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

by D. C. Gambel

  “Where are we going?”

  “The basement.”

  “I don’t understand,” I admitted catching up to her.

  “Come now, Isabel. You know there are plenty here that would dislike you for simply being a hunter. Add in the death of that boy and you’re a pariah. Wolves in animal form won’t have the same regard for Gideon’s edict. They’re baser creatures. This is just a safety precaution.”

  The safety precaution was the silver cell from my first day.

  “This can’t be necessary?”

  “Gideon thinks otherwise.” She smiled kindly. “I doubt he’s changed forms yet. Perhaps you like to hear it from him?”

  “Not in a million years,” I muttered stepping inside. The door clicked closed behind me. “Hey why don’t you have to get in one of these?” Even the last full moon I’d been alone in the cell. At the time I assumed it was because I was a prisoner, but now Eleanor was admitting it was to keep me safe.

  “I’m no threat to them, nor a flight risk. I’ll be back with your sandwich.”

  Flight risk? Was that the real reason I was here? Did Gideon think I would run off while the wolves were shifting? It would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. If I ran, I’d be considered prey. Maybe tomorrow I’d inform him that I wasn’t an idiot.

  After eating the sandwich Eleanor brought me, I don’t know how because the cot was incredibly lumpy, but I drifted back off to sleep. I dreamt of a wolf with shaggy black fur watching me through the bars. His amber eyes glowed with hunger. I didn’t know if he wanted me for a meal or something more intimate. My body shivered at both prospects.

  He cocked his head scenting my fear and arousal. As he did, I noticed the scar running down the side of his face.

  “Gideon?” I wondered.

  Growling woke me, but there was no wolf.

  “Are you alright?” Eleanor asked quickly typing in the code. She rushed into the cell cupping my face between her hands. It had been some time since I experienced the motherly gesture.

  I shook my head. “Just tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night. I’ll be sure to tell Gideon these mattresses are incredibly uncomfortable.”

  “I’m sure the mattress was the problem.” She stood when she was convinced I was fine. “Well, you’re free. I’ll bring you breakfast. Just go up to your room and get some rest.”

  I groaned as I stood, feeling my muscles argue. The cot really hadn’t helped my strained back. Climbing up the stairs and out of the basement, I noticed the place was completely dead. Moving through the house I didn’t find a soul in sight. Normally I avoided the sitting room, opting to take the longer way to the stairs by going around it, but since I didn’t think the wolves were awake after their transformation last night, I decided to risk it. I was exhausted and ready to crawl into my bed.

  As I approached, I caught a noise coming from the sitting room. My muscles tensed hoping it wasn’t a werewolf, but I dismissed the idea telling myself that Eleanor wasn’t the only human that worked the house.

  “Oh yes!” a woman cried out.

  My brow rose as I fought off an awkward smile. I was pretty sure I knew what that sound was. Curiously, I peeked into the room. I needed to determine if I was correct before barging in. I didn’t want to interrupt anyone’s canoodling. The moment my eyes beheld the sight before me, I realized I should have taken the long way.

  The vision of the woman made me feel instantly disgusted. It was Carla, the she-wolf who warned me off Gideon. And the man that stood behind her, bending her over the ottoman was none other than the Alpha himself. Carla’s blonde hair was cast over the ottoman creating a curtain covering half of her face. Gideon held her arms pinned behind her back as he pounded fiercely into her. Claws still protruded from his hand and his eyes glowed amber. His wolf was still dangerously close to the surface. Throwing his head back with a roar, he withdrew from her, spilling himself across her back.

  Shifting my weight, undecided what to do, the floor squeaked drawing the Alpha’s amber eyes to me. I stared into them watching as they faded back to his natural green.

  Opening the door, I sauntered in like I owned the place. “Sorry,” I stated obviously not apologetic. “Just passing through.” I couldn’t tuck tail and run. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of knowing it bothered me seeing him with her. It had nothing to do with having kissed him forty-eight hours ago, I told myself. It was because it was her!

