The Hunting Game: A Fantasy Romance Novel

by Leila Vy

  “I am sorry, Kailyn. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I know this is all messed up, and I know we can never fix what we have even if we wanted to. I just wanted to let you know I did love you. I loved you so much, Kailyn. I just wasn’t strong enough to resist the bond I had with your sister, and the longer we were together, the harder it was,” Kyle spoke sadly. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

  “I know,” I replied. “I am sorry too, Kyle. I can’t come back. There is a reason why I called you.”

  I paused for a moment to inhale slowly. “I found my mate.”

  There was a brief moment when I didn’t hear him respond until he sighed and then spoke, “I am happy for you, Kailyn. Take it. Don’t do what I did. Moon Goddess made him for you. He is yours.”

  “Thank you,” I spoke softly.

  “It’s okay, Kailyn. If you think about it, I can go all big bad wolf and go in a jealous rampage using my animalistic need to come over there and kill the male who took what was mine or I can be the better person than my wolf and let go. It is the hardest thing ever, Kailyn. The urge to come there is overwhelming. Every day I would talk myself out of it. The bond that I have with you is disappearing,” he replied gently. I heard his sharp breathing as he sighed.

  “You will find someone for you, Kyle,” I whispered back. He was nothing more than a friend now. It felt weird, but it also was a comfortable atmosphere.

  “I think I am going to focus on myself for now. I am sorry, Kailyn. I wish things were different. Just remember that even though you and I are no longer together, you will always find safety here. I will always protect you. You will always be my friend,” he said, and a tear slipped from my eyes.

  “You will always be mine,” I replied hoarsely.

  “I’ll talk to you soon?” he whispered back, his voice also hoarse.

  “Yes, definitely. Goodbye, Kyle,” I said before hanging up. My emotions were all over, but one thing I knew was that I did the right thing. Kyle and I would always be friends, and it would never be anything more.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Patience

  I woke up the next morning with my body humming all over with tingling sensation. Right away, I knew who it was. My heart was calm, and my breathing was regular. I could feel my wolf purring with satisfaction.

  Titus.

  He must’ve come to bed last night after I fell asleep. I moved a little to get away from him, but he held on tight. Lifting my head, I glanced up to see he was wide awake and looking down at me with those intense icy blue eyes that tugged on my heartstrings. He held nothing back. His facial expression told me he was regretting everything.

  I wasn’t sure exactly how I was feeling right now. At this very moment, my wolf was content, but a part of me was still furious with him. I was hurt, and I didn’t want to give in easily. I looked away from him. It was getting too hard. My resistance was slipping away as I looked upon his beautiful face.

  I knew he could feel every single emotion I was feeling. His sharp intake told me he felt the hurt, but he also felt the happiness I had as well. His hand came out to cup my cheek, bringing me back to look at him.

  “I am sorry. I know that it doesn’t change anything, but I really am. I wish I could change things. I was in a rage. When I saw that male on top of you, my mind flashed back to Amelia. Only it was more painful with you. All I saw was red, and I didn’t stop to think.” His finger rubbed my cheeks. I closed my eyes at the touch. It was soft and comforting. “You deserve someone better. I hate Kyle and the fact that he hurt you, but now, I am just like him. I hate myself for doing that to you.”

  “Stop.” The word left my mouth before I could even comprehend what happened.

  Something shattered in his eyes, and his facial expression slipped. He was now hurt as well.

  Damn it.

  No, Titus.

  I want to be mad at you.

  I closed my eyes again to stop myself from giving in, but I knew deep inside I had forgiven him already. He was mine as much as I was his. There was no reason to avoid it.

  Although he went about it the wrong way, he had never hurt me in the past.

  “Tell me what I have to do for you to forgive me, Patience.” His voice sounded tortured as if I had just starved him for days without water. “I can’t live like this, knowing you hate me. Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi. S’il vous plait, j’ai besoin de toi. (I can’t live without you. Please, I need you).”

