I opt out of eating breakfast in the common area. Being the new girl and with all those people that would do nothing but stare at me or watch me like I’m some kind of fucking experiment didn’t interest me. Instead went to the gym where Aiden told me I’d need to meet Hunter and his team.

I’m hoping there’s no one there yet, I want to run, clear my head of the bullshit. Also to forget my mother grilling me about cute boys on the phone last night. Hunter, Talon and the guys they stood with yesterday were definitely hot. Even Talon, whose mouth makes it hard to even consider liking or even being nice to him.

By the time I get into the gym my mind is racing again. Thinking about how Jerome could have found me. Wondering if he and Payne were some of the people behind all of my attacks.

I take a look around the empty room and breathe a sigh of relief. I’m alone. Thank gods.

Skirting my gaze around the large room I find a treadmill that faces the entrance and has the large single window in sight but isn’t directly in front of it. The rest of the room is covered in mirrors that blanket the walls.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket I start my Spotify playlist before starting the treadmill. Slowly upping my speed and the incline as I continue, not wanting to tire myself out but needing something rigorous enough to stop my brain from going around in circles.

I run for at least fifteen minutes before someone comes into the gym. I don’t slow down or turn my music off as the guy meets my eyes when he walks in.

He was with Hunter and Talon yesterday. Or at least, he was standing near enough to them for me to make the assumption he was with them. I’m guessing he’s a part of their team.

He’s tall, probably about as tall as Talon, though not as tall as Hunter. He has sandy blonde hair and an easy smile on his face, though I can feel the distrust he has for me across the room.

Thankfully, he isn’t giving off the same disgust and hatred that Talon gives off whenever he’s around me.

Before their group noticed me and before Ada got in my face Talon had seemed almost relaxed except for the strain clearly on his face.

He wasn’t happy about my presence. I doubt anyone on this team is. No matter what anyone says they’re babysitting me.

I fucking hate that. I’m not someone who needs to be babysat. If I need help, yeah, I’ll ask for it. But I don’t believe that I need protection from the world. If they get me again I’ll die eventually by their hands anyway. I may not know why all these assholes want me so badly, but I do know that I won’t come out of it alive if I’m taken again.

My thoughts are cut off as Talon, Hunter and two others walk into the room. Hunter meets my gaze and gestures for me to join them on the other side of the gym where the guys are busy situating themselves on benches, equipment and against a wall.

I get off the treadmill after turning it and my music off and walk towards them, stuffing my phone in my back pocket on my way.

The three males I saw- and guessed correctly that they were part of the team- yesterday eye me as I come close. The only person giving me a nasty look is, of course, Talon. The other three either look annoyed or just plain curious.

Hunter clears his throat, making the men turn to him. He has a Manila folder in his hand and holds it up for us to see.

“Before I start explaining what this is I figure you guys want to know what we’re going to be doing with Mercy.”

“That would be nice,” the guy closest to me, who had walked in earlier than the rest says with a grin on his face. His eyes resemble a human’s green and if it weren’t for the slitted pupils I’d have guessed he was a vamp, shifter or a witch, not a demon. There’s only a couple demons that have human colored eyes but there’s only one that has eyes like that.

Incubus.

Fantastic.

As if being the only girl on this team of hot ass men won’t be bad enough, let’s throw an incubus into the mix and fuck with my poor half-demon hormones.

“I spoke with your uncle, Aiden, and the Head Orderly,” he starts and I have to fight the smile at the ridiculous name, “last night. Your uncle believes you can handle yourself if you get attacked and thinks we just need to be back up.”

The male who has completely human eyes and reeks of magic snorts. “Seriously? Yeah, she managed to beat Ada yesterday, but I don’t believe in waiting to see if she needs our help.”

Hunter smirks. “That’s what I told her uncle.” He turns to face me, his face carefully blank. “We are a team, Mercy. What happens to one of us happens to all of us as far as we are concerned.”

I nod my understanding. “What did my uncle say?”

“He said he’ll be here either tonight or tomorrow. He isn’t sure which yet. However, in the meantime, yes we are your protectors, but we’re also a team. When we go on assignments you’ll be with us and helping us finish said assignments. When we leave the grounds here at least one of us is with you at all times.”

