Eclipsed Hearts

Meeting of Hunters

I reached the city of Riverbend Falls sometime the next afternoon. It was located near the forests of northwest Michigan, tucked away from major roadways. This created a more private, small-town feel. Well, that and the fact that there were maybe fifteen thousand people in the whole town.

Fifteen thousand was a lot in a room, but not in a sprawling town. Though I wouldn't call it desolate, the town certainly wasn't bustling. People loitered near the main street. No one seemed to have a purpose.

Pulling over, I pulled out the map of where I was supposed to go. I wanted to check into my motel before going to meet the hunter I was supposed to be working with.

My uncle had set up a dinner meeting for us in a local restaurant. Normally, I liked meetings to be less public, but the other hunter insisted on it. He didn't like doing first meetings in private.

Perhaps he was being careful because of how his clan had been wiped out. I didn't know, and I really didn't care much. Though... it did make me a little curious.

In all my years as a hunter, I had never hunted with someone outside my clan. This was an entirely new experience in hunting, which was a rare treat for me.

After figuring out where I was going, I pulled back into the anemic traffic and headed off to my motel. People watched as I drove past. I didn't like that, but it was a small town, so they likely didn't get many visitors. It would mean being more careful not to draw attention to myself, but I could work around it. This wasn't my first small-town hunt.

When I arrived at the motel, I got out of my car and looked around. The motel was a rundown building with peeling paint on the exterior walls and a flickering neon sign that read "Vacancy" in bright pink letters. The parking lot was littered with dried leaves and discarded cigarette butts, and the windows on the second floor were covered with dingy curtains.

It was pretty par for the course when it came to places my uncle had booked for me in the past. We could easily afford a nicer hotel, or a Motel 6, but these places rarely asked questions and didn't get as up in arms if there was damage to the room.

I checked in with the clerk, who was either drunk or high and I couldn't tell which one. He moved incredibly slow as he gathered the keys and searched for the agreement I needed to sign. I really didn't need this, but there was no other option.

Once I finally had the key, I headed off to the room. It was on the ground floor, as requested, and the entrance to the room was outside. I unlocked the door and went in to scout it before moving my car.

The musty scent of old carpet and cigarette smoke lingered in the air, mixed with the stench of garbage from the overflowing dumpster in the back. The scent of cheap air fresheners attempted to mask the mustiness but only added to the overwhelming odor.

It contained the basic décor and furnishings. A round table with two chairs, an old television sitting on a low, four-drawer dresser, a double bed with a flowery duvet, and two lamps positioned on nightstands near the head of the bed. The carpet was shag and the walls were tinted yellow with nicotine stains from years of smokers staying there.

Now that it was against the law to have smoking rooms, these rooms were usually steam-cleaned and refurnished to ensure rentability. Apparently, the owners here didn't get the memo. I walked to the back of the room and checked the closet, which held a folding luggage stand and several wire hangers, then the bathroom, which was equally empty and had a pile of neatly folded towels, cloths, and a little mat to go on the floor in front of the shower.

Someone in this place cared. I looked at the bottles of shampoo and conditioner. They were obviously old and likely refilled. A small, paper-wrapped bar of soap was propped against them. It was probably the newest thing in the place.

I cracked the windows, then went to move my car. It wasn't the best, but it was a place to stay, and I had stayed in far worse in the past. At least this one wasn't likely to have stray needles strewn about the place. Whoever cleaned it seemed to do their best with what they had available.

As the sun began to set, casting an orange glow across the town, I settled into my room, unpacking my gear and laying out my weapons. I inspected each blade and gun, ensuring they were ready for action. Hunting in small towns always had its own unique challenges, but the thrill of the chase made it all worthwhile.

I glanced at my phone, checking the time. It was almost dinnertime, and I needed to meet my new hunting partner. Tucking a hidden blade into my boot, I made my way toward the designated restaurant. The streets were eerily quiet, with only a few people wandering to a bar and the odd car traveling the road.

When I reached the restaurant, I was unsurprised to find it was a fairly standard mom-and-pop style establishment. The din of customers chatting while enjoying their meals lent a soft, white noise to the place. The sign at the front told me to wait to be seated, so I obeyed and waited patiently.

After a few moments, a woman with bubblegum pink hair came out in a t-shirt bearing the name of the restaurant and blue jeans. It seemed like a fairly comfortable place to eat and work. She smiled brightly at me.

"Nice to see a new face in town. Are you passing through or visiting someone?" she asked.

"I'm visiting town for a while," I replied with a smile of my own. "It's so pretty here."

"Yeah, we get that a lot. I'm Candy. Are you eating alone?"

"My name is Mari. I'm expecting someone to join me in a bit. If I could have a couple of menus, I would appreciate it."

"Sure thing!"

She grabbed two menus and led me to a booth that was easily seen from the entry. I thanked her as I sat, and she put the menus on the table while asking if I wanted a drink. I requested a water as I took a menu.

It wasn't like being a hunter made me incapable of interacting with other people. A good hunter could easily blend into any situation. The ones who stood out were the idiots who thought hunting was some sort of way to prove their virility. It was disgusting.

Candy came back with two cups of water and ice, then left again quickly. I pretended to focus on my menu but monitored the restaurant. Everything seemed fairly normal, but that didn't make me relax.

After a few minutes, the front door opened and a handsome man stepped in. I took in the sight of him slowly.

He was tall, with dark hair and piercing green eyes. He wore a black leather jacket that hugged his muscular frame, and his jeans were tucked into a pair of worn-out boots. As he walked, he exuded confidence and an air of authority that made him stand out in the otherwise ordinary crowd.

Candy's smiled warmly when she saw him. They exchanged a few words before he looked over at me and tilted his head as if indicating to me with his chin. Candy looked over at me, then back at him. She murmured something to him and he replied. He patted her on the shoulder, then headed toward the table.

His expression says he doesn't want to be there, but he keeps coming. It must have been hard for him to ask for help. I understood that.

Without asking, he sat across from me. I lowered the menu and looked at him. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes and his expression shifted ever so slightly, but he collected himself quickly. I couldn't read him and I didn't know why.

"I assume you're Mari Damson. At least, you look like the description I got," he said to me.

"That's me. And you're Ianto Thornwood?"

He winced a little. "Just call me Ian."

He's got his own inner battle going on, obviously. It probably had to do with losing his clan, but I wouldn't dig. It was his problem, not mine. I had enough on my plate for the day.

"This seems like an odd place to meet," I said, changing the subject.

"I don't do first meet-ups in private. The head of your clan should have made that clear." Ian scowled at me.

"I see."

Though my voice remained calm, I was pissed that he used a tone like that and scowled at me like I was some disobedient child. I wasn't there to make friends and this guy wasn't exactly making me want to get matching BFF tattoos.