It was only a few months ago that I'd started hunting, but I'd managed to draw some attention in the community rather quickly. First, it was my story of being the sole survivor of a werewolf attack on the rural town I used to call home. We later found out the pack was super charged by Michael, just like all the other monsters lately.
I bounced around, hunting with a few different people but nothing really stuck except the hunting. That came naturally. I never let a partner die, killed a few bigger and badder monsters than the more experienced hunters had dealt with, and I was fast. Once I hit town, there were no more victims because the big bad was dead within 72 hours. I'd become a machine. Never stopping or slowing down. Hunting kept the memories of my life from before at bay and tamed the claws and sharp teeth haunting my dreams.
A week ago, I'd gotten a text from a woman I'd hunted with for a little bit. Claire Novak. She was inviting me to a get together at a hunter's bar. She said it was just to socialize, but I'd intended on going to network and compare notes. It wasn't just werewolves getting supercharged by Michael and I was still far from experience compared to other hunters. I let Claire know that I'd be there and I'd enjoy seeing her again.
That's how I found myself walking up to the blonde and actually hugging her before going inside. The bar was loud and already full of people. Claire pointed out a few new faces and gave me their backstories. Both of our own reputations preceded us. Several drunken hunters came up to shake Claire's hand or clap me on the shoulder.
Midway through the night, four guys entered the bar. Claire stiffened before telling me she'd be a minute. I watched as she approached one of the men. He had short dark hair and was wearing a trench coat. I could tell by their faces there was history here and she would be gone a while.
I nursed my drink and attempted to get some information out of a few hunters. Unfortunately, they were hammered and the only information they were willing to share were their numbers. I sighed and politely turned down the next guy trying to hit on me.
I looked around the bar, studying the hunters and trying to find someone that looked like they might be interested in sharing information. My eyes landed on the three other guys that had entered earlier. The tallest one was sipping a beer and chatting with an older guy I'd worked with early on, Henry. The other two seemed to be arguing. I watched as the older one drank at a steady pace and began laughing at something the younger hunter said after he'd looked in my direction.
Not arguing then. The younger hunter looked uncomfortable and out of place. His buddy was just probably trying to get him to ride the mechanical bull or drink some hard liquor. I saw him glance up at me again and I realized that I was probably the topic of conversation between them.
Before I could disappear into the crowd, Dan approached me. I'd never worked with him, I just met him because he was Henry's nephew. I could smell the booze coming off of him and gave it about 15 minutes before he was puking outside. I told him he should probably leave with his uncle. He grabbed my arm and said I should probably leave with him. Curling my hand into a fist, I prepared to land a punch and probably make a lot of enemies.
"I don't think she wants to leave with you." A voice sounded from behind me. It was the younger hunter from the bar.
"What's it to you?" Dan's grip was becoming painful.
"She's with us." He grabbed Dan's wrist and forced him to let go. "And I'm pretty sure you don't want to start any fights in a building full of hunters."
Dan considered it for a moment before walking away.
"Are you hurt?" The guy was looking at me with concern.
"I'm fine, thanks. It'll take more than Dan to hurt me." I absently rubbed my arm. "Do I know you?"
"No. I don't think so." He cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Other than Dan, have you been having a good time tonight?"
"Possibly." I considered the new numbers I'd gotten. Contacts were contacts and they'd sober up later. "So, are you going to tell me who you are?" There was something about this guy… He wasn't hard like the others. And if he was trying to play hero and flirt, he was ridiculously bad at it.
"Are you?" There was a hint of mischievousness in his eyes for a moment. He was definitely trying to flirt.
I considered it for a moment before deciding to test him. It had been a while since I'd tried flirting back and he was different. It seemed like it'd be actually fun, like before. "Jenna Fisher, from Missouri. For right now at least." I flashed him a genuine smile, one of the first I'd given out in months.
"Jenna." He took a sip of his drink. "From Missouri." He smiled and I could see him connect the dots that lead to my reputation as a hunter. "I'm Jack." Tentatively, he reached out and brushed his fingers against my hand.
"Jack." I smiled back and didn't shake him off. "Good to meet you."
Jack bit his lip before shyly looking back up at me. "I was wondering, do you maybe want to go do something else?"
He sure cut right to the chase. I wasn't interested in ending up in a stranger's motel room tonight. "Sorry, I'm staying with a friend, Claire. I don't want to be rude." I made my excuse and nodded over to Claire and the man she was still talking to. "She seems to know your friend."
"Yeah, I know Claire too. She's pretty badass." Jack's then looked back at me. "I'm not sure how going to the theater down the street is rude…" He genuinely looked confused.
Oh God, he really was just trying to be nice and not get into my pants. "Oh, I thought you meant—" I was interrupted when the two guys he was with approached us.
The shorter guy clapped him on the shoulder. "Another time, kid. Henry's not happy about you messing with Dan and we've gotta bounce."
"But Dean, I—"
"He's right, Jack." The tall guy looked around nervously before looking at me. "And you might think about calling it a night too."
"Sorry." Jack gave me a sad look before leaving.
I watched as they left with the fourth man Claire had been talking to. She walked back towards our table with a look on her face I couldn't quite place. "What was that about?"
"It's a long story." She looked back at the doorway even though the men were gone. "Did I catch you talking to Jack?" Her eyes darted back to me.
"The younger guy that seems kinda new? Yeah." I shrugged.
"What did he want?"
"A date, I think." I thought back on our conversation.
Her eyes grew wide. "Wait, Jack was flirting with you?"
"If you can call it that. Why? What's the big deal?" It was odd for Claire to seem so excited over something like a date or a hunter picking up someone in a bar.
"You don't know, do you? That was Jack Kline." She said his name as if I should know it.
I shook my head.
Exasperated, she finally explained. "Jack is a Nephilim. Well, the Nephilim."
I'd heard about a Nephilim hunter and thought it was just other hunters exaggerating. Jack was always brought up in stories associated with the Winchesters. "Then those were the Winchesters…" No other name in hunting carried such a legendary status.
"Yep." Claire smiled at me.
"So I walk into a bar and the only Nephilim in existence—who is also a hunter—tries to pick me up…" I drank my shot of tequila I'd been saving. It was how Claire and I usually ended a night out. "I think I win most interesting night."
"Maybe." Claire nodded. "Except I just spent the last half hour talking to the angel that is possessing the body that used to belong to my dead father."
I could only stare at her as she downed her shot.
"At best it's a tie." She stood and I could hear the jingle of keys. "Let's get out of here, Dan's coming back."
"Hunters…" I shook my head and left the bar with her.