  His French weaved its way into my heart. It sounded so broken, so lost, even when I couldn’t understand it. I could feel it in his voice. My instinct told me to soothe him. My wolf was howling in sadness because I refused to.

  “Titus,” I spoke, exhaling in the process. “You hurt me.”

  “I know.” His voice cracked. His breathing was harsh and short as if he was gasping for air. I swallowed hard, refusing to look at him. “It’s killing me, Patience.”

  My hand came up to caress his chest gently. His breathing slowed down and became deeper.

  “What did you say?” I asked suddenly, wondering what he said in French.

  “I can’t live without you. Please, I need you,” he said hoarsely back, and his arms tightened around me. “I need you in my life in order to be able to survive it. Please forgive me, Patience. I would crawl on my knees for you to see how sorry I am.”

  My heart twisted, and the last of my resistance left me. I let go of the stiffness in my back and snuggled closer to his body. I inhaled his scent that I adored so much. It calmed my soul that was now intertwined with his.

  “Patience, you can do anything to me. Please, you can beat me up, hit me, slap me…Hell, you can even mark me. I don’t care. Please just forgive me.” He begged again after I didn’t respond.

  I gave a small soft laugh before opening my eyes to look up at him. He looked at me with wide eyes, a little surprised at my laugh.

  “Then let me mark you, my alpha,” I whispered. For a moment, he was stunned before his eyes darkened lustfully and his lips curled into a smile.

  He moved us so that I was now straddling his hips and he was sitting up. I moved my hands to cup his cheeks. He tilted his head to the side to allow me better access. I licked my lips in anticipation, and a rumbling stirred in his chest in response. I glanced briefly back at him and saw how he was looking at me. The ache in between my legs increased. Arousal was oozing from me, and I knew he could smell me. His hands rested on my hips.

  I moved in.

  My lips met his neck, and a seductive growl came from his lips. I grinned slightly before nibbling my way around his neck. He groaned and tightened his grip on my hips. His fingers were digging into my hips as he was fighting for control.

  When I found what I was looking for, my canine elongated. I ran it along his skin.

  “Patience,” he barked.

  I giggled before I dug my canine into his neck where his pulse beat. His grip on my hips tightened even more. The moment I dug in, I felt everything about him.

  His wolf.

  His soul.

  His heart.

  His heart was beating so fast. His soul and wolf were strong and fierce. They were two dominant souls combined into one. I could feel the pride he had for me. I could feel the desires and lust he was feeling. He loved how I marked him. It aroused him like nothing else.

  The glow of our bond shined brighter than anything else, and what was left of my bond with Kyle immediately disappeared. My heart began beating as one with Titus. He was now mine.

  When I was done, I licked his wound clean before licking my lips. I pulled back to look at him, and his eyes held so much emotion. One of his hands came out to cup me behind my neck before pulling me down for a kiss. His eyelids were dropping slowly as my lips came closer to his. The moment our lips met, I closed my eyes at the sheer bliss that pulsed through my body.

  I had never experienced anything like it.

  It was like drinking water for the first time after days of walking in the desert.


  His grip tightened behind my neck, and the kiss deepened. An animalistic growl came from him, and it only aroused me more. We kissed like we had been starved. His tongue licked and sucked mine until we were both fighting for dominance. Finally, we broke the kiss, both panting at the effect the kiss had on us.

  “Mine,” he whispered against my lips before giving me a quick kiss again.

  “Mine,” I whispered back and nipped his lower lip. A slow smirk made onto his face.

  “Yours,” he replied, and an animalistic possessive growl came from me. I slapped my hand over my mouth. He chuckled at my reaction.

  I slapped him playfully. “I am not usually like this.”

  “Your wolf is. You like it when I say I am yours, ma cherie?” He teased as he came back in for another kiss.

  I did. I liked it so much. It was such a turn-on. When he pulled back, his finger came out to touch my swollen lips.

  “Thank you for forgiving me.”

