Ok, so I was going to wait until tomorrow to update, but I'm too bored. I do not own anything except for my OC's and the plot.

Chapter 2

I tried not to think about it for the rest of the trip and succeeded until we were just crossing the Washington state line to head back home to Seattle and we stopped at a rest stop. It was a normal (kinda gross) rest stop with a small grocery store and bathrooms etc, but I decided to go for a walk to stretch my legs, sore and stiff from six hours of driving. I walked around the back of the building and was [almost] shocked when something whizzed past my head, narrowly missing my left ear. I hit the ground hard when I saw the second arrow come flying, and that's when I figured it was something bad. I leapt up off the cement and looked around, trying to find someone to help me fight the invisible enemy, and saw a boy around 17 come running out from the trees being chased by another arrow. He rammed into me, obviously not paying attention to where he was running and tackled me to the ground, pressing something into my neck. I tried to get up, but as the arrows kept coming he kept pressing (what I figured) was a sword against my neck, causing me to choke.

"Call them off," he growled. His voice was deep, which wasn't surprising for what I assumed his age was.

"Who?" I managed.

"The rest of your hunter friends," he sneered, flicking his light brown hair out of his blue eyes.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I choked.

"Don't play me for a fool, girl. Not when you're in this position," he said, running the flat of the smooth blade across my neck.

"Release her!" shouted a girl wielding a bow, already notched and directed at the guy. He just laughed in a way that made me more terrified.

"You think you're fooling me into thinking she's not a hunter," he chuckled, leaning back on his legs which had me pinned to the ground, and sitting on my stomach which made all of the air I had managed to breathe in escape.

I give the girl credit for not completely freaking out on the boy, whose name I still did not know.

"She is not a hunter, Carter, son of Asclepius. Let her go, her parents are waiting for her in the parking lot," she said calmly, walking towards us with her bow drawn. So, his name is Carter. I turned to see his expression and found him actually considering that I may not be what he seems to think I am.

"Wait, so, this whole Greek myths thing is real?" I asked no one in particular, just trying to sort things out.

The boy laughed at me, I could feel him shaking. "Stupid girl, you must be blind,"

"She is a maiden, therefore she is not stupid," said the hunter, defending me for which I was grateful.

"Oh, so you're a recruit then," he said thoughtfully. I tried to nod, thinking it would get me out of this situation. Instead, the boy grinned as he leaned down, and put his lips to my ear. "I think you should come with me, and nobody gets hurt," he purred, making me shiver. He laughed at that. The hunter, who I'd figured out was the girl I'd talked to back in California started objecting and calling for backup as Carter pulled me off the ground, sword to my neck once again.

"One more word from you, Zaelia, and she dies," he's growled, spitting her name. A dark look crossed her face as she spoke,

"You are a disgrace to our father, Carter," she told him, backing up and spitting his name with just enough acid that I'm sure he cringed. But it had no effect on him as he pushed me forward towards the trees where the girl -Zaelia? - had just fled, leaving me in Carter's hands. It frightened me.

I walked for a while through the trees, Carter poking me in the back with the butt of his sword to prod me along the path we were taking. I trudged along, praying for the moment when Carter would say we were where he wanted us to be. It had been silent for a long while after I'd finally stopped trying to convince him to let me go back to my parents, whom I figured would be very worried by now.

I was too busy thinking of what my parents were thinking to notice that we stopped in front of some van like thing parked on the side of a dirt road. Carter grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the two doors on the back of the van.

He opened them and searched around for a moment before finally pulling out a pair of bronze looking handcuffs. I only started to object by the time he was twisting my arms behind my back, and locking the handcuffs in place.

"Now, be a good little captive and get in," he said, using his free arm and gesturing to the back of the van which seemed to be full of miscellaneous camping equipment. I did as told and climbed in the best I could using no hands, refusing to use the help he offered. I figured I may stay alive a little longer until someone found me if I cooperated.

I settled down on a pile of black sleeping bags as he climbed in after me, and sat down very close beside me.

"Go, Alex," he said to someone I hadn't noticed sitting in the driver's seat. The boy had short black hair that was cut close to his head, and that's all I could see. Carter must've seen me staring because he smiled,

"That's Alex, he's a son of Hecate," he told me. I nodded once as the van grumbled to life, reminding me of myself too early in the morning. I noticed Carter take a zip lock bag from his jacket pocket, and hand it to Alex who then put it in the middle compartment between the front seats. I was about to question what the gold stuff in the bag was, but Carter gave me a look saying 'don't you dare ask' so I didn't.

We sat for a while, listening to the van rumble and jump every time it hit a pothole before Carter spoke again,

"So, what's your name?"

"Hailie," i grumbled. He nodded.

"And you're a hunters recruit?" he asked, sliding his arm around my shoulders. I tried my best to wiggle out, but it was near impossible.

"I guess," I replied curtly.

"Just asking, no need to be snappy," he said, chuckling as he patted my shoulder. After a while he asked another question,

"Why?"

"Why what?" I asked, half asleep (regrettably on his shoulder).

"Why would you want to be a hunter?" he asked, sounding honestly curious.

"Well, I don't know much about becoming a hunter, but I ran into them a few days ago in California and who I'm assuming was Artemis gave me a pamphlet. Then we stopped for a minute to go to the bathroom and stuff on our way back home, and I got out to stretch my legs, and you know what happened next," I told him, not sure why i was, though. He thought for a moment,

"Were you considering it?"

"I don't know, it's been in the back of my mind, but I mean, the pamphlet said that I would have to travel with them everywhere and I wouldn't know how to explain it to my parents," I said.

"Well don't. It's a waste of time," he said sharply, tightening his grip on my shoulders so much it started to hurt.

"Ow," I muttered under my breath. The grip immediately loosened. I was starting to think that this wasn't like every other captor/captive story until the van stopped abruptly, and Alex turned around,

"We're here,"