“Fuck no.” He pivoted to get out before the illusion sucked him in, but a wall stood where the door should’ve been.
Hands settled over his hips, lips pressed to his neck, and breasts pillowed against his spine. “Are you ready to play, Ian?”
He closed his eyes and conjured Tegan’s image. He held it close as the illusionary demon pulled his zipper down.
* * * * *
Tegan strode into Arawn’s chambers three days later. She’d spent every single minute of her time searching for another fairy ring, without luck. She would’ve continued to do so, but Trevor had regained consciousness a day ago and promised her he’d find one. She believed him. He loved Ian like a brother and had ways to get information the Huntsmen struggled with in the modern world. Combined with the nightly search of the hounds, they’d find a portal. In the meantime, she needed to deal with one other issue—the doubt over her father’s actions.
Arawn turned at her abrupt arrival. He raised a brow. “Are you ready to take my offer?”
“Did you kill Bjorn because you didn’t want me to fall in love?”
“No.” He delivered his answer in a flat tone.
She stared at his blank expression and asked the other question that had plagued her since confronting the illusionary Bjorn, the one who’d given voice to the fears she’d harbored for over a millennium. She’d taken Arawn’s word on Bjorn’s infidelity. It had hurt too much to investigate his claims.
“His infidelity? Was it real?”
Arawn sighed and closed the distance between them. “It caused you pain. Why would I make up such a thing?”
“So I wouldn’t become weakened by love.”
He snorted. “And confining you to the Underworld because you’d succumbed to your rage wasn’t a sign of weakness? I should’ve replaced you as third in my army then. I didn’t.” He brushed his fingertips along her cheek. “I am many things, but I love my children. If I can prevent your suffering, I will.”
She stared into his silver eyes with its darker ring of gray around his pupil and let a lifetime of memories wash over her. He did love her. It was Bjorn who hadn’t loved her enough. She’d risked her heart and failed. There was no shame in it. She accepted the truth and felt her heart lighten.
She nodded.
“Good.” He pulled a vial of shimmering liquid from his pocket and held it out to her. “Drink this. It’ll sever your bond to Ian.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Not now, but that might change.” He placed the cool tube in her hand and curled her fingers around it. “Take it and decide later. Lucas has informed me Ian will not die if he feeds regularly. You are free to make your choice without guilt.”
“Don’t you want it to break your tie to Minerva?”
He turned away and grabbed the decanter of liquor on the desk next to him. He poured a shot and drank it in one swallow. “If I do, she’ll die.”
Tegan closed her eyes. “She gave up everything for Ian, including her immortality.”
“Yes, and it’s my fault. I took the one thing she’d always craved away from her when I made the deal with the Triad to father my army.”
“You’ve forgiven her?”
Arawn poured another shot and drank. “No, but I do not wish her death. I still love her with all my heart and soul.” He downed a third and slammed the glass down. It shattered. “Love is not easy, daughter. I have no answers for you in your dilemma with Ian, but I wish you to have the options I do not. What you do next is up to you. I will not influence you.”
He didn’t wait for her response. He crossed the room and disappeared onto the lower balcony. The sliding glass doors closed.
She’d been dismissed.
She tilted the vial. The liquid mesmerized her. For a moment, she saw Ian sitting alone on a rock crevice, rain soaking him.
Real or illusion? She sighed. It didn’t matter. He was alone. She only prayed she’d get him back before he thought she’d abandoned him or forsaken their love.
Grief made people do things they normally wouldn’t.
Then again, so did love.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Tegan sat on the deck of the Huntsmen’s estate and watched the sun set. She knew she should begin her nightly search for a fairy ring, but she had to make a decision first. Twenty-seven days had passed since Ian had fallen into the fairy realm. Yes, time moved slower there, but Ian would’ve needed to feed after a couple of days. From what she gathered speaking to the older immortals, about nine days had passed for him.
Lucas assured her if Ian didn’t feed, he’d simply grow weak but not die. The fairy realm wouldn’t allow it. Lucas also admitted he didn’t think Ian would be able to resist the lure of sex, whether it was with an illusionary woman or not. The Demon King claimed his hunger was the reason he hadn’t been able to walk away from Minerva. He’d starved himself for a millennium. He doubted a barely mature incubus would be able to withstand the temptation.
