Second Year Setbacks (Hunter Academy Book 2), page 1
Second Year Setbacks
Hunter Academy Book 2
A.L. Kessler
To the Big O on Filmore, to the van, and to the wheel bearings. I’m pretty sure that 90% of this novel was written there.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to everyone who stuck by me while working through some of my struggles on this book. The struggles were real, but I got through it! Thanks to Jasmyn for the edits, Mia for the cover, and hubby for the coffee. Thanks to the sprinting group for keeping me focused and dedicated.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
About the Author
CHAPTER ONE
“Your mother would be so proud.”
Isadora stood in front of her foster mother. Her foster parents had been gone most of her first year in the Hunting Academy and had no idea what had happened while she was there. What they knew was she came home with her Hunter’s mark from her first successful hunt.
She looked up at her foster mom, Gloria. “I think she’d feel disappointed that I was in the Society and not hunting as an independent hunter.”
Gloria patted her shoulder. “Your mother would be proud of the hunt. Not of where you’re hunting. The Academy is the safest place for you to learn.”
After last year, she wasn’t so sure about it. Professor Isaac Winters had it out for her. He’d left her and her partner alone to face a warlock using glamour. They’d managed to survive, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Isaac had also tried to fail her out of every subject he taught, after he couldn’t get her kicked out of school.
And then there was Ayden.
Her heart ached thinking about how he just disappeared. Joey had said that Ayden had a link to the vampires, and he had to go. That she couldn’t trust him. Which made her wonder who Ayden actually was and where he’d disappeared to.
She missed him. A lot.
“Are you all packed?”
Izzy nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be heading out in just a few. It’ll be nice to get back to campus.” The summer had been quiet. She shared a few phone calls with Susie, her partner in the hunt. But that was about it. She didn’t make any other friends last year, and this year didn’t look promising either. Her schedule was a full load of advanced courses, some of which Isaac taught.
Gloria hugged her. “You’ll have a great year. After this year’s mission, they will assign you an Elite to hunt with...”
Except the Elites were dwindling in numbers still. Susie had overheard talk about more deaths throughout the summer. Killing the warlock didn’t stop the Elites’ murderers.
Izzy forced a smile. “Yes, and then I’ll be able to move off campus.”
“Exactly.” Gloria kissed her cheek. “We’ll be in touch. I’ll let you know if we have a hunt that takes us out of country again.”
Izzy hugged her and sighed. “Be safe.”
“Always,” she promised.
Izzy was old enough to remember her biological mother and father. Gloria did her best to help guide Izzy through life and the teenage years. It was hard for them both, but they had a special bond. It wasn’t quite that of mother and daughter, but it was still special.
Gloria walked out of the room, and Izzy took a deep breath before grabbing her duffel bag and heading to the car. She’d meet up with Susie once she got settled into the dorm and then they’d go off campus for dinner. One last night before they couldn’t leave until break.
Izzy slung the bag into the trunk of her car and got in to head out to the campus. They had already mailed her dorm assignment, and this year she had no roommate. She wasn’t sure if it was because of lack of students or if because by the end of the year she should move in with her Elite off campus.
She hadn’t met many Elites, so she couldn’t imagine who she’d be able to live with. The only one she knew was the RA from last year, Crystal, but she was willing to bet that Crystal moved off campus already.
Despite the events of last year, she was excited to get back into the swing of classes and training.
Ayden knocked on the door of an old Hunter he knew in Florida. He’d stayed away from the states for the summer and had spent most of his time continuing research while he watched over Nuala’s crypt to make sure the activity there died down some. But he’d received some reports of suspicious activity in Florida, and he needed to come check it out because it included Vampire Circle activity.
He tried to wipe the sticky off his arms, but the humidity stuck to him and he couldn’t get the feeling off.
A woman with gray hair opened the door and smiled at him. “Ayden, you look great.”
“Harper, so good to see you.”
She pulled him in and gave him a hug. “Last time I saw you, you still had your accent.”
He ran a hand over his face. “It still there some days. I got your letters.”
“I’m glad you’re taking it seriously. I’ve contacted the Hunters here, but they don’t seem to care. There have been disappearances at the clubs.”
Ayden nodded. “There’s a lot of corruption in the Society right now. I’ll see what I can do. I might have some friends I can call.” His mind went to Joey at the Colorado Academy. “And maybe an ally or two who might understand how dangerous this situation is.”
She nodded and let him in. “Please stay here and use my office. I’ve got files there for you.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Harper.”
“Don’t thank me yet, I’m not sure what I brought you into. I’m trusting Michael on this. He’s the one who told me to write to you. I was going to let you stay in Europe and not bring you into U.S. Hunter problems.”
Ayden raised a brow. Maybe Michael was looking for a reason to bring him back to the States. Of course, he was miles away from Isadora. He wanted to call her to see how her summer went, but he knew better. If Joey discovered he reached out, there could be problems.
