Huntress

by S. J. Sanders

  “Please do enjoy the party. Perhaps I will find you later, when it’s convenient,” the chancellor murmured with a sideways glance at Gund.

  A snarl threatened to bubble up but Gund pushed it down. The male was sadly mistaken if he thought to get around him. It would only be by walking over his dead remains that the chancellor would get anywhere near Heidi. A low rumble sounded from Tah, but he cut him a silencing look and the male obeyed before the chancellor took notice.

  Beni smiled and twined her arm with Heidi’s as she bowed to the chancellor, muttering the word “ass” under her breath. Still smiling, she pulled Heidi along with her into a giant room filled with humans dressed just as Beni had said. The number of fake Ragoru—in a room full of humans who would probably run screaming or kill a real one on sight—was sickening.

  Beni snapped out her large fan, lightly waving it in front of herself as she observed. She gave Heidi a meaningful look, and the huntress followed suit. Gund stepped forward, planting himself at his rya’s side, and scanned the crowd as the females tipped their heads close together to whisper behind the fans.

  “I don’t see Master Hildbrant,” Beni said.

  Heidi shook her head. “Nor do I, but I doubt he would miss an event such as this. He has a weakness for adulation.”

  Beni took a deep breath and stood straight. “Okay, this is it. We are going to have to work our way toward the back of the room. That is where the staircase is that leads to other parts of the house. If he’s not going to come out and play, you need to be positioned so you can go find him. Faltz is going to kill me, but let’s mingle.”

  Gund didn’t understand at first what the Mintar would find so objectionable about mingling until he was several hours into it. The party had many females in attendance, in varying degrees of undress in elaborate garments that often failed to cover much of anything while they clung to lavishly dressed males who preened under the attention. Every female, though they outnumbered the males, seemed to be treated with the same disrespect as males fondled females at whim. There were a few males who seemed uncomfortable, and more than one female on the verge of weeping, but it was clear who was in control. The males stank of perfume, pungent grass, and rut. Gund wrinkled his nose in disgust.

  One such male, who appeared to be a prime specimen among those in attendance, suddenly looked up from among a crowd of admirers and smiled. With murmured apologies, he excused himself from his fawning companions and strode over, his arms opening wide.

  “Beni! Where have you been hiding yourself all these years? The club has been dull without you.” His grin turned lascivious as he stopped directly in front of them, closer than Gund was comfortable with. “You always were a delightfully wild little thing. We’ve missed you.” He licked his bottom lip, his eyes running over her before they slid over to Heidi, glinting with interest. “And you have brought a friend.”

  “Jess, it is good to see you,” Beni replied with a stiff smile. “I am afraid I don’t get to Dunvar much except to see my mother. As you know, I am busy at home with my husband and children.”

  Jess sighed. “Tamed into a wife and a mother… such a waste. If I had known that you were so desperate for domestic bliss, I would have insisted that you join my harem. Still, there is no reason we can’t enjoy ourselves… This is Dunvar, after all, not whatever sedate little hole you have settled in.” He cocked his head thoughtfully. “I recently inherited all of my family’s assets. The three of us should leave this quaint little masquerade. I insist,” he said, a hard glint in his eyes. “I would delight in introducing you both to the little pleasures at my disposal.”

  Tah stiffened beside Gund. “Tell me we can kill him,” he growled under his breath.

  “No,” Gund shot back quietly. They could not make a scene, not before they located the Master. They needed to blend into the crowd while keeping the females safely by their side. This Jess was clearly trying to remove the females from the ball. That couldn’t be allowed to happen, not only because it risked Heidi’s safety, but because Faltz would kill them all and raze the town if anything happened to his mate. Gund looked at his rya, searching for any sign of how to deal with the situation.

  Heidi’s pale eyes narrowed on the human and she flicked her wrist, snapping her fan with feigned boredom. “Is that what you are calling your prick?” she intoned. “If so, I think I will pass. I require bigger pleasures. Come along, Beni. You did promise to show me around. So far, this whole ball is such a bore.”

