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
Kate sat in the chair by the fire, reading her book. Her feet were curled up under her skirt and she was leaning against the cushion, one hand playing with her hair while the other held the book open. Izzy was lying on the bed, sleeping. She was at peace for the moment and Izzy was grateful she was able to sleep. The door opened softly and Susanna walked in with Logan and Seth. Nate was still out gathering supplies. Kate looked up expectantly and put her finger to her lips before gesturing toward Izzy. Susanna, Logan and Seth all nodded before they moved quietly to the chairs by the fire, away from Izzy. No one wanted to be responsible for waking her from a peaceful sleep. “What did you find?” Kate asked in a soft whisper when she saw the bag that Susanna carried. It was filled to the brim and Susanna was smiling softly. “I bought Izzy a dress,” Susanna said with a wry grin, her voice lowered to match Kate’s. “And you and I one as well.” “You