Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  At least they all had the good sense to leave her alone. It was just as well, she didn’t want to see any of them. She paced back and forth along the edge of the property, looking at, but not seeing the colorful wildflowers growing there.

  The more she thought about it, the tighter her neck and shoulder muscles clenched. In her head, a tiny jackhammer was busy building a whopper of a headache.

  If they were going to pound their chests like apes, she didn’t know if she’d be able to go through with this. Who was she kidding, anyway? She wasn’t anyone’s queen. Here she was, traipsing all over the countryside with men she’d just met. Talk about insanity.

  Sure, the idea of surrounding herself with people like her appealed to her, but this craziness was just too much. She’d managed on her own up until now and there was no reason she couldn’t continue to do so.

  Aiken strolled across the yard to stand near her.

  “May I join you?” Had she not been so pissed at all of them, she might have laughed. His facial expression told her he’d drawn the short straw and had been made to come out to check on her. His eyes were wide and he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

  “Will it matter if I say no?” Her arms crossed over her chest.

  He swallowed once before responding. “We’ve made a horrible impression so far, haven’t we? What happened back there wasn’t as it seemed.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m not going to discuss this with you.” Her voice faltered a little. “Drake shouldn’t have, either.” Her cheeks grew warmer.

  “He didn’t. I swear he didn’t. We felt your distress even before we got to the cottage. When he refused to tell us what upset you, Evan guessed.”

  “Who does he think he is? I’m a grown woman. I can make decisions for myself. I’ve been doing it for years. I haven’t had anyone play bodyguard for me for a long time—never in fact—and I sure as hell don’t want one now.” Energy popped and sizzled around her. “He had no right to interfere.”

  Her fingers shook as she pushed stray strands of her hair away from her face. “I want to go home, Aiken. My home.” She took a deep resigned breath. “I’m going to have to move again, but what else is new?” She stood taller, squaring her shoulders. “I know you think I’m your sister, and maybe I am, but all this is just too much. I can’t take it.”

  His face paled. “Rhia, let’s just talk about this.” His eyes darted to the cottage before he continued. “I know all of this has to be overwhelming for you. It is for us too.” He sighed. “We don’t know how to do this any more than you do.”

  She turned away, gazing into the lush forests beyond the clearing. “I don’t know if I can.”

  Though she didn’t hear him approach, she knew Drake would be standing there when she turned around. His energy had her skin tingling long before he spoke.

  “Can I speak with Rhiannon alone, please?” His eyes never left hers as he spoke. She had to fight the urge to heal the angry bruise emerging on his jaw. He didn’t deserve it. If she wasn’t so upset, Aiken’s obvious relief at being let off the hook would have made her laugh. She waited for Aiken to be gone before lighting into him.

  “Don’t even try to explain. I don’t want to hear it. What happened between us was private. I’ve never been more humiliated in my entire life.” She ground her teeth. “Those two may be my brothers, but they’re strangers to me. I can just imagine what they must think of me. It’s bad enough I threw myself at you but to have them know it too is beyond embarrassing.” Rhia took another deep, calming breath. “I told Aiken, and I’m telling you now. I want to leave. Take me back to the city. I’ll find a new place to live and we’ll pretend this whole thing never happened.”

  “I’m sorry I hurt you, Rhia. It was never my intention.”

  Her chin went up as she squared her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “If you want to go back, I’ll take you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I will, but please hear me out before you make your final decision.”

  She couldn’t help rolling her eyes skyward. What could he say to make her not want to melt into the landscape and disappear? His eyes pleaded for understanding, and although she wasn’t in the mood to forgive, she wasn’t so cold she wouldn’t let him say what he had to say. She sank down onto the soft grass in the shade of an old oak and patted the ground next to her. “I’m listening.”

  Rather than sit where she’d indicated, he sat, legs crossed, in front of her, giving her nowhere to look but him.

  “In a lot of ways, life in Avalore is very similar to life here. In others, it’s very different.” He shook his head, dropping his gaze from hers for the first time since he’d come out. “I never should have kissed you, Rhia. Not the first time, and certainly not here at the cottage. At least the first time I had the excuse I was sick and not in my right mind. I don’t have an excuse today.”

  Her head hung low, her chin touching her chest as her cheeks heated again.

  “You have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m the one who behaved dishonorably. You don’t know our ways, but I do.” He reached over and lifted her chin so her eyes met his again. “I kissed you because I wanted to. I knew it was wrong and I did it anyway.”

  “We did nothing wrong, Drake. Why is it such a big deal if it was what we both wanted?”

  “It wasn’t wrong of you, but it was of me. You don’t have the knowledge of our people, our values and traditions, but I do.” His deep sigh had warning bells clanging in her mind.

  “Just say what you need to say.” He was struggling way too much for this to be good.

  He took a breath, as though bracing himself. “Please keep an open mind. Our traditions and our customs, our very way of life, go back to the very beginning and have served our people well.”

  “Just say it already.”

  “The reason I shouldn’t have kissed you is because you’re not my mate. You belong to another. When it comes time for you to join him, your mate will not appreciate me kissing you.”

