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Chapter 29: The Cave of Secrets
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Susanna made it to the spring by mid-day, she looked at the sky and noted with relief that she had officially lasted over 24 hours. The Hunt had started at noon the day prior, and it was just past noon according to the clock in the sky. She held out hope that Kate and Izzy were also still in the game, hidden safely in the cave.
95:53:13
Susanna quickly shed her clothes and piled them neatly next to the river. She pulled out her soap and took a quick bath in the spring. She watched the bubbles float downstream as she dried off with her tiny tea towel. There was just enough cloth to soak up the water left on her skin. The cloth was damp when she was done, but she was dry, and her clothes slid over her skin quickly. She wrapped the towel around her neck to keep her cool as she walked in the afternoon sun and filled her water bottles. She still had a few hours of trekking to go before she would find the cave. She mentally went over the path Amelia had shown her between t
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The Hunt Chapter 30: Quick Start
Seth, Nate, and Logan had followed Susanna's trail across the desert and past the spring. The scent had been faint by the water but there was enough of a trail that they were able to pick their way along the stream until they reached the forest. Through the forest they found an obvious path with broken branches and trampled brush. They walked through the trees, following the scent until they came upon the brook and crossed over to the other side. Her scent was still fresh enough they could pick it up without much difficulty. There was a faint scent of Izzy and Kate as well. There they found the giant tree where Susanna had left her scent earlier. They inspected the tree closely. “Is there a way inside?” Logan asked. “It looks like there’s a spot near the roots here where you can climb under the trunk,” Seth said, gesturing toward the far side of the tree. “There’s no way we would fit inside there,” Nate said, squinting at the small hole. “But, someone
The Hunt Chapter 31: Caught at the Waterslides
It was past four in the afternoon by the time the girls made it to the waterslides. The trek was hard and they were surprised they hadn't seen the men behind them yet. Izzy crouched behind one of the rocks to rest as Kate and Susanna searched for the entrance to the slide that could be their escape if they needed it. After a half-hour search, they finally found it. "Kate, it's here!" Susanna called out softly, not yelling too loudly in case the Kreil were close by. "Let's move closer, Iz, so we can jump down if we need to," Kate said reasonably, holding Izzy's hand as they navigated the rocks to the small crack where they would be able to slide out of view if they needed. The hole was big enough for a Kreil to fall through and the rocks were so smooth, having been worn down by water over the centuries that once you fell through, there was no getting back out. You had to finish the ride, no matter who was behind you. This was concerning to Kate but she decided
The Hunt Chapter 32: The Canyon Bridge
Nate, Logan, and Seth did almost exactly what Kate had projected. As they slid down the natural waterslide and descended mile after mile their curses were swallowed up in frustration. The slide seemed never-ending. They had the girls in their grasp. They had their hands around them and had been taken off guard and pushed down a hole. A hole in the rocks that sent them on a slide far away from their prey. It took a while for them to slide to the end, but eventually, they were all deposited with a loud splash into a pond at the end of the rockslide. They were miles away from where they had started, and they were sure their mates were long gone. "FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" Logan exclaimed as he pulled himself up onto the ground next to the pond. The pond flowed into the river and the water slowly trickled out of the pond downstream. "What the hell was that?" Nate asked Logan, "Your mate literally kicked me into the hole." "They obviously knew it was
The Hunt Chapter 33: A Day of Rest
40:00:00 Seth cursed as he sped ahead. He was running as fast as he could. He wasn't following a scent; he knew exactly where he was going. Nate and Logan sped alongside him. Their adrenaline pulsed as they made quick time. They ran for hours, stopping for brief rests and water before pushing on. They knew where their mates were, and they knew there weren't many places to hide along the canyon.If they could only make it in time, they would find the girls and catch them. The thought pushed them on and they raced ahead. "They looked tired," Nate said as he leapt over a large rock. The canyon’s edge was rocky. "Exhausted," Logan agreed. "They're not going to keep going. They'll have to make camp until morning at least. My guess is they won't move much tomorrow. They won't want to risk creating a new trail that we pick up on tomorrow when we head back along the canyon," Seth said reasonably. "I wish they would just come with us back
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Izzy let out a high-pitch scream as she stumbled and almost fell. Kate grasped her arm and helped her up. “They’re behind us!” Izzy yelled out as she rushed to her feet and raced after Susanna. Susanna had looked behind her and her eyes went wide before she grasped Izzy’s arm and rushed ahead. Kate and Izzy ran behind Susanna as fast as they could. The last four days had taken their toll. Kate glanced at the sky. 00:12:43 “Just 13 more minutes, Iz, and we’ve won.” Kate gasped in Izzy’s direction. Izzy panted in fear, she could feel the Kreil gaining on the group. Her skin prickled in anticipation of being grabbed and she let out several whimpers as she rushed ahead. The prey may have put up a good fight but the hunters were close. “THERE IT IS!” Susanna gasped out, coming up on the trench and seeing the rope tied loosely around a post. A cliff dropped suddenly off the side of the trail down into the canyon. The river ran through the canyon a
