The Hunt (Shifter Origins)

by Harper A. Brooks

  Not knowing what else to do, she shrugged and forced her lips to curve into what she hoped looked like an innocent smile.

  “Speaking of the Hunt, Cara,” Rafé began, his voice low and silky, “I wanted to give you this.” He brought his hands forward, revealing what was hiding behind his back. Dark blue fabric lay across his open palms. Silver crystals lined the edges, sparkling like stars against the midnight sky.

  Cara gasped. It was a Hunt headscarf and matching dress, both in the nightly shade of blue, Rafé’s family color.

  With hooded eyes, he stared down at her. “Here, let me help you put it on. The scarf, at least.” Before she could protest, he picked it up, unfolded the material, and draped it over her head. It was longer than her mother’s, reaching her mid-back, and heavier, too. After tossing the lengthy corners over her shoulders, he stepped back and stared.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered. A grin split his face. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a while now. Tomorrow, everything will change.” His tone dropped. “For everyone.”

  Her pulse picked up. “For everyone?”

  “Cara, I wasn’t lying when I said I’d do anything for you and your family.” Rafé reached out and ran his fingers along the headscarf’s gems. He grazed her cheek, and she flinched. “To keep them safe. To keep every panther safe from this cruel, unfair city we live in. It’s why I started the Majasha. It’s what we swore to the people of the village.”

  Something told Cara to stay quiet. A thousand accusations wanted to spill out, but she reminded herself to rein them in for now and get more information first. Then, she was less likely to say the wrong words.

  When she didn’t reply, he continued, “As my mate, I need to know you will be by my side. Always. And that you will understand.”

  She heard the possible double meaning to his words, and it made her stomach turn. “Understand what?”

  His gaze hardened on her. “The tigers must fall. For us and the rest of Sajra to live in peace, their tyrant family must be wiped from the earth. It’s the only way to return to the golden age. The only way.”

  Oh no…Her head pounded to a furious rhythm. Rafé was the assassin. He was trying to start a revolution. Overthrow the royal family.

  She didn’t know this man at all.

  “You shot the dart,” she exclaimed. “You killed Rei Salus. You tried to kill Kael.”

  “I didn’t mean to hit you, of course.” He sighed, his expression bored. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. After tomorrow, we’ll be able to start anew. I have a lot of plans for our life together.”

  Cara grew rigid. Somewhere through the years, Rafé had lost his mind; he was a murderer, and she was about to run with him and be his mate. Fury bubbled up inside, pushing out any lingering fear. When Rafé extended his hand to touch her face again, she jerked away. “You’re insane,” she snarled.

  “Don’t be scared,” he said, wearing his familiar immobile smirk. “Nothing will happen to me. The plan is simple. There’s one more poisoned dart. At Prince Kael’s ascension ceremony, he’ll die. The regis should be easy to make comply. If not, she’ll be dealt with, too.”

  “Murdering the tigers will only bring chaos to Sajra, and more hatred toward the panthers. We’ll be hunted and slaughtered. It won’t bring peace. There will be no coming back from this, Rafé. You’ll only be hurting our kind.”

  “Don’t you see? We are doing this for all of us—every family who was forced to uproot their home and move to the end of the river, every man dragged to prison on a false conviction, every hungry child and worried mother.”

  He cocked his head and stepped closer. The musty smell of grass mixed with perspiration stung her nose. “You know of the tigers’ heartless ways. Because of them, your parents are dead. Because of them, you were forced to care for your sister and grandmother all on your own. You should want them gone more than anyone.”

  Cara shook her head.

  “The tigers have caused nothing but destruction during their reign. And we’re finally going to put a stop to it with the same thing that started it all. Teralau.”

  Rafé brought his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. In the forest behind him, two silhouettes emerged. He didn’t turn as they stalked closer to the hut; his eyes remained locked on her face.

  When the figures came into the light, Cara froze. Barun stood there, his bald head gleaming in the sun’s rays, and his mouth twisted in a smug grin. One of his meaty hands grasped Danil’s shoulder, keeping him at his side—a mouse caught in a panther’s claws.

