Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge

by Bonnie Rose Leigh

Chapter Three

  Agitated beyond belief, Hunter watched as the transporter beam took his friend to the ship where med-techs were on standby, awaiting their prince. He hoped he wasn’t too late. The last thing he wanted to do was let him go up to the ship alone. He felt as though he should be there. His friend risked his life for him and his mate. It seemed such a small thing to expect of one’s best friend.

  He hated to leave him alone with the healers. No one deserved to wake injured and alone but he needed to go back for his mate. As much as he hated to admit that his bond with his oldest friend was changing, his mate needed his help now more than Mikel did. Mikel was their prince and his people would do everything in their power to ensure he lived.

  Turning back to the path that would lead him to where he’d last seen his mate, he inhaled deeply and followed her scent. Pride filled him at her inner strength. She would be no submissive to follow his lead. This woman was strong enough to rule by his side and as his father had just decreed, that was as it should be. Even as injured and filled with pain as she was, she’d managed to overcome her own inner turmoil to help when needed.

  Hunter longed to bond with her—to truly be one. Yet, he knew he must wait a while longer. He knew she wasn’t ready for a mate bond. Hell, she may never be ready for it, but it would come, no matter how hard she resisted. She may not realize it, but the emotional tie between them was strong and soon, like it or not, their bodies would demand the formal binding of the Manruvian mate bonds. It was strange how for months he and his mate had shared a connection, both mental and spiritual and yet, he still didn't know her name.

  He heard a woman's scream, and though he knew it wasn't that of his mate, he quickly shed his clothes and changed to his other form on the run. He would stop any threat to his mate, no matter the cost. Their tie was already strong enough that he knew he would die for her—heir to his father’s rule or not. His life would be worth nothing without her in it.

  When he rounded the corner, he saw a man using a laser whip on his mate. Cold rage whipped through him. A fury as icy as the planet they now found themselves on stole through his body when he saw the wide gash in his mate’s fur. Blood welled up from the wound, dripped down her side and stained the snow red. An icy storm brewed within him as his anger grew, seethed, as he watched her precious life’s blood flow onto the once pristine snow. For that reason alone, the man would die.

  Another male loomed over a trembling female, the one he'd heard scream no doubt. The young woman cowered from the man, defense wounds on her arms and hands where she’d already attempted to deflect the blows from the deranged fanatical follower of the Black Rose. She scurried backward, terror filling her face as the large man followed her. He held a laser whip gripped in one hand, a phase pistol in the other as he looked on her horror-filled gaze with maniacal glee. Pinned beneath his mate’s weight, a lone female struggled, doing her best to escape her fate. Obviously, this one had lost a challenge in the past if her lack of left hand was any indication.

  He’d seen enough. It was time this ended. With little regard for his own safety, and before anyone could react, he'd pounced on the one holding the whip, ripped his throat out and was landing on the other male roaring out his outrage before the rebel could so much as utter a sound.

  Behind him, he heard a terrified whimper. Knowing there was no time to waste, he made quick work of the trembling male beneath him, tearing out his throat as quickly as he could. He ignored the inevitable death twitch and whipped around, scented for danger, ready to defend his mate against anyone who dared harm her or those she protected.

  His mate, though injured, was in fine form. She made quick work of the traitorous female, swiping a paw across her throat, leaving her to bleed out on the ground. Though he wanted nothing more than to shift and cuddle his mate to his heart and make sure she’d be fine, Hunter padded over to the still trembling woman instead. Gently as he could, he nudged her with his muzzle, indicating she should climb onto his back.

  Rather than take the hint, she scurried away, curled into a tight ball and began to rock back and forth, whimpering into her chest. Realizing that being near her only caused her more trauma, Hunter retreated a short distance, and lowered himself to the ground. Laying his head on his front paws, Hunter waited for the woman to relax, though he knew before long they’d have no choice but to leave. The last thing he wanted to do was force either of these two women to do anything. Up until now, others had forced their choices on the women, giving them no say in what would happen to them. He refused to begin his relationship with his mate in the same way, if he could help it. Within seconds of lying down, his mate nudged the woman. When she still wouldn’t respond, wouldn’t move, his mate nipped the woman’s thigh then gave a low growl.

