The wolf licked her face.
“Ewww, Raven. You know I hate that!” She rolled over and carefully removed her tank top, keeping the contents of his orgasm rolled up so she didn’t make a mess everywhere.
His wolf made a snickering noise as it jumped down from the bed, rocking her with the momentum of its launch She tossed her tank top into the laundry basket then made for the door. If she didn’t let the dog out, he’d go through it instead.
* * * * *
They’d decided to play hunt and seek. Aubrey’s idea, as usual. The boys were out and about, roaming the forest, playing, eating bunny rabbits, whatever it was they did during the day, and the girls were bored. Well, bored with training.
“Okay, what exactly are the rules of this game?” Hannah asked as she sheathed her throwing knife into the belt at her waist. She looked skeptical, forever the killjoy.
Darcy sighed. “It’s like hide and seek, but instead we track the boys. See if we can sneak up on them without them knowing.”
“But they’ll smell us from a mile away.” Summer leaned against a tree, looking exhausted.
“Come on! Have a little faith!” Aubrey said. “We’re Huntresses! This is what we were born to do! Besides, it’s good training.”
“And I can cloak us,” Darcy added with a smirk.
“That’s not fair.” Hannah chuckled a little. “Besides I’m pretty exhausted. Summer looks done too.” Hannah nodded toward Summer.
“Aren’t you at all curious to find out what the boys are up to when they take off all day?” Aubrey circled the two deadbeats, nudging Summer with the tip of her bow as she moved around the tree. “Don’t you wonder what they look like when they’re running around, how they interact with one another? Whether they stay together at all?”
Summer perked up a bit, pushing herself off the trunk. “Yeah, actually, I do wonder about that.”
“We can track them, but only if Hannah plays too.” Darcy nodded toward the redhead. “You’re the best at it.”
That wasn’t exactly true—Aubrey was getting pretty good at following the markings of other kinds of creatures. She’d been doing it her whole life, but Hannah did seem to have a natural affinity for it. Her magical abilities to read emotions seemed to help somehow.
“I’m telling you, they’d pick up on us way before we pick up on them,” Hannah said with a sigh, her tone suggesting defeat.
“I don’t think so,” Darcy said. “I think they’ll be too caught up in their own activities to notice us coming and I also think that we have an advantage because they won’t be expecting us. Come on, Hannah. This will only be fun if you come along.”
“It might be fun, actually, Hannah,” Summer said, her eyes alight.
Hannah looked at each of them in turn. Darcy guessed, what with her being the alpha’s mate, she felt some duty to keep them in line. But really, what was the harm in a little hunt and seek?
“We won’t leave the property.” Darcy crossed her fingers behind her back. “Promise.”
Hannah held her stare for a heartbeat before finally relenting. “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Great!” Darcy said.
“I’ve got to find my knives.” Summer moved with precision around the training area, plucking each of her knives from the targets and trees she’d thrown them in.
“How do you do that?” Darcy watched with growing awe. She knew vaguely where her weapons ended up when she threw them, but was certain there were a few that missed targets that she’d never be able to find.
“I etch on them.” Summer shrugged. “I like my blades. Dy gave them to me. Don’t want to lose them, so I etch a locator symbol on them. It’s pretty handy.”
“That’s fucking brilliant!” Aubrey said. “I’m going to need you to do that with mine.”
Summer smiled. “Of course.”
“Okay, girls,” Darcy said. “Daylight’s wasting. Let’s weapon-up and go hunting.”
“Why would we need to weapon-up if we’re not leaving the property?” Hannah’s voice was full of suspicion.
Darcy had already turned away, which was good because she couldn’t stop herself from wincing. She busied herself with shoving a few more knives in her belt.
“Come on, Hannah, it’s better to be prepared. It’s not like we have protective wards keeping other beasties out.” Aubrey bent to retrieve a couple of arrows, sparing a wink for Darcy.
“That’s true. I should probably do something like that, huh?” Summer gathered a few more knives for her belt.
