Hunter Betrayed (19 page)

Her brother closed the last few feet, ignoring her order.
Perched on his horse in sleep shorts with his reddened eyes and flaming sword,
he looked like a cross between a weekend warrior and something out of a
nightmare. His gaze drifted to the greenhouse.

“Not with that fucker in there. He’s got Trevor.”

“Raul won’t hurt me or Trevor. It’s a ploy to manipulate me.
I can handle him.” God, she hoped she was right. “The curse. This is Calan’s
chance to transfer it back. That’s more important. Remember, I can’t die.”

The words rushed out, leaving her breathless.

“Trevor can.” Ian ground his jaw.

Remembering her failure when she’d stopped Calan from
killing Raul because she’d wanted to save Allie, she made a decision that broke
her heart. Trevor’s life would have to be risked. “If Calan fails, the world
will suffer. Please.”

Ian cursed. He glanced at the hounds around him. Faces
contorted in rage, saliva dripped from their mouths, yet none made a sound.

He waved them off. “Go.”

As one unit, the dogs turned and fled across the woods.

“Dammit, Ian—”

He slid off his horse. “I can’t disobey Calan. He ordered me
to stay with you.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but turned toward the
greenhouse where she felt the awareness of a sluagh. Cynthia walked out of the
woods at the same time as Raul exited the building with Trevor. Duct tape
covered his mouth and a thick rope bound his hands, but it was the gun Raul had
pressed to Trevor’s temple that stopped Harley’s heart.

“Cynthia.” Ian’s whispered voice sounded strained.

Harley cut a quick glance at the sluagh that used to be
Ian’s girlfriend. Besides her chalky skin, she looked no different than the
pictures Harley had seen of her, pigtails and all. Cynthia hadn’t been turned
long enough for her body to reflect what she’d become.

“Ian, h-h-help m-me.” Cynthia stretched an arm out. “I
hurt.”

Ian’s sword disappeared. He stepped forward.

Harley grasped his wrist. “That’s not really Cynthia. She’s
a puppet.”

“Yes, my puppet and I am Dahm’s.” Raul continued forward,
forcing Trevor to move with him. Raul slammed a knee into Trevor’s back and
dropped him to his knees. “Dahm has ordered me to prepare your friend to
receive his bloody cap, but I’d rather feed my newest sluagh. She’s hungry.”

Oh god.
Harley choked on bile. “Don’t do it, Raul.”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “Come here, Cynthia.”

Cynthia’s body jerked. She walked stiffly toward where Raul
stood. Her fingernails lengthened.

“No!” Ian lurched forward.

Cynthia pivoted on her heel and ran. Ian followed. They
disappeared into the woods. A roar pierced the night. Cynthia’s screech came
next.

Harley blocked it out and met Raul’s confident gaze. He’d
planned his trap well. “Let him go, Raul.”

“Not until you give me what I want.”

Harley glanced from the warning in Trevor’s eyes to the smug
look on Raul’s face. “What do you want?”

“You.”

A bitter laugh escaped. “Is this your way to earn my
affection? Because let me tell you, it’s pretty pathetic.”

Raul shrugged. “You took that option away from me, Harley.
No matter. I’ll still get what I want. I always get what I want. Remember
that.”

She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Let Trevor come
to me. Then we’ll talk, okay?”

“Dahm has played us both, Harley.” He slid his finger to the
trigger. “I’m done with his games. I refuse to be anyone’s pawn again.”

Her heart knocked hard against her ribcage. “Don’t, Raul.”

More of Cynthia’s shrieks carried through the night. They
cut off abruptly. Ian’s agonized roar filled the silence.

A sharp pain stabbed her chest.
Oh god. Cynthia.
Ian
had killed her.

“Yes, now it’s time.” Raul whipped the gun and pointed it at
her.

A pop sounded. She jerked. Pain exploded in her belly. Her
mouth opened on a soundless scream. Two more bullets hit her. She fell.

Raul knelt over her and pressed a balled-up rag to her gut.
“You see, Harley.” He held up the bloody fabric. “I always get what I want.”

