Eclipsed Hearts

Hunter Allies

After that meeting, I didn’t have the stomach to eat. I’d have a protein bar or something later. I tossed a five on the table, even though I didn’t have more than a glass of water. The waitress deserved something for her time; I took up the space where other people could have sat.

Leaving the restaurant, I looked around at the darkening streets. It was still a couple of hours before I was due to meet up with Ian. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I also was.

Interacting with people who weren’t in the clan wasn’t really appealing to me, but I could hunt and I could fight. It would be more in my comfort zone. My only concern was how much Ian pissed me off.

Could I do my job with someone making me this angry all the time?

The restaurant wasn’t far enough from my motel to have warranted driving. I saw it as I drove through town, so I decided to walk. It was a good idea because I needed time to calm down after dealing with Ian.

He might have riled me up, but it was the last bit of our conversation that I found most insulting out of everything. Offering to have me taken off this job, even after I told him the wolf we were hunting was likely the one who killed my family. How could he do that? He knew nothing about my family.

The flickering streetlights overhead cast long shadows on the pavement, mirroring the turmoil that churned inside me. It was as if the darkness of the night reflected my own inner struggle. As I wandered, my mind replayed my encounter with Ian.

His snide remarks, his condescending tone — it all grated on my nerves. We were supposed to be partners, working together to achieve a common goal. But how could we succeed when we couldn’t even stand each other’s presence?

When I realized I had reached the motel, I shook myself out of it. I really needed to focus on what was important, and it wasn’t about if Ian and I got along.

Sure, it would affect our ability to work together, but I really needed to focus on the job. This was something I could do on my own if I needed to. Ian’s research would be important, but I didn’t need to depend on him in order to be successful.

I entered my dimly lit motel room, the stale air hitting me like a punch to the gut. I kicked off my shoes, letting them thud against the worn-out carpet. With a heavy sigh, I collapsed onto the lumpy mattress, my mind still mulling over the events of the evening.

As I lay there, staring up at the cracked ceiling, I couldn’t help but wonder what had driven Ian to act the way he did. Was it just his insufferable personality, or was there something deeper at play? Perhaps he too carried his own wounds, his own demons. But right now, I couldn’t afford to be weighed down by whatever might be going on with him.

Some people might think that was selfish. I didn’t care, though. No one mattered except for me, my dead family, and the wolf who took them from me. It was a low-level constant in my life. I could have other relationships, I could even love other people, but I would toss it all aside if it meant avenging my family.

My uncle once joked that I would probably take out other clan members if I thought it would get my family’s killer. He stopped laughing when he saw my expression.

It wasn’t a proud moment for me, but it was something I realized as he said it. My clan, my extended family, didn’t mean as much to me as my lost family, and they never would.

I was slightly ashamed because he and his wife didn’t need to take me in. They could have abandoned me to the state. I was grateful, but I didn’t love them as much as I intellectually knew I should.

With a sigh, I got up off my bed. I changed into something comfortable enough to fight in, but also looked like something a woman would go out in. I wanted to make sure I was ready for anything.

I left my room with purpose in my stride, determined to put the events of the evening behind me. If there was any chance of working with Ian, it would require that I keep my emotions in check and focus on the task at hand. I couldn’t afford to let my personal feelings get in the way.

As I walked through the now-empty streets, the darkness seemed to swallow me whole. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, that I was missing something crucial about my encounter with Ian. Why did I care, though? It never mattered before.

My heart was racing as I double-checked the weapons I loaded up before coming. I hoped I could make this work. Checking the time, I hurried to the door and knocked. My thoughts made me take longer than I planned.

When Ian opened the door, he looked slightly defeated for a moment, then stepped back to let me in. He didn’t seem happy to see me. Even though I told him I was going on this hunt and he told me to be here, part of me thought he didn’t expect me to show like I did.

The place was a battered and rundown shack on the edge of town. I looked around, careful to take in everything around me. The only light in the shack was coming from a small electric lantern that sat on a rickety table in the center of the main room. There were two doorways, but the weak light didn’t give any hints what could be in either one.

Despite being tempted, I chose not to make a joke and held my tongue. We were at odds enough. I didn’t need to make it worse.

“Not much furniture,” I noted as I made my way around the stark room.

“I wasn’t going to use my home as a staging point. This place is better. It’s closer to the area of town where he hangs out.”

Deciding not to pry any further, I nod and wait for indications from him as to what I’m doing. What I really wanted to do was ask more questions. It sounded like he lived around here and wasn’t just hunting in the area. Too many questions just made him pissy.

“So, what’s the plan from here? Do we know where this thing is tonight?” I asked.

Ian shook his head. “He switches it up. No two nights are exactly the same. Nothing like a schedule. I don’t know why he moved to this town, but he chose poorly. This is my town and I won’t let scum like him cause problems.”

He snarls and practically growls. I could imagine after losing his entire clan, he was protective of the place he now considered home. Indulging my curiosity, I pressed a little further.

“Do you have any theories about why this guy chose this town? From what I’ve learned as a hunter, a lone wolf like him rarely stays anywhere for long unless there’s a good reason.”

Ian looked at me for a moment, as if he was trying to dissect me with his eyes, at the same time as trying to avert them.

“At first, I thought he might have found his mate, but he sleeps with multiple women and isn’t loyal to any. He might have been working, but all I’ve seen him do is eat, fight, and fuсk. There’s nothing to say why he chose this place.”

I nodded again, not at all surprised by the answer. Werewolves were little better than savages. He just found a less protected place to indulge in his animalistic urges.

“Do you think there’s someone in town who knows about his activities and what he is? Could someone be helping to keep him hidden?” I asked.

Ian’s lips quirked up on one side and a warm light entered his eyes for a moment. It was almost like he remembered he was supposed to be an asshole, though, and shut it down almost as quickly as it appeared. It looked like there was a way to get through his cold, salty outer shell.

“No one I can figure out. What sort of help do you think you can be?”

I raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in tone, but replied coolly, “You’d be surprised at what I can do. I think I have a better chance of approaching this rogue wolf than anyone else. Maybe even find out what drew him to your town in the first place.”

Ian gave me a sarcastic look, but didn’t argue with me. “Fine, but don’t expect me to hold your hand through this. You’re going to have to prove yourself.”

“Trust me, I know the score. I constantly have to prove myself. Is there anything else?”

Ian’s hand twitched slightly. I’d pissed men off until the point where they wanted to hit me. It was never this soon, but I understood. I didn’t behave like they thought a woman, or even a woman hunter, should.

After a moment, he picked up some maps. He spread them on the flimsy table, moving the lantern to light up the papers. Ian went over the locations the werewolf visited most often and any patterns he saw, which were as few as he’d implied.

My esteem for him grew as I saw how dedicated he’d been to this hunt. I was used to relying on my instincts and other people’s information, but Ian had worked hard to put this all together. It was reassuring to know he’d thought of everything. Ian's hard work and attention to detail was impressive.