Get up! Get out from under him. She reached out, grabbed the arrow still stuck in his shoulder, and tried to shove. The arrow inched deeper, making the Were yelp in pain. Lowering his mouth, he latched onto her shoulder. His chisel-sized teeth tore into her flesh, and Redlynn screamed. Pain and nausea rushed through her. Another Were rammed into the golden one, and he lost his hold on her shoulder and fell away. She needed to gain control of the situation.
Reaching for her boot, she pulled out her hunting knife and jammed it into the Were’s fleshy underbelly. Again, the beast latched onto her shoulder. Redlynn screamed in agony. Her bones crunched as her collarbone snapped, and her left arm went limp. She had to get the beast off of her. She clutched the hunting knife and pulled it out, shoving it back into the beast’s rib cage.
The Were tumbled sideways. Rolling over, she struggled to her feet. Redlynn dropped the knife and grabbed her sword, hefting it with her right hand. Her weak grasp barely gripped the hilt. Blood poured down between her breasts and pooled at her waist, drenching her blouse. The golden Were lay on its side, unmoving. The Grey had vanished, but two more still watched her from the other side of the fire.
Her left arm hung limply at her side, useless. Pain coursed through her entire body, but she refused to give in to shock. If they attacked again, she was done for. In the lull of the battle, the smell of her own blood made her woozy. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, trying to gain her bearings. Reopening her blurry eyes, she swayed on the spot. Her sword arm fell, and she struggled to lift it. She tried to formulate a plan, but her body felt heavy, and she couldn’t focus. This was not happening. She was not losing to werewolves on her first battle. She refused to let Anya's death be for nothing.
The Weres didn’t move. In her dimming vision she could practically hear Lillith's clucking tongue telling her, I told you so.
“What are you waiting for?” she yelled.
The Weres raised their hackles and bared their teeth, but something held them at bay.
Oh no! There was no way she was going to let them wait till she was unconscious to finish her off. If they wanted her dead, they were going to have to fight for it.
Gathering her remaining strength, she charged. Her sword raised, she ran past the fire straight at the two animals. Redlynn swung wild, barely controlling the sword. The Weres jumped out of her way, and she missed them both. She had to choose. Lunging at the one on her right, she stabbed with her sword. The Were dodged and then reared back on his haunches before springing at her, knocking her into a tree. Redlynn twisted her body and hit the thick trunk with a whack. Pain pounded through her temple. Everything went fuzzy, and then black.
Chapter Three
“What happened to her?” Adrian demanded, bounding through the trees toward the smoke of the campfire.
“She attacked us, my Lord. Dominic is dead, Paulo is badly injured.”
“Wait for me and don’t touch her. I’m on my way,” he growled.
A female. A human female, in the woods. There hadn’t been one in almost five years. Adrian needed to get to her before his men did any more damage, or before something worse found her.
Rushing through the woods, he caught the scent of the animals hiding in their homes. Adrian loved the run. Loved the freedom of it. At the castle, there was nothing to do but fend off the bloodsuckers and exist. But tonight was not a night to enjoy. Tonight he was on a mission.
Females were precious, and Weres were forbidden from harming them, no matter what they did. If Dominic was dead, he deserved it. The scent of smoke grew stronger, and he glimpsed a flicker of light in the distance. He loped over a fallen tree and spotted a thick grove of eldergreens. Bursting through them, he came upon the small cove.
Adrian surveyed the scene and began to shift. Dominic lay on his side next to a blazing fire. Blain, Chrisio, and Juda stood near the unconscious female. Forcing his form into its human shape, his bones snapped, and his feet compressed. With the cracking of his knuckles, his fingers lengthened. The muscles of his spine pulled tight and forced him to stand on his feet. He sneezed as his nose flattened and his teeth retracted. The hair of his body shortened, revealing his skin, covered in a fine layer of sweat.
Blain had his palm on the girl’s forehead. Juda and Chrisio backed away from the female as Adrian stepped toward her.
“What happened?” he demanded.
