I shuddered at her words, a mockery of the ones in the vow. I doubted her wisdom in this. Maybe she didn’t remember what it felt like to be bonded. Her wounds were so old she must not recall the power of the bond.
“I don’t think…”
Greer sighed as she rolled to her back, arms once again up to cradle her head. “It’s just a suggestion. You do what you need to do.”
“The pull I feel toward him, it’s dangerous. I fear what the bond will do.”
“It’s only as powerful as you let it be, sister. Trust me. I’ve had centuries to think on it.”
Greer was right. Her experience trumped anything I felt. Her immortality had held despite the fact that both her Hunter and her wolf were dead. She was hundreds of years old, and powerful beyond anything I’d ever experience in another Huntress—besides, of course, the Queen herself.
Greer was a hardened warrior who had been one of the founding Huntresses, establishing Amazon North with Queen Valentina when the chaos had settled and the witch burnings had ceased. They shared a gruesome story of betrayal, Greer and our Queen, one which made them both enemies to their Hunters and vice versa.
She had had a reason to sever the bond—had been justified in killing her torturer, her Hunter. I did not. Lance was an innocent man who believed so wholly in the bond that my best path would have to be avoidance. Despite the lure of power and leadership, there was no way I could follow through on Greer’s suggestion. Not if it ended with Lance’s death…and it would have to, because once bonded, I doubted very much he would let me go. I was a warrior, yes, but not a murderer.
“Get some sleep, Ariana. We’ve got a hard day ahead.” Greer let out a long breath and adjusted her body.
I sighed as I turned away from her, the sound of her breathing like a soothing balm to my soul. My sisters had my loyalty, my heart and my vow. Greer was right—no man would put that asunder.
Someone needed to tell my damn traitorous body that because when I closed my eyes, all I could see was him.
We were all in attendance at sunrise for the laying to rest of the Hunter, Allan. There were a lot of dark circles under everyone’s eyes and stifled yawns all around. Much caffeine was in order after the long night we’d had.
I shifted my gaze to Greer, frowning as I replayed our conversation only hours before. I’d had unsettling dreams for the brief time I’d been asleep. A psychic would argue, ones that foreshadowed things to come, but I had no such power of prophesy, usually just an uncanny sense of instinct. All silent right now. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
My dreams were filled with blood and pain. Wounds that I couldn’t heal. Loss so profound that I couldn’t survive, and at the center of it all was Lance. I needed to get away from the man, not closer to him.
Greer thought it would be wise to bond with Lance so that I could gain his powers and add to my abilities, but what was the cost? Did I trust myself enough to not fall into the Hunter’s thrall that came with the bond? Greer was right—it would give me an advantage and undoubtedly elevate me to commander status, allowing me to lead a group of my own warriors exclusively.
Bittersweet to be sure. It would give me independence from Greer, which might be a good thing. We’d become close over the years that we’d been scouting together, and that wasn’t always great when it came to leading a group. Favoritism happened.
I looked over at Lance who stood next to Kelly, his hand on the nape of her neck, and felt a stab of jealousy. I gulped, gave my head a shake. Dangerous emotions kept popping up when I encountered that man. Things that flew against all that I’d come to accept with my tribe. Would I be able to bond with him and then part ways? Would he even let me leave? Probably not, and then the second half of Greer’s plan would have to come into play. Would I be able to kill him in order to be free?
My gut said no, warring with the doctrine of the Amazons. Men served a purpose. They were not meant to become soul mates. They were meant to sacrifice sperm, donate power—nothing else that would bind us to them, weaken us to the point of extinction as had happened in the past. The Hunters in particular were not to be trusted. Never again. The motto of the Amazons. Never again would we become blinded to our ultimate agenda. We the Huntresses held all the power against the beasts and we would never be owned again.
The pyre was set aflame, the body of the fallen Hunter turned to ash by Paige’s hell fire. It took no longer than a few minutes and then everyone was disbanding. Greer came to my side, staring ahead, watching as Lance and Kelly shared a hug and a few words with their fellow Hunters.
