The Hunter
I didn’t have time to address Eira’s claim. Though my head was reeling, the sight of the guards racing toward us snapped me into action.
I grabbed Eira’s arm while simultaneously shoving the gilded hand mirror into my pack. She managed to swipe her dagger from the ground before we bolted down the alley.
Eira lagged behind, struggling to keep up with my loping strides, but my grip on her arm kept her close. I urged her left, then right, the narrow pathways familiar to me from my travels through the town over the years.
After several minutes of sprinting, her sharp gasps turned into pained wheezes. “I can’t,” she rasped. “I can’t—”
I cursed and slowed my pace, glancing over my shoulder.
I could no longer see the guards, but their echoing shouts still sounded close by.
My gaze roved up and down the alley, trying to get my bearings and figure out the best path to take.
If I were on my own, I could easily outrun the guards until I reached my destination.
But Eira wasn’t as fast as I was. And if the guards caught her…
No. I couldn’t let myself think about that.
I needed a new plan. I worked my jaw back and forth, scrutinizing the mud-stained buildings. The one directly across from me had a sign that read, The Wild Stag.
I immediately thought of Mauro and how offended he would be at the thought of a run-down building like this named after his kind.
From the other side of the grimy window, a moan of pleasure rang out.
Well, Mauro would be even more affronted to learn that a place called The Wild Stag was a house of pleasure.
I stilled, an idea occurring to me. Taking Eira’s hand, I led her a few paces down the alley until we reached a crossroads between buildings.
Several brothels lined the winding path, and more carnal sounds filled the air.
From outside the buildings, various couples were pressed against the brick wall, groping one another.
“Theron,” Eira hissed in warning, but I didn’t listen. I tugged her forward until we reached a gap between the buildings. I gathered our packs, weapons, and cloaks and shoved them on the ground so they were hidden behind our legs. Then, I leaned in, crowding her against the wall.
Her mouth fell open, her cheeks flushing as she glanced around us in alarm. “What are you doing?”
“We need to blend in,” I murmured, my heart racing at the thought of what I planned to do. “Do you trust me?”
Her mouth opened, then closed. For a moment, I thought she might say no. She had every reason to. Hell, I probably would, if our roles were reversed.
But before long, she was nodding, her eyes shining with an earnestness that made my chest constrict. Swallowing hard, I leaned closer, hovering over her, my chest flush with hers.
Blood and ice, I hoped this worked. If it didn’t, we would be caught, and it would all be over.
I can fight the soldiers, I thought. Eira can use her invisibility to get out, and I can fight them off.
But even as I thought the words, doubt crowded my mind. That plan hadn’t gone too well last time. And if Vikros was nearby, he would spot Eira in seconds.
My mouth went dry as I lowered my head, trying not to lose myself in the piercing ice-blue gaze Eira had pinned on me. She was staring, wide-eyed and lips parted, as I angled my face to meet hers.
And she wasn’t pulling away.
Just do it, Theron, I thought, frustrated that I was putting this off. This is for your survival. It doesn’t mean anything.
It would also resolve one of our previous bargains. Which meant I wouldn’t have to deal with kissing her ever again.
Just this once, I told myself.
A shout split the air, and several people cried out in alarm. My heart jolted, and I knew we were out of time.
Before I could react, Eira seized my collar and dragged my mouth to hers.
At first, I was so shocked that I held perfectly still.
Her soft lips pressed to mine, and she arched against me.
As the commotion drew nearer, I snapped out of my stupor and put my hands on her waist, pulling her closer.
