Hunted: A Haven Realm Novel Read online

  I yelled as the animal straddled over me, my arms across my face, expecting my throat to be torn out.

  “Oryn, back off.” Nero’s voice boomed.

  He pressed a foot against the wolf’s rump. “Now!” he howled.

  Nothing made me want to meet Oryn if this was the welcoming he offered. He was the type of wolf that those terrifying shifter horror stories were based on.

  With a final snarl, Oryn leaped off me and paced around the bed, grumbling to himself.

  Was he angry because I was in his home? I’d gladly leave if that was the case.

  Nero grabbed my forearm and wrenched me to my feet so fast, I bumped into his side. “It’s all right, little lamb. Don’t pay Oryn any mind. He’s just in a pissy mood.”

  I met the wolf’s gaze from across the bed. He didn’t move, but he watched me. He’d eat me if he got the chance. I felt it in my bones.

  Dread sat in my chest, eroding the last threads of confidence I held on to. I sidled up against Nero, his warmth driving away the terror clenching to my ribs.

  Oryn huffed and darted from the room, his nails scratching the floorboards.

  “What’s wrong with him?” I asked.

  “Oryn is a great hunter with the kindest soul, but he doesn’t let many get close to him.”

  Relatable. “When my grandma passed, I didn’t talk to anyone for two weeks and wanted to hide from the world. Did he lose someone close to him?”

  Nero shook his head. “Now about our little issue.”

  Okay, a sensitive topic of conversation. I glanced down at the man in bed, who resembled a statue of a god with honey-colored hair that reached his shoulders. Flawless skin, even if pale and sweaty, a broad jawline and a strong nose that looked as if it had been broken before. A scar lined his temple and hairline. Healed claw marks ran down his neck and across his chest. What had happened in his life to gain such wounds? I moved to the other side of the bed to better study the shifter I assumed was Dagen. I reached over and ran a finger across a bumpy scar lining his collarbone. “Who did this to him?”

  “Bears, humans, wolves,” Nero said, folding his arms across his chest, and yet my attention fell to his amazing package, bringing the heat back to my face.

  “Here, put this back on.” I handed him the red cloak tucked into the back of my pants. “You’ve torn it already.”

  “Can’t help yourself, can you? Anyway, the fabric was ripped when we took it off you.” He smirked and accepted the cloak, then wrapped it around himself. His hardness hadn’t fully gone down and the curved form pressed through the material. Heavens, I ought to have been used to this since nude guys always turned up on my doorstep, and Bee talked about guys all the time, but Nero affected me like no other.

  “Something like that.” I returned my attention to the hunter on the mattress. My heart ached at seeing someone covered in this many scars. How many battles had he fought? “Why did everyone attack him?”

  “Dagen’s an alpha. He must defend his territory from invaders, other wolves who don’t follow his command or who challenge his position. Otherwise, he’ll die.”

  “Shit.” The tales of aggressive hunters were real. I pitied him. “And you’re Dagen’s beta?”

  Nero squared his shoulders and puffed out his cheeks. “Little lamb, Oryn, Dagen, and I are all alphas. Our land was split into three territories centuries ago, and we each rule a jurisdiction as our predecessors had.”

  I scratched my head. “Then why are you all three together?” Mr. No Pants had said the wolves were at war. Was it because there were three bosses? “I spoke to a man who traveled through your land this morning. He lost his pants to a wolf attack, which I guess is inconsequential, but he said there was a war brewing between wolves. Is that true?”

  Nero sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Oh, I remember the bastard, and he was lucky I only ripped off his pants, not his legs. He crossed our land from Darkwoods to reach Terra without approval to enter our territory. But yes, we are having wolf issues at the moment, but that’s our problem to solve.” He paused. “Your concern is helping us cure Dagen.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” I placed a hand on his brow. He was burning up.

  “I was hoping you could tell us. Whatever you sprayed on him has affected him. We need your help to make him wake up.”

  The reason I had created my potions was to deter animals, never to harm them. “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I thought you were going to kill me, but the spray is only a deterrent.” Heavens, what had I done? I didn’t even know these hunters, but when I looked into Nero’s eyes, a softness filled them, reassuring me. “I’m sorry.”