Blain stood. “I caught the end of it. By the time I got here, Dominic was barely breathing, and Paulo had fled.”
Adrian neared the girl slumped by the tree, her flowing red hair covering her face. He brushed back a thick strand to reveal soft skin, the color of peaches. Her lips curved like a bow, pale as a pink rose. The sight of her set him on fire. High and thin cheekbones framed her small pixie nose perfectly. His gut clenched and the hair stood up on his arms. The scent of her hit him in a wave that coursed through his body like lightning. Threading through his muscles and tendons and snapping every inch of him at attention. He stumbled away from her.
His gaze whipped toward Blain. “Have you scented her? She’s different.”
“She smells like any other female.” Blain shrugged.
He turned to the unconscious girl, his senses on overdrive from being near her. “Not to me.”
Though bloody and dirty, she was the most striking creature he’d ever seen. His inner wolf begged to be near her. A need lit within him, the likes of which Adrian had never felt. He blinked several times. What is this sudden rush of emotions he had for a female he didn’t even know the name of. Adrian scowled. No. There was no way he was getting close to a Sister.
He moved to her side and gently slid her onto her back. Assessing the wounds, a ripple of anger tore through him, and his gaze darted to Dominic’s lifeless corpse. He growled and bared his teeth, wishing more than anything that Dominic was still alive so he could rip him to pieces for what he’d done.
A gaping tear in her neck bled heavily. Her shoulder lay at an odd angle, her collarbone broken. It was possible the upper arm bone was broken as well.
“Find some fernblend.” Adrian placed his hand over the wound to try and staunch the flow.
“Of course, my Lord,” said Chrisio.
He looked around for something to use for pressure. “Give me that cloak.” He pointed.
“What’ll we do with her?” Juda picked up the cloak and handed it over.
The things that Adrian's wolf wanted to do with her were not something he wished to discuss. What he should do was another matter altogether. Adrian shook his head again, trying to clear her scent out of his nose. Come on. Pull it together.
“We’ll take her with us, like all the others.” He used the edge of the cloak to put pressure on the wound.
“We should deliver her to Volkzene. Let them heal her,” Blain suggested. “I don’t think she’ll take kindly to us.”
Yes. He should take her back. “What goodwill do you think the Sisters will show us if we bring her to the village, having been attacked by a wolf? To do so would make the rift between them and us even worse.”
Blain opened his mouth to speak but then shut it. “Good point.”
“We take her with us.” Adrian’s gut clenched again. It was a bad idea.
Juda stood apart from the group, his jaw set.
“I have the fernblend, Sire.” Chrisio held out the leaves.
Adrian took the handful of small dark foliage and bruised it between his palms. Tearing and rubbing the leaves, he ground them into a wad and then mixed them with his saliva. Removing the cloak, he ripped at her shirt and exposed the wound. Adrian stopped to admire the peachy flesh and round curves of her ample breast. His breath caught in his throat.
“What the–” Blain peered over Adrian’s shoulder. “Is that–”
A tremor rippled through Adrian’s body. His Alpha wanted out. A female with the mark had been born. They’d waited for hundreds of years for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Adrian backed away from her quickly. It wasn’t possible.<
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“Adrian–”
“You, Chrisio and Juda take Dominic’s body to the castle. Bring clothes for me and a horse.” Adrian’s need to get the men away from her overwhelmed him. His chest tightened, and his heart thundered. He didn’t want this. Not now.
His men moved off without a word. He stared down at her, afraid to touch her. He swallowed down his superstitions, chastising himself like a childish cub. She was a member of the Sisterhood, and he had made a promise to keep them safe. So she had the mark, so what? It mattered very little at this point.
Kneeling, he continued working the wad of leaves into the exposed flesh. She didn’t stir. The pain of the leaves should have at least caused her to rouse. He snatched up the cloak and ripped a long strip off the bottom. Taking the strip, he threaded it around her back and over her breasts, then moving her arm across her body, he tied the piece tight, pinning her arm in place.
