Mating Hunt (19 page)

Kyle lunged for Elric, who smoothly evaded him. Fear filled Arianna as she asked the question, already knowing the answer. “Perfect for what?”

“Why, the moonrise, my dear. When the Satyr’s sexual need is at his peak. Thanks to the aphrodisiac I injected, he’ll fuck the first female he sees.”

“No,” Kyle said.

“Yes.” Elric gave a nasty grin. “You, Arianna.”

T
HE NIGHTMARE WAS
happening all over again, only this time she had to watch the man she love suffer.

Writhing and twisting on the floor, Kyle fought the drug’s effects. A furred pelt covered him from abdomen to thighs. Two bone white horns emerged from his skull and a full beard grew in along his strong jaw. His nostrils flared as he tried not to look at her.

The Satyr had caught the scent of her heat and was in full arousal. Mindless with lust, he would not stop until sexually sated. Arianna shrank back against the rock wall.

No longer her beloved friend and lover, Kyle stood, a lusty stranger intent on one thing. Once more she was twelve, the wicked Satyr advancing as she screamed and tried to scramble away.

But as the beast shuffled closer, his thick erection jutting from the dark thatch of hair, he held out his shaking hands.

“Ari,” he rasped. “Don’t want this. Don’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry. Fighting this... don’t want to hurt you... would rather die...”

Not hurt.

The words triggered memories. Focusing with all her might, she pushed past the fog in her mind and culled each memory, flipping through it like pages in a book. And this time she realized the truth. The wizard had manipulated her remembrances with lies.

When she was twelve, Elric had injected a Satyr with the very same drug used on Kyle to stimulate him to full arousal. She’d screamed and pulled at the handcuff chaining her to the wall as the Satyr drew close enough for her to count the hairs on his beard.

But as his beastly snarl echoed throughout the enormous cavern, he turned his back to the watching Elric. And then he picked up a huge rock and smashed the chain binding her to the cavern wall, breaking it.

He’d freed her!

“Run, little one,” the Satyr had whispered. “Run through the cavern and press the purple geode on the wall. It opens the secret entrance. Don’t look back.”

Bare feet slipping on the cave floor, she’d run hard. Hearing her captor roar in fury, she glanced over her shoulder. Elric raised his hands and sent a stream of cold blue fire at her savior. The Satyr screamed as he died.

But she’d kept running and reached the shining lavender crystal on the rock wall. Then an ice pick slammed into her skull, shading her memories (the bad man!) as she pressed the geode. Arianna had stumbled into the dark forest...

Blinking rapidly, she returned to the present. The Satyr had not ever touched her. Elric had. He’d cruelly squeezed her young breasts to gauge their size for nursing young, had forced her legs open to see if she was still a virgin.

The Satyr had rescued her in the cave, just as Kyle had rescued her on the mountain. Satyrs were not the beast, only Elric was.

And now Kyle was fighting the drug’s effects. He yanked viciously at his chains, trying to free himself.

Elric scowled at Kyle. “Fuck her. Do it now or I’ll make you suffer.”

“Go fuck yourself, asshole.”

The wizard stretched out his fingers, which glowed with terrible blue fire. Arianna’s heart stilled. She knew what this meant.

At the first strike of icy energy on his naked body, Kyle gritted his teeth.

Chained like this, she could not help Kyle. Her mind smoothly clicked over options as she recalled Kyle’s voice during her lessons.
Use your senses and your brain when in trouble. What is your enemy’s weakness?

Ego. Elric was a megalomaniac, which meant he thought they’d never free themselves. Which meant he’d be careless about leaving the keys around, thinking his chains would hold them fast.

Scanning her surroundings, her heart pounding like a drum, she spotted a ring of keys hanging on a peg near a mirror framed in blue crystals. If she reached the keys, she could free Kyle. Arianna tugged harder at the chain and felt it give.

When she was twelve, the slimmest chain restrained her. And Elric, the stupid bastard, had forgotten he now dealt with a fully adult Lupine.

All she needed was a distraction.

Arianna glanced at Kyle writhing on the ground as Elric flicked his fingers, bombarding her guardian with thin beams of coldfire, creating bleeding welts. Her heart slammed hard against her ribcage as she pulled and yanked the chains. Finally a link broke. She was free. Pulling the chain with her to hide the broken link, Arianna headed for the mirror. Her fingers grabbled for the polished surface. Timing was everything.