  “Say again? I’m someone’s mate and I need to join him?” She shook her head “Where is this mystery man of mine, and where exactly are we going?” Her heart seized. “Am I to be auctioned off to the highest bidder once we reach Avalore?” The pitch of her voice rose with every word.

  A horrified expression crossed his face. “No, of course not. You’re not a possession to be bought or sold. Each man and woman has a predestined mate. It’s not unlike the human concept of soul mates. Once a woman is ready, The Elders bring the right man forth so the woman can join with him, or rather they join one another. Once a couple is joined, they’re together for life.”

  Her eyes widened. That wasn’t very reassuring. If he was trying to change her mind, and get her to agree to go to Avalore, he was doing a lousy job of it. “So, the woman doesn’t get to choose whether or not she wants to be married to this man?”

  “No, she doesn’t, but then, neither does the man.” He sighed. “It works for our people, Rhia.”

  “What do they do, draw names out of a hat? What if the couple is incompatible?” How could anyone, man or woman, trust their lives to something so irrational? She’d grown up, like most little girls, dreaming of her very own Prince Charming. Even though the situation they faced was ridiculous in every way, she knew deep down she’d already found hers.

  Her heart skipped a beat. Spending the rest of her life with someone she might not like, much less love, made her stomach turn.

  He reached over, taking her right hand in his, caressing the back of it with his fingertip.

  “A small mark will appear right about here once the joining ceremony is complete. Both mates will bear it, kind of like the traditional rings humans wear, only our markings are permanent.” His finger stroked the spot again, sending a small shiver down her spine. “I have yet to see an unsuccessful joining, and I’ve never seen unhappy mates.”

  She swallowed s
everal times, trying to process what he was telling her before speaking. “You do realize how ludicrous that is, don’t you?” She shook her head as she stood to pace before him. “People shouldn’t marry because someone else says they should. They shouldn’t be made to spend their entire lives with someone they didn’t even get to choose.” She turned to him as he stood and stretched.

  “Listen, no harm was done. Let’s just forget about it and move on.” Now she’d had time to calm down, she knew she wouldn’t renege on her word. She’d go to Avalore and see if there was anything she could do to help. The fact she wouldn’t join with anyone once she got there was irrelevant at this point. She’d rather spend the rest of her life alone than have strangers dictate who she should marry.

  His gaze met and held hers. “We need you. Not just me, not your brothers, but everyone in Avalore. Don’t let my behavior turn you away from your people.”

  She took a deep breath. “No pressure, right?”

  He was absolutely still as he awaited her reply.

  “I’ll go. I won’t promise to stay, and especially not to get joined once I get there, but I’ll go.”

  Chapter 10

  Rhia took a deep breath. The decision to follow her instincts and go with Drake and her brothers to Avalore hadn’t been an easy one, but it was the right thing to do. She’d help if she could, then ask Drake to bring her back. It was the least she could do. It wasn’t like they could just stay at this cozy little cottage forever.

  The first prickle of unease hit her as Drake smiled, relief shining in his eyes. Her chest constricted as though a metal band was tightening around it, making it hard to breathe. Snapping her head towards the heavily wooded forest, she tried to see what it was her body was reacting to. The forest itself hadn’t changed, but the energy coming from its depths had. It was sinister and imposing, rather than serene as it had been just a few minutes ago.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Can’t you feel it? The forest is screaming. We have to go.” Her palms grew damp as she fought the urge to run.

  Evan and Aiken both burst out of the cottage, running towards them. “What’s going on?” Evan addressed Drake.

  Her gaze bored into the forest, seeking the source of her unease. She could barely hear her own words over her pounding heart as she spoke to all three at once. “Don’t speak out loud. They don’t know where we are, but they’re close.”

  She grabbed the back of Drake’s shirt as he stepped in front of her. It seemed silly, but she needed the small contact. The onslaught of dark energy coming at them nearly made her knees buckle as her brothers stood on either side of her.

  “How many do we face? I can’t sense them.” Evan growled the words as he and Aiken turned their backs to her, cocooning her between the three men.

  “We have to go. Right now. It’s an army, and I don’t think they’re just Erritrols either.” She huddled closer to Drake, wishing for once things wouldn’t get so hairy.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist, ready to take flight.

  “Take her through the portal. We’ll stay and fight. The others will be waiting for you at the edge of the city.” Evan spoke as a leader—a warrior—and Rhia couldn’t help being just a little bit proud, even if the words increased her mounting terror.

  “You can’t. You don’t understand. We’re surrounded and they’re closing in. Staying would be a death sentence, and I won’t let you do it.” She wasn’t prone to panic, but she was near hysteria. “I told Drake I’d go to Avalore, and I will, but only if all three of you come with me now.”

  All three men drew in a swift breath as the oppressive energy resonating in the air reached them.

  “The choice is yours. We all go now, or I stay and fight with you.”

  She shook as she waited for his answer. She knew Drake would have no trouble transporting her without her consent, but she hoped they’d listen.

  “If you stay, we’re all dead. They’ll kill you and Aiken, then come after us. It’s simple. My life is in your hands.” She was playing dirty, and she knew it, but they had to move.