Her eyes widened at the realization of what he held—her
mature blood to soak his cap and break his tie to Dahm.

Calan. She had to reach him. She pictured his eyes, saw him
fighting, but a fist to her face stopped her from connecting with him.

Raul’s laugh followed her into oblivion.

* * * * *

Calan swung his sword. Another redcap’s head fell. Three
more charged him, their own swords extended. The redcaps were well trained, but
they were no match for him. All they succeeded in doing was waste his time and
piss him off. They blocked him from reaching Dahm. He raised his flaming blade
just as his hounds spilled into the clearing.

He cursed with the information they fed him. He’d suspected
a trap. No matter. Both Raul and Dahm would pay for their crimes tonight. Ian
knew how imperative it was Raul died. Calan would trust in his new Huntsman. He
had no other choice. Dealing with Dahm had to come first.

Calan gutted the last redcap and pivoted on his heel.

Dahm stood by his car laughing.

Calan drew on the power in the air around him and used it to
fuel his limbs. He closed the distance between them and tackled Dahm. A swipe
of his clawed hand to the fairy’s back tore a snarl from the dark prince’s
throat. His image of youthfulness faded, replaced by his true form.

Dahm spun and returned the blow. Sharpened nails ripped
Calan open from his chest to his stomach. Blood gushed out. The wound barely
registered. He dug his fist into Dahm’s gut and yanked. The sickening stench of
Dahm’s rotten insides choked Calan. He blocked it out and slammed his knee into
the wound.

The fairy’s shriek pierced the night. Calan held him
immobile and reached for the blade strapped to his thigh. Without wasting a moment,
he plunged it into Dahm’s heart and waited for the look of agony to distort the
fairy’s saggy, blackened face.

Prayed for it.

A smile spread instead.

Dahm bucked, tossing Calan off. Stunned, he sat on the
ground and watched Dahm pull the dagger out. He flung it. The knife embedded
into the ground between them.

“Foolish Hunter.” Dahm pushed to his feet, his cloak sliding
over his rotten body again. “You can’t transfer the curse to me when you’ve
already given it to your fairy mate.”

Wariness settled over him. “You knew?”

“About Harley? Yes, Raul told me. And the curse?” Dahm wiped
the dirt from his ass. “I guessed.”

“Then why did you come?”

Dahm grinned. “To congratulate you, of course.”

Calan stood, fists clenched at his sides. “On what?”

“Stabilizing the damaged gateway. The curse was meant for a
fairy and since you could never capture me, you decided to mate my daughter and
sacrifice her.” Dahm sneered. “That is why you bonded your body to hers, isn’t
it? Surely it wasn’t because of love.”

Calan curled his fists. His talons pierced his palm. Blood
dripped, but he didn’t respond.

“No worries, Hunter. I will find another way to free my
Court and at least now I never have to worry about suffering in that hell.” Dahm
walked toward the car’s open door. “Oh, and thank Harley for her gift. It will
come in handy.”

He got in. The car backed up, turned and peeled away. Calan
stood there, defeated in more ways than one. He couldn’t even rip Dahm’s head
from his body. Calan needed the male on this realm so he could curse him once he
fixed the mess he’d made.

He pivoted and faced the aftermath of his battle. The
sluaghs had disintegrated, but the redcaps lay where they’d fallen. He stepped
over their lifeless bodies and ran the way he’d come. Dahm’s departing words worried
him.

What gift? Calan knew Harley wouldn’t give Dahm anything.
Not willingly, at least.

A roar reached his ears. The mark of the Hunt pulsed and
Ian’s agony poured into Calan’s mind. He drew it in and reached for Ian.
Disorder swamped the link between them. Ian’s rational thoughts unraveled. Rage
took over.

No!
Calan drew more of Ian’s wrath into him. A surge
of hate replaced it. The last of Ian’s conscious mind shut down. Calan did the
only thing he could. He shoved a pulse of pure energy into Ian’s body. His
heart stopped but not before Calan caught the reason why Ian had given into his
rage.

Harley falling, blood soaking her shirt.

“Wake up, Harley.”

