When I joined the Guild, I swore to protect humanity from the monsters that hunt it. Nobody told me what to do when my mentor ordered me to stand down.

The order came after my first solo hunt went wrong. The vampire I’d been sent to kill was selling people, and he had a werewolf for company. Those were bad odds, even for the Guild’s best apprentice, and the rule for first hunts is simple: it’s a test, not a death sentence.

So my mentor, Carmen, ended it, and the Guild took over the case. I trusted them to put it right, but not in time. Those people had hours, not days.

Obey my mentor, or keep my oath.

I chose the oath.

"First Blood"

by Lara Lynwood