Hunted: A Haven Realm Novel Read online

  “Will you disobey me ever again?” The priestess’ high-pitched words pierced my ears.

  I stood cemented. I had to leave without making a sound. For all I knew, this was some kinky sex act. Gross.

  “Get back to work. Anyone else have an issue with touching wolfsbane?” she called out.

  I stiffened at her last word. Why were they handling the plant? I mean, sure, I had for a legit reason, but the priestess didn’t endorse magic or herbal healing. Was she collecting the stuff to create poison? Did I misunderstand something? Right, like her whipping a worker with a branch.

  Unable to stop myself, I peeked out once again at the priestess. I had to see what the others were doing, as it could explain why Mr. No Pants had gotten attacked by wolves. I mean, I lived away from town, and if danger was near, I had to defend myself.

  Darting from one trunk to another, I happened upon her again, watching over the ten people dressed in black. Each wore gloves and mouth masks. They carried full-grown wolfsbane plants across the current shrub border and headed into the wolves’ domain. They entered the dark woods everyone was forbidden to visit. I gasped, at once pressing a hand over my mouth for making such a loud sound, and snapped back behind the tree.

  What were they doing?

  The crunch of a twigs came from behind.

  I spun back around. A guardian had approached from farther away, and he’d spotted me.

  Sweet mother of pearl.

  The beefy man with no hair wore the gray uniform jacket with double lines of golden buttons. He shook a finger at me, as if I were two years old and being scolded by my grandma, and hurried closer.

  Dread locked my stomach tight, and I wasn’t sure I could move if I wanted to. I’d heard tales of the priestess locking up people she suspected spied on her. She was a private person and suspected everyone of doing something wrong.

  The warrior’s lip curled upward with a snarl, revealing yellowing teeth, and his brow creased as if I’d just ruined his day by forcing him to do his job.

  He reached for a long knife on his belt because that was how guardians dealt with anyone. Slash first, then ask questions. They obeyed the priestess’ law and enforced anything according to her orders.

  Heavens help me.

  I rocked on my heels and swirled around the tree, running to where the priestess and her slaves worked. Sure, Scarlet, go straight toward the person in charge. Adrenaline fuelled my actions, so logic wasn’t part of the plan.

  I leaped over a log and skidded across the dried leaves, arms flailing outward for balance. Landing on my backside had me wincing, not because I was helpless, but due to the pure shock of the experience. Fear shackled my heart into a boulder, and I staggered up. I’d end up in a cell with no windows and rats gnawing on my toes. I lunged into a sprint, but in front of me another guardian approached and the same problem faced me from my left. Escape lay on my right. Exactly where the priestess stood.

  She turned toward the commotion—me.

  I whirled on the spot, terror gripping me, and Grandma’s voice sang in my head. Something about facing problems when trouble hit. How running away was not the answer. But admitting defeat was the worst decision.

  My thoughts swung back and forth between giving in and explaining it was a mistake to escaping before I got thrown into prison. The priestess would suspect I’d witnessed her entering wolf territory, which was forbidden, even for royalty like her. Hell, she’d once punished a man who’d stumbled across her in the woods during her morning stroll. The victim had mysteriously vanished a few days later. Yep, everyone knew that if you kept your distance from her, you’d be safe. But now, I swore I’d witnessed something I shouldn’t have.

  “Get her,” she barked.

  Foliage crunched underfoot nearby, and a current of wind swept past, tossing foliage into the air. A large flock of birds chirped overhead, fluttering out of the trees in fright.

  Sorry, Grandma. I darted in the priestess’ direction, angling around her.

  Her mouth hung open, eyes widening with shock.

  Our gazes met, her nose wrinkling, and an involuntary growl rolled through my chest. Where had that come from?

  Clearly, just the sight of her mouthing my name, Scarlet, had me acting all primal on her. She had visited my store before, searching for a relaxing tea concoction as she’d called it. Her voice had been like a viper’s strike when she’d stormed inside, and I’d sworn she had been about to order my arrest. But weeks later, I’d learned she loved my tea. Now, I doubted she’d be so understanding. Not when I’d spied on whatever she was doing.

