The Princess Protects Her Huntsman: A Nocturne Falls Universe Story

by Kira Nyte

  Rhyannon sat on the foot of his bed. She straightened when she saw him. Her hands rested, folded prim and proper, in her lap, her ankles crossed. She looked every inch the beautiful fairy princess and every ounce a golden heart. Her red hair was tied up in a ponytail, soft tendrils brushing her cheeks. The points of her ears glimmered with gems encased in fancy lacework cuffs.

  The woman herself distracted him from the glowing jewel resting on her chest, nestled in the fair cleavage above the dip of her shirt.

  Arrick closed the door and engaged the lock before turning to face the woman who owned him more than any curse ever would.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting plans,” Rhyannon said, her voice soft, timid. Uncertainty flashed in her eyes before fading behind resilience. “I wanted to speak with you.”

  Arrick nodded. He fought to keep his gaze averted from the jewel. “Cover it, please.”

  “No.” Rhyannon’s shoulders squared. The jewel pulsed, a living essence trapped inside a precious stone. “This is what she sent you for, is it not?”

  Arrick turned his head from her. If the witch caught wind that Rhyannon was in his room with the Heart, there was no telling what would happen.

  “Is it worth the price she has offered?”

  “What price?”

  “Your freedom, Arrick. Is the Heart worth your freedom? Is it worth the sacrifice of my people?”

  Arrick raked his hands through his hair and growled. “Nothing, Princess, is worth the price of that jewel. The cost is too steep for any person with a conscience. My freedom is inconsequential. My life holds no value.”

  The bed creaked. The soft, almost silent, footsteps that crossed the space between them caused the skin on his nape to prickle. A wave of heat washed over him. The fresh scent of flowers and springtime sun surrounded him the moment Rhyannon approached. Her delicate fingers grabbed his chin and turned his face to her.

  “That is not true.” She released him and reached to the back of her neck. The chain loosened as she unclasped it and caught the jewel in her palm. She held it up to him. “Here. Your life holds more worth than you realize. Take it. Give it to her. Save yourself.”

  Arrick sneered. “This is absurd.” He folded her fingers over the jewel with more force than he intended before spinning away. There was only so much magic in the amulets to scramble his thoughts before the witch picked up on the Heart. The damn thing thrummed with unspoken power. “Stop this nonsense.”

  “I say the same to you.”

  The woman grabbed his arm and spun him back to her. The strength in her bold action took him by surprise. When he caught her eyes, he recognized the flare of resolve she kept inside her spirit at all times.

  Rhyannon was the princess her people needed. She was the strength that would forge a new path for the Andallayne people.

  “Will you take the Heart?” she asked again, thrusting it in her fist in front of his face. He lifted his chin to keep the jewel from pressing against his nose.

  “What the heck are you doing?”

  “Proving a point to you.” She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “Proving a point to us both.”

  He leaned away as she pressed the jewel closer to his face. “And what point is that? You’re asking for death if she so much as senses that jewel near me.”

  “You’re not as helpless as you think you are.” A long moment of tense silence stretched between them. Finally, Rhyannon lowered her hand, fastened the jewel around her neck again, and adjusted the neckline of her shirt to cover the object. Her expression softened, as did her voice. “Nor are you alone. You may be cursed, Arrick Luvell, but you are not weak. You still have your mind, and you fight the beast every day. Until the night in the woods, I couldn’t understand what it was about you that seemed unsettled. Then you fought it in front of me and fought it within yourself.”

  “Rhy—”

  “Have you given up on yourself?”

  The tension fled Arrick’s jaw and he lowered his head. Rhyannon caught his chin in the palm of her hand, lifting his gaze to meet hers once more. The tip of her thumb brushed across his lower lip, sending a streak of pain through his heart. Spirits, he loved this woman. He would do anything for her.

  “Don’t, Arrick.” She leaned up on her toes, bringing her mouth close to his. “I haven’t given up on you.”

  “But, the last two days—”

  “I had some things I had to do. Things I had to figure out. And I’ve figured out the most important thing of all.”

