Hunter Betrayed (13 page)

One more hard thrust stopped her confession. The release
picked her up and slammed her into a sea of sensation. She floated in the
unending waves. Colors dimmed. Sounds faded. Blackness encroached but a pair of
blue-ringed eyes centered her. She latched onto their image and let paradise
have its way with her body and soul.

After what felt like forever, the jerking of Calan’s cock
eased and the clenching of her inner muscles slowed to gentle ripples.
Not
even like this, angel. Save those words. Make sure.

She tipped her head to stare into his face. “Nothing will
change the emotion behind them. It’s built from the moment I first looked into
your eyes and tonight…” She laid a hand against his stubble-covered cheek.
“Tonight has made me realize the truth I’ve known for a decade.”

He separated their bodies, turned her in his arms and lifted
her until they were eye to eye. “Okay.” He grinned. “Okay, my beautiful little
flower.”

He set her on her feet and strode across the room. On the
table where a bowl of luscious strawberries sat, he picked up a pitcher of
water and a napkin. He returned to her and dropped to his knees. He wet the
cloth and gently wiped the evidence of their loving away. Her heart flipped
over. No man had ever taken such care with her body. Tears welled. She bit her
lip and focused on what Calan was doing to her, not the emotion threatening to
consume her.

He tugged up her pants and stepped away. She followed his
movements as he dressed in modern clothes he pulled from a closet. The sight of
his hard body in jeans and tight black tee reignited the sparks of arousal. He
looked damn good in the clothes he shouldn’t own. She considered asking him
about it, but compared to everything else she’d experienced over the years, his
magical wardrobe didn’t concern her as much as the thoughts flying through her
head.

For the first time in her life, she wondered if she really
could find happiness. She didn’t know if it was possible, but she was
determined to find out.

She lifted her hand. One black circle shone against her pale
skin. The other still hadn’t formed. Only the innermost arc showed. Her love.
She had to declare her love.

She smiled and curled her hand to hold the sign of Calan’s
commitment close. She’d give him her love. Soon, very soon. Then she’d get to
keep her ghost man for…eternity. Her eyes widened at the realization of what
that meant. He said she couldn’t kill herself. She’d matured. She would live
forever.

She lifted her gaze to Calan’s wide back and tight ass. Her
core clenched.

With Calan.
Yeah, she liked that idea. Liked it a
lot.

Calan took his time getting dressed. For one, he enjoyed
Harley’s heated gaze on his ass every time he bent over. The main reason,
however, stemmed from guilt. He took a few moments visiting each of his
siblings, even the ones who’d long since stopped speaking. Gods, it felt wrong
to leave them behind. Necessary, though.

He was the only one who didn’t bear the curse.
Because I
forced it onto my siblings.

Remorse choked him over his actions as it had every day of
his imprisonment. He hung his head.

Why do you delay?

Calan paused with his fingers around the laces of his boot.
He drew Rhys’ image close.
I don’t want to leave you.

No lies, brother. You feel guilty because of the pleasure
you’ve found in your fairy lover’s arms.
Rhys focused narrowed eyes on him.
The displeasure in them was clear.

Calan held his brother’s stare without responding. He
refused to argue with Rhys about Harley. There was no point. She was Calan’s
choice.

Finally, Rhys shook his head.
You’ve told the others
about your mate?

Calan closed his dual-ringed eyes.
I can’t exactly hide
it.

You’ve made a horrible mistake.
Rhys waited until
Calan met his gaze.
The female is not worthy of you. She’ll cling to you and
use you, not sacrifice and be the mate the leader of the Hunt needs to remain
honorable.

Harley stepped in behind him and slipped her arms around his
waist, pulling his attention from Rhys. She rubbed her cheek against Calan’s
spine and the tension in his muscles eased. “Are you okay? You’ve been staring
at your shoes for several minutes.”

He pulled her around and lifted her. She automatically
linked her arms and legs around him. He kissed her deeply until the desire only
she could stir in him flared.

He broke their lip lock and met Rhys’ eyes, the image of him
held inside his mind.
She will be.
At Rhys’ sigh, Calan laid his cheek
over her curls.
She is.

For all our sakes, I hope so, my brother. Go now. We will
endure until you return.

He let the connection to Rhys’ mind break. The loss of him
hit Calan with another wave of guilt. Once he stepped out of his prison, he
wouldn’t be able to connect with him. Without Calan to keep his siblings
connected, each Huntsman would suffer alone.

Harley skimmed her hands over his back, once more
redirecting his thoughts to her. Her touch soothed him. He greedily took the
comfort she offered even though it shamed him to do so. His siblings had no one
to offer the same to them, no one to even talk to.

“We’ll free them, Calan.”

He turned his head and his flower’s sultry eyes came into
view. “
I
will free them once I transfer the curse back to Dahm. I don’t
want you anywhere near that bastard.”

