Chapter 1
Valerie
The speedometer was pushing fucking ninety-five, and the trees outside were just a massive blur of black.
"You okay back there, kiddo?" Dad asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white.
Next to him, Mom was pounding away on her laptop, her face lit up by the blue screen, totally locked in.
I just gave him a thumbs-up. It was a total lie. I was losing my mind.
"You sure?" he pressed, not even thinking about hitting the brakes. "You're quiet."
"What, are you saying I talk too much?" I snapped, leaning forward to glare at the back of his head.
"Not talking. Just asking too many damn questions," Dad muttered, a tiny smirk twitching on his face.
"Because you guys never tell me shit!" I finally lost it. I kicked my duffel bag, which was crammed at my feet because we’d packed our entire lives in a five-minute panic. "Fuck it, I want to know what’s going on. Where are we going? Why the hell are we running?"
"Language, Valerie," Mom warned, not even looking up from her screen.
"But Mom—"
"I don't care how stressful it is, watch your mouth," she snapped. "Curiosity gets people killed in this job. If we don't tell you things, it's for your own good."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I huffed, sinking back into the seat. "But it makes zero sense. How do we just pack up and bolt in the middle of the night? Is this about the Southern Clan?"
The car went dead silent.
I wasn't stupid. I'm Valerie Hunter. My dad runs the Hunter Organization, and yeah, we hunt vampires. Real, blood-sucking vampires. Plus werewolves, witches, and shifters. If I was a normal teenager, I’d think I was crazy. But I’m not normal. I killed my first leech when I was fourteen to pass my basic hunter trials. I’m the youngest official hunter on the grid, and I’m damn proud of it.
Honestly, I always felt a little freakish anyway. I can literally feel people’s vibes—good or bad—just by being near them. Right now, the air felt toxic.
"We killed their leader," I muttered, trying to piece it together. "We completely wrecked their nests. We won."
"We missed a few," Dad said, his eyes scanning the dark road. "And they want revenge. They're hunting us now."
"Then why the fuck are we running instead of fighting?" I growled, my hand dropping to the silver stake in my jacket. "We're hunters, not fucking cowards."
"Watch it," Mom snapped again.
"We aren't cowards," Dad growled back, his voice getting dark. "There are more important things than picking a fight right now."
"Like what?"
"Keeping you alive."
Dad slammed on the brakes. The car skidded sideways into the dirt, plunging deep into the shadows of a thick forest. He cut the engine, and total darkness slammed into us.
"Dad? Why are we stopping in the middle of nowhere?"
I leaned forward to look at Mom, and my stomach completely flipped. She was wiping her eyes. My mom—who didn't even flinch when she got shot or stabbed—was crying.
Before I could say a word, she reached back, grabbed me, and pulled me into a crazy tight hug, sobbing into my shoulder.
"Mom?" I whispered, totally freaked out.
She pulled back, her face red and puffy, and cupped my cheeks. "Just take care of yourself. We love you so much, Valerie."
"Princess. Out of the car. Now," Dad said, throwing his door open.
I stepped out onto the damp dirt, and Dad practically threw my heavy tactical backpack over my shoulders.
"Do you remember Uncle Dom?" he asked, gripping my arms.
"Yeah, of course." Dom was my godfather. The guy was built like a truck and radiated pure power. I knew his secret, even if Dad thought I didn't—Dom was a werewolf. A pack alpha. But he was also the most loyal guy my dad knew.
"The underground bunker we built when we were kids," Dad said, checking the treeline. "You're going there."
"No! No way, I'm staying to fight with you!"
"You're going," Dad said sternly, but then he pulled me into a fierce hug. "I'm so damn proud of you, Valerie. But you have to run. Now."
"They're close, Adrian!" Mom yelled from the car, her voice panicked. The sun was totally gone now.
Dad shoved a heavy metal necklace into my hand. It had a pearl pendant filled with some kind of liquid. "If the leeches catch you, drink this. Do not let them take your blood. You are special, princess. Don't let them have you."
"What about Reed and Luke? And Grandpa?" I choked out.
"They're safe. Now run!"
I didn't argue anymore. I turned and sprinted into the thick, dark woods, following the path to the bunker that Dad had made me memorize years ago.
Ten minutes into the pitch-black forest, my phone buzzed. I yanked it out, dodging a branch. "Hello?"
"Eli, my sweet child," Grandpa’s raspy voice came through.
"Grandpa?" I gasped, using my childhood nickname.
"He will come for you, Eli. Just wait and keep faith."
"Who? What are you talking about?"
"Alex," Grandpa whispered. Alex was the mystery guy Grandpa always claimed saved my life when I was a baby. "Alex will find you. Can't talk... they might be tracking—"
The line went dead.
"Grandpa! Dammit!" I cursed, shoving the phone in my pocket. I scrambled down a ridge of rocks and found the hidden entrance to the underground tunnel. I pulled out my flashlight, checking my gear. Three wooden stakes. A Glock with silver bullets. A UV laser. I was armed to the teeth.
Then, the phone vibrated again.
I pressed it to my ear instantly. "Dad? I made it to the tunnel, I'm—"
"Pr... Princess..."
My blood turned to ice. It didn't sound like my dad. It sounded wet. Like he was choking.
"Dad?" I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart pounding in my ears. "Dad, talk to me!"
"We love you... don't trust anyone, baby..." He coughed violently, and I could hear the sound of blood. "Only... only Uncle Dom. No one else."
"Dad! Where are you? I'm coming back!" I screamed, tears finally blurring my vision.
"Mark..." Dad choked out, and in the background, I heard the horrific sound of metal ripping and something screeching. "Mark betrayed us... they're looking for you... stay hidden... love you, prin—"
Static.
"Dad?" I screamed into the empty tunnel. "Dad!! Answer me!"
Nothing. Just the sound of water dripping in the dark.
My legs gave out, and I dropped straight to the wet concrete floor. The phone rolled away. I curled into a ball and cried so hard my chest ached. They were gone. I knew what a death rattle sounded like.
The sadness lasted for about a minute. Then it burned away, turning into pure, unadulterated rage.
I wiped my face, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I stared into the pitch blackness of the tunnel.
Mark was a dead man. And as for the vampires? I was going to slaughter every single one that crossed my path. They were going to curse the fucking day they ever decided to hunt my family.