  “Cara!” Danil cried out. His muddy face contorted in terror, making him appear years younger. He was just a boy amongst grown men. A child. Like Alina.

  A fierce protectiveness stirred inside her, and she growled, “Let him go.” When she stepped toward him, Rafé’s arm shot out to stop her.

  The urge to strike him was overwhelming, but if Barun was here, Felic and Sani couldn’t be too far off. Rafé wouldn’t travel without them. She couldn’t take on all four of them by herself.

  “He’s just a boy, Rafé,” Cara said. “Don’t involve him in this.” She tried to maneuver around him, but he blocked her. She grabbed his arm, her nails biting into his flesh. “This is crazy. Let him go.”

  Rafé didn’t flinch. “I wish we could, Cara, but unfortunately, Danil cannot be trusted. He’s been trying to run from this since the beginning.” After a pause, he continued, “We’ll be seen as heroes. So we can’t risk him telling someone what we’re doing.”

  “Not that anyone will believe him anyway.” Barun’s voice was gruff and booming. He gave Danil’s shoulder a firm shake. “He is a panther after all.”

  “This isn’t right,” Cara choked. “I felt the power of teralau for myself. It really is Hell’s Hand. No one deserves to die like that.”

  “The tigers deserve it and more for what they’ve put so many through over the years,” Rafé snapped.

  “Don’t do this.” She peered up at him and softened her tone. “Please.” She hated begging, but it had worked before. Hopefully it’d help her now. “Salus was heartless. His intentions were destructive and selfish, but Kael—”

  “Kael.” His smile vanished in an instant, and annoyance glinted in his eyes. His voice sharpened. “Still you defend him. He’s hypnotized you.”

  “He saved my life!” She couldn’t help the mix of panic and rage spilling out now. “He’s different. He—”

  “I expected more from you, Cara. I thought you’d be smarter than this. With him alive, Salus still lives. He will only continue his father’s legacy.”

  “It’s not true! Please, stop this. Let Danil go. Kael isn’t like Salus. I used to think so, but I was wrong. I know him now—”

  “Oh, you do?” His voice rose with every word, and his body trembled. “You care for him, don’t you?”

  Cara stumbled back a few steps, her breath trapped in her lungs.

  His face twisted with hatred. “You love him! Don’t you?”

  “Rafé—”

  “No,” he bit back. The muscles across his face rippled under the skin. The air seemed to buzz around him as he fought to keep the shift from taking over. “The prince must die.”

  Cara pressed her lips together, realizing she was wasting time trying to reason with him. There was nothing she could say or do that would change his mind. She needed to save Kael, to warn him of the Majasha’s plan, and the only way that was going to happen was if she got to the top of the river. Somehow.

  She glanced at Danil, who was watching her with pleading eyes. She hated to leave him to fend for himself, but she needed to make a run for the palace. She was quick and would have to be clever to dodge Rafé, but maybe if both he and Barun chased her up the river, Danil could get away.

  It was risky. If she was caught, who knew what Rafé would do when he got his hands on her. But she had to do try.

  Spinning around, Cara collided with a solid wall of muscle. She looked up to see Felic
peering down at her. She had smacked right into his chest. Sani stood beside him, smirking. They stood almost a full foot taller than her and were at least twice as wide.

  “Don’t run,” Rafé chided. “We don’t want to have to be rough with you.”

  Felic wrapped one strong arm around her middle, pinning her elbows at her sides. Sani stood back and laughed. Cara jerked against Felic’s hold, but he squeezed her tighter.

  If she yelled, someone nearby in the village might hear and come over, but would they stand up against all four Majasha men to save her?

  She doubted it. She was on her own.

  “I was hoping that you’d stay by my side through this,” Rafé said as the sly grin returned, “but it looks like I’ll have to convince you a little more.”

