Huntress and the Thorn Court: An Urban Fantasy Shifter Romance (The World of the Hunter Order Book 1)

by D. C. Gambel

  “How dare you manhandle me like that!” I spat, coming to my feet. My temper flared making me forget my aches.

  “There is to be no fighting with the wolves while you are here. Is that understood?” he snarled domineeringly. He didn’t wait for a response before turning to leave.

  “Hey!” I called out. “I wasn’t the one who started that down there. They came at me. I was defending myself. I won’t apologize for that.”

  He spun back around glaring at me as if I was misguided. “Who threw the first punch, Isabel?” He spoke unnaturally calmly. With a furrowed brow, I considered what he asked. They’d been badgering me. Their posture threatening, but no one had even touched me before I struck the wolf. Seeing the enlightenment flash across my face, he nodded curtly. “They baited you and you fell for it.”

  I swallowed hard realizing that I’d been in such a hurry to prove that I wasn’t a victim that I had completely misread the situation.

  “You like to fight? Good. Then I have the perfect solution. Starting tomorrow as part of your punishment, you’ll begin training my Omegas.”

  “Omegas?” He couldn’t be serious. Omegas were passive and had a sensitive disposition. They were meant to be protected. I’d never heard of one that could fight.

  “It will give you an opportunity to get to know part of the pack.”

  “I seriously doubt the Omegas are responsible for the unrest in your pack.”

  “True, but I can’t have you sparring with the dominant wolves. They’re too proud to handle losing and it would only create more trouble while you’re here. I can’t be around all the time to stop their aggression. I’ve given the order that you are not to be attacked but there are other ways they can get to you.”

  “But—”

  “This is my home, Isabel. You are not a guest but my prisoner and if I say you’ll train, then you’ll train. There will be no more discussing it.”

  With that, he was gone. My room suddenly felt huge without Gideon’s authoritarian presence in it. I glared after him not used to being spoken to in such a way and yet I couldn’t wait to be in the Alpha’s proximity again.

  7

  Only a week into training the Omegas and I was bored out of my mind. Teaching them was like instructing teenage hunters. It wasn’t an attitude thing, which plenty of them had toward me, but their skill level was more than lacking. I had hoped that some of them might surprise me and have an interest or ability that most Omegas didn’t when it came to fighting, but I’d been disappointed. Gideon had gathered every Omega in the country to his central pack. It was in an Alpha’s nature to protect those weaker than him. I suppose it made sense that he’d want them under his roof to keep an eye on them. While male Omegas were a rare occurrence, Gideon had several.

  “Training going well?”

  I peered up seeing Gideon standing before me. He had a way of moving that even I, with all my training, struggled to track. We were taking a break after an incident had occurred.

  “God, did someone tattle on me?” I whined taking in the way his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed me. “Look I didn’t mean to break his nose. I thought he’d dodge when I took the swing.”

  He chuckled and I think it was the first time I’d ever seen Gideon without his scowl.

  “Sounds like you’re enjoying yourself.”

  “You have no idea,” I groaned letting my head sag between my shoulders.

  “I’d like to see the progress they’ve made.”

  I smiled hesitantly. I called the group back together before having them break off into pairs.

  “I’d like for you all to practice the series of moves we learned earlier. Partners closest to the door are on offense.”

  I watched as group after group made the attempt. It was a simple sequence; jab, jab, kick, while the defensive partner blocked the jabs and stepped out of range of the kick. No one was putting any real effort in. The defensive partners were getting tapped, not that it hurt them because the offensive partners weren’t putting any real power into the hits.

  “Stop!” I called out threading my fingers into my hair, fighting not to rip it out at the roots. I didn’t know how else to get them to see what they were doing wrong. Then it occurred to me. “Gideon?” His brow rose in response. “Care to help me demonstrate?”

  Narrowing his eyes at me because I put him on the spot, he shoved off the wall from where he stood. He wouldn’t refuse my request in front of pack members. They could misinterpret his refusal as a vulnerability. I struggled not to smile completely aware of what I’d just done.

