The Bride Hunt Box Set: Books 1-3

by Charlene Hartnady

  With a loud yell that came out more like a battle cry than a scream of terror, which was what she was feeling, she hurled herself into the river. For the first time, she was thankful that she was wearing so little. At least the light dress wouldn’t weigh her down. The woolen shawl had long since fallen in the river, swept away by the current much like what was about to happen to her as well.

  The dark-eyed brute managed to snag her dress. There was a moment where time seemed to stop. Then there was a tearing noise as her dress ripped free from his grip. The current grabbed her immediately, pulling her down. Her eyes were squeezed shut. The air forced out of her lungs in a whoosh as the cold gripped her.

  Her arms and legs flailed, almost of their own accord. Her lungs burned as the need for air assaulted her. She kicked harder, finally breaking to the surface. There was a splashing and kicking next to her. Panic seized her. It had to be him. The one with the dark, fathomless eyes. She was moving quickly. It felt like she was being pulled under and then spat out. Breaking to the surface for short periods of time to gulp air before being pulled back under. She caught a glimpse of long, blonde-streaked hair and realized that the splashing was coming from Candy. She was in the water with her.

  Go Candy!

  Although, right now she was feeling that maybe taking a chance on the river was not the best idea after all. Her knee banged against something and she let out a yelp. Probably a rock. Just then the current tugged her under again and water filled her nose and mouth. She coughed as she came up. Her lungs burning. Her muscles shaking with fatigue. She’d never felt so cold or desperate in all of her life.

  Almost as soon as she came up, she was being pulled under again. She barely had enough time to take in a breath. Her lungs ached with the need to cough. Using the last reserves of strength she had, she kicked hard, breaking the surface. Julie sucked in a deep breath. Her lungs protested and she coughed.

  Oh god.

  She couldn’t take much more of this. She tried to look around but there was no sign of Candy. There were rocks up ahead but the currents were pulling her under again. She sucked in another deep breath just before her head became submerged. Her left arm scraped against one of those rocks and she cried out. The noise was swept away by the currents.

  It was a miracle she had lasted this long and an even greater miracle that she managed to avoid so many of the rocky outcrops. That she managed to keep fighting for air. Otherwise she allowed the river to carry her. Her only consolation was that she was moving further and further away from the enemy. She knew that the currents were strong and that the river was moving fast but she hadn’t realized quite how fast. Not until she caught sight of the forest just beyond the steep bank ‒ it rushed past in a blur.

  She just kept kicking, fighting, praying. Then when she thought she wasn’t going to be able to hold on for much longer, the river turned yet another corner and she was flushed out onto a narrow bank. Just to the right of her, the river continued to surge. Her feet found purchase on the soggy silt-covered bed. It was difficult going but she shuffled and kicked and dragged herself until she hit the sand on the edge. Julie threw herself onto the bank. Her feet still dangled in the river but she didn’t care. Her chest heaved. Her whole body shook both from cold and fatigue.

  After a couple of minutes, she dragged herself further out to where the ground was dry. If she hoped to stand any chance of survival she needed to get dry – and fast.

  After about five minutes, Julie turned herself over. She shook and shivered but at least she was alive. Banged up, but alive. Her knee throbbed and her arm was scraped open but she didn’t think she’d broken any bones.

  She allowed herself a further ten minutes to regain her strength before pulling herself into a sitting position. Julie wanted to call out to Candy but she didn’t want to risk giving away her position. Candy could be anywhere. She only hoped that the other woman was alive. Her eyes welled with tears as she thought of Pauline. Poor, sweet Pauline. She clenched her teeth, feeling anger well. There was nothing she could do. Right now, she needed to think about herself. She needed to get the hell out of there.

  Quite frankly, she’d rather die of starvation. She’d rather be killed any day than be captured by one of those ogres. Those dark eyes were all she could see in her mind’s eye. They scared the hell out of her. So intense. So evil.

