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Focus. Where am I?
At the top of the stairs, he pushed open a heavy door, and suddenly, the world around him exploded into life. He stepped into a large gathering room, bustling with people moving about—some seated at long wooden tables, others serving food, chatting, laughing. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air, making the room feel warm and alive. Hunter scanned the space, his sharp gaze sweeping over the faces, searching for something familiar or someone who could provide answers.
Before he could move further, a woman approached him. She was tall and elegant, her expression serious but not unkind. Her eyes appraised him coolly, though her posture wasn’t hostile.
"You're awake," she said, her tone steady. "I’m Brie."
Hunter’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Where am I, and how did I get here?"
Brie gestured toward an empty seat at a nearby table. "Come. We can talk while you sit."
He hesitated for a moment but then followed her, keeping his guard up as he approached what appeared to be the head table. The others in the room gave him curious glances, but no one moved toward him. Brie seated herself, motioning for him to join her.
A serving girl approached, her hands trembling slightly as she held a carafe of wine. "Would you like some wine, sir?" she asked nervously.
Hunter shook his head, though he appreciated her attempt to be hospitable. Brie’s lips quirked in amusement as she looked at the girl.
"Our friend here is a vampire," Brie said smoothly. "He doesn’t drink wine."
The girl’s eyes widened slightly, and she hurried away, her cheeks flushed.
“That’s not necessarily true. I just thought I should keep a clear head until I have a better idea of what’s what.”
Brie turned back to Hunter, her expression hardening ever so slightly. "But you’re not planning to drink anyone’s blood, are you?"
The warning in her voice was clear, as was the veiled threat behind it. Hunter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "No. I’m not here to cause trouble."
Brie studied him for a long moment, her eyes flicking over his face as if trying to read his intentions. Finally, she nodded, her posture relaxing slightly. "Good. Now, let’s talk. You showed up last night at the library, bleeding and half-dead. What happened?"
Hunter glanced around the room again before speaking. "I was tracking a witch and vampire duo. They’ve been causing problems—disappearances, deaths, things the local authorities can’t explain. I tracked them to a hidden passage beneath the chapel in the village and interrupted some kind of ritual." His voice dropped slightly as he recalled the scene. "They were draining a shifter’s life force, siphoning her power for themselves."
Brie’s brow furrowed. "A shifter? And you stopped them?"
"I tried. But there were too many of them," Hunter admitted, his voice laced with frustration. "I managed to get the woman—the shifter—out. I didn’t think she could wait if she was to survive."
At that, a man joined them at the table, pulling up a chair beside Brie. He had a rugged, easygoing demeanor, but Hunter could tell by the way his eyes sharpened that he was no stranger to trouble.
"Colby," the man introduced himself, shaking Hunter’s hand. "Sounds like you’ve had a rough night."
"You could say that," Hunter replied, his gaze flicking back to Brie. "What is this place? And why did you bring me here?"
"You’re in our abbey," Brie explained. "We found you in the library after you collapsed. Mercy called us for help."
"Mercy," Hunter repeated, his mind flashing back to the woman in the library. The falcon shifter. He’d known there was something about her, but now, with the clarity of hindsight, he understood exactly what it was. She was his fated mate, which seemed odd after all this time. After all, vampires didn’t have fated mates. Perhaps it was just the residual of the wolf-shifter he had been a very long time ago.
"We brought you and the wounded woman here for safety," Colby added, leaning forward. "You were in no shape to fight anymore."
Hunter’s expression darkened slightly. "I wasn’t done."
Brie raised an eyebrow. "Maybe not, but if you’d tried to go after them in the state you were in, you’d be dead now. You should be thanking us."
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Fair enough." He met Brie’s gaze again, his voice steady. "What do you know about this witch and vampire?"
Brie exchanged a glance with Colby before answering. "Not much yet, but we’ve heard rumors. They’re amassing power, building an army of sorts. We’ve seen an increase in supernatural disturbances lately—things that don’t add up. It’s our belief that it’s all connected."
Hunter’s jaw clenched. "I need to find them."
"You’ll need help," Colby said, his voice firm. "This isn’t something you can take on alone."