  Gideon moved with a grace I didn’t expect from someone of his stature. My brow furrowed when I noticed he was undoing his dress shirt. Shrugging it off, he tossed it onto a weight rack revealing his white wife beater. I was unable to stop my eyes from raking over him. Gideon had an amazing physique. Werewolves were generally in great shape, but Gideon’s appearance seemed more ripped than a standard wolf.

  “It’s a simple sequence,” I said clearing out my throat.

  “I caught on,” he stated.

  I nodded. “You’re offense.” I took my stance.

  He smirked just before his fist shot out so swiftly, I barely had time to deflect. When the other flew, I realized he wasn’t aiming for me, but just off to my side. It was a snub that I couldn’t abide. When he kicked, I changed the sequence by spinning out of the way only to hit him with my own kick.

  His brow pinched just slightly before he charged using the same sequence but when it came to the end, he didn’t cease and I didn’t ask him to. It wasn’t until that moment I realized how much I needed the fight. Everything I’d shoved down since arriving rushed to the surface needing a release. Not only was I stuck teaching people who had no interest in what I was offering, but Gideon had been the ultimate manipulator and then he had the audacity to treat me with kid gloves when we sparred? All the frustrations from the past week boiled over as I blocked his blows waiting for my opening.

  I saw it. His side was opened.

  Faking left, I spun knocking a kick to his kidney. He hissed and I struck again. His eyes flickered amber. I barely saw him move before I found myself on my back, pinned down by Gideon.

  “Out,” he barked. The Omegas scurried, moving brisker than I’d seen them go all day.

  I lay there panting, struggling to catch my breath with the weight of him on my stomach. He held my hands pinned on either side of my head. When the last wolf closed the door behind him, Gideon stared down at me saying nothing.

  “What?” I spat trying to shift his weight so I could catch my breath.

  “You attacked me,” he stated coolly.

  “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  I shook my head hesitantly. “We were sparring.”

  “I told you, you only got the one freebie and you used the excuse of showing the class as a way to get at me.”

  “You’re wrong. Now get off me.”

  “Am I?”

  I managed to maneuver my leg out to the side. Kicking off the floor, I forced us over until I had him on his back with me straddling him. Before I could stand, he gripped my hips rolling us over once more. Our positioning was much more erotic than it had been. With this final roll, he’d settled between my thighs pressing his weight deliciously against my core. I stopped struggling very aware of his body.

  “Was this what you were angling for all along?” he asked. The husky way he lowered his voice sent shivers down my spine, but I didn’t dare let him realize it.

  “In your dreams. Now get the fuck off me.” I wiggled once trying to throw him off, but it just shifted him against me, and the yoga pants I wore were barely a barrier between us. I was proud of myself for not gasping.

  Chuckling, he planted his hands on the floor before jumping to his feet. He held his hand out to me. I ignored it. I didn’t trust myself in that moment to touch him. It had just been a really long time since I had sex, and Gideon, werewolf or not, was incredibly sexy.
This was the reasoning I told myself.

  “Do you need to work off that energy?” he asked.

  Doing my best not to gape at him, I asked, “What?”

  “I’d rather you take your aggression out on me and not some unsuspecting wolf. So—” he waved me over with a move of his fingers, taking his stance. I heaved a relieved breath. He wanted to spar. For a moment, I thought he might have been propositioning me. No matter how attractive I might think he was, that was something that could never happen.

  “I thought you said it wasn’t smart to train with the dominant wolves. As the Alpha, you are the most dominant wolf.”

  He didn’t relax his pose. “The circumstances I mentioned do not apply.” When I still didn’t move, he sighed. “If you don’t want to try to kick my ass—?”

  Hearing him say that magic word, I slipped effortlessly into my hunter guise. I charged with a ghostly swiftness that most never even saw coming, but Gideon wasn’t most. His arm shot up blocking my strike. I smiled realizing how much fun this was going to be.

