Hunted (Pack of Dawn and Destiny, #1)(84)

I smacked the inside of his forearm, redirecting the dagger away from me, then planted my palm just under his chin and pushed up, snapping his head upward.

A part of me couldn’t believe just how bad they were at this, until it dawned on me.

They’re hunters. They’re used to attacking from a distance as a group. They’ve never been pulverized in close range combat where they can only count on themselves. The Quillons got me a combat instructor just because I asked for one—it’s not typically taught.

Unfortunately, my luck was about to run out.

The hunter wildly windmilled his arms as he tried to catch his balance, and his blade bit into the side of my upper arm.

The Pack went wild in the trap.

Aeric threw himself at the netted, hissing surface, growling as the hackles of his fur stood up. Wyatt slammed his fists on its insubstantial surface, making it bulge, but it didn’t give.

Hissing in pain, I shoved the hunter to the ground and glanced at my arm.

The slice was about as long as my pinky finger, and was deep enough that it created a burning ache. The bigger problem was I was now bleeding, and I knew from experience that meant I had a limited amount of time before I got woozy.

Do I have time to try to wrap it?

The reinforcements reached me, swarming past Radcliff and Scarlett. One grabbed for me, and while I was able to dodge him, I nearly slammed into another hunter who was circling around to the front.

He tried to stab me in the eye with a hunting knife. I bent backward just in time—barely avoiding it—but the tiny blade nicked me on the cheekbone, opening a small cut that burned fiercely.

That’s a no.

“Take her down!” Amos yelled, having recovered enough to breathe.

I ripped my sheathed daggers off my belt and used one to block another knife jab, and rammed the pommel of the other dagger into the side of the hunter’s head.

He almost fell on top of me, and I backed up into another hunter, who tried to force me into a choke hold.

Scarlett ripped him off with a snarl, and Radcliff grabbed the wrist of another hunter who was raising a gun, chopped down on his elbow, and yanked the pistol from his grasp.

“You know.” I grabbed the now weaponless hunter by the collar of his shirt and kneed him in the groin, waiting until he bent over before I hit him in the back of the head with one of my sheathed daggers. “It’s pretty cool fighting with people,” I said.

“That isn’t normal for you?” Scarlett asked through gritted teeth. She was wrestling with a male hunter twice her size, and just as I took a step toward her to help, she slammed her head into his nose, making him stagger.

I planted my legs, then delivered a roundhouse kick to an incoming hunter, hitting her in the neck. “Not usually, no.”

Radcliff pistol whipped another hunter. “No wonder you’re so frightening.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I spun around, looking for Amos.

The wolves’ angry howls turned frantic, and I instinctively turned toward the trap.

Amos was tottering in its direction, ignoring the wolves—who frantically smashed against the trap, filling the air with the scent of singed fur.

He’s going to see the humans!

I secured one of my daggers to my belt, then sprinted after him, my fingers closing in on the collar of his shirt just as he rounded the bend of the hunter spell.

The trap briefly sputtered, then dimmed as Amelia and the Jacks finally dug out one of the trap’s anchors.

He tried to shout, but I yanked him backward, then smashed my elbow into the spot between his shoulder blades.

Amos cursed, then spun around and grabbed at my wrists as Amelia and the Jacks scrambled to the next anchor point. “Capture the humans!”

The hunters shifted their attention to Amelia and the guys, and I knew if I didn’t get their attention back, they’d be on them.

I hope I don’t regret this.

I yanked the scabbard off my dagger, and instantly all the hunters were focused on me and the grip I had on their leader.

Amos was so angry, he whistled when he inhaled. “Don’t just stand there! Get—” I slammed the pommel of my dagger into his nose, breaking it—again.

Three hunters charged at me.

Scarlett and Radcliff each grabbed one. I pulled Amos backward and pushed down on his forehead until he collapsed, then turned to face the incoming hunter.

Before I could strike, hot, intense pain bloomed on my back right shoulder.

All air left me as I struggled to process the pain. I dropped to my knees and awkwardly turned, looking over my shoulder.

A crossbow bolt stuck out of my right shoulder, the arrow digging into the muscle there.

Okay, this isn’t too bad. It didn’t pierce deep enough to get my lungs or anything important. Arrows are most dangerous because they can make a person bleed out. As long as I don’t yank this out— Someone behind me viciously yanked the bolt out—which hurt worse coming out than it had actually getting shot. I screamed, the pain so overwhelming my throat burned.

As I tried to breathe through the hot, all-consuming pain, I felt my shirt grow sticky with blood.

If help doesn’t come soon…I’m going to die.





Chapter 23





Greyson





I stopped mid-step when I smelled blood.