Heart in her throat, she gathered all her courage. “Hey, Elric! Yo, limp dick!”

The wizard paused and turned.

“Yeah, limp dick. Figured it out. You took other species against their will because you can’t procreate yourself. Otherwise, you’d be bouncing babies on your knee. What? Was that the price you paid for becoming Tristan’s bitch? Giving up your manhood?”

Elric glowered at her. Score!

She cupped her groin. “Doomed to celibacy, never getting a taste of what Lupines love? Always knowing your dick is softer than a DQ ice cream cone?”

Shaking with rage, Elric stretched out his hands. Scenting ozone rippling in the air, she dodged his bolt of coldfire.

But for her plan to work, she needed a major dose. “Is that all you got? Wuss,” she taunted.

Blinding pain sliced her arm as the next blast hit home. She gritted her teeth. It wasn’t nearly enough.

“You’d love to fuck me, but have to settle for getting your kicks by watching. All that power and you’re impotent.”

“Bitch!” he screamed.

His hands glowed so bright she had to blink away tears. This one was set to injure, not just stun. Good. Here we go...

Seeing him fling back his hands, she ran for the mirror and yanked it off the wall. As he started to throw the bolt, she spun around, holding the mirror before her like a shield.

Whap! The wizard’s coldfire bounced off the glass and slammed back into his face. Elric screamed and clapped his hands to his eyes. Oh, yeah, gotta hurt bad. He was blinded, for now. Enough time to save Kyle. Arianna grabbed the keys from the peg and raced to Kyle, unlocking his restraints.

Her guardian charged the wizard, tackling him to the ground. Kyle could hold him while Elric was incapacitated. But not long. The consequences would be terrible. Her man needed her help.

She ran into the tunnel on the left, calling out for other prisoners. The cages were here, she remembered. Two naked Lupines, a male and a female, were locked inside. Arianna fumbled with the keys and opened the doors.

“Who are you?” the male demanded.

“A friend. The purple geode on the west wall opens the cave entrance. Run as far and fast as you can, and bring Tristan.”

The pair ran.

Time to bring in the cavalry.

Arianna raced back to the cavern where Kyle fought with Elric. Still blinded, Elric struck out, shooting erratic bolts of coldfire from his hands. Kyle wrapped his chains around the wizard’s neck and yanked hard. Elric dropped down.

She pulled Kyle toward the exit, but as they ran, the wizard stood and gathered more power. He cocked his head and smiled.

“I hear where you are.”

Horrified, she watched Elric’s hands glowing with blue coldfire. Kyle pushed her down and took the hit. The energy struck the hunter, flinging him against the cavern wall like a ragdoll. He slid to the floor and remained still. Panic clogged her throat. Was he breathing?

Elric’s nasty laughter echoed through the cavern. “You can’t even touch me. Not even when I’m temporarily weakened.”

“I’m not afraid of you anymore, you asshole. You’re going down.”

She rushed him, but the wizard tossed another energy bolt, lashing her across the chest. She staggered with searing pain.

He could tell her location by sound. Arianna’s eyes watered with the agony.

“Ari,” Kyle groaned.

She raced over to her guardian and knelt down. Splaying a hand over his chest, she felt his faint heartbeat beneath her quivering palm. “I’m sorry, Kyle,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t have enough faith in you.”

“Is... okay.” Laboring breaths wheezed in and out of his lungs. “Elric still... not see?”

She glanced at the wizard, wildly groping the air. “Yes. But he’s flinging energy bolts. I can’t even rush him. He can hear me.”

“Not Skin. Wolf. Aim low.” His lips moved. She caught the faint whisper. “Fluffy. Sic... balls.”

Doubt filled her. Good plan, with one tiny flaw. “He still has them?”

“Tristan left in place... you have energy... for one shift. Make it count. Make him burn his magick, drain it.”

Whipping her head around, she saw the Wizard advance, his hands shimmering with coldfire.

Arianna shifted into wolf and noiselessly loped toward Elric.

The wizard turned. “Where are you, bitch? You can’t hide from me!”

Oh yeah? Tensing her muscles, she gathered all her strength. And leapt, jaws open, fangs at the ready.

Her teeth sank deep into his crotch. Arianna quickly released her hold.

High-pitched screams followed, energy beams shooting erratically around the cavern. She shifted back into human form and raced to Kyle. He groaned and gathered her close, rolling over to shield her body with his, rolling to avoid each release of coldfire. But though Elric’s aim was off, they couldn’t avoid every blast and Kyle hissed as a bolt of dark magick singed his body.

