The Hunt (Of Blood and Magic Book 2) Read online

  A raucous noise emanated from the ground beneath her. She heard the sound of feet running, almost as though they would break through the hard stone floor to reach her. She inched closer, even as the sky thickened with clouds that seemed to take the form of giant predators, with lightning bolts for teeth.

  “The time we have trained so hard for is here,” she heard him declare to the soldiers, who listened with rapt attention, “Today, we end this, once and for all.” The vast squadron gave a unified cry in return, endorsing his proclamations even as the flames of battle burst into life behind their eyes. Without thinking, she reached out pale, long fingers to touch the figure from behind. But as her hand neared the nape of his neck, the vision exploded in the dust. She found herself back in the room, staring straight at Luke, whose face was suddenly hard like stone.

  “It’s too painful,” he groaned, looking away.

  “Was that Tyrone?” she asked, her voice brittle like parchment scrolls.

  “No.” And then his voice darkened, “It was my brother.”

  ∞∞∞

  TIMOU was at the top of an almond tree, sucking the flesh off the oval, juicy fruit, throwing the dehydrated husks to the ground far below, and admiring a nest of Woodpeckers, when he felt the sharp sting of a soldier ant in his thighs. He let out his version of a yelp, which sounded more like a strangled groan, and glanced behind him. The ants marched toward him in a procession, their neat files armed with purpose. He had overstayed his welcome.

  He clambered down hurriedly, ensuring that he had all the fruits in his pocket, and that his beacon remained close to him. He reached the moist earth with its decaying foliage carpet to find Elena in a heap on the ground, shuddering through chattering teeth, despite the burning fire Timou had lit beside her.

  She had roused from her coma some hours prior to find a worried Timou staring right at her face, studying her. He had glanced immediately at the still orb beside her, half expecting it to zip right back to life, regaining its vibrant purple glow, but it lay there on a fallen leaf, still as a corpse and nearly as heavy.

  Timou had been incredibly excited to see her come back around, but he had never been one gifted with words. Syllables embarked on journeys before they could form words in his head, and even after the long process of sentence formation, it took much effort for his mouth to open up and articulate the sound into words. When he spoke, his voice boomed like thunder on a dark, deserted night. But then, he rarely ever spoke. Still, despite his wordless welcome, Elena had felt the warmth radiating from him at the sight of her.

  “Where are we?” She had said, finding only those words and those words alone. Her eyes were sallow, their usual arrogance had vanished like vapor. Her excessively confident voice sounded groggy and dry, and her limbs felt like rubber. Timou had gotten her water from the nearby freshwater lake, and roasted a squirrel over a fire he had quickly put together. He updated her with the High Commission’s last message: In the wake of Lukai’s victory in their battle, the High Commissioner had sent out all the elite squads on diverse missions, and they would have to wait a bit longer for returnees from reconnaissance missions, who would then lead the rescue operation.

  The lightning bolt Lukai’s fated mate had summoned from the sky had clearly done a number on Elena. She seemed so out of shape and beaten down that Timou could tell she wouldn’t be casting any spells soon. Plus, there were no coconuts, even if she would soon regain the strength to cast a teleportation spell.

  As she lay, digging her perfect teeth into the roasted thighs of the squirrel, Timou’s eyes couldn’t help but rake the delightful curves of her body. With her hair tied back, her high cheekbones caught all the light, radiant in their allure. Her tits pointed right at him, with sharp nipples he couldn’t wait to dig his teeth into and suck bone dry. Her hips, curved like the base of an hourglass, taunted him even as she lay. He had never caught sight of her pussy, but he was sure that it was the most glorious pussy on the planet.

  He imagined her thanking him for saving her life by unzipping his fly and taking his cock in her mouth. Her tongue, long and warm, would wrap itself around the head of his cock, sending in waves of giddy pleasure through his prepuce. Her throat would make popping sounds as his cock drove deeper and deeper. He would place his hands over her head, guiding her down onto his full cock even as he would arch his hips forward until she choked, and coughing slime everywhere. And just as he reached the point where he was about to come, she would grab his cock in her hands and run her tongue around his ball sack. Then she would take off his jacket, his pants, his cloak, and all his sheathed knives, even while she remained fully clothed.

