The directions seemed simple enough. “Meet us at the gym at 2:00,” and yet, as Dax Forest made his way out of his new temporary apartment building and headed down the sidewalk, he really wasn’t exactly sure he was going the right direction. He’d always been good at finding his way, which is why hunting and fishing, roaming around in the woods, had come as second nature to him, but this was different, and not for the first time that day, he felt more than a little overwhelmed and wondered what in the world he’d gotten himself into.
When the driver had brought him in from the airport that morning, they’d passed a pretty big building that looked like it was probably a gymnasium, and he was fairly certain hanging a right would get him there, but as he looked around at the other five or so people ambling about, no one else seemed to be wearing workout clothes or carrying a gym bag, and they were all headed in different directions. He took a deep breath and ran his hand across his chin, trying to decide if he should just start walking or go back inside and find someone who might be able to help him.
“Are you lost?”
He spun around so quickly he lost his balance, not used to being able to move so fast. The young woman who’d spoken to him reached out and grabbed ahold of him, steadying him, and setting him back on his feet. It was evident by her strength and speed she was one of them, too, though whether a Hunter or Guardian—or something else—he didn’t know. Still, she had kind hazel eyes and a soft smile, and he felt silly but otherwise comfortable immediately. “Oh, uh, yeah,” he stammered. “Just looking for the gym.”
“Lucky for you that’s where I’m headed,” she replied with a bit of a giggle at his nervousness. “It’s this way.”
Dax noticed now that she was carrying a duffel bag, even though she was wearing jeans and a gray sweater. “Cool,” he mumbled, falling into step beside her. “It’s my first day.”
“Really?” she asked, looking up at him, her forehead puckered. Then, she nodded. “You must be Dax.”
“Yeah. How did you know?” he asked, wishing she didn’t have to walk quite so quickly.
“Because the rest of the new recruits have been here for a couple of weeks, and Aurora isn’t taking anyone else until the beginning of March—with the exception of you.”
“You don’t say?” Dax had no idea he would be the only one starting out with the program that day. “What makes me so special?”
She giggled again. “I don’t know. But you impressed someone somewhere.”
The building he’d seen before loomed in the distance, but as fast as they were walking, they’d be there in a few seconds. Something about this girl was intriguing. It didn’t hurt that she was stunning. “How long have you been here?” he asked.
“Well, it’s a little different for me,” she began, glancing in each direction before she shot across the street. “Cadence is my sister. So… I started coming before I Transformed. But I started my training program in November.”
“Cool,” he said again, causing her to look up at him once more only briefly. He had no idea who Cadence was but thought he shouldn’t say so since she seemed important. “Do you like it?”
They had reached the sidewalk in front of the gym, and she stopped and turned to look at him. “Honestly, if you would’ve asked me that even a couple of days ago, I would’ve said absolutely yes, I love it. But today… I’m not so sure.” She took a deep breath, and he could see in her eyes there was more to the story, more she probably wasn’t inclined to talk about right that moment. She shook her head. “I’m sorry—that wasn’t fair of me. I’m sure you’ll love it. If you like to hunt things, this will be the perfect job for you.”
“But I’m not a Hunter,” he corrected her. “I’m a Guardian.”
“That’s okay. Same difference. Except for what can kill you.” She rolled her eyes a little bit at the end of the sentence. “I apologize for not introducing myself. I’ve been really distracted today.” She offered her petite hand. “I’m Cassidy Findley.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Dax Forest. But you already knew that.” He smiled and remembered to let go of her hand as she began to pull it away. “And what are you?”
Once again, her countenance changed. She dropped her eyes for a second and then lifted them to meet his. “It depends on the day. Most of the time, I like to think of myself as a Hunter. Today, I think, I’m probably more of a Vampire.”
At first he thought she must be joking, maybe referring to some sort of training practice they might have where half of the trainees pretend to be fighting for the opposite side, but he could tell by her expression she meant it. “Why is that?” he asked quietly.
“I’m a Hybrid,” she said softly. “The only one like me in the world, as far as we know. There was an accident. It’s…complicated.”
“Oh, that sounds… cool,” he said, wishing he’d forget that word after he let it slip out again for the umpteenth time. He watched her eyebrows raise. “I mean, it must be pretty neat to be so unique.”
“Yeah. And terrifying.”
“I can see that, too,” he admitted. “But, hey, at least you know they can’t replace you,” he joked, jostling her with his forearm into her shoulder.
She let out a small laugh. “I suppose that’s true.” Once again, she shook her head like she was clearing her thoughts. “Come on. We don’t want to be late. We don’t call Aurora ‘Roar’ when she gets mad for no reason.”
“Right,” Dax agreed, grabbing the gym door and holding it open for her, wondering who in the world Aurora was and what he’d gotten himself into. At least one person around her was nice—and easy on the eyes. Maybe he’d made the correct decision after all.