  “I would’ve made you suffer longer…” I began.

  “No, you wouldn’t have,” he simply stated. “You care for me.”

  He was prodding in my mind. I pursed my lips and pinched him. “Stop reading my emotions.”

  “You do, though, don’t you?” he asked.

  I looked at him and saw he was slightly uncertain. “I do.”

  He gave me a smirk before his confidence was restored. I don’t know how he managed it, but before I could even say anything, he had us off the bed, my legs wrapped around his waist. He carried me into the bathroom.

  “Where are we going?” I eyed him suspiciously.

  He leaned in to nibble on my jawline before kissing the mark on my neck. “Taking a shower together.”

  Wait, what?

  ***

  Noor

  Everyone seemed to have found their mate. I couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy towards Christian and Titus. They got to feel the bond of their soulmate. Growling in irritation, I worked my body vigorously against the punching bag in the gym. My hands landed hard blows, making dust swarm in the air.

  The sweat beaded down my forehead and to my chin. My muscles ached from all the work, but I kept at it. I was so concentrated in punching it. I didn’t hear Christian walk in. He clapped his hands and walked over to sit on the bench press. He placed his elbows on his knees as he watched me.

  “What do you want?” I asked as I wiped sweat from my forehead.

  “Why are you working yourself so hard?” he asked.

  “Because I don’t have a mate to keep me in bed,” I retorted. Christian chuckled before standing up. He walked up and sent a punch to my side. I growled and turned to punch him in the face. He fell to the ground but then tripped me with his legs. I fell hard onto my knees. I saw his hand come back up for another hard punch, but I rolled away.

  “Why are you so bitter?” Christian taunted.

  “Fuck you, Christian,” I muttered as I stood up. He followed suit and rubbed his chin.

  “Your time will come.” Christian looked at me with encouragement. He moved to tap my back with his hand.

  “Not fast enough, man,” I replied. “You got lucky with yours. She dropped right into your lap.”

  Christian grinned then. His eyes were briefly distant as he thought about his mate. The mark on his neck was fresh.

  “You know, now that Titus has his mate, he is more than willing to let you go out to go find her,” Christian said as he moved to grab a towel and toss it at me.

  I grabbed it mid-air and wiped my sweat from my forehead to my back and down my chest. I wrapped the towel around my neck as I picked up my water bottle to take a long gulp.

  “I was thinking about it, but I wasn’t sure how to approach Titus. He has been so busy.”

  “Did you feel it?” Christian asked, and I knew what he meant.

  “Our alpha finally completed the mating process.” I confirmed with Christian. We were both grinning as we felt the bond with our luna grow stronger.

  Christian patted me again on the back before we walked out of the gym together.

  Christian was right. It was my time to go and find my mate. If she wasn’t going to find me, I had to look for her. A smile came on my face as I thought about the many things I would do when I see her.

  With a new mission on my mind, I quickly headed to my bedroom to shower and pack. After that, I was going to talk to Titus and leave in search of my mate.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Patience

  Titus insisted that I wore my hair up today. I guessed he thought I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I was almost positive the possessive and dominating male wanted everyone to see his mark on my neck. I clenched my core, and I literally had to tear myself away from him in order to escape the bedroom.

  When I made it downstairs, I saw that Christian and Noor were heading out from behind the stairs. They were quietly talking until they heard me. Christian was grinning, and Noor looked a little nervous.

  “Where is the alpha?” Christian asked.

  “Upstairs,” I responded. “Did you two just come back from training?”

  “I needed a workout,” Noor responded.

  “I think you should wake Titus up for training every morning,” I replied.

  Christian and Noor laughed, and I shrugged. “It’s the truth. The male has a drive that is insatiable.”

  Kailyn came bounding down the stairs. Her eyes were looking at me, and I knew exactly what she needed. She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the guys. I waved them goodbye before heading out the door with Kailyn. We ran to our sitting spot from yesterday where she made me sit as she began pacing.