  “Stop her!” the priestess roared.

  I careened around her, out of her reach. A torrent of air sliced past as she swung her branch to whack me.

  None of her workers moved. But a strong scent of perspiration like I’d never smelled before smothered my senses, along with something metallic-scented. A worker bent over a shrub and the gashes crisscrossing his back stood out, blood seeping from the cuts. Crap!

  My adrenaline soared as I charged toward the section where the wolfsbane grew, unsure where I was going, and why I’d decided this was a good decision. I thundered through the bushes, stomping them, and sprinted into the forest to where I’d seen others carrying the plants.

  Inside the Den’s woods, an eerie silence engulfed me, and chilliness bit into my flesh.

  “Get her now!” the priestess yelled. “I want her caught.”

  Everything about today rolled through me. Basically, I kept making mistake after mistake.

  Guards bulleted straight after me. I darted past more workers, who stared at me with frightened expressions.

  I ran. Ducking under branches. Leaping over evergreens. Weaving left and right to shake my pursuers. I never should have gone for wolfsbane. Or stuck my nose in. Or hung around after seeing the priestess whipping a person. Now, I’d be lucky to survive the day.

  Around me, trunks blended into the grayish backdrop. Where was I? But I had to escape and work out a solution to my problems later.

  Two guards still chased me, their heavy breaths labored, so I hooked a sharp left where the land sloped downward, speeding my pace. No stopping. No slowing down.

  On my next step, I hit a dip and the toe of my boot snagged onto a dead branch. My world shuttered as the ground came rushing toward my face. I slammed down, the air thrust out of my lungs. I rolled down the side of the hill, screaming. Leaves and twigs poked my back; rocks stabbed my sides.

  Next thing I knew, I was airborne and for those few seconds, I gawked at the sharp cliff I’d just flown off.

  “Oh, shit!” I pin-wheeled my arms, falling fast.

  My screams faded in the rush of air crashing against me, ripping at my clothes, my hair.

  I hit the water.

  Iciness sank its fangs into me, freezing me at the core. Air bubbles rushed over my face. Tightness clamped around my lungs, squeezing them from the lack of oxygen. I thrashed my legs, not ready to die.

  When my head broke the surface, I panted for air, waves splashing me in the face as the current carried me downstream.

  The river sprayed in my face, and I dog-paddled, swallowing a mouthful. A sudden electric charge buzzed through me. I convulsed, my head bobbing beneath the current.

  Time vanished fast, and panic hammered against my ribs. No one would ever find me and everyone would assume I’d gotten eaten by wild animals. But when the pinpricking sensation returned to my legs, I thrust them through the water, rising toward the sun-specked surface and gulping at the air.

  Trees crowded the edges of the rapids on both sides, but my thoughts numbed as I battled the waters. A boulder rose out of the waves. I reached out and latched on to it, my fingers digging into stone, my legs wrapped around it.

  Each inhale shivered on the way to my lungs, and the coldness lapped against me. I stared back to the cliff I’d fallen from, so high, I could have died. But there was no sign of the guardians. Guess there was one bright outcome. Yeah, right.
I was lost in the Den.

  Yep, great way to get yourself killed, Scarlet. Even if the priestess didn’t imprison me for life, now the wolves will tear me apart. A paralyzing hurt spread through me, and every part of me twitched with the urgency to run, to do something.

  Any other place and I’d love the location, the sun basking on my head, the lush greenness, the snow-peaked mountains in the distance. Except I was in a tailspin of trouble.

  The priestess would now visit my store and wait for me or worse yet, arrest Santos. I’d landed somewhere in the forbidden territory—the Den—with wolves that apparently warred. Oh, and I was soaking wet and had to get to dry land.

  “Wonderful work, Scarlet. What’s next on the to-do list? Killing someone?” I shuddered at the thought. What was wrong with me?

  “Okay, first get out, dry off and get my bearings.”

  By some miracle, my bag had remained on my shoulders.