  Cara hated the sound of that. But before she could respond, Felic lifted her off the ground, as if she were no heavier than a flower petal, and his hand clamped over her mouth. She thrashed and kicked the air as she was carried toward the Bilha Forest.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cara shouted against Felic’s sweaty palm, but her words came out too muffled to be heard. She twisted and kicked her captor, but the Majasha man held on tight as they trudged through the forest behind the others. Every once in a while, Rafé would glance over his shoulder and throw her a wink or one of his cocky smiles; it made her blood boil with rage. Her fists clenched as she pictured herself clawing his smug face, but that would have to wait. The moment Felic let her down, she would bolt up the river to Kael. Warning him about Rafé’s plan to kill him during his ascension ceremony, in front of Sajra’s people, was her first priority. Then she would figure out what to do with Rafé and how to save Danil from Barun’s clutches.

  They came upon a small clearing in the forest’s dense vegetation and stopped. Barun led Danil to the opposite side, and with one massive hand still on his shoulder, he pushed him to sit on the clover-covered ground. Danil stared up at him with wide, terror-filled eyes, and Cara’s heart constricted. How had such a young kid gotten tangled in a mess like this? All he’d wanted to do was help his mother.

  But then, she did crazy things for the ones she loved, too.

  Cara searched the clearing. A few tall reed baskets sat to her right, along with weapons of all kinds—a crossbow, knives, and a pile of rope were just some that she could see, and who knew what hid in those baskets.

  Where did they find these things? Were they stolen? If someone had asked her yesterday if Rafé was a thief, she would’ve said no. Now, she didn’t know who the man was.

  She spotted Kael’s dagger among the others, the same one he’d dropped during their first encounter, which she’d later seen Rafé with after he had surprised her by the river. Its jewel-encrusted handle sparkled in the sunlight, answering her questions. These weapons had been snatched from innocent people, most likely merchants trying to sell their goods in the marketplace.

  Cara thought of the stag Rafé had brought Ryna and Alina while she was gone. Could it be that he had taken food from another family’s mouth, too?

  Fury whipping through her, she jerked her arms again and swung her legs, hoping to at least loosen Felic’s firm grip, but his blank face told her he was unfazed by her struggle.

  “What do you want us to do with her, Rafé?” Felic asked, ignoring Cara’s frantic wiggling.

  “Yeah, are we binding her wrists?” Sani added.

  Cara growled. There was no way she was going to let them tie her up. Shifting while tied up could injure her, and then getting to Kael would be impossible. Panic lurched forward, as did the image of Kael convulsing on the dais from the teralau poison, reminding her she only had one chance. His life depended on her.

  He’s not going to die, she assured herself. She repeated it over and over in her head as she tugged and thrashed with more vigor. Whatever it took. She needed to get free.

  Sani grunted. “Tie her up!”

  Felic’s grip crushed her arms, and a slicing pain shot to her shoulder and elbow. She continued the twist, determined to break free.

  “Stop this!” Rafé’s commanding voice made her halt. Her body fell limp as exhaustion took over her muscles. Felic uncovered her mouth as Rafé sauntered over. She sucked in a gulp of air, ready to yell as loud as she could for help.

  “The royal guard isn’t scouting the forest anymore, and we’re too far from the village. Screaming would be a waste of breath.” Rafé grabbed Cara by the chin and yanked her face to meet his. The urge to bite him raced through her. His fingers were so close; it wouldn’t take much, but she held back. Instead, she threw him a stabbing glare. She wanted him to know how much she hated him.

  He met her stare straight on and lifted a brow, challenging her. “I don’t think tying her up is necessary,” he purred. “She isn’t foolish enough to run now. And if she is, she won’t get far.”

  Oh, he underestimated her. Perfect.

  Energy spiked up her spine as her body readied for the change. Once her feet touched earth, she’d let her panther take over. She’d be out of this clearing before he or any of his beastly Majasha men could blink.

  Rafé stepped back and smirked. “Let her down.”

  Cara’s pulse thumped against her skin as she waited for Felic to obey. He hesitated and exchanged a questioning look with Sani.

  “Do it,” Rafé demanded, his tone hardening. “Let her down.”

  Idiot.

  The moment Felic placed her on the ground and his grip loosened, she slipped out and ran for the trees. There wasn’t even time to shift. Her feet flew over the soft ground, her mind on one thing and one thing only—reaching Kael. But before she could enter the woods, a hand snatched her upper arm, around the healing teralau gash, and wrenched hard. Spasms surged through every muscle, and the spiking pain made Cara’s vision blur. Tears burned her eyes.

