Unsurprising encounter

Fluttering his eyes open, Jake sat up in bed panting heavily as though he'd been chased awake. He had just awoken from a terrible nightmare and his face that expressed the terror he experienced in his dream was covered in cold sweat. He was so lost that he didn't even realize that there was someone else in the room with him.

Since it was merely a nightmare, Jake shook his head and looked around the place. He soon found out that he was in an unfamiliar room. The bedsheets were strangely not what he was used to as they were flannel. Confused, Jake slowly looked around the room that's not too old-fashioned but also not too modern. He first noticed the hunting trophies hung in the side of the room which creeped him out. The were rustic tables and chairs in the center of the room, and the bedframe had the same rustic style. It was dark and a bit ragged in the room.

" Ah!" Just then, Jake jumped in fright and screamed like a sissy when he noticed the silhouette of a figure sitting in the dark corner. He quickly jumped out of bed, not minding the stinging pain that now started to hurt from his abdomen. He stared at the figure with a widened gaze, his instincts warning him of danger. However, the pain in his abdomen didn't subside and he couldn't help but put a palm to it.

" Morning sunshine. If I were you I wouldn't move around too fast, after all, those wounds run quite deep" Jake heard the figure say and his whole body trembled at the familiarity of ge hoarse voice. ' wounds!' He quickly raised his shirt to check and he found a stitchwd wound in his. And as though a catalyst, Jake instantly recalled everything that had happened.

The hunter chasing after him and Erik, him sacrificing himself...

It was not a nightmare as he'd thought!

' More importantly...' Jake attained a defensive pose, snaring and bearing his sharp fangs and nails as the figure in the corner slowly stood up with a short grunt and walked out of the dark corner. It was the hunter himself!

The rugged hunter, Logan O'Neal, held a mug in his hands and took a sip of whatever was inside. Jake was scared shitless and looked around in panic to find a chance to flee. " You remember our deal right?" Just then, he heard the hunter say.

" W-wha-" Jake exclaimed in confusion but his expression turned into that of disbelief as he looked from side to side when he suddenly recollected. He reverted to his human form, his fangs and nails nowhere to be seen again.

Seeing Jake's countenance, the hunter further reminded " Now I assume you still want your life spared?"

Jake flinched at the man's words and quickly shook his head. He remembered very vividly how he'd begged for the hunter to spare his life and that he'd do anything for him in return. Jason's whole body became covered in cold sweat as his thoughts began running wild as to just what this crazy hunter would make.him do. ' We're in a dark room already...' Jake still lampooned despite the fright that ate at him from the bottom of his heart.

Jake just stood obediently where he was, knowing how maniacal the hunter was, and how easily he could kill him without having to break a single sweat. ' Whatever happens. I have to stay alive...' Jake steeled his resolve as he stared back at the hunter who slowly sipped the steaming content in his mug as though wanting to finish it as fast as he could.

Jake hoped that Erik was still alive. And as such, he needed to stay alive to find out as well.' Knowing that fool, he would most definitely return to the city to find me.' Jake knew he had to find Erik first before the latter would. As that would lead to an unlikely situation as he didn't think he could.get off this hunter's radar just yet. Not until he was done with him, regarding whatever reason he kept him alive for.

" Good" Logan, the Hunter's voice brought Jake out of his thought. Jake raised his lowered gaze and watched as the hunter walked towards the table in the middle of.the room and put down the mug before reaching into his pocket to grab his mobile phone.

Beep! Beep!

He flipped it open and seemed to text someone before putting it back in his pocket.

" We have a lot of work to do now. Toughen up," The hunter gave heads up with a seamless expression as he suddenly started to walk towards the door.

' Work?' Jake stared in a daze and quickly followed behind the hunter. He was glad that the hunter hadn't kept him alive for use in his dark room after all. But he was still unsure as to what work he had for him to do.

...

Sitting in a bench wrought in wood positioned before the serene pond surrounded by lush greenery, Court Ronald enjoyed the calm sight before him. It left him peaceful, except when his colleague who stood the side would ruin the moment for him as he bent and picked a pebble.

Splush!

