The Bride Hunt Box Set: Books 1-3

by Charlene Hartnady

  “If you do get your hands on one, I wish I could be a fly on the wall,” he chuckled. “You must remember that she won’t understand that you are royalty. She won’t be so quick to do your bidding. Human females are a strange species. Although they are attracted to us, they often fight their desires and needs. It will mean nothing that you are a fire prince. You will probably need to win her over.”

  Coal frowned. “Yeah, Blaze has also warned me of that. I’m not sure how to go about it.”

  “Be honest. Try to be nice to her.”

  “Nice?” he questioned. “I’m not sure what you mean. I am nice, I always made sure that Scarlet was satisfied. That she had the things that she needed, that’s nice isn’t it?”

  Flame shook his head. “No. You would need to tell your human that she is beautiful and special. You need to make her feel needed, valued and respected. You would also need to mean it when you say it. Sincerity is key.”

  “She will be mated to the prince. Of course she will be all of those things. As to being beautiful, I doubt that a human would be attractive to me, but I will do my best to see the good qualities in her.” Coal meant it. He took his position seriously. The king had given him a task. He would fulfill it even if it killed him.

  “That is a start my friend but first, you must beat me to it.” Flame slapped him on the back. “I can only pray that this hunt is a success and that there are many more in the future.”

  “Blaze is concerned at the methods used to obtain these females. He doesn’t like that they have been brought here against their will. He says that it is not right and although I’m not a huge fan of humans, I have to agree with him.”

  “These females had bad lives. We have rescued them. They will be loved and cherished. I’m sure that they know that. They will welcome us with open arms.” Flame smiled.

  Coal didn’t know what to think. He had no clue what to expect. He had heard from the males that humans found dragon shifters attractive. That they were drawn to their big size and muscular frames. Females would often beg males to be allowed to return with them to dragon territory. Of course, they didn’t know exactly what it was they were asking since the males posed as foreigners from another country. Coal couldn’t help but smile while thinking about how they would react if they knew that the males were shifters. They would probably run away as fast as their weak, human legs could carry them.

  He was a big male. One of the biggest and strongest, thanks to his royal blood. Would a human female be drawn to that or would she fear him? He doubted he could ever be attracted to something so weak and beneath him. He sighed. He would soon have his answers.

  The bell rang once to signal the ten-second countdown. When it rang again, they would be off.

  The tension was so thick it was stifling. Males jostled for a place at the front.

  Three … two … one … the bell rang out. A shrill clanging that was barely audible over the sudden groans and grunts. Males elbowed one another. Others took off at a sprint. Many more fell from blows or after being tripped. Coal surged forward, he took no prisoners, if any were in his way, they were felled. If any came at him, they would bleed. His eyes remained trained on the path ahead, a path of bodies was left in his wake.

  He would catch and mate a human female. His king had tasked him and he would deliver.

  Chapter 6

  The water was icy cold. It took her breath away and made her teeth chatter. Her feet were already cut up from the long walk there. Right now, they were completely numb. It had taken them two and a half hours to get to the stream. They spent another hour creating a false trail. All three of them had crossed the stream and trudged for a half an hour in the wrong direction. They took branches and wiped away their footprints as they doubled back. They then were very careful to step in the same footprints as before as they headed back to the stream. Hopefully it would look like they crossed the stream and they were able to mask their scent and trail. It would buy them some time and, hopefully, cause a bit of confusion.

  Even though it felt like her feet were going to fall off, she forced herself to continue. Candy was breathing hard, her jaw was set. Julie could hear Pauline making the odd sound of discomfort. The woman was behind her. They were all feeling it. The pain, the burn. No one complained. They had to keep going. She wasn’t sure how many of these dragon men would be on their tail. They had to keep focusing on escape and for now that meant continuing on, and putting enough of a lead between themselves and the men behind them. The ones who wanted to use them and harm them.

  It was ten minutes till twelve. In a couple of minutes, the hunt would begin. They were the prey. Julie knew what it felt like to be that deer at the end of the scope, only death would not come so quickly. If those bastards thought they could have her, have any of them and keep breathing, they were wrong. Dead wrong.

  She was pretty sure that many of those who hunted them would go after Lisa first. It appeared that they were required to fight amongst each other in order to win a woman for themselves.

  Jo had left herself in the open so hopefully this would mean a whole lot of fighting before they continued to chase them. Some of these men would then go after Lisa and some would come after the three of them. It was horrible to think that way but it was true. The other two women might end up buying them some time.

  What then?

  What if they did manage to escape? Would the wild animals get them? Or the elements? Julie couldn’t think like that. One step at a time, one minute at a time. If it came to it, she would fight. They would all have to fight.

  The male next to him bellowed as they caught sight of the female. A whole chorus of males shouted out behind him. Coal kept going.

  What was the female doing?

