Darius leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. For the last three hours, he had done nothing but put in orders for garments. Shopping online for tuxedos and designer dresses was, without a doubt, the least favorite of his duties. If he had time to go out to the stores or interact with the designer directly, he wouldn’t have minded, but he found entering measurements into forms monotonous and boring.

Still, it was a task assigned to him by the High Lord General, and he took it seriously. ‘Too seriously’ according to Tane. But Tane could go blow a harpy for all Darius cared.

He stood to stretch and adjusted his suit pants as hunger stabbed at him. He briefly considered calling for a feeder, but since he was going out to a club tonight anyways, he’d wait.

There was a knock on his door.

Darius looked at the time. He had no appointments or scheduled meetings right now and wasn’t expecting anyone.

Slipping on his suit jacket, he crossed his room and opened the door. His eyes widened when he saw who was standing there: Hunter Commander Lock.

Leader of Lord Reval’s hunters in Southern California…one of the only strongholds their people had on the West Coast. Lock’s team, the Day Breakers, were some of the toughest hunters around but he was also a member of the Argonauts—a team of the six best hunters in the entire corps—only called together in extreme circumstances or on the rare occasion the High King needed his body guards.

Behind Lock, two young hunters stood guard in the hallway. Darius could feel the awe coming from them as they tried not to stare too hard at the commander.

Darius had no idea why a man he had exchanged maybe two words with would be at his door. Straightening his suit sleeve, he didn’t let any sign of his surprise show. “Commander Lock, may I help you?”

Lock nodded. “Lord Darius, might I have a word in private?”

“Of course.” He took a step back and motioned into his room, which was really more of an extensive suite within the manor. Unlike the rest of the old stone estate, he kept his area modern and minimalist. It always surprised people who assumed he’d decorate with the same heavy colors and old furniture the general favored. But that wasn’t his style.

Lock sauntered into Darius’ living quarters and scanned the area, a habit of any skilled hunter. They were always looking for possible dangers and threats. And a hunter didn’t get as old as Lock without constant vigilance.

Satisfied with his sweep of the room, Lock rested his hands on his hips. “Three years ago, my team ran into Mont,” he said without preamble.

Darius ground his back teeth. “Three years ago? Why am I just hearing about this now?”

“Apologies, my lord, but he got away that night, and I assume the Lord General didn’t feel the need to pass that information on to you.”

“Then why are you here, Commander? I assume it’s for another reason besides listing your failures.” Darius knew he was being impolite, but any mention of that vampire lord always put him in a terrible mood.

“Mont sired a man. And before the fledgling was turned, he had a child. A girl. We saved her. She’s a strong candidate for the corps, but I ain’t got time to hold her hand. I was hopin’ maybe you could help me. Or rather, help her.”

“I’m not a warrior. Recruiters are supposed to handle the onboarding for new hunters.”

“Mont’s the reason she no longer has a family. Thought maybe you’d be better suited for the job.”

That gave Darius pause. Maybe he could help her. But the idea faded when he began to run through all the responsibilities he had on his plate. Today alone he had to attend to Lady Rosaline who was visiting from New York, finalize the transfer of funds for three pieces of jewelry he’d custom ordered for the estate, oversee the room preparations for the half-dozen warriors expected to arrive soon, make sure Lord Odarim’s new armor would be completed on time…

When Darius didn’t respond right away, Lock shrugged slowly. “The Lord General thinks it’d be a good idea.”

Darius narrowed his eyes as he fought to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to kick Lock out for being underhanded. No one dared disobey the general. Even his suggestions were commands to be followed. And for Darius, it was especially so. He owed the general more than he could ever repay. “Alright, fine. Will she be brought here or will I be traveling?”

“She’s already here. Should be wakin’ soon. It’d be best if we were both there when she did. Unless you’re busy.”

Darius went to his door. “Does it matter if I am?”

“I reckon not.” Lock meandered from the room, his silver spurs clanking. Forced to follow, Darius wasn’t too happy he had babysitting duty for who knows how long.

Neither talked as they passed through the stone hallways adorned with rich tapestries and statues. Guards saluted them, and servants darted out of the way, making themselves as unnoticeable as possible.

Down a level, Lock paused outside the door to a guest room. Darius could hear some sound coming from the hunter’s earpiece but couldn’t make out what dispatch was telling him.

“She’s in here, I gotta handle this call real quick,” Lock said, and without any other explanation, he disappeared with a green glow.

A low growl escaped Darius. What the heck was so important that Lock couldn’t stay around for a few moments?

Darius sighed, pushed open the door, and came face to face with the most exquisite creature he had ever seen in his entire life. Dark hair framed her face with wild abandon; her light brown eyes were flecked with gold, her expression fierce and determined.

She was strength and beauty and fire unmatched.

Burning lungs reminded Darius that he needed to breathe, but before he could suck in air, she punched him in the eye.