Master of the Hunt

by Mandy M. Roth

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Chapter Ten

  Aeson landed gently with Shelby on the balcony of her Earth home. He didn’t like the fact they were back, but he’d promised her he’d bring her home long enough to gather what she wanted most. Several guards had come with them. They landed on the balcony as well and Aeson twisted enough to face them. “Check the dwelling first. Assure it is safe.”

  With a nod, they headed into the home and a few minutes passed before they returned. “Prince, it is empty.”

  “My thank you,” he said, releasing Shelby enough to permit her to walk on her own.

  She snorted. “Are you planning to be this overprotective the rest of our lives?”

  “Yes,” he responded evenly, taking her hand in his as he entered the home. He led her in and ignored her tiny grumblings about his need to “assert his manhood”. She would never understand that it was inborn in him—the fierce need to assure his mate was safe and protected, regardless.

  He dipped his head and kissed her quickly, stopping her tantrum before it could become full-blown. She smiled up at him shyly, and he thought about her lips wrapped around his cock. Her brow quirked.

  “Stop thinking dirty thoughts.”

  “I am… not?” he said, clearing his throat.

  She laughed and released him. “My brother said he and Dad packed my bags and put them on my bed. Can you bring them down?”

  “Of course. You will remain here?”

  She nodded.

  Aeson went up the stairs and stopped when he entered her bedroom. There were bags upon the bed, but they were opened and everything was thrown about. Rhios was a soldier and it was against his very nature to be so messy. Aeson’s hackles rose. Something was wrong. He spun and shouted, “Shelby!”

  He ran, missing a number of the steps and hitting the wall in his clumsy haste to get to his mate. He made it to the main level and spun. Where was she? He spotted his guards on the balcony.

  “Where is my mate?”

  They twisted, looking at him. “She commanded us here.”

  “She did what?” he asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

  “She growled when we followed her into the cooking area and said very clearly ‘stop following me, go look busy on the balcony or something’.”

  Aeson blinked in surprise. “And you obeyed?”

  “She is our princess,” one said matter-of-factly. “We are to obey her orders as if they were yours.”

  Aeson spun. “Shelby!”

  The guards pushed into the room. One pointed to the front door. “She went that way.”

  “You let her go outside? Alone?”

  They froze.

  Aeson would deal with them later. He took off in the direction of the front door and the second he thrust it open, he found a white cloth on the ground. He sniffed the air and recognized the scent as something used to render one unconscious. It was similar to oil the healers of his realm used when surgery was called for on a warrior.

  He thought back to the mess in Shelby’s room and to the cloth before him. “Roland.”

  For a second he couldn’t think, couldn’t focus. All he saw was red and all he felt was blind panic. One of his head guards grabbed him, shaking him as if were a mere fledgling.

  “My lord!” the guard shouted in Aeson’s face.

  Aeson stilled. “He has her.”

  “Who does?”

  “A serial killer.”

  The guards appeared confused. They were not used to human terms.

  Aeson paused more. “A person who kills many, over and over again for the thrill of the kill. Innocents. Non-war related.”

  The men gasped.

  He looked to one. “Find Rhios. Shelby told me his address.”

  “Address?”

  “Location within the human realm,” Aeson said sharply. “Go quickly!”

  * * * * *

  Shelton and Rhis flew close by his side as they neared the location they’d managed to track Shelby to. Aeson landed in a hurry and pulled his wings in. Shelton was going on about the need to be stealth and to assure this was indeed the abandoned home Shelby was being held in. Aeson was out of tact and finesse. He charged forward, striking the old door with one blow, sending it into pieces.

  “So much for the element of surprise,” Shelton said.

  Rhios followed close behind Aeson as he entered the dwelling. He sniffed the air and smelled blood.

  Shelby.

  He followed the scent and demolished another door, this one leading downstairs, to a dungeon of sorts.

  “They fly, Shelby,” Roland said, his voice filtering through the level. “I saw them. They have wings!”