  His mate nudged her again, and this time the woman pushed herself to her wobbling elbows before sitting up. She reached a shaking hand out to the lioness, rubbing her behind the ear as if she were a pet. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  The frail woman turned toward him, lowered her gaze. She swallowed once. Twice. He could tell the thought of speaking to him directly terrified her. “Thank you, too. If you two hadn’t shown up when you did, they would have taken me back down there.” She shuddered, whether from cold or fear, Hunter didn’t know. “I couldn’t have survived down there much longer.” Tears ran down her cheeks, glistening on her face as they froze in the icy cold of the elements.

  Hunter grunted, the only acknowledgement he could give her while still in lion form. Again, his mate nudged the woman, this time none too gently as she grabbed the woman by the bottom of her thread-bare tunic. She had to be freezing, but at least she had some form of covering. His mate had naught but a filthy sheet to wrap around herself.

  His brave lioness pushed the woman closer until she slipped up onto his back. Burying her face in his thick mane, she sighed. “You’re so warm. I haven’t been warm in weeks—maybe months.” She turned to look at his female. “Oh God, I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me. I should have known, should have been stronger, should have fought harder.”

  The woman continued to babble as Hunter began the long trek down the mountain, evidently soothed by the droning sound of her own voice. It was fine with him as long as his mate kept at his heels. He refused to leave her on the mountain this time. If there were others to rescue, he would send more men down. His mate also needed medical care and she needed it now. She would need the help of the female healers—those who healed the mind and the body. Both of these women would soon need to seek their council.

  They rounded a bend he knew led to the clearing where his ship sat below. He would have just had them transported aboard, but it was more difficult for the Manruvian transporters to lock onto their life signs while they were in their Lionese form. And now, with their weapons and clothing left behind, their human forms were not only more vulnerable to the weather, they were also more vulnerable to attack.

  A cold feeling clenched his gut and he rolled onto the ground, throwing Maryann into a nearby snow bank. His mate too felt the threat with her heightened Lionese senses. She ran to the girl, pushed her toward the ship and snarled. The girl, not needing another warning, turned and ran to the relative safety of the ship until she reached the entry and several males rushed out. His bodyguards and those of Mikel rushed toward them as he and his mate turned to face their enemy. When would these poor, demented souls realize they worked for a lost cause? When would they give up and quit trying to stop their escape?

  Hunter barely had the time to wonder exactly how many women they’d actually rescued from this hellhole before his mate growled a warning. With a speed that astounded him, she threw herself at the lion easily twice her size that seemed to appear out of nowhere to ambush them.

  By the Goddess Alana, he’d never seen a lioness move that fast. Before he could aide his mate, a dozen or more lions rushed the small clearing. Surrounded, they were cut off from the ship and their avenue of escape. With a roar, he charged into
the fray, taking down every lion shifter between him and his mate. He’d fight by her side, in this, as in all things.

  By the time he reached her side, the frozen ground was littered with the dead and dying. Some were his allies, but most were the enemy. Back to back, Hunter and his mate stood, their bodies quivering, their lungs billowing as they tried to absorb the frozen air.

  Energy coursed through his body. He knew, as soon as they reached safety, he’d want only one thing, especially with his mate finally within touching distance. He’d want to mount her. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to take his mate, wouldn’t be able to sate the desire that would bombard him and knowing that, he wanted to destroy the rebels that intercepted their departure all over again.

  Through their bond, Hunter could feel his mate weakening. Her body swayed and their connection dimmed. Sensing her coming collapse, he shifted back to his human form and moved to her side.

  “It’s okay, moya. I have you. Shift and I’ll get you to safety.”

  A few seconds passed, while Hunter waited, holding his breath to see what her decision would be. Would she trust him in this? He hoped she’d rely on him, at least in this. If not, he’d do whatever he needed to earn her trust. He wouldn’t give up on her—on them.

