The Hunting Game: A Fantasy Romance Novel

by Leila Vy

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered huskily, and I felt heat crawling on my cheeks at his compliment. A grin appeared on his face as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders, turning us to the crowd.

  “Tonight, we celebrate not just my mating but also having our luna and the union of our pack. We are now stronger than ever.” He began, and everyone howled and hooted.

  He turned to me. His arm that was around my shoulder now slipped down to my waist, pulling me up against him possessively. The other hand moved my hair back, exposing my neck and his mark. His eyes flitted back up to me, and I could see the pride that reflected in those stunning irises.

  “You are my second chance and my moon, Patience,” he spoke. “I promise to love and care for you. You are my second half, my lover, and my forever mate. I will love you, hold you, and honor you for the rest of our lives.”

  My breath caught in my throat at his sweet words. His lips came down on mine as he pulled my bottom lip in between his. “I love you and only you, Patience, with all my heart.”

  His lips moved down my jawline to my neck where I felt his canine elongating and piercing my skin—marking me again, but the proper way this time. Our souls and werewolf spirits danced inside of us as our bond strengthened even more. I closed my eyes against the tingling sensation rippling through my veins. It was like he was invading my body and knowing everything about it.

  When he pulled back, his eyes were pitch black with desire. Nervously, I took in my bottom lip between my teeth before I summoned enough courage to move and cup his cheeks. I pulled him down to kiss him, letting him know that he was the one for me and how much I loved him. The feel of his canine was still evident, but it only turned me on more. When I finally pulled back, it was my turn to speak.

  “I love you too, Titus,” I said as I caressed his cheek, his eyes never leaving mine. “You are my second chance at love, my second chance at life. You are my one and only alpha. I will love you forever. I promise to respect, care, and be attentive towards you. Titus, this is my sacred vow to you. You are mine.”

  I brought him down for another hard kiss before moving to the side of his neck where my mark was. My canine lengthening, I moved in and pierced my mark again on his neck. The sweet metallic rush of blood flooded my mouth, and it only encouraged me to dig my canines deeper. A soft groan escaped his lips as his arms tightened around me. He liked what I was doing. I could feel the hardness of his erection pressed against my belly. When I finished, I lapped at his mark to clean it up before pulling back, licking my lips. His eyes were still the color of the dark night as he looked at me.

  Everyone cheered and began howling. Smiling, I pushed away from Titus’s grasp. His eyes were still on me as I moved away from him. The females giggled as they did the same. When I was with the other females, I turned and we broke into a run, lifting our dresses as we shifted in the air. I heard Titus’s throaty, dominating growl from behind along with other males as they began their chase. It was a growl that promised a chase that he would win—a chase that he was thrilled to follow.

  “Run, Patience, because when I catch you, you will be mine,” he shouted, and I felt a tug in my heart and warmth pooled between my legs. I had no doubt that Titus would catch me. I was counting that he would, but I’d make damn sure it wouldn’t be easy for him.

  I dashed through the dark woods, my eyes quickly adjusting to the change in environment. I was able to see shadows, shapes, and movements even without light. It was like seeing through a night vision scope. I could only see enough for me to be able to hunt and see my way around at night.

  Titus would shift into his wolf as soon as he hit the edge of the woods. His senses would be heightened, and he would for sure follow his female’s scent. I ducked under a fallen log and burrowed my way through some thick bushes

  I could hear the paws of the other female wolves next to me who were running away from their mates. My plan was to mask my scent as much as possible. I rubbed my scent on a few trees and bushes to deter Titus from me. Once I was able to send him in a direction that would be safe for me, I did a 180 and headed for the stream on their territory.

  This water would lessen my scent, and it would be harder for him to find me. I trotted along the stream searching for a place to hide. It felt like the first time at the Hunting Game, only this time, I was fully aware of who was chasing me.

  My paws dug into the earthy mud with each step I took. I reached a small cave near the stream. Water was trickling down the cave. This could be a good spot to hide. I walked inside and shifted into my human form, fully aware that I was naked.

  The cave was damp with an earthy muddy smell. It knew that it would be a lot harder for Titus to find me here. Approaching the end of the cave where there was no exit, I found a fleece blanket nicely folded in a corner. People must have hidden here before. Picking it up, I wrapped around my shoulders, shielding my nakedness from the cold.

  “Cold?” A thrilling shiver ran down my spine. Excitement bubbled up in my stomach and my heart fluttered like I was falling in love all over again.

  He was here.

  I turned to face him, giving him a rewarding smile. “Found me.”

  He stood before me fully naked. He was unashamed. He stood proudly in front of me in the most provocative and dominating stance. He returned my smile with a victorious and confident smirk before slowly walking towards me.

  I took a step back.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Still running?”

  “Still chasing?” I shot back, feeling a lot more playful. I knew I was teasing him, and he enjoyed it.

