Awakening The Bloodline - Hunter to Prey

Chapter 1

Ben had always had a thing for Lily Parsons. It wasn’t some grand, dramatic revelation. It was a simple, solid fact of his universe, like gravity or the sky being blue. She was his best friend, his partner-in-crime, and the owner of the bluest eyes he’d ever seen - eyes that always looked at him like he mattered, not like he was a problem to be solved.

The Parsons’ house had been his real home for years. Before that, "home" was a scary word. It meant the cramped apartment with his dad - a man who drank his anger and took his frustrations out on the world, usually starting with Ben’s mom. She’d finally had enough when Ben was ten. She packed a single bag, kissed his forehead with tears in her eyes, and left to go live with her sister’s family in another state. She said she’d send for him. She never did. She’d chosen escape, and he couldn’t really blame her.

He was left with his father. Two years of walking on eggshells, of empty bottles and loud, crashing noises. By the time he was twelve, Ben had had enough. One night, after a particularly bad shouting match that ended with a plate shattering against the wall beside his head, he made a decision. He shoved a change of clothes, a bag of chips, and his only baseball into a backpack, climbed out his window, and just started walking. He had no plan, just a desperate need to be anywhere else.

He was cold, hungry, and sitting on a curb trying to look invisible when a voice cut through his misery.

“You look like you lost your best friend.”

He looked up. There was a girl about his age, with a messy blond ponytail and those impossible blue eyes, holding a skateboard. She didn’t look scared of him. She looked curious.

“Something like that,” Ben mumbled, looking away.

“I’m Lily,” she said, plopping down next to him like they were old pals. “You’re new. Or you’re lost.”

“Running away, actually,” he said, the truth surprising him. There was something about her that made lying feel stupid.

Instead of calling the cops or running off, Lily just nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. You hungry? My mom made, like, a mountain of spaghetti. We could never finish it.”

That’s how he ended up at the Parsons’ doorstep. It was warm, smelled like garlic bread and fresh laundry, and was so clean it sparkled. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons - Mark and Sarah - listened quietly as Lily explained she’d found a “refugee.” Ben, feeling like a fraud in this nice, normal house, decided to rip the band-aid off. Better they throw him out now than later.

“You should know,” he said, his voice flat. “My dad is David Yardley.”

He braced for the flinch, the look of disgust, the immediate request to leave. Everyone knew Frank Yardley. Local troublemaker. Professional grump. The guy everyone crossed the street to avoid.

Mark and Sarah Parsons didn’t flinch. They shared a look - one of those silent, whole-conversations-in-a-glance looks married people have. Then Mark smiled, a little wryly. “Well, Ben Yardley. You’re welcome at our table. We’ll always have a plate for you.” Then he leaned forward, his tone conspiratorial. “But, as a tip? You probably shouldn’t tell your dad about us.”

At the time, hunger trampled curiosity. The spaghetti was the best thing he’d ever tasted. He learned the reason later: his old man had, years ago, developed a serious, obsessive thing for Jane Parsons before she married Mark. He’d lost, spectacularly and publicly. The Parsons weren’t just nice people; they were his father’s personal nemeses. Keeping Ben a secret wasn’t just kindness; it was strategic.

They became his family. Not officially - his father eventually found out and threw a fit, of course - but in every way that counted. Mark taught him to drive a stick shift in an empty parking lot, patiently explaining the clutch as Ben stalled the car a dozen times. They were at every one of his high school baseball games, cheering louder than anyone. They celebrated his birthdays with actual cakes with his name on them.

And Lily… that girl had him wrapped around her little finger from day one. She was smart, loyal, tough, and had ambitions that stretched beyond their town. She wanted to see the world, fix things, be someone. Ben, who’d spent most of his life feeling like a ghost, wanted to be someone with her. He started studying harder, working out, trying to be a guy who was worthy of Lily Parsons. He wanted to be her shelter, not another problem.

Somewhere between homework sessions, shared fries, and laughing until their sides hurt, they just… drifted together. It wasn’t a big question or a dramatic confession. One day, they were just holding hands. Then they were boyfriend and girlfriend. It was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Naturally, his old man found out. And when he learned who Lily’s parents were, hell officially broke loose. The yelling, the threats - it was like his childhood, but worse, because now he had something precious to lose.

To mitigate the fallout and escape David Yardley’s crazy antics, the Parsons made a decision. Mark, took a new assignment.

“We’re going on a mission, team,” Mark announced one night at dinner. He had a file folder with him. “Little town called Millhaven. Miles from here. Quiet. Perfect for a fresh start.”

Sarah nodded. “There have been… reports. Strange stuff. People talking about odd sightings in the woods, a couple of locals gone missing, some livestock killings that look… off. The company wants us to go check it out. Lay low, keep an eye on things.”

Ben saw the look that passed between Lily’s parents. It was the same look they’d given each other when he’d first mentioned his dad. It wasn’t just about a job. It was about protection. Getting Lily - away from the toxic drama.

“A fresh start sounds good,” Lily said, her eyes misting

“Millhaven it is,” Jane agreed, a wave of relief washing over her. They were leaving. They were leaving him but he understood there was nothing he could do. He was bare legal.

He had no idea that the "odd sightings" and "off" animal killings were about to make his dad’s drunken rages look like a picnic. The real drama, it turned, was just getting started.