than she’d ever anticipated.
CHAPTER 8
HUNTER
Hunter stood in the dimly lit hallway of the abbey, staring out a narrow window at the expanse of land stretching beyond the stone walls. The weight of his situation settled uncomfortably on his shoulders. This was unfamiliar territory for him—relying on others. He had always operated alone, following his instincts, his millennia-old knowledge of the supernatural world. But now, things were different. There was more at stake than his personal mission to hunt rogue vampires. There was Mercy.
He ran a hand through his dark hair, frustration coursing through him. He hated the feeling of helplessness that came with needing assistance, but more than that, he hated how much his thoughts kept circling back to her. Mercy was… different. More than just his fated mate. She was independent, stubborn as hell, and so unwilling to trust him that he wasn’t sure if she ever would.
It wasn’t like he could blame her. He had seen the anger in her eyes, the way she had looked at him like he was nothing more than a predator, a creature to be despised. That stung more than he wanted to admit, especially since he had felt the undeniable connection between them the moment their eyeshad met on that cliff. But Hunter wasn’t naïve. Mercy had her reasons for hating vampires, and if he wanted any chance of breaking through her walls, he needed to know what those reasons were.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Brie appeared at the end of the corridor, walking toward him with her usual confident stride. The leader of the Shadow Sisters, Brie was no stranger to difficult situations, and her presence alone commanded respect. Hunter straightened, pushing aside his frustration as she approached.
“Hunter,” Brie greeted, her voice steady. “You seemed deep in thought.”
“I was,” he admitted, turning to face her. “I’m trying to figure out how to handle Mercy.”
Brie’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Ah, yes. Mercy. The first thing is to understand you will never ‘handle Mercy.’ She won’t be handled by you or anyone else. Besides which, she’s not exactly the easiest person to get close to.”
“No,” Hunter agreed, his voice tight with tension. “She’s not. And yet, we both know that she and I are fated. We’re… connected.”
Brie raised an eyebrow. “Fate doesn’t make things easy. In fact, it usually complicates them. Especially when it comes to Mercy.”
Hunter’s gaze narrowed. “What do you mean?”