Somebody shook her. Harley popped her lids open. Trevor’s
bruised face filled her vision. She pushed into a sitting position. Memories
returned. She pressed a hand to her stomach. Cold, sticky blood met her touch.

“Raul.”

Trevor helped her stand and slid an arm around her shoulders
to steady her swaying body. “He’s one sick motherfucker. We’re damn lucky he
didn’t kill us.”

No, he’d done something much worse.

“What did he do with the rag he pressed to my belly?”

Trevor frowned. “He folded it and put it in a Ziploc bag.
Then he…”

She grabbed his shoulders. “What else?”

“He did the same with three more then he collected several
vials of your blood before taking off.”

She staggered back. “Oh god.”

He was going to make his own army, using her as its source
of power.

“I got out of my bindings as quick as I could, but—”

Calan’s roar stopped his words.

She spun in time to see Calan leap from his horse. He tugged
her into his arms. “By the gods, what happened?”

“Dahm? Did you transfer the curse back to him?”

“No.” He shoved the torn cloth from her belly and skimmed
his fingertips over her skin. “What did Raul do?”

“The fucker stole her blood and killed Ian.” Trevor knelt
next to Ian’s still form. “He was about to attack Raul but grabbed his chest
and toppled over instead.”

“Dead!” She ran to Ian and fisted his shirt. “No! He can’t
be dead.”

Calan knelt next to her. “He’s immortal. He’ll be fine, but
I had to…”

She whipped her head to peer at him. Guilt shone in his
eyes. “You had to what?”

“I did what I had to do. He’d slipped into the lure of the
Hunt. I hadn’t realized why soon enough.” He laid a hand on Ian’s shoulder.
White light spread over him and his image faded. “He will heal.” He faced her.
“Tell me Raul didn’t…”

She nodded. Tears overflowed. “I tried to reach for you, but
I wasn’t quick enough.”

Instead of yelling at her, he pulled her into his arms.
“It’s okay.”

She buried her face against his chest. “No it’s not, Calan.
I—”

“Sssh, love.” He lifted her into his arms. “What’s done is
done. I will find him and kill him.”

“He soaked three extra cloths and took vials of my blood.”

Calan closed his eyes. He worked his jaw back and forth but
didn’t curse. He blew out a rough breath. “Then I will find them all.”

His easy acceptance stirred her anxiety. “What happened? Why
didn’t you transfer the curse back?”

He pierced Trevor with a hard look. “Go with my hounds to
the house and stay there.”

Trevor’s features tightened. He glanced from the spot where
Ian had been back to them and nodded. He limped away, three hounds surrounding
him.

Alone, Calan faced her. “Dahm tricked me, but it won’t
happen again.”

“What are you hiding?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

“Are you going after him?”

“No, I’m done hunting tonight.” He tightened his grip on
her. “I need my mate’s touch.”

She settled against his chest and took comfort in his scent
and warmth. Something told her she’d better treasure it because Calan was lying
to her. Whatever it was he was hiding had everything to do with her.

* * * * *

Calan carried Harley into the largest bedroom in the house.
Her unease beat at him. He drew it into himself but the source of it remained.

She knew he’d lied.

He pushed the guilt away. There was nothing he could do
about it. His hands were tied. Another sacrifice had to be made. He lifted her
hand and kissed her palm. Harley wouldn’t be the one sacrificed, though.

He would or at least his only chance at a mate would.

Arawn’s offer was the only option left to save her. Once
free of his bond, Calan would be able to transfer the curse to Dahm. Afterward…
Well, he didn’t know what would happen. Harley would be back in the same
position he’d found her. She wouldn’t have a mate to shield her from the
tempting lure of the chaos. She’d have her honor, nothing more.

Unless she accepted another Huntsman as a mate.

He cringed at the thought but in all honesty, it would be
her best option. Maybe once his brothers were free she would find one to love.
He pushed the thought away. He couldn’t deal with it at the moment.

He buried his face in Harley’s silken platinum curls and
allowed the remorse to settle in his heart. Tomorrow, he would go to Arawn and
have his tie to Harley severed. Until then, he would worship his mate.