  As though the Goddess Alana herself heard his prayers, his mate shifted, collapsing into his arms in an unconscious heap. With great care, Hunter lifted his mate into his arms. Heedless of the cold or his nudity, he carefully navigated the clearing. “Gather up the living, have their wounds treated then moved to a holding cell. I want to know everything we can about the Black Rose’s activities.”

  “And the dead?” Beran, one of Mikel’s bodyguards, asked.

  “Leave them for their compatriots to deal with. I’ll be in the medical bay if anyone needs me.”

  “Understood, Prince Shi’Lan and may I be the first to congratulate you on finding your mate.”

  Hunter nodded then moved into the transport beam. Only after the medical personnel assured him she’d live would he finally be able to rejoice. Until then, all he could do was pray.

  * * * *

  For the first time in Goddess knows how long, Amy felt well rested and ready to take on the day. She slowly stretched, luxuriating in the feel of the soft mattress beneath her, the sweet scent of lilies in the air, and the blessed warmth of the bedding around her. She smiled, enjoying this lovely dream. Soon, she’d wake and she’d be back in her dank cell waiting for the next male to rut on her unwilling body.

  She shoved her bleak thoughts aside, doing her best to enjoy this short respite. She rolled onto her side, smiled into her feather soft pillow and inhaled the clean scent. Minutes passed, and still she didn’t wake. Her brows furrowed in confusion. The scents were all wrong. The warmth, the comfort, the feeling of safety--all wrong. Everything felt too real, too substantial to be a dream. And, if she wasn’t dreaming that meant this was all real… The bed, the warmth, everything. How?

  Afraid to open her eyes, Amy just laid there, allowing her mind to work through the problem. Questions circled in her mind, questions she had no answers to. Where was she? How did she get there? Who had her and what did they want? In the months since she’d been held captive, she realized one thing—favors were always given with the taking of favors in exchange. Her only question was how high was their price?

  Her heart thumped madly against her chest. Panic threatened to overwhelm her. She continued to lie still and feign sleep while she tried to calm her racing heart. It wouldn’t do to alert whoever guarded her that she’d regained consciousness.

  Before she could come up with any answers, she heard the unmistakable hiss of a door opening then muffled footsteps approaching. That answered one question then, she was on a ship. That wasn’t a sound she’d likely ever forget. Her body tensed as she sensed the newcomer approaching. This might be her only chance to flee, and she wouldn’t waste the opportunity to escape if it presented itself.

  The footsteps grew closer then stopped altogether. Someone cleared their throat—a woman, if she had to guess. “Why don’t you get some sleep, Hunter? You haven’t left her side in three days.”

  Amy’s breath hitched. Her heart stuttered then galloped in her chest. She knew that voice, prayed for months she’d hear it again one day.

  “I can’t, Eve. Could you leave the room if it were Taliff lying in that bed, unconscious and unresponsive?”

  Amy heard Eve sigh. “You have a valid point. I wouldn’t want to leave his side either, Hunter, but collapsing from both exhaustion and starvation won’t help either of you in the long run. You should at least eat something. You haven’t eaten since we brought her aboard.”

  “I just can’t leave my mate, Eve. I need to be here when she wakes. She needs to know that I’ll be by her side—that I will always be there when she needs me.”

  Amy could hear the male’s worry, could feel it in her mind. She barely kept herself from shuddering. She didn’t want to be connected with a male. Any male. After the horrors she’d been through, she didn’t think she could ever let a man touch her again. Not willingly.

  “Amy isn’t going anywhere, Hunter. And you were right there when the healer who treated her insisted she only needed sleep.”

  “But it’s been three days.”

  “Yes, Hunter, and it may be three more. Look, go eat and while you’re at it, bathe. By the Goddess Alana, you stink. You don’t want your mate’s first glimpse of you when she wakes to be of you with your hair sticking up every which way, three day’s worth of hair growth on your face, and bloodshot red-rimmed eyes.”