  Now I understood Oryn’s reaction and why he’d attacked me. He blamed me for Dagen’s state. But in all fairness, they’d terrified me in the woods. Then I remembered the wolfsbane that had spilled into my bag and caught on the citrus spritzer. Had that tainted the potion? Oh, mother of pearl!

  I had inadvertently injured Dagen. Yet every time I looked at Nero, I pictured his lips all over my body. And him staring at me like a starved sex-god wasn’t helping. A distraction was in order. This was enemy land, and I was in danger.

  “So if I help your friend, you’ll let me go, right?” If Dagen died, what would stop them from exacting revenge on me?

  Nero headed out of the room. “Holler if you need me.” His voice grew dark and distant.

  “Can you bring me a bucket of boiling water and bandages, please?” I called out, not ready to deal with emotions I didn’t understand.

  I should have planned my escape to get out of wolf territory, but then why did it feel as if a blade twisted in my gut at the thought of leaving?

  Chapter 5

  “Well, looks like it’s just you and me,” I said to Dagen, who remained unconscious on the bed after the others had left. “I help you and hopefully that buys me my freedom, right? Only fair. I mean, I did put you in that bed accidentally when you attacked me. But Nero said you were saving me from the wolf, and for that I owe you.” Huffing, I dropped my bag on the mattress and rummaged through the contents, remembering I had tossed the bottle at Dagen in the woods. “Nothing in the potion should have harmed you.”

  I never used toxic ingredients. But wolfsbane root had tangled with the bottle, so that meant it must have somehow tainted the potion and I might have inadvertently poisoned him. Wolfsbane was toxic to wolves. If ingested, it killed them quick. Back in ancient times before Haven was split into seven territories, all races lived together, and they fought endlessly. The stories explained that human guardians would tip arrows with wolfsbane to hunt animals and keep savage wolves at bay.

  So the urgency to fix Dagen sat on my chest. I had no idea what had made him sick, and what if the wolfsbane was slowly killing him? If he hadn’t died yet, there was hope he hadn’t swallowed any of the spritz. Oryn was ready to rip my head off already, so what would he do if his friend passed because of my mistake? A shiver gripped me because I didn’t want to find out.

  Okay, I have to fix this and fast.

  Nero returned carrying a bucket of steaming water, which he placed near the end of the bed, along with several strips of fabric for bandages.

  “I’m thinking he has wolfsbane poisoning,” I explained. “So I need—”

  “Wait!” Nero’s deep voice sliced through mine. “Why would he be poisoned when that plant doesn’t grow in the Den?”

  I swallowed past the thickness in my throat, hating how I cringed on the inside, loathing how Nero stared at me as if I were a monster. My words raced. “There’s wolfsbane in my bag. I collected it for a friend back in Terra. But the roots got caught on my protection spray. Traces of it must have hit Dagen’s face when I splashed him. I’m so sorry. But he’s not dead, so it’s not too late.”

  Nero said nothing but clenched and unclenched his hands, his attention on Dagen, and my chest constricted.

  “Look, I’ll do everything to help him. I’m an herbalist healer. But I require a few more thing
s. Vinegar, salt, and more fabric.”

  Nero wasn’t responding, so I closed the distance and touched his arm, and that buzz zapped through me. He looked down at his hand, then raised his chin and sniffed the air.

  “I can smell your scent and a damp, mossy odor from your bag, but I didn’t pick up the wolfsbane earlier.” The harsh tone behind his words had me backing away.

  I nodded. “It’s loose in my bag and probably wet from the river.”

  His face paled. “Hand over everything.”

  “But I’ve got my other herbs in there too.” I picked up the bag from where I’d dropped it, squaring my shoulders.

  Nero snatched the handle from my hands and stormed out of the room. A swirl of darkness consumed my thoughts. What was he going to do? Burn my belongings? But worrying about what I couldn’t control wouldn’t keep me alive. So I dragged the bucket to the side of the bed and drenched a piece of fabric in the steaming hot water, the scorching heat pinching my skin.

