by Cara Wylde
Braden cut a fine figure as he strolled through the village. He was tall, with short black hair and bright blue eyes. With his noble features and fine bearing, it was obvious that he came from a wealthy family. He moved with an animal grace and exuded both physical strength and strength of character, which made most women look at him with interest. The fact that he seemed completely unaware of this interest only made him all the more alluring.
Much as Braden liked traveling alone through the wilderness, he also liked when he shifted into human form and moved amongst the people as if he were one of them. He always gave the same story of how he was a traveler looking for adventure and good times. And as he had plenty of gold in his purse, everyone accepted him when he bought beer in the taverns and played card games, especially when he lost more than he won. Braden didn’t mind spending his money. He liked the company it bought, such as it was, and as he spent most of his time in the wilderness, he had little use for money, despite his family having quite a lot of it. That was his father’s problem, however. One day, he would inherit the family fortune and the responsibilities that came with it, but until then he was free to travel.
He liked people, and in the big cities, he could blend in and pass for a local. Though, of course, in a small village such as this one, he would always be noticed as a stranger.
After a quick breakfast at the village inn, he spent the rest of the day wandering the village’s meandering back roads. By midday, Braden had gotten a good feel for the village. He could tell these were good people, but they were living dark times. He had heard stories of the five villages in the foothills of the great mountains which were under the control of a wolf-shifter, and he had come to investigate. As he strolled around the village, he could see and hear with his sharp senses the scenes and conversations people were not willing to share with a stranger. He could tell right away the villagers were more anxious than normal, and soon discovered that the very next day was the day these good people had to choose one of their women to send as tribute to the wolf-shifter. It would appear he had arrived just in the nick of time.
If there was one thing Braden couldn’t stand it was shifters who used their gifts to enslave and terrorize humans. He felt that his gifts of great strength and endurance, long life and good health, were gifts he should use to help make the world a better place for everyone, not just to set himself up as the tin-pot dictator of his own little kingdom.
As Braden moved around the village, he heard time and again conversations about the fear and uncertainty of the families and of the women who might be chosen the next day. From the big stone built houses in the center of the village, to the wooden cottages at the edges, the fear was all the same. It was near one of these little cottages that Braden felt something he had never felt before. It was a feeling, or a scent, or something that came over him as he stood by the fence which surrounded the little plot of land the cottage was built on.
He could hear the family talking inside. Two older women and a younger woman whose voice intrigued him in some fashion. They were talking about tomorrow and about the possibility that the younger woman might be chosen. Something knotted in the base of Braden’s stomach when he thought of a girl with such a sweet voice being sacrificed to the wolf-shifter.
He strolled slowly past, listening to the women eating and talking, and when no one was looking at him, he slipped into a small group of trees that overlooked the cottage’s garden. The women finished their lunch quickly, and he finally saw the object of his curiosity. No sooner had he settled himself amongst the trees, than the door of the cottage opened and out walked the most stunning woman Braden had ever seen. She had flaming red hair, long and flowing, even though she had it loosely tied back. Her eyes were emerald green and her skin was the purest white he had ever seen. She moved with grace and beauty he had never observed in any human before. Even though she was silent, there was no doubt in his mind that this was the woman whose voice and scent, and very presence, had drawn him in.
She walked to the middle of the garden and paused for a moment. Then, as quick as lightening, she pulled out two hunting daggers and sent them flying into one of the fence posts. The two blades stuck, quivering, side by side in the post.
“Good shot,” Braden called, as he walked out from between the trees.
The girl jumped and turned to face him.
“Sorry,” Braden smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Who are you?” Scarlett asked. “And what do you want?” She walked casually towards the fence post where her knives were embedded.
Braden smiled as he noticed where she was heading. “Nice knives,” he said.
“Thank you.” Scarlett pulled them from the fence post. “They were my father’s.”
“Were?”
“He’s dead,” Scarlett said, then realized she was talking to a stranger.
“My name is Braden.” He saw the flicker of apprehension in her eyes, and he thought it was better to introduce himself and reassure her. “I’m traveling through these parts and am going to spend a few nights here, at the village inn, to rest up before the next leg of my journey.”
“My name is Scarlett. We don’t get many travelers here. We’re not really on the way to anywhere else. It’s usually just traders coming to sell their wares to us.”
“Yes,” Braden said. “I wanted to head out into the wilderness and explore the great mountains beyond.” Braden nodded over the tops of the surrounding trees at the tall, snow-capped mountains that towered over the valley of the five villages.
“Really,” Scarlett looked at the mountains. She had often wondered what it would be like to leave her village, but she had always thought of going in the opposite direction, towards the big cities and civilization. “What do you hope to find there?” she asked.
“Well, I won’t know until I get there,” Braden said. “That’s the fun of exploring.” He smiled at Scarlett.
“Yes. I suppose so,” Scarlett smiled back at him.
But it was a wistful smile, for her mood was still overshadowed by tomorrow and the possibility of her being chosen. Even if she were not to be chosen, someone she knew would be sent to the wolf-shifter, and that scared her more.