  Why was she still at the drop-off point? She should have been miles away by now. This could only mean that she had decided not to run. She’d given up, before she’d even begun. As Coal grew closer he could hear that the female was crying, whimpering. She pulled herself into a tight ball. It reminded him of when Inferno had been a young boy. His brother would cover his eyes and just because he couldn’t see anyone, he would truly believe that others couldn’t see him as well. Coal felt saddened. He felt sorry for the female. At the same time though, she irritated him. There was no fighting spirit within her. No drive.

  He slowed. What should he do? There was only one other male close to him. Granite. The male was strong as nails but he wouldn’t expect Coal’s attack. He didn’t have his entourage with him. Mistake.

  It would be easy to dispatch the male to take the female for himself. She was his for the plucking. The only problem was he didn’t want her. This was not the kind of mother he wanted for his children. If all the humans were similar to this one, he was in a world of trouble.

  There were four more females. Four females who had actually chosen to partake in the hunt. This one seemed broken and useless. Even further down the food chain than a gazelle. At least a deer had the decency to run. To try. Still, it saddened him to see her like this.

  There was only one thing to do, he held back for a split second allowing the earth king to run up behind him and at the last second he punched, hearing cartilage and bone smash as his fist connected with the male’s face. With a loud groan, his adversary went down, falling hard. There was a tight group of males behind him. The one at the head was Torrent. By taking Granite down, it would ensure a fight between the males in the group, as well as those close behind. This would buy him time to take the lead. Unfortunately, it looked like the water king would secure a female. This put more pressure on him. He had to win one of the other four at all costs.

  Coal sprinted past the female, his nose in the air. He followed the scent. Then fighting ensued as the males realized that Coal was not interested in the female and that they stood a chance. There was a whole lot of grunting and the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh. Shouting, swearing and moaning. The noises only grew louder as more and more males joined in the fray. Coal couldn�
��t think about it. He needed to get ahead. This was an opportunity. Let the others fight for her.

  There were two options ‒ down the valley or into the forest towards the river. If he was running, he would choose to go towards the water. This was the wisest and most logical choice and therefore he took it himself. If he was forced to take a human, he would take the strongest and most intelligent of the five females. He was the fire prince, heir to the throne. He deserved nothing less.

  Half an hour later, he reached the stream. It was knee-deep at the center and only six feet wide. He was disappointed to find that the females had chosen to cross the river and continue on. The current path he took would lead him to the base of the peak. A human could never hope to climb such a mountain. It would mean having to skirt around the base which was a waste of time. It didn’t make sense. Although the scent was still strong, he could see that that they had made a silly attempt to cover up their tracks. Stupid humans!

  Then all of a sudden the trail disappeared. As in gone. Scent and all. What magic was this? Adrenaline coursed through his veins. The need to continue running rode him hard. The need to shift rode him even harder. He fought back against the feeling of his scales as they rubbed his skin and his teeth as they threatened to erupt into something far more sinister.

  He sucked in a couple of deep breaths and willed himself to calm down. This didn’t make any sense. Had they somehow managed to completely mask their scent? It was not possible.

  No.

  Forget it.

  He inhaled deeply. Then the real reason dawned on him. What a fool he was. Maybe these human females were not as stupid as they seemed. He suddenly felt anxious to meet with the one who had devised this plan. Worry flooded him. What if some of the others hadn’t been so easily fooled? It would mean that he could be behind or at the very least that he would no longer have a head start. At first he was tempted to run back the way he had come but that would alert any others to the trap the females had set. If he had fallen for it, others would too. If he wanted a chance of finding and winning the female who set this up, he needed to continue on parallel with the river and then head back to the water, only further along the bank. The females would be trying to hide their scents and therefore sticking to the water. It’s what he would do if he was in their place.

  This was becoming more and more interesting by the second. Coal picked up the pace. Fifteen minutes later he was swinging in. He could hear the the water as it trickled and gurgled. It wouldn’t be long now.

  Coal watched a grin appear on Flame’s face as he caught sight of him. There was a group of about four males running closely behind his friend. They weren’t working together but since this was the most likely path the females had taken, it meant others would be on it too. Coal frowned.

  “They caught you out, didn’t they?” Flame said. His friend had blood smeared on his face. Some of the others had torn clothing and blood smears and splatters. The males had fought for the female and had lost. Torrent was a little behind the group. It shocked him that the male had failed to secure the female as well.

  Flame chuckled. “You fell for the oldest trick in the book.”

  Coal snarled. “Are there any others ahead?”

  Flame shook his head. “Not a chance.”

  Coal nodded once and turned back to where the river meandered. He didn’t feel much like small talk. He needed to concentrate on staying ahead.

  “Relax! I’m pretty sure that this group is not the only one that didn’t fall for it and I’m pretty sure that there’s more than one female up ahead so maybe we can work together.”

  Coal did not answer.

  “I’ll let you have first dibs.”

  “First what?” he snapped. Coal was not interested in games.

  “First dibs. It means that you can pick first.” Flame was an arrogant male. He was strong and fast. One of the best warriors. In a competition such as this, Coal’s status meant nothing. They were all equals.

  Coal grunted. “That’s nice of you.” He was still a royal though, still one of the fastest, strongest males. He didn’t need to make pacts.

