8 Hours till Hunter turns 18 - 5 Hours till his Birthday

Hunter and Zekaj were sitting at the meeting ground of all the covens in the area. His mother, father, and sister’s place of work.

It was a brick building university looking building in the middle of the forest. Each coven leader had their own office and everything. Hunter was currently in the common area, which was a big outdoor area in the middle of the complex.

Many mages of various covens were walking about and Hunter just sat on the bench waiting for his family to be finished with whatever they were doing, Hunter didn’t care. It was 7 pm, his parents said they would leave 30 minutes ago.

His birthday was in 5 hours, and his exact birth time was in eight. At 3:43 exactly Hunter would be able to find his soulmate. 3:43 was Hunter’s exact time of birth and Hunter was ready. His alarm was set and everything for at 3:43 he was going to touch Zekaj.

Hunter had to touch Zekaj to see if they were soulmates. Both parties needed to be eighteen and then skin to skin contact was all it took to feel the bond. Something as simple as touching fingertips was all that was needed. At that moment they would feel the warmth of love fill their body. Mages and Demons both needed skin to skin touch.

If a wolf was mated to a mage, they would be able to smell the bond first before touch was needed. The mage wouldn’t feel it till the touch though.

It wasn’t the same for every paranormal being. Werewolves could sense them by smell and vampires apparently just needed to make eye contact. Hunter wasn’t sure about vampires since they were all dead.

“Have you met a vampire?” Hunter asked Zekaj.

“It’s been a while, you can’t detect them easily so they have to tell or show you. It’d be hard to find one now since the wolves and hunters killed them all.” Zekaj replied.

Vampires were incredibly strong creatures, with an incredibly deadly weakness. A simple wooden stake blessed with holy water was a death sentence to a vampire. So when both the wolves and hunters decided to eliminate them once and for all they went extinct.

“Oh.”

“The wolves betrayed the vampires. They had a treaty for the longest time, I mean they never liked each other but they were friendly, I guess.” Zekaj added.

“That's-”

“Yeah.” Zekaj finished for him. “I think many are in hiding. Not all of them could’ve been killed, right?"

“I don’t know.” Hunter answered truthfully. “I don’t think any covens have ever been contacted by any. If any did they probably kept it secret.”

“Yeah.” Zekaj repeated himself.

The two fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to wait for his parents. It was another five minutes when Hunter received a call.

“Hello?” He answered his dad’s phone call.

“Hunter,” His father started. “Initiation papers for Hannah are taking longer than planned. If you want you can just come up and grab my car keys and head home. We’re going to stay in the B&B in town for the night, your mother, sister, and I. Come up here and we can continue this call.”

“Uh, ok. I’ll be up in a second. Goo-” Hunter was cut off as his father hung up the phone.

“Ass.” Zekaj said.

“He’s still my dad can you not-” Hunter was cut off again.

“Just being honest. Sorry.”

Hunter just got up and left for his dad’s office.

Walking through the halls of the facility was unnerving. It was a very unfriendly looking building. The walls were dark red brick, with various detailed supports and paintings of previous coven leaders from all over the area.

The worst part of the building was the basement. The basement was very creepy and Hunter never enjoyed going down there when he was a kid. He wouldn’t go down there unless he had to. It contained the vault that housed all of the dangerous and expensive artifacts the coven had accumulated over time.

He had finished walking up the 2 flights of stairs to his dad's office when he turned the corner sharply and almost ran into Hannah.

“Watch it dumbass.” She said pushing him aside as she headed down the stairs, paperwork in hand.

“Bitch.” Hunter said through a fake cough towards the stairs.

He continued walking towards his father’s office passing the occasional coven leader who paid him no attention.

Hunter got to the door and walked inside.

“What did I say about barging in.” His father said angrily.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Hunter whispered, looking down at his feet.

“You said that last time.” His father handed him the keys. Hunter quickly grabbed them.

“What time will you be home tomorrow?” Hunter asked his dad who was still working on paperwork, not even looking up at his son. “We’re still going out, right? For my birthday?”

“We should be home sometime in the afternoon most likely. And yes, we will still be going out for dinner.” His father reassured him. “All of this is taking time since Hannah is set to take over once she turns nineteen and finds her soulmate. Speaking of soulmates,” His father finally looked up towards him and Hunter immediately looked somewhere else in the room. “Any idea who yours is?”

“Uh, kinda. I got someone I hope it is.”

Zekaj immediately poked up with interest.

“Who?”

“That’s nice. And your marks?”

“No idea.” Hunter quickly replied. Truthfully he had no idea what kind of marks he would end up having.

“Who do you think your soulmate is?” Hunter continued to ignore Zekaj.

“Hmph.” His father wasn’t happy that Hunter didn’t have a clue what his marks would be. Mages usually had an idea of what they would be.

“Wait how are you getting home?” Hunter asked.

