LOGINShare
Chapter 57: Desperation
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Cliff looked around the mountain range, he wouldn't be able to cross the shortcut, he would have to go around. If he followed the trail around the mountains, he could reach the dragon's castle in a week's time, but he didn't have a week to spare. He would have to postpone his conquest. Not capturing Izzy would mean she could potentially give him away and then everything he'd worked for would be destroyed. He couldn't let that happen either.
He needed another option.
"Gregory, I'm needed in the Fae Kingdom for Council business, I will have to leave you to track my mate and bring her back," Cliff said sternly to the leader of the raiders he had hired to bring Izzy to him.
"Understood, we will recover her and return her to you," Gregory agreed. "The Daikon are a fierce people and they hate Shifters, this wasn't part of our original agreement, we will require additional payment."
Cliff cursed, "I will get you the gold when you bring my mate to me."
Related chapters
The Hunt Chapter 58: When Fate Chose Wrong
Izzy looked around with trepidation, she knew from stories back home that the dragons didn't get along with shifters, but the hateful glares she was getting as she followed Marielle toward the front of the hall were astoundingly vicious. She smiled timidly at a few of the dragons before shifting her gaze to watch the head table. The King had not yet noticed she was in the hall, he was busy talking with Theo who sitting on his left-hand side. As the dragons in the hall stopped talking to glare at Izzy, she watched as the King looked around the hall searching for the cause of the silence and change in atmosphere. His gaze focused on Izzy and he gave her a welcoming smile. Theo glanced up, too, and seeing Izzy and Marielle he gave them a small smile and nod. He stood from his chair next to the King and went to meet Izzy and Marielle at the bottom of the steps of the dais. He offered Izzy his arm and gave her a soft smile. Izzy looked up at him nervously. She took his ar
The Hunt Chapter 59: An Enemy Already
Nate had been throughout the day. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, as if the world was at odds. He couldn’t explain it. The feeling lingered all day. He was desperate to get to Daikon. The longer the journey took, the more anxious he felt. “What do you think Izzy is doing in Daikon?” Kate asked Susanna as they rode behind Nate and Logan. Seth rode at the rear of their party with Kevin. “She’s probably hiding from everyone,” Susanna said. “Is the dragon’s event over by now?” Kate asked, turning to glance behind her at Seth. “I think theirs lasts the full month,” Seth answered. “A full month?” Susanna asked. “Yes, it’s not a simple hunt. The dragon alpha has to find the thing most important to his mate and bring it to her where she hides. If he gets it wrong, he has to correct his mistake. That’s why it’s called the Dragon’s Treasure. If you don’t know what your mate values more than anything else, you will never win her hand
The Hunt Chapter 60: Bonded Together
Izzy sat on the bench, her head swirling with the information she had received about her mate. Nate was supposed to be her perfect mate. He was supposed to love her, no other. Why would he make promises to another when he had sworn to stay by her side? “Izzy?” a soft voice called out to her. She ignored the woman calling. “Izzy?” the voice called out more insistently. Izzy looked up and saw the kind eyes of Violetta staring back at her. “What is it?” Izzy whispered, barely able to focus on the words to say. “Marchessa is jealous of you. I don’t know if what she said is true or not, but the only way to find the truth is to talk to your mate. You can’t let this bother you until you hear the truth from his lips. She has loved Nate since the moment he walked into Daikon. She would do anything to make him hers,” Violetta said softly, running a hand down Izzy’s hair comfortingly. “There is truth to her words,” Izzy said. “They’ve slept toget
The Hunt Chapter 61: Make Haste!