  “What happened? Was it Micah? Did he do something? Do I need to kill him?” I stood up and was about to head back inside when Kailyn pulled me back.

  “I spoke to Kyle.”

  I went quiet. She saw my reaction and rushed to explain herself.

  “I only called him to tell him that I wasn’t coming back and that I met my mate,” she said. “H-he was happy for me.”

  “He was?” I was surprised.

  “Yes. I expected him to flip, but then everything kind of just settled. He was okay with everything. He understood and told me to go with Micah.” She began.

  This was very interesting. Was Kyle really letting Kailyn go? And if he did, what was his intention behind it? Was he going to come after me? I hoped not because I knew he felt the marking. I felt bad for him in a way, but I knew he deserved it.

  The reason why my bond with Kyle still existed even after he mated with Kailyn was that he never really let me go. In my case, I let him go. In my heart, there was no more Kyle. The bond broke easier for us when I did that.

  Kailyn pointed at my neck. “It looks like you are fully mated.”

  I touched it, and a tingling went through my body. “I did.”

  “How do you feel?” she asked with curiosity.

  “I can feel him, his presence in my mind at all times. When he feels I am anxious, he sends me reassurance. When I feel his anger, I could feel my wolf trying to calm him down. It is weird to have someone in your head at all times, but it is like we are one,” I said.

  “Am I going to feel that way with Micah?” she asked. “Would it be different from Kyle’s? I can already feel Micah. My mark on him is strong, Patience. Would it be different?”

  I shrugged because I honestly didn’t know the answer. “Have you decided to go with Micah then?”

  She nodded. “Kyle and I are just friends now. Besides, I don’t think Micah will let me leave. I have to face fate as it was given to me. I understand what Kyle meant when he said the bond was too strong. I can see why he went crazy when you left him. Honestly, I don’t know if I can’t hate him that long. A person only does what he or she thought was right. We don’t know for right away if it is wrong.”

  She paused for a moment before she moved to sit down next to me. She grabbed my hand and pulled into her lap as she placed her other hand on top
of mine.

  “Patience, I am going home with Micah today. He had asked me to go. I am nervous about leaving you and my past behind. This is a huge step for me. I feel like I haven’t apologized enough, and I feel like I still need to be by your side.” She began.

  “Go. Be happy. I am fine here. I have a home. You have a mate. I forgive you,” I responded to her and squeezed her hand. She smiled and wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same.

  It was then we heard clapping behind us. It made us snap our heads back to take a startling look. Much to my displeasure, it was Amelia. She stood there with an insane grin. Her eyes were looking at us with a malicious vengeance.

  “This is all very sweet,” she spoke. “But I am afraid I am going to have to cut this short. The two of you have been nothing but trouble ever since you two have been here.”

  “Amelia, don’t you have something to do?” I growled as I stood up. Her eyes lit up when I said that. She snapped her fingers, and four large males came out from the bushes, stalking towards us.

  “Now that you mention it, yes. Yes, I do,” she responded.

  Kailyn and I looked at each other before she took down the nearest male. I moved to take the one who placed a hand on my shoulder. He dropped to the floor, and I kicked him in the throat. He doubled over in pain. The other one came charging at me and wrapped his arms around my torso, trapping my arms. I threw my head back and hit him square in the nose. The blood squirting got him yelping out in pain. Amelia growled.

  “Imbeciles!” she muttered before coming after me.

  She tried to throw a punch at my face, but I caught her fist in my hand, quickly twisting it. When I heard the sound of bones breaking, I knew I snapped her arm. She screamed before hitting me with her other hand. I blocked it before throwing a punch at her face. I had to admit: I enjoyed hitting her.

  I was about to pin Amelia to the ground when I heard another male speak, “Stop.”

  I turned towards the voice to see Kailyn struggling in his grasp, a silver knife pointing straight at her heart. Immediately, I let go of Amelia. She stood up, clutching at her arm. She wiped away the blood from her lip, and I put my hands up.