Episode 2

DAMON

“How was your first field mission?” Mum asked, her voice was calm, as she placed a plate of toast on the table.  

I rolled my eyes and reached for the bottle of water sitting nearby, downing half of it in one go. 

My throat still felt raw, and my body ached from the night before. 

“How do you think it went?” I muttered. “I was in a room filled with vampires, Mum. I almost died.”  

The memories clawed their way back despite my efforts to bury them.

 The loud music of the club, I was an introvert yet I had to come out of my shell because of a stupid mission. 

The sound of bones snapping, the beating I had received.

And him—Luciano. 

His face was branded into my mind, every sharp angle of his jaw and piercing gaze. He’d changed. 

The lip piercing was new, and damn it, all I could think about was what it would feel like to kiss him again.  

Mum’s voice dragged me back to the present. “But you didn’t die,” she said with cheer. “Because you’re a good hunter.”  

No. I didn’t die because my vampire ex-boyfriend decided to play hero. But of course, I couldn’t say that.

 My parents barely tolerated the idea of vampires as anything other than monsters to hunt. 

They’d lose their minds if they found out I used to date one—and they’d go hysterical if they discovered I was gay.  

I rubbed my temples, trying to chase away the ache building behind my eyes.

 “Mum, I need to clear my head,” I said, rising from the chair before she could press further.  

Without waiting for her reply, I made my way to my room.  

It was a mess. Clothes were laying across the floor, my desk was buried under a mountain of books, and the faint scent of burnt scented candles lingered in the air.

 But it was my own little kingdom. No one else dared to step foot in here, and that was exactly how I liked it.  

“Alright, alright,” Mum called after me

 “But don’t be late for the ceremony. Today, you’ll be assigned your second task.” Her voice softened as I halted.

“You’re growing up so fast, my little boy.” Her words made my chest tighten, but I didn’t respond.

 Instead, I shut the door behind me and collapsed onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.  

The image of Luciano’s smirk crept back into my mind, fucking Salvatore. His voice still echoed in my ears, low and teasing;

 "We’ll finally get to play our little game of cat and mouse.” Only the remembrance of his voice made my dick go hard and I grunted.

I clenched my fists, I needed to focus. Tonight, they’d expect me to step up, to prove myself. But how could I, when the lines between hunter and hunted were already starting to blur?  

*

A few hours later, all the juniors stood lined up in the training ground, the air thick with nervous energy.  

The elder hunters were seated in the front, their expressions stern and expectant. Today was the day we would officially become hunters. Today was the day we’d be given our second task—a rite of passage to prove we were worthy of the title. None of us knew what to expect, but the tension was everywhere, you could feel it, you could almost see it, it was curling in my gut like a snake ready to strike.  

“Damon, to the stand, please.”  

Cheers erupted behind me, particularly from my family. Their pride felt like a weight pressing against my shoulders as I made my way to the stand, forcing my feet to move. 

My mother’s smile was radiant, and my little sister waved frantically, and I let out a small smile.

“Today,” the elder hunter announced, his voice booming across the training ground, “you are proclaimed a hunter. Hunters are as brave as they are skilled. Hunters protect not only their own but all of humanity. And with this task, you will prove your worth.”  

He gestured toward a small wooden box on the podium. My heart pounded as I turned to face the crowd. All eyes were on me, eager and expectant.  

“Go, Damon,” my little sister yelled waving as hard as she could.

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly at her enthusiasm.

 Taking a steadying breath, I approached the box, my hands trembling slightly as I reached inside and drew out a folded slip of paper.  

“Go ahead, open it." The elder hunter urged. The world seemed to slow as I unfolded the paper, my pulse roaring in my ears as I wondered what was waiting for me. 

And then I saw it.  

My blood turned to ice and it ran cold.

Find Luciano Salvatore, Vampire Prince, and execute him.

I read the words again, hoping I’d misread. But there they were, staring back at me like a death sentence.  

I felt the weight of the world crash down on me, my breath catching in my throat. The cheers and applause of the crowd faded into a distant hum, drowned out by the frantic thudding of my heartbeat.  

This was my task. My proof of worth.  

And it was my worst nightmare.  

My hands clenched around the paper as my gaze darted to my family, their proud smiles oblivious to the storm raging inside me. How could I tell them? How could I do this?  

 My stomach twisted in knots as my happy moments with Luciano made its way into my head again.

No matter how much I wanted him to be an enemy, he was still one of the best things that had happened to me.

  “This is your mission, Damon. The entire hunters are counting on you for this." I forced a nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, as tears formed in my eyes.

How could I kill the only person who had ever saved me? How could I kill someone I know I still loved?