“You will lead the team to Kelly’s beast,” Greer said. “I plan to take Talia to Queen Valentina myself.”
Fuck! “Are you sure that’s the wisest course? You’re the most familiar with wolf territory and the ritual. Why not let me take the Huntress to the Queen?” I hadn’t expected Greer to plan a split—what better way to separate myself from Lance?
“No.” Greer’s tone brook no argument. “Talia’s powers are strong and she keeps breaking my shackles. I’ve already had to bind her twice in such a short period of time. I’ll meet up with you once you’ve secured Kelly’s wolf and she’s gotten her bite.”
“How many will I lead?” We were traveling with twenty Huntresses in total but there was no way I could take that many with me. Venturing into wolf territory was dangerous, and large numbers of Huntresses tended to attract the bastards for some reason.
“Ten, that’s the safest. Try not to engage if possible, keep a low profile.” Greer ran a hand through her hair. “It’s going to take us half a day, maybe a bit more to get home. We’ll spend a day, no more, restocking weapons. I’m going to swap out a few of the women for stronger warriors. I’ll expect to hear from you in forty-eight hours with a status update. I also expect that you’ll find her wolf in that time. We’ll join you at camp with an extra ten warriors, which should give us an advantage when we face Lazarus’s pack.” She nodded behind her. “We’ll take the caravan, your bike. You’ll travel with Harper.”
Ugh. My stomach pitched. Harper, a warrior capable of teleporting. Whether just herself, small or large groups, it didn’t matter—she could do it. It made me barf every single time. “Not my favorite.”
Greer chuckled. “No, but fast and effective. She’s been scouting wolf territory for the past few hours, everything is quiet. Gonna get you girls in there within the hour, use the daylight to your advantage.”
“The girls and Lance, you mean.” I sneered as the man himself turned his gaze to me, as if he knew I’d just said his name. “He’s coming with, right?”
“I doubt Kelly can be parted from him.” Greer patted me on the back with a hard thump. “Remember what I said. You have a choice. This is the perfect time to weigh the outcomes.” She nodded as Lance and Kelly began to head in our direction. “Besides, he seems to have a thing for the redhead anyway. He’s fighting it, but it’s there. You could be lucky, take his bond, break it immediately and then foist him onto Kelly for consoling. He’ll be in such a whirlwind that he won’t even know what happened and he’ll need a friend.”
I didn’t like the thought of that, Kelly soothing his hurt. But it wasn’t all a bad idea. He’d be in such disarray if I broke the bond that Harper could zap him back to Wolves’ Bane and he wouldn’t have a clue what had happened. The timing would have to be perfect. Kelly would need to have her bite, fresh, high on her power surge, distracted. I’d have to allow the bond to happen and then break it.
“Hmmm, that could work, if I can find a town with available men.” I frowned, knowing that Greer was thinking the same thing I was. If I slept with another man after we’d bonded, the bond would be broken. “We could get him out of the way then and he’d be too much of a mess to argue.” Breaking the bond would devastate him, would make him malleable. “No need to shed his blood. Finding an available man to complete the plan will be a problem thou
gh. Wolf territory isn’t exactly highly populated.”
Greer shrugged. “Doesn’t have to be a man.”
I cocked an eyebrow, trying hard not to show my obvious shock.
“Maybe there’s something that Ella can do.” Greer greeted the warrior as she sidled up to us. “Ariana may require your services. Do you have anything in your repertoire that can sever a bond to a Hunter?”
Ella was a short, stocky powerhouse of a warrior. Her dark hair cropped, military style, severe and totally in contrast to the huge dimples dotting her cherub-like cheeks. Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Who needs to sever a bond?” Her eyes shifted to Kelly briefly before returning to Greer.
“No one yet,” I said. “It’s just something I’m considering.”
Ella contemplated me, her head tilted to the slightly to the side. “Much power comes from the bond.”
“Yes, and a whole lot of emotional attachment as well,” I snapped.