  “Always,” he whispered before moving closer to me, capturing me in his arms tightly. My shivering body was now firmly pressed onto his hard one.

  “You were sneaky, Patience,” he whispered huskily as his lips grazed my cheeks. It was a soft caress.

  “Yet you still found me.” I managed to breathe in a bare whisper. It was always hard to think around him.

  “I will always find you, love.” His lips found their way back to mine.

  He brushed his lips over mine before deepening the kiss; the unquenchable flame inside

  of me burst to life. I let go of the blanket to wrap my arms around him, my hands moving to tangle with his hair. He groaned with pleasure and deepened the kiss even more. I could feel his arousal pressing against me.

  It didn’t take long for Titus to spread out the blanket and place me carefully in the middle of it. Tonight, he was going to make me his again officially. Tonight, in the eyes of the moon and our goddess, our mating was going to be complete.

  Titus moved his body to cover mine. Every inch of his skin touched my already burning body. I moaned and wrapped my legs around his waist. He leaned down to give me a passionate and deep kiss before moving his lips lower. He nipped at his mark on my neck before I felt the grazing of his canines.

  I thought he was going to mark me again right then, but instead, he moved lower. His kisses were feathering my skin to the valley of my breasts. I arched my back, wanting more. He took mercy on me and cupped one breast with his hands, squeezing it before pinching the tip.

  His lips latched onto my other breast where he flicked and teased the bead until I was writhing underneath him, begging for some form of release between my legs.

  “I want to take my time with you tonight. I want to taste every single part of your body. I want to know what makes you cry out my name, and I want to know what will drive you to the edge of pleasurable insanity.” His voice was husky with want.

  And like Titus promised me, he made damn sure that his promise that night was followed

  through. He made love to me in a way that had me crying out in pleasure and begging him for release. He learned everything about me, and by the time the sun peaked over the horizon, I was exhausted, and my body was humming with satisfaction.

  I spent years living a life filled with pain and rejection until I met Titus. He changed my life forever, and I thank the Moon Goddess every
day for the gift she has given me. He was the light and my chance at happiness. He gave me hope and dreams, and I knew I couldn’t love anybody more. He was my heart, my love, and my mate.

  Epilogue

  A year later

  I can’t believe it has been a year since everything happened—a year since I was officially mated to the French alpha who is absolutely possessive and protective of me.

  Time has flown by; Kailyn and Micah have also settled into their relationship. The mating ceremony for them was held six months after ours. By then, Kailyn was already pregnant with male twins.

  Now, the babies are a few months old and already loved by the pack. Micah loves and adores Kailyn. My sister often calls me and tells me that she is happy she made this choice. There are days she thinks about Kyle, but he seems to be only a distant memory, a person from her past.

  She told me she doesn’t hate him. She was angry that he kept all this to himself and didn’t tell her. She was angry that she allowed him to mark her when he was supposed to be mine. Kailyn now knows that I have already forgiven her. I am happy about where I am.

  I am happy with the man I love.

  Titus s everything to me. He takes extremely good care of me. Our love hasn’t dimmed a bit but only continues to bloom. I have learned more French since I have convinced Titus to hire me a French teacher.

  Christian and Emily are also very happy. It was great news to everyone when they heard that Emily and I are going to give birth to babies around the same time.

  Yes, I am pregnant with Titus’s baby. Standing in his office, I rest my hand on my protruding belly. He is working through some paperwork while I stay by his side.

  I can’t do anything else now that I have a baby growing inside of me. I feel the need to be close to Titus because he provides me comfort. As every other pregnant woman will say, as the time approaches, we often find ourselves feeling anxious and fearful of what will happen. Going into labor scares me. I don’t know what to expect, and having Titus near me will reassure me everything will be fine.

  I sigh and think about Kyle. I truly hope that he finds happiness someday. I haven’t spoken to him for a long time. I want him to move on, and I want to move on. In order for me to move on though, I need to not talk to him. I need time to forgive him.

  Then my thoughts travel to Noor. Oh goddess, the thought of Titus’s gamma being gone for so long hurts my heart. I wonder what is going on with him. He has become a very fast friend to me, and I have to admit I worry for his safety and his whereabouts.

  Turning to face my mate who is working hard on finishing some pack paperwork to spend the day with me, I feel the need to express to him the urgency of finding Noor.

  “He hasn’t come home, Titus. You need to go find him,” I muttered as I place the phone back on the receiver. Noor has been gone, and we haven’t received word from him. I am beginning to worry.

  “Who?” He looks confused.

  “Gamma Noor,” I respond impatiently.

  “He is fine. If something is wrong, he will call me.” Titus sets his papers down as he moves around his desk to wrap his arms around my waist. His hands slowly caress my protruding stomach.

  “You shouldn’t worry so much. You are pregnant with our little pup,” he murmurs as he nips at my earlobe.

  “All I am saying is if you don’t go out there and find him or get him to call you, I am going out there myself.” I threaten. He sighs and drops his forehead on my shoulder.

