“Lance…I…” My heart contracted, defenses lowering.
He looked up at me, tenderness in his eyes.
The sound of screams hit us at the same time. The camp. My sisters. We bolted up, I made to run toward the camp and Lance stopped me.
“Clothes, Ariana.” He tossed me my shirt, pants. “You’re not completely healed. They’ll staunch the blood flow until I can look at it again.”
I pulled them on hastily, my skin still wet, everything taking too long. He helped me with my holster. When I grunted as it slid over my wounded shoulders he frowned, gave me a look that promised more healing. If we survived.
Chapter Eleven
Driven
He knew enough about the Huntresses that the scream they heard was not one of fear or a cry for help—it was one of rage. Pure, uninhibited rage.
It took them less than five minutes to make it back to camp, and in that time it was he who feared. For Ariana, for Kelly for what they would find.
There were five beasts piled at the camp entrance, all dead, huge gashes to their chests, eyes glassy, mouths hanging open.
Ariana stopped up short, her hand on her chest, like she was holding her heart in place. Lance put his hand on her shoulder, the tension there radiating.
Two warriors dragged another body between them, the beast’s lower half was a bloody mess, entrails coming away in chunks as they heaved it on top of the rest.
“Ariana,” one of them said, her relief evident. “We were attacked.”
Ariana nodded. “So were we. Down at the lake, two beasts.”
“We had seven here.” The warrior nodded behind her. “Another body inside.” She paused, hung her head for a moment. “We lost…”
“She’s alive!” Kelly came running out. “Find Lance…oh, there you are! Thank god you’re okay!” She ran to him, threw her arms around his shoulders. His own relief came out in a whoosh of breath.
“Who’s been hurt?” Ariana demanded as she stormed past him and Kelly, her eyes trained straight ahead, any tenderness, any opening he’d had moments before at the lake long gone.
Kelly pulled away, pressing her forehead briefly to his. “It’s bad, Lance, really bad. Between the two of you, you might be able to mend her but I don’t know.”
Lance nodded, feeling his gut twist. “How did this happen? How was she hurt?”
“It was her beast,” Kelly said, one hand fluttering to her cheek, the other pointing to the last beast on the pile. “Crazed by Huntress poison and after his mate.”
Lance moved to the beast. On its chest was a wide scar where no hair grew. Lance’s thoughts whirled, the pieces falling together. Just like the other Huntresses, she must have gotten her bite, attempted to kill the beast but missed the heart.
“He must have felt her presence in the forest. Was drawn to her.”
Ariana had said that could happen, had told him earlier that the beasts were drawn to the Huntresses.
“She took the hit within minutes of the attack. She wasn’t prepared, was kind of shocked I think that he was alive. It was chaos.” Kelly motioned toward the camp. “They rallied fast though. Cut the beasts down fairly quickly. You two were attacked as well? Are you hurt?”
Lance shook his head. “Not me, no.”
Ariana.
He took Kelly’s hand and led her into the camp. Ariana was crouched next to Cat, the one who talked to animals. He gasped at the sight of the poor women’s body. She was cut from sternum to crotch, four long, deep wounds in one sweep. Blood soaked her clothes, her neck, face and hair all coated. There was more of it outside of her than inside. How could she still be alive?
Ella was at the woman’s head, cradling it in her lap, dripping something into her mouth. A sedative, perhaps? Painkiller, maybe? Whatever it was, Cat’s moaning ceased as he stood there, her eyelids fluttering as she lost consciousness.
“Help me.” Ariana looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, anger blasting, not at him but at the situation. “I need you to help me mend her wounds.”
She had to know it was futile.
Lance let go of Kelly’s hand and moved next to Ariana, kneeling on one leg. “The wounds are too deep, the blood loss too severe.”
She shook her head. “We’re powerful together, you know we are.” She grabbed his hand, pulled it to Cat’s body. “Help me heal her.”
