Chapter 1
Chapter One
Kiera
The white, lace-trimmed gown is the most elegant garment I’ve ever worn.
It’s a gown fit for a princess, and I try to pretend that’s what I am as I face the Dark Forest. I’m a beautiful princess and it’s my wedding day.
I’m about to marry a handsome prince from a faraway kingdom, and I’m going to live happily ever after.
Someone gives me a firm push, shattering the illusion, and I stumble forward with a gasp.
Then I draw in a shaky breath, compose myself as best I can, and begin a slow walk.
The forest looms ahead, an expanse of dense vegetation that threatens to swallow me whole.
When the wind picks up, I swear I hear whispers in a long-forgotten tongue in the rustling leaves. The back of my neck prickles.
Please let me survive this ordeal unscathed.
I send up countless prayers to the gods as I continue walking, though it takes great effort to make my legs move.
Just as I reach the treeline, I glimpse the stone platform that rests about a dozen paces within the forest. My heart thumps wildly in my chest.
The altar.
I stop in my tracks as a chill races down my spine.
I can’t do this. Panic grips me, and I struggle to breathe.
Very few souls have entered the Dark Forest and lived to tell the tale.
Only the bravest of hunters, like my father.
But he’s not around to offer any guidance.
He’s long dead. Buried in the village graveyard next to Mama. I miss them more than ever.
“Do your part, girl, and your brother will walk free,” says a man who’s standing nearby. An Elder? His voice holds the authority of an Elder, though I don’t turn to verify his identity.
Oh, gods. My brother. Guilt presses close as I recall the promise I made to my parents years ago when their health started to fade.
I’d vowed to always take care of Daniel, my younger brother.
If I don’t do this, he’s going to die. He’s been sentenced to hang at noon tomorrow, but my cooperation will result in a full acquittal, or so the Elders have sworn.
A quick glance around shows the archers holding position on the watchtower. If their aim is true, maybe the plan will work. Maybe I’ll survive and then Daniel will be freed. I can only hope.
Daniel. I blink back tears. We have a strained relationship, but my heart clenches for his plight. I can’t let him die. I simply can’t.
Gods, grant me strength to do what I must. I peer at the Dark Forest with a sense of encroaching doom. My pulse flutters in my throat.
“If you turn around now, the archers will release their arrows on my command, and you will be the target, rather than the demon.” It’s the same Elder speaking, and his voice brims with impatience.
He’s eager to see if the scheme works. The entire settlement is eager, though not many people have come to see me off.
Just a handful of Elders and a dozen curious villagers.
I resist the urge to flee, and I take another step forward. My fear deepens. I focus on the altar, still stunned that the Elders picked me as demon bait.
I peer through the trees, searching for any signs of the dark creature that supposedly inhabits the forest—the very creature that is always blamed for the strange occurrences, deaths, and illnesses in the village of Zochal.
Last year’s poor rainfall? The demon’s work.
A plague that recently killed one in ten villagers?
Also the demon. A swarm of locusts that decimated the cornfields? More evil wrought by the demon.
At last, I reach the forest. I pause for a few seconds, utter one last prayer to the gods, then step inside and brace myself for a sudden attack.
But there’s no sign of the demon. Not yet.
Will it come if I stand on the altar?
I eye the white stones. Hundreds of years ago, it was common for villagers to leave animal sacrifices on the altar, and the Elders are worried the demon was sent to Zochal because we’ve turned our backs on the old ways. They say the demon is punishment.
As I stare at the altar, I shiver and tremble and feel as though I might be sick. What will happen when I stand upon the white stones?
I peek over my shoulder and catch sight of the numerous archers in the watchtower. All have their bows drawn at the ready.
If I don’t play my part, those arrows will pierce my flesh rather than the demon’s.
Not for the first time, I curse my brother for his recklessness.
Last week, he accidentally killed an Elder’s son during a drunken tavern brawl.
And now, through a chain of events I could’ve never anticipated, I’ve become demon bait.
How could I refuse the Elders’ proposal?
I feel awful that Daniel killed someone, and I’m angry with him, of course, but I can’t fathom watching him hang.
“Keep going, girl. Stand on the godsdamned altar. Now.”
I swallow hard and finish approaching the stones.
Another glance around the forest shows no sign of the demon, but surely if there’s a demon nearby, it’ll sense my presence.
It’s said that demons hunger for human flesh.
It’s also said they’re attracted to innocence.
I try but fail to suppress a shudder. Those archers better hit their target.
Can arrows even kill a demon? My stomach bottoms out. I search my memory for stories about demons and other dark creatures, but I can’t remember anything about how they might be vanquished.
Well, I’m already here. I’m inside the forest. Might as well step onto the altar and see what happens. Besides, if I attempt to run, the archers will release their arrows on me, and Daniel will hang.
I don’t have a choice.
Just as I step onto the altar, the wind gusts harder, and I’m momentarily blinded as my long, dark hair blows in my face. I tuck the errant locks behind my ears and turn in a slow circle, my eyes performing a constant scan of the trees. Still, nothing.
Despite its ominous reputation, the Dark Forest is enchantingly beautiful, and I allow myself a moment to bask in the loveliness of it.
Lush and green and ancient, the soaring trees block out most of the sun, but I can see well enough.
There’s a vibrant, blue-green tint to most of the vegetation, but I also glimpse hints of color.
Are the huge red berries on the bushes that surround the altar edible?
And is it my imagination, or have the yellow flowers on a nearby vine gotten bigger since I entered the forest?