  He found a back room and saw Roland there, knife in hand, waving it around madly near Shelby who was chained to a wall. She was limp and bloody.

  Roland back handed her. “Tell me of the flying men, bitch!”

  “You wish to know of me. I will show you!” Aeson shut off as he went at the man responsible for harming his woman.

  Shelby lifted her head to the sounds of shouting and commotion. She was partially out of it still but knew enough to understand Roland had taken her from her front porch. She tugged at the chains binding her wrists.

  She focused and what she saw ripped a scream from her. Aeson was there, holding Roland off the floor by his neck. Her father was suddenly next to her, grabbing her face.

  “Look not at him, Shelby,” her father said.

  She couldn’t look away.

  Aeson tore Roland’s head clean off, making the act look effortless.

  Shelton and the other men grabbed Aeson, yanking him back from the clearly dead Roland. Blood was everywhere. Shelby knew she was still screaming but couldn’t seem to stop herself.

  Shelton caught Aeson before he could get to her. “You’re covered in Roland, man. Go upstairs and wash off.”

  “She needs me,” Aeson said, his gaze locking on her.

  Shelby managed to calm somewhat as her father broke the chains holding her. Her father caught her, holding her to him. She sank into his embrace and closed her eyes. Everything hurt. Roland had hit and kicked her, demanding answers to what he’d seen while stalking her—the bird men.

  She came to slightly at the sound of Aeson demanding his wife be handed over to him.

  “She is safe with me,” her father said, carrying her as if she were a child.

  “She… I swore to protect her,” Aeson said, sounding as if he were crying. That couldn’t be. Her fierce warrior, her stoic prince, her master of the hunt wouldn’t break down in tears, would he?

  She lifted her head, getting her one good eye open to see Aeson on his knees, his men surrounding him, none saying a word as the hulk of a man did indeed sob.

  “My wife was harmed and I did nothing to stop it.” He pounded his chest.

  “You tore the dude’s head off,” her brother said from the sidelines. “Not to mention you tracked my sister’s location and that means that sick fuck had her less than twenty minutes. With the drive time he had her alone for less than ten minutes.”

  “Enough time for him to hurt her,” Aeson said, still breaking down.

  Shelby reached for him. “Aeson.”

  He shot to his feet, coming for her. “My sweet sparrow. I am unworthy of you.”

  “Shut up and carry me home. I want a bath. I think I have dead guy on me.”

  Aeson stilled. “Shelby?”

  She leaned and he took her from her father.

  “You do not hate me?” Aeson asked.

  “No. I love you. Take me home to the bird realm.”

  “It’s not called the bird realm,” a guard said.

  Aeson shot him a daring look.

  The man raised his hands. “Bird realm it is then.”

  Aeson kissed her temple lightly. “My sweet sparrow, you are my light, my heart, my love.”

  She began to nod off again. “You love me?”

  Chapter Eleven

/>   Aeson sat quietly in the hall outside of the room holding his wife. Three days had passed since they’d returned to his realm with an injured Shelby. Three days of healers at her bedside around the clock, speaking things such as bleeding on the brain, internal injuries and what not. Three days of Aeson praying to every bird god he could think of for her to recover and not to leave him.

  Rayna exited the room that held Shelby and the healers. Aeson, Shelton and Rhios all stood quickly. It was Aeson who got to the queen first. “How is she?”

  “Banged up but fine.”

  “Did he…?” Shelton asked, his question left hanging. All knew what he was asking. Had Roland raped Shelby?

  Rayna shook her head. “No. The sight of Aeson and his men arriving with Shelby, flying, halted that plan, I’m sure. Shelby said he knocked her out with something but that she wasn’t totally out of it. My guess is the fact she’s part shifter, it didn’t work as the sick bastard thought it would. She said she was aware the entire time and no, he didn’t rape her. He did hit and kick her though. A lot.”

  Aeson’s gut clenched. He bowed his head.

