“Yeah, that.”
She humphed. “Not in a million years.”
Ben laid his head back. “I keep thinking this is a bad dream, and I’ve really been caught by the Taliban, and they’re using some chemical warfare on me to make me go crazy.”
Payton pinched a chunk of his skin.
Ben rubbed where she’d pinched. “Ouch! Why the hell did you do that?”
Payton smiled and closed her eyes, finally letting exhaustion take over. “Nope. You aren’t dreaming.”
“It’s good to see you surviving.”
“It’s what I do best.”
IT WAS THE END OF THE third day of not being able to find Payton again. The second day he didn’t know if she was out there still hating him for taking her on the ground. What if he hadn’t cleaned her wounds correctly? What if she’d gotten hurt again?
He’d caught hints of her here and there but not a trail that led him to her. Themba balled his fingers into fists and cursed under his breath.
“I really don’t understand what the problem is,” Melisizwe said. Even though he was having a conversation with Themba, Melisizwe watched something off-screen and multi-tasked. On the holo-call, Themba could make out part of Melisizwe’s desk. Melisizwe was in his fine white robe, befitting of a Kgosi, and the window behind him showed the colorful gardens beyond looking radiant on the bright and sunny day. The time difference between Turolois and Ipakethe weren’t much different. In another hour or so it would be dark there as well.
“The problem is that I can’t find her.” Themba thrust his hands through his hair. He hadn’t combed it before he’d left for his hunt this morning. In fact, he hadn’t taken the time to properly groom himself at all.
He’d been too distraught at not being able to find Payton that he’d foregone grooming and self-care and waited with the other eager hunters at the lodge doors before the morning alarm had sounded. While he waited, Themba had raked his fingers through the snags, not caring that he pulled strands from his scalp or how he appeared. No one on Turolois cared, and there were no off-world dignitaries or royals from other kingdoms to impress.
“She’s either gotten really good at hiding her scent, or she’s dying.” Themba’s heart squeezed at the latter. Level One was a way to cull out the weak, and the other levels were meant to test the strong.
Payton was strong-willed. He had to admit that.
Themba tapped an icon on his comlink for the millionth time. Pictures of available prey displayed above his wrist. Payton was still there. He couldn’t let himself relax, though. The listing didn’t tell him anything about her health.
“Find someone else to hunt,” Melisizwe said with a shrug.
“I don’t want anyone else. I want her.”
Melisizwe’s attention finally pulled away from whatever he was doing off-screen, and he turned his gaze on Themba. The weight of his Kgosi’s stare bore through him.
“This is a means to blow off steam, brother.”
Those were the same words Melisizwe had used when he’d explained why he’d bought Themba a spot in the game. Themba nodded.
“Don’t forget you can be intrigued by humans, but she is not for you. Our kingdom is counting on this alliance with the re Bacuzil family.”
“I know, and I understand.” Themba glanced toward the holo-call again. “I have Payton’s scent ingrained in my brain, and every instinct is telling me to find her.” And claim her.
“There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s your primal side taking charge. I went through the same feelings when I participated in The Hunt. When I latched onto a scent, I couldn’t rest until I found the prey it belonged to.”
Themba dropped into one of the comfortable chairs. “I knew how prey was acquired before coming here. But I didn’t really care. I thought if they were stupid enough to get caught, well, maybe it served them right. But now? Now I don’t think it’s right. These people are taken from their homes, labeled as prey, and forced into this game.”
“If you’d told me how you felt about the prey before, I would’ve thought you lacked compassion. Don’t fault yourself for having these feelings. Don’t think of it as hunting. If it makes you feel better, think of it as liberating the prey. Liberate as many as you like. Even the entire lot! You have the credits for it.”
That would be the fair thing to do. But not very practical. He shook his head. “There are many hunters in the arena still.” He thought about his fight with two of them. Because of it, he’d been shocked and instantly removed. Upon the return to his suites, there’d been a message waiting for him. His punishment was removal from The Hunt for the rest of the day and the next. On the surface, it didn’t seem like a harsh punishment, but if he had his eyes on a particular prey—which he did—other hunters could claim her while he was relegated to the lodge. “They would take issue with me if I tried to claim all the prey.”
“Look,” Melisizwe said. “We have two primal instincts within us. To hunt and to claim our true lifemate.” He glanced away, his brow furrowed in thought. “You and I are different. We have a duty to the kingdom that most wouldn’t understand. This whole true lifemates business, doesn’t apply to people like us. We’re ruled by loyalty. Not love.”
Themba knew then he could never tell his brother he’d found his true lifemate.
If he told Melisizwe he found her, what would his brother do? Melisizwe might rejoice with him. He would give Themba and Payton his blessing and welcome Payton into the fold of their family.
Or.
It was the “or” that gave Themba pause. Because the “or” would tear his heart, his very being apart. That “or” would make him resent the one person he held above everyone else. That “or” could mean that Melisizwe would make Themba give up his true lifemate for the good of Ipakethe.
Themba wouldn’t allow the opportunity to rise. There was a difference between giving Payton up willingly and being forced to give her up by the one person who meant the world to him.