Ever since Arawn had placed the vial of angel’s tears in her hand, she’d debated her choice and kept coming to the same conclusion. She loved Ian. She had to trust in their love. Ian’s choices were out of her control. They always had been, just as Bjorn’s had been. He’d known the risks of joining the Hunt. He’d taken them knowing full well he hadn’t been faithful to her. He hadn’t seen any problem with it or the murders he’d committed over his lifetime. His choice, his consequence.
Ian had to make his too, and it was past time she made hers.
She hopped the railing and walked toward the lake. The still waters offered her comfort. It was a beautiful sight, no matter what resided below it. She stepped to the edge and withdrew the capsule.
An angel’s tears. Why would one cry for the Huntsmen? She’d give the answer—because they’d sacrificed a millennium of their lives for the well-being of the humans—but she knew better. That would’ve been considered duty. Why have power and immortality if you weren’t willing to suffer for the benefit of those who didn’t?
No, an angel had cried for them, and the species rarely showed any emotion.
Why?
She closed her eyes and recalled the moment when the Triad had spoken to them.
Love. The deity had asked if they’d acted out of love when the Huntsmen had reached out to Harley. They’d answered unanimously, yes.
Yet, until that moment, they’d all shunned it. They’d seen the pain Rowan had experienced. None had wanted to feel that too.
Love was a risk. Rowan had gambled and lost. So too had Tegan, and it was time she did so again.
She popped the stopper and emptied the vial into the lake. Warmth snaked up her arm and settled in her heart. She breathed a sigh, then glanced at her hand, not needing the confirmation but unable to stop herself.
The black line that had reached past her elbow was gone.
She’d solved the Triad’s challenge.
“Now I need to find my mate.”
She spun on her heel. A fairy ring stood several feet away, the Triad’s doing, no doubt. She ran to it, uncaring of how it got there, and sliced her palm. Blood dripped, and the portal tossed her into the fairy realm. Rain soaked her clothes and chilled her. She shoved her hair from her eyes and scanned her surroundings. It matched the tiny peek she’d gotten from gazing into the angel’s tears. She glanced at the rock wall in front of her and caught a glimpse of Ian’s brown hair.
“Ian!”
He didn’t move. Fear gripped her, unreasonable yet undeniable. He couldn’t die. She reminded herself of the truth. It didn’t help. She needed to hold him and know he still lived. Beyond that, she didn’t have a clue what would happen. It all depended on Ian and his love for her.
* * * * *
Ian pressed his palms to his ears and groaned. She was back to torture him again. He couldn’t take much more. The fairy m
agic had stopped tempting him with fake replicas of Cynthia and women in all shapes and sizes once it realized he wouldn’t be tempted, but it continued to bring him the one girl who owned him—heart, body and soul.
The one who’d also forsaken him to his own living hell.
He kept reminding himself that it was possible she couldn’t find another fairy ring. The words had stopped bringing him comfort days ago, however. Numbness had gripped him in the time since she’d been ripped away from him. That and loneliness. He missed her smile and the look of lust and love in her eyes when she gazed at him.
No matter how many manifestations of her the magic in the realm created, none could capture the mixture of angel and siren Tegan was to him. All it had accomplished was to make his longings grow. Nobody else would do. He wanted the flesh-and-blood Tegan or nothing at all.
Vanilla. Her scent filled his lungs. He groaned with the surge of lust tightening his body. No, goddammit, no. He used the last of his strength to roll to his side. Knees pulled into his chest, he closed his eyes and prayed the illusionary Tegan would just disappear and let him suffer in silence.
“Ian.”
Her voice caressed him in places none of the other fantasy lovers had been able to reach. Please, no. He refused to be swayed. He wanted to tell her to get away from him, but knew better than to talk to the conjured replicas. It gave them life and a hold over him.
Soft hands touched his back, then moved to his sides. His muscles had long since shrunk. He was no more than saggy skin and bones.
“My mate, I am sorry.” She pressed her lips to the back of his neck. Heat seeped into him along with power. His greedy cells soaked it up.
