Hunter Deceived

by Nancy Corrigan

  She couldn’t stop it.

  Her chest squeezed tight. Her last breath wheezed out. Black overtook her eyes, but unconsciousness didn’t come. Sorrow did. Her heart expanded, then burst.

  Laughter surrounded her. That too faded, along with the pure misery. Silence stretched. Her moment of peace. It didn’t last. She felt her body mending; her shattered heart glued itself back together. It thumped, once then again before settling into a steady rhythm.

  She used the time between her torture sessions to conjure Calan’s eyes. Love rushed over her—his and hers. The feeling spread, dimming the lingering pain. She breathed a sigh and opened herself to the emotion. It strengthened her, filling her with purpose and reminding her of why her choice had been the right one.

  A grin spread as the truth became clear. He truly was her hero, and he had unleashed her from her tainted heritage. She hadn’t turned Unseelie. Her love for Calan had prevented it. Chained in his cell, she never would. She’d forever remain on the brink.

  She dropped her head against the smooth wall at her back and waited, knowing what would come next. Her heartrate kicked up, fear gripping her, then the first shards of pain slithered through her.

  She whimpered, a sound she hated but couldn’t stop. It was time to die again. With the thought came another realization. Remorse gripped her, not for herself but for the Huntsmen. Every day of their confinement, they’d faced the same fate—never-ending death. Yet not one of them had to accept it. They could’ve escaped the agony through madness. Pain couldn’t touch them when they retreated into their own minds. But they’d struggled to hold on to their sanity so that the world would remain safe from the horrors of Hell and the Unseelie Court. Without their willingness to pay the curse’s price, both depravities would’ve claimed the earth.

  Her respect and love for them grew. She wanted to gather them close and reward them for their endurance. More than that, she wanted to heal them. They were broken, each and every one of them—teetering on the brink between Hell and madness—and too powerful to fall into either.

  They needed to find their balance. Their heaven. As I have found mine. She would never experience it again, but the memory of her short time with Calan would sustain her. She smiled, knowing she was right, even if she couldn’t explain why she was so certain of it.

  Maybe my angel told me. It wouldn’t surprise her, but before she could ponder the source of her knowledge, white-hot pokers seared her skin. The agony seized her, squeezing her lungs and demanding her screams.

  A man reached out to her, not her beloved Calan but his brother Rhys. He fed her the knowledge. “Share the curse with me. I will bear it too.”

  A woman, Tegan, wrapped Harley in her mental arms. “As will I.”

  More voices, more gentle hands caressed her. She shook her head and pushed against their comforting embrace. “No. It’s not meant for the Huntsmen.”

  “Nor is it meant for you.”

  The voice came, not from inside her head but from in front of her. She cracked her eyelids open, the best she could do with the burgeoning pain building in her chest. The fuzzy, glowing shape of a man stood several feet away. He had no face, no body, yet she knew him or should she say—it.

  The Triad, the triple-faceted god that ruled over all.

  It waved its arm. The pain choking her faded. “Why have you condemned yourself?”

  Why? She had so many reasons. She wanted to spare Calan, free his siblings, ensure Hell didn’t spill over into the world. Yet she knew her motive was simpler.

  “For love.”

  “Love, not duty?”

  She frowned. “Sometimes they’re one and the same.”

  “How so?”

  How could she explain it? “When you love deeply, you make choices and sacrifices for the good of the person you care about.”

  The shadowy figure stepped closer. “How is that different than duty?”

  She was being tested. The deity would know the difference. So be it. She’d play its game. “Choices and actions based on duty lack passion. You do something because it’s expected, not because you want what’s best for the person or people you love.” She worried her bottom lip and tried to put her thoughts into words. “There’s no sacrifice.”

  The Triad spun in a slow circle. “And Arawn’s damned children, is love your reason for helping her?”

  Murmurs of agreement resounded in her head.

  The Triad tilted its head. “You do not know her.”

  “Calan does,” Tegan answered. “My brother loves her.”

  “So we do. She’s family, part of our Teulu,” Rhys added.

  The Triad glanced over its shoulder to stare at a spot along the wall. “Calan severed his bond to her. She is no longer connected to you.”

  “The Huntsmen, the humans, the gods and everyone in between are all connected. None of us can exist without the others. We all have a role to play.” Rhys lowered his voice. “Don’t we?”

  The Triad dipped its head. “And a game to win.”

  “What game?” Tegan asked.

  “The greatest of all.” The deity floated toward Harley, and its light blinded her. She glanced at the ground, but it tipped up her chin, forcing her to meet its gaze. Mesmerized by the myriad colors in its shimmering form, she couldn’t look away. “And Harley has made the first move. The Huntsmen will be released.”

  She sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

  “Do not be thankful yet.” The Triad turned its back on her and stretched out its arms. “Arawn’s beloved children, listen and take heed. The fate of the world rests upon you once more. You too will be required to make a choice, but be warned. You only get one move. Select it wisely. If you pick poorly, you will return here, and the deterioration of the barrier will resume.”