“We’ll figure something out.”

“Ok, well I’m gonna head home, see ya.” He said to his father, he didn’t get a reply back as he left his father’s office.

He continued his departure from the building as Zekaj spoke up again.

“Who Hunter?” Zekaj asked for the third time.

“It doesn’t matter alright?” Hunter answered, he didn’t want to tell Zekaj that he thought he was his soulmate. What if Zekaj didn’t like him back?

“I deserve to know who!” Hunter had just made it to the car when he unlocked it and hopped in.

“Look I don’t even know if he’s my soulmate. I’ll know tomorrow.” Hunter said, pulling out of the facility.

They were about a mile out when Zekaj left Hunter’s body and his shadowy form filled up the passenger seat. The shadow subsided and his human one was sitting in the seat.

“So you’ll know tomorrow? What people are we even seeing tomorrow? Is it some guy from the diner or something?” He asked.

Hunter ignored him and continued driving.

“Hunter.” Zekaj tried to get his attention. “Hunter. Tell me.”

Zekaj was starting to get annoyed and angry. Why wouldn’t Hunter tell him?

“Dude. Why won’t you tell me.” Zekaj calmed down.

“I uh,” Hunter wasn’t sure what to do. Did he want to tell Zekaj he was in love with him in the car?

“Oh god is it somebody embarrassing like AJ? Are you secretly a masochist Hunter?” Zekaj wiggled his eyebrows. “You enjoy pain.” He whispered seductively into Hunter's ear.

Hunter shuddered and quickly started blushing.

“N- no it's not Aj.” Hunter quickly tried to change the subject. “It’s freezing.”

“Are you cold?” Zekaj asked.

“Y-yeah a little bit.”

Zekaj quickly started pulling off his black sweatshirt. Forgetting he hadn’t put a shirt on under it. Zekaj made lots of grunts as he pulled off the tight sweatshirt.

Hunter looked over at the ruckus and saw Zekaj’s abs and immediately blushed again. He went back to focusing on the road but taking occasional glances at Zekaj.

“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” He asked.

“Didn’t think I’d need one. I mean it’s not like I get cold and the sweatshirt is just for show.” He finally got the sweatshirt off and looked down at his bare chest. “Hopefully it’s dark enough so no one sees a randomly shirtless man in your car. Here.” Zekaj said, handing it over to Hunter.

“I’m driving Zekaj.” He laughed. “I can pull over at the gas station and put it on.

“And grab snacks?” Zekaj smiled.

“Sure thing.” Hunter smiled at Zekaj who smiled back.

The gas station was a simple one with an indoor store that sold various candies as well as hot food. Hunter was about to exit the car when Zekaj spoke up.

“Sweatshirt.” He threw to Hunter who barely caught it.

“Thanks.” He smiled shyly.

Hunter closed the door and slipped on the sweatshirt. It was pitch black and many sizes bigger than Hunter. It was very baggy on him but on Zekaj it was tight since he liked showing off as much as possible.

It smelled a lot like Zekaj and a mix of the cologne he wore. It was very soothing to Hunter and warmed him up quickly.

Hunter left the gas station a couple of minutes later snacks in hand. He got to the car to find Zekaj staring at him through the window. He was trying to figure out what he had bought. Hunter rolled his eyes as he walked to his side of the car.

“I got some chips and candy. What do you want?”

“Is both an option?” Zekaj smiled. Hunter rolled his eyes again for the millionth time that day, handing over the snacks. “Ah fuck yeah Doritos.”

Zekaj ripped open the bag and quickly devoured them.

“I don’t get how you can eat that poorly and still have nice muscles.”

“Genetics baby. The demon blood in me keeps me nice and big.” Zekaj chuckled with a mouth full of food. “Chip?”

“Sure.” Hunter said, and Zekaj quickly put some in his stretched out hand.

The ride took another 30 minutes before they were finally home. Zekaj had finished all of the snacks which he quickly threw away when they got inside.

“Go outside and clean the car of your fingerprints.” Hunter said, handing him a bottle of cleaning fluid and a towel.

“Ok honey.” Zekaj said sarcastically, leaving for outside.

“I’m gonna shower then head to bed.” Hunter said.

“See ya then!” Zekaj smiled at him as he left the house.

Hunter left for his shower, smelling Zekaj’s sweatshirt the whole way.

*****

Zekaj watched Hunter as he slept in his bed. It was almost 3 am and soon Hunter would be able to find his soulmate.

Zekaj thought of waiting and touching him right on the time but it felt so wrong to do so. If they were soulmates Hunter wouldn’t get to feel the first moments of the bond forming. He would sleep through it all unless the bond was strong enough to wake him up.

He couldn’t do this.

Zekaj was truly terrified of Hunter not being his soulmate. He meant way too much to him.

Zekaj quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began writing.