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Izzy woke with a start and she yelled out frantically, “KATE!” She sat up quickly, her eyes wide with fright as she groped wildly for her sister. “I’m here, Iz. It’s ok.” Kate jumped up in alarm and gathered Izzy in her arms. Izzy’s nightmares had gotten worse over the Hunt, but in the field, Kate had slept with Izzy held tightly in her arms, helping to keep the dreams at bay. The Hunt had ended and Izzy had been bitten by her mate, the sedation of the bite left her lying alone in a bed with no one to comfort her in her sleep. Her fear and anxiety weighed her down as she slept, coming to a pinnacle in her dreams. It was enough to wake her from the bite of her mate which should have knocked her out for twelve hours, but had only really been effective for a few. Susanna sat up in alarm, looked at Kate and Izzy, and ran her hand down Izzy’s hair in comfort. “It’s ok, Iz. We are together, no one will hurt you,” They murmured softly to Izzy until her breathing had calmed
The Hunt Chapter 36: The End of Hunt Feast
The girls were ready in record time, which for them was impressive given how slow they were moving. They put in minimal effort, just enough to look presentable. The final feast wasn’t as fancy as the ball they attended before the Hunt, but it was worth dressing up for. Izzy looked at her blue dress in the mirror, remembering when she picked it out weeks before. She’d been anxious to get through the Hunt, wanting to meet her mate and start a new life by his side. But now, it was just a dress and this was just a dinner. She was just a girl going through the motions. Her hair cascaded down her back in curls. She clipped one side of her hair back to keep it out of her face. The top layer of curls covered the matted mess underneath. She’d managed to put in enough effort to look presentable and not embarrass her tribes, new and old. Her face was pale, her color long gone but she was still stunning. Izzy’s dress was dark blue satin, cap sleeves with a delicate scooped neck.
The Hunt Chapter 37: Amelia's Desperation
Amelia sat in the darkness of her room, her stomach churning. Cliff had escorted her to the feast and she had escaped as soon as she could. She pulled out the map that she had kept of the kingdoms. There were so many to choose from. Her eyes scanned the paths going from Elail, surely there was a path she could take that would keep her hidden from her mate. The last time they had traveled north, they had taken the western path but it was filled with travelers. That made it safer, but it also meant she was more likely to be caught. She needed to go on an eastern path, her eyes traveled up the map to the dragon kingdom, drawing a line along the trails available to her. The dragon kingdom, Daikon, was directly north of them. There was the fairy kingdom, Sephathilian, which was directly north of Daikon. The fairies were kind, and if she could make it past the dragons to the fairy kingdom, they would likely give her sanctuary. They would probably hand her over though if Cliff foun
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The Hunt Sequel "The Dragon's Treasure"
Hello and Happy Summer to Everyone!! The sequel to "The Hunt" is called "The Dragon's Treasure" and it is being posted one chapter at a time on the web app here on Good Novel! (The first chapter will post this afternoon - June 14, 2022) You won't be able to find the book on the mobile version for a few months yet (it has to go through approval and I don't want to make it pay to read quite yet as I work through the story development and editing phases). The web app version is FREE! It will remain free for the foreseeable future as a thank you for reading this far! You'll want to click on my name to find my other works in progress on the web app and if you click "follow" on the book title you will get notifications when new chapters come online! I'd love to see your comments for anyone following along with the sequel. I enjoy reading them all!! Let me know what you think as the sequel gets posted. Sending lots of love and thanks - M
The Hunt Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking a journey with me through a magical world where dreams and nightmares both really do come true. I hope you've enjoyed the story. It's not the end! There will be a sequel, I’m writing it now! We will take a trip through the other kingdoms and follow Amelia as she tries to solve the mystery of Izzy and Cliff while evading the Dragon King. Will she succeed? Will Cliff continue to haunt so many? Only time will tell... stay tuned and follow me for updates! You can find me on Tw*tter at @michell76640823 I have a few other books in progress, I hope you'll take the time to check those out, too. The Praelia Chronicles: Hope's Despair is set in a dystopian fantasy world. Magical creatures were wiped out in a great war hundreds of years ago. Society has been structured into the upper, middle, and lower classes to keep the citizens in order. Every year, those of the lower classes wait in desperate anticipation hoping to be chosen during the rea
