Page 3 of Alien Huntsman

At least Lenora had let her attend those, knowing that the village would gossip about her absence, but she wondered how much longer that would last now that Edgar had set his sights on her.

“I miss them too, but Aunt Margaret says I’m too clumsy for dancing.” Elli’s gaze darted toward the mayor’s house at the end of the square as she attempted a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “And too simple for conversation.”

She frowned. “That’s not true. You were always?—”

“Elli!” Mrs. Jacobson’s sharp voice cut through the market chatter. “What are you doing loitering about?”

Elli’s shoulders hunched instantly. “Coming, Aunt Margaret!”

The other girl quickly backed away from Tessa, nearly knocking over a bucket of roses in her haste. “I have to go. It was nice seeing you.”

As she watched Elli scurry away, her heart ached for her old schoolmate. If Lenora hadn’t needed her to run the bakery, she knew her stepmother would have kept her just as confined. Mrs. Jacobson’s voice carried across the square, sharp with disapproval as she scolded Elli for dawdling. The scolding attracted several sympathetic looks but no one seemed surprised.

She sighed, mentally calculating how much time she had left before Lenora would expect her return. Sammy, the part-time shop assistant that Lenora had very reluctantly been forced to hire, should be at the bakery by now, giving her a few more moments of freedom.

Something small and fast suddenly collided with her legs, sending her stumbling. The basket tilted, and several applestumbled onto the dusty ground along with two of Willem’s prized pears.

“Oof!” A small boy sat sprawled in the dirt before her, tears already welling in his eyes. He couldn’t have been more than five or six, with a mop of unruly brown hair and dirt-smudged cheeks, and she immediately recognized him. Tommy Edgerton, the miller’s youngest son.

“I’m sorry!” he wailed, his bottom lip trembling. “I didn’t mean to!”

Ignoring the fruit scattered around them, she kneeled down next to him. “Are you hurt, Tommy?”

The boy shook his head, but his lips continued to tremble as he looked at the spilled fruit. “Your apples…”

“They’re just a bit dusty. Nothing a little polishing won’t fix.”

“Mama says I run too fast,” he sniffled.

“Your mama might be right about that.” She laughed and helped him to his feet, then gently brushed the dirt from his knees. “Where were you running to in such a hurry?”

“My friend has a new puppy.” Tommy pointed toward the tanner’s shop. “I wanted to see it before I had to go home.”

Her heart softened at the mention of puppies, and she thought of her own secret charges hidden in the woods.

“Puppies are worth hurrying for,” she agreed, picking up the fallen fruit and brushing them off as she put them back in her basket. She selected the shiniest apple and handed it to him. “Here. A treat for your adventure.”

Tommy’s eyes widened. “Really? But I made you drop them.”

“Accidents happen.” Although she knew Lenora would scold her for the wasted coins, she couldn’t bring herself to care. “Now go see that puppy, but walk this time, alright?”

Tommy nodded vigorously, clutching the apple to his chest. “Thank you, Miss Tessa!”

He took three careful steps before breaking into another run, disappearing around the corner of the tanner’s shop, and she shook her head, smiling after him. His enthusiasm reminded her of the adyani pups she’d been raising in secret—all boundless energy and joyful chaos.

Trying to decide if she could use the bruised fruit in an apple cake instead of the tart she’d been planning, she turned to continue on her way—and slammed into what felt like a brick wall. Her basket tipped again, this time staying miraculously upright as strong hands gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t—” Her apology died on her lips as she looked up. And up.

A Vultor male towered over her, his massive body blocking the sun. Although one or two Vultor occasionally appeared in the village now, they were still few and far between. Wild dark hair fell past his shoulders, accentuating the angular, lupine quality of his features, and the simple leather vest he wore revealed arms corded with muscle. But it was his eyes that trapped her—luminous amber, studying her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

Time seemed to stretch between them. His hands remained on her shoulders, huge and warm and surprisingly gentle for their size. Something stirred in her chest—a strange flutter of recognition even though she knew she’d never seen him before.

The Vultor’s nostrils flared slightly, and his eyes widened, the amber glow intensifying to gold for a heartbeat. Then, as abruptly as he’d caught her, he released her and stepped back.

“Watch where you’re going,” he growled, his voice deep and rough, like stones tumbling down a mountainside.

Before she could respond, he turned and strode away, his powerful gait carrying him swiftly through the crowd. People parted before him, some with fearful glances, others with quickly masked hostility.

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