“Now that I’m mated to you, Dahm will come after me, won’t
he? To hurt you through me.”

Calan cracked his jaw. What worried him was why Dahm had
allowed her to reach fairy adulthood. When the Unseelie Court had been at its
strongest, he’d imprisoned any of his brethren who could’ve taken his position
from him. Harley’s maturity made her his equal. He should’ve ensured her death.
He hadn’t and Calan couldn’t come up with any plausible reason why.

Calan pushed the worry aside for the moment. He had to focus
on capturing Dahm, not trying to understand the unstable male’s thought
process.

“Yes, but I am with you, a part of you. You can communicate
with me, anytime, anywhere. I won’t let him touch you.”

She grinned. “And you’ll race to my side on your ghostly
steed?”

He chuckled. “Yes, Harley. I will come. Nothing would stop
me.”

The teasing smile on her face faded. “And if he gets to me
first?”

“You can’t die, Harley.”

“But he can tempt me, can’t he? Make me angry enough so I
give into the rage and invite more chaos inside.” She touched her chest, right
over the worst damage on her aura. “You didn’t heal me completely, did you?
Because I still feel the taint. It’s just calm now.”

He focused on his mate’s stricken face and didn’t know what
to say.

“Dammit, Calan, tell me the truth.”

He sighed. “No, I didn’t heal you. I can’t. I can only be
your shield and your strength.”

She shook her head and slipped out of his arms. “And I’ll
take you down with me if I fall, won’t I?”

“You’re not alone in this fight, my mate. I am with you
always. Together we will endure.” He grasped her hand, stopping her from
turning away from him. “You promised to live for me. That includes holding onto
your honor. Now more than ever you need to remember your vow.”

She raised her chin. “I will keep my promise to you, but—”

He kissed her before she could tag on any qualifier. Her
renewed oath eased his anxiety. He would trust his mate and help her exactly as
he’d promised to do. He didn’t care if she clung to his strength or used it to
maintain her purity. As long as he could hold her in his arms, nothing else
mattered.

He pulled away from her sweet lips with a jerk, but not
because he wanted to. The day was slipping away. Each one that passed without
finding Dahm was one more his siblings had to suffer.

“Come, Harley,” he tugged her with him, “I want to meet your
brother before I begin my hunt for Dahm.”

“I’d like that.” She flashed him a smile.

He returned it and hoped it reached his eyes, but guilt was
a nasty thing. Then again, so was using your only mate as bait. Dahm would come
for her whether Calan wanted Harley near him or not. When Dahm did, Calan would
be waiting. He pushed the thought aside along with the anxiety it brought. He’d
protect her, but in war all available weapons had to be used.

Eyes focused on the path ahead, he led his mate out of his
living tomb. He looked forward to the day it sealed for all time along with the
damaged barrier. Soon. By the gods, soon his hell would be but a memory.

He stopped at the entrance, released her hand and plucked
the blade from the shelf where it had sat for a thousand years. Worthless to
him, Dahm had left it within Calan’s view as a reminder of his failure. Calan
was grateful.

He lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit. Harley gasped, but
he ignored her distress and allowed his blood to drip onto the blade. Each drop
sizzled and popped. Sparks danced along the length. He murmured the ancient
words given to him by the Triad, the triple-faceted god that ruled over all,
and reactivated the curse. It had lain dormant after Calan had forced his
siblings to bear it.

The dagger vibrated in his grasp for a moment before
stilling. He nodded. It was done. He took Harley’s hand. Energy danced up his
arm, across his chest and down to the hand linked with hers.

“What is that?”

He stared at the blade a moment. No more jolts came from it.
“The dagger Dahm used to curse to the Huntsmen.”

She stepped in front of him. Intelligent blue eyes focused
on him. “You have to transfer it back to him.”

“Yes, the punishment handed down from the highest gods was designed
for the fairies. The Huntsmen have only been a substitute. They were never
meant to bear the weight of it. My siblings have been slowly losing their
minds. As they do, the crack over the gateway to hell widens. Soon, it’ll open
completely and the Underworld and the human realm will merge.”

She swallowed hard and stepped out of his way. He glanced at
her and considered asking the reason for her inquiry but let the urge go. She
showed no signs of distress.

The weaving path to his cell consisted of low ceilings,
tight corridors and crumbling walls. He took in the destruction and quickened
his pace, forcing Harley into a jog. The evidence of deterioration matched what
he’d felt while he’d hung from his chains. He didn’t have much time to find
Dahm.

He stopped at the main door and stared at the beam barely
holding the roof up. It sagged under the weight of the earth above.

He shifted his gaze to Harley and pointed to the ceiling.
“Is that how it looked when you arrived?” She nodded, her brows turned down. He
wanted to yell at her for endangering herself or maybe hold her tight, grateful
that she had. He settled for grabbing her shoulders. “Yet you came inside?”