When he was done, he tried to arrange her comfortably. He shut her tunic and covered her with the cloak. Walking around, pieced together the scene, trying to make sense of what had happened. Blood spattered the ground and nearby trees. Her blood, Paulo's blood, Dominic's blood. If there were bloodsuckers in the woods, they’d be drawn to the scent. He only hoped that the smell of his wolves blood covered the scent of her human blood.
He found her bedroll, pack, bow, quiver, and sword. Pulling them all together, he laid them near her, and then sat down next to her to wait. The ground was cold beneath his bare legs, but he was used to it. Staring down at her, he wondered what color her eyes were. Green would be his assumption, considering her complexion. He plucked a leaf from her red hair, and his heartbeat quickened.
Leaning in close to her, he smelled her again. It was earthy and woodsy, smelling faintly of rosemary. The scent soothed his pain, eased his loneliness, and made his wolf sit up and want to be obedient. Stop! Adrian pushed his wolf down. He’d been alone for so many years, as had his father before him, and over half the wolves in his kingdom. They paid for the mistakes of his father by protecting the humans from the bloodsuckers in Tanah Darah, the kingdom to the north. Waiting out the days until the prophecy was fulfilled and the bloodshed would be over.
One will be born, with the mark of the wolf, to the Sisterhood of Red.
And when she finds her destiny, the bloodshed she will end.
Taken to bed, by the mate of her soul, a reminder she will be.
And then will the females follow her home, the cursed will be set free.
Adrian glanced down at her covered breast, where the mark sat upon her skin. His wolf’s protectiveness stirred within, and he set her hair back in place. It was all he could do to stop himself from pulling down her blouse once more, just to make sure he hadn’t imagined it.
His body tingled at the nearness of her. He scooted sideways away from her.
Blain returned with two horses and a set of clothing. He packed her things while Adrian tugged on his clothes. Something shiny on the ground caught Adrian’s eye by a hollow tree. He picked up a gold necklace and fingered the locket before putting it in his saddlebag.
“Would you like me to help you with her?” Blain asked.
“No,” Adrian said too quickly. He cleared his throat, commanding his inner wolf to back away. “I’ll get her.” But he wouldn’t be able to mount the horse while carrying her. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with Blain. “Lift her to me, please.”
Blain nodded with a smirk.
“Don’t give me that look.”
Blain chuckled.
Adrian threw his foot into the stirrup and hefted himself up onto Montego, his steed. Settling into the saddle, Blain held the girl.
“Be careful of her arm.” He struggled to keep his temper in check.
“I am.” Blain shook his head, hoisted the girl up, and at the last minute stopped. “Are you sure you want to carry her? I wouldn’t mind.”
“Give her to me,” Adrian growled.
“I’m joking. What’s wrong with you?”
Adrian didn’t know what was wrong. For all of his not wanting anything to do with her, he didn’t want Blain touching her, either. “Just give her to me. We need to get her out of the woods.”
Blain eyed Adrian, but Adrian ignored him. He needed the safety of the castle. The longer they were out, the more anxious he became. If the bloodsuckers struck, they’d be lucky to make it out alive.
Adrian gazed at the girl. The way her body curled into his. She lay cool against his chest, weighing so little in his arms. His body relaxed into her, despite his efforts to stay strong. She murmured something, but he couldn’t make it out. The scent of her flaming hair swirled in his nostrils. With her now in his arms, the scent overpowered him. Slapping his reins, Adrian got Montego moving.
They’d been making their way through the forest for several minutes when Blain broke through his thoughts.
“She tried to kill us.”
“They all try at first. She’s no different. It’s not their fault that my mother chose to lead the Sisterhood astray.”
“You think she’s the one. Don’t you?”
Adrian swallowed. “I don’t think anything.”
“I know you too well. Look how you sit with her in your arms. As Prince, you could have taken any of the females that came to us to mate. But you’ve not so much as looked twice at any of them till now.”
The silence fell between them as they rode for several miles. Adrian had no need of a female. He was happy where he was. If he took a mate, he’d become King. He had no intention of ever doing that.
“How many years have we waited?” Blain asked. “For the Sisterhood to return to us, and the war with the bloodsuckers to end?”