Gradually the energy blasts slowed and weakened. Finally they ceased. Arianna peeked through Kyle’s arms and saw the wizard slump to the floor.

She wriggled out of his embrace, turned Kyle over and examined him. Bruised, bleeding from several deep gouges cut into his flesh, he looked wan and pale as moonlight. And then he transformed back into his human form. Light faded from his eyes.

Kyle was dying. Panic clogged her throat. Arianna kissed his cold brow and whispered an entreaty to live. He must live.

A brilliant silver light engulfed the cavern. Tristan materialized. In a black tunic and tight leather pants and soft boots, he was a welcome sight. Even if he still wanted to fry her ass, she didn’t care. Only Kyle mattered.

Tears blurred her vision. “A little late, wizard. You missed the show. We were the psycho’s main attraction.” She gestured to the motionless Kyle. “Save him. Please.”

Tristan glanced at Elric, then knelt by Kyle. He laid a hand on his chest and the spot where he made contact began to glow. Warmth tingled her fingers where she stroked her guardian’s brow.

The Silver Wizard withdrew his hand. “He will live, but he is still too weak.” Tristan stood and narrowed his gaze at Elric. “The coldfire has seeped into his bones and internal organs. This was not possible when I granted you this power, Elric. You were charged with using the coldfire to protect the creatures of the forest, not punish.”

Elric looked up and the sheer panic on his face almost made her feel sorry for the guy. Almost.

“I amplified what you gave me, Tristan. What good is power if one does not use it?”

Slowly, the Silver Wizard advanced toward his aide.

“It’s your fault,” Elric shrieked. “You told me to test subjects for breeding. You ordered it!”

Unable to tear her gaze away, Arianna watched, knowing what would happen next.

“You have failed me, Elric, and failed in your duty. I warned you. I said willing subjects.”

Tristan extended his long fingers, like a concert pianist ready to play. A terrible bluish-silver glow engulfed his hands. Elric began to babble and plead for his life.

“First rule of the Brehon? Do. No. Harm. Except to those who do harm,” Tristan told him.

The energy mass left Tristan’s fingertips and encased Elric in a silver web. Silver fire began licking at the wizard’s skin, sinking into flesh. Terrible screams ensued. And then the wizard began to glow with a silver light.

With a horrible shriek, he exploded, filling the air with particles of blue ash.

Swallowing hard, she warily watched Tristan turn. “You could have killed him faster. It would have been more merciful.”

“Mercy is reserved for those who show it. I merely sent my powers into his body to do exactly what he has done to his other victims. Amplified.”

His dark gaze softened. “I did not know Elric had mistreated and abused innocents like you, Arianna. But trust me when I say this: I will never again allow this to happen.”

The wizard knelt down by Kyle and laid a hand on his brow. More warmth pulsed into her fingers, and then slowly, the icy chill in the cavern dissipated.

Tristan removed his hand as Kyle groaned and finally stirred. The bleeding from his wounds had stopped, but he looked pale.

“I have done all I can. There is only one way for him to fully heal.” The wizard’s dark brown gaze seared her with his intensity. This was one scary dude, and she hoped he’d forgotten, or forgiven, her little transgression of shifting in front of Skins.

“I’d take him to a hospital, but I think he’s on an HMO plan,” she said, gripping her guardian’s hand.

“Kyle needs sexual relief as soon as possible to combat the effects of the full moon and the drugs Elric injected into him.”

“If he doesn’t get it?”

“He could die.”

Arianna sucked in a breath. “I’ve heard men say they’ll die if they don’t get laid, but now you’re telling me it’s not just a line?”

The wizard’s mouth quirked slightly. “I do like you, Arianna. It would have been a shame for me to destroy you. You have Kyle to thank for saving you. He bargained his freedom for your life.”

More surprises. Arianna tunneled her fingers through Kyle’s thick hair. “This place isn’t exactly mood-setting.”

The air compressed around her and then suddenly she felt a tremendous whoosh of pressure. Arianna blinked, staring.

They were in the exact same position, but located inside the cave’s entrance on a mossy bank edging a turquoise pool. Dazzling blue, crimson, lavender and citrine crystals lined the cave walls. A luminous waterfall spilled down through an opening in the cavern. The water changed colors from blush pink to deep red, royal blue to sky blue, clear, then deep lavender and finally forest green.