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Izzy looked up into the kind eyes of her mate. How had she ever feared him? He was gazing at her lovingly as she moved back into their room. She turned to face him, aware that it was broad daylight and not caring one bit that the sun shone brightly around the room.She started to unbutton her dress and let it fall gracefully to her feet. Her chest rose and fell with each beat of her heart, her nerves getting the best of her. She stood in her shift and undergarments as she kept her eyes on Nate. He licked his lips, straining to stay in control. She smiled softly as she pulled the shift over her head and walked toward him. Her stomach twisted with nerves, but she kept her resolve. She was not helpless; she would not allow herself to be helpless again."I think it's time," she whispered to her mate. He looked down at her with confused eyes, unsure whether he should grab her and kiss her senselessly or put her clothes back on her. It hadn't been that long ago that sh
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Cliff found his release and sighed with the temporary relief he felt as he pulled out of the petite barmaid. She trembled as she rolled over onto the bed. The next shifter mounted her, ready to fulfill his darkest need before they had to leave. She froze on the bed and let him push his way into her. His groan filled the air and she pushed the pain away as she felt him fill her.“The shifters should be at the border by now, the Daikon will ride to meet them. They will have no reason to fight once they learn the truth of Izabelle but if all goes as planned, she will be left behind in Daikon. We will find her within the week,” Cliff said as he pulled his pants back on. He was not sated but it was enough to take the edge off and he would be able to ride to Daikon and find Izzy.“You think we will have her by week’s end?” Rikkard asked as he thrust into the barmaid, his hand wrapping around her neck as he held her firm against his brutal assaul
The Hunt Chapter 76: What Just Happened?
Izzy stared after the king, her gaze flickering to Amelia's room in concern."Do you think we should check on her?" Kate asked nervously.Izzy nodded firmly and took a step forward, knocking lightly on the door before opening it. She called out as she stuck her head around the large wooden slab, "Amelia? Are you alright?"Izzy heard a rustling in the room but didn't hear anything else. She could tell someone was moving around quickly in the room."Amelia?" Izzy called out as she walked into the room."Izzy?" Amelia looked up in surprise, her eyes wide as she glanced around at the other shifters that were walking toward her. She was moving about the room, putting things in her pack. It was obvious she intended to go somewhere. She had been muttering to herself as she worked and Izzy sat on the bed, watching Amelia walk around."What are you doing?" Kate asked. Izzy shot her a look."I'm pretty sure that's obvious," Izzy sai
The Hunt Chapter 75: The Memory of a Scent
The king walked through the soldiers. They were lined up to march south. The shifters were making better time than he could have predicted so they were marching out that night. He didn’t want the shifters to get so close to their women and children, they would fight to keep them back.Most of the warriors were men, but several women stood among the ranks. Daikon didn't care so long as you could fight. He came upon Matthias surveying the troops."How are we looking?" the king asked, glancing at Matthias, his brows drawn in question."Not as good as I would like, but we are prepared for battle," Matthias said as he nodded as if to reassure himself, they were sufficient."Make sure we have provisions, we leave as soon as we are ready," the king said as he walked off to talk with Theo.Matthias nodded in submission and walked away to check on the supplies they would bring with them on the march to the mountain pass.The king walked through
The Hunt Chapter 74: Tie Up Loose Ends
Firam was determined to have Emilie. He couldn’t march to war and potential death without letting her know that she was his. She would be his until his dying breath, no matter how long or short his life may be, no matter how desperate she was to leave him. She was his.He stormed up the stairs toward her room. They marched out at dawn and he had no idea what fate lay ahead of him with war looming. He knocked on her door and waited. His heart was racing, he didn’t want to mess this up but he needed her to know. He needed her to understand.The door opened slowly, a small crack. There was just enough room for him to see her wide, terrified eyes looking out at him.“Can I come in?” he asked gently, his heart was in his throat but he somehow managed to keep his voice calm. It was a miracle that she nodded and opened the door, retreating back to the bench in front of the fireplace.Firam opened the door wide and stepped inside, closing
The Hunt Chapter 73: Preparing for War
Amelia could feel the tension in the air. Something was going on, something that she wasn’t privy to. It was an odd feeling not to be in the inner circle, to know firsthand what was happening.The generals had rung the war bell an hour earlier and dragons had descended on the courtyard from all over the kingdom. Word had spread and warriors were accumulating in droves. There were easily a thousand men and women being organized into groups, waiting for orders.Amelia knew something big was happening. The murmurs and dark looks being sent their way made her shift uncomfortably on her seat. She could feel the fury from the dragons. She could feel the lack of welcome. She decided the only option to get information was to seek out those who could tell her. She saw a dark-haired woman walking toward Susanna and Logan. Amelia decided she would listen in on the conversation.“We need shifters to go with us to the border, to stop the war before it even starts