  Arrick’s breath caught in his throat. He fisted and flexed his fingers by his sides, his hands aching to touch her, his arms burning to hold her, his body igniting to claim her.

  The need was ripping through the very seams of his soul.

  “What did you figure out?” he asked, voice thick and gravelly.

  “I love you, too. I love you and I cannot be without you. Whatever you face, we face. Together. Our adversary is the same, our danger the same, the threat the same. We crossed paths for a reason, even if your actions were intentional. I will not let you face her alone, and I want you to stay by my side from now on.”

  Arrick’s mind stuttered, as did the heart in his chest. Rhyannon tilted her head, her warm lips pressing lightly to his.

  “You’ve won my heart, Arrick.” Her body pressed flush to his, robbing his thoughts, his logic. “What will you do with it?”

  He damn near choked on his words as her lips teased him mercilessly. Wrapping his arms around her and securing her to him, he whispered, “Treasure this gift and love you till the day I perish.”

  * * *

  If he found any secret cameras, he’d have a few colorful words for Sheriff Merrow.

  Arrick still reeled from the surprising turn of events. He couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful princess tucked against his body and in his arms, nothing but the blankets protecting their nakedness from spying lenses.

  Well, those blankets weren’t much protection a couple of hours ago.

  Sweet heaven, please let this room be camera free.

  The very idea that a bunch of uniformed officers would get free entertainment in the comfort of the Sheriff’s department left him more than a little irate. His princess—yes, Rhyannon was his princess to love and cherish and protect—would be seen by no other man after today. He’d make sure of it.

  He’d make sure he earned her heart and deserved her love.

  “You’ve been watching me for almost an hour. I wonder what thoughts possess your mind,” Rhyannon murmured, her thick lashes fluttering open. Her breathtaking green eyes turned up to him and a small grin crossed her swollen lips. Yeah, he got a bit carried away with their kisses, but she seemed just as into it. “I do hope they’re good.”

  “You haven’t a thing to worry about, Princess. Anything connected with you far surpasses good. It’s perfect.” He tucked a soft wave of hair behind her ear. He’d released her hair from the ponytail at some point, and loved how it fanned out behind her. Her head rested against a sea of stunning red. “Now that you’re awake, I’m not sure staying here is the best option for us. I have an officer sitting outside the inn watching me and a witch in my head.” He shrugged. “Not the best setup for privacy.”

  Rhyannon eased him onto his back and gazed down at him. “I don’t care about the witch in your head or an officer taking notes on Cookie’s architectural style. However, I agree. This isn’t the safest place for us. Would you mind if I showered before we leave?”

  “Terribly so.”

  Rhyannon’s brows rose and her smile grew. “Oh? Why is that?”

  “I’ve suffered so much to get to this point. Waited so long to have you here.” Arrick snaked his arms around her and twisted, tucking her small frame beneath his body and pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. “I’m not ready to let you go quite yet.”

  In one day, he would lose everything.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rhy couldn’t make sense of the disturbing esse
nce she detected from Arrick. At first, she wondered if he regretted their shared intimacy. That idea fled her mind quickly. He continued to dote on her, hug her, hold her, touch her in some way that kept them connected at all times. His smile was handsome, but reserved. It never reached his eyes.

  A dark, sickening feeling began to swell in her belly. Anxiety licked at her thoughts every few minutes. She didn’t like her intuition at the moment, but couldn’t bring herself to ignore it. Somehow, she was certain her unease and Arrick’s turmoil were linked.

  “Would you like to share with me what is weighing on your mind?” Rhy asked, settling down on the sofa beside Arrick. They were alone in Dalila’s house. She handed him a cup of hot tea. He thanked her quietly, took a sip, and let out a resigned sigh. That soft sound brought Rhy’s shoulders straight. “Arrick, if something—”

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  Rhy’s brow creased. She placed her own untouched cup of tea on the coffee table and rested a hand on Arrick’s knee. When he finally turned his honey brown eyes on her, she glimpsed the helplessness and defeat he had masked from her. The emotions were powerful. They made her stomach roll and her throat tighten.

  “I don’t understand.”