Lance sighed, shook his head. Useless. The woman was barely breathing, the blood still flowing freely. He placed his other hand over the wound, probing with his senses to see how deep it went. Organs were pierced, damage severe. He looked over at Ariana, resignation sucking the energy from his body. She had her eyes closed, her fingers hovering over the biggest of the lacerations. She was mumbling as well. A prayer to Artemis? She was not going to give up, not while there was still a chance, as slim as it was.
He sucked in a deep breath, pooled his power, focusing on stoking it, intensifying. A fucking waste.
As soon as he closed his eyes his power surged, digging deep into the gaping wound, tugging at the strands of meaty muscle, tendons, and deeper to the organs that were slashed.
He was so focused that he didn’t feel Ariana shaking him at first, her hands on his shoulder, pushing him, his body swaying seemingly part of the magic. He cracked open his eyes, blinking at the blaze of the fire to their side.
“I need your bond, Hunter,” Ariana said quietly. “I’m not powerful enough without it.”
“What?” Was he hallucinating? He gave his head a shake.
“Your bond, Hunter, give it to me.” She was serious, her face set with that same determination.
He frowned. This had to be a dream. He must have passed out.
Go with it.
With a shrug, he pulled his hands away from Cat’s body and placed a palm over Ariana’s heart. “I give myself to you, my Huntress, with a vow of protection that no beast shall put asunder. Take all of me and use me as you will.”
The bond took hold, tethering them together, jolting them in a way that made Lance want to shout with joy.
Ariana clasped his hand, the one over her heart, and met his gaze. The urge to mate with her, join bodies pounded him from the inside out. He leaned forward, intent on kissing her at least. She was his, finally. There would be time enough later for them to be alone.
She curled her fingers around his, and pulled his hand away, pushing back and then to the side so she could lay her hands on Cat once again.
Rejection crushed him down. His body felt weighted, his heart torn in two. What kind of Huntress could deny the bond? To refuse him immediately after the vow?
One that put her tribe first.
He reached his hand out to pull her back, demand an explanation.
Cat moaned and Lance snapped his gaze to the poor woman’s face, his hand falling to his lap instead.
“It’s working, Lance,” Ariana said, her voice full of hope, excitement, her eyes sparkling as she looked over at him, telling him things she wouldn’t dare say. “The bond made me stronger! Help me!”
When she looked at him in that moment he understood. If she could love a fellow Huntress like that, she could love him too. He just needed more time. Now that he’d gotten his bond, time was the only barrier. He turned toward Cat and got back to work, adding his magic to that of his mate.
A mate he would claim completely and without question once they’d saved a life.
“She’s dead. She’s dead.” It came as a mournful whisper, touching his ears, making him shiver.
Lance pulled himself from his trance, cracking his eyes open, scanning Cat’s body. They’d mended some of the internal damage, but Cat’s eyes were wide open and glassy, her mouth agape. The blood from her wounds had stopped flowing. No breath came from her lungs.
Ariana, with eyes closed and brow furrowed, still worked.
He moved quickly, shifting to Cat’s other side, nudging the other warriors back as he slipped his hand under her neck, tilted her head up, checked her airway and then breathed for her. Her body didn’t respond. It took the air but leaked it out again. One of her wounds must have pierced a lung. Damn it! He positioned his hands, pumped her chest, one, two, three…
“Lance, it’s no use.” Kelly’s hand was on his shoulder, halting him mid-pump. “She’s dead. She’s been dead for a bit.” She leaned down. “I think the others were just waiting to see if Ariana could evoke Artemis, bring her back.”
He looked at his mate. Tears fell silently down her cheeks. Her eyes were still closed, hands still sparking with magic, her mouth moving as she prayed fervently.
He sat back on his heels. Wiped the sweat from his brow and watched.
Ten minutes passed, twenty, the better part of an hour. Nothing happened. Lance looked around, questioning any who would meet his eyes. No one was willing to stop her.
