The Hunt (Shifter Origins)

by Harper A. Brooks

  As much as it killed her to do what Rafé ordered, she had to protect her family.

  Slowly, Cara reached out with trembling hands and took the dress from his open palm. The blue fabric was thick and heavy compared to her mother’s.

  “I know your weakness, Cara,” Rafé teased, lifting his pointed chin. “It took me some time to realize, but I see it now. You’ll do anything for your family. Anything.” His gaze hardened on her. “So do the right thing. Put on the dress.”

  …

  Cara looked up with drooping eyelids as the early morning sunlight peeked through the forest canopy. She had survived an entire night as Rafé’s captive. Exhaustion made her limbs as heavy as boulders, but she didn’t dare shut her eyes, not even for a second. She didn’t trust any of the Majasha anymore, especially Rafé. The man she’d thought wanted only to protect her was nothing but a slithering serpent.

  After she had thrown the Hunt dress over her thin gray one to complete his fantasy, Rafé had moved Cara to sit by Danil near the center of the clearing. Although she preferred to be beside the boy and not any of the Majasha men, it did little to ease the anxiety growing inside her. Danil’s panic didn’t lighten either, and many times during the night, he’d mumble something about how they were destined to die in some brutal, gruesome way.

  Sani never returned from his trek into the panther village, and the thought of him possibly harming her grandmother and sister plagued her, making her rethink another attempt to escape. That’s what Rafé had wanted—to scare her into submission—and it had worked. But Kael needed her, too. And Danil. She had to help them.

  Because the dense forest canopy concealed most of the sun, she couldn’t pinpoint what time of day it truly was, but the city had to be gathering in the marketplace by now for Kael’s ascension ceremony and celebration.

  There had to be a way for everyone to come out of this alive and safe in the end. Her temples pounded. What was she going to do?

  Cara tracked each Majasha as they moved—every step, every huff or grunt. Barun still hovered nearby, flicking his knives in and out of their sheaths so quickly the blades were a blur of silver, while Rafé and Felic fiddled with the weapons they’d collected, muttering to each other in hushed tones. She strained to listen for anything that might aid her or simply give her an idea of what to do next.

  “Do you think they’ll all leave during the ceremony?” Danil’s panicky whisper shattered her concentration and made her jump.

  Cara shushed him, her gaze never leaving Rafé and his men, who seemed too occupied in what they were doing to hear them. She wondered just how much time she had before they went to the market and carried out their revolution.

  “I doubt they’ll leave us completely alone,” she mumbled. That’d be too easy. With a single dart left, Rafé had only one more chance to take down the tiger family. He wouldn’t risk the ruin of his plans. “Barun will probably stay behind.” But she didn’t want to wait that long to find out if she was right. She had to figure out what to do and fast.

  Even though Barun was shorter than the others, the way he handled his knives sent shivers up Cara’s spine. His speed and accuracy were terrifying. He could peel the skin off bones before the person could blink.

  Think, Cara! You have to get out of this! She scanned the clearing again. Maybe she could sweet-talk her way over to the weapons, pretend like she agreed with everything Rafé wanted for them, then use whatever she could get her hands on to escape. But would Rafé believe the act? She sighed. Probably not.

  She glanced over at Danil, who was fiddling with the tassels, beads, and feathers attached to his satchel, and an idea struck.

  Leaning closer to him, she murmured, “Danil, do you still have the blowpipe?”

  He nodded.

  Then they had a chance. Cara’s heart fluttered with hope. The Majasha needed the pipe to shoot the dart. If she held it for ransom, threatened to destroy it if they didn’t call Sani back and let her and Danil go, it could be their way out. Sure, Rafé could always whittle a new one, but that would take too long.

  “Give it to me. Quick.”

  Taken aback, Danil fumbled with the bag’s latch and opening flap. He shoved his hand inside and pulled out the small, twig-like blowpipe. Cara grabbed it and slid it under the dress’s fabric, hoping it would be the best way to conceal it. Her eyes shifted toward Rafé again, only to find him staring at her. Her stomach dropped. He’d seen her.