  The deity faced her. She squinted but kept her attention on its face. It laid a hand over her heart. “Harley Callahan, mate to Calan and daughter of Minerva’s beloved maiden, you have one more life to give. Die well.”

  A bolt of energy shot through her body. The god disappeared. Her back arched, but the chains held her in place. She couldn’t escape. The pain grew, and she shrieked. The sound turned into a bellowed roar shared by all the Huntsmen.

  Power rushed up her legs. Energy crackled, and bolts of pure white light pierced her. The pressure in the air around her collapsed her lungs. Her cry of agony cut off abruptly, yet her mouth hung open on an endless scream.

  On and on, the agony consumed her. Her heart expanded once more, then burst.

  Blessed darkness dropped over her, and she knew no more.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Calan skidded to a halt at the edge of his prison. Dirt was filling in the sinkhole, burying it. With Harley inside.

  “No!”

  He called on the well of power he rarely tapped into. Energy rushed into him. He directed it into the hole. Dirt and rocks whipped upward, forming a cyclone. The whirlwind grew until it towered hundreds of feet into the air. It hung for a breathless moment, then burst, showering the area with soot and stone.

  He yanked the force back. His gaze darted to the partially collapsed entrance of his prison. Fear rushed up. He swung his legs over the lip and let gravity pull him in. He slid down the sloped banks, pushed to his feet and raced into the hell he’d thought he’d escaped for good.

  The tunnel had collapsed in several spaces. He clawed at the rocks, used his shoulders to widen the gaps and kept crawling, deeper and deeper, into the bowels of the earth. He didn’t care if the ceiling buried him. He’d dig himself out. Nothing would stop him from getting to Harley.

  He cleared the last obstruction and raced into his cell. His attention zeroed in on the female he loved and had given up.

  Harley hung from the manacles that had bound him. Her head slumped forward. The wild mess of her curls obscured her face. Througho
ut the platinum strands, black streaks bisected her hair. The change meant something. He didn’t know what, nor did he have time to ponder it. The stillness of her chest worried him more.

  He ran the few feet separating them and tipped up her chin. “Wake up, flower.”

  She didn’t stir.

  He gently shook her. “Harley, it’s me.”

  Nothing.

  She couldn’t die. The knowledge didn’t explain the cold, clammy touch of her skin nor the fact that her heart didn’t beat. He pried her eyelids open.

  Vacant.

  “No, she can’t be dead. She’s a fairy. Immortal.” He shook her again, harder than before. Panic seized him. “Dammit, Harley, open your eyes!”

  Any minute, the healing process would begin. She’d start breathing again, but a minute passed, then two. Still nothing. She grew colder.

  He opened his mind to Rhys. “Brother, what happened?”

  Silence met him.

  Calan lifted his head. His eyes widened at the alteration to his cell. Open alcoves replaced the sleek stone walls, each leading to another room, another cell. His prison had been the center. His siblings hung lifeless from their chains. Although no black streaks bisected their hair, their slumped bodies mimicked Harley’s.

  What had happened?

  He reached out metaphysically and examined the barrier separating Hell from the human world. Not mended, but the deterioration had returned to the state it had been when he’d been released.

  They’d sacrificed to stop the barrier from cracking open completely. It was the only explanation. Not their pain, that was obvious. They couldn’t suffer while unconscious. They’d sacrificed something more precious. What?

  He glanced at Harley. Dead. She looked dead.

  He slipped his finger into the torn fabric of her shirt. Blood coated the swell of her breast, but there was no wound. He spun and raced to the bed. The key no longer lay on the pillow. He tossed the sheets aside, crawled on his hands and knees and spotted a glint of silver. He snatched it and hurried back to Harley.

  On his knees, he unlocked her feet. Her body sagged. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stretched for her bound wrist. A click, and the manacle opened. Harley tumbled against him. He carried her dead weight to the bed and laid her out. She didn’t move. He stared at her sprawled on the sheets and didn’t know what to do. A long moment passed before he climbed onto the bed. He reached for her hand and froze.

  A circle showed on her palm.

  Her circle.

  “She never gave the words. I made sure of it.” The knowledge didn’t change what his eyes showed him. She’d completed the bond, but he’d ripped his half away.

  And killed her?

  “No, please, no.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her cold lips. Over and over, he worshipped her. He willed his life to hers, prayed he could return what he’d taken. “Harley, don’t leave me alone.”

  He covered her mouth with his and breathed into her, hoping to share his warmth with her. “Love you, my flower, love you always.”

  Harley sighed. Her lips moved against his. He jerked back. Beautiful blue eyes focused on him.

  “Harley?”

  “Don’t ever leave me again.” Her teeth chattered with each word.