  “We’re busy here!” Carla spat pushing herself off the ottoman glaring at me.

  “Then perhaps you should take it to the bedroom. This is a common room, meaning you’re just asking to be interrupted. At least I had the decency to wait until you were finished.” I walked across the room to the adjacent door, careful to keep my steps paced. I didn’t want to rush letting them know I was in a hurry, but I didn’t want to linger.

  I was struggling so hard to hold myself up tall, fighting against the pain in my back. Just a little bit further, I spoke internally. My muscles began to spasm then quickly turned into a cramp. I fell forward clutching the doorframe praying I went unnoticed.

  “Isabel?” Gideon was by my side before I could take the final step over the threshold.

  “I’m fine,” I hissed.

  “You heard her, Gideon,” Carla barked from her place on the ottoman. “Now let’s get back to what we were doing.”

  Ignoring her, he spoke only to me. “You’re a liar.” He grabbed my arm trying to support my weight even as I fought him. His focus didn’t leave me as he called out to the she-wolf. “We’re done here, Carla. You know that. Stop putting on a show for Isabel’s benefit. It’s petty.”

  “I can take care of myself,” I demanded even as my teeth clenched from the pain. “Go back to fucking her.”

  Rolling his eyes, he scooped me up into his arms. I cried out before quickly sealing my lips. “Fine, huh?”

  “Put me down.” I couldn’t fight him through the pain, but I’d be damned if he thought for a moment I wanted his help.

  “Shut up, Isabel.”

  “You’re naked.”

  “I’m aware.”

  I groaned as he took the steps up to my room. “I don’t want Carla’s sex juice on me.”

  “While you were deliberately avoiding looking at me, I cleaned up.”

  “That doesn’t make it any better. You were still fucking Carla. Carla,” I emphasized.

  He pursed his lips with a small shrug of his shoulder appearing uninterested. “She’s the highest ranking female. She wants the job.”

  He was approaching my door. “And how would Carla feel if she knew you felt me up the other day?”

  He glanced my way briefly before returning his focus forward. “As she’s nothing more to me than a convenient place to stick it, I don’t see what concern it is of hers. But by all means if you feel the need to tell her, I won’t stop you.”

  I glared at him. If he hadn’t been holding me, I might have risked his wrath and hit him. “So she’s the next one in line?” I mumbled more to myself.

  “What?”

  “That’s what she told me. That there’s a line to sleep with you and I needed to get at the end of it.”

  He halted focusing solely on me, stunning me by his immediate attention. “You talked to Carla about sleeping with me?”

  “God no!” I gaped. “She talked to me.”

  Shaking his head suddenly frustrated, he closed the distance to my door. Shifting my weight careful not to jolt me, he opened it.

  He handled me like I was breakable as he settled me into my bed. “What happened?”

  I groaned rolling my eyes because the story of my injury sounded ridiculous. “I strained it yesterday and that cot downstairs didn’t help matters. And what the hell was that about? You put me in a cage with no way to defend myself.”

  He stood there listening to me babble patiently waiting for me to stop. “You done?” he asked and I nodded. “You’re off training for the next week.”

  “A wee
k?” I don’t know why I protested. I didn’t want to train the Omegas anyways. But when he went all dictator on me, it was a kneejerk reaction.

  “As far as the cell, it’s the safest option I had in the moment. I will think of something for the next full moon, but I make no guarantees. You’re exhausted. Get some rest. I’ll check in on you later.”

  I wanted to protest that it wasn’t necessary, but he shifted into my line of sight and I took him in in all of his glory. I did my best to keep my reaction off my face. Not only was his body a work of art, but he was also incredibly well endowed, and well-proportioned between length and girth. He turned when he reached the door and I briefly wondered if he was intentionally giving me a show.

  When the door closed, I shook my head free of the images of him. I doubted he’d return. It was just something people say, right?

  11

  “I thought I’d find you asleep?” Eleanor spoke, cracking open the door to my room.

