Page 23 of Blood Taken (Blood Mafia 2)
For a second, I think he hasn't heard me.
"This compound is full of Hunters who do nothing but workout almost all day long. There's always food in the cafeteria," he says when he's done counting.
Jackpot.
I rub my stomach. "I'm going to see about a snack. Thanks for letting me join, Mack. I'm excited to learn more from you."
He smiles and rests his hip against the table. "You're a lot nicer than your—" he trails off when I glare at him.
She who shall not be named was on the tip of his tongue.
"You're a natural. Once you come into your powers, you'll pick up the technique a lot faster. Hunter muscle memory is far superior to that of a human's."
Well, there's my first piece of useful information about my powers.
"Are there any books I can read about all of this stuff? I'm more than a little behind on my Hunter history."
He nods. "I have a few I can lend you. I'll drop them off outside your room later. You can return them when you're done."
Oh, I like him already.
Not like that. No, Mack is more of an uncle type of guy. He's nice, warm, and friendly, but he doesn't make my stomach flip or my thighs clench. He's definitely got nothing on my trio.
I head to the cafeteria, mentally berating myself for calling them my trio.
That's ridiculous.
I stand by my statement, though. Mack is nothing compared to Grayson, Colt, or Mateo.
If only I were attracted to people who weren't dangerous to my health. I sigh heavily and grab a tray, filling it with containers of fruit, yogurt, and some granola. Who knew Hunters liked parfaits?
The dining room is fairly empty. A small cluster of people sit at one of the tables. I notice some of them from the gym, but find a nice, empty place to sit three tables over.
I tip the bowl of fruit into the yogurt and stir in the granola, wiggling in my seat all the while because this is one of my favorite snacks. If anyone were to tell me someday I'd be this excited for fucking yogurt, I wouldn't believe them. Now though, I long for the familiar texture.
I take my first bite, savoring the blueberry flavor bursting in my mouth and the crunch of the peanut butter flavored oats. I polish the bowl off in no time, enjoying how grounded it makes me feel. I guess even Hunters are creatures of habit. My normal routine has been fucked three ways to Sunday and I didn't even come.
Well, that's a lie. I have gotten off despite the insanity of the last month.
Silver linings everywhere, y'all.
"So you're kind of a big deal around here," a woman says as six people sit on the opposite side of my table. Four dudes and two chicks. The females are in the middle sharing a conspiratorial look.
"Oh?"
The one who spoke, the one with short brown hair, nods. "Yeah, did you really tell Daniel to fuck off?" Her smile tells me she's more than happy about that.
I laugh at that, relieved she's not here to be a bitch. "Can you blame me?"
The other girl shakes her head, her long blonde ponytail sways with the movement. "Daniel's due for a giant rotten piece of humble pie."
The guys nod in agreement.
"I'm X."
I shake the blonde's hand. "X?"
She smirks. "Short for Xena."