Ella gave a hard nod and straightened herself. “I may have something. Let me think about it for a bit, see what I can find when we get back to the forest.”
I nodded my thanks. Ella was capable of using what nature had to offer to create potions and powders. She’d then add her unique brand of magic, like a catalyst, to produce some impressive spells. She was a special kind of Huntress, one with a gift that I didn’t totally understand or trust. I’d seen the woman do some amazing things with those powers, like construct bombs that could level a house and make a warrior with a mortal wound believe she was in no pain whatsoever. Ella was an exceptionally talented chemist, and we were damn lucky she was on our side.
“You think it’s possible? That there’s a concoction out there to break the bond?” It was hardly believable, the bond between Hunter and Huntress indestructible unless we were talking… “Without anyone having to die I mean? I’d rather not take on the role of murderer.”
Ella met my eyes with a knowing look. “Let me see what I can do, sister, however the easiest method would be poison of some sort.”
My stomach flipped unpleasantly. “I don’t…”
“You’ll do whatever you must, whatever duty demands,” Greer said before breaking from my side to swoop in and hug Kelly.
Her words gave my smile of greeting a hard edge. I’d watched a man I was supposed to love die once in my life already. The pain he’d caused me had halted my hand when I could have done something to help him. He’d suffered, and I’d stood cold, detached, watching but taking no action. And I had no regrets. None.
So why was the idea of getting rid of Lance, a practical stranger, so appalling? I knew the answer to that and I knew it was going to be the reason why I needed to avoid any bond with the man. Even with the promise of leadership in the balance, even with Ella’s help, I knew the way my heart worked. I knew the vulnerabilities there.
Bonding with Lance was a bad idea. A really bad one. It had to be off the table unless there was an immediate way out.
Chapter Seven
Call to Action
He didn’t like the plan: head right into wolf territory via teleporting, no less. At least he was going to be rid of Greer. That woman was menacing in a way he couldn’t quite pin. Every action, every word held double meaning and her powers were confounding. Nothing visible, or helpful from what he could see—she seemed to be able to take the powers from other Huntresses. At least that was what he had put together when he saw her administer another shackling to Talia. It was a dangerous ability and he was glad she wouldn’t be anywhere near Kelly.
He knew the Huntresses weren’t too keen on his traveling with them. Not even his Huntress liked the idea, which was troubling and actually hurtful, if he was being honest. She’d been rejecting him from the moment they first met, her cold glares enough to remind him of their one hot encounter. As much as he didn’t want to invite another wallop to the sac, a part of him desperately wanted to be with her again, if only to reconnect. He craved her touch more than he really wanted to admit and had jacked off a half-dozen times since he’d come in her pussy.
Her revelation to him the night before had bothered him too. She was carrying baggage, had been hurt in the past. She didn’t trust men? Fine. Trust could be earned. It was her ridiculous unbending loyalty to these Amazons that was the real challenge. She’d obviously bought into their doctrine and he wasn’t totally sure how to break that belief system and prove to her that she was his and vice versa. How could she even deny their chemistry?
He shoved the last of his things into his knapsack. They had been given an hour to pack and prepare, Greer’s commands another thing that grated his nerves. Who the fuck put her in charge anyway? Bring what you can carry, she’d said. The mission was meant to be a short one yet he still didn’t fully understand how they planned on finding Kelly’s wolf to begin with. And the Huntresses weren’t parting with that secret either.
“Fucking Amazons,” he grumbled as he zipped up the bag and swung it over his shoulder, adjusting his scabbard that lay across his back. Sword, blades, 9mm. A few extra magazines of ammo in his bag, protein bars, two bottles of water and a change of clothes. Roughin’ it.
With a last glance around the barracks, he noted the Hunters who lay asleep on their beds. He grunted his disapproval as he left. They’d been up all night with the women, their orgy noise keeping him up too, with his hand on his cock as he thought about Ariana and her sweet taste. He’d be glad when this whole thing was over, Kelly revitalized and Ariana at his side. Greer and her fucking band of Amazons gone for good.