  I stilled, listening. The hiss of a waterfall told me what I needed to know. Death awaited if I didn’t get out of the river. Nearby, I saw another boulder and yet another ahead, closer to shore. So I inched to the side of mine and kicked off, letting the rippling currents drag me to the next one. By the time I reached the third rock, exhaustion claimed me.

  The stream passed me, and the cold cramped my calves. But salvation wasn’t far. My head pounded; every ounce of my body screamed for a timeout. I swam across the river, water sloshing everywhere. Inches away. Almost there.

  Pushing farther, I strained my muscles and fought the steady flow dragging me toward the waterfall threatening to swallow me whole.

  With every bit of my remaining strength, I took long strokes, fighting the deluge.

  When I clasped the lip of the shore, a new sense of vigor struck, but a torrent of water snaked around me, ripping me away from salvation. I yelped and swam harder than ever before. Always go against the current, I’d once been told, so I pushed myself.

  The moment I reached the bank, my feet finally found purchase on the ground. “Freakin’ hell.”

  I crawled out, trembling, and slumped onto the grassy field encased by lofty pines.

  Every inch of me screamed with pain. Above, the sun eased my chills. And when I closed my eyes, I let myself believe I was safe, that I’d find a way home, that my world didn’t balance on a knife’s edge.

  The last time I’d felt this lost and alone was when my grandma had died. When my future had seemed bleak. I pictured her smile, the way she’d always pinch my cheeks, then try to feed me six meals a day because I was too skinny. My throat thickened. There was so much I’d wanted to share with her, like how well the store performed, or how my new technique on drying herbs made the whole process faster. Whenever I’d had a problem, she had been my go-to person. My rock. Now… I wiped the tears running down the side of my face.

  A deep guttural snarl carried on the wind. Sweet bunnies. I didn’t want to glance up and find a wolf.

  I couldn’t remember how to breathe, speak, or move as terror ricocheted inside my skull. Bile rose in my throat. And just like that, my situation got a million times worse.

  Chapter 3

  The growl came again, louder, and right behind me. I remained on the grass near the raging river, trembling. No mistake—the sound belonged to a wolf.

  If I jumped back into the water and fell down the waterfall, it might be easier than being mauled.

  Ice hardened in my chest. Breathing was close to impossible. I climbed to my feet slowly, all the while tracing the ground with my fingers until I touched a rock. With it clasped in my fist, I rose and twisted around.

  The shaking wouldn’t stop as I stared into the eyes of a wolf at least thirty feet away with steel-colored fur. The animal reached my waist and had seen better days. His coat was thin and hung loose on his frame. Just my luck, he saw me as an easy meal, and hunger would make him unstoppable.

  One stone was useless against him.

  “I’m not food. I barely have any muscle on my bones.” I sidestepped, figuring I could make a run for the woods and climb a tree. What other choices did I have?

  When the wolf crept closer, he growled once again, his ears flattened against his large head.

  I shuffled sideways, angling away and stealing glances toward the forest. A small tree with low-hanging branches was doable because I wasn’t becoming anyone’s lunch now or ever.

  But from within the folds of the woodland, three silhouettes emerged, and I shuddered. Wolves trotted out in perfect unison as if they were warriors. One was black with cream paws, another gray sporting whitish stripes across the chest, and the third was pure white like fresh snow. They were half a foot taller than the creature between us. Shifters?

  Perspiration rolled down my spine, and the thump of my heart vibrated in my ears. I squeezed the stone in my hand, fingers digging into the hard surface. How was I supposed to defeat all four of them?

  Panic churned my stomach into cramps. Before I could make sense of what to do next, I turned and bolted. All the rational reasons fell out of my head.

  A strangled cry poured from my mouth.

  Heavy breaths were right behind me, paw pads hitting the soil.

  I ran faster than I thought possible along the river’s edge. The cool air slapped my skin, pulling at my hair, choking me.

  Bursting into the forest, I pounded the ground, foliage snapping and crackling.

  Death. Not for me. Please, not for me.