“Ariana.” He reached across, hand on her arm, sliding to her fingers, pulling her from the body. “Enough.”
“No,” she whispered, forcing her hand back, magic sparking. “I can’t.”
“She’s dead.” Lance stood, came around to her side, crouched again. “Ariana, stop.” He encircled her in his arms, feeling a moment of bliss as she melted into him. The bond pulled tight, uniting them, making them one. “Let me be your rock.”
She let out a sob, muffled into his chest when she turned toward him. Burying herself for a moment. He sighed. God it felt good.
“Ariana, should we prepare the body?”
Lance glanced up at the warrior who spoke. “Yes, make sure you…”
Ariana’s body stiffened. She pulled herself away, her eyes locked on his, anger flashing bright at him. “You will never speak for me.”
She pushed him back and stood, leaving him feeling the emptiness. He breathed a sigh of resignation. He’d had her for a moment.
“Build a pyre, she’ll burn at sunrise.” Ariana wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, leaving a streak of blood. “I need to message Greer, inform her of our loss. Be vigilant. I doubt there will be another attack but all the same, keep watch.”
She turned and left. Seemingly without difficulty. The tether that bound her to him pulled his heart, making him rise, to follow her like some puppy craving attention. It pissed him off.
“Leave me, Lance,” she barked over her shoulder as she stormed through the woods.
“We need to talk.” Lance wasn’t going to let her walk out, not without some kind of explanation. “We bonded.”
“So?”
Ugh, it hurt. Like a hit to the balls again. “So?” His anger flashed. “You’re my Huntress and we’ve bonded. Why doesn’t that faze you?”
“Nothing has changed, Lance, there’s nothing to talk about.”
He caught her arm, swung her to face him, his simmering anger now boiling. “Like hell!”
Her face was a mask of fury. “Get your hands off me!”
“I won’t, not until you tell me how the fuck you can be so damn cold, why you’re so against what is natural for us. We’re bonded, we belong together. Why are you fighting it?”
“Why are you fighting for it?” she roared.
“I’m your Hunter. This is what I was born to do.”
Her eyes flashed to his biceps, to his Hunter mark. “Just because you wear that mark doesn’t make you any different, any more noble. Men who wear that mark can hurt, can betray. I don’t know you.”
“All I’m asking for is a chance. Destiny has sent you to me. Artemis, your Goddess has aligned our stars. All I’m asking is that you let me in, slowly, as slow as you need, but quit freezing me out! We’re meant to be together.”
“I don’t belong to any man!” She hissed, her eyes wild, ranting like she wasn’t even hearing what he said. “You will never control me. You will never own me. You will never make me weak.”
Lance shook his head, his heart heavy. “No, never those things,” he whispered with horror. “I only want to love you, support you, make you stronger.”
Her mask crashed, anger slipping away, confusion replacing it. “What?”
“I want to be as important to you as your Huntresses are.” He reached up to brush her hair from her face. She batted his hand away.
And then she launched herself at him.
She bit his bottom lip, before shoving her tongue deep into his mouth, making him swallow a yelp and taste blood. Her hands were at his waist, fingers deftly ripping open the button and then zipper of his pants, yanking the opening so wide that he heard it rip. His dick was hard, throbbing, landing in her hands so she could stroke roughly, almost painfully. Aggression turned him on apparently.
She pulled her mouth away, lips a cherry red. “You want me, Hunter? Take me then.”
She gave his balls a light squeeze, her eyes daring him. He winced at the memory of her hands there once before. And then swatted her away, spinning her quickly. Gripping both her wrists in his hand, he pulled her back into his body.
“I will have you,” he growled before nipping her neck, a fierce beast-like urge to leave his mark on her flesh just as her wolf had done. “You’re mine, Huntress.”