“You look sad,” Braden said carefully. It was weird how the villagers refused to talk about their problem.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“No. It is something.”
Scarlett bit the inside of her cheek and studied him for a moment. He was gorgeous, she had to admit. She had never felt attracted to any of the men in her village. They were all farmers with big, calloused hands, dirt under their fingernails, and a strong, unhealthy passion for cheap ale. Braden seemed different. The way he talked, how he always chose his words carefully… there was just something about him that made her tell him all her worries.
“Well, it’s the fact that the five villages in this valley are under the shadow of a powerful wolf-shifter. And every year, a woman must be chosen to be sent to him. This year, it’s our village’s turn, and tomorrow is the day the tribute will be chosen.”
“That is so wrong! No one should have to sacrifice themselves like that. Can it not be stopped?”
Scarlett shrugged. “People have tried, but all that did was to bring down the rage of the shifter upon all of the villages.” Scarlett looked at the knives in her hands. “And so, every year, we go through with this ritual. The women are never seen again.” Scarlett didn’t know why she was talking so openly to this stranger, but she felt safe in his presence.
“How do you feel about this wolf-shifter?” Braden asked.
“He is evil and should be wiped from the face of the earth,” Scarlett replied without hesitation. “I don’t care about what some people say, that he is a necessary evil and that at least he protects us and keeps us safe from other shifters. I want him dead and gone from our lives.”
“Do you believe in good shifters?” Braden asked.
“No,” Scarlett said. “How could
a creature with supernatural powers ever be good?”
Braden felt something tear inside him. She had spoken with such viciousness. There was no doubt in her mind that all shifters were evil. For the thousandth time in his life, Braden cursed the shifters who used their powers for selfish reasons. Humans outnumbered sifters many times over. It was up to the whole shifter community to show they could be good and true friends, and not evil slave masters.
“I am prepared,” Scarlett said. “If I am chosen tomorrow, I will go willingly, but I will not go down without a fight.”
Braden’s heart almost broke. He looked at the beautiful girl and at the daggers she carried, and he knew she would be no match for any shifter.
“Perhaps, I can be of some help,” he said.
“Help?” Scarlett threw him a suspicious glance.
“I often have to hunt for my food when I travel between towns,” he explained. “Perhaps, I could give you some pointers.”
“Some pointers?”
“To help you perfect you skills.”
Scarlett hesitated for a moment, but the handsome stranger did look like he might know what he was talking about. “Okay… That would be nice.”
They were lost in each other’s eyes, both feeling like a connection had just been made between them. Scarlett hadn’t trained with anyone other than her father. She remembered how excited she used to be as a child when her father asked her to join him on a hunt. She felt a bit of that excitement now, with Braden.
“Scarlett!”
Her mother’s voice broke the bubble in which they had been caught, and Scarlett turned around to see her on the doorstep of their cottage.
“I have to go now.”
“Will I see you again?”
“This evening,” Scarlett said. “I will meet you after dinner, at the edge of the forest. Then, we’ll follow that trail,” she pointed to a trail leading deep into the woods. “After a little bit, it opens out into a clearing. We can train there.”
“Okay.”
“Scarlett!” her mother called again.
“I need to go.”
Braden watched her run to the house, then smiled to himself and walked away. With his keen shifter senses, he could hear Scarlett’s mother talking to her.
“Who was that man?”
“Just a traveler looking for directions.”
Why did she lie? She didn’t fear him, and he liked that. A strong, confident woman who wasn’t afraid of shifters or strangers, who could take care of herself. Yes, that was the kind of woman he could fall in love with.
CHAPTER TWO
Sneaking out of the house was easy for Scarlett. She had often done it before, waiting until her mother and grandmother fell asleep in front of the fire, and then slipping out without waking them. She liked walking alone at night. She would walk around the village, skirting the edge of the forest, but never venturing in too deep. Not after sunset, when the wolf-shifter was rumored to hunt. While she would go down with a fight if she ever had to come face to face with the shifter, or any other wild creature of the night, she was not reckless enough to seek out danger.
She liked the smells of the night time. The coolness after a hot summer day, or the crispness of a fall night… And so, she would often sneak out and wander around the outskirts of the village in the late evening, when every other villager was settling down for the night. During the day, she would wander farther into the forest, though never straying from well-known paths and trails. When she was younger, she would lead her friends on imaginary adventures and expeditions. In her mind, she was always hunting the wolf-shifter who loomed so ominously over the villages, and whom she knew had taken her grandfather and father from her. But she had never voiced those fantasies to her friends. As they had grown and gotten older, the adventures became less and less frequent as the other children took up responsibilities at their family farms and businesses. Now, it was just Scarlett venturing out alone, with dreams of glory.