  Julie spotted some tall reeds growing on a nearby bank. She pulled herself to her feet and slowly walked to them. Let that bastard with the dark eyes find her. She knew instinctively that he was coming. That he was the one to fear. Let him come, she thought to herself. Let the asshole come, she would be waiting. Lord help him if he tried to touch her.

  Chapter 7

  Blast and damn!

  The crazy females had thrown themselves into the river. Coal did not want a simpering, wilting flower as a mother for his children but neither did he want a crazy person for the position either. Anyone who threw themselves into a river like that had to have mental problems. It was not normal.

  He recalled looking into that female’s eyes. They were initially filled with fear. Though her gaze had quickly morphed into determination and what he could only describe as hatred. He knew that the move had been calculated. She’d assessed the odds and had decided that she stood a better chance within the raging rapids than against him. The female with light-colored hair had followed suit. She only jumped into the river because the dark-haired one had gone first.

  She might be slightly crazy but she was also the only human female who held any interest to him. Still small and weak. Still far beneath him, but maybe she would do. It was a big maybe. There was only one way to find out.

  He couldn’t understand how Flame had managed to secure the other human female so easily. The male had felled one of the warriors and the water prince. As a royal, Torrent was much stronger and should have been the victor. The only thing that he could think of was that Torrent had set his sights on one of the other two remaining females just as he had. With two males closely on his tail, he set out after her. There would be many others following closely behind their little group. They didn’t have much more than a two or three-minute lead. He was only half a minute ahead of the water king, if that. The stakes were rising by the minute. Coal felt power flow through him. The human could run and she could hide, but she would not escape him.

  For the first time in days, Coal smiled.

  There was no escape. He would go to the ends of the earth if he had to.

  Coal ran for about an hour, until he heard moaning up ahead. It was the female with the light hair. She clung to a log, her body was up on the trunk and her legs were still in the water. If it weren’t for the moaning, he might think that she was dead.

  This was not the female he wanted. Not that he particularly wanted the other one either. Not really. Coal sighed. He couldn’t just leave her there, hanging on for dear life. Although the others weren’t far behind him, he leapt forward and onto the wide trunk. It was solid and secure. Safe to negotiate. Coal spread his arms to balance himself and moved forward. When close enough, he bent and lifted the female. She weighed nothing.

  He was mildly surprised when the little thing began to wriggle in his arms. She actually tried to pull away and to escape his grasp.

  “Stay still,” he ordered. He was all out surprised when she didn’t listen. “Stop that or I will throw you back.” He meant it. She was costing him precious time. His lead was diminishing by the second.

  That worked. On a loud sigh, she slumped against him. “Don’t hurt me,” she whispered. Why would he hurt her? Why would any of the males hurt her? He wasn’t partial to humans himself but the others cherished and adored them. She was quite safe.

  Coal deposited her on the bank. Heavy footfalls alerted him to Torrent. The male was fast approaching.

  Blast!

  The male didn’t even look their way. He either assumed, incorrectly, that Coal had already claimed the female or, he didn’t want the light-haired huma
n. A snarl rose up in him.

  Coal pretended to be interested in the female. He pretended to be tending to her. Acted as if he had indeed claimed her, thus removing himself as a threat. As the male tried to pass, he swiped out a leg and tripped up the king. The only remaining male in their group, a lesser warrior, roared as he spotted the female lying on the ground. She whimpered and tried to scramble to her feet but fell back. The weakling was sapped of strength. She closed her eyes and moaned.

  “The dark-haired one is mine,” Coal warned.

  Torrent shook his head as he leapt to his feet. “I want her,” he growled.

  Damn!

  Coal punched the male in the jaw. Torrent took a step back and avoided the worst of the blow. The lesser male was gaining ground. He was going to claim the light-haired female. If he did that, the water king would be left with no other choice but to go after the human that Coal had earmarked. His human.

