Hunter Betrayed (17 page)

“Not tonight. You’ll have to sit this one out. Go home and
lock yourself in your house, human. It’s safer for you to stay indoors
tonight.”

“But—”

“Enough. Push me again and you’ll regret it. Now go, it’s
not wise to get caught in the way of the Hunt.” He waited until the pissed-off
human stormed away before he shifted his attention to Ian. “Let’s ride.”

Ian grabbed his arm, stopping him from striding past him to
get to Harley who stood, silently watching the exchange with assessing eyes.
“Trevor’s a bit crude but he’s a good man, Calan. I vouch for his honor. Can’t
I invite him to ride?”

Yes, but Calan didn’t want the newly bound male to make such
decisions. Besides, his siblings had always deflected such decisions to him. He
sidestepped Ian. “We don’t have time to join another rider with his horse.
We’ve wasted enough.”

Hands at Harley’s waist, he lifted her onto Death’s back and
joined her a moment later. Cradled against his chest with an arm locked around
her waist, he unleashed his tight control. The power of the Hunt rushed out.

A shock wave shook the earth. The wind kicked up, swirling
leaves and twigs around them in a cyclone that stretched to the heavens. For a
fleeting moment, he wondered if the humans living at the bottom of the mountain
would notice the unnatural occurrence, but the worry passed in the next breath.
The fabric of the universe parted and wrapped around their two stallions and
dozens of hounds. It offered them the obscurity that had kept them hidden since
the Hunt began. He had to trust in its ability to do the same in this modern
age.

He kept his tie to Ian open and shared with the human the
glory of the raw, unbridled power. It wrapped around them, feeding their
purpose and instilling them with its frenzy. Tendrils of energy snaked out in
all directions, seeking those who held the taint of pure chaos in their bodies.
For miles, it weaved outward. He pushed further but found no trace of Dahm.

Calan would bet Raul was close, however. The redcap wanted
Harley. In a way, Calan was thankful for Raul’s obsession. If he hadn’t been so
focused on coercing Harley into mating him, he probably would’ve attacked her
already so he could obtain Harley’s mature blood.

The storage building near Cynthia’s house came into view and
pulled Calan from his macabre thoughts. They landed, their cloak dissipating,
in the woods separating them from the development and the outskirts of the
abandoned factory.

Death pranced uneasily. Neither Calan nor his hounds could
sense Raul or any of the unfortunate humans he’d lured into the ring. Harley
could, though. Like called to like, as much as Calan hated to admit it and Raul
partially belonged to her. He glanced at her. Eyes widened, she stared off in
the direction of the building.

“Harley?” She didn’t respond. He grasped her chin and turned
her head to face him. Terror shown in her widened eyes. His heart picked up her
rapid rhythm. “Speak to me.”

She took a couple of deep breaths. Her pulse slowed. So did
his. “I feel them.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Here. Their taint calls
to me.”

“Where?”

She extended her arm and pointed in the direction of the
storage building.

“Is Raul with—”

A screech pierced the night, stopping his words. Calan
pivoted and cursed. The door to the storage building skittered across the
pavement. His hounds picked up the threat first and raced toward the sluaghs
spilling out of the opening.

Glamour.

Raul had tricked them again. The ring hadn’t been burned. It
was the only explanation. Calan berated himself. He should’ve sent a hound
inside the building to confirm the humans’ words. No matter. The sluaghs would
die.

Calan leapt from his horse and pressed a hand to Harley’s
leg to stop her from joining him. He flicked his gaze to the dagger she held in
her hands. Respect for his mate rose. It comforted him to know she would want
to fight at his side, but he never wanted her in danger again. The years
without him able to protect her was enough.

“Stay with Death.” He grasped her hand, the one with their
incomplete bond. Uneasiness settled over him with the turn of events. So much
had happened since they’d last made love while in his prison. “I fear this is a
trap to lure you from me.”

She gave him a small push, gaze frantically darting between
him and Ian who ran forward with the flaming obsidian sword. Guilt added to his
anxiety. He hadn’t explained what he’d planned for her brother. That decision
had been between him and Ian, but she’d deserved the knowledge at the very
least.

“Go. I’m fine.”

“Reach for me if you feel in any way threatened.” He turned
away from her and invited the rage to consume him.

The change swept over him. His Huntsman form emerged in a
blink of an eye. Sword raised, he charged into the throng of hunched and
rotting bodies. Death had arrived to finally give them peace.

Harley pressed her hand to her chest. Each sluagh cut down
by Calan and Ian’s flaming swords jerked on her heart, sending a piercing pain
through her body. She hated to admit it, but she could no longer deny it.

The sluaghs belonged to her.

Three quick jabs to her chest stole her breath. She tumbled
off Death’s back and hit the ground. A jolt raced up from her tailbone to her
neck. Tingles spread. She shook it off and pushed to her feet.