This time it was different, though, and her heart started beating faster in her chest at the thought that she was going to meet a stranger. It felt a bit wrong, but at the same time, so good that she couldn’t deny herself the excitement of spending time with Braden in the forest, in the middle of the night. Maybe she was a fool. Maybe, she was just a naïve young woman who was about to fall into a horrible trap. She touched one of her daggers as if to reassure herself she still had them, and told herself there was no way she could be in danger with anyone. She could defend herself, she wasn’t a damsel.
Braden was attractive with his dark hair and blue eyes. He was an experienced traveler, and with his tall stature and noble features, she knew he came from a noble family. Maybe, he was a younger son traveling for adventure. And from what she had heard at the market, he had no shortage of money. He had dined well at the tavern and was in possession of a well-stocked purse. Still, those details weren’t that important. If he knew anything about hunting, maybe he could teach her a trick or two which might give her the edge if she should one day come face to face with the wolf-shifter. That was all that mattered.
She ran her fingers over the hilts of her knives in the belt around her waist. She had no doubt that even the biggest and strongest shifter would feel the pain from their sharp blades if she could land a hit or two.
Scarlett arrived at the spot where she was expecting Braden to be waiting for her. To her slight disappointment, there was no one there. She looked around. Off in the distance, she could hear an owl hooting, and behind her were the dimly lit windows of the village. She looked at the snug little houses with curls of smoke coming out of their chimneys, then she turned back to face the forest and nearly jumped out of her skin. Her hands were on her knives, and she let out a little yelp of surprise. Standing behind her was Braden, a big smile plastered on his face.
“Did I frighten you?” he asked, his smile getting wider.
“I could have killed you.” Scarlett glanced down at her half drawn daggers.
Braden laughed softly. “I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Despite his words, he didn’t seem in the least bit worried that Scarlett might have truly harmed him. The realization made her feel uncomfortable. Yes, she was a woman, but she was a woman with two deadly daggers. And she knew how to use them. If Braden didn’t show any concern, then how would the wolf-shifter react?
“I know how to use these,” she said, as she pushed the knives back into their sheaths.
“I’m sure you do,” he said. “But have you ever killed with them?”
“Killed…?” Her voice trembled a bit, but she tried to mask it by clearing her throat.
“They are hunting knives.”
“I have killed with them. Only small animals… I bring rabbits and birds back home for us to eat. I never kill just for the sake of killing. For some people, it’s a sport. For me and my family, it’s a necessity.”
“That’s good to hear.” He offered her an approving smile. “I don’t like to kill gratuitously either. When I travel, I often eat plants and berries.”
“Have you killed? I mean… more than animals…” Why had she asked such a question? It wasn’t her business. Was she trying to figure him out, decide what kind of man he was? What for?
“Yes,” he said.
His answer was straight and unapologetic. She felt a chill run up her spine, and she shivered. Maybe coming here had, indeed, been a mistake. She couldn’t back down now. There was something dark about him. It was deep and well hidden, but to her surprise, it only made her even more interested in him. If she came to think of it really hard, this combination of mystery, darkness, and danger made butterflies flutter their tiny wings inside her stomach. She was turned on. By him, by his amazing eyes, by the way he talked and the way he carried himself.
“Anyway, we’re here to practice your hunting skills.”
His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Sure,” Scarlett said. “There is a clearing a little bit f
urther along this trail which we can use without being seen.”
“Okay. Lead the way.”
Scarlett set off down the trail. She knew Braden was directly behind her, but she could not hear him as he walked.
“You’re very light footed,” she said over her shoulder.
“I hunt a lot,” he answered. “I guess I have just gotten into the habit of being stealthy.”
“I guess…”
In less than ten minutes, they walked out into a large clearing, trees surrounding them on all sides and long grass growing up to their knees.
“It doesn’t look like many people come here,” he noted.
“No. Most people stay within the boundaries of the village, or their own fields. Nobody wants to stray too far away and risk never coming back again.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Yes.”
“And are you not afraid?”
“I have my daggers and my strong will. I know what I want, and I know how to get it.” “Well,” Braden smiled. “Why don’t you show me what you can do with them?”
Without another word, Scarlett pulled her knives out and sent them flying into the trunk of a tree on the other side of the clearing.
“Very good,” Braden said. “Now do that again.”
So, Scarlett ran over and pulled her knives out of the tree. Then, she spun and sent them flying across the clearing, once again hitting home into another tree.
“Good,” Braden encouraged. “Again.”
As she practiced, Braden gave her pointers.
“Keep your elbow in,” he would say. Or: “Relax your shoulders.”
“Swing from the hips.”
“Keep your feet firm.”
With every suggestion, he touched her lightly to show her what he meant, pushing her elbow in, or guiding the swing of her arm.
“Try to keep yourself more balanced.” He put his hands on her hips and adjusted her stance a little.
Scarlett was starting to have trouble focusing on what he was saying. She could feel the heat from his body, and the touch of his hands on her was very distracting. Not that he was inappropriate, or anything. He was just instructing her in her throwing technique. It was her own fault that she was distracted by thoughts of what it might feel like to have his arms wrapped around her.