  Then, his clothes off, she would take his hand and guide his fingers beneath her gown, where his fingers would realize that she had no panties on. His hands would be swallowed by the warmth of her pussy; by its moist, warm wetness. And then his fingers would invade her pussy lips, going past her vulva, deeper and deeper. One finger, two, three, all would be sucked until he had his entire fist in her. She would moan loudly with her eyes rolled into her head, drowning in pleasure.

  Then she would push him to the ground, kneel above his hips and guide his cock into her with her hands. As her pussy swallowed all of him, she would begin a soft rotation of her hips. The hip movement would increase in intensity with each passing second, her gown caressing his stomach and thighs, until he would feel his cock about to burst from gratification.

  She would ride him like a horse, her pussy feeling both cold and warm at the same time. He would feel his cock grow larger and larger as the moist chambers of her pussy enveloped him. It would feel like a synergy happening between something inside her and something inside him.

  And then, in an unexpected movement, he would rise up, carrying her from the thighs in his strong arms, and then pin her against the wall, his cock still inside her. And then, he would drill his cock into her pussy, feeling her expand with each thrust. As she lay moaning against the wall, hair in her mouth, his mouth would find her tits, which he would feast on like a ravenous wild animal. His tongue would flick over her areolas, nibbling the dark tips of her nipples until she screamed. His cock would pound her hard clit until she came, bathing his cock with a warm wash of pussy juice. And then he would come, his cock shuddering as she jerked his junk onto her soft, warm pussy lips.

  Elena’s voice returned him from the wanderings of his mind. He felt the hardness of his cock from within his pants and he flushed slightly. She sounded panicked, her voice ringing more strongly than it did when she spoke earlier.

  “Where is Seydoo?” She asked, her eyes roving about suspiciously. Again, Timou didn’t speak, but she could read the message in his eyes. To his utmost surprise, as understanding washed over her senses, he watched two rivulets of tears begin to pour down the sides of her face.

  He was taken aback. Elena was many things, but emotional wasn’t one of them. Besides, he hadn’t realized that she cared so much. True, they had worked together as a squad for a number of years now, and they had indeed made some beautiful memories together, but Elena had always regarded Seydoo like he was nothing more than an annoying moth. While she had clearly found him intriguing, she had found Seydoo obnoxious. Where she found him skilled, she had found Seydoo loud and inept. During compulsory peer assessments at the High Commission, she had always reserved the most negative feedback for Seydoo, leaving him wondering why Seydoo had remained so chummy with her afterward.

  And now here they were, he was down and she was broken. Her chest heaved from her sobbing and her face clouded in an unimaginable way. Wordlessly, Timou moved over to her side of the fire and hugged her in the vastness of his broad chest, feeling her violent sobs vibrate against his ribcage. He couldn’t believe that Elena could be so shattered by anything. Maybe the lightning bolt had caused her short term memory loss. Maybe she had actually cared, and her superciliousness had been nothing more than a façade of the kind she had demolished back at the abandoned basketball court in Atlanta. Whatever
it was, Timou was certain about one thing: Lukai had done this, and he would pay for it.

  In a few minutes, Elena calmed and the violence in her sobs diminished. Timou disengaged from her and walked toward an enclave of tall shrubs. Being so bodily close to Elena, even if for the purpose of consoling her, had only sent electric sparks across his body in rapid succession. He had not only retained the erection from his daydreams, but it was also now larger than ever.

  He unzipped his fly and brought out his turgid cock. He imagined Elena naked, with a pussy sprinkled with golden hair and the thought of it made him moan. He cupped his cock in his right hand and began sliding it in and out, lingering at the tip, feeling a dizzying sensation mount with each slide. He imagined Elena in thousands of nude and semi-nude poses, the pace of his palm rising with each mental image; Elena at the beach in a multicolored, striped cloak, with her right boob out and her right tit layered in ice cream; Elena sitting with her back against the wall and legs wide apart, exposing a vulva so red it sent chemicals to his brain; Elena with a fat banana in her mouth, blinking seductively. He tired for a bit and rested his erection against the smooth, soothing sides of the nearest shrub. And then he got back to it, sliding his large cock through his wrapped palm, back, forth, back, forth, until, with a deep groan and several jerky movements, he came all over the reddish-brown earth.