  “I’m exhausted but can’t sleep.” I kept seeing Gideon with Carla every time I closed my eyes and felt my hostility rise.

  “Here.” She withdrew a metal canister from her pocket. Opening it, she extracted a single white pill. “It’s a muscle relaxer. I take half. They make me sleepy. But since sleep is what you want, I suggest the whole thing.”

  “Thanks,” I said taking the pill from her. Popping it into my mouth, I swallowed it down with the juice she gave me.

  “I heard you got an eye full earlier,” Eleanor stated handing me a small plate of French toast with scrambled eggs and extra crispy bacon. It was lunchtime, but I didn’t protest the breakfast plate.

  I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “How?”

  She smirked. “Carla was raving. Is it true that Gideon left with you?”

  “You make it sound like it was romantic or something. He was screwing her on the furniture in the sitting room. Then against my protest, he brought me upstairs when my back started acting up. Ugh,” I shivered involuntarily in disgust. “There’s no accounting for taste on his part.” If he was interested in someone like Carla, then why the hell had he kissed me? No way were we anything alike.

  “As far as tastes go, it’s not really a choice.”

  “How can he not choose who he sleeps with?” I asked taking a bite of the French toast. It was divine. The outside had almost a candy coating of crispiness that made syrup unnecessary.

  “Oh he can choose, but that would create havoc. Carla wants to be Luna, as the most dominant female she’s an excellent candidate, except Gideon’s wolf wants nothing to do with her.” She spoke as she busied herself around my room, picking up clothes and trash I’d left out. When I first arrived, I protested her attempts to help. Now I knew it was just easier to let her do as she wished. She would regardless and this way saved my breath.

  “How do you know that?”

  She shrugged. “He’d have claimed her by now. Carla doesn’t want any other females to outrank her, so she scares them off before they can catch Gideon’s eye.

  “Okay, but still, if Gideon wanted another female he could put Carla in her place.”

  “You’re right on that. He’s a man. He has needs, but as far as a preference to who satisfies them? I don’t think he honestly cares. Carla’s there. That’s enough for the moment and I honestly don’t think he uses her for anything more than the full moon hangover.”

  “Hangover?” I never heard the term used in that way.

  “The morning after the full moon, in the more dominant wolves, their wolf runs too close to the surface, not willing to relinquish their hold. Gideon uses the release to satisfy the animalistic cravings and regain full control. Carla thinks it may lead to more, but that girl will never be Luna as long as Gideon rules this pack.”

  Yawning, I quickly apologized, worried I’d offend her by making her think I found her talk boring when it was in fact the opposite.

  “Eat, then sleep. I’ll be back to check on you later.”

  Without arguing, I did exactly as she asked.

  I crept through the darkness convinced someone was watching me. I turned the corner, quickly banking to the right then left, hoping to throw them off. The scuffle of feet behind me had me spinning. The squeak of the door opening nearby drew my attention. Heavy breathing—that wasn’t mine—echoed, swimming around my head. I ran. Everywhere I looked, I was alone, but the feeling, the breathing, kept arguing that I wasn’t.

  A palm pressing on my shoulder had my eyes shooting open just in time to throw my hands up, blocking the downward plunge of a blade. It nicked my right palm and I instantly knew I was no longer dreaming. Heat rushed to the cut, burning as blood bloomed. The man above me, I only assumed it was a man due to his large build, as his face was hidden behind a ski mask, seemed surprised I was awake. He quickly snapped out of his shocked state, pushing his weight onto the knife, attempting to drive it down. He had the advantage. Gravity was on his side. It was pointless for me to waste my energy when he’d eventually win. Instead, I rolled out of the way, allowing his own momentum to bury the knife in the mattress, but not before it sliced my arm. I’d feel it later.