She moaned as he bit harder, her body slumping into his. He pushed her away, as far as she could go with her arms trapped behind her. He reached under her shirt, squeezed her breasts. With no bra on, her tits were uncovered and swaying as he bent her forward. He pressed his cock against her ass, frustrated by the leather pants she still wore. She moaned again as he forced her down to her knees, released her hands and then roughly yanked open her pants, before pulling them over her hips. He spun her around and then pushed her down onto her back before ripping her pants off completely.
And there she was, bared and open, pussy soaked. He slid to his knees, ready to take her, to fall into the cradle of her thighs. She lifted a leg as if to kick him and he batted it away, hands on her hips as he flipped her again, brought her up and back, straight onto his cock.
She groaned deep and long as he thrust into her sweet pussy. He lifted her hips to meet him as he pounded her ruthlessly. She was his. His. He felt his orgasm rise but pushed it down. No way was he giving this up so quickly. He pulled out, and she spun around immediately, mouth on his cock, licking her juice from his shaft, making him buck and moan, his eyes rolling back in ecstasy. But that wasn’t how it was going to end either.
He ran his fingers through her hair, snapped his eyes open to look down at her before gripping tightly and pulling her off, her lips leaving his cock glistening and hard. With two hands, he tore her shirt down the middle then palmed her tits, thumbed her nipples until she cried out. He gripped her wrists again and pulled them high above her body, stretching her out as he laid her down and slid between her legs, forcing them wide. She wrapped her thighs around his waist, lifting her hips so he could slide his cock home, shuddering as he encased himself fully. They bucked in a desperate rhythm, grunting and moaning their way to the peak.
He came hard and fast, bellowing his release, riding the waves of her orgasm as her pussy milked him and she screamed his name.
Chapter Twelve
Mending Wounds
My anger was gone. He’d fucked it out of me. I didn’t really want to be apart from him and that was some scary shit. I’d gone ahead with the bond for Cat, needing his strength to save her life. Except I hadn’t saved her life and now I had this bond with Lance. Despite the fact that I fully intended on breaking it, I kinda didn’t want to. Not right now.
Shit.
Without a word, he pulled out of me, his cock still impressively semi-hard. I’d heard that the Hunters had stamina like porn stars. Another check mark in the yes column for Lance. I could go round two, right now. I licked my lips, smiled wickedly. But he ignored the suggestive l
ook, moved to retrieve my pants and then swooped me up into his arms.
I yelped, was about to argue, and then he was kissing me again. No aggression this time. No, this kiss was all about tenderness. It made me want to cry. I did cry, just a little, in my heart, where the knowledge of Cat’s death on my hands burned bright.
He took me to the lake, moving quickly around the boulders so that I wouldn’t be reminded—so that I didn’t have to stare at the beasts’ bodies that still lay on the beach. He gently lowered me to one of the sun-warmed rocks, the heat making me shiver as it radiated against my ass. He placed my pants next to me.
“Stay here.”
I watched as he worked quickly. Dragging the bodies into the forest, coming back to fetch my discarded toiletry bag. I slid off the rock and removed what was left of my shirt, watched as he got undressed as well. We slipped into the water together, his body heat warming me in a way that the hot spring current couldn’t. We didn’t go deep—just enough so we could sit on the bottom and the water covered our chests. He wrapped his legs around my waist to keep me from floating away.
“The beast came for her,” he said as he helped me to tilt back, soaking my hair, then leaving me cradled in one arm as he gobbed on a blob of shampoo. “It was her mate, crazed by her poison. The wound she’d given it wasn’t to the heart.”
There were only two ways for a Huntress to kill a beast on the spot, decapitation or a strike to their muscle-encased heart. It took special training and a lot of skill to hit it just right. Cat had both. “I wasn’t with her when she found her beast, when she got her bite.” Greer had taken her to locate her beast months ago. “So what you’re saying is that she left the beast injured?”
Lance lathered my hair, massaging my scalp gently. “There’s a scar running on its chest that looks like it’s in the right spot but if you look closely, you can see that it was most likely a miss.” He shrugged, then lowered my head back to rinse. “They must have thought he was dead.”
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