I bristle at that. “Now, hold on a minute. I do not need a babysitter.”

Hunter’s red eyes narrow at me. “You may not need one but you’ve got one. Actually, you’ve got five. It’s your uncles and the Head Orderly’s orders. Since your uncle is a close personal friend of the Head Orderly, he will do as your uncle has asked of him.”

“Fine,” I grumble. “Continue.”

The incubus looks amused at our exchange. The others except for Talon, are completely straight faced but you can see the amusement shining in their eyes. Talon just looks annoyed.

Not really all that surprising.

“When on assignments, until we know what your skills lie in, you’ll be mostly shadowing us. Keeping close and learning how we work.” Hunter pauses before handing Talon the file in his hand. Talon automatically opens the file and looks through the papers inside. “Now, we have today to go over the information other teams have gathered in this file. We need to infiltrate the prison tonight and get one of the inmates out.”

“Is there a reason?” The guy on the bench asks, flashing a bit of fang as he speaks.

“There’s a Seer that’s being held, from what I’ve learned she’s still young and not in complete control of her powers. She was also raised by humans who had no idea about the supernatural. When supernatural’s around the world were outed a couple years ago the humans she lived with didn’t know what to do with her, especially after a vision impacted their lives in a way that made them fear her. They did the only thing they knew to do, they turned her into the human authorities.

“Since the human’s main goal is to capture supernatural’s to study us, they’ve kept her drugged and in a prison, due to not having a proper place to place someone with her abilities.”

“What other abilities does she have?” I can’t stop the words from escaping.

“She can control the minds of a lot of humans if she wants to. There are certain humans immune to her, but not many. The ones they were able to find all work at the prison.”

“How can she not control their minds?” I ask, intrigued.

“I honestly have no clue. We’ll have the answers soon enough. I’ve got copies being made as we speak so we don’t have to share the one file.” He meets the eyes of everyone in the room. “I’ve been told that the girl is scheduled for execution tomorrow so this needs to happen tonight.”

Everyone nods.

“Now that the business talk is out of the way. Mercy, let’s introduce you to the other members of the team. You’ve already met Talon, he’s a shifter. The one closest to you is Warwick, or War. He’s an incubus.” Warwick, the sandy blonde, nods at me in greeting, a teasing smile on his mouth. “The guy on the bench is Parker, vampire. Last but not least, the surly one over on the equipment is Kai. He’s a witch.”

I look at Hunter with a raised brow. “So you’ll tell me what kind of demon Warwick is but not what you are?”

He flashes a sinister smirk at me. “You’ll find out eventually. I’m just not going to tell you.”

I roll my eyes. “Whatever. It’s nice to meet everyone.”

Murmurs of greeting come from the the three new guys.

They start talking amongst themselves, pretty much leaving me out of their conversation. After a few minutes, Hunter excuses himself to get the rest of the files for the rest of the group.

I don’t know why he didn’t just bring them all to begin with. Just another mystery to him I guess.

“So, Mercy,” Talon’s voice breaks through my thoughts, “why did you and Ada go at it yesterday?”

“Yes, I’m curious about that as well,” Warwick says.

I narrow my eyes as I try to remember why Ada started crap with me. “I don’t remember,” I admit with a shrug.

Talon’s gaze sharpens. “What do you mean you don’t remember? You mean you make it a habit to go off and fight with people you just met?”

“I don’t start shit,” I inform him bluntly.

“We don’t know that. We just know that you just randomly started fighting one of our colleagues.”

I tilt my head. “Talon, I don’t remember because I don’t care enough about it to remember. I don’t need to explain myself to you, god knows why I’m even fucking trying since it seems like you’ve had a problem with me since you learned I was a half-demon. If you have something to say to me then fucking say it.”

Talon opens his mouth and is interrupted by Parker. “Okay, good talk. He didn’t mean anything by it Mercy,” Parker lies.

I shake my head. “Whatever. He doesn’t know me so he can judge me all he wants.” I pause. “I may be a fighter, and I may be a demon but I’m also a human. I fit nowhere in either world but I’m constantly thrust into this one. This isn’t my choice. Think about that before you go off spouting bullshit you know nothing about.”