  Rayna touched him. “She said she knew you’d come for her. That her prince would find her.” Rayna stared him over. “You need a bath and a shave.”

  Aeson ignored her. “She is awake? I wish to see her. If one more healer orders me out of the room—”

  “Brother,” Kabril said, coming around the corner. “Have we not had the talk about you threatening the healers?”

  He pointed to the room. “My mate is alert and they continue to thrust me out of the room with their spells and magiks.”

  Rayna laughed. “Because you hover and bark orders at them.”

  “She is my wife. I will order…”

  “Shut up, already!” Shelby yelled. “My head is pounding and you’re not helping it. Stop belly aching and get in here before I pay these healers to zap your butt out of the castle.”

  Rayna and Kabril laughed.

  Rhios touched Shelton’s shoulder. “Sounds like she’ll be just fine.”

  “Yeah, Peep is pissed.” Shelton looked to Aeson. “Good luck, man. You’re gonna need it around her.”

  The healers exited the room and came straight for the queen. “My lady,” one of them said. “She requires rest. Not visitors.”

  “You’re still angry with Aeson for calling you a one-trick healer,” Rayna said calmly. “Besides, shouldn’t he be with her so she can share the news you only just gave her?”

  “News?” Aeson asked. “Is she dying? Oh Gods Above, no!”

  Rayna rolled her eyes. “She is not…”

  Aeson charged past the queen and into the room. Shelby was sitting up on the bed. “You are not permitted to die!”

  She grunted. “Are you about done acting like a fool?”

  He paused. “Are you not dying?”

  “I’m pregnant. Not dying.”

  “Pregnant?” he managed as the room began to spin.

  Rhios was suddenly there, helping to hold him up. Kabril was forced to lend a hand. Kabril chuckled. “Congratulations, brother. You are to be a father. May you be as blessed as our father was.”

  Aeson’s gaze whipped to his brother. “You wish to curse me with eight sons?”

  Kabril laughed. “Oh, yes. I do.”

  THE END

  About The Author

  Mandy M. Roth grew up fascinated by creatures that go bump in the night. From the very beginning, she showed signs of creativity—writing, painting, telling scary stories that left her little brother afraid to come out from under his bed. Combining her creativity with her passion for the paranormal has left her banging on the keyboard into the wee hours of the night. Her books have won numerous awards, including an RT nomination for Best Paranormal Erotic.

  Mandy lives on the shores of Lake Erie with her husband, their three boys and a boxer pup named Hercules. When Mandy is not writing, she’s doing cover art for various places with a super double secret brush name. She also co-hosts a live talk radio show, Raven Radio, which was recently mentioned in Romantic Times Magazine and has given several marketing workshops for authors. She has a Bachelor of Science and is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Marketing.

  To learn more about Mandy, please visit www.mandyroth.com or send an email to mandy@mandyroth.com.

  For latest news about Mandy’s newest releases subscribe to her announcement list in Yahoo! groups. http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/Mandy_M_Roth

  Exclusive Excerpt from The Raven Books!

  Bright Lights, Big City

  Executive Decision Chapter One Excerpt

  By Mandy M. Roth

  “Becker’s profits are falling at an alarming rate. Let’s just say that it’s bad enough they’ve decided to outsource the marketing to another firm—hopefully us. People, this is our chance. Opportunities like this don’t fall from trees. This could be the deal of a lifetime. What team wants to tackle this one? Simthe, your team’s loaded down enough with the Flickerton account. I can’t spare you. How about you, Rogers, Jacks, or Walters?”

  Tapping my ball point pen on the edge of the cherry table, I barely noticed the buzz of the week’s staff meeting in my ear. The majority of it was always a recap anyway and the first time around with it bored me to tears. Subjecting myself to it twice was insane. Instead, thoughts of my weekend plans ran through my head. It had been close to five months since I’d been out on the town with the girls and my withdrawal was now full-blown. One of my best friends, Lauren, was convinced that my employer, Baum Marketing, was holding me hostage. She’d threatened twice to send in the marines if I didn’t get a day off soon. In my current state of mind, I’d let her.