“You needed me.” She shrugged out of his grip. “Now let’s
go. We’re wasting time.”

He couldn’t stop the small smile at her bravery. Calan ran
his fingers down her spine, grasped her hand and stepped outside.

The diluted sun scattered an array of light across the walls
of the sinkhole. Life had sprouted where none had been. Small trees, bushes and
bunches of flowers pushed through a bed of thick grass. He skimmed his hand
over the leaves of the closest shrub and acknowledged the gift from the nature
spirits in the face of the dark mist weaving its way around their legs.

Harley swatted at the vapor. The gray fingers tugged at her
pants, stretched in hungry tendrils along her limbs and lifted her hair. With a
weary sigh, she dropped her hands and trudged along with him.

The sight bothered him, but he didn’t comment on how the
pure chaos weaved around her in a tempting caress and steered clear of him.
Wherever he stepped the fog skidded away. He swung her into his arms, saving
her from the teasing licks that sought a way into her damaged aura.

She buried her face against his chest. “Thank you, Calan. It
didn’t bother me outside the hole.”

“It’s not evil, not on purpose. It comes from the same well
of chaos Dahm had tapped into to steal his power. My prison,” he glanced over
his shoulder, “borders the fairy realm which is close to the outer rims of the
first plane of hell. As the barrier between the realms weakens, elements of the
Underworld slip free.”

Her eyes widened. She flicked her gaze from his face to the
upper lip of the hole and back. “It’s getting out.”

He watched as wisps sneaked through the illusionary sky.
“Yes.” He sighed. “It is.”

She gripped his shirt. “I’m guessing that’s not a good
thing.” Her shaky voice broke on the last word.

He climbed the natural staircase of earth and stone steps. “It’s
not. With every earthquake or volcanic eruption, elements are released. It’s
part of the natural cycle, disastrous and deadly, yet normal and as necessary
as the sun rising each day.”

“And as the crack over the gateway widens, the chaos has
begun to rush out.”

He nodded. “Among other things.”

She stared at him expectantly. He gave a small shake of his
head, not wanting to discuss all the horrors of his home but unwilling to
dismiss her silent question. “Sins, disease, nothing good.”

“Oh, god,” she breathed.

“Do you see why it so imperative I find Dahm?”

“And why the Huntsmen accepted the curse in the first
place.” She brushed her lips over his cheek. “I do see, Calan. Thank you.”

Not once had anyone thanked the Huntsmen for their
dedication or sacrifices. He closed his eyes and held the two words close. He
would share them with his siblings once he could speak to them again.

“What happens after you stab Dahm?”

Her question yanked him back out of the euphoria and dropped
him into their stark existence. “The deterioration of barrier will halt, my siblings
will be released and the Hunt will resume.”

“But the evils he’s released will still threaten the world?”

Gods, he dreaded seeing how much the chaos and sins had
affected the humans. When he’d first taken up the Hunt, they’d been simple
farmers, hunters, wanderers. They’d evolved over the ages, mostly under the
influence of the sins, especially greed and gluttony. But now? From the images
he’d taken from Harley, the world had become a much different place, one where
deviant behaviors thrived—exactly as Dahm had wanted. Calan pushed the thought
away and focused on answering Harley.

“Yes, the world will continue to suffer, but it will heal.
The Huntsmen will make sure of it.”

He slid his hand to her bottom. A slight push helped Harley
over the rim of the sinkhole onto the grass above. She extended a hand to him.
He didn’t need it, but took it anyway, warmed by her offer. One knee over the
lip, he swung his other foot up and pushed to his feet.

A sonic boom shook the world.

The ground beneath him undulated. The heaving knocked him
off balance. He tipped, the earth crumbling under his foot.

“Calan!”

With small hands digging into his waistband, she stopped his
tumble into the hole behind him. A tug pulled him forward, right on top of her.
Her breath rushed out with his dead weight on top hers. He pushed to his knees
and pressed her small frame to his chest with an arm around her waist. He
scrambled away from the crumbling edge as another wave rocked the world.

Dropping to the ground, he curled his body around hers and
waited out the unnatural earthquake. The last of the trembling eased. He shoved
away and rushed back to the edge to survey the damage.

The entryway remained open. The beam visible in the entrance
sagged, but not much more than it had. The destruction, however, showed in the
sloping banks leading to it. Heaved earth and boulders filled much of the
space. The natural staircase formed from flat rocks and thin trees no longer
offered easy access. A dangerous path of sharp rocks led the way and a steady
stream of gray mist escaped from between the cracked ground.

Harley rested her trembling hands on his back. “What
happened?”

He reached back and locked her body to his with an arm
around her waist. “I don’t know.” But he suspected it had to do with either him
walking out of his prison or taking the blade with him.

He’d upset the balance.

By the gods, what had his departure done to his siblings?

She yanked on his waistband, redirecting his thoughts. He
had to trust in Rhys, Tegan and the others to endure.