  Beni’s eyes lit up and she nodded. “Yes, of course, Claire. Sorry, Jess, maybe another time,” she said sweetly to the male as the females swept by. Gund peered at the male’s face with interest. It was turning an astonishing shade of purple. He hadn’t thought humans could change to that hue, but it wouldn’t be the first time he was mistaken about them.

  The moment they were out of hearing distance, Beni began to giggle, one hand touching Heidi’s forearm. “Thank you. Jess is among the worst that you will find here. I made the mistake of going with him to his private rooms just once and barely got away from him. I was lucky that Faltz found me when I was escaping from the city. I have no doubt he went looking for me. Women forced into his harem… they don’t fare well. I had hoped that we would make it back here without running into him, but he likes to lurk in the back, where the most illicit activities take place during the parties. He will doubtlessly go and report to the chancellor.”

  “Did I potentially cause a problem?” Heidi whispered.

  Beni shook her head. “Not at all. The chancellor is his uncle. Jess claims that he is the man who taught him all that he knows about seduction. If he complains about being cut down by you, I guarantee that Theo will see it as a challenge. I had hoped to lure his attention another way, but this may work out better. We just need to mingle. Theo will eventually approach. He will do it right in front of Gund—that is the way of the men of Dunvar. A man can object to sharing his wife if he is more powerful, but the practice of wife-sharing is accepted in this Citadel. Gund, you will have the ability to ask a boon in return, however. When he asks to borrow your wife, ask if you and your brothers can enjoy some entertainment to pass your time. He will not refuse. He will direct you to a room close to his own so he can control how much time you have alone with one of his wives. This will get you all into the mansion.”

  Heidi frowned and nodded. Gund wasn’t so certain, however. Pretending to show interest in another female made his fur bristle and his claws twitch. Tah nudged him, and he looked over and met the other male’s supportive gaze. He smiled at his brother and felt himself relax.

  With Beni in the lead, they mingled among the humans indulging in all manner of strange behavior. Some were smoking a sweet-smelling substance, others engaged in games of chance, while a number of males were rutting into females in every shadowed corner amid the furnishings. Gund fought to keep from gagging at the overwhelming conflict of smells while high-pitched giggles and laughter filled his ears ceaselessly. Everywhere he looked, the bizarre masks and brilliant color—an odd sight for something that humans shunned in their daily lives—overloaded his senses.

  Heidi stilled by his side, her fan going up in front of her face. “He is here.”

  Gund searched the crowd until he finally spied the Master among several women, a blend of scorn and pleasure on his face as he surveyed the activity going on around him. Naturally, the Master would find himself a comfortable home in such terrible entertainment.

  Orth crept to his side, his eyes flicking to Heidi. “Should we attempt to take him now?”

  Their female frowned and shook her head. “No, we keep to the plan. We need to be in the house when the guests leave. That way, we can take him unaware. Right now, he is alert for anything.”

  Tah and Orth grunted in acknowledgement as Gund’s eyes narrowed on his prey. Soon. It would be very soon. But first, they had no choice but to continue “mingling.”

  Hours slipped by, and in that time playing the fake Ragoru became ea
sier even as his disgust continued to soar at the way people laughed and mocked his species. Although a few males were attempting to do a Mintar look, most were unsuccessful due to the Mintars’ anatomy. Ragoru were the de facto target. While many of the costumes were shoddy, there were many so detailed that he was unable to tell from a distance that they were in fact costumes. As the night wore on, and the more the liquor poured, the worse it became until every laughing comment about unrealistic Ragoru gentlemen made him want to show them just how monstrous he could be.

  Gund was near the end of his rope, listening to the guests take bets on who would be crowned the Fool’s Ball King, when the chancellor finally approached them once again. The females in his company—wives possibly, but Gund couldn’t be sure—meekly stepped away from him at their arrival. Theo paused just long enough to cast a speculative look in Gund’s direction before his expression changed to one of pleasure as he bent over Heidi’s hand once again. Gund bristled as the male spoke in a low voice, but not so low that it posed difficulty for Ragoru hearing, all empty flattery. Heidi laughed and tapped him lightly with her closed fan.

