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
Thank you so much for reading this far! The story's not over yet! Let me know what you think about it this far, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!
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 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.
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
Richard and Marcus sat in two armchairs by the fire. The lounge they had led the girls to was off to the side of the great hall and was empty. Most of the tribe members were still eating and celebrating in the great hall. There were chairs around the room, couches and a roaring fire in the fireplace. It was warm but welcome in the cool summer night air. There were two doors from the lounge leading out to the gardens beyond. The doors were open. Izzy and Kate sat in a couch across from their father and Uncle Marcus. Susanna walked toward the doors and closed them before she turned to sit next to Izzy. Izzy clutched Kate's hand in support and Susanna grabbed Izzy's other hand as she sat next to her on the couch, hoping to offer whatever help she could. They knew Izzy was planning to say something about the attack, and they wanted to make it as easy as possible. "Tell me about The Hunt," Richard said, his eyes twinkling. He leaned forward on his knees, clasping his hand
Nate stood for a full five minutes staring at the door that Izzy had walked through before he sat down and put his head in his hands. "You obviously didn't know," Richard said to Nate. Nate shook his head, still staring at the ground, his head cradled in his palms. Richard cleared his throat awkwardly, "Sorry to accuse you." Nate shook his head and said gruffly, " 'sok." Marcus stood behind Richard's chair, surveying the room. "They said it happened the night of The Feast of the Living?" Marcus asked. "That's what Izzy said when she said she was attacked," Richard nodded. "We left that evening," Marcus said softly. Richard nodded in agreement. "It must have been right after that," Richard said, his anguish apparent. "We were still out at that point, rounding up warriors to watch the castle while most of us were in The Hunt," Logan said. "None of the five of us were even here that night," Seth r
Cliff rolled back onto his side of the bed, away from Amelia. He let out a small sigh of relief. The release had relaxed him enough that he could think clearly once more. “I’m heading down to the lounge to have a drink with the council members, don’t wait up for me,” he said as he rose from the bed and put his clothes back on. He looked down at his mate, she had a streak of blood on her inner thigh. “Are you on your period?” he asked roughly, reaching down to touch the blood. Amelia recoiled and shook her head. “No, it’s just from the sex, it will go away in an hour,” she said as she scooted up on the bed away from him and his touch. She didn’t want to feel his hands on her body after the rough sex she had just suffered through. She was relieved he was going down to drink with his friends, she didn’t want to be around him any longer. She needed rest, away from his pawing hands. She stood from the bed and pulled her robe around her body, walking toward
Izzy woke with a scream again, calling out for Kate in her terror. Susanna and Kate awoke with a start and held her, whispering soothing words. Nate heard Izzy's yells and sat conflicted in the hall. He wanted to rush to his mate and hold her, but he knew she was too scared of him. It wouldn't work if he forced his presence on her, he would only be adding to the problem. So instead, he paced the hall in front of the door listening as Kate and Susanna talked to Izzy, giving her the comfort she needed to go back to sleep. Nate paced as he listened to Izzy drift back to sleep, listening closely to her breathing through the door, noting when she finally eased into a fitful slumber. Seth came down the hall to watch the door and saw Nate pacing. "Everything ok?" Seth asked one of his two oldest friends. "Izzy woke up screaming," Nate said, staring at the floor in contemplation as he paced back and forth. "Is she ok now?" Seth asked as he listened at
The girls finished their breakfast and Izzy excused herself to take a shower. The bath had soothed her muscles but she needed to wash her hair again. She was convinced she would never get the leaves and twigs completely out. She still had tangles where her braid had matted underneath the top layer of hair. It was a rat’s nest. Having no brush for her hair over the past week had created a mess that was tough to undo. She had styled the top outer layer for the feast last night to look presentable, but underneath the top layer was a nest of matted and knotted tangles. There were still small pieces of leaves and twigs hiding where she had been unable to see the prior day. To be fair, she really hadn’t cared what she looked like beneath the surface for the feast. When Izzy was finished with her shower she dressed quickly, not wanting anyone to see the fading yellow bruises that still marked her stomach. They were faint, but still visible. They were a yellowish-green hue
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
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
Amelia looked around the kitchens as she loaded her pack quickly. She knew she would need to make good time to reach the Fae Kingdom before the king was alerted to her absence, if he didn’t already know. She could have sworn he could read her mind when she saw him out the window just minutes before.She had left a letter in her room, she hoped it would be enough to keep the shifters from following her. She needed to escape. This was no life, living in the shadow of an abusive mate. She couldn't endure another overpowering; overwhelming mate and the king would prove to be just such a man.How could she live in the shadow of a man as powerful as the king? She couldn't, and she wouldn't. She would never be weak and helpless again. He gave up the right to a life with her when he left her at The Hunt seven years ago, his chance was gone.She hurried through the halls toward the front doors and jumped when she heard a loud trumpet blast. The army was off,
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
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
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 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
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
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