  With another hard pull and more blinding pain, the hand spun her around. She gritted her teeth, fighting the nausea racking her gut. With the little bit of strength she had left, her nails extended into claws and she swiped the air, hoping to connect with skin. Rough fingers wrapped around that wrist, too, and squeezed tight.

  She gasped as Rafé’s darkened gaze peered down at her.

  “You’re too slow,” he whispered, his lips hovering close to hers.

  Her heartbeat galloped at the familiarity of his words. He’d said it before, when he’d crept up on her after she left the palace. If only she’d known then what she knew about him now. None of this would be happening.

  “I’ve always admired your drive, Cara.” His stare slipped down to her mouth. Was he going to kiss her? She pressed her lips together in a hard line. “It’s one of the reasons why I chose you to run with me.” He leaned in, his mouth aimed for hers.

  Cara slammed her forehead into his in one hard smack. He gasped, stumbling back a few inches, but didn’t let her go. Her vision blurred as a splitting ache ripped through her temples. “I’ll never run with you,” she spat, her body trembling with a deadly mixture of anger and pain. “Never.”

  When she looked up at Rafé, he shook his head. A red circle appeared where she’d made contact between the eyes. “You will,” he strained through clenched teeth. “Even if I have to carry you kicking and screaming.”

  Then a sickening, amused expression took over his face, telling her he meant every word of it, and Cara realized that she was in as much trouble as Kael and Danil. Her insides iced over with fear. She had been so worried about them, she hadn’t seen the danger lying in front of her.

  “You know, Majasha,” Rafé mused to his men as he searched her face. His fingers caught the fabric of the headscarf draped over her head and shoulders. “I think I want to see the dress on her, with the scarf.”

  Felic, Barun, and Sani chuckled.

  Cara pulled her shoulders back, a growl vibrating in her throat. She could see the dark iridescent material peeking out from the back of Rafé’s pants. There was no way she was going to put that dress on and wear his
family color. To her, it was a sign of giving in, of accepting him. Not a chance.

  He grabbed the dress and held it out to her. “I had it made especially for you. It’s the least you can do.”

  When she didn’t budge, the muscles in his jaw twitched.

  “Put it on,” he ordered, pronouncing each word. “You are trying my patience, Cara. Either you put it on, or I will put it on you.”

  The thought of his hands on her made her tense. Pain laced her arm, and she ached from struggling against Felic’s hold, but she’d continue to fight until she passed out. Or died. That dress wouldn’t touch her skin if she had anything to do with it.

  Sensing her resistance, Rafé grinned. He put his fingers up to his lips and whistled. Cara glanced over at Felic and Sani, knowing all too well that piercing sound meant a command for his Majasha. Felic just crossed his arms, forming a large muscular wall between her and freedom. Tilting his head, he stroked his goatee. Sani, though, turned around and trudged into the Bilha Forest, toward the village.

  Why was he going back?

  “I’ve been handling this all wrong,” said Rafé. “I could have saved so much time and grief if I started this way.” He sighed. “Sani is going to stop by the village. He’ll be looking after your grandmother and sister while you’re here with me.”

  Ryna and Alina… Cara’s heart plummeted, and her knees wobbled, suddenly too weak to hold her up.

  “You b-better not touch them.” She tried to keep her voice strong, but it wavered as dread and guilt engulfed her. She couldn’t stop the terrible thoughts racing through her mind. What had she done? Her family was in danger, and it was her fault.

  “Sani won’t lay a finger on them. That is, if you listen and do what I ask of you.” Rafé shook the dress and gave her a toothy smile. “Now, put it on.”

  Cara didn’t say a word. The idea of running again only made her think of her grandmother and sister and what it would mean for them. Sani was massive, and the zigzagged scar across his right eye couldn’t have been from something innocent, like helping a friend or picking berries in the woods. He was a brute, like the rest of the Majasha. And if Rafé was capable of dragging her and Danil here against their wills, murdering Rei Salus, and threatening the tiger prince’s life, she didn’t want to think what he would do to Alina and Ryna.