The Primal Hunter

Jake walked with Carmen towards the large gate with two guards out front. The two guards had clearly already seen them and noticed the black mask on Carmen and Jake wearing his own rather unique mask. Both were identifiers that they were guests of Paradise and likely wealthy individuals, which also meant the guards took a polite demeanor by default.

“Good afternoon, sir and madam. May I know your purpose for visiting the Salvento residence?” one of the guards asked courteously.

Carmen looked at the man for a moment before just saying: “Tell them that Carmen is here.”

The guard looked confused and exchanged a look with his partner. They didn’t argue back but just decided to do as asked. He felt the other guard keep an extra eye on Jake, making him guess the guy probably had some way to gauge people and how strong they were beyond merely using Identify - an ability like beasts had, making them know who not to mess with.

A few minutes passed before a few more guards made it out of the house before finally, Jake spotted someone that was clearly a member of the family. It was a man wearing a tailored tan suit who walked beside a woman in a relatively modest dress. Both looked to be in their forties to early fifties, and looking at Carmen’s conflicted reaction to seeing them, he had a good guess who they were.

Her parents.

Jake didn’t know what he expected, and neither did Carmen. He just stood back as they observed. Carmen looked at the two of them as they came closer, with the man clearly not in a good mood.

“Who are you?” he asked the moment they were within earshot. “What the hell do you want? Money? How dare you use the name of my dead daughter to-“

Carmen didn’t hesitate as she ripped off her mask and stared daggers at the man. “Who the fuck is dead?”

The man stopped with his mouth still half-open. His expression was odd, but the woman – Carmen’s mother – had the kind of reaction Jake would have expected from someone finding out their daughter was still alive.

She brought her hands to her mouth as she ran over and past the security guards, tears in her eyes. “Carmen? Is it really you?”

Carmen had no idea what to think. She saw her mother run over without any hesitation while crying like she was actually happy to see her. Meanwhile, her father still just stood there dumbstruck. She hadn’t seen or heard from her mother since her last court date. Sure, her mother had also been crying then, but she hadn’t visited her a single time in prison. She hadn’t even once made a call or sent a letter or done anything. How did she dare to suddenly act like she was happy to see Carmen after willfully not going to see her for nearly two years?

“What, surprised I am not dead?” she sneered at the both of them.

Her mother stopped a few steps away as the tears just kept streaming down. “I… I’m so sorry… about everything. I…”

“You what?” Carmen shot back.

“Carmen, do not speak to your mother like that,” her father said as he had now composed himself. “Stop making a scene and come inside if you want to talk.”

Glaring, she shot him a look as she felt her anger build. “What the fuck are you going to-“

She then felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She whipped her head around and saw Jake who was just shaking his head. Carmen looked into his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. Don’t get too emotional… you are in control here.

“Fine. Lead us inside,” Carmen finally said. Her mother seemed relieved while her father nodded, still looking deep in thought.

as she saw her father raise a hand. “Hold it.

a companion, and I am coming along, no discussion,” Jake just answered. “I have been hired to and have no intentions

short, but it seemed good enough as her father only looked at him briefly before ignoring him. The moment he had said the words that he was hired, Carmen already knew that her father had passed judgment and now didn’t see him as anyone

and looked like she wanted to just give Carmen a hug. What

could see Carmen about to lose it right away, but he noticed quite the discrepancy. Her father did indeed look like an utter asshole, but her mother’s relief and emotions felt incredibly genuine. Moreover, the glances the man tossed his wife were proof he wasn’t happy with how

to any of these people. All he cared about was Carmen not making a kneejerk reaction that she would come to regret. She was effectively holding a loaded gun at all times, and a single moment where she lost control could kill either one of them,

off to the side, and her father at the front. The woman looked like she wanted to say something or at least get closer, while Jake saw the

a bit stiffly. For now, they would let her family take the lead and see what they planned on doing and what they would do. Jake took his

inside the mansion, her father exchanged some words with a servant of sorts before leaving, practically dragging his wife along. Jake and Carmen were then

he summoned a barrier of stable

looked at Jake the moment he was done with the barrier. “And why did

things out, you may discover something in the future that will make you look back at today with regret. If

sat down and stared at the expensive-looking coffee table. “What will you do if things turn

what you want me to do,” Jake shrugged. “Ah, but I did place a Hunter’s Mark on each of your parents to keep

shook her head and smiled a bit. Jake knew she still had no idea what she wanted to happen and that it all depended on what her family chose to do. It was all a complicated reason, and Jake was just happy nothing was really up to him.

as they sat there, just chatting a bit. Carmen decided now was a good idea to discuss how many people undervalued good form while in the gym and how important it truly was when building muscle,

from the first servant. Jake had noticed many attempts to probe them and observe or listen in, but

came another servant. “The family will receive you now,” the woman said

care much as she just got up. Jake had dispelled the barrier when he saw the servant approach and followed her

Jake guessed was a banquet hall. Jake already saw the gathering of people in the hall before the double door was opened. “Prepare yourself. It looks like they are pretty much all there,” Jake said, infusing his voice with a bit of Willpower to only

were suits or dresses and other such fancy clothes, while twenty were guards or servants. It was quite something. Jake saw Carmen steel herself as the doors were opened, revealing the entire hall and the many people gathered. It reminded Jake of the most intimidating job interview imaginable, with all of them just staring at the

opening questions… but not

who looked to

combat outfit. Cured leather, metal bracers, heavy combat boots, and generally, she looked ready for a fight at any moment. The only skin she revealed

slack. She must have had a

lack of proper

his feet. Do the servants not vet any random homeless person who wanders

hated aunt, the mother of her most-hated cousin, Beatrice. To note, then Beatrice was not present in the room currently, but Jake saw her in another room off to the side, clearly observing them through some monitoring device. With her was a relatively thin and nerdy-looking man with glasses. He was currently giving her a shoulder massage as she looked at the confrontation between Carmen and the rest of the Salvento

you how happy we are to see you return to us. I am sure that if you work hard, then our family can find it in our hearts to forgive you and move on. With the world in such turmoil, isn’t it

her shit but just

asked after a good

to be!” her father yelled from across the room. He was red-faced, and Jake noticed how Carmen’s mother was just standing all the way in the back, looking

here,”

right,” the aunt agreed. “Now, Carmen. I must