“We’ll continue on the path that my father set us on before his death. We will continue to make penance for the betrayal he rendered my mother. And if this is the girl from the prophecy, then you will all be blessed when more Sisters come.”
“Adrian you know that the prophecy says–”
“Can you just shut it, please?”
They rode the rest of the way in silence. When the moon shone through the trees, Adrian stole glances at the exquisite beauty in his arms. Inwardly he prayed that she’d break the curse and bring an end to the war. His wolves were sick of being the fodder in the battle. But he’d do whatever it took to keep the Sisterhood of Red safe. Not because of any budding attraction, but because of his promise.
They’d made it back, unmolested. A sense of relief washed over him seeing the turrets, along with the grey stone battlements, come into view. Sentinels stood watch in the light towers, on the four corners of the structure. The portcullis was up, and the drawbridge lay flat across the moat, awaiting his return. The sound of Montego’s hooves on the wooden planks was a welcome sound.
The site of his castle never ceased to be both a comfort and prison to Adrian. His fortress of protection was the place he’d been raised by his mother and father as a young boy, and the last refuge for his wolves.
The scent of the blacksmith’s smoke tickled his nose. The sounds of Angus’ hammering on the forge pounded in his head. Two of his men pulled a hide onto a tanning rack, preparing it. A female sat watching her young ones play as she worked on her needlepoint.
Several men moved out of his path, and then stopped, staring at the woman he carried across the courtyard. Adrian clenched his jaw to keep himself from spewing angry words at them. It wasn’t their fault that they watched her with hopeful eyes; they all craved the affection of a mate. Word would spread quickly that another female had been found.
A female suckling her infant looked up from where she sat.
“Female.” Adrian slowed his horse.
“Darina, Highness.” The woman stood and bowed.
“Darina. Please fetch Hanna and tell her to bring her herbs to my quarters.”
The woman’s gaze drifted to the female in his arms. “Of course, your Highness.” She swaddled her baby and moved swiftly for the castle.
“Can I?” Blain held his arms out to take her.
Adrian tensed, but let her slide from his grasp. He hated that he was so protective of a female he didn’t even know. Jumping from his horse, he took the girl’s limp body in his arms and stalked toward the castle. His heavy boots clunked on the stone floor as he made his way through the entrance hall. Dax waited for him, speaking to Blain. Both men turned and looked at Adrian approaching.
“Dax,” said Adrian. “Please take this female to my room.” Adrian handed the woman over to the large shifter.
Dax took her gently into his arms and headed for the stairs. Adrian’s gaze followed them.
“I’m going to grab Jale and Juda and go back out,” said Blain.
Adrian turned. “We didn’t spot any vampires tonight. There’s no need to go back out.”
Blain nodded. “True, but we’ve seen that tall blond one coming and going more often, and after the last encounter, I owe him.” Blain’s eyes traveled up the stairs. “Besides, I could use some air.”
Adrian wished he could go out for some air. But he needed to make sure the female was safe, and that Hannah visited her. “Send Jale back if you find the vampire. I want to question him before we kill him.”
Blain smiled. “I’ll do my best to keep him alive. Mostly.”
The two large, dark-haired males stalked into the entrance hall. Adrian tensed at the sight of them. Jale and Juda nodded to Adrian.
“Heard there’s a new female,” said Jale.
“Yes.” There was no way in hell he was going to let either of them anywhere near her.
Adrian took the stairs to his room, two at a time. Dax opened the door, letting him in.
“Has she stirred?”
Dax shook his massive blond head.
Adrian moved to his large four-poster bed, raised on a pedestal in the middle of his room, and stared at the girl. Her hair fanned out around her in a thick red halo. Her skin had lost its peachy color and had taken on a more waxen sheen. Reaching down, he wrapped her red cloak over her to keep her warm. She looked small and helpless in his bed. Her lean frame seemed to take up no space at all. Why had he told Dax to bring her here? She should have been put down with the others.
Red the Were Hunter (Fairelle Series Book 1) Page 3