  “We’ve no time for debate. I can smell them now. What do you want us to do, Evan?” A small growl rumbled from Drake’s chest as his arms tightened around Rhia.

  “Damn it. We go.”

  Drake didn’t wait for further instruction as he shot straight up into the air, ignoring Rhia’s high-pitched squeak as they took off.

  “We’re not far from the portal.” The warmth of his hand on her back soothed her. “When we start to cross, you’ll feel a wrenching sensation. Don’t worry, I’ll be right there with you.”

  She peered over his shoulder, hoping to see if her brothers were following, but cloaked as they were, she couldn’t spot them. She buried her nose in the crook of his neck. She just had to believe Evan would keep his word.

  “It’s okay. I trust you.”

  “It will take less than a minute to get to the dark lands once we reach the portal.” He was in total warrior mode now, not gruff, but it wasn’t the same gentle voice of the man who had spoken with her back at the cottage. “Be sure to stay with me at all times. The dark lands are nowhere you’d want to be by yourself.”

  She snorted. Like she’d even think of just wandering away. “Just tell me what I can do to help.”

  It wasn’t long before the roaring and howling rage of the beasts reached their ears as the creatures found they had escaped once more. A loud blast followed by a strong shock wave reached them in the air moments later. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Had they stayed just a few more seconds, they’d all be dead by now.

  “Once we cross, you can’t make a sound, no matter what you see or hear. Stay cloaked at all times. If anything is waiting on the other side, we’ll have to battle our way through.” He was cool and calm, as if fighting a pack of rabid animals was an everyday occurrence. “Five seconds before we cross, brace yourself.”

  Suddenly, her skin tightened as though it had shrunk. Her bones ached as some unknown force pulled at them like a magnet. Even the air was wrong; it was too thick to breathe. It wasn’t noxious, but she couldn’t get enough of it into her lungs. She dug her fingers into Drake’s shoulders.

  “Take some deep breaths. Your body will adjust.” His words were strong and confident, keeping her from going into a full-blown panic attack.

  She closed her eyes and concentrated on his voice, taking the few deep breaths he’d prescribed before opening her eyes again. When the suffocating feeling started to fade and her lungs expanded with ease, she loosened her grip on him.

  Her confidence wasn’t such that she’d let go of him any time soon, but at least she was able to look around as they moved through this new place. Where the day had been sunny and bright on the other side of the portal, it was pitch dark in this land. She could barely see the outline of Drake’s face mere inches from hers.

  “Use your other senses while your eyes become adjusted to the darkness. Feel what surrounds us. Use your energy. We are not alone.”

  She did as instructed and was amazed at the amount of information she was receiving. There were quite a few creatures out there, but they didn’t even so much as acknowledge their presence. Her startled cry was loud in the quiet city when he set them down on a cobblestone street.

  “We’re on the ground now. Stay close.”

  She would have panicked in the absolute darkness had Drake not kept his hand on her elbow, guiding her through the darkness.

  Chapter 11

  The outlines of buildings around Rhia began to take shape as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. People were going about their daily—or nightly—business. She knew they were there, but she couldn’t see them, not well anyway.

  She tried to act tough, but her quivering voice betrayed her. “Who are these people? They aren’t human, or even like you, are they?”

  “Like us, and no, they aren’t. These are Radrens. They live on the edge of the dark lands. They’ve permitted us safe p
assage through the portal when needed, with the condition we leave them alone and do not linger.”

  Darkness began to fade like a night with a bright full moon in a cloudless sky. She was able to distinguish more of the Radrens’ features now. The men and women were all about the same height, somewhere around seven feet tall, though she had no intention of getting close enough to find out. Their facial features were similar to humans, maybe a little more exaggerated, all except for their eyes. The Radrens’ eyes were huge, and mostly black with an eerie, bright yellow, almost neon hued iris. Their arms and legs were lanky and long, yet they moved with fluidity and grace.

  Very few spared them even a cursory glance. Drake had cloaked them, yet the Radrens could still see them. She caught one of the males nodding at Drake, before it turned away.

  “We travel on foot through the village. The Radrens are uneasy with our way of travel. Stay close. No one will approach us, but if they do, don’t speak unless it’s necessary and you’re spoken to. They tolerate us, but just.”

  “Not a real friendly bunch, are they?”

  “They aren’t hostile. They just live in peace and don’t want to bring trouble to their village.”

  Evan and Aiken were still following them. Had it not been for their energies behind her she might have thought they’d stayed back to face the beasts alone.

  Drake’s footsteps quickened as he took the lead, once again in front of her, shielding her body with his own. She rushed to keep up, sticking her fingers into his back pocket to ensure they wouldn’t be separated. She wasn’t a coward, but this was just too strange. He set a brisk pace, taking them through the village streets.

  The moment they reached the outskirts, she became aware of others surrounding them. If she had to guess, she’d say they were Avalorian. They felt like Drake and her brothers, only each unique. The energy flowing toward her was protective, not hostile.

  “Who are they?”

  He acknowledged the men on either side of them. “You don’t have to whisper, no one can hear our private conversations. Those men are our people, your people. They’re part of the Coalition.”