  Although it was planned, Gund’s gut clenched with anger when the male leaned forward and whispered his lurid invitation into her ear. She stilled and pulled back with wide eyes. She cut a questioning look toward Gund as if she were surprised by the offer and asking his input.

  Keeping his face impassive, Gund recalled just in time to pull on his string to imitate the artificial movement of his mouth. “It would be an honor, Chancellor. However, if you have my wife, it is only fair that you provide some entertainment for my brothers and I to enjoy.”

  Theo’s lips pinched together as if he were considering it, but Gund could already see his delight and scent it in his pheromones. They were pouring off him in such quantities that he wanted to shove the male far away from his mate before he tainted her with his terrible odor. Theo was playing with them, drawing it out intentionally as his guests began to trickle out. In the distance, the Master pulled a metal object out of his pocket and opened it, glancing down at it. He rubbed his upper lip and stood stiffly. Nodding to the males with whom he’d been seated, he pulled a female to her feet before making his way back to the staircase.

  The timing was perfect.

  “Very well,” Theo agreed. “I am guessing that Beni instructed you on the way things are in Dunvar. I am both pleased and impressed that you are so amenable to our budding traditions. It would be my pleasure to trade wife for wife.” He turned his head and barked, “Anita, come here.”

  A young female with a cap of dark hair and large, dark eyes hastened forward timidly. Gund’s eyes followed her. She was small and delicate, not a warrior like his mate, and yet this was the sort of female that his triad likely would have sought to claim as theirs. She was nearly shaking as she looked up at him, and he felt a sickness curdle in his belly for frightening her. No, the Mother had granted him the perfect mate. He inclined his head toward her politely and offered his hand. She gave him a tiny smile as she took it.

  Heidi turned and hugged Beni. “Get home safely and don’t wait up, Beni.”

  “I will have a private carriage escort her to her mother’s home so that you can rest easy, my dear,” Theo offered loftily. Heidi simpered thankfully while he gestured to a servant. The female was gruff in appearance and bowed stiffly. He waved a hand toward Beni. “Please see Benita safely to her mother’s door.”

  The female’s hard gaze turned to Beni and she nodded. “Very well. Come along, Beni. Best get you home before your mama worries.”

  “Thank you, Marcia,” Beni whispered. She turned just enough to give them one last encouraging look before disappearing into the thinning crowd with the other female.

  “Now that Beni is settled, come, my dear Claire. Pleasures great and small await us.”

  “Oh, I do hope it is more of the great and not so much of the small,” Heidi jested suggestively.

  Theo roared with laughter and hugged her close, his hand sliding over her hip as he pulled her close. “Come, my naughty little kitten. We will see what we can do to satisfy you.”

  Gund seethed but followed behind, guiding Anita along with him up the stairs and down a long hall. Like Beni had guessed, Theo stopped at a nearby door and opened it, gesturing the triad inside.

  “This is a very special guest room for very special guests to make use of. I hope you enjoy your time with sweet Anita here. Be careful with her. She is one of my favorites.”

  Anita seemed to shrink at the statement and released a shaky breath as the door shut behind the chancellor. Warily, she watched them from where she sat on the bed, but they paid little attention to her.

  Gund pressed himself against the wall to see if he could hear anything at all from Heidi while Tah and Orth examined the room for weapons and all possible escape routes. Gund had almost forgotten about the female until she cleared her throat. He turned a hard look toward her and she smiled shyly in return.

  “You are obviously not here to participate in Theo’s insanity.”

  “No, we are not,” Gund agreed.

  She breathed a giant sigh of relief.

  “And we are not looking to take on another female,” Tah snapped.

  She nodded and fidgeted where she sat. “Wh… What should I do?”