  “Patience, please. He is fine,” Titus says in an exasperated tone.

  I turn around to look at him. My stomach pushes us apart as I do so. He frowns but keeps his arms around me.

  “How do you know?” I ask.

  “I just do,” Titus mumbles, but I can see the uncertainty in his eyes.

  “Don’t lie to me, Titus,” I reply.

  He sighs. “Fine. I will send a couple of warriors out to search for him. Now will you please stop being a worrywart?”

  Satisfied that I have won this conversation, I turn back around and allow him to pull me back into his embrace, his hands settling on top of my belly.

  “You always win these fights.” He pouts.

  “Because you love me,” I reply.

  I can feel him smiling as he speaks, “I do. I love you with everything that I have.”

  “Promise me you will try to see where Noor is.”

  “I promise, my little luna,” he replies. “Now, let’s go get you something to eat? I am sure our little pup is hungry. She’s going to grow just as strong as her mother.”

  “Or her dad,” I respond but allow him to pull me out of the office and downstairs.

  During my time with Kyle, I never thought I would get this chance to be happy again, and now my life is completely perfect. I am married to a French alpha who is temperamental and possessive but loving. He is everything to me. I can’t imagine life without him.

  I stop and pull his arm. He turns to look at me confused. I move and kiss him on the lips.

  “I love you, Titus.”

  He smiles. “I love you too, Patience.”

  His lips come back down and kiss me again. It’s passionate and sensual. His tongue slips out to dance with mine. My hands tighten around his neck. The alpha has other plans before food; of that I am sure by the way his arms wrap around me and the deep rumbling coming from his chest. My male wants something else before food. Well, I guess eating can wait.

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  Chapter 1

  I have thought about my death for the better majority of my life. I had thought about how I would die, who or what would kill me, and how much time I had before it happened.

  For a long time, it was an obsession, something I could not stop thinking about day in and day out. It was always hanging over my head, always lurking around some corner.

  The only thing I thought about more than my death was that I would never get to see my family again. I couldn’t watch my sister grow up, go to school, and eventually, get married. I wouldn’t be there to take care of my parents when they got old and sick. I wouldn’t be able to get married one day myself and have children of my own.

  I would miss all of that because of someone else.

  One day, I was so consumed with the fact that my entire life had been taken away from me, that I just lost control.

  Then I escaped.

  ***

  For an infinite amount of time, it felt like all I could do was run. One foot in front of the other and just keep pushing. I know that eventually my body would give out, but the second I stopped, I know I would be in trouble—not the manageable kind of trouble, but the kind that would get me killed.

  If I am going to die, I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of doing it. The pain along my leg had gone numb a long time ago, but I am just now starting to feel the blood loss and exhaustion hitting me. I sit down next to a tree to take a break and just think about my life.

  I was eight when I was taken. There was an attack in the middle of the night, and nobody saw it coming because we were at peace with all of our allies.

  I am a werewolf, and in the werewolf community, it is always important to have allies. A pack can be very large, but they can’t defend themselves from everything. Since I was so young, I had never shifted before. This meant I could not defend myself against any of the shifted wolves around me. I was an easy prey.

  After I had been taken away from the pack and my family, we traveled for a long time. The first couple of days were very hazy, and I had no idea what was going on. After a couple of years, it was a daily routine for them to keep me to do their chores, make their food, and to take their frustrations out on when life go too
hard.

  I could barely remember my old life after a year or two.

  Almost ten years later, I have managed to escape, and now I have no idea where to go or what to do. They could be right on my trail for all I know, and then the fight and me finally shifting into my wolf would be all for nothing.

  Ever since they took me, they tormented me and kept me for years now. I was supposed to cook for them and entertain them whenever they wanted.

  But most of them were dead now, all except for their leader.

  Realizing I can in no way go any further and that I am not healing quickly enough, I accept my death. It is almost peaceful to think that after my life of torture, I can finally die peacefully. I lie down still in wolf form and curl up into a ball, waiting to die or possibly start to heal and gain some strength back.

  About a half an hour later, I hear something walking in the woods. I stand up on all four legs and look around me. Suddenly, a huge brown wolf with a blond-tipped tail is staring back at me, looking fully prepared to kill me.

  The wolf starts growling, and out of instinct, I crouch into a defensive position. I put my head down on my front paws and just watch him. He walks back and forth, and after finally deciding I am not going to attack him, he shifts back into his human form and puts some shorts on.

  “Shift,” the guy says. I put my ears down and whine a little. His strong voice scares me a bit, and I want to shift back, but that is difficult because I don’t really know how.

  I have been running around the woods for hours in my wolf form because I wasn’t sure how to, and I am also faster this way.

  When I shifted into a wolf, it was not on purpose, and I don’t really know how it happened.

  “SHIFT!” he says louder. I whine louder and put my head down. When he sees this, he squints and squats down.