{ When things change inside you, things change around you. ~ Unknown }

[ Chase ]

It had been nearly two days since he woke up in an SUV with a vampire and a werewolf. He was a little out of it and thought he was hallucinating at first. But as time rolled on, his mind became clearer, and the effect of the drug in his system, which he soon found out to be vampire blood, lessened, and he realised Gabriel and Finn were real.

Of all the people to 'rescue' him, Chase did not expect it to be the creatures he once despised. Actually, he didn't think he was going to live another day after the rounds of torture he had been through. But Chase knew for sure it was Aila who orchestrated his rescue. Gabriel hated his guts, which he understood; the vampire had been there the longest and seen Chase grow from a child with hate-filled eyes at a creature he never understood.

So, he knew given the chance, Gabriel would probably end him.

"Your life means nothing to me, boy. Why would I waste my efforts on you?" Gabriel would state casually. Chase didn't understand when the vampire would randomly come out with statements, but it didn't take him long to figure out that he had more powers than the average vampire. He never did find out why Gabriel was so special; all his father told him was that he was ancient.

But he knew there was something slightly off about him. Unlike Finn, who wasn't paying attention to the vampire, Chase had been. Of course, he had; even if he didn't loathe the creatures Chase was sharing a hotel room with, it didn't mean he wasn't wary.

So, he kept an eye on Gabriel, the aloof and mysterious vampire. Chase knew as well that he was paranoid and could have been making things up in his head. But he knew he wouldn't relax until he saw Aila.

Aila..

The day he met Aila, everything changed, and he would eternally be in her debt. Chase wanted to leave the hunters before she arrived, but it was for selfish reasons. He wanted a different life.

Chase grasped at his freedom with an iron fist every time he left the company of the hunters and was at university, meeting new people and learning new things. Being a hunter was not a choice; it was demanded of him. He was from a long lineage of hunters, and he was the first to disappoint them.

Chase moved away from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse suite in the five-star hotel they were staying in. The furniture and décor were of a pristine finish, with its marble floors and walls, the modern black and white suite had a long semi-circle white leather sofa in front of the biggest flat-screen TV he had ever seen, and behind it some clear stairs that led to the bedroom. The bar was around a corner that led to a balcony with a jacuzzi.

He expected to be lying low in a grotty motel while they waited for Aila and Ajax, but Gabriel scoffed at his words and drove them to this luxurious hotel he would never have had the chance to stay in. Chase had to admit, it wasn't so bad keeping the company of a vampire.

The hunter and vampire smirked at each other at his thoughts. But Gabriel snapped his head to the side, hearing something before him and Finn. The vampire's figure disappeared, and the door to the room was left ajar. Chase and Finn looked at each other before rushing after Gabriel. Finn's head snapped up, and Chase knew from the frown on his face that something was wrong.

"Go!" He urged, and the werewolf didn't need any more coaxing before Finn raced off without him.

Chase sprinted down the stairs and finally made it to the parking lot; he presumed the others went. He stopped behind Finn when he saw the shapeshifter standing in front of them naked, not caring about his public indecency. He still found it odd, but he was only human at the end of the day.

Gabriel disappeared again and returned within seconds, throwing a towel at him, muttering about it being a public place. It was dark, but there were still lights in the parking lot, showing the four men in a circle, one holding a towel around his waist. Chase glanced around and saw a few businessmen looking at them oddly, but his stony gaze made them look away.

"Maybe we should go back inside?" He suggested, but Gabriel stilled and grabbed Ajax by the arm. The shapeshifter hadn't said anything.

"What do you mean you've LOST AILA!?" Gabriel roared, and Chase could see the colour drain from Finn's face.

"I knew I should have gone. Trust a fucking shapeshifter to lose the most important person in creature king-"

"Oh yeah, like you would have done better," Ajax shrugged his arm out of Gabriel's hold.

Gabriel scoffed, "I would never have let her go to sleep. Did you not think, Ajax?!" He prodded the shifter's head and turned around. "She's been a wolf. How long?!"

"Where did you last see her?" Finn asked calmly, though his face was full of concern, and he shifted on his feet as though he could hardly stand on the spot.

Ajax removed his gaze from Gabriel and looked at Finn as he raked his hand through his messy hair. "She was hunting in a valley not too far from here. I left her ten minutes ago."

"Then there is still hope in getting her back.. right?" Chase asked as he crossed his arms against his chest. Ajax looked at him but did not reply; his silence was all the answer he needed. He knew a lot about the creatures from years of training and the history books of the Hunters Association passed down through the generations.

But he couldn't understand why the three guys looked so distraught. Aila was just hunting. What more was there to it?

Gabriel glared at him but did not answer his unspoken questions. But he could see the murderous rage growing on his features.

"Fuck!" Gabriel threw a bin across the parking lot. "How could she go feral?! You just had to insist on going with her.." Gabriel and Ajax were nearly head-to-head now. One suited and looking ready to go to a high-end party, and the other looked like he'd lived in the wilderness for days. Well, he had.

But instead of a fight breaking out, the vampire stepped back and straightened his suit. "I will go get her. Stay here until we return," He pulled his black card out and threw it at Finn.

"I'm coming with you!" Finn dropped the card in Chase's arms, and he managed not to drop it.

Gabriel rolled his eyes but didn't argue, and they set off after hearing Ajax's directions. Chase glanced at the half-naked man warily.

"Never thought I'd say this to a hunter, but.. Wanna grab a drink?" Ajax slapped Chase on the back then walked ahead of him. "We should swap horror stories! I'll tell you how Aila tried to eat me!" His voice rang through the lot, and Chase looked around before following after him. Ajax seemed better company than the two brooding creatures before.

"Wait.. Aila tried to eat you?"