  Flat on my back in a panting heap, I wore a grin even though I lost, again. It was the first time since I arrived that I actually felt like myself. Not the losing, but the training, the sparring. This was part of my regular routine and I didn’t realize how much I had missed it. Training the Omegas wasn’t enough.

  What I enjoyed truly was that Gideon didn’t go easy on me because I was a woman or a hunter. He didn’t hold his punches or misdirect them as he’d done earlier. His effort to win was real. Frustration would mar his face when I’d get the upper hand no matter how short the win was.

  “I’m sorry, Isabel,” Gideon stated from above me. “I have a meeting to attend.” He held his hand out to me. I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed it allowing him to pull me to my feet. It was something I loved about being on the sparring mat. It made everyone equals. There were no pretenses that needed to be followed. No overthinking what the move meant. It was about training, learning, and letting out frustrations.

  The moment he released his hold, I felt the earlier rules of conduct slip back in place. Gideon went back to being the Alpha and I his prisoner. The smile fell from my face and I took a careful step back.

  “I hope now you’ll be able to control your aggression,” he stated.

  I bristled but didn’t show how his words affected me. “Sure. As soon as you release me from my sentence.”

  He narrowed his eyes as he grabbed his shirt. Slipping it back on, he left the room without reply.

  I lingered long enough to watch him leave. Not that I had been admiring his backside, though it was a good view, but I wanted to put some distance between us before I departed too. We’d sparred for over an hour. By the time I was done showering, dinner would have already begun.

  I stepped out into the hallway deciding if it was faster to head left or right as I was still trying to map the house out. It was huge.

  “He’s attractive, isn’t he?”

  I turned seeing a leggy blonde with a loose fitting, cream silk shirt tucked into her short, gray, business skirt. I quickly became confused when I realized she was speaking to me.

  “Gideon?” she added with a raised brow like that would explain away my confusion. “He’s handsome?” she asked. Unsure why she was speaking to me, and in desperate need of a shower after my sparring match, I figured I’d placate her so I could move on.

  “He is,” I admitted. I’d have to be blind not to notice, not that I was interested. Hunters and supernatural beings didn’t mix.

  The woman was blocking my path, so I took a step around her only to have her move with me, preventing my departure once more. I narrowed my eyes at her unsure of her game.

  “There’s a line, you know?” She said like it was obvious. I glanced around not seeing a line. Had I mistakenly stepped into one? Could there be a line with only one person in it? “To Gideon,” she explained. “Did you really think you could jump in front of all the she-wolves chumping at the bit for a chance at the Alpha?”

  “I don’t want in the line.” I stepped the other way, but she blocked me again.

  “That’s right. You’re a hunter, so to bed one of us is beneath you.”

  Was she serious? I’d had enough of her. I couldn’t put hands on her without bringing Gideon’s wrath down on me, even if it was just to move her out of my path. Standing taller, I met her stare. “If you know that, then why are we having this conversation?”

  “So you admit it.”

  “I’m not really sure what you want here. Either you’re upset because you think I want to sleep with Gideon, or you’re upset because I don’t. Which is it?”

  Before she could answer, a man stepped beside us having watched our altercation grow to this tense point. “Is there a problem ladies?”

  She smirked looking away first. “No problem, Adam. We were just discussing something, but I think we’ve come to an understanding.”

  “Isabel?”

  I returned her smile. “No problem at all.”

  The woman departed leaving me standing alone with the man that looked to be about ten years older than myself. His brown hair was streaked with the random gray and his face held just the hint of lines. He wore a form fitting t-shirt that showed off his defined muscles and a pair of gray, loose fitting sweatpants that hung off his hips.

  “We haven’t met,” he offered me his hand. “I’m Adam, Gideon’s Beta.”

  I shook it. “Isabel, but you already knew that.”