Darcy shared a knowing look with Aubrey. They were so breaching the boundary. They wiped their lips of any smile before turning to face Hannah.
“We need to be prepared, of course. But we’ll play it safe. We know the property boundaries. Mayhem showed us all. We won’t even go near them. Now get over here so I can dose you all with a little magic cloaking,” Darcy said.
They were a good team, despite Hannah’s hesitation. Between her and Aubrey, they managed to track both Jaylon and Raven without the pair realizing the girls were even there.
They instinctively knew they couldn’t speak to one another—not with the boy’s super sensitive hearing. No one said a peep as they gazed at the wolves. Both Jay and Raven were napping in the sun on two large boulders in a clearing. There were remnants of a large deer at the edge of the tree line. Darcy tried not to think too hard on Raven consuming raw meat. She’d make extra sure he brushed his teeth before she called in that rain-check, though.
Aubrey nudged her then motioned for them to get moving. They all wanted to track the big prize. Mayhem.
Darcy nodded, took one last look at the peaceful form of her mate and then edged back through the brush she’d been hiding in. Once she was standing, she could still see Raven through the trees. He looked so peaceful. Content. She wanted to curl up with him and bask in the sun’s warmth.
Aubrey rustled a branch to get her attention, then made a face for her to snap out of her daze.
Darcy nodded. Yeah, yeah. Time to go.
She checked her weapons then started after the girls.
A scream came at them like a freight train. Long, terrifying. They all stopped. Eyes wide.
“What the fuck was that?” Summer whispered.
“Where did it come from?” Darcy’s body was shaking. The sound of the scream…
And then it happened again, this time cut short with a gurgle.
“That way!” Aubrey was moving before Darcy even registered what was going on.
“Wait, Aubrey!” Darcy turned, looked through the bushes for Raven only to see that the boulder was empty, no wolves lying there.
“Fuck!”
Chapter Six
Raven raced through the thick underbrush of the forest on all fours, his wolf form able to get through the dense foliage with little effort. The scream had come from the north, outside of the boundary markers of the pack’s territory. He didn’t hesitate as he crossed it. His wolf had reacted to the scream the same way he had.
Darcy.
There was no way to distinguish the voice, the sound of pure horror and pain giving him no clues, but he knew the girls were training outside and he also knew their penchant for getting into trouble. His wolf reacted on pure instinct.
Find our mate. Kill the threat.
Jay was on his heels, following his lead.
There was another scream, this one not as loud, punctuated by words. It sounded like begging but there was duplicity in the tone. Raven slowed his pace, taking more caution while still moving quickly. He knew enough not to break through the brush and make his presence known. His wolf was a natural born predator. Stealth was instinctual.
He stalked the area, catching glimpses of the scene playing out. Darcy wasn’t in danger. She wasn’t in the area; he would have felt her. He breathed in a deep sigh, feeli
ng a little less anxious and a little more curious. He found a spot to dig in, covered completely by a low-hanging branch with thick leaves. There were two women.
His senses pinged. Huntresses. His wolf grew restless. Danger.
He scanned the area, his hackles rising with unease. There was a smell he didn’t recognize. A beastly smell.
The women were talking and Raven’s wolf didn’t have the patience to concentrate on what they were saying. Human language always came in a garbled way and Raven just couldn’t make it out as full sentences. Based on the body language though, it wasn’t the friendly kind of meeting. One of the women—tall, blonde, a body that looked like it’d been built for war—had a sword tip to the other women’s throat. Her voice was gruff, barking like she was giving orders. The other woman—short, stocky, long dark hair, a scar running the length of the side of her face—was no victim though. No, Raven could see by her stance, by the minute flicker of her fingers, she was preparing for an attack.
Jay came up next to him, wedging his body in close to Raven’s. Fur against fur. Breathing in unison. Waiting. Every muscle tense and alert. They both watched.