  Flame laughed. “Not in agreement then?” He paused. “That’s a pity.”

  They continued to run on the bank of the river. Aside from the fact that humans would easily tire, they would also not be able to move very fast while sticking to the water. There was a distinct possibility that they were on the wrong trail but his gut told him that this was the way that the females were headed.

  It didn’t sound like the others were growing closer. For now though, it was just himself, Flame and the four trailing males, one of whom was a water prince and the other the water king. The young prince was not much competition. Torrent on the other hand …

  The forests on either side of them grew thicker. The currents within the river were stronger and the banks deeper. The water cut a sharp left up ahead as the river began to meander.

  The females had gotten further than he would have thought possible. They ran on. The mud thick beneath their feet. The air crisp in his nose.

  He sniffed again and Flame did the same. There was a hint of citrus, something floral and berry in the air. It was a scent he hadn’t smelled before. By the reaction of the males around him, the scent of human females was up ahead. The water prince roared. One of the others growled. The whole group surged with renewed strength. They were on the right path. Adrenaline coursed; this reinvigorated him and he picked up the pace.

  Unfortunately, it reinvigorated all of them. Flame surged forward with a roar. They would be just around the bend.

  Pauline stumbled and fell to her knees with a soft gasp. Julie turned, the other woman struggled to get back onto her feet.

  The tiny woman gave her an attempt at a smile. She looked exhausted. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how long I can go on like this,” Pauline whispered.

  “We can’t stop now,” Candy whispered back.

  “Just a little bit further.” Julie added, keeping her voice as low as possible.

  Just then, a loud roar erupted from somewhere behind them. They all turned. There was a sharp bend in the river about a hundred feet behind them.

  “Shit,” Candy murmured. “We need to move. Now!” She began to run.

  The stream was no longer a stream but an honest to God river. It was deep and strong. They needed to be careful not to go in too deep because the currents would sweep them away. Thankfully the pebbled edges were muddy with flat stones. By now she was so cold that she could barely feel her feet. It didn’t matter, she picked up her pace behind Candy and could hear Pauline right behind her. They made their way to the bank since they no longer needed to mask their scent.

  There was another roar, louder this time.

  Julie heard Pauline stop dead. The other woman whimpered softly.

  “Keep going!” She shouted, not daring to look back. Candy leapt out of the river and Julie followed suit. The hunt was on and in full force. They were gaining on them. It terrified her but it also fueled her. They all picked up the pace.

  There was a loud splashing as Pauline began to run once more. She made more whimpering noises. “I see them. I see them!” she shrieked. “Oh God.” There was another loud splash and then the footfalls on the ground behind her. It seemed like Pauline had also jumped out of the river.

  Julie’s arms were pumping and the muscles in her thighs burned but she kept on going. It wasn’t long before she heard them. The hard pounding of their feet against the ground behind them. The ragged noises as they breathed in and out. She risked a glance over her shoulder and wished that she hadn’t. They were huge. At least six and a half feet of raw muscle. There was no way they were escaping this. That bully, Scarlet, had been right. If they were caught, they were going to be torn apart. She glanced back a second time, locking eyes with one of the men. His orbs were pitch black and filled with determination like she’d never seen before. A shiver raced up her spine.

  For a moment she thought of droppi
ng to her knees and begging for her life. Screw that. She picked up the pace, coming up alongside Candy. The other woman didn’t look like she was going to last for much longer. They had to keep going. The river turned sharply this time to the right and as it did, she could see how the water rushed faster. How it swirled, gurgled and surged. Deep and wild.

  In that moment, she realized that there was only one chance of getting away. It certainly wasn’t on foot. She would need to give herself over to the mercy of the river. There was only one little problem with that ‒ she hadn’t been taught how to swim. It wasn’t like swimming was high up on the list of subjects at the orphanage she was from. Foster families were too busy trying to put food on the table or they just didn’t give much of a shit. Swimming hadn’t featured much. It was a luxury. Sure, she could swim from one side of the pool to the other. Slowly and carefully. Doggy-style. But could she actually keep herself afloat long enough to survive the immense power of the surging river?

  There was a loud scream behind her. It was bloodcurdling and so filled with fear that it almost had her stopping and turning. Pauline, they had Pauline. There was no other explanation.

  “Let go of me!” she screamed. “What are you doing?” She screamed even louder.

  Everything in her told her told her to stop, to help … but it would do no good. There was no way that she could stand up to these brutes. Julie glanced at the river. It was either stay here and face these men, with very little chance of survival, or take her chances in the river. She glanced over her shoulder. The other one was right behind her. There were several more of them behind him. If he reached out, he might just be able to touch her. If he missed, there would be more to take his place. It turned her blood cold.

  From the corner of her eye she saw Pauline sprawled out on the ground. She continued to scream. There was a man on top of her, his hands were all over her. It angered her. The injustice and the brutality of it all. The savagery. It sickened and disgusted her. She had to remind herself that there was nothing she could do, if she stopped to try and help, she would be next.