Demon or not, there’s something otherworldly about this place.
Deeper in the woods, I glimpse the intermittent flashes of fireflies. It’s late afternoon, and I know the sun is still shining, but beneath the thick canopy created by the colossal trees, it looks and feels more like evening.
Suddenly, the wind ceases blowing, and a preternatural silence follows.
Time seems to stop, and I hold my breath as I wait for… it.
The demon.
It’s here. I sense its arrival, though I don’t see it yet. All I know is that I detect the presence of a powerful creature. My legs won’t stop trembling.
A low growl rumbles through the forest, and the sound vibrates through me like a sensual caress. An unexpected wave of surrender follows, the inexplicable urge to submit myself to the creature. To my utter shock, warmth also spasms between my thighs. I finally release the breath I’ve been holding.
Then I see it.
The outline of a massive stag appears amidst the trees, its many-pointed antlers towering above its head like a crown. Power radiates from the animal, and I muse that if the forest had a king, this stag would be it.
Though it looks like a stag, another deep growl rumbles from the majestic beast, and I know in my heart it’s not really a stag.
Is it the demon, or something else?
The Dark Forest is home to many strange beings. While I haven’t glimpsed any of the creatures with my own eyes, I’ve never had any reason to doubt the stories shared by the hunters who brave the woods, particularly the stories my father used to share.
The stag’s nostrils flare, and it stamps one foot in the dirt. He meets my gaze, and I cannot look away. The beast has dark, glimmering eyes that pierce straight to my soul.
Shocked murmurs ripple through the small crowd that waits back in the village.
I want to glance at the archers in the watchtower, but I still can’t tear my gaze from the stag’s.
I can’t be certain, but I think there’s a mocking gleam in its eyes.
I get the sense that it finds some amusement in my predicament.
Does it know I’m meant to be demon bait?
Fresh waves of fear course through me. This stag, or whatever the creature really is, isn’t afraid of the villagers. It’s not afraid of the archers or the Elders.
At last, the stag starts approaching me with a purposeful stride.
As it walks, however, its form changes.
One second it’s a huge stag, and the next second, it’s an impossibly tall man with antlers.
Disbelief clutches me, and my mind scrambles to make sense of what I’m seeing.
The antlered man is garbed in the same attire a hunter might wear.
Tall black boots. Dark brown, form-fitting pants and a matching shirt.
But he wears no weapons, and I’m starting to wonder how he expects to defend himself against the archers.
Surely he knows they’re in the watchtower.
Surely he can see them from his current vantage point.
My breath catches in my throat as he continues his approach. His gaze flicks toward the village, and the mocking gleam in his eyes flares brighter. I stand on the altar, frozen in terror. Why haven’t the archers released their arrows yet?
It’s said demons can quickly change forms and that they can inhabit the bodies of people and animals.
This creature has the ability to transform from a stag into a man.
But is he the demon the hunters keep spotting?
I try to remember the various descriptions I’ve heard, and I recall a few that mentioned a man with antlers.
Hearing the stories and seeing the creature in the flesh are two vastly different experiences. I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from the shock of today.
If I survive.
The creature comes to stand directly before me, and his woodsy masculine scent washes over me.
He’s so tall that he looms above me even though I remain on the elevated altar.
Gods, he’s enormous, and muscular. Handsome, too.
A haughty, regal aura flows from him that again puts me in the mind of a king.
The first arrow goes flying, but the man-creature lifts a hand and causes the trajectory of the arrow to shift. Rather than strike his flesh, it hits a nearby tree. Several more archers release their arrows, but the antlered man keeps changing the path of the projectiles.
No no no. I glance at the watchtower. More arrows go flying, but still, none hit the antlered man.
Already, over a dozen skilled archers have failed to hit their mark.
They keep reloading and shooting, but it’s no use.
The man-creature is too powerful. With the wave of a hand, he keeps sending each arrow away from his massive form.
Still gazing at me, he displays an abrupt grin, revealing a set of perfect, white human-like teeth. “What have we here?” His eyes rake over my body in an appreciative manner. “Are you lost in the forest, little girl?” He emits a dark chuckle.
I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. Fear has stolen my tongue. If the archers can’t even graze him, I’m well and truly fucked. I take a step back and scan the area as I contemplate making a run for it.
But where could I go? If I return to the village, the archers will likely shoot me. If I run through the forest, the antlered man will probably catch me. I pray he’s not really a demon.
He straightens, and it’s then that I notice the enormous bulge in his pants.
He’s… aroused.
I flush and can’t help but press my thighs together as the aching in my core deepens. I also start to feel increasingly breathless, and the waves of surrender come faster.
Why is he affecting me in a sensual manner?
I’ve never felt so unsettled and wanton in my life.
Until him, I’ve also never experienced the urge to submit to a man.
But I can easily picture myself kneeling at his feet, bowing my head, and sweetly awaiting his commands.
I give my head a shake as I try to banish the strange thoughts.
More arrows come flying, but he directs them into a tree. He laughs again, and takes another step nearer to me. Gods, his antlers are big. Everything about him is big and intimidating. He could crush me in a second if he wanted to. Why hasn’t he killed me yet?
A dark thought enters my mind. What if he decides to torment me before he kills me? I can’t help but glance at his crotch again. The bulge is even larger than before.
He leans close and takes a deep inhale. His eyes blaze with pleasure, and he releases yet another growl. It vibrates through me and makes me quiver with need. I can’t restrain a whimper.
“You smell delicious, little girl.” He meets my gaze. “I think I’m going to keep you.”