Izzy woke with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach. She looked around her room and noticed Marielle was lying on the chaise sleeping. She had brought it close to Izzy’s bed to be close in case Izzy needed her throughout the night. A fire was roaring in the fireplace. Despite the warm summer air, it was still chilly at night, and she had been feeling sick the last few days. Several days had passed since the banquet where Firam had claimed Izzy. She had stayed in her room since speaking with Firam in the garden. She spent most of her time laying in bed, willing her stomach to calm. The stress of the situation was overwhelming her. She needed rest. She needed her sister. She needed her mate. Scratch that, she thought bitterly. She needed a mate that would love her, no matter what. She thought again about Nate, wondering where he was and when he would make it here. She knew he was on his way, Firam had indicated as much when she spoke to him last. He seemed to know
The Hunt Chapter 62: Bram
Amelia thought she heard horses behind her, so she veered off the path into the forest, hiding behind the trees. She tethered her horse and slipped from its back, creeping back toward the path slowly. She stopped walking a few feet from the path and crouched behind a bush listening for the horses she thought she had heard. She waited. She heard the soft neighing but there weren't any hoof beats on the ground. She squinted behind her on the path, but she couldn't make out anyone coming up from behind. The neighing was getting louder. She would see them soon.She held her breath and waited. She kept watching the trail when suddenly a loud whooshing sound was heard overhead. She looked up just in time to see impleva pass overhead. There were four of them. She squinted in disbelief. She'd never seen one up close in person. That meant dragons were near, maybe even close enough that she could claim sanctuary with them and ride back to Daikon. She raced back to her horse and j
The Hunt Chapter 63: Lethlian
Nate was determined to find Emilie. He could not let Izzy be taken away from him again. He was supposed to protect her, but he was finding she was a hard one to keep safe. Circumstances had prevented him from being near her before The Hunt, but now that he thought on it, he realized Cliff had purposefully kept him away from her. By keeping Nate occupied worrying about raiders, he was keeping Izzy isolated so he could pounce. But Nate was her mate, not Cliff and certainly not Firam. He would hand Cliff his fate when he saw him next but, in the meantime, he would not let Firam have her, though he strongly suspected Firam didn't intend to keep her. Firam must know that Izzy belonged to Nate, he was using her to force Nate's hand. He had somehow found out his mate wasn't dead. How would he know? Nate considered Marchessa and his blood began to boil once more. He would deal with the wretched dragon as soon as he saw her, there was no love lost between them. The party land
The Hunt Chapter 64: Daikon
It had taken a small amount of convincing, but Emilie was tucked between Nate and Kevin, much to their relief, on an impleva heading toward Daikon. Nate was grateful he could feel Emilie behind him as he flew toward the dragon kingdom. She was his ticket. He had several battles to fight to get Izzy back, but placating Firam was the first and foremost important one. Nate's impleva led the way, Seth and Logan followed with their mates, and Theo came in the rear with Arielle safely stowed on the impleva in front of him. He could not believe he had found her at long last. She had escaped him years ago, but it only took one fateful day and she had waltzed back in his life as if nothing had changed.She was here with him, and she was going back to Daikon with him. He had a long wait to claim her, but if he could convince her to stay in Daikon, he had no doubt he would succeed next June. He would find the thing she treasured most, and he would win her heart. He
The Hunt Chapter 65: Back with Izzy
While Izzy was sleeping, Nate and the rest of his party touched down at the castle. The dark stones stood imposingly in the distance. He looked up at the castle, it had been many years since he had last been here, but the castle was as unwelcoming as ever. He could feel the stares of the dragons as the party of shifters dismounted and walked toward the gates. "Izzy is here?" Kate asked anxiously. She took her gaze off the dark stones and looked at Theo. Her face showed her uncertainty and her voice betrayed her fear. Seth stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her close to him. She leaned back against him in relief. "Can you take us to her?" Susanna added as she gestured inside, clutching Kate’s hand tightly. Logan, too, felt his mate’s anxiety as he stood close to Susanna, grasping her free hand in his own possessively. "Yes, you will see her, we will go to the king first. He will want to hear the news first," Theo gestured toward Emi
Latest chapter
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
The Hunt Chapter 79: A Long Road Ahead
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,
The Hunt Chapter 78: Home at Last
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
The Hunt Chapter 77: A New Course
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
