Kat pulled away from Darius as another low rumble escaped the incubus. This time it wasn’t directed at her, but rather a newcomer who leaned against a tree, arms crossed.

Her head swam. Darius had been so frustrating. She was ready to list off every conceited misstep he had taken when he had kissed her. And she had liked the kiss.

A lot.

The man…creature…incubus drove her crazy. He was arrogant and egotistical…but she felt a connection to him now. They both lost their family to Mont. It had been unfair of her to be so upset that he hadn’t gone after the vampire. He clearly wanted to. But he wasn’t a fighter, even if he looked like he hit the gym regularly.

He understood that time didn’t dull the pain like everyone said it would. The pain fueled her, making her more resolute in her desire to extract vengeance and bring peace to her parents’ memory.

For a moment—before he opened his gorgeous, pompous mouth—she thought maybe she could share that with Darius.

But the idea evaporated when she remembered why she was here. She couldn’t afford to lose focus, and the incubus was a distraction. The kiss proved that; for a moment, she let herself forget how angry she was. How dare she do that to her parents. As if their deaths were nothing compared to a kiss.

“Go away, Tane,” Darius said through a clenched jaw.

Tane, dressed in stylish jeans and a shirt, uncrossed his arms and pushed off the tree. He had a chiseled chin, dusty blond hair he kept messy, and dark blue eyes. He was wider than Darius but not taller. Like every other incubus she had seen, he was good-looking. He even carried himself with the same haughty attitude.

The new incubus eyed Kat. “And you are…?”

Darius stepped in front of Kat, his massive wings blocking her view. “No one you need to concern yourself with.”

“Excuse me?” she asked, stepping around him.

Darius glanced at her. “I only mean that—”

“I can speak for myself.” She stuck her hand out to Tane. “I’m Kat. Lock is sponsoring me to be a hunter.”

Tane took her hand and pressed a kiss on it. Seriously? Who did that? But, maybe she should have known better by now.

He didn’t release her hand, caressing it with his thumb. “Commander Lock? You must be impressive. He’s never sponsored anyone before.”

Grabbing her shoulders, Darius yanked Kat away from the other incubus. “She’s extraordinary. Now if you’ll excuse us…”

“If you are going to tour Ashwood, I’d be happy to show you around. As a warrior, I know quite a bit about the academy.”

Darius moved between Kat and Tane for a second time. “That isn’t necessary.”

The high from the incredible kiss faded, and he was back to pissing her off.

She stepped around his wing—again—and pointedly ignored Darius. “You’re a warrior? I thought all warriors were big.”

Tane’s blue eyes turned dark purple at the edges as they flicked to Darius. “Not all. And I am one of the best warriors here. I’ve killed many vampires, unlike some.”

Darius balled his fists, and his nostrils flared. A dark, triumphant expression crossed Tane’s face, and he widened his shoulders.

“I supported the war in other ways,” Darius forced out between his teeth.

Tane shrugged. “Yeah, buying clothes for my father and amusing his guests has certainly furthered our war efforts.”

Darius’ eyes went wide, and he launched himself at Tane, his claws swiping the warrior’s chest, drawing blood.

Tane laughed as his fist drove into Darius’ shoulder, sending him to the ground. He recovered quickly and was back on his feet, lunging at Tane, who dodged his attacks with ease.

Kat backed away as the two incubi traded blows. She didn’t want any part of this.

Green light filled the area and the hunter team that had been escorting them teleported in. The leader—at least the one Kat assumed was the leader—raised his wrist to his mouth and spoke. “Dispatch, inform Commander Cullip that Lord Tane and Lord Darius are fighting just inside the academy’s gates. Find out if he wants us to pull them off each other.” The hunter’s words came out almost bored, as if this was a common occurrence.

If there was an answer, Kat didn’t hear it. She noticed all six hunters around her wore earpieces, along with heavy winter cloaks, thick leathers, and were armed with plenty of weapons.

Darius slid across the ground and slammed into a tree. Something between a grunt and a cry of pain escaped him. His wings stretched as he stood and went at Tane again. Kat grew legitimately worried for Darius. Tane looked skilled enough to end this fight at any point, but instead he taunted the social incubus, chuckling. He even let Darius get a hit in before returning with his own blow, knocking the wind from him.