  “Never, by the gods, never. I love you.”

  A small smile spread over her angelic face. “Good. Now kiss me, Calan. I’m cold.”

  “Yes.” He bent his head and captured her mouth, kissing her with teeth, tongue and love. His essence poured into Harley with each breath he fed her. The silken second skin that had tied them together slipped through her once more but instead of acting as a barrier, it melded them together. Her essence joined with his, and her purity resonated through them.

  The chaotic taint staining her body and soul was gone. She was half-human, half-Seelie and all his.

  “My mate.”

  She trailed her fingertips over his cheek. “My love.”

  Her touch brought with it the awareness of each of his siblings. Rhys first, then Tegan. The others stirred, and he was reunited with each of his brothers and sisters.

  He leaned back and stared into her eyes. “You did it.”

  She held out her hand. Two overlapping circles showed on her palm. “We did it.”

  He twined their fingers. “Yes, but I never want to be forced to make such a decision again. Losing you nearly destroyed me.”

  “We’ll never have to. We’re mated, bound to each other for eternity.” She grinned. “Come on. Let’s go release your family.”

  Out of habit, Calan went to Rhys first. Rhys remained silent while Calan unlocked him. Free of the bindings, Rhys extended his right hand, palm up. In the center was a black jagged line that extended from between his middle and ring finger to his wrist.

  “The Triad gave us time to mend the barrier once and for all.” Rhys narrowed his eyes. “Seems we’re pawns in some celestial game.”

  Calan glanced from the mark to his brother’s face. “All of you?”

  Rhys nodded. “All of us. We have a challenge to meet and a choice to make.”

  As I had when I chose Harley. Calan thought of each of his siblings and cursed.

  “I don’t think it’s as simple as finding our mates.” Rhys curled his hand. “Remember not all of us can take a mate or want one, but we’ll know we’ve succeeded when our mark fades.”

  Calan looked over his shoulder. Tegan’s dark brown eyes caught his gaze. She closed them but not before Calan caught the hurt that flashed in them.

  “Our brothers and sisters would be foolish not to open their hearts again.” He spoke the words for Tegan’s benefit. She didn’t acknowledge him.

  He strode from Rhys’s cell to hers.

  Harley fell into step beside him. “I felt Raul die.”

  “Yes, and soon Dar will be defeated.” Calan stopped and waited for Harley to meet his gaze. “We will release the Hunt, my mate. We won’t rest until each and every threat is eliminated. Our vow remains the same.”

  She nodded, and he made his way to Tegan. He unlocked her and captured her arm before she could storm past him.

  “We have a new Huntsman, Harley’s human brother.”

  Tegan raised a brow. “And?”

  “Ian has succumbed to the rage.”

  She held his gaze with neutral eyes. “Has he been incarcerated?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re telling me this because?”

  “I’m telling you because he’s part of our Teulu, and I’d thought you’d care.” And would go to him, maybe get through to him. Tegan, out of all his siblings, would understand what Harley’s brother was experiencing. She’d once slipped into the all-consuming wrath too and was able to claw her way out.

  Harley grasped his wrist and redirected his attention. He glanced at her. Worry showed in her eyes. “How long before he heals?”

  “His body would’ve mended within minutes. His sanity, however, is compromised. He will need to be brought out of his enraged state, then he’ll need to learn control in order to ensure he doesn’t succumb again.”

  Rhys stepped up next to them. “We can send a demoness to him. Sex works wonders on the Huntsmen. Once he’s calm, we can help him.”

  “I will go.” Tegan faced them, arms crossed under her breasts and annoyance in her glare. “We don’t need to owe the demons any favors. They hate us as it is.”

  “Are you sure?” Calan held her gaze. She gave a single nod. “Good. The sooner, the better.”

  She grinned, but her smile never reached her deadened eyes. “Now that it’s settled, let’s get out of this hellhole. The Hunt is calling my name.”

  Calan followed her retreating back with his gaze and shook his head. “We have our work cut out for us, my mate. I’m not positive my siblings have weathered t
heir imprisonment well.”

  “A thousand years of torture will do that, but they’re strong. They’ll find their salvation, just as I did. I have faith in them.”

  “As do I, my flower, as do I.” He pulled her close for another kiss, the temptation she posed one he never had to resist.

  He took her hand and led her to the next cell. Elation still buoyed him, but his gut churned with the implications of their future. The thought of all the Huntsmen having to meet some unstated challenge worried him. There were always two choices. What if they picked poorly?

  “Trust them, Calan. The Triad does.”

  He glanced into his mate’s face. “I do, but I worry they won’t recognize what their challenge is until it’s too late.”

  Harley glanced past him to look at the Huntsmen. She caught her lower lip between her teeth. “They only get one shot too.”

  Calan sighed. “Yes, and the clock starts now.”

  About the Author

  A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

  She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

  Website: www.nancycorriganauthor.com

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