Three more sluaghs killed. Their bodies turned to ash. Their
souls freed.

Harley glanced at the mass of lighted balls hovering in the
night sky above the warehouse. From pure white to dark gray, the orbs pulsed
and swirled in the breeze.

Calan’s horse shifted restlessly beside her. It raised its
head and one of the closest unbound souls raced toward them. Death’s fathomless
eyes drew it in. She stumbled back, a hand over her mouth to muffle her gasp.

The Huntsmen collected the souls and offered them a resting
place. Calan had told her that. She hadn’t understood what that meant. Seeing
was believing, though.

The sound of police sirens carried over the roars of the
sluaghs. Curses fell from her mouth. She wished she knew how to use glamour.
The Huntsmen might be cloaked when they rode, but otherwise they drew
attention. That couldn’t happen.

She slapped the horse’s rear. “Go, collect the others before
the cops arrive.”

Death raced toward the last of the battle.

She wrapped her arms around her chest as the tugs yanked on
her. The sluaghs weren’t even fighting. One slipped around Ian who still looked
human, except for his reddened eyes. The female sluagh stretched an arm out
toward her and groaned.

Harley stepped back as realization dawned. The sluaghs were
trying to get to
her
.

Another pulse raced through her body, stronger than the ones
the sluaghs had caused. A familiar one. She pivoted. Raul walked toward her. He
held his hands up in a placating manner. She didn’t buy it for a minute. She
yanked her dagger out and held it loosely in her grip.

Raul glanced from the dagger to her face. No fear showed on
his expression even though Calan wasn’t far away. Annoyance flashed in Raul’s
black eyes. “It’s about time you got away from your protectors.”

She considered reaching for Calan, but she didn’t want to
distract him. He needed to finish killing the sluaghs before the humans showed.

Harley took a step forward, hoping to appear threatening.
Damn hard to do while her heart beat a mile a minute and sweat dampened her
palms. “All I have to do is reach for him.”

Raul flicked his gaze to her left hand. He raised a lip,
showing off his pointy teeth. “Yes, your
mate
would rush to your side,
wouldn’t he?”

She sucked in a rough breath. “How do you—”

“I have a motion-activated camera hidden at the warehouse. I
don’t want humans stumbling on my fairy rings.” He fisted his hands and took a
matching step toward her. “Did you finish it?”

She curled her fingers, hiding the incomplete mark. “That’s
none of your business.”

“I beg to differ, but what’s more to the point, Dahm knows
and he’s coming to congratulate the two of you.” A rough sound, a cross between
a laugh and a snort, escaped his throat.

Ice slithered into her heart, stopping it for a moment
before it took on an erratic beat. “You told him?”

Why that was her first question, she didn’t know. Well, she
did. She just didn’t understand the emotion. It felt like a betrayal. Still,
she waited on his response.

“I had to, Harley. He owns me.” Raul snorted. “Here I
thought I’d find redemption in your arms. Goddamn love. All you’ve done was
stretched me between two masters, two opposing sides of hell when all I want is
heaven.” Raul glanced past her and took a step back. “Dahm has Allie. I had to
give her to him.”

Fear rose. She stomped it down. “Where is she?”

“She’s alive.” His nails sharpened. He took another step
back. “You need me to save her, remember that. Only I know where he’s stashed
her.”

Calan’s roar echoed behind her before she could voice her
next question.

“We’ll finish this game another time, Harley. When we do,
you’ll hurt for making me out to be a fool.” Raul turned and ran.

Calan tackled him. They rolled across the grass, swiping
clawed hands at each other and snarling. The police sirens in the background
grew louder. People screaming added to the melee. Trevor’s voice carried over
everything, ordering everyone back. She ignored it all and focused on the fight
in front of her and Raul’s words to her.

Dahm had Allie.

Calan raised his arm. A flaming sword appeared in it. Harley
followed its arc toward Raul’s head and yelled, “Stop!”

Her Huntsman jerked as if her word had frozen him in place.
Raul took advantage of the moment. He scooted from beneath Calan and fled. A
car started a moment later. Squealing tires pierced the night. She breathed a
sigh, but Calan snarled and leapt toward her.

He grabbed her, hands at her waist, and lifted her. Fury
burned in his eyes. She pressed her hands to his chest to put space between
them. He slammed them together. Her breath escaped in a rush. She automatically
fought his hold, the urge to run too real to ignore.

He slid one hand to the back of her neck, the other to her
lower back. “Stop fighting me, Harley.”

She froze. The guilt rushed up. She knew better than to fear
him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She swept her hands over his
shoulder blades. “But you can’t kill him.”

Sharpened nails dented her skin but didn’t break it. “Why,
Harley? Raul needs to die. You know this.”