  “Cara…” Rafé singsong use of her name made her skin crawl. “What are you hiding there?”

  She cursed silently. There went their last chance. Gone.

  Rafé walked toward them with a thick tree branch in his hand. It was the width of her head. “Give it to me,” he said, his tone cool, but his nostrils flared to show his annoyance.

  Cara’s panther pushed for release, her pulse speeding up to triple its normal pace. She jumped to her feet, and Danil stumbled to his. He looked at her for the next move. She searched around them for something—anything—that could help them. There was only a sea of clovers, nothing else.

  Rafé extended his hand. “Don’t make me call for Sani. I really don’t want to have to hurt Ryna and Alina. I’ve grown quite fond of the little girl.”

  She bit the side of her cheek to keep fear from clouding her head. There had to be a way of saving Danil and Kael, along with keeping her family safe.

  A new idea came to her. It would mean risking herself, but it seemed to be the only option she had. She drew in a deep breath, reached under her dress, and took out the blowpipe. Dear Sajra, she hoped this worked.

  Rafé growled, looming closer. “Give me that now.”

  With her heartbeat roaring in her ears, she did the only thing she could think of. She pulled her arm back and threw the blowpipe as high and as hard as she could into the Bilha Forest. Every eye followed the thing as it sailed into the canopy and out of sight.

  Not wasting a second, Cara shoved Danil toward the trees. “Run! Go! Warn the prince!” She prayed Kael would believe him.

  Danil was off, sprinting out of the clearing and into the concealment of the trees.

  Barun and Felic whipped around and raced after Danil.

  “No!” Rafé bellowed. “Leave him! Find the pipe!”

  “But what if he gets to the tigers?” Barun asked.

  “No one’s going to believe him. A panther. And if the prince smells the teralau on him, he’ll think he’s the assassin and have him killed. He won’t see us coming.”

  Oh no… She hadn’t thought of that. Her stomach churned, and bile rose up, scalding the back of her throat. Had she just sent Danil to his death?

  She wanted to kick herself for being so foolish. All she’d done was aggravate Rafé and make things worse. It would only be a matter of time before they tracked down the blowpipe and brought it back. Then they would be right back where they’d started.

  The two Majasha men changed directions and ran off the opposite way.

  “Follow the scent of mint!” Rafé shouted after them as they disappeared. “We need that pipe!”

  His head snapped toward Cara, his eyes glowing a fiery yellow, and he let out a thunderous roar. The pure, untamed fury in his stare made her breath hitch. Suddenly, the back of his hand collided with her cheek in one hard smack, sending her off balance. Her knees gave out, and she hit the ground, her ears ringing.

  Wincing, she touched the hot, stinging flesh, and when she opened her mouth to cry out, the muscles in her jaw clicked and popped. Pain laced up the side of her face, and her eyes welled with tears.

  “Why, Cara? Why do you continue to test me? It’s not fun anymore.” Rafé stood over her, his face contorted with rage, but his voice remained sweet and silky. His once slicked-back hair clung to his forehead, which glistened with sweat. “This could have been so easy. Now you’ve just sent Danil to his death.”

  Cara’s head whirled with pain, but she pushed herself up on shaky arms. Terror capturing her breath, she began to c
rawl away from him, toward the trees. If she stayed still, he was going to kill her. She could feel it in her bones.

  Just before she could reach the tree line, fingers wrapped around her ankle and tugged her back.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Streamers of gold and red lined every tent and merchant’s booth in the marketplace, and wind-catchers spun and danced with the slightest breeze. Tiny strips of colored paper floated through the air and littered the packed-clay ground. The lively rhythm of several bass drums, flutes, and horns filled Kael’s ears as he stood hidden from view behind the dais at the crowded city center. He peered at Sajra’s colossal statue, draped in fabrics of every color to represent the families of the city uniting on this day. Browns, pinks, blues, purples and silvers—he noticed every color but Cara’s light sage green he had become so accustomed to. Was it really only days ago that he had stood here, alongside his father as he announced the upcoming Hunt, moments before falling dead at Kael’s feet? It felt like years ago.