Kat took a step towards Darius. The air sizzled, and a heavy gloved hand landed on her shoulder. Behind her stood a hunter wearing a frightening black skull mask. The design of his leather uniform was like something from medieval Spain, but with lots of extra buckles. He had no cloak to hide the plethora of weapons he was armed with, including a sash of silver throwing knives.

Five more hunters had appeared with him. The man didn’t release Kat as he motioned to his team to break up the fight. A woman—she couldn’t be more than five feet tall—teleported behind Darius, grabbed his shoulder, and yanked him to the ground.

Darius, bleeding from small cuts and covered in freshly blooming bruises, sneered at her but didn’t resist the small hunter.

Three other hunters grabbed Tane, who fought against them, throwing them off with ease.

“That’s enough, Lord Tane,” the hunter holding onto Kat said.

Tane snarled but stopped.

Darius stood, his chest heaving, his clothes shredded. Had the fight gone on any longer, Kat wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand. He looked terrible.

He glanced at Kat, and his face turned from one of anger to humiliation. His pride wounded. “Please excuse me,” he grunted out between heavy breaths and limped back to his car. The hunters parted out of his way, and as soon as he was in the driver’s seat, he took off.

Tane started to leave.

“Lord Tane, a moment. What happened here?” the hunter in the skull mask asked from behind her.

Tane shrugged. “He attacked me.”

“Pissing match over the girl, sir,” Walla said.

“Her?” Tane raised an eyebrow at Kat. “She’s nothing special.”

Now Kat surged at Tane, but the strong hand on her shoulder spun her around. He removed his mask, revealing an older man with many small scars across his hard face, and a trimmed greying goatee.

He looked her up and down. In fact, they all studied her—twelve hunters plus Tane. Kat felt her cheeks heat under the scrutiny, but she kept her face impassive and squared her shoulders.

“You must be Kathleen—”

“Kat.”

“Doesn’t matter, you’ll be getting a new name soon.”

She wasn’t okay with that. “No. My name is Kat.”

The hunters in the area chuckled, but the one in front of her stayed serious. “I’m Commander Cullip. I lead the hunters of Ashwood, both the estate and—until we can find a new Headmistress—the academy. I’m the highest-ranking hunter here, which means you don’t talk back to me, and you will address me as ‘sir’. Do you understand?”

“Er. Yes, sir?”

“Good.”

“Why do I have to change my name?”

Cullip frowned at Kat, displeased.

“Oh. Why do I have to change my name? Sir.”

The small female hunter that had floored Darius laughed. “Lock never makes anything easy for you, huh?”

He sighed. “Not really, no.”

Tane didn’t seem to want to wait around anymore and began to walk away.

“Where are you going, my lord?” Cullip asked.

Tane didn’t stop. “I have plans.”

Cullip pulled out a phone from one of the pouches on his hip and sent off a text. A moment later a ding came from Tane’s pocket, and he pulled out his own phone. He read the text on it then scowled at Cullip. Another hunter team of six—they were always six—teleported into the area.

“My lord,” one of the new hunters said to Tane, “we’ve been assigned to patrol the south side the rest of tonight.”

“My father will hear of this,” Tane growled at Cullip.

A hint of amusement glinted in the hunter’s eyes. “He will—when I include it in my report. I’m certain the Lord General will be thrilled to hear you beat up Darius over a woman you’re not even going to feed on.”

Tane growled once more and marched away, his team trailing after him.

Kat had thought that Darius was full of himself, but he had nothing on Tane, who was a downright asshole.

Cullip motioned his orders to the rest of the hunters in the area. “Ashwood Yellow, go make sure Darius returns to the estate safely. Wardens, go check on Matthew, make sure he’s behaving in his cage. Silva, stay.”

Everyone teleported away, except the small woman, Silva, and the commander.

With no headlights from the car lighting the area, the forest felt ominous in the dark. She was having trouble making out much beyond the two hunters who stood watching her.

Silva crossed her arms and spoke. “We change our names so that vampires have a harder time finding and using our families against us.”

“My family is dead.”

Cullip said, “I’m not making an exception. Everyone changes their names.”

“Not everyone, sir. Let her keep her name.” The woman left no room for argument, and he didn’t seem to want to fight her on it.

“Alright. Fine. You can keep your name, Kat.” He looked at his phone and typed out another text.

“What are you up to, sir?” Silva asked, trying to peek at the screen. Kat also wanted to know, but she didn’t move from her spot. She’d pissed her new boss off enough.