  Out of bed, I was on my feet before he even realized his blade had missed. Staring shocked at the mattress, he glanced up as I charged for the door. My hand twisted the knob and was pulling open the door when he slammed into me. He twisted my hair in his hand then banged my head steadily against the doorframe three times before I managed an elbow to his stomach, followed by a fist to his groin. The first blow knocked the air out of him. The second had him dropping to his knees. I was dazed from the impact to my head. Even with my eyes unfocused, I could tell his body was blocking the door from opening far enough for me to slip past. Instead, I reached for the bedside lamp. Turning too quickly, I felt the world spin, but managed a hard hit to his head. When he fell to the ground with a thump, I clocked him again for good measure.

  He didn’t twitch. I reached for the doorknob once again. This time I slammed it into his body repeatedly until I created a space wide enough for me to slide out. I was just over the threshold when my foot slipped in something warm. I fell knocking my head hard as everything went black.

  “What if word leaks out?” someone asked. I tried to speak but no sound came.

  “No one outside of this room will know what happened. We wait until she wakes, then reevaluate.”

  “What does it matter, Gideon?” a third person stated. “She’s a prisoner. Prisoners sometimes die.”

  “Not this one, Trey. Whoever is responsible for this attack will answer to me.”

  “A bit protective over the huntress that has killed members of your pack, aren’t you. What would others think.”

  There was a scuffle then a thump. “I am protective of her. If she dies under my care, it will mean war with the Order. A war that would rob us of money and manpower and its one that I’m not entirely sure we could win. So how about you do all of us a favor and keep your mouth shut until you think before speaking.”

  I drifted back off.

  When I woke again, I was able to pry open my eyes. A small sliver of daylight managed to peek through the barely opened curtains, causing me to wince.

  Turning away from it, I groaned feeling my head ache.

  “Isabel?” a voice whispered.

  I blinked focusing my eyes. “Gideon?” Why was he in my room? “What happened?”

  “What do you remember?” He reached out brushing his thumb across my upper arm. It felt nice which momentarily distracted me from both the pain and confusion. I tried to remember. It was like searching through a veil.

  “I was attacked,” I recalled. Lifting the arm he’d been touching, I felt a bandage wrapped around my upper left arm, which drew my attention to another around my right hand. I had fought back. “Is he dead?”

  Gideon shook his head. “We’ve interrogated him, but he claims not to remember how he got in your room. He has no memories of attacking you nor killing Zander?”

  “Za
nder?”

  He lowered his gaze and scratched at his chin. “The guard I had posted outside your door.”

  “How long have you been posting—” I stopped abruptly. I had been attacked several times now. Posting a guard was something incredibly normal to do, no matter how much it upset me. “Never mind. So he’s lying?”

  Gideon’s brow wrinkled as he watched me intently. “I don’t think so. If he is, then he’s very convincing. When you lie your body does certain things. As werewolves we can sense it, with some training. Kyle is showing no signs. When you’re feeling better, perhaps you’d like to question him?”

  “Me?”

  He nodded. “You are a hunter.”

  “Yes, but interrogation wasn’t really my domain.”

  “Of course.” He let it drop even though I could tell he wanted to ask more. His eyes glided over my injuries. “How are you feeling?” I tried to raise my brow mockingly, but a twinge shot across my forehead making me groan. Smirking sympathetically, he reached for a glass from my nightstand. “Here,” he offered me a drink. Gently he assisted me placing the glass to my lips. His eyes met mine and I thought I saw something there that seemed uncharacteristic for him. Tenderness. It took me off guard. Quickly I glanced away, staring ineptly at the nightstand noticing the new lamp that now rested there. I guess the other hadn’t survived being used as a weapon.

  “You should try to rest,” he whispered removing the drink from my lips and easing me carefully back down. He leaned back in the chair where he sat grabbing a book from his lap.

  I narrowed my gaze ignoring the ache I felt at the move. It was becoming apparent that he wasn’t going to leave. “Are you just going to sit there?” Was he planning on watching me sleep?

  “Isabel.” He shut his book with a huff. “You were just attacked—again—in my house. You’re damn right I’m going to sit here and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Now get some sleep.”