  “The hunter that Gideon took as prisoner? I don’t think anyone in our pack doesn’t know who you are.” He stared after the woman. “Don’t mind Carla. She’s all bark.”

  “A werewolf joke?” I teased. His brow furrowed so I explained. “You know? Bark?”

  “Oh! Ha! No, I’m not that clever. Anyways,” he shrugged, “Gideon asked me to keep an eye on you after you tried putting Rick and his buddies in their place. I heard about the back fist. I can honestly say that there are many who wish they could have been the one to deliver it to Rick.”

  “Thanks.” I fidgeted, unsure how to respond. I wasn’t used to receiving compliments for something I was being punished over.

  “Okay well, I’ll be off. Stay out of trouble.”

  He turned to walk away but I called after him. “Hey Adam?” He twisted back around. “Are you the only one Gideon has watching me?” I couldn’t be sure, but I had my suspicions that that was exactly what was going on.

  He smirked mischievously before continuing on his way. His lack of response was the only reassurance I needed. Gideon was indeed having me watched.

  8

  The next morning, I found myself outside the pack’s—for lack of a better term—throne room. After waiting for almost an hour, I’d almost given up when someone finally came out. “The Alpha will see you now.”

  Annoyed over the power play, I didn’t utter a word as I stepped into the room. The space was huge and exactly what I thought an old-fashioned throne room would look like. Straight ahead from the door I entered, was the biggest, most uncomfortable looking chair I’d ever seen. The chair was gold. Whether it was real or not I didn’t know and I had no plan on getting close enough to figure it out. There were carvings of wolves and the moon phases all around the edges of the blue velvet cushion.

  “We only use it for receiving dignitaries,” Gideon explained coming out of a side room. “Come in, Isabel.”

  When I entered, I realized he wasn’t alone. Two wolves, his Beta and Head Enforcer, were there. One sat leisurely on the brown micro suede couch while the other stood stiffly against the wall in a very military style stance.

  Noticing me eyeing them, Gideon spoke. “Speak freely, Isabel. You requested this meeting and my time is limited.”

  Pursing my lips, I turned my focus to the Alpha wolf who was preoccupied with sorting papers on his desk. It agitated me that I didn’t have his full attention, but I didn’t dare say anything. Not for fear that I’d offend him, because frankly I didn
’t care about that, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he bothered me. “How exactly do you plan for me to lure the culprits out if you have me being followed?”

  He glanced up but his gaze was aimed at his Beta who smirked. “I told you not to reveal yourself, unless necessary.”

  “Carla had her claws out. I simply intervened.”

  “You don’t think our little huntress could handle the she-wolf?”

  Adam shrugged. “It was simply an opportunity to put Carla in her place. How could I not jump at it?”

  “I think you’re missing the bigger picture,” I interjected.

  Gideon sighed standing straight. “I’m not. I may be using you as bait, but you didn’t really expect I’d leave you unguarded? The goal is to prevent war. Your death would cause the exact opposite.”

  “So you have a list.”

  “A list?”

  “Of those you know without a doubt that you can trust.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I assure you, huntress, I can trust my Beta.”

  “And his sole purpose is following me around all day?” I rolled my eyes sarcastically. “Who else?”

  Trey, Gideon’s Head Enforcer, answered. “We’ve not informed any of our pack the true reason to watch you. We’ve explained that as the princess of the Hunter’s Order, keeping you confined was uncivilized and could promote animosity between our two groups, but that you were still a potential absconder and should be watched.” He spoke with a pretentious air making me feel like I was insolent for even broaching the topic.

  “And when does your potential traitor have the opportunity to show his hand?” I spat glaring at Trey. I didn’t like the guy. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way.

  Gideon stood there watching the exchange. I was right and he had to see it. As long as I was guarded, the treasonous wolf would never make a move.

  “Let’s create an opening,” Gideon suggested.

  “What?”

  “We can create a gap in your routine where you are not being watched perhaps devising the perfect opportunity that you could be attacked.”