  Arrick placed his cup on the table and took her hand in both of his. He kissed the tips of her fingers, closing his eyes briefly. If she were to allow her thoughts the opportunity to roam into dark territory, his motion was that of a lover preparing to leave the woman he loved.

  “Let’s not discuss it.” He held onto her hand for a moment longer before lowering her palm back to his knee and forcing another smile. “Your time with me is too precious to waste on witches and evil.” He traced her cheek with the back of his knuckle. “You are too precious.”

  As easy as it was for her to melt into his touch and follow the sway of his suggestion, she stood her ground. “Precious or not, whatever you’re thinking is affecting you. It affects me, too. Did something happen with…her…during the time we were apart?”

  Arrick shook his head and lowered his gaze. His jaw worked. He scratched at the white patch of hair, then took up his tea.

  “How did you get that?” Rhy brushed a finger over the soft, snowy hair. “How did you become her hunter?”

  “I don’t think it’s safe to discuss this. You know I’m not alone.”

  Rhy sidled closer to him. “Here, you can be safe. Since the night she tracked you here, Pandora has been reinforcing the house’s wards with help from her sisters, and some of the members of the coven. They’re temporary, but she assured me that Alice Bishop, who is one of the most powerful witches around, provided her with a few more amulets. Dalila should return in a little while with them so we can discuss what I learned a couple days ago.” She grinned and shook her head when his narrowed gaze snapped up to her. “That will be for later. Right now, you need to open up to me without fear of repercussions. We cannot defeat her if you can’t tell me everything.”

  His teeth toyed with his lower lip for a long moment. “If I sense her, I stop. If she breaks through these wards and things the witches have placed, I stop. And I’ll most likely leave. I won’t lead her to you. Not again.”

  “You will stay here.”

  Arrick’s features hardened, his eyes sparking. “No, Rhyannon. Those are my terms.”

  “There are no terms between us. This is not a business agreement or a contract. This is us. You and me. Our safety. Our lives.” She refused to back down. “We have the same enemy.”

  “And I won’t let her hurt you.”

  She grabbed his chin as he tried to look away, keeping his gaze locked with hers. “And if I lose you to this martyring thought process, then you will hurt me.” She dropped her hand to her lap. “This is not easy for either of us, but we aren’t supposed to go through it alone.”

  “You can be the death of chivalry in a man.”

  Rhy cracked a smile. “Yes. So I’m beginning to see.” She picked up her tea and tried the subtle herbal drink. “You have an unfair advantage over me, Arrick. You knew about me before I told you about myself. Now, it’s my turn to learn about how you became her hunter.”

  It was clear her request to learn about the beginning of his curse tore into him. The faint creases at the corners of his eyes and the tightening of his lips, along with the dimming of his eyes, told her she asked much of him. Arrick didn’t want to relive that portion of his past, but to move forward with their future, he had to.

  “It was an ordinary afternoon. I was out hunting. The town was preparing a feast for the founding anniversary. Pretty big deal back then. The men went to the woods while the women stayed in town to clean and decorate and make all the preparations. I’ve always been a lone huntsman. I kinda handed myself over to my senses, and did so easily when alone.”

  “Did you know about your wolf’s blood?”

  Arrick shook his head. “Not a clue. In fact, I didn’t like the creatures. They would steal into our town on occasion and kill livestock. I shot and pelted a few back in the day.” A faint shiver skated down his arms, one that Rhy caught in the subtle ripple of his muscles. “I’ve never accepted the wolf part of me.”

  “You battle not only the curse, but half of who you are, too.”

  “You could say that.”

  “She knew this.”

  Arrick shrugged. “Haven’t a clue what her driving force was. I still don’t understand why she chose me.” He sipped the tea. “I went off on my own that day, a path I often followed, though I went deeper than ever before. Game started to retreat as our town expanded, but I easily tracked them. Only, on this day, the doe I tracked to a small clearing was anything but a doe.”

  Rhy frowned. “The sorceress.”