" Ah! I never learnt how to do that." Instead of the pebble to skid across the calm surface of the pond, it only got swallowed after a loud splash.

' That's because you're not throwing it right!' Court tsked at Jamie but didn't say a word. He looked around the place instead, feeling a nostalgic sense as he took in the peaceful setting of this park- Etenement park.

' It seemed like an ideal spot to unwind, take in the beauty of nature, and just enjoy a tranquil moment... especially by the water.' He couldn't help but appreciate the place, while wondering just what prompted that person to choose this place to meet.

" Can't believe we're actually gonna have to work on such a case eh?"Jamie said, shooting his colleague a glance. " Those hunters have been continuously defending this city than us, Jamie" After a long while of thought, Court stated. Now that he had witnessed the supernatural side of the city, he couldn't see the ' Looney force' of hunters the same way anymore. Being a person who holds justice very dear, his respect for the hunters association had toppled. However, he couldn't face himself knowing he had been ignorant and judgmental in the past.

' Just how many lives had been lost? Just how many incidents had been reported that we all overlooked...?' Court felt bitter at himself. He'd picked up the badge to protect, and yet he had blindly chose to reject calls for help. Even though it sounded irrational, he still should have investigated and not discard them like that.

Seeing his colleague's expression, Jamie maintained his silence. Knowing Court, he knew the lad was probably beating himself about the matter. He'd been like this ever since he learned the truth about werewolves.

' It's all our fault. And those beings, they hide amongst us while we have no idea!' Court's gaze was furious. He wanted so badly to erase all of the werewolf race so he could rest assured that there would be no threat from them anymore.

A while later, Jamie sighed and said in a joking tone to relieve the tense atmosphere around " However, I'm more concerned about how the next person to me could be a werewolf. Ever since then, I tell you, I've had trouble trusting my own wife and children."

" I fear that I might just have to wake up one day in the pool of my very own blood as they feed on my liver" Jamie made a painful and disgusted face as he described as though he'd already experienced it and was now telling tales of it. He shuddered and shook his head in detest after, " Ugh!"

Court just shook his head at his colleague's words. However, he couldn't help but wonder if there were the likes of people like that in the force.

Just as he started to think about it, the sound of a car engine revving as it drove near was heard. Both Jamie and Court stopped on whatever they were thinking about and looked towards the car. Recognizing it with the face of the one driving the car through the windscreen as he pulled up and stepped out of the car. " He's here!" Court Informed in a serious tone and stood to walk towards the car along with Jamie who just nodded his head shortly in silence.

As the two cops walked towards the car, Jake who was still in the car and watched as the hunter walked out saw an opportunity provide itself. He quickly stepped out of the car and yelled to the two guys.

" Help! Help me! This lunatic is going to kill me. Help please!" He begged at the two, thinking they were just passers-by.

" Look..." He raised his shirt and showed them. " He did this to me! You must help me!" Jake cried. He believed he e could escape the grasp of the hunter using these two as long as he was able to convince them. Afterall, he wouldn't dare to attack humans.

Jake had no idea why the hunter drove him to a park where there were so many people. But he wouldn't let up the chance to escape and find Erik.

However, to his surprise, he didn't meet the reaction he expected from the two. He couldn't help but wonder if they hd t heard him the way they exchanged glances and just stared at him with a nonchalant expression.

Jake continued regardless " he's held me captive against my will. Can't you-"

" Cut it off. It won't work out. We're cops and we know what you are already" Court sighed and said in a cold grin tone, causing Jake's expression to darken. ' C-cops?' Jake was left dumbfounded at this. It was then that he realized that they were working with the hunter.

" Honestly, if I hadn't seen you back then with my very eyes, I would have believed your farce just now. I mean you're being held captive true, but, sorry bud, we're against you." Jamie chuckled as he said. Jake realized his grave mistake and looked towards the hunter as if to ask if to confirm his thoughts.

Quite unsurprisingly, the hunter had a face that conveyed his disappointment and a ' You're really better off dead' expression at Jake. The latter shuddered and just kept mutt at this. He lowered his gaze pitifully, unable to see himself not dead after what he'd done.