The alliance with Chikondi’s family was too important to their kingdom. Themba didn’t think his brother would take it lightly if he tried to back away from the commitment without revealing the truth of what Payton meant to him.
No. He would keep his secret to himself. His only recourse now was to stay on Turolois for as long as he could. When he left The Hunt, he would have to return to his home and never see Payton again.
Chapter Fourteen
Payton’s eyes were heavy and grew heavier every passing second. She and Jack had been up all night walking, trying to find a new hiding spot. She’d loved Ben’s company, but they couldn’t stay together long. The countdown on Ben’s comlink wasn’t as fast as hers, and she didn’t want theirs to sync. She had to keep going. She had to win.
Besides, there was a scary alien woman who kept a close vigil on his hiding spot. What Payton wasn’t going to do was make some alien chick jealous. Even with a wicked ankle wound, Ben could take care of himself. Before she left, Payton called a medical ball and cleaned and packed his wound. Then she told him about the blue plant, and let him decide if he wanted to take a chance on it or not.
As they walked, she smeared all the animal feces she could find on her and Jack’s body. She threw up each time, but it was a necessity.
She hadn’t been lucky enough to find another burrow or cave, but before the sun had come up, she stumbled upon a hollowed out tree trunk that had been dead for a long time. It was on the bank of a river, uprooted and on its side. It wasn’t the best hiding spot, but it had to do.
The alarm blared, jolting everything to life just as she and Jack were settling in. Payton didn’t have the strength to be scared or nervous about what the day would bring. But she did have the strength to wonder why she hadn’t seen Themba since he’d killed that alien.
Maybe he’d had to leave the game? Obviously whatever he’d done was against the rules. The shock from his collar, flailing on the ground and his removal were evident of a punishment.
She finally closed her eyes and blew out a heavy breath.
“Really? Am I really pining over a murderous alien?” she said under her breath.
She could pretend it had been the flower that made her inhibitions go to hell in a handbasket, but really? Nope. It was all her. She’d wanted it, and the flower was just an excuse to make it happen.
She reached out to Jack for comfort, and her hand hit caked crap. So very gross. She cringed and brought her hand back. “One day we’re going to laugh about this, Jack. Hardy-har-har.”
She dozed off only to be awakened a short time later by footsteps. Payton cocked a heavy eyelid open and peered out the notch in the tree. An alien. Female. The second she’d seen. Her clothes were baggy, but even so, Payton could tell that she had a thin frame. Her skin looked painted on, patterned blotches of orange and grey. Her hair was long and braided down her back.
The alien sniffed the air, wrinkling her nose, and stared Payton’s way. Payton pulled away from the peephole. Her heart crashed against her ribs. She pressed her lips into a tight line, suppressing the sounds from her deep breaths. Jack bared his teeth and recognizing an impeding growl, Payton wrapped her hands around Jack’s snout, keeping him silent.
She let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps faded away.
“Don’t knock the animal crap. It works,” she told Jack in a whisper. “That alien didn’t want to come near us.” Payton yawned silently and drifted off to sleep again.
Unfortunately, her sleep was short lived. A few minutes later, she was grabbed by her leg and rudely yanked. She flailed her arms and legs, trying to catch her bearings. Confusion swam through her as she was dragged from the tree trunk, her body sliding painfully against the wood. Jack came scrambling out behind her, erupting into barks and growls.
“Wha—”
On the muddy river bank, she flipped to her back and readied for a fight. Themba stared down at her with wild eyes. She didn’t like this look. Gone was the appearance of a well put together predator. He was feral. His hair tangled with unkempt braids. Anger radiated from him. He no longer had a relaxed air about him. He was lethal. His muscles looked bigger and he seemed ready to fight.
Jack danced and lunged around her head, growling and barking, waiting for her to give the attack command.
Themba pulled his glare from her to Jack. “Silence!” With the hand that wasn’t gripping Payton, he pointed to Jack. “Sit! Now!”
Jack snapped his jaws shut and glanced from Payton to Themba.
“Jack. Sit. That’s a good boy.” Payton, too tired to struggle, relaxed. “Don’t hurt him, Themba. He’s only doing what he’s trained to do. Protect me.” There was no way Jack could take down Themba. He could snap Jack’s neck in a heartbeat.
After Themba killed her, Jack could run away and survive in this strange place. There was plenty of small game for him to eat. Plenty of shelter. At least he would be alive.
She let out a sigh, accepting her fate.
Themba turned to glare at Payton. There was no mistaking the way he watched her. “If you’re going to kill me, do it quickly.” She was so tired. Just so tired of everything.
He frowned and tilted his head to the side. “Why do you think I would hurt you?”
“Because I stabbed you.”
Themba gestured a hand toward his chest. “This little nick?”
She frowned and glanced at the area she’d stabbed. The dark shirt stretching across his chest prevented her from seeing his skin. “Then why...?”
“Why am I upset?” He released her leg and helped her to stand. “I didn’t know if the wound treatments had worked.” He scrubbed a hand across his hair and let out a hard breath. “And honestly? I spent the last four days worried that you hated me. I wasn’t able to control myself and I didn’t respect your wishes when you’d told me to step away. I’m sorry for putting you in the position where you had to hurt me in order to protect yourself.”