She kept kissing him, across his shoulders, over his throat to his jaw. With trembling fingers, she tipped his chin and licked his lips, prodding at the seam to seek entry. He squeezed them tighter, all the while drinking in the energy her touch brought.
“Look at me, my mate. It’s Tegan. I’m really here, not an illusion.”
The tears in her voice forced him to crack his eyelids open. Beautiful brown eyes brimming with moisture stared down at him. His heart took up an erratic beat. Could it really be her?
“Tegan?”
She gave him a watery smile. “It’s me.” She held up her unmarred hand. “I figured it out.”
“Oh, angel.”
He opened his arms, and she settled against him on the cold, hard rock. On a sigh, he kissed her and poured his love into her. She returned it, and the strength he’d lost flared within him. His body filled out, and warmth returned to his cold limbs.
“I love you, Tegan.”
“And I love you, Ian Callahan.” She cupped his face in her palms. “Are you ready to go home?”
“As long as I’m with you, I am home.”
She gave him a smile that did crazy things to him, made his chest lighten and his cock ache. He wanted to get them into a bed and love her all night.
“Then let’s go.” She stood and offered him a hand.
He took it. “Aren’t you going to ask if I was faithful?”
“No.”
The look in her eyes told him she understood what his gaunt appearance meant. He gave her the words anyway. There’d be no misunderstanding between them. “I was, and I will be for an eternity. Together, remember? We face the future together.”
She settled against his side, arms wrapped around his middle. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Neither would I, angel. Neither would I.”
About the Author
A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.
She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.
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Look for these titles by Nancy Corrigan
Now Available:
Kagan Wolves
Bridged by Love
Wild Hunt
Hunter Sacrificed
Hunter Deceived
Hunter Forsaken
Coming Soon:
Kagan Wolves
Chance on Love
Shared for Love
Don’t miss the other titles in Nancy Corrigan’s Wild Hunt Series!
He was born to kill her…but he’ll risk all to save her.
Wild Hunt, Book 1
Every day, Harley fights the urge to embrace the dark heritage that could turn her Unseelie. Evil. Bad. A nightmarish monster like the ones that wiped out her family. The only thing keeping her on this side of Seelie is a promise made to the ghostly man who saved her that terrible night.
Whenever she’s tempted, she calls up a vision of his eyes. Hears his voice calling her back from the brink of madness. Years later, when she returns to the scene of her living hell, he’s her only hope for salvation.
Calan, the leader of the Wild Hunt, was created to protect mankind from the Unseelie Court, not love one of them. He never expected the rightness he felt with her all those years ago would explode into desire.
But saving her from a fate she can’t escape could damn them both…and leave the world open for destruction.
Warning: Contains a half-fae woman who could really use a Seelie version of AA to stay clean and monster-free. And a rider of the Wild Hunt who’ll take any risk to keep her safe from her enemies. Including himself.
Follow his head, he breaks her heart. Follow his heart…he breaks his pack.
From the moment he was born, Nic Kagan’s future was sealed. He’ll accept a mate, have kids, and eventually take over his father’s role as pack alpha. There’s just one problem.
Long ago, his heart settled on Riley, the pack’s human doctor and honorary member. Except only half of him can have her. The other half—his wolf—won’t give a weak non-shifter female a second sniff.
No one—human or shifter—has left a mark on Riley’s soul like Nic. But with his father hospitalized, any hope things could work out between them is slipping away. Yet Riley understands something else about pack life. Power isn’t always a physical gift; love is just as strong. What she and Nic have is worth fighting for.
With rival threats mounting, Nic realizes he can’t simply turn his back on Riley. Though his wolf could tear his heart out for it, he must fight for what he wants before he loses his mate. His pack. Maybe even his sanity.
Warning: Contains a reluctant alpha with only one roadblock between his heart and the woman he loves—biology. And a woman who isn’t giving up on him, even if it means risking her life to fool Mother Nature.
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not be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Hunter Forsaken
Copyright © 2016 by Nany Corrigan
ISBN: 978-1-61923-259-4
Edited by Linda Ingmanson
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: February 2016
www.samhainpublishing.com
Hunter Forsaken: Wild Hunt, Book 2 Page 24
