Page 44 of The Hunt: Emerald

Not a battle cry.

Not a threat.

Agrief-ridden,love-drunk,soul-breakinghowl that tears through the forest. Tears stream down his face, mixing with blood.

“Me precious one… I could’na feel yu,”he chokes.“I could’nafeelyou. I t’ought?—”

I press my forehead to his as hetrembles against me, blood-soaked and shaking. But his arms reach for me, holding me as if he’d never let go.

“But I feltyou.I knew you would find me… you always do.” I hold him, kissing his head, anchoring him to reality, feeling as if I let him go, I’ll really lose him.

He grasps the cuffs, and they glow and shatter as if they were made of dust. He scoops me into his arms, burying his face in my hair, and that’s whenthe silence breaks around us and cheers rise, shocking both of us. We turn and see the crowd cheering, giving way to wild, frenzied roars.

And I feel my Alpha stagger, picking me up and carrying me one haggard yet confident step at a time over to the checkpoint where I expect him to carry me over, but to my surprise, he sets me down right at the final step.

“Wh…?”

“Yer free, precious one… cross the checkpoint an’ show ’em t’at Omegas are’na as weak as they t’ink they are,” he huffs and I’m stunned by his words. I joined the Hunt to win… to take the prize and go to the human realm where I can be free.

Instead, I wound up bound to a beast and falling madly and helplessly in love. He’s right… I can cross this finish line and win. Even though he knows I won’t leave him…I,Emerald, can cross on my own, as my own person, not as an Omega captured by an Alpha. One is what I’ve always, wanted, but…

I take his hand and watch his eyes go wide as I crawl back into his armsSafe!

“I’m yours,” I tell him. I feel his body shudder and our bond tighten.

“Aye, an’ I am yers,” he kisses me, stepping over the check point line.

BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!The eighth and final horn blares, and the crowd pours from the stands around us, cheering.

“AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”he howls, thistime to the moon… to the Source…. to the Demon Kings who created this broken game…

A sound oftriumph.

We won!

Chapter 17

WE WON

MURDOCH

The Hunt was neva about the Omega or the prize… I neva aimed fer t’em, but as she stands at me side, blood-washed, radiant, power still flickerin’ over ’er skin like starlight, I feel damned glad tu ’ave been afflicted wit’ the Banes root because I would’na ’ave met ’er ’ad me brother na done wat ’e done…

As we stride forward, the crowd parts, all watchin’ wit’ widened eyes, unable tu deny wat they saw.

Thewinner o’ the Huntis’na me alone.It isus.

Emerald, unbowed. Unbroken. Me mate. Me equal. I keep one arm wrapped firmly around ’er waist as we reach the stone podium where the prize is displayed: a gilded chest overflowin’ wit’ gold, jewels, rare elixirs, an’ more wealth than most packs would see in several lifetimes, an’ all supposedly from the Demon King o’ Lust’s vast coffers… it’s rumored tu not even be .000000001 percent o’’is wealth…yet he’s nowhere tu be found…

A council member o’ the Demon King o’ Lust steps forward, in place o’ the Administrator, an’ honestly I’m glad it is’na her…I neva liked ’er.

“Lord… Murdoch…” ’is gaze flickers tu her, wary. “…and your… your m-mate…”

“Queen,” I correct him, voice low but commandin’. “Address ’er properly,” I growl.

The man swallows hard an’ bows.

“Y-Your Majesty.”

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