Huntress Rescued

by Eva Brandt

  I didn’t feel comfortable taking off my clothes in front of everyone yet, but they didn’t expect me to. My lovers stayed dressed too, and the rest of the pack didn’t seem to blame me for my modesty either.

  “Come dance with us,” Ulysses’s friend Gypsy said, waving at me, and I went.

  When she offered me her hand, I took it. And when my lovers joined in, we all started swaying in the moonlight.

  There was no campfire here, because the werewolves always avoided harming the forest in any way if they could help it. But we didn’t need a fire, because the cold rays of the moon were enough.

  I didn’t have the stamina of a werewolf, but my training as a huntress paid off and I could more or least keep up with the shifters—for the first ten minutes or so at least. Laughter rose around me as Byron spun me around and tossed me to Ulysses. Xander dipped me down, and then flipped me back up. After that, I tumbled into Byron’s arms again, much to the delight of the pack.

  “Go, Alpha, go!” another werewolf—I thought his name might be Trent—cheered us on.

  It was nice, comforting, and like a balm on my soul after the craziness of the last couple of days. That was why I was so surprised when my lovers finally pulled me aside, away from the others, into the shade of some nearby trees.

  Well, the surprise didn’t come then. I’d already caught sight of a few couples coming together to have sex, some in human form, others in shifter form. I’d expected my mates to ask me to have sex with them, and I definitely wouldn’t have minded.

  But they had other plans. As soon as we had as much privacy as possible, Xander faced me, his earlier smile vanishing like it hadn’t been there at all.

  “Listen, Genny… We’ve done our best to give you time, but it’s clear to us that it’s not working out.”

  My heart practically stopped at his words. Were they breaking up with me? No, it wasn’t possible. If they’d wanted to do that, they wouldn’t have brought me to the celebration in the first place.

  Or maybe that was why I was here, to begin with. They might have changed their minds about having a relationship with me, but they didn’t actually want to abandon me to Daimon’s tender mercies. So maybe they intended to hand me over to another member of their pack.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong,” Ulysses said hastily. “We don’t want to take a step back. We want to move forward.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re saying,” I croaked out.

  “We want to court you properly,” Byron replied. “We want to claim you, to truly make you ours.”

  I was baffled. Hadn’t they claimed me already? Wasn’t that what we had been doing all along?

  A worm of uncertainty niggled at the back of my mind and I remembered that strange sensation I’d had, the constant feeling of ‘not enough’. I always enjoyed my time with them so much, but even after we had sex, there was this odd sensation that something was missing.

  I’d blamed it on myself and that blasted demon, but maybe that hadn’t been it.

  “A claiming, huh? So what does that involve, exactly?”

  Xander met my gaze and his eyes glowed like black diamonds. “Closeness. Acceptance. Love. Trust. Desire. All that, and more.”

  “Run with us tonight, Genny,” Byron said. “Follow us. Trust us.”

  “Tonight might not be the full moon, but some things are more important than that,” Ulysses finished.

  I understood what they weren’t saying. A claiming was more than just sex. It was a connection that went deeper than the physical. It was a bond between souls.

  “This is a bad idea,” a voice whispered at the back of my mind. “They deserve better.”

  I viciously stomped it down, uncaring. It was true. They did deserve better. But I wanted to be with them anyway. And I wasn’t selfless enough to refuse them or to turn them away again. It had taken everything in my power to make that confession about Daimon, and they’d accepted it—accepted me.

  This was right. It had to be.

  And so, I smiled and nodded. “I’d love to run with you.”

  I hadn’t even realized how tense they’d been until they relaxed and warm smiles appeared on their faces. Ulysses’s aura spread out and engulfed me like a comforting hug. “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”

  That was my line, but I didn’t get the chance to say so. I didn’t get the chance to say anything at all. My lovers quickly took off their clothes and shifted into their wolf forms.

  I couldn’t do the same, but it didn’t matter. Xander nudged my side with his snout and Byron licked my hand. Ulysses was always there, his power still caressing me with excruciating gentleness. Their obvious affection made it more than clear that my species didn’t matter to them.

  A memory of my brother’s words flashed through my head. “You’re a monster,” he had said. Maybe he had been right. But I wasn’t that person now. For them, for my werewolves, I could be something and someone different.

  And so, when Xander, Ulysses, and Byron took off running, I followed them, laughing joyfully. Moonlight filtered through the greenery above us. And for the first time in my life, I felt free. I felt true hope.

  * * *

  Daimon

  “After all that, she beat you with a kiss and a ‘please’? Fuck. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in my life.”

  He sat on the floor in my bedchambers, laughing his ass off. On occasion, he’d stop and look at me. One glance was all it took for him to lose it again.

  I was getting very irritated with the whole thing. I was already pissed off after my failure to claim my bride. I didn’t need my friend to laugh at me on top of that.

  But I couldn’t exactly shout at him for it, not when he’d almost gotten killed for this crazy plan. He didn’t seem put out by the damage he’d taken during our mission, but I knew it couldn’t have been pleasant.

  In hindsight, maybe I should have taken more of the horde with me instead of just Kade. But I wasn’t ready to involve more people. The horde could be problematic, and regardless of who she was now, my bride had once been a huntress. For good or ill, Kade was the only one I could rely on.

  And so, I suppressed the magic threatening to spill over and just glared at him. “It’s really not that funny. I got distracted. If you knew her, you’d realize it’s a perfectly understandable reaction.”

  “Maybe,” Kade replied, “but I think I’d find it hilarious anyway.” His tone shifted into something more serious, almost wary. “What will you do now? Will you keep trying to go to her in her dreams?”

  I nodded. “The mistake was that I got overconfident. She knows we have a bond, but she’s not ready to accept it yet. If I take my time with her, she’ll eventually surrender.