Carefully, he set her on her feet and sliced away the shirt
and bra stuck to her skin. No mark shown on her flat stomach, but he kissed her
firm abs where he suspected the shot had injured her. Flicks of his tongue
flooded his senses with her sweet and tangy blood. A moan escaped his lips. He
licked the rest away, stood and captured her lips.

Gods, he loved this woman. So strong, so beautiful, so
noble.

His flower in the midst of evil.

He poured his devotion into the melding of their mouths.
Rougher, quicker, he twined their tongues. He skimmed his hands over her back
and pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him everything.
He felt her love in every touch and stroke. It warmed him from the inside out,
but there was one thing he had to ensure before he could savor it. He broke
their kiss and held her face in his hands.

“I feel your love for me, but you cannot give me the words.
You cannot complete our bond.”

She tensed. “Why?”

“You must trust me, my flower. Give me this night without
questioning why.” He closed his eyes. The guilt pierced his heart and he
sighed. “I will give you the reason before I leave you tomorrow. Until then, I
want to feel your love. I need it.”

Featherlight strokes skimmed over his cheek. She traced his
jaw, chin and lips. “Look at me, Calan.”

He opened his eyes and her warm, blue ones ensnared him. He
allowed the spell they wove to work through him.

“I want to be the mate you need. If my silence is what you
require, you will have it.” She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to
his. “Now make love to me, Calan. Show me how you feel.”

He lifted her, a hand on her bottom, and held her close
while he devoured her. She returned his passion, kissing him with teeth and
tongue. Her flavor and scent wrapped around him. She made good on her promise.
Her love seeped into him, surrounded and uplifted him. He drank it all in.
Every touch and sound imprinted on his mind. The brush of her fingers along his
neck and the squirming of her bottom over his trapped cock ramped up his
desire.

He carried her to the bathroom, never breaking their kiss
until he reached the closed door. She shifted her attention to his neck as he
turned the knob. He wanted all the reminders of tonight washed away. Nothing
would taint his memory of their loving.

He sat her on the wide double basin sink and tugged her
shirt off then his. The boots he kicked into the corner by the toilet, socks
flying somewhere behind him. His jeans came off next. They too got tossed to
the side. He stood there in the large master bath, completely naked and more
exposed than he’d ever been with a female.

Harley gripped the edge of the marble sink. Her unbound
breasts rose and fell with her rapid breaths. The wild mass of her platinum
curls cascaded over her shoulders. Unable to stop himself, he captured one of
the long waves. They were natural, he knew that, but never in his life had he
seen a female with hair like Harley’s. He tugged, straightening the winding
strands, and studied the mix of colors in her nearly white hair. Silver,
blonde, white and gold weaved into the tresses he held. He released the lock. It
curled and bounced before settling against her chest.

“Gods, you’re as beautiful as an angel, my Harley.”

A smile spread over her face. “And you, Calan, are my
earthen warrior, protector of the innocent.”

While he’d never been referred to in such a way, it fit. He
returned her grin and stepped into the space between her spread thighs. Grass
and dirt stains covered her jeans. He popped the button and pulled the zipper.
Black satin peeked in the gap. He slid her bottom forward and tugged the cotton
down. The denim pooled around her ankles. He knelt, yanked off each shoe,
tossing them to join his discarded clothes. Her pants followed, leaving her
only in the tiny swatch of material hiding her sex.

The scent of her arousal drifted to him. He inhaled the rich
fragrance. A hungered growl rumbled his chest. Like an animal, he pressed his
nose to her damp thong and dragged in a deep lungful. It wasn’t enough to
appease his craving. He needed the taste of her on his tongue.

He caught the fabric between his teeth and tugged. The sound
of tearing cloth added to his groan. He plunged his tongue into her center. Her
muscles parted, squeezed as he withdrew.

“Calan.”

Fingers in his hair, she pulled him closer. He took the hint
and kissed her lower lips as deeply as he took her mouth moments ago. Swirls
and thrusts of his tongue brought more of her rich taste to him. He moaned his
approval, growling and groaning as her arousal flowed and spilled down his
throat. He drank of her passion and pushed her for more.

