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
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
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
Nate stood watch outside Izzy’s door despite the guards in the hallway. He didn’t want anyone else sneaking past him into Izzy’s room. He could smell her heat and it was nearly unbearable. He wanted to rush in, to scoop her in his arms and hold her tight but he had to respect the request of the king.The dragon’s pox was a vicious virus. It was nearly impossible for a shifter to catch without direct contact with an infected person. The fact that Izzy would have had to contact an infected dragon made him wonder how she had managed to catch the virus while he was away.“I thought I’d find you up here,” Marchessa’s voice ran down the hall. Her sultry tones were teasing as she walked down the hall toward Nate. Her swaying hips and tight dress were sending signals that Nate didn’t want to deal with.“You thought you’d find me in front of my mate’s door while she is ill? Good guess,” Nate sa
Amelia woke with a start and noticed the sky was just breaking dawn. She quickly dressed and grabbed her pack to meet Bram. She had no plans of being left behind, not when she was this close to freedom. Daikon was the only place she could truly be free. It was her portal, from there she could go anywhere. If the dragons didn’t accept her, she could find refuge with another kingdom to the north.Her stomach twisted, sending nervous butterflies through her as she quietly crept out of the room toward the bar below. She could barely make out voices beyond the stairs. She crept silently down the hall. She didn't want to disturb the men talking, but she needed to escape toward the barn. She didn't want to miss her ride out of this town."She's scared, but she wants to go to Daikon. That makes it easier. I'll take her there today," Amelia heard Bram say softly."Cliff was last seen a day's ride from here. We are tracking him. We should catch up to him
The king of Daikon was a powerful man, one of the most formidable men that had ruled Daikon in centuries. He had a presence that intimidated even his closest friends when he was in a temper. The footsteps pounded down the hall, coming closer and closer to his room. He could feel a change in the air. He didn’t know where it came from or what caused it, but the change was important. The air pulsed with the secrets that waited to be told. He considered the change, tucking away the feeling to analyze later. “What is it?” Neil asked, turning expectantly toward Theo as the door opened to reveal the dragon rushing into his office. “Cliff is on our border. He’s been sighted. Bram thinks he intends to come into our territory. He is looking for his mate,” Theo said with urgency in his voice. “He’s lost her already?” Neil said with a smirk. The news made him happy. At least Cliff didn’t have her in his hands any longer. He frowned at the news once the initial hu
Izzy was walking through a forest of fire. The heat was overwhelming. The flames licked at her limbs, her arms and legs were burning, and her hair was set aflame. She screamed as she fought the flames away, pushing them back with her bare hands. She couldn't do anything other than watch as her body burned. She was slowly disintegrating under the heat of the flames, and she was helpless against its fury. She knew she was dying, she knew she was doomed to the burning inferno even as she fought for relief. She couldn’t see help but still she couldn’t give up on the promise of an escape so she fought on, thrashing and yelling out for help.It seemed like hours passed when finally, she heard a calm voice trying to soothe her. She knew that voice. She couldn’t tell you who was talking to her or what they were saying but the voice was familiar, as if she was meant to hear it for the rest of her days. She tried desperately to listen, but the flames licked at her ear
Izzy opened her eyes slowly, letting herself adjust to the bright sun shining through the open blinds. It was mid-morning and she had finally slept through the night without a night terror. She felt a hand grasping her own and she looked to her left, seeing her mate in a chair by her bed.Nate was stretched out as far as he could in the chair, his feet propped on the bed, his head resting on the back of the seat cushion. He must have heard her wake up because he lifted his head and opened his eyes, assessing the room in alarm. Seeing no problem, his face relaxed and settled on Izzy's."That can't be comfortable," Izzy said softly as she gestured toward his chair with her free hand."It's the best sleep I've gotten in weeks," Nate replied honestly as he stretched his neck and back gently while sitting up. His eyes had dark circles underneath; his cheeks were gaunt from lack of sleep. He looked worse than Izzy and that was saying something.Izzy smiled at h
Amelia had spent the last couple of days locked in a room in the dungeon, waiting for Bram to return and release her from her captivity. She looked around; her brows furrowed as she heard a guard descending the stairs toward her cell."Are you here to let me free?" Amelia called out, the same words she used to greet each guard when they brought her food."Not yet, lassie," the voice replied as he set a tray on the ground and slid it through the opening under the door."Aren't you going to open the door? What if I've tunneled a hole in the bottom of the cell right out the side of the castle? You'd never know," she said in a singsong voice as she teased the guard. She smiled at the man through the barred window in the door. He was a kind man, and it wasn't his fault that the laws kept her in the dungeon.He chuckled softly, "If yer able to tunnel out of flint with yer bare hands, I say, freedom should be yers."Amelia laughed as she grabbed the
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