  “But…”

  “No buts, Hunter. I’ll call you on the communications system the second she shows signs of waking.”

  “Fine,” the man agreed. She could hear both reluctance and resignation in his voice, could almost feel it. But, that was impossible. Wasn’t it? Nothing about this situation made sense, especially nothing they said. And what’s with all this mate business anyway?

  She felt the lightest touch as someone smoothed a hand down her hair. Calloused fingers trailed down her cheek, the column of her throat. Then the hand retreated and so did some of the warmth surrounding her. Goddess, she’d lost her mind. It was the only logical answer to the strange connection she sometimes sensed between her and the male—if you could call insanity logical. She couldn’t be connected to him. She refused to admit to any connection with him. He was a man. That alone was enough to keep her from wanting anything to do with him.

  “Already I can’t live without her, Eve. What if she won’t accept me? Won’t accept the bond between us?”

  Amy sensed Eve move closer. “Just give her time, Hunter. She needs time to adjust—adjust to her new surroundings, even to the freedom she’ll have aboard your ship. Hell, Hunter, nothing is going to be easy on her once she wakes. Let her take this time to rest so that at least her body is rested and strong when it’s time for her to face the everyday things we take for granted.”

  Amy heard Hunter’s sigh and relaxed a bit, knowing he’d soon leave the room. How could she tell Eve she would never be comfortable here? She could never be comfortable with a man, ever again.

  “You’re right, Eve. No wonder my father made you his advisor. You are wise beyond your years. I’ll be back shortly. Take care of her while I’m gone and if…”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll call the second she so much as twitches.”

  Even with her eyes closed, she sensed Hunter’s hesitant nod, could visualize it in her mind’s eye. Within seconds, she heard the door whoosh open then close. She felt it the instant he left the room. Some insane loneliness crept over her when he left. Just knowing he was gone left her feeling strange, bereft, insane. She would not feel anything for the man. She would not!

  “It’s okay, Amy. He’s gone. You can open your eyes now.”

  At first Amy stiffened then relaxed, opening her eyes for the first time since she regained consciousness. She should have known that Eve would r
ealize she was awake. She squinted, holding her hand above her eyes, the seemingly bright light of the room nearly blinding her. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, even with the lighting dimmed as it was. Only half the bulbs of the recessed lighting were lit and she still felt pain when she opened her eyes. How long had she been kept in the dark tunnels? How many months had they kept her there, trying to impregnate her and the others?

  When her eyes finally grew accustomed to the light, the first thing she noticed was the beautiful woman sitting across from her. Oh, Goddess. She was real. Eve. So many days she woke in hell, wishing, praying Eve would come for her. Days became weeks, weeks became months, and eventually all hope for rescue withered and died. “It’s you. It’s really you.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at the woman she’d longed to see for so long.

  Eve smiled, tucked a long strand of her blonde hair behind her ear as she leaned forward. “Yes, it’s me.”

  Amy watched as tears filled Eve’s eyes. She turned her head away and quickly wiped them away before turning back. “We never gave up hope of one day finding you.” Eve cleared her throat. “You and the others,” she added. “Hunter wouldn’t give up. He knew you were out there. After a few years of searching, he said he finally felt you. He said he felt your pain, your humiliation. He wouldn’t rest—hasn’t truly rested—since he connected with you several months ago.”

  “Connection?” What connection? She wondered, but her heart knew. She’d felt him there from time to time. Felt him giving her comfort. Whispering unbelievable promises of rescue. She’d never believed him. How could she? He was a male, after all. What man would ever be that caring, that compassionate?

  One question ran through Amy’s mind repeatedly. She needed to know. “How l—“

  Her voice cracked so she tried again. “How long?”

  Eve winced, lowered her head to stare at the floor. Amy stiffened, tried to sit up. Eve stood and quickly pushed her back against the pillows. “Just lay down and rest. Your body still needs to recover. I’ll answer your questions.” With a sigh, Eve returned to her seat, rubbed her back yet again. That’s when Amy finally noticed the curve of Eve’s belly.