  Besides, a room full of uniformed, armed men who had been trained to use their bodies as weapons couldn’t be that bad, right?

  I understood where Lauren was coming from. It wasn’t like I was purposely avoiding her. I needed a break too but accounts were up. Striking while the iron’s hot is a must in the world of marketing. And the iron had been hot for months now. Seeing any sort of out of the workplace activities would be a pleasant welcome to staring at the same four, pale grey, walls another minute. Just a week ago I’d found myself holding an interior decorators card in my hand wondering what my boss would say if I spruced my office up and brought my bed in.

  He probably wouldn’t care much for that. Then again, the bed might be a welcome change from his hard desk. My luck, a fellow employee would walk in on us and I’d either end up in a workplace orgy or the butt of even more jokes.

  Work had become all consuming and as much as I loved what I did, I enjoyed a social life too. Or at least I think it was called a social life. If memory served it was one of those things where you go out with your friends and enjoy yourself. The idea was fast becoming foreign to me.

  “Elizabeth?”

  Hearing my name, I looked up from my mindless task to find the entire boardroom full of people staring at me. It is always so wonderful to find myself on the receiving end of ten pairs of questioning eyes. The next worst thing would be having a piece of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of my black suede Alisonia pumps. As sexy as that sounded, it just isn’t what I think the designer had in mind to pair them with.

  This fall’s latest craze—three sheets instead of two. Not.

  “Elizabeth, are you okay?”

  I glanced towards the head of the firm, Charles Baum and forced a smile onto my face.

  Smile pretty and pretend you were following along. It might work.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Baum, you were saying?”

  Charles adjusted his diagonally striped silk tie while he avoided looking at me and cleared his throat. The navy in his suit brought out his light blue eyes, making him look younger than he really was. At forty-five he was prime pickings. He still had a full head of natural hair that he wore short in the back and on the sides but let spike about a half inch up on top. Granted, where it once had been varying shades of light brown, it w
as now laced with white as well. In my opinion it gave him more character as did the tiny lines around his eyes. But having always liked older men, I was biased.

  Women flocked to Charles and he adored the attention. He also enjoyed the thrill of the pursuit. I figured that out from the moment I started working for him. My normal standoffishness suited me well when it came to him. For years I resisted his advances, the entire time secretly wanting to sample what he had to offer. Now, I almost regretted not giving in sooner.

  “If everyone would please excuse us,” Charles said, his tone dry, warning.

  I stood, collected my paperwork and went to leave. If he wanted to cut the meeting short it was fine by me. That just meant I’d be heading home an hour earlier—for once.

  “Not you, Elizabeth.”

  Oh, yippee. Apparently, smiling pretty and hoping for the best didn’t work. I should have tried unbuttoning a button or two. Perhaps my cleavage could have won me safe passage.

  Charles was polite enough to wait until the oversized oak doors to the boardroom were closed before giving me his famous “you are in for it” look. “Elizabeth, what in the hell is going on with you lately?”

  “Nothing. Why?”

  “You’ve been walking around half-here and half-not. Your head certainly isn’t in the game. And the moment someone points it out to you, you snap. Did you know that two of your interns asked to be moved off your team? I have never had one request a transfer before, let alone two at the same time.”

  My jaw dropped. There was no possible way I’d chased two interns off my team. When I found out which sniveling, whiny, little nineteen-year-old went to Charles, I’d wring their necks.

  “Have you anything to offer, honey?”

  I narrowed my gaze on him, letting it go hard. “Don’t call me honey when you’re implying I’m being the wicked bitch of the west branch.”

  Working his tie off, he walked towards me. The instant he started on the baby-blue and navy cross-hatched shirt beneath it, I knew what he wanted. And it wasn’t to reprimand me for my behavior. Oh, there might be some light spankings involved, but they were ones I’d certainly enjoy. “Elizabeth, would I ever call you a bitch?”