  When he returned to the fire, Elena had a white dove in her hands. He marveled at her capture but refrained from asking about its origin. He had never known Elena to be physical with her hunting. She must have cast a short spell.

  “We must bury Seydoo properly,” she advised, her voice again weak and brittle, “It’s only right that we do so. He deserves this honor, at least.”

  Timou nodded and groaned in assent and they got to work, gathering stones to make an altar and drawing intricate patterns in a circle on the ground. Seydoo’s burial rites had begun.

  ∞∞∞

  LUKE drank Becca’s curves through eyes heavy with desire. All those many years ago, when the prophecy had emerged and he had imagined his fated mate, he had never expected that she would be so hot.

  The air was still and thick with the fragrance of cinnamon and turmeric. Old band songs floated up the stairs and filled the room, expanding with the elasticity of rubber. Grams’s date had arrived. Becca had stolen a glimpse of him. He was a beautiful man, dazzling with a mane of well-kept salt and pepper hair. His shock of grey shone with the radiance of sunflower yellow when the sun rays hit it. He had deep, brown eyes and kind lips. He didn’t look a day older than sixty.

  “He’s gorgeous,” Becca groaned when she returned to the room from her spy spot, her face scrunched like she was about to vomit, “I hate my life.”

  “Oh, don’t be like that.” Luke had said, rising from the mattress to enclose her in his arms. He felt her warm boobs crush his chest and his manhood responded, standing at attention like a schoolchild at the sound of the national anthem.

  “While Grams tangos downstairs,” Luke had suddenly asked, his eyes glinting with mischief, “Don’t you think we should show the oldies how it’s done?”

  His tongue had found its way into the groove of her ears as he said those words, and she had giggled from the delightful sensation. His tongue ran down the sides of her face and the curve of her neck. He had reached out a hand and cupped her boobs, producing a moan. His other hand had grabbed her ass and she moaned again. He squeezed her boobs, rubbing his palms all over them, servicing each nipple with a wet rub and a pinch. She had continued moaning, melting in his arms.

  Her hand had traveled down to his pants, where she had found his huge cock waiting for her. She fingered its head, playing around the slit, producing a groan out of him. She began sliding her hand across his cock, up, down, in a rhythmic motion. He brought his lips to her boobs and nibbled her areolas until she screamed.

  His lips found hers, and they kissed hungrily, clawing at each other’s faces, their warm tongues teasing, twisting, and turning. She turned her back to him and bent at an angle that elevated the fullness of her ass.

  “Take me to the clouds.” She commanded.

  Luke obliged. He spanked her ass and she moaned. Then he spanked it again, the right cheek, the left cheek, the right, the left, until the skin around it erupted with the color of cherries. He pulled down her sexy shorts, unraveling her black lace panties. He pulled that down too, slowly, his fingers drawing gentle lines on her bum. She shivered, overwhelmed by the new sensation.

  Her ass hole was a beauty to behold. Luke bent toward it and ate it like pudding. He licked it all over, pushing his tongue into the depths of her ass and nibbling the sides of it. She shivered like she would break any moment. He ate her ass like nobody’s business, his tongue worshipping her hole and transporting her to the depths of pleasure. As he licked her asshole, his fingers found their way to her pussy, which was already swimming with juice.

  He took her from behind, his cock filling her up like cream in an Oreo. She sent her hand back and pushed more of him into her until she ached. And yet, she couldn’t get enough of him. She curved her arm around his neck, hooking him by the shoulder and forcing his face towards hers. As he drove into her, they ate each other’s faces. She had felt like she would burst.