  I had to heal Dagen and prove to Nero I wasn’t a threat, then he’d have to release me, though part of me still craved Nero. I curled the blanket down to Dagen’s ankles and found him naked. Of course. Even unconscious, he was huge. What was up with shifters? All I could say was that she-wolves were a lucky set of ladies.

  Picking up a wet bandage, I squeezed out the water, my hands burning, but it was essential the bandages remained hot against his limbs. “Just so you know,” I said to Dagen, “you will not disappoint whoever your future mate is. Or your current mate. You must have a harem of girls.” I continued covering his legs with the hot strips of material. The next piece would need two layers to sit across his strong thigh.

  I hurried, but when my hand nudged his privates, I flinched. “Heavens, I’m sorry.”

  Damn, relax. Before I could stop myself, I fixed the fabric between his legs, my fingers brushing his soft sack—and in all honesty, with my first boyfriend, I’d never studied him. Now temptation to explore teased me. With a finger, I traced the length of the thick vein running along his shaft.

  It twitched.

  I leaped backward.

  Nero returned, and I froze, hands to my chest, my stomach locked tight. “Everything is fine.”

  His nose wrinkled. “Is Dagen awake?”

  Would Nero know I’d felt up his friend? Heavens, I had acted like a pervert, though. Bee would be proud. What was wrong with me? Dagen had twitched at my touch, which was a fantastic reaction because it meant his body wasn’t numb. But I couldn’t tell Nero that or explain how it had happened. Nope.

  I rushed to the bucket and prepared another bandage. Nero set a wooden container with what smelled like vinegar near the bed along with a bag of salt and dumped a mountain of material strips the color of hide on the floor. Had the shifters stolen them from someone in Terra?

  “You guys get a lot of injuries?” I asked. In haste, I covered Dagen’s other leg, refusing to put my hand anywhere near his… privates.

  “This is Oryn’s cabin, and he uses the place as a resting home for wolves in the vicinity.”

  With the blanket rolled back up Dagen’s legs, I tucked him tight. Heat radiated from him, which was perfect. “So it’s also a medical house then?”

  “Guess so.” Nero leaned a shoulder into the frame of the doorway, and I sensed him watching me. What was he thinking? How helpful I was, or how he’d hunt me down when I finished?

  Before long, I had Dagen’s arms covered. I dumped the salt into the vinegar and stirred with my hand. I dunked a larger piece of fabric inside.

  “What are you doing?” Nero asked.

  I patted the cold material across Dagen’s chest, covering him from his bellybutton to his neck. “Wolfsbane attacks major organs while numbing limbs. So I need to bring warmth to his extremities so they get feeling back. I use the salt in vinegar to extract any poisons in his torso.” I ran another damp strip across Dagen’s brow and down his face, wiping away the perspiration. What I needed was for him to drink some vinegar so he could vomit more of the poison out.

  Nero had left again. Okay, back to alone time with Mr. Handsome. Fine with me. “More time for us to chat,” I said and continued wiping a cold rag across his closed eyes and dried lips, hoping it would help awaken him.

  Back in the woods, I hadn’t recalled seeing any herbs that could assist him, but then again, I’d spent my time trying to survive. So why was that first wolf I encountered so vicious and blood-hungry while Nero remained calm? Well, okay, Oryn seemed crazed, and he freaked me out. Must be a wolf thing and I didn’t get it. If this was the hospitality they dished out, it made sense why no one dared enter their territory. Still, hanging out in their cabin wasn’t conducive to ensuring I survived another day. I was their prisoner. The fact that they hadn’t killed me yet didn’t mean it wasn’t a matter of time, and yet I had kissed my captor. What was that about? I must have drunk too much river water, and it had made me delusional. Plus, a charge of electricity had shuddered through me in the stream. What had that been about?

  I wiped Dagen’s brow once more. “You not waking up might be the only thing keeping me alive. How ironic.” In any other situation, I might have hollered with laughter.

  An explosive growl boomed throughout the house, and I shuddered, my back plastered to the wall near the bed.

  I glanced into the dark corridor. What was that sound and where did the other doors lead? Wiping my wet hands down my pants, I crept toward the corridor. Darkness consumed the hallway and farther to my left lay a door. I pushed one leg forward, then another, my gaze fixed on the point where the hall curved. I kept expecting Oryn to come charging in and ripping into me, but I had to know where I was.

