Page 28 of A Hunt So Wicked
"F-figure what out?" she asked, attempting to push against my chest to get me to release her.
"What is it about you that's so... interesting?" I released her suddenly and took a step back, shocked at myself. At my behavior.
"Is that the 'tact' you were referring to earlier?" Evie advanced on me, wildfire in her eyes. "Royal or not, you had no right to handle me in the way you just did!"
Couples around us stopped dancing and looked on with curiosity. Fuck.
"My lady, I apolo—"
Her hand shot out, cutting me off. "Save it. Many women would probably die for you to do that to them, but I, sir, am not one of them!"
"Evie, please, I would never— I mean—"
But I had. I had squeezed the life out of her and refused to let go. And then my lips were—
"Brother!" We all turned to see Alden, Torin, and Mosi stumbling toward us, their cheeks pink and smiles wide. "Unfortunately, we must go." He winked at me. I stared back at him blankly until he groaned.
Torin jumped in. "It's time, Dair. To prepare for The Hunt. Say goodnight to the lovely Miss Evie, so we won't be late."
My gaze swung to the massive wrought iron clock on the wall. It was five minutes to midnight. Already? The last hour had gone by in the blink of an eye. No wonder I was feeling so out of sorts.
"Right, of course," I said, nodding to them. "Just a moment?" I had to make sure Evie understood how sorry I was. But when I turned to do just that, she was gone. "What? Where did she go?"
"Slipped off with her dark haired friend, you know? The tiny one? Snooze, ya lose. Now, come on. I don't want to piss my father off."
My friends and brother dragged me through what remained of the crowd, headed for the grand staircase. No matter how hard I looked, I didn't see her anywhere... but the scent of her lingered, as though it was permanently branded into me. As we ascended the stairs, Ero's voice filtered through the room.
"That concludes our bachelor's portion of the evening! Thank you so much for attending and celebrating what is sure to be a most productive Royal Hunt! I hope you all used your time wisely and made lasting connections and unforgettable impressions. Please, feel free to continue dancing and enjoying the entertainment. The orchestra will play for another hour."
We all gathered at the top of the landing while Ero made his way up to us. "The Royal Hunt will commence tomorrow! May it be bountiful! Let's send our hunters off with some good cheer, hmm?"
The crowd erupted with feminine shouts and cries of encouragement. My animal was so close to the surface now, and each cheer was like waving a red flag at a bull. I needed to get out of there.
"Have a lovely rest of your evening. I shall see you all at breakfast!" More cheers went up, and I looked at Torin standing next to me. I had to blink a few times because it looked as though his neck had taken on an iridescent shade. That would be... disastrous. "Come on, gentlemen. We're already pushing it with time. No delays. Straight to the meeting place beyond the walls of the Keep."
We didn't hesitate. I hadn't had a footrace with someone since I was ten years old, but this felt oddly reminiscent.
"Gotta get these clothes off," Ciar snarled as he ripped his shirt and sent buttons pinging across the hallway.
"Keep it together until we're clear of the Keep," Taj growled. "We don't need questions."
From the upper west hallway, we accessed a hidden door that was built into the stonework. A portrait that was next to the door was the key. Evander reached it first and swung it to the left, causing the hinges that held it there to groan from underuse. The stone door grumbled as it broke free and opened. Eagerly, we all rushed in, straight down a stone spiral staircase.
“Fucking spiders,” Desmond cursed, waving his arms wildly.
“Don’t they have servants and guards here year round? Why aren’t they cleaning this shit?” Mosi demanded from somewhere just in front of me. It was too dark to see where everyone was—we were simply running as a pack now. Instinct was in charge.
Finally, we stumbled into the dungeons in the basement. We'd be able to avoid any people, and it was a straight shot from there to the forest.
Sweat was now running down my back, causing my shirt to stick to my skin. It felt like torture.
"Come on, Dair. We're almost there," Tor called out to me, and I sped up to catch up to him. He grinned at me and whooped. "I've never been this fast in my entire life!"
Our magics were already at work. They had been for weeks now, but it was as though the universe knew we were running full speed toward our destinies and wanted to give us a boost. I was practically flying across the cobblestones now, the objects in my periphery nothing but blurs. It was time.
By the time we reached the clearing at the treeline, several of us had lost our shirts. Some of us—or well, Ciar—were completely naked. I caught my breath, and where I normally would've been appalled, I wasn't bothered in the least. All worries melted away to nothing.
All of the kings and Corvus arrived, walking to the front of the group, their backs to the woods.