They were supposed to meet in the backyard. He checked his watch. Ten minutes to spare. His stomach rumbled and he smiled. No way was he leaving without a full belly. Instead of heading outside, he detoured to the kitchen for a little sustenance.
Twenty minutes later and he came waltzing outside in search of the women. “Oh come on!” Lance snorted as he surveyed the scene. “Holding hands? We going to sing or something?”
Ariana glanced over her shoulder at him, a scowl on her face. “Damn, you’re here. We were going to leave without you.”
That he didn’t doubt for a moment. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m a big boy, I needed some breakfast.” He pushed his way in between two of the warriors, a wink and a nod in Kelly’s direction to make sure all was good. She looked tired but calm, a smirk on her face. “So, what now?” He secured his backpack on both shoulders and looked at Ariana expectantly.
She sneered, her lips twisting in a way that was actually kinda hot. She’d opted for a make-up free look once again, her eyes bright and wide, giving her more innocence than she deserved. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, the bottom sweeping her neckline. He avoided looking at her wolf bite. It just pissed him off, so instead he scanned her body, making sure he cocked an eyebrow and made a big show, adjusting his dick, which was growing hard at the sight of her anyway. That earned him a snicker from the other women, and a growl from her.
“Take the warrior’s hands.” She scanned the group. “Remember what I just told you. Keep hold of each other and don’t forget to breathe. Harper…whenever you’re ready.”
Keep breathing? What the fuck? Lance opened his mouth to demand an explanation when his legs seemed to slip right out from under him. His stomach pitched like he was on one huge roller coaster that went from zero to a hundred in a matter of two seconds. He couldn’t see, not really. Everything was lights, colors, all a blur, whipping past him as he tumbled. He gripped the warriors’ hands tighter, suddenly terrified at the possibility of losing them. Dizziness rocked through him, his skull feeling like it was going to crush in on itself. With a jarring thump he hit something, his feet planting hard, sending shooting pain through his legs and up his body as he slumped and then rolled. He sucked in a deep breath and then retched—toast, peanut butter, oatmeal, apple, coffee, everything that he’d eaten for breakfast a mess on the grass under his
nose.
“I told you to breathe.” Ariana stood over him, her tone snarky, no compassion there.
He lifted his hand to his eyes, shielding them from the suddenly intense daylight. “Fuck,” he groaned then retched again, dry heaving since there was nothing left to purge. “Coulda warned me.” He grumbled as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
She made a move forward, a hand outstretched as if to help him up. “I tried—”
“Lance, are you okay?” Kelly’s fingers were on his forehead, her soft touch giving him familiar comfort, concern written across her delicate features.
He glanced at Ariana and pushed himself up, noting that she looked a little green herself. She pulled her hand back, her gaze flicked from him to Kelly. She crossed her arms and turned away to address her women. Hmmm, interesting reaction. Was she jealous?
“Can you stand?” Kelly’s tone was all compassion, exactly what lacked in his Huntress. “Let me help you.”
He waved her away with a pat on her arm. “I’m okay, just a bit dizzy. How are you feeling? You lose your breakfast too, or am I the only one with the embarrassing distinction?”
Kelly giggled as she backed a step away. “I didn’t barf, but that wasn’t the most pleasant means of travel. Ariana warned us though and I kept breathing.” She smirked when he gave her the finger. “You weren’t the only one who yaked though.”
He got to his feet, cocking an eyebrow in Kelly’s direction before bending over to brush grass from his pants.
She snickered softly. “Seems you and your Huntress have something in common.”
He snapped his gaze to Ariana, who was still speaking to a few of her warriors, her side to him. “Oh really?” She did look a little queasy, her skin sallow, dark circles under her eyes.
“But don’t tell her I told you that,” Kelly teased.
He brushed another few pieces of dirt away and straightened, adjusting his backpack as he did. “So what’s the plan?” He reached over his shoulder, hand on the hilt of his sword. “Wolf territory, eh? So where are the wolves?”
Valiant Heart Page 5