  “Yes and no. The doe was an apparition, the clearing some sort of, I don’t know, portal or something. I followed the creature close to the edge of the clearing. When I lifted my gun to take aim, a force like a train crashed into my back. I fell into the clearing, but I didn’t land on the grass. It was like I fell into an alternate reality. I was in the woods, but the trees were different. Tall, but glistening with dew and splashed with colorful flowers. Where pollen floated around the clearing in my world, here, there were softly glowing yellow orbs.”

  Rhy’s thoughts swirled. “She pulled you through a veil. An entryway between my homeland in Andallayne and the human realm. I don’t know if other fae races have entryways, but we do. Humans normally have no access to our world, but there was a time when many different races of paranormals could cross into Andallayne.” Rhy stood up, setting her cup on the table again. “It’s nearly forbidden for humans to come to Andallayne. There are exceptions, but it is rare. I’ve never seen a human in my homeland.” Rhy got up and started pacing, her mind racing. “Why would she bring you there?”

  “I wish I knew. I remember rolling onto my back and staring up into the canopy of trees, dizzy. My head throbbed.” Arrick touched his scar over his brow. “I had been injured in the fall. I thought I was going crazy because the doe I had tracked came up to me and licked my wound. Over and over. I reached for her head to push her away, but my fingers went straight through. Even so, I felt the warmth and wetness of her tongue. I closed my eyes, trying to get my bearings.”

  “When did the sorceress appear?”

  Arrick scowled, his eyes hard when they turned up to her. “The doe was the witch. I let my guard down, thinking I was safe, thinking I was injured and needed a few minutes to just recoup my strength. I let my damn guard down. Next thing I knew, that doe’s tongue turned into something so painful and scorching, the sheer agony knocked me unconscious.”

  Rhy’s eyes widened. “She wove her magic into your spirit. She found your dormant wolf, woke the beast while placing it under her strict control, and tethered you to her.” She motioned to her head, mirroring where Arrick’s white patch rested. “This is from the effects of her magic.”

  “I’m assuming. When I came to, a woman sat beside me, the corners of her
mouth stained with my blood. Her lips spread in a smile so cold it chilled my organs. I’ll never forget that moment, staring at her in a daze as she twirled a strand of hair in one had, held a smoky orb in the other, and forced me to watch what she did to me. I beheld her drawing out the wolf from my head. A ghostly apparition of a wolf, but a wolf nonetheless. When I tried to scramble away, I found my limbs were not my own and my body refused to listen to my commands. I couldn’t even turn my head away or close my eyes.”

  Arrick squeezed his eyes, his scowl growing and his teeth clenched. He lowered his head and raked his hands through his hair, his knuckles pale as his fingers pressed into his scalp. Rhy skirted the table and dropped beside him on the couch, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

  “It was horrible. Then, then she said, ‘Hello, my sweet Huntsman. I found your wolf. How could you be so cruel? Keeping this precious creature locked inside of you? Oh, that’s right. You had no idea you are wolf.’ I’ll never forget her words. Her ice-cold smile, that evil pulsing off of her. ‘Rest assured, I will care for the wolf. He will do my bidding and you will follow his lead. From this day forth, you are my Huntsman.’”

  “But, why? Why did she choose you?”

  Arrick growled. “Because my great-grandfather did ill by her and she sought revenge. Didn’t matter that he was long dead and I had no knowledge of the incident, but she obviously held a grudge worthy of an award, or ten.” He dropped his hands and sat up, turning his face to the ceiling. “And she liked my hunting style. She found my skills incomparable. I would become a weapon, her weapon, and half of what I did, I never recalled. The wolf is me, but the time in that form is blocked by her magic.”

  “When did she start using the wolf?”

  “It was several years, actually. I returned home a few days later, new shade of hair color included, and had to answer the townsfolk’s inquiries. I began having dreams of a different world. I felt her dark essence skirting my thoughts here and there. I tried to tune her out, but when I did, it made her volatile. She came to me a few times, nothing more than a ghost-like figure. She told me I would be her greatest weapon in the human realm. Her eyes, her ears, her hands. I never understood what that meant, but suspected it had something to do with her apparition form versus a solid form whenever she showed herself to me here.”