“Submit.” Words drifted to Raven’s ears. A string of them from which he could only pick out bits. “It’s over.”
With a cackle, the shorter warrior made her move, whipping her arm up to brandish a hand sparking with magic like Darcy’s. Raven stood, ready to intervene if necessary.
The spell was launched, but the warrior with the sword was fast. She spun away, slashing her weapon with no hesitation. She opened up the other women with a gaping wound to the gut. The smell of blood hit Raven hard, making his wolf growl and paw at the ground. Inaction made it agitated.
The wounded Huntresses groaned, her eyes wide with shock as she clenched her belly and began to slide to the ground. The blonde warrior stepped forward, her arm coming around to hold up the other Huntress. With sword still in hand, she hoisted the wounded one higher before lowering her lips until she was kissing her victim.
Raven gave his head a hard shake. What the fuck was going on? Even his wolf didn’t understand this new revelation.
A different kind of magic pulsed and Raven looked over in time to see two beasts come crashing through the trees, adding a maelstrom of brutality to the amped up tension. Jay whimpered, ready to attack, waiting on Raven to lead.
Although Raven’s wolf wanted to take action as well, he held back. This was not their fight. He needed to warn Mayhem. Keep the girls away.
The blonde warrior released the injured one, letting her slide all the way to the ground. She spun, taking on both beasts with only her sword.
Raven began to back away from the undergrowth. He nipped at Jay, sending the message to retrieve Mayhem. And then he felt his mate approach, fast. Without warning, she came crashing through the trees, her hands held high with pulsing magic. Aubrey and the rest of the girls were in tow.
More beasts came out of the woods, and one immediately turned on Darcy, murder in its eyes.
Raven let out a long warning howl of rage, then launched himself into the melee.
* * * * *
Darcy couldn’t believe her luck. Not only were there four beasts right in her woods, but two warriors as well.
More Huntresses!
She launched her spell, knocking back the beast that approached, confident that Aubrey would keep it down with a well-aimed arrow. She was sure Raven was around and he’d finally see what she could do in the face of danger.
When that didn’t happen, when the beast righted itself and came at her again, Darcy took a few stumbling steps back. She didn’t have time to look for Aubrey. Instead, she pulled her tomahawk and let it fly, keeping her wrist locked and her eye on the prize. The weapon hit with a thud, impaling into the beast’s chest just as a wolf—Raven—barreled into its side, taking the beast down in a heap of fur.
“Raven?” Darcy ran to the beast’s body, yanking her weapon just as Raven righted himself.
He backed a few feet away, hackles totally raised, eyes blasting her with anger, teeth bared. Darcy winced. Raven was pissed.
Just as she was about to offer some kind of excuse, he launched himself in her direction, this time knocking her to the ground. She felt the breeze of a near miss, a beast coming at her from behind, its clawed paw only swiping at her hair as Raven took her to the forest floor. Darcy looked up at the monster, suddenly feeling like she was in way over her head. It had to be at least seven feet of muscle, fang, and claw. Raven roared at the thing, looking like a minor threat compared to what towered above her.
She glanced to the side and found a full battle raging. More beasts had come, all were engaged and here Darcy was, on the ground and pinned down by her mate. Useless and vulnerable and the only thing that could kill the threat.
She tried to shove Raven off her, anger making her scream at him to move. But he didn’t budge. He heaved deep heavy breaths, snorts of rage coming out as he challenged the gigantic beast.
With a snarl, the beast took a swipe at Raven, nearly hitting Darcy in the process. And then Raven lost his fucking shit.
He started to hyperventilate. His breathing rapid, hard, his body distorting right before her. He rose, muscles extending, body bulking to allow him the change. He was transforming. He was becoming the beast. Just what he didn’t want to happen.
Darcy watched with awe as he grew to match the size of the beast threatening her. His arms and legs becoming gnarled, claws lengthening. She used the distraction to scurry out from under him, moving back until she was clear of the pair. Her heart pounded fast, her own breathing ragged. What would this do to Raven? What was going on inside his head?