  Unacceptable.

  His first instinct was to kick Torrent, causing him to fly into the lesser male as he approached, giving him the upper hand. The problem was that the female was too close. She was directly behind them and he risked harming her.

  “That female is mine,” Torrent snarled. “You may as well give up now. Take this one.” His eyes stayed on Coal’s.

  Coal huffed out a breath. “Fine.” His gaze firmly on the downed female. He slumped his shoulders in mock defeat and closed the distance between himself and the human. Torrent looked up ahead and began to move. The water king so easily assumed that he had won. These kings were so used to everyone always obeying them. They were equals during the hunt though. Torrent had made a big mistake and forgotten that important little fact.

  At the last moment, Coal lashed out, hitting the male on the trachea. He put every ounce of strength he had into the action. He heard the pipe smash. The male gripped his neck. His face turned red, his eyes bugged out. Coal raced to meet the remaining male who threw himself at Coal, a roar on his lips. Coal head-butted him. The male managed to knee Coal in the stomach, winding him for a second. A very short second. The bastard would be sorry.

  The male reeled backwards, clutching his face. His nose had taken the brunt of the assault. Blood ran down the male’s face and between his fingers. Coal punched him again and again. Within seconds, he was a crumpled heap on the floor. The male would not be getting up any time soon. As a lesser, his healing capabilities were not as superior as the royals.

  Torrent was down on one knee. His face was pale. His lips were a light shade of blue. They matched the color of his eyes. “The others are a few minutes behind.” Coal could hear the footfalls. Could hear the grunts and growls. There was a large group approaching at a speed. “You still have time to claim her.” He glanced at the human who was just a few feet away from Torrent. Her eyes were wide but she was still in the same place they had left her. He didn’t particularly want Torrent to claim this female, or any other for that matter. It wouldn’t take him overly long to recover fully though, at this stage of the game, the king was his biggest adversary. They both had their sights set on the same female. If he wanted to secure the dark-haired human, his best hope was to take Torrent out of the game. He was handing the male this female on a platinum platter. “Take her!” He kept his eyes on the male, who hadn’t moved a muscle.

  “Don’t come near me,” her voice shook.

  “Do it,” he commanded as he ran downriver. There was no time to see what the male would do. Torrent could claim the light-haired female. He had time to put his scent on her. He might even be well enough to fight if a dispute broke out.

  There was no one up ahead. The way the valley was designed, the best route to travel was the one he was taking right now. Coal could taste victory. He could feel it in every pore.

  The female he wanted scented of a summer’s night. She had dark hair and dark eyes and had proven herself a worthy adversary.

  It was dusk by the time he caught her scent and fully dark when he caught up to her. He had managed to put a few more minutes between himself and the rest. The sound of their approach became more distant. Stamina counted more than strength. As a fire prince he could outrun most.

  Her scent was interesting. Different from that of a dragon female. It was not entirely unappealing. Lightly floral with citrus undertones. It reminded him of a fresh summer’s night. Or a field full of wildflowers. Wild, yes, she had a wildness about her. It intrigued him.

  Coal was surprised at the speed at which she was moving. It was his understanding that human females were weak and slow. Although this one was small, she had spirit. He respected that.

  Moving quickly and quietly, he closed the distance between them. At one point, she stopped, her whole body tense. The female cocked her head to the side. Coal stopped as well. It was a very long few seconds before she continued on the path.

  The others were not far behind. He needed to act quickly. He needed to mark her with his scent. A sense of urgency rose up in him and he picked up speed.

  Excitement pulsed through him. This female had been a worthy adversary. It did not matter that she was a human. He doubted that a dragon shifter female could have done much better. It was a pity that she was so weak and defenseless though. He hoped that he would be able to muster interest for her in the days and weeks to come, so that the task of mating and impregnating her would be less arduous.

  In one quick motion, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. The female cried out in shock.