  Kael wasn’t the same man he was then—ignorant and disconnected from the world—and Salus wasn’t the ruler he’d thought he was, either. So much had changed since that day, and it was all because he’d chased a panther girl down the river, convinced she was something she wasn’t.

  He glanced at the neatly folded Hunt gown and headscarf perched delicately on a pillow in Corbin’s hands. Having it made especially for Cara—the crimson color, gold threading, and floral detailing was exquisite but so different than her mother’s simple green one—he hoped she thought it just as beautiful. Most of all, he hoped she accepted his offer to run with him and be his mate. His pulse launched at the idea of rejection. Even though he was sure she cared for him, he was terrified that he had driven her away forever. And if she forgave him, would she then agree to become regis to the city that had hated her kind for decades?

  The center of his chest ached. He wanted nothing more than he wanted Cara to be his. Forget what his mother thought. His only hope was that his people understood his decision and his plans to lead them.

  Kael sighed, turning toward the cheetah guard. “Corbin, today I choose my regis.” He couldn’t believe this day had finally arrived, and he was seconds away from receiving his father’s robes and ascending from prince to ruler of all the city. “Today I become their rei.”

  Sweat dotted Corbin’s forehead beneath his head-wrap, but he stood perfectly still despite the climbing temperature. “It is a beautiful day for it, my prince.”

  But Kael wasn’t looking for a formal answer from a guard. He wanted advice from a friend. “The people might not understand,” he continued, running his hands down his red-silk shirt. His throat was dry and scratchy, and he swallowed, tasting sand. For a moment, he wondered how much he should really reveal to Corbin, but figured it would do nothing to change his mind. Sajra would know his choice for regis soon enough. “I’ve learned a lot about the panthers these past couple of days. They aren’t the animals we thought they were. Especially not Cara. They want what we all do. To be able to live. Survive. I need to fix what Rei Salus started almost half a century ago. I need to make it all right again.”

  A smile teased the guard’s lips, and his rigid stance softened. “May I speak freely, my prince?”

  “Of course.”

  Corbin scanned the area around them then murmured, “Do you love the panther girl? Cara?”

  “Yes,” Kael replied. There was no need to deny or hide it anymore. “I do.”

  He looked up the length of Sajra’s statue and then down at the Hunt clothing on the pillow in his hands. “We are told the story of Sajra and the Hunt since childhood. Of peace and eternal love. If Cara is the one your heart desires, it shouldn’t matter whether she is a panther or a leopard or cougar. Be honest with the people. They may be hesitant at first, but they will trust in you as their rei—and her as their regis. I do.”

  Kael raked his fingers through his hair, pushing the dark strands from his face. Even though Corbin hadn’t said much, what he had meant more to Kael than he knew. It was exactly what he needed to hear, and it eased his chaotic thoughts. At least he had one ally in all this.

  Kael reached out and gripped him firmly on the shoulder, like a friend. A silent thank you.

  Corbin gave him a solid nod in return.

  Another guard appeared behind the dais and bowed his head. The snow leopard within the man revealed itself in the white whiskers covering his chin and black spots speckled around his neck. “The marketplace is full, Prince Kael.” Corbin locked his knees and pulled his shoulders back again when the guard glanced his way. “The people have all gathered.”

  “Have all the panthers arrived, too?” Kael asked, his stomach swooping at the thought of Cara being in the crowd. He tried to remember what Corbin had told him and fought back the nerves, but he was suddenly queasy.

  “Yes, my prince. Everyone in the village has been ushered here.”

  Good. Then everyone could witness his announcement. “And my mother?” Kael hadn’t seen her since their conversation the day before. Although he hadn’t revealed his choice for a mate then, he was sure she thought he’d chosen Nasha as his regis.

  She was going to be furious with him when she found out he picked Cara, but it would fade eventually. And if it didn’t, there was nothing she could do to change it after he took the throne. He could live with his mother’s anger. He couldn’t live without Cara.