A few moments later, a new hunter appeared. He couldn’t have been much older than her but the five o’clock shadow on his face aged him. A twisted grouping of healed scars ran down his face. They started under his right eye and cheekbone, running jagged across his cheek, and ending at the bottom of his chin. His lips were split where the scars crossed.

There was something off about him. His dark eyes were cold. Soulless.

Kat found herself comparing them to Darius’ eyes, which were just as dark in his human form but full of passion and life. Every time the incubus had glanced at her they sparked. Not so with this hunter, who sent a chill down Kat’s spine.

He pressed his fist to his shoulder in a salute. “Commander. Lieutenant.”

“Sir,” Silva said to Cullip, “you can’t be serious. She doesn’t even have her runes and they’re in their third year.”

Cullip ignored her with a smile. “Cadet Chase, this is Kat. She’s the newest member of your team.”

Chase looked between Kat and Cullip. “Sir—” A raised eyebrow stopped Chase’s forthcoming complaint in its tracks. “Yes, sir.”

“Commander Lock seems to think she’ll be able to keep up if I place her in a more advanced team—”

Silva shook her head. “I’d hardly call them an ‘advanced team’.”

Chase stood up a little taller, his fingers flexing near the weapons on his belt as if he took offense, but otherwise made no other action.

“Kat,” Cullip said, “I don’t have the time to hold your hand right now. Chase is your team leader and will evaluate you. He’ll report to me when he thinks you’re ready to get your runes.”

Great. How long would that take?

A thick, high-tech-looking bracelet on Cullip’s wrist beeped. “Be there in a moment,” he said into it. “Chase, her file is waiting for you.”

With no further instructions, both Cullip and Silva teleported away, leaving Kat alone in the dark with Chase.

He regarded her for a moment then raised his wrist to his mouth. “Dispatch, this is Chase, inform my team that their night off has been canceled and to meet me in Lincoln mess.”

Chase turned and began walking away. Kat followed. A strange noise, a scream from some sort of animal out in the forest, broke up the eerie silence. She picked up her pace to be closer to the guy with all the weapons.

“You ever face a vamp before?” Chase asked.

“Yeah. I’ve killed five.”

An unimpressed grunt of acknowledgement came from the hunter.

“Why?” she asked. “How many have you killed?”

“More than five.”

Rounding the bend, the academy came into view. Five structures. The main building looked reminiscent of the estate, but it was only three stories instead of four. The other buildings were more modern and reminded her of college dorms, and in the back, rising above the others, loomed a massive dome structure that looked kind of like a covered football field.

As they neared, green light caught her eye, and she spotted hunters practicing on dummies, running through obstacles, and even a few on horseback, riding and shooting crossbows at targets.

“Come,” Chase said, moving towards the eastern-most building. Above the thick doors was a sign that read ‘Lincoln Hall’.

Kat laughed.

Chase tossed her a glance over his shoulder but kept walking, leading them inside. “What is it you find funny?”

“Lincoln.”

Chase turned to her. “Make yourself clear.”

Whoa. He had one mode: serious. “Like…Abe Lincoln…vampire hunter…?”

He frowned. “He wasn’t a vampire hunter. These dorms were not named for him.”

“I don’t know, boss, that’s pretty funny,” someone said from behind her. She jumped, turning and raising her arms defensively. Before her stood a man wearing a mask that covered most of his face; only his nearly yellow eyes were visible. He pulled back his hood and pushed the mask down, revealing dark flowing hair and a square, stubbled jaw. “Who’s the girl? Is she why my night off was cut short?” He had a Mexican accent, thicker than the one some of her classmates in SoCal had.

Kat held her hand out. “I’m Kat.”

The hunter took it, his cloak opening slightly. Kat caught a flash of mean-looking weapons secured to his limber frame. “I like the name. Javi.”

Javi had a firm handshake but not a posturing one, and she appreciated that he didn’t try to caress or kiss her.

“She’s our rune-less, newbie teammate.” Chase pushed open the door to the mess and disappeared inside of it.

Javi smiled at her, warm and friendly. “Don’t mind the boss. We’re all convinced he tried to stick a dildo up his ass one day and it got stuck there.”

Kat burst up laughing. “Yeah? I believe it.”

“But let’s not keep him waiting. He’s the one that can make us run laps and withhold food. And I like food.”

