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“I’m so sorry,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.”
Mercy shook her head, wiping her eyes quickly as if ashamed of her tears. “It’s not your fault, Hunter. But that’s why I hate vampires. They took my sister from me. They destroyed my family.”
Hunter’s throat tightened, and he gently cupped her face, turning her to look at him. “I’m not like them, Mercy. And you won’t be, either. You’re still you. You still have your falcon.”
She blinked at him, confusion crossing her face. “What?”
“Your falcon,” he repeated, his voice soft. “You haven’t lost her. She’s still there, inside you. She hasn’t gone anywhere. You just have to search for her.”
Mercy’s brow furrowed slightly as she looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if trying to grasp the concept. “But I’m a vampire now. How can I still be a shifter?”
“Because you’re more than just a vampire,” Hunter said gently. “You’re unique, Mercy. You’re strong, and you’re resilient. That part of you hasn’t been taken away. It’s still inside you. You just have to search for it.”
Mercy closed her eyes, centering herself and focusing inwardly, trying to find the falcon within her. She had been so overwhelmed by the transformation, by the new hunger and the fear that came with it, that she hadn’t even thought to reach for the part of herself that had always been her core.
For a long, agonizing moment, nothing happened. Hunter watched her, willing her to find that connection, to know that she hadn’t lost everything.
Then, slowly, a faint shimmer of energy enveloped her, a soft glow that pulsed from within. Hunter felt the air around them shift, the subtle presence of something wild, untamed. When she opened her eyes, there was a new light in them—one that Hunter hadn’t seen since before the transformation.
“I can feel her,” Mercy whispered, her voice trembling with awe. “She’s still there.”
Hunter smiled, relief flooding through him. “I told you. When I was turned into a vampire, I lost my wolf for a while, but eventually he and I found each other again.”
Mercy’s expression softened, the tension in her body easing as she allowed herself to accept what had once seemed impossible. She hadn’t lost her falcon. She was still a shifter, still the woman she had always been—only now, she was more.
But before she could fully relax, Hunter gently took her hand, his tone serious once more. “There’s something else you need to know,” he said. “You’re not just a falcon-shifter anymore. You’ll be able to shift into anything you want. Any creature, any form. That’s part of what you’ve gained from the transformation.”
Mercy blinked in surprise, her brow furrowing. “Anything?”
Hunter nodded. “Yes. But the connection you have with the falcon—that’s special. It’s unique. With the other forms, you’ll just be assuming a different shape. You won’t have that same bond with them. But you can still do it.”
Mercy looked down at her hands again, as if testing her newfound power, her fingers trembling slightly. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” she admitted quietly.
Hunter leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead. “You don’t have to be ready. You just have to take it one step at a time. You’re stronger than you think, Mercy. You always have been.”
For a long moment, Mercy said nothing, her gaze distant as she processed everything he had told her. But slowly, a sense of acceptance began to settle over her. She wasn’t happy about what had happened—far from it. But she was beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe, she could still be herself. She could still fight for what she believed in, still protect the people she cared about.
“I don’t know how to feel about all of this,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “But I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”
Hunter ached at the resignation in her voice, but he knew she would find her way through this. She was too strong, too resilient to be defeated by what had happened. And he would be there with her every step of the way.
“You’ll figure it out,” he said softly, pulling her closer. “And I’ll be here to help.”
Mercy looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for something—maybe reassurance, maybe understanding. Whatever it was, she found it in the quiet intensity of his gaze, and her lips curved into a small, hesitant smile.
“You’re not so bad, for a vampire,” she teased, though her voice was laced with affection.
Hunter chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “And you’re not so bad yourself, for a newly turned vampire-shifter-fae hybrid.”
“So, what you’re saying is I’m some kind of weirdo.”
“I would say rare and unique, but if you truly are a weirdo, you’re my kind of weirdo, and I think you’re amazing.”
Mercy laughed, the sound light and genuine, and for the first time since her transformation, Hunter felt a flicker of hope. They would get through this. There were still so many challenges ahead, so many questions left unanswered. The witch, the fae, the dark forces that seemed to be gathering around them—it was all far from over.
Still, for now, Hunter allowed himself to bask in the quiet peace of the moment, to hold Mercy close. For the moment, it was enough.
But deep down, he knew the storm was coming. And when it did, they would have to be ready.