“Yes, but he told me Dahm has Allie. We need him to find
her.”

“One life is not worth allowing the redcap to live.” He
jerked his head toward the warehouse behind them. “We struck down close to
three dozen sluaghs.” He narrowed his eyes. “Did you feel the deaths of your
puppets, my flower?”

She stared at him and didn’t know what to say. It did hurt
when each one died. In the face of Calan’s derision, she hesitated admitting
the truth.

Calan dropped her. She stumbled. He didn’t steady her. He
stepped away and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Well, I did. I
experienced the stabbing to your heart. He’ll create more, using you to shield
them from me.” He roughly tipped up her chin. “Do you know what that will do to
me?”

She tried to shake her head but couldn’t. He held her too
firmly.

“No.” Except she did know. It would hurt him.

“It’ll break me, my mate. The fury will grow each day
knowing there are sluaghs roaming the earth the Huntsmen can’t see, sluaghs who
are killing innocent humans.”

The brush of cloth and the familiar scent of her brother
warned her of Ian’s approach. Calan tensed, but didn’t let her go.

“Cynthia wasn’t among them.” Ian’s growled words sounded
deeper and rougher than she’d ever heard. He stepped into her line of sight.
“Where is she, Harley?”

How would she know?

“Well? Answer your brother’s question. Do you feel any more
of Raul’s sluaghs nearby?”

She shoved hard against Calan’s chest. He released her and
she fell back on her ass. “I didn’t know what Raul was doing!”

A long moment passed before Calan knelt in front of her. He squeezed
his eyes shut. A shudder visibly shook his body. Finally, he opened his eyelids
and tugged her against his chest. “Of course not. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” That was supposed to make her feel better? She
shoved at his arms. “Let me go.”

“No.” He ran his hands over her back.

His warmth seeped into her. Her tight muscles loosened.
No,
dammit!
She fought the comfort he offered. She growled and twisted in his
hold. Butterfly wings teased her mind. He tugged at her emotions.

She slammed a metaphysical door in his face and glared at
him. “Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped you from killing Raul, but Allie’s life
does matter to me. Every life matters.” She leaned close. His nearness sent a
rush of desire through her despite her anger. She clenched her fists tighter,
hating the reaction but knowing it was one she’d always have around him. “I am
not a god or a rider of the Hunt. I do not get to decide whose life is more
valuable. I will try to save everyone if I can.”

“You are right. Allie’s life does matter but so does yours.”
He brushed his lips over her cheek. “Forgive me. Let me in so I can help us.”

Us.
Of course. She was making things worse by
welcoming her anger.

She focused on his hands caressing her back and the gentle
kisses he pressed to her neck. The anger eased. She reached for him, mentally
and physically, and clung to him.

“I’m sorry,” she offered the words he’d given to her.

“We’ll deal with him.”

A snap of a twig reached her ears followed by the scent of
leather. “You’re damn lucky half of the cops are related to me. Care to explain
what the hell happened? That was some crazy shit.”

Calan didn’t respond to Trevor’s question. He leaned back
and settled his gaze on Ian.

Ian nodded and faced Trevor. “No explanation tonight. There
isn’t time. What did you tell them?”

Trevor snorted. “That the serial killer was here with a
bunch of dogs. We fought him but he got away.”

“Dogs?” Ian cursed. “Couldn’t you think of anything else?”

Trevor stiffened. “What did you—”

“Enough.” Calan stepped forward, pulling her with him. “The
hounds will be fine. If they feel threatened, they’ll fade into the
Underworld.” He faced Ian. “Take Harley back to the house and watch over her
while I transport the souls we’ve collected to hell.”

“But Cynthia’s out there. I need to—”

“You need to follow my commands.” Calan stepped close and
glared at him. “
Hunter
Ian.”

Ian jumped back. He pressed a hand over his chest where the
dual-faced tattoo labeled him as a Huntsman. “Fine.”

“Good.” He slid his attention back to her. “And Harley?”

“What?”

“Stay in the house and call me home if you have need for me.
Do not engage the redcap again. He lies.”

“But Allie—”

“We will discuss the female and what we can do for her once
I return. Understand?”

She nodded, knowing it was the best she’d likely get.

He bent and captured her lips for a deep kiss but pulled
back too soon to allow the passion to take hold.

Be safe, Harley. I have given up my future, my body and
my hope for you. I love you. Do not forget that.

Calan pivoted on his heel and stormed away before she could
say anything in return. The portal to the Underworld opened. He disappeared in
it along with his horse. The shimmering wall faded with a wash of
sulfur-scented air.

She studied the spot where the doorway had been and couldn’t
shake the feeling that she’d never get the chance to say those words back to
him. Time was against them. It had been since the moment they’d met.

And I’m the reason why. I’d promised to return to him and
never did.

Words had power and she’d broken her vow, damning them both.