  Then, even with his cock still fully in her, he flipped her over in an extremely athletic movement which, luckily, she had been ready for. With her face to him, she brought his face down and let her tits touch his face. He went mad, pounding into her until she thought she would split in two, his tongue anointing every inch of her boobs. She felt his sweat trickle all over her nipples and she loved the sensation of it, loved how it made her feel connected to his very core. She felt his weight on top of her and she pulled more of him into herself, feeling him fill her up.

  He split her in two and she pulled down, their bodies quivering to the music of pleasure. She pushed more of him into her, welcoming his every thrust until he struck her G-spot. Her body seized, palpitating in a convulsion, as her pussy poured out the juice in torrents. He had pounded on, hitting her G-spot once more and splitting her head with pleasure. Then he came on her stomach.

  Now, they worked furiously all around the room, folding clothes, wrapping weapons, and packaging supplies into two medium-sized leather bags that Becca had produced from the depths of her closet. She packed her knives and enchanted staff (which, apparently, she could cause to shrink with a little command). And then she packed a large spell book, to which Luke smiled. Since they met, Becca’s magic had suddenly awakened in its fullness, and boy was it tremendously powerful. He was pleased that she was taking steps to hone her talents even further. They would need all the power they could summon, on this quest.

  Luke himself traveled very light, less as a result of idiosyncrasy and more because of the fact that he really didn’t have very much to pack. Other than the staff he had picked up in Transylvania after his escape, a few daggers, and a gun with powerful inscriptions on it, Luke didn’t have any other weapons. He packed two of Becca’s shorts with him, too. Grams had prepared pies, cookies, raisin cakes, and dried nuts. Name any meal that could cook in five minutes and could last for a year stored in a bag and she had provided it. By the time they were done packing, Luke’s bag was the weight of a baby, while Becca’s felt like the size of two lawnmowers.

  Becca walked to her side window, peering through the see-through glass. The magical barrier was back, but she could still see the gaping crater right in front of the mansion, a residue of the nasty battle where Luke had nearly been returned to prison and she had nearly lost her legs. Her eyes washed over the carpet grass and the sturdy wood of surrounding trees and the baby blue of the cloudless sky above. She suddenly felt overcome with a wave of giddy emotion, and she felt her eyes well up with moisture as she stared with a lingering nostalgia for the world she had grown up in, a world that had ended a week ago. She found herself wondering if this would be her last time seeing Grams, or being in the house. Luke had let on v
ery little about the mission, but she could tell that it would be treacherous. She didn’t know what to expect, and the thought of losing it all filled her from the inside like a wave of ocean water, paralyzing her with fear.

  She trusted Luke. She had looked into his mind, and she could tell that he was far from being the monster history books had painted him. True, he wasn’t perfect. He had given in to his emotions and let a blind eye put his people in danger. But he had only wanted the best for his people, to protect them and defend their kingdom. The other clans were just as complicit, if not more, in the mess of a massacre that had ensued afterward.

  She had seen Luke in action. She knew how powerful he was; how powerful he could be. He was unlike any vampire she had ever seen or heard of, and she had marveled at his control of the elements and his seemingly infinite powers of regeneration. Yet, he wasn’t invincible. If she hadn’t taken out that floating witch, Luke would probably be dead by now or worse. She now knew her destiny: she would have to protect Luke as he rebuilt his kingdom and restored balance to all the clans. Which was why she had made up her mind to train until her bones could take it no more.

  She also realized that it was her job to cure him of his delusions. He didn’t have to conquer all the clans and subjugate them to protect his people. Whatever peace was created from such an action would be brittle at best, and would fall apart at the slightest opportunity for a revolt. Luke wanted a solution that would stand the test of time and ensure sustainable safety and happiness for his people, and this wasn’t it. There had to be another way.

  She fingered the pendant on her neck, subconsciously dreading the next time it would glow. Now that they were venturing into dark, choppy, unknown waters, she hoped she had enough in her to withstand the storms. Her power had increased, yes, she could feel herself breathing under her skin and blazing with electricity. She knew now that she was stronger than she had ever imagined she could be. But then, it wasn’t enough. To survive through all of this, and be what Luke needed her to be, she had to be stronger; had to be better.