Page 385 of Hunters and Prey

Dante tensed. “Then tell your liege his hounds and his Rednaps will have me to contend with.”

The tiny man licked his lips. “If you hurt one of the fair folk, you shatter the protection granted to you by my liege. The contract will be null and void.” He said it eagerly as if he wanted this to be the case, which he probably did. More flesh for the taking.

“And if you attack me, then you violate the contract,” Dante retorted.

The tiny man grinned, showcasing razor-sharp teeth. “Oh, we will not strike the first blow. We simply take what is ours to hunt. That is the law of the wild.”

My skin pricked in warning and then they emerged from behind the trees—tiny, naked men, with heads slightly too large, mouths slightly too wide, and crimson, hairless scalps that gleamed wetly in the errant shafts of sunlight that made it through the thick canopy overhead. So, these were Rednaps. The fuckers had already tried to take down Helgi and me once. Bring it.

It looked like they were up for the challenge. They fell from the branches and rose up from piles of bracken and brush as if they’d been there all along, tracking us, waiting for the go-ahead to attack.

Jezebel was already in my hand, ready to slice and dice, because no way were those wicked needle teeth getting anywhere near my skin.

Dante drew his sword, slow and deliberate. “Are you sure this is what your liege would want? Our agreement has been beneficial for decades. It comes with many benefits for both our people. Are you sure he would want it broken for the sake of one soul?”

Doubt flickered across the little man’s face, and then a gust of wind hit my back and his neck whiplashed, eyes closing, nostrils flaring. Shit, my scent. My reeking, fleshy scent had just hit him full force and the sliver of drool was now a fucking waterfall.

“Oh, fuck.” Dante backed up a step then stopped because there was nowhere to run. We were surrounded by the critters.

The little man opened his eyes. “Hungry.” The word was a wet gurgle fighting its way up out of the drool spilling down his chin. The sheen across his eyes, the twitch in his limbs all said there’d be no reasoning with him now.

The Rednaps attacked.

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