Not what she was expecting at all. A man who actually apologized when he’d done wrong? She was falling hard. She lifted a shoulder and tried to pretend that his apology hadn’t affected her as deep as it did. “I had to cut you before. You didn’t seem to mind how I’d felt about it then.”
He moved a tendril of hair from her face and pushed it behind her ear. “You were never in any real danger that time. I was in full control of myself. This last time was different.”
“Yeah, well, don’t do that again. I had to go to extreme measures to hide from you.”
Themba leaned over and sniffed her neck. Then pulled back and wrinkled his nose. “You’re smart and cunning. It took me a long time to find you. You did well to cover your scent.”
“Then how did you find me?”
One side of his mouth lifted into a smile. “The contents of your stomach. You left a nice trail for me to follow.”
Grrr. She mentally kicked herself. “Dammit.” She hadn’t thought about trying to cover her throw-up.
He squinted then pulled her roughly to his side and sniffed her again. A growl erupted low in his throat. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She stiffened instantly.
“Who is the male I smell on you? Were you with another hunter?”
Another hunter? She shook her head in confusion. “No one else tried to claim me. Since...since that day you got into a fight.”
“You were there? I thought you were near, but I couldn’t find you.”
“You were close.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t smell like either of them.”
She shook her head again. Her breath caught in her throat. “I-I was with Ben. Another human.”
His fingers dug into her skin. Claws flexed from his fingertips. She opened her eyes wide as they began to pierce her skin. “Y-you’re, you’re hurting me.”
He regarded her arm and said something under his breath. His claws retracted.
Payton tried to snatch her arm from his grip, but he held tight. “If you’re going to kill me, then do it already,” she seethed.
Themba loosened his grip but didn’t let her go. “This other...is he your mate?”
Stunned, Payton chuckled nervously. “Who? Ben? No, he’s a friend. Well, I mean, I don’t know him all that well. But...” She chewed on her lip. She didn’t know any of the others that well. But they shared a comradery. “He was company, and it was nice to have company for a little while.”
He turned on his heels, pulling her to follow. “This new smell offends me greatly.”
“W-where are you taking me?”
“To clean up. I can ignore the animal feces, but I can’t ignore the smell of another male on your skin.”
THEMBA CROUCHED BY the lake’s edge and watched Payton as she bathed. He’d scrubbed Jack clean while she cleaned her clothes. Now, naked, she enjoyed her bath. She was a sight. There were obvious tan lines on her body. The area that had been covered by clothes was pale compared to the rest. She’d lost weight since their first encounter. The nutritional bars supplied to prey provided enough calories, but she’d lost some of the roundness in her hips and thighs. Her skin now stretched over tight muscles.
Even though he wanted to wade through the water and mount her again, Themba kept his distance and let her have her space. The way she’d moaned when he gave her antiseptic wash was evident she needed time to feel normal for a little while. He’d packed the wash before leaving the lodge. Payton hummed as she spread the purple suds all over her body.
He was relieved to have finally found her. First, he’d been worried, then all the worry quickly turned to possessive aggression. Even now, as she bathed, his thoughts should be on how grateful he was that her wounds had healed and there wasn’t a scratch in sight.
But no. His thoughts were focused on the other. He wanted to find this Ben person and kill him. What he’d smelled on her hadn’t come from a mere touch. Themba knew better. The other male’s scent had permeated her skin and clothes. She’d spent significant time with him. And clos
ely.
Themba growled again. Payton stopped humming. He couldn’t help his mood, even if it made her uncomfortable. He wanted her to wash away his smell.
The thought of another male touching what was his made him snarl. Payton swung a wary gaze in his direction. Uneasiness flickered behind her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she’d looked at him like she was afraid of him. She’d been afraid before. He’d seen it in her eyes, but there had also been defiance there. His jealousy was frightening her.
“Do you need more antiseptic wash?” Themba tried his best to remove the hardness from his voice. “I have another bottle if you need it.”
“What I have was enough to wash my clothes too, and I still have more than half left. But if you’re giving it away, I’ll take it for later.”
He took the second bottle from his pack and put it in her pouch. He also slipped the knife she’d used on him in there too, returning it to its rightful place.
She opened her mouth to say something else then snapped it shut and turned away. She used her hands to create a lather of the wash on her arms.
“You have a question. Ask it.” He didn’t like this new scared of him Payton.
“Do you know how much longer we’ll be here? I mean, how much longer until I get to Level Three?”
“Unfortunately I don’t have that answer. No one knows. It’s up to the game attendants. They watch over prey and assess their skills then make the determination from there.”
“Can you...can you not call us prey?” She pulled her brows together in consternation. “We aren’t prey. We’re kidnap victims.”
Understandable. He wouldn’t want to be referred to as prey either.
“There’s another hunter—”
Themba stood up, balled his fists and growled. I will kill him!
She held up a soapy hand. “I never met him. He spoke with my friend, Esme. He told her that if we win the game, we’ll be freed.”
“True. But it’s not that simple. Each Level is progressively harder and harder.”
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