(Cole’s POV)“You think this is enough?” Kione asked without looking at us.Kione breathed out nervously as she studied the food served at the dinner table, then raised her index finger, counting the plates she had placed on the table. If the dishes she and Ichiro prepared were not enough, only they could know about it. Dessert, maybe?“Don’t worry, Kione. This is like a feast for us already,” Gen chuckled. “We don’t get the chance to eat a full meal while on a hunt.”She turned her head and smiled at Gen as she brought the one Kione thought might be missing, the drinks.“Really? That hard to be a hunter, huh?” Her eyebrows knitted for a second, then she shrugged her shoulders. “How about a massage later?”“I’d love that,” she winked at her. “Giving Brielle a massage later, Cole?” She turned to me, wiggling her eyebrows, her lips curving a naughty smile.Gen guffawed when Brielle’s cheeks turned red but pressed her lips when she saw Aarush leading the others to the dining room. She li

(Cole’s POV)The sun was just about to rise from the horizon, but Giles and his men were already out, engaging in physical activity. The night must have gifted them with good sleep because they seemed full of energy as they ran. I stood by the patio, pretending to have my coffee, but I was actually watching their moves, studying their strengths and ability.It was just after the witching hour when I woke up as Brielle got up and climbed down from the bed. I pretended to be asleep so she would not feel obligated to return to bed, but as she walked naked to pick up her clothes, I could not stop watching her get dressed. When she turned her gaze to the bed and saw me awake, she gave me a wicked smile, walked toward me in her sexy clothes, and kissed me ferociously before walking out of the bedroom.Giles called them, giving them some time for stretching and then doing hand-to-hand combat after pairing Gen and Adam, and Brielle against Bryce. My head moved in the direction where Brielle a

(Brielle’s POV)There was something homey about the woods, maybe because I grew up in a place nearly like this. From here, it would take a total of ten hours to reach the headquarters since we had to cross water. It was located on an eleven square kilometers island that had never been included on the map as if it had never existed.The headquarters covered almost three square kilometers of the island, and the remaining eleven were mostly the woods, farms, and the town, which included the church, schools, residential areas, and small businesses, but all owned by the members of the Order of the Orion.My father, who held a high position in the Order, has the privilege of living in an exclusive residential area. Our home was perched in the middle of the woods, where I grew up, and was mostly trained by my parents. This was one of Giles’ many reasons for not liking me. He worked so hard to be one of the best hunters, and he thought I became part of his troop because of connections.Earlie

(Brielle’s POV)“You are mad,” cried Grandma, sighing as she sat in the chair.“Yes, I am crazy, grandma.” I closed my eyes as I sat beside her. “Do you know how difficult it is for me to stay away from Cole?” I sniffled, propping my elbows on the top and covering my face with my palms.Instead of answering my question, she held my hands, put them on my lap, and asked me about Raven again.“Did Raven hurt you?”“I already told you; he spared me today but warned me he’d kill me next time. As if it would happen,” I hissed, sneering as I looked at her. “I grew up believing the hunters are more like peacekeepers, balancing good and evil. That’s why we only hunt those like Raven and Monty. We were past those times burning the witches because of the belief they were evil, even if they're not.”She nodded. “You are right.”I shook my head. “Why is it like there is something more? Why did Raven say the Order was only using us to their advantage? What is it that they’re not telling us?”“My Go

(Brielle’s POV)My forehead was pressed on the window of the SUV, but I stared blankly at the road. The farther the car got, the heavier the pain I felt, and then it became hollow. Empty. My eyes were welling with tears, but I could not show everyone how weak I had become after leaving San Rafael.Gen and I sat at the last seat, both sitting at the edge, our heads leaning on the window. There may be a gap between us, but she could not deny she had been crying the entire trip. Her eyes were puffy, her nose red, and she would sniff as she whimpered in silence, but she never dared look in my direction.This was the first time I appreciated that the guys disliked me because it didn’t matter if they talked to me or not. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep. Maybe in that way, I might forget the pang even for a while, or I could dream of Cole and be in his arms again.“I shouldn’t have agreed to babysit you,” Gen muttered in a hushed tone.I opened my eyes and glanced at her. There was