But he wanted to see her. He missed her. Her smile, her laugh, her determined look. He wanted to know how her hunt went. Did she take the creature down? Hell, she could have been killed for all he knew.
His heart ached at that thought. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Oh, I know that look.” Harper laughed. “You miss someone.”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t meant to be, but yes, I miss her.”
“Ah, star-crossed lovers?”
He chuckled. “Something like that.”
“I won’t pester you about it. When Nuala wakes, I’m sure she’ll do enough pestering for the both of us.”
He rolled his eyes. “She’s not waking anytime soon. None of them are. And right now, I have to figure out what the vampires are doing here. What the Circle is planning.”
She nodded. “Yes, a rash of disappearances here and elsewhere. I’m surprised the Hunting Society hasn’t taken notice.”
“Like I said, they have their own problems right now.” Ayden shook his head and followed her to the room.
“But a string of disappearances?”
“And nothing to go on but the word of an independent hunter?” Ayden asked. “Not likely they are going to send anyone out here, especially since the Academy here is closed.”
“Hmm. Yes, there is that.” She shook her head. “I’ll let you get settled. The information I’ve gathered is on the binder on the desk. Feel free to start looking at it. Would you like a cup of tea?”
Ayden dropped his bag by the bed. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you.”
Izzy couldn’t help but smile when she pulled into the parking lot of the dorms. Hunters moved around the campus dressed in black clothes with combat boots. Many of them were smiling and chatting. Occasionally a couple of them hugged and smacked each other on the back. This was a second home to all of them. She got out of the car and grabbed her duffel bag from the trunk.
Walking to the dorm room, she kept her head down and focused on getting to where she needed to be. She looked up when she heard a small squeal that she knew well.
“Izzy!”
She grinned as Susie ran over to her and threw her arms around her. She gave Susie a tight hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
Susie nudged her as they walked toward the dorm. “I thought you’d never get here. Running a little late?”
“I was a little slow to leave, is all. Then traffic was bad, but now I’m here. How was the rest of your summer?”
“So good. I got to run with the wolves, and Derrick has this house in the mountains for younger wolves to stay when we need a place away from home.” She let out a content sigh. “I’m gaining such better control over my wolf, and I feel so much more comfortable in my own skin.”
Izzy smiled and opened the dorm door for them. “Good, it sounds like a much-needed break from campus and a good place to stay.”
Susie never gave any details, but she’d mentioned that her family had a hard time accepting what she was. It was the reason that she didn’t want to go home for holidays. Izzy never pushed because it was Susie’s story to tell.
“It really is. It’ll be great for the holidays too.” She looked at her sheet. “301 this year.”
“213.” Izzy shrugged. “ Second floor again, but at least this year I don’t have a roommate.”
She snorted. “Yeah, probably best.”
After last year's events, Susie was right. They took the elevator up and Izzy got out on the second floor. “I’ll see you in a bit for dinner. I want to unpack a little and get settled.”
Susie gave her a wave as the doors closed, and Izzy hiked her bag over her shoulder and went to her room. She unlocked the door and walked in.
She tossed her bag down on the single bed. A desk was to the right, near a sliding glass door that led to the balcony. On the other wall was an armoire with a hanging bar and drawers for her clothes. The room felt almost empty without another bed in it, but she’d get used to it. No roommate meant no extra drama to distract her from finishing this year strong.
She unpacked her clothes from the bag but stopped when there was a knock at the door. Dread filled her stomach. No one knew where she was yet. She shook off the thought. No. The professors and staff had access to who was where in the dorms.
Izzy opened the door to find Joey standing there. His dirty blond hair looked freshly cut for the school year. Her gaze met his hazel eyes. “Hey Joey.”
“Hey, I just wanted to check in on you. I know we didn’t talk much after your mission last year.”
Because Joey had something to do with Ayden leaving. She’d avoided him, and Joey gave her space, but she wanted to know why he wasn’t now.
“Don’t you have classes to prepare for?” She tried to keep her anger in. Even after months, she was still upset with him. “Or do you plan on spying on me all year again and chasing my friends away? If you need to know, I’m pretty sure Susie’s okay.”
He pressed his lips together, and she felt him touch her mind. Just a small pressure in her head.
“Stay out, Joey.”
He was psychic, a rare and not trusted ability. He’d taught her how to block her mind when she was little because of the vampire who attacked her family. Vampires could invade human minds and thoughts and sometime use it as a control mechanism. She never wanted that.
“Sorry, you’re projecting strongly. I can feel your emotions. Still upset about Ayden?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Izzy...”
“Yeah, I know, he was hiding things. I get that Joey, but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss him. Now, what are you doing here?”
“I came to check in on you. Give you the usual be careful speech and try to have fun too.”