She draped trembling legs over his shoulders and leaned back,
opening herself completely for his exploration. He cupped her ass cheeks in his
palms and held her squirming bottom immobile for his kiss.

“Like that, more.” She dug her heels into his back, tried to
break his grip and cried out in frustration. “Please, more.”

He gave her more, thrusting his flattened tongue over and
over until the muscles of her sheath tightened. She inhaled a rough breath, her
body tensing. He dragged his tongue free, covered her opening with his lips and
sucked.

She screamed his name. With his mind open to hers, he
experienced her orgasm, the intense waves, undulating along her core, squeezing
on air. The ripples traveled out, running along her limbs, tingling her scalp
and dancing down her spine. He relished every second of it and kept it going
until the first sign of discomfort rose. Gentle licks brought her down.

She sagged in his hold. He lifted her, one hand on her lower
back, the other between her shoulder blades. She clung to him, arms and legs
linked around him. He carried her to the walk-in shower, twisted the knob and
kissed her while the water warmed.

The spray caressed them, washing away the dirt and blood of
tonight’s failures. He backed her against the tile wall. Held there with his
hips pinning hers to the surface, he ran his hands over her body. Every sensory
detail became necessary. He trailed his fingertips from the tender column of
her neck to the edge of her breasts. Before the night ended, he planned to
memorize all of her.

Steam rose around them. More of her oranges and spice scent
invaded his lungs. He buried his nose against her neck and drugged himself on
her. Lust rose, replacing the tenderness, but not erasing it. It was still
there, guiding him, but the need to join their bodies couldn’t be ignored. A
tilt of his hips lined his cock to her core. He clamped his mouth around the
delicate length of her neck and drove into her.

He groaned around the flesh in his mouth. For a heartbeat,
he couldn’t move. A sensation of rightness overwhelmed him. He’d lived for
thousands of years, experienced rise and falls of empires, saw the best and
worst life had to offer, but nothing compared to the utter ecstasy he felt
right in this moment.

Harley, my beautiful mate, I love you. Now and always.

A soft sigh escaped Harley’s mouth, stirring his hair. She
squeezed her inner muscles over his length. “Then show me so I’ll never
forget.”

Her choice of words bothered him, but he pushed the morbid
thought away. There was no way she could know their sad fate. He released the
gentle grip of his teeth on her throat and moved. A slow retreat followed by a
hard push tore a gasp from her. Liking the sound, he repeated the motion, once
then twice more. Her inner muscles gripped his dick. He shuddered, tried to
hold onto the sensation, but it slipped away. Faster, he moved, the need to
feel the soft stroke of her sheath growing with each thrust.

Harley dug her nails into his back, locked her ankles over
his ass and welcomed his savage claiming. She kissed his neck, nipped his jaw
and finally yanked his mouth to hers. Her groan fed his hunger. He swallowed
the sound and fucked her harder. Each push tore a breathy gasp from her. He
shortened his strokes. Her core quivered, tried to pull him deeper. He resisted
the urge to slam home. He kept up the teasing, barely sinking half his length
inside her needy body.

“Calan, please.” She squirmed over the head of his cock.
“Need you.”

Her plea became one he couldn’t resist. He drove forward on
a rough thrust. Her muscles clenched around him. Ripples danced along his
erection. He withdrew and plunged deep, not allowing her orgasm to take hold.

“Gods, baby.” He brushed his lips over her ear. “Like how
you need me.”

“Yes, always.” She turned her head to capture his gaze.
“Show me more.”

The look in her eyes was one he wanted to remember
always—love, passion, devotion. He kept his focus on her face and added a
rolling press, rubbing her clit and kissing the mouth of her womb. He repeated
the full stroke, hitting her every trigger point and watched the orgasm rush
over her face. Her eyelids fluttered, but she held them open, let him see her
pleasure.

Please.

One word whispered into his mind and he let go. On a grunt,
he spilled his seed into her womb, filling her up, giving her everything.

Their joint release lasted forever, not long enough. The
waves eased. The jerking of his cock slowed. When the moment ended, they
wrapped their arms around each other and held on tight.