  “Just stay put. You are soon to be without your mate,” Gund grunted.

  Her mouth dropped open, but she nodded again and drew her legs up to her chest. She looked so young that Gund felt a surge of pity for the female.

  “Try to rest. It will be over soon.”

  “How long is this going to take?” Tah interrupted.

  Orth glanced at their triad brother worriedly. “I would like to know that as well. I do not like the idea of leaving her alone with that male for long.”

  “We wait for her signal,” Gund growled out, fighting against his rising frustration and worry. “If there is any sign at all that she is in danger, we will burst in there, but not a moment before.”

  His brothers nodded reluctantly as they all settled in to wait.

  33

  Heidi smiled at the male advancing on her. His robe was untied, revealing his naked body. He wore absolutely nothing underneath the ornate material. His cock was already hard, precum beading at the tip as he worked it with one hand.

  She absolutely didn’t want that filthy thing anywhere near her.

  Clutching her fan tighter in her hand, she made a show of glancing around his room, waiting for the right moment.

  His chuckle made her skin crawl as he slipped nearer, his body weight making the bed she sat on dip. She could feel his hands on her shoulders as he brushed aside the edges of her gown.

  “I confess,” he whispered, “a woman like you always does it for me. You can take a fucking and not buckle.”

  Her lips twisted as she forced herself to hum in agreement. Someone was going to buckle that night, but it wasn’t going to be her. A roar of laughter from somewhere downstairs made her turn her head toward the door. The guests were becoming increasingly rowdier. That worked to her advantage. Although having many witnesses was unfortunate, with the noise that the revelers were making it was unlikely that anyone would even be aware of the chancellor’s coming demise until it was too late.

  But first… she had secrets to uncover.

  Turning on the bed, she allowed her eyes to trail over the chancellor and ran her tongue along her full bottom lip, giving all the right signals. “Your guests are certainly enjoying your party,” she purred.

  His breath hitched, and he nodded. “The Fool’s Ball is the event of the year. I host many parties throughout the year, but every man in Dunvar wants to be crowned king of my ball,” he chuckled. “After the crowning, I open my menagerie, and then things get really interesting.”

  “Menagerie?” Heidi questioned with a raised eyebrow.

  “I don’t think women have the same appreciation for it as men do. They go home long before the men are left to e
njoy the rest of the ball. You see, I have the best collection of women this side of the continent. I keep my favorites aside, naturally, but at the end of the ball the Fool’s Ball King gets first choice of the women he would like to purchase for his harem. He may then pick up to three friends who may also make purchases. It is what makes the Fool’s Ball the event not only of Dunvar, but of the entire continent, I am proud to say.”

  “You must be quite powerful,” she murmured.

  “Hmm, oh yes, very. Powerful enough to attract powerful friends who share my passion. A brotherhood of sorts, of very important men. They travel here with their own special access.” He chuckled. “That is how powerful I am.” She felt the zipper at the back of her dress tug and glide down as his hot breath fanned over her skin.

  His hand slid forward to her lap, gathering her skirt into his fist. She didn’t think she was going to get anything more out of him, and she was tired of his cock grinding against the backside of her dress. She would apologize to Viv, but she was going to have to recommend that Beni burn the dress.

  Gritting her teeth, she clutched her fan tightly in her hand and spun it around with full force into his nose. He shrieked and fell back, scrambling across the bed, his hand going to his face to stem the bleeding.

  “You fucking bitch, you broke my nose!”

  Her lips formed a moue as she stood up beside the bed. “What’s wrong, lover? I thought you liked to play rough.”

  “I am going to see you imprisoned!”

  A sharp grin stole over her features and she laughed. “Oh, after I am finished with you, imprisonment will be the least of my worries.” She strolled up the length of the bed toward him as she bunched up her skirt and pulled a long dagger from the sheath on her thigh. “You see, you were never on my agenda. I was just going to incapacitate you. But now… now I am going to kill you and rid the world of your filthy presence.”