She snorted. “I think we’re beyond making friends at the Academy, don’t you? I have Susie, we’re good.”
He nodded. “She’s a good person. I like her.”
“Glad one of my friends passes your approval.” She glanced at her watch. “Speaking of, she and I are going out to dinner since we can’t leave campus after tonight.”
He nodded. “New rule, no one under the Elite status can leave this year, even on the weekends.”
That made her pause. “More deaths?”
“Yes. Izzy, it’s getting bad. And with the Elder Masters urging everyone to accelerate through the courses, I fear there will be more.”
“I’ll be careful. They won’t let anyone on the field they don’t feel is ready. Susie and I both proved our worth last year when Isaac had us face that crazy-ass creature alone.”
“You both did well, but that’s not the scariest or strongest thing out there.” He met her gaze. “Imagine going after Markus with only three years of training.”
The name still made her want to throw up. “No.”
“Exactly, that’s what we’re looking at. Masters in three years, not five. Two years less training.” He shook his head.
“You’d think with losing so many Elites, they’d think twice about putting inexperienced people on the field.”
“You’d think.” Joey shrugged. “Enjoy your dinner with Susie, stay safe, and let me know when you’re back on campus?”
Part of her couldn’t stay mad at him. He wanted to look out for her. He had since he’d helped take care of her after her attack.
“Okay. Thanks for checking in.”
“I’ll see you around campus.” He walked back down the hall and she rubbed her eyes. The joy of being back on campus dulled at the thought of more deaths. The body count was rising, and it needed to stop.
She thought back to what Ayden had told her last year. That if they wanted answers, they needed to look into it themselves.
What were the chances she was going to get kicked out this year?
Izzy and Susie walked into the breakfast place, and Susie waved at the hostess. The breakfast place served as a safe place for all supernatural creatures. A place where they didn’t have to worry about getting attacked and could just have a peaceful meal. Sometimes, on the right nights, you could gleam information, but tonight, they were just there to enjoy a meal.
“Been here a lot over the summer?” Izzy asked as the hostess led them to a corner booth.
Susie shrugged. “Sometimes I get tired of the cooking at the pack house and come down here. Stone’s taken me here a couple times.”
“Mm, yes, what’s going on there?” Izzy batted her eyes. “Romance?”
She snorted. “Not really. We’re just getting to know each other. There’s something about being with him that makes my wolf happy.”
Izzy knew exactly what it was because the alpha had let it slip that Susie and Stone were mates, but he made Izzy swear not to tell her. “Interesting. That’s probably a good thing.”
“It’s nice when something makes my wolf happy because it puts me at peace as well.”
“Then keep at it and see what grows there. There’s no harm in it.” Izzy shrugged. “Besides, we all need some peace in this world.”
“Yeah? You think you’ll find yours?”
Izzy snorted. “My peace is the Hunting Academy. This is where I’m going to learn and grow as a hunter so I can kill Markus and go after any other creature that attacks humans. That’s my peace.”
“To each their own.” She smiled. “I don’t know if I actually want to hunt.”
Izzy paused at that. “What?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for everything I’m learning, and I’ll finish the academy, but I don’t know if being on the field is my place in the Hunter Society.”
Izzy relaxed a little. “Oh, I thought you were talking about dropping out.”
“No, I can’t really go home. So that’s not an option.” There was a sadness in her voice. She looked down at the menu. “I thought maybe I’d come back and teach.”
Izzy went to reach out to her, but the waitress came up a moment later to take their order. They ordered, and the waitress walked off without another word. “I’m sorry that your family still isn’t understanding.”
“It’s okay. Derrick says that it happens a lot. People don’t want to accept what’s in this world and they’d rather push it away than deal with it.”
Izzy reached over and squeezed her hand.
“A seat for two please.”
She and Susie both jerked at the voice and looked over at the hostess stand where Isaac stood. His eyes scanned over the seating area, and Izzy resisted ducking before he saw them, but it was too late. His eyes landed on them and then he walked straight out.
Izzy looked at Susie, who shrugged.
“Maybe he didn’t want witnesses to who he was meeting?” She asked.
Izzy pressed her lips together. “Possibly, which means he’s hiding something.”
“We know he’s hiding something. We figured that out last year. The question is, what is he hiding?”
“You have this look on your face, Izzy, like you’re about to do something stupid.” She shook her head. “The goal is to pass this year and not get written up or kicked out.”
Izzy took a sip of her water. “I can do that and still snoop around.”
“You and Ayden almost got kicked out after checking out one bar last year.”
Izzy had finally fessed up to Susie what happened when she went out the night she got bitten. It wasn’t her and Ayden sneaking off for private time. They were out looking for information on a murder. “I learned my lesson, and this isn’t sneaking off campus, this is sneaking around campus.” Izzy made a circle with her finger. “Where we’re allowed to be.”