Envy ran through her; if Javi enjoyed food, he must burn the calories quick with a body like his. Kat looked at food and it stuck to her hips…well, when she remembered to eat anyways. Spending her nights going after vampires meant many skipped dinners.

Javi motioned to the door. “After you, my new friend.”

Kat entered a spacious, nearly empty cafeteria with rows and rows of tables. Chase, with his impassive expression, waited a few feet away from two other men. One of them was huge, easily six-five, and had metal armor pieces over his hunter leathers. The other was scrawny, with striking blue eyes and floppy white-blond hair. The big guy’s skin was as dark as the small one’s was light.

They looked comical standing together.

“Where’s Dawn?” Chase asked.

“Where do you think?” the smaller hunter said.

Chase sighed.

Javi put his hand on Kat’s shoulder to introduce her. “We finally got a new teammate. This is Kat. That big guy there is Brick—”

Brick nodded to her.

“And the little one—”

“I’m not little.”

“Is Necrus.”

Strange names…at least they’d be easy for her to remember.

“Brick is our front-liner in fights,” Javi said. “Meaning he’s usually the one taking the beating from the vamp while we circle around. And Necrus is our field medic and sniper, mostly because his runes fizz out half the time.”

“They do not fizz out,” Necrus said. “I just happen to be the best aim on the team.”

Kat noticed he had an oversized crossbow attached to his back. “Why a crossbow and not a gun?”

Chase rubbed his forehead as if trying to relieve the pressure of a headache. Kat ignored him. Team leader or no, she was done dealing with assholes tonight.

Javi smiled at her. “Bullets don’t do shit against vamps. The silver-coated ones slide right through them. Buckshot does okay, but we’re always worried about friendly fire. The incubi warriors that fight with us can shrug off a bolt easily enough, not so much a bullet. And there’s this—”

Javi teleported away and reappeared a moment later, pistol in hand. He aimed it at Brick’s head and fired three times. The big guy didn’t even flinch as the bullets slammed into some sort of barrier that looked like water rippling inches away from his face. The impacted metal dropped harmlessly to the ground.

“One of our runes auto activates when small objects come flying at us at a high velocity. Vamps know we have the rune, and because using it wears us out fast, they’ll position themselves in a way that makes firing guns more dangerous for us than them.”

Necrus scooped down and retrieved the spent bullets. “When’s she getting her runes?”

“When I say so,” Chase said, who looked more unhappy about the situation each time he looked at Kat.

Taking aim, Necrus flicked each of the bullets into a trashcan across the room, hitting his target perfectly. “Then say so soon, we’ve been benched way too long.”

“She gets them when she’s ready.”

Kat scowled at Chase. “It won’t take me long to catch up.”

“I hope not,” Chase said.

Behind him, Brick—who had been standing nearly motionless the whole time—pulled out a chair.

A green light lingered in the air for a split second, then a woman appeared. Unlike the others, she wasn’t wearing a leather uniform but rather tight pants, a loose metallic shirt, and tall heels. Her red-blonde hair was pulled back. Her lipstick slightly smeared. She looked as if she’d been out clubbing.

“I hope this is important,” she said. “Because I was in the middle of an epic make out session with Lord Roa and Lady Ephni, and let me tell you, they—” Her eyes settled on Kat. “Oh.”

“Dawn, this is Kat, your new roommate.”

“Hi.” Dawn smiled and stumbled forward, clearly drunk. Brick caught her with one arm and in the other had a glass of water with seltzer bubbling in it. Kat hadn’t even noticed him get it. For such a big man, he moved awfully quiet.

Brick ushered her into the chair he had pulled out.

Noticing Javi’s yellow eyes again, Kat asked, “Are you guys all human?”

“Yes, we’re human,” Chase said. “Why would you think otherwise?”

“I wanted to be sure. I only knew about vampires until recently, and now there’s incubi…and gargoyles...and witches.”

“Don’t worry, chica,” Javi said. “We’ll teach you all about shifters, and trolls, and fairies.”

Brick’s face twisted with disgust, his accent—South African, maybe?—surprising her as he said, “I hate fairies…”

“You’ll learn the best ways to kill vamps,” Javi continued, ignoring Brick.

“…small and tiny…”

“You’ll do just fine.”

“…annoying insects…”

“Welcome to our team.”

“…pests.”

“Welcome to Ashwood Red.”