  A cacophony of snarls and grunts detonated behind me. I glanced back to see the three wolves in a brawl. Were they deciding which one got to devour me? But the white one thundered close to me, leaping over foliage.

  I sprinted faster, ducking under branches and crushing bushes. Twigs scratched my face and arms. Everything hurt.

  Something moved in my peripheral vision. I looked over, and my gut plummeted.

  The white wolf lunged in huge strides alongside me, a few paces away. His head twisted in my direction, teeth exposed.

  I threw my rock at him but struck a trunk instead. Damn.

  Pushing my legs, I raced straight ahead and grabbed a low branch, then swung my legs up.

  But something snatched my pants, ripping me back down, and my grip slipped. I screamed, grasping for the branch.

  Instead, I crashed to the forest floor, landing on my butt and scrambling backward.

  My life whirled through my mind. How little I’d done with the store, how I’d stayed in the woods as my safe zone, never leaving Terra. Bee had traveled to other lands. I followed the rules. Now I’d get eaten and no one would even know.

  The white wolf stood his ground, while two of his friends gaited down the hill toward us. What happened to the first wolf? They’d defeated him to win the prize… me? The gray one tilted his head to the side, studying me, and trotted forward. Was he the alpha?

  My feet itched, and I fought the impulse to jump up and sprint away, but how far would I get?

  I shifted to move past the tree at my back, but my backpack snagged on a root. And that reminded me of my citrus spray. I shook the bag off my shoulders and slid a hand inside. All three wolves watched me. Were they thinking I had a snack? The apple in the bag wouldn’t sate these beasts. I wrapped my fingers around the small bottle with a cork top and took it out.

  The gray wolf snarled, snapping its jaws inches from me.

  I yelped and flinched sideways. “Okay, look. If you plan on eating me, then do it already, but clearly, you haven’t yet…” I gulped and met his gaze when something shifted behind his eyes. He shook his head and released a low grumble as if trying to communicate. That prompted my next words. “Are you all shifters? And if that’s the case, well, you are being super rude by not welcoming me to your land.” My rambling came from the panic slithering up my back, and I tucked my bent knees up against my stomach.

  Silence swept between us, well, aside from the rustling leaves and gurgling river. What were the wolves waiting for? Were they trying to give me a hypnotic stare? B
ecause it wasn’t working.

  A deep rumble came from the black wolf. Was it telling the others to attack?

  When all of them followed suit and let out deep growls, I tensed and gasped for air.

  Be brave, my little girl—Grandma’s favorite saying. So I readied to fight to the end and balled my hands into fists.

  Gray Wolf twitched and charged.

  Lightning fast, I scrambled backward and flung out my hand holding the bottle. But a wolfsbane root had wrapped itself around the broken cork top. Fumbling, I dropped my bag and the cork popped off, and the entire contents splashed outward, striking the gray wolf in the face. I threw the bottle at him.

  He groaned with obvious pain and recoiled, shaking his head.

  Mist danced in the air from my spray, and the black wolf sneezed, while the white one stumbled about.

  On my feet, I spun and ran.

  Heaviness slammed onto my back. My scream tore through my body like blades. I bucked and squirmed for purchase out from under his weight.

  I shook, expecting fangs to dig into the back of my neck. I cried out, fingers grasping for anything.

  But instead of biting me, the white wolf leaped off and seized my ankle. A primeval instinct took over, and I kicked his face. His lips peeled back with a threat.

  I gritted my teeth, my breaths fast and loud.

  “Help!” I ripped at plants, scratching my fingernails into the soil.

  He hauled me like a trophy prize. When another wolf snatched my other leg, I writhed and bellowed. The gray wolf trotted alongside me, still shaking his head, and his eyes had turned red… must have been from my potion.

  “Please,” I pleaded. “I’ll give you anything you want; just let me go.” I seized a fist-sized rock when the big alpha snapped in my face, his bloody breath washing across me. Bloodshot eyes glared at me, and he kept squinting tight and shaking his head. But before I could toss the rock away, the wolf head-butted me. My vision blurred, fading to blackness, and the last thing I heard was a threatening growl.

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