  “Regis Jaleh is standing beside the statue, on the other side of the dais,” the leopard responded. “She’s eager to hear your announcement.”

  He was sure she was.

  “Guards have been stationed around the marketplace,” he went on. A bead of sweat rolled down his pale cheek, but he didn’t lift a hand to wipe it away. “Any suspicious activity will be dealt with.”

  The possibility of an assassination attempt was in the back of his mind, too. Standing on the dais would make him an easy target for the killer. With little to go on for a suspect, his guards had been ordered to watch everyone, panthers or not. The thought of moving his ascension ceremony to another day, after they had arrested the right person for the crime, briefly came to mind, but he couldn’t let his fear prevent him from his obligations as Sajra’s new rei. He had to show his people he was brave. All he could do was to have faith that his extra precautions today made the assassin rethink any plans.

  Kael thanked the guard and waited for him to leave before turning back to Corbin.

  “Are you ready, Prince Kael?” the young cheetah questioned. His reassuring half smile returned.

  Kael inhaled deeply, reminding himself he couldn’t delay this any longer, no matter how much his heart pounded and worry polluted his head. The stiff material of his shirt clung to his skin, and drips of sweat slid down his spine. The music pounded louder and at a faster tempo, speeding his pulse. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  With Corbin leading him, Kael climbed the few steps to the dais to stand in front of Sajra’s statue. He walked to the middle, legs heavy, and gazed down at the worn boards. Dark stains marked the wood at his feet. This was where his father had fallen, convulsing while the poison leaked from his mouth. Kael stood exactly where Salus had the moment he’d died.

  Kael’s gut wrenched, and he quickly looked up at the crowd gathered below. There had to be hundreds of people there for his ascension ceremony—maybe more. Every eye focused on him as he cupped his hands behind his back and blinked against the bright sunlight.

  At the front of the stage, people stretched to touch his boots, and over the thunderous mixture of excited voices and energetic songs, he could just make out their praises to the blessed mother, Sajra, for giving them such a handsome, compassionate, and honorable ruler. Some in the crowd swayed to the steady beat of the musicians’ drums, their bodies moving as fluidly as water, while others waved beads and scarves above their heads and cheered. The rays from the high sun glinted off the gems around their necks and wrists, like twinkling stars.

  The stinging
heat pressed against his cheeks and forehead, and from the corner of his eye, Kael noticed Jaleh climb the other steps to meet him on the dais. She stood toward the back, also dressed in crimson, with her white striped hair twisted on top of her head. Even now, when he was about to ascend, become rei of Sajra, and choose his mate, he could find no emotion in her expression. No joy or pride. Her face was as smooth as a rock from the riverbed, and for a moment, Kael wondered why he had ever tried so hard to please his mother and father. It had been a wasted effort.

  He wouldn’t make that mistake again. It was time to live for himself. Be who he wanted to be, with whoever he wanted to be with.

  Cara.

  Kael gaze swept the marketplace, expecting to see her in the same place they’d first exchanged glances, between two of the merchants’ tents. Panthers lingered around the marketplace’s edge, clinging to the shadows, and his royal guard roamed close to them. He saw faces of all shapes and sizes, mostly unfamiliar. People of all animal species—cheetah, jaguar, lynx, cougar. But not the familiar copper skin, full lips, and sparkling yellow eyes he wanted to find. Not Cara.

  At the far back of the group, near the trees, Kael’s eyes settled on two familiar faces. Cara’s grandmother and younger sister stood in the shade. Distress wore heavy on the old lady’s brow, and the child clung to her own long, twisted braid. Every so often, they would glance at the large, brooding man beside them. An ugly scar marred his right eye, while his good one flicked side to side, catching any passing movement.

  Kael had never seen him before, but his tiger perked up in alarm, and an uneasy feeling wormed its way up his spine.

  Where was Cara? His guard had said everyone had been gathered—unless she was still too upset with him to come. Maybe she was still hiding out in the giant nuna tree, away from his guards’ eyes. It was mandatory to attend the ceremony. Would she risk being arrested again?