  “You are mine,” he growled. Although that wasn’t quite true. Not yet at least. The tiny female in his arms wriggled and kicked. She reminded him of a little wildcat with her spitting and clawing.

  “Easy,” he said, as he wrapped a second arm around her. How the hell was he supposed to do this?

  He was a prince. Not just a prince but a fire dragon. This female should be thankful that he had chosen her. She should be begging him to take her.

  He sucked in a deep breath. Then again, she was just a human and unfamiliar with their ways. He needed to try and have understanding of her disposition. Her way of thinking.

  Coal turned her around as they arrived at a large tree. It wasn’t easy because she was squirming and kicking. Her small foot connected with his shin a couple of times making her wince. He pushed her up against its massive trunk. Her face was a mask of fury. Her eyes burned bright. “Let me go.” She shoved at his chest with one hand. “You have no right.” Using the same hand, she balled up her fist and pummeled him. Her attempts at harming him barely registered. Pathetic.

  Coal could hear a snap of a twig and the thud of footfalls. The others were close. Too close for comfort. He didn’t have long to claim this female for his own or lose her. His brother was relying on him. Coal was not about to let Blaze down, or the rest of the fire kingdom for that matter. He had a duty to perform.

  Her hair was matted with twigs and leaves, her skin and clothing covered in mud and grime. She snarled at him, teeth bared as she continued to hit at his chest, this time with an open hand. The female grimaced.

  “I’m not going to hurt you.” Coal pushed himself up against her, pinning her against the tree. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to hurt herself. He took ahold of the hand that continued to beat at him. Her other hand held firmly onto a stick of some kind. She would probably try and beat him with that next.

  His focus moved to her lips. They were surprisingly full and lush. The color of just picked, ripe raspberries.

  “Don’t you dare!” She yelled. Her voice shrill and high-pitched. It made him want to cover his ears. Instead, he killed two birds with one stone, namely, he closed his mouth over hers, swallowing whatever else it was she was about to say.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. Her entire body tensed up even more. At first she tried to pull away. To turn her head from him. Then she made a moaning noise that ignited something inside of him. Her body seemed to melt and mould to his. His shaft grew long, hard and ready. What the hell was happening to h
im? How was this even possible? Surely not. His tongue rolled against hers and it was his turn to moan. So decadent, so divine. His cock awakened fully. For a second, he was tempted to lift her dress and take her right there.

  His free hand curled around her leg and then moved up. His long, deft fingers squeezed her ass, pulling her up and more firmly against him. His … his … cock rubbed up against her core and all of her nerve-endings came alive completely against her will. His … part was long and thick.

  “Female,” he breathed against her lips. “Mine,” he murmured as he took back her mouth. That one word jolted her back. What the hell was she doing? She was letting the savage beast kiss her, rub up against her. This disgusting creature had caught her and therefore decided that she was his possession, to do with as he pleased. Here she was acting like she was enjoying it when it disgusted her. Yes, disgusted her. She tried to clear her muffled brain. Her plan. Yes! Lull him into thinking she was a wilting flower. That’s why she kissed him back. It was the only reason.

  One thing was for sure, she was definitely not a wilting flower. Not at all and he could forget about doing what he wanted to her. Not going to happen, dickhead!

  She wasn’t done fighting. Not by a long damned shot. Julie repositioned her handmade spear and with a quick jerk of the wrist, she plunged it into his back and bit down on his tongue. That would serve the asshole right for thinking he could rape her and take advantage of her. The huge shifter pulled away with a loud snarl. The sound was a mix of confusion, anger and … hurt. Like she’d hurt his feelings somehow. Good. It served him right.

  Piece of shit asshole. Julie kicked him in the shin for good measure and slipped out from between the tree and his massive body. Without looking back or thinking, she ran just about as fast as her legs would carry her. It didn’t matter that her legs hurt, that she couldn’t see a damn thing. She just ran, praying that the riverbank was free from debris.