Chapter Two

My morning was… okay. The wolf was there right before daybreak but left after. but that wasn't a problem because it was just there. Never crossed the fence. I think. But that was it.

I went for a run. Took a shower and ate one of my stepmom's side dishes for breakfast. I reorganized some things, my study table, for one, and checked my groceries, and made a list of what I needed. And wanted. Then went shopping.

Everything was the way it was ten years ago, and though new shops were open, a lot in Arcadia hadn't changed. Morty's was still where it was, thankfully. But the supermarket was not where it was supposed to be. I know it's been ten years but, how does a private hospital take almost half the entire mall and an engineering firm, how does it take the other half? The other half was turned into a park. I walked around there for like half an hour searching for somewhere to do groceries. But I didn't, where I was certain it was supposed to be.

And where the… excuse me, are the signs that show where things are? I turned and bumped into a monster of a man. I looked up at him and almost melted. He had a chest double mine and was hard as fuck. He looked as handsome, as handsome can be.

I looked into his blue eyes and felt my insides melt. Damn! Was the only holy word that came to mind. I mean, he was handsome, fit, smelt nice, wore simple clothes but then I knew Thom Browne anywhere. I bought dad's clothes from there.

"Excuse me, but you seemed lost. Anything I can help you with?" he asked in the sexiest voice I had ever heard. A voice that shook my insides. I mean how does a guy get to look this dashing and still be fit and sound as nice as he does?

"oh, I'm sorry, I… it's been a long time since I've been here, but where is the mall?" I asked feeling a bit shy to look at his face.

He held my shoulders and turned me around. Without letting me go, he spoke kindly, "go along this road. take the first right, second left used to be school grounds. You can't miss it."

I turned to him, and he smiled assuring and headed into the hospital without any other word.

He didn't even ask my name. Was he… don't over-think, I told myself as I walked off in the direction he told me. Was everybody in Arcadia this warm and kind? Oh, it was there. Why didn't I see it? maybe it's because everything was changed.

"Annabeth?" someone called me as I sat at the table near the window of a cafeteria. I turned behind me and saw "Debby?" I called her as I got back up.

"Annabeth?" she called again.

"Debby!" I said opening my arms and welcoming her with a hug as she did the same.

"oh my god! I can't believe it's you. And you look beautiful. Look at you."

"oh, I missed you!" I said hugging her too. She kissed my cheeks and I her's.

"How have you been?" she asked and I didnt have to think about it.

"I've been okay, how about you?"

"I've been fine," she responded but something told me she wasn't. I looked at her as she spoke about everything and everyone we shared classes with. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who moved out of town. A lot of people did and Acardia was left almost as s ghost town until three years ago.

That's when, she says, something happened. She didnt say what, but from the looks of it, it was worse. Especially since she said the Elites of Acarcdia too even moved. but after "that," happened, someone burnt the school to ashes. The school was then forced to move to a new location. The mall replaced the school and where the mall used to be, a Seville engineering took over. So did Seville Private Hospital.

Seville, I guess they are the new hotshots of Acardia.

"So who burnt the school?" I asked as a waitress served us a cup of coffee. She smiled and her eyes lit. I wonder what that is about.

"Hunter Seville," she said blushing. Oh. I've seen that. I should have guessed.

"Speak of the devil." She said looking out the window and her blush disappeared. I looked too and saw that guy come drag a kid in mismatched oversized clothes into the cafe.

"I gotta go," she added and left. I watched him as he pulled the teen a chair and force him into the chair. The teen tried to stand up but he didn't take it. He forced him back down with a growl, "Sit!"

The kid winced as he clenched his teeth while taking a peek at me.

"Debby!" He called. Very soon Debby returned with a tray full of assorted food. She put it in front of them and asked, "Is this him?"

"No, it's not him." Hunter, I think, responded getting up and handing the kid a bowl of water. "Wash your hands." He said and the kid looked at him. Challengingly.

"Or what?" The kid asked him. Hunter took a peek at me, clenched his teeth, and looked at the kitchen. A chef came out with an aluminum baseball bat and...

He wasn't going to do it, was he? I got up as he took the bat and put it menacingly on his shoulder and looked at the kid. He seemed to be a swing away from dislocating the teen's jaws.

"You can heal, right? Now ask again." He growled. "I dare you."

I looked around but no one was helping, they just looked at him and turned away. The kid looked at him and washed his hands.

Hunter motioned to the food and the kid dug in.

"Finish it." Hunter ordered and the kid munched at the food. He then sat down as the kid ate and watched him, his bat still hanging on his shoulders. I looked at Debby and she just smiled and shook her shoulders.

What the heck was going on? He slowed the kid down. When the kid was about done, Hunter gave him a piece of paper. "Go up there, get clothes, and go to school." He pointed to the hospital, or was it the firm, and added, "If you don't, I am going to find you and I will break all your bones." Hunter said and left as the kid stared at the paper he was given.

"So where were we?" Debby asked sitting down next to me like nothing just happened.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh, that? Thursday." She said as if it was nothing. Like nothing just happened. She looked at me with a shy smile, "You should come by on Tuesday. It gets... busy."