  Okay, keep it together. Once I get out, I run. I’d navigate home by finding a way back up on the cliff I’d fallen from.

  With quick steps, I reached the first door and touched the brass knob. Every inch of me trembled as I twisted the handle. I held my breath as I entered a pitch-black room. With the light behind me sprawling inside, I found three piles of blankets stacked against the wall. Nothing else. Were these their sleeping quarters? Squinting, I stared through the dark. Zilch. Along with no windows.

  Dead end.

  A sinking feeling rattled through me, so I continued down the hallway, determined to find the way out. My gaze swung left and right in the hall, but nothing came for me.

  More sounds, like a dying animal screeching. My skin pinpricked, and more than anything I wanted to help the poor thing. Were they torturing their meal? I was in a wolf’s home. But Nero explained this was more of a medical cabin, so maybe a shifter lay hurt? I inched down the hallway and around the corner to find several other doorways, along with the one at the end. Exactly where I’d woken up on the table in front of a fireplace.

  The next one I checked turned out to be a closet, stacked with towels, striped fabric, and even a pillow. That part made me smirk as I pictured a tough wolf needing a pillow, but I supposed everyone needed comfort. It had taken me months to find the right filling for my pillow back home as I woke up day after day with the sorest neck and headache.

  I opened the next door. Golden light flooded out, stealing the darkness from the hallway.

  “Come in, Scarlet,” Nero said.

  My heart thumped beneath my breastbone as too many scenarios filled my mind. Him turning all furry on me for trying to escape, or maybe I’d stumbled across him gorging a victim. Or he was sharpening his teeth and prepared to chain me up. Heavens.

  But doing nothing wasn’t an option, so I stepped into a large kitchen lit by a fireplace with a cauldron suspended over the flames. The most delicious soup aroma filled my nostrils.

  Across from the mantle was a long table, where Nero lounged in a chair, his legs propped up on an empty seat and crossed at the ankles. Naked, no longer wearing my cloak to cover himself. “I was wondering how long it would take you to explore.”

  Think fast. The first thing that popped into my head came streaming out. “Well, I
need more herbs to help your friend. And where’s my bag?”

  “Your bag is in a safe place for now. I can’t risk having wolfsbane around the house.”

  I scanned the room, noting the stool near the fireplace was stacked with a handful of plates and bowls. Okay, maybe they weren’t complete savages. But when my gaze settled on the door at the rear of the room, a sprinkle of hope spiked my adrenaline. Was that the way outside?

  “It’s locked for your own safety,” Nero said. “Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll get you some food.”

  “Oh no, I’m okay. I prefer you tell me what’s going on here. Am I in danger? Why are three alphas living together when you said earlier you had your own packs?”

  The earlier growl of a hurt animal boomed again, and I flinched, then hurried to a chair, closer to Nero. “What is that?”

  He sighed and was on his feet, naked, and as much as I tried to resist, my attention dipped to his abundant package. Gosh, I’d never seen so much male flesh in my time, ever. I pictured Bee flashing me two thumbs up for my effort. How can he be perfect in every way, yet terrifying?

  “It’s Oryn.” Nero collected a bowl and filled it with the contents from the cauldron.

  “What’s wrong with him?” I tucked a leg underneath me on the seat, studying the walls for keys and a way out. Instead, I only saw dried herbs hanging off a hook. Sage, oregano, and thyme.

  “He’s trying to find himself right now, and we’re here to sort out a few problems. It’s our meeting point.” Nero placed the bowl in front of me. No spoon.

  “Root vegetable soup.” He sat on a seat next to me. “It’s packed with herbs and I was thinking once Dagen woke up, it would help him.”

  I stared at the meal, its steam curling upward and the smell enticing my gut to growl with hunger. But my mind stayed on Nero’s words and how in caring he made a soup for his friend. I didn’t know a single guy back home who knew how to cook. Despite his flirtatious attitude, Nero had a huge heart. Would that mean he wouldn’t harm me? He didn’t seem like a murderer, but then again, I’d never encountered one before.