  “And besides, if there’s one good thing that came out of this, it’s the fact that the werewolves know she betrayed them. I doubt they’ll appreciate their soulmate sneaking around with another man behind their backs.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Kade warned me. “If you ask me, they’re far more likely to blame you than her. Not to mention that werewolves are polygamous. This isn’t such a huge departure from things that happen in the pack.

  “Instead of abandoning her, they’ll instinctively cling to her more and try to own her.”

  “That could help too,” I said with a small smirk. “My bride trusts them because they were gentle and understanding. But the moment that stops… Well, I’ll be there to take my prize.”

  It would obviously take time and I’d have to encourage it a little, but I was confident that it would work. She belonged to me. I wouldn’t accept any other options.

  A knock sounded at my door, interrupting my conversation with Kade. “Come in,” I called out.

  Emma opened the door and walked inside, bowing lowly. It was unusual for any of my vassals to interrupt me when I was with Kade, so I already knew she brought bad news from the moment I saw her. “Yes?” I asked. “What is it?”

  “My Lo
rd, pardon the interruption, but you’ve just received a message,” Emma replied. “It’s from the Popovic coven.”

  I waved Emma forward and she offered me an envelope branded with the familiar seal of the vampire family. I took it, all the while hiding my irritation.

  I knew what the letter would say. My project had cost Vladimir Popovic his life. Vladimir had been the one to offer his help, but still, his coven wouldn’t just take this lying down.

  I scorched off the blood-red seal and opened the letter.

  “Esteemed Lord Rossi,” it read. “Today, we mourn the passing of a great man and a valuable member of our coven. For centuries, my brother Vladimir has been a pillar of stability in the undead community and a strong supporter of the DUTRAH. His murder at the hands of the obscene shifter betrayers offends us most deeply.

  “As your friends and allies, we ask that you provide us with all the information you have on my brother’s killers. He will be avenged, no matter who stands in our way.

  “We eagerly await your response. May your path forever be protected by the shadows.

  Lord Roman Popovic”

  I pursed my lips in displeasure and sealed the letter back in the envelope. Emma and Kade were looking at me expectantly, waiting to see what I’d do. I mused over my options. This could work out in my favor, but it could also blow up in my face.

  I didn’t care about the Brooks pack. In fact, if they all died, I’d be thrilled. But my bride was there, and I doubted Roman Popovic would allow her to live if he got his hands on her. That was unacceptable.

  But getting in Roman’s way wasn’t a good option either. His message made that more than clear. It wasn’t just a request. It was a veiled threat. If I didn’t help him, he’d deem it a breach of the pact between demons and undead and declare a blood feud. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was exactly what he wanted.

  Well, if he thought he could force my hand or push me into a corner, he had another think coming.

  “Emma, summon a meeting with the Greater Horde. We might have a problem on our hands. It looks like it might be time to review some of our old agreements.”

  After all, demons excelled at contracts and I knew for a fact that the DUTRAH contained plenty of loopholes we could exploit.

  Yes, this might work very well, indeed.

  THE END

  Did you enjoy this story? Don’t forget to leave a comment or just a rating. It means a lot to me. Subscribe to the newsletter to receive news of my future releases, prizes and giveaways. Check out my website for more details. Join my Facebook Den of Temptation for more fun.

  Now available, free for download - the interlude/prequel to my Soulmates of Seasons series Winter’s Dragons. Draconic Affairs.

  Want some fun with shifters? Check out Rogue Wolves Prison, a story co-written with Cara Wylde, free.

  An Omega who dared to kill her would-be mate. An Alpha who was betrayed by his closest bloodkin. Will their bond bring them freedom, or shatter their souls?

  Coming Soon: Huntress’s Pack 2

  Vampires aren’t supposed to have soulmates. Demons aren’t supposed to love. But for one huntress, they might just make an exception. It’s a shame she’s already bonded to someone else.

  I used to be a huntress, a woman dedicated to protecting the world from supernatural threats. Now, that life is gone, and I’ve found something new, a bond with three werewolves who rescued me from a horrible fate.

  They call me their soulmate, their lover, their Genny.

  They swear we belong together.

  They tell me I’m safe by their side.

  But in my heart, I know better. Daimon Rossi is still out there, still waiting for me to come to him. I can still remember his feverish kisses and the way his touch felt on my skin. I can still hear him in my dreams.

  I hate him—and I hate myself for not being able to forget him. I know that my mere presence endangers my new pack, but at the same time, I can’t let my werewolves go.

  And Daimon isn’t the worst threat around. Disaster strikes when vampire lord Roman Popovic seeks retaliation for the death of his brother. And it’s not just the pack he’s after her. He’s very interested in claiming me for himself.

  I don’t want to have anything to do with him, but I’m terribly afraid that I might not have a choice.

  Huntress Claimed is a why choose dark romance complete with vampires, demons, and werewolves all competing for the heart (and body) of the same woman. Sound tempting? That’s great - but be advised! There will be some dark content that might not be for the faint of heart.

  Pre-order here: Huntress Claimed.

  About the Author

  Eva Brandt is a romance aficionado who likes to spice up her stories with an extra bit of something special. Dragons? Perfect. Vampires? You got it. Any other type of mythological creature you might not have heard of? Absolutely. Sexy, snarky heroines and heroes with a penchant for falling head over heels in love with them? Yes and double yes.

  She also believes in a very simple motto. Be passionate about passion. Embrace temptation. Life is too short to deny yourselves the most beautiful things about it.

  When she’s not weaving her latest sexy tale, she enjoys relaxing in bed with a nice mug of tea and her ebook reader. Because nothing is better than writing a book, except reading one.

  Visit Eva at on her website or Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.

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