As she rose, she lifted her weapon, holding the tomahawk as if she would throw it. But she couldn’t, not without the risk of Raven getting hit.
Darcy did a quick scan of the scene around her. Hannah and Summer faced off with an injured beast that was on its knees, almost conquered. Jay was watching Aubrey’s back as she tried to staunch the flow from the gut wound of the wounded Huntress. The other warrior, the one with the sword, was preoccupied with the largest of the beasts, but she too was in a position to win. There was nothing for Darcy to do but watch as her mate faced off with a monster.
Where was Mayhem? She searched the forest around her. How was he not sensing this?
Raven attacked, brutal strength, power, all of his aggression was evident as he pummeled and snarled at his opponent. Darcy moved as they did, waiting for her opportunity to strike, or at least that was what she was telling herself. Really, she wasn’t sure what to do or what was happening to Raven on the inside. She wanted so badly to take the beast down as her mate beat the shit out of it, to show Raven that she was capable to fight with him, like a partner. The aggression rolling off the beasts thumped into her, and she was pumped, reveling in Raven’s brutality. Even though it meant things had changed for him, watching him kick some beastly ass was hot as hell and fed her need for blood.
Get your head in the game, woman.
Darcy moved around Raven, trying to break from his protective stance, but every move she made, he countered, as if he sensed her attempts to break free. He kept himself in between her and the beast even when the two locked together, arms entangled, claws opening gaping wounds to shoulders, fangs digging into any available flesh. Darcy moved again. If she could just get around, she could impale that monster with her axe.
Raven whipped his head and snarled at her, taking a bite of the air, telling her to stay put.
His distraction cost him.
His opponent howled as it grabbed Raven’s head like he would rip it off. One clawed hand raked down Raven’s neck and chest. Raven’s blood rained over Darcy in a splatter of warmth.
“Let him go!” she screamed, raising her tomahawk, ready to strike.
The beast howled its rage as a sword came from back to fro
nt, impaling the monster with a deadly strike. The beast glared at Darcy as it died, right there, falling away from Raven a second after that.
Darcy felt a rush of anger. Irrational sure, but anger all the same.
“That was my kill!” she blurted.
The Huntress glanced at her like she was nothing more than an inconvenience. Then she came at Raven, not stopping in her rampage, not distinguishing friend from foe, her eyes blazing with determination. Darcy thought her heart would stop as panic took hold.
“No, no, no!” She put herself between them.
Raven roared and swiped her shoulder, tearing open her flesh as he knocked her to the ground. There was a thunk. Darcy looked up to see one of Aubrey’s arrows embedded in Raven’s shoulder.
“No!” Darcy screamed as Raven stumbled back, clawed hand desperately trying to disengage the arrow.
The warrior stood over him, her sword raised as if to deal a killing blow. Darcy pooled her magic and let it go in a torrent of fear. The warrior stumbled back, her sword flying out of her grasp.
“That’s my mate, you bitch. Hands off.” Darcy jumped to her feet, another spell crackling in her palm.
“That’s Raven?” Aubrey came running over, her arrow now pointed at the fallen warrior as silence fell over the group.
Darcy held her position, blocking any threat from reaching him. “We need to get the arrow out. Summer, I need you to help Raven. The poison has to be already in his system.”
Summer jumped into action. “I’m on it.”
Dy came barreling out of the woods, late for the party and looking frazzled until his wolf eyes landed on his mate.
Raven was writhing on the ground, growling as he tore at his flesh. Summer approached tentatively. Dy took up position next to her, hackles rising with every step.
“Raven, I’m going to help you.” Summer got within a foot and then froze as Raven nailed her with his golden eyes and growled.
There was a gasp from across the clearing, the injured woman’s eyes wide, one hand raised to her mouth as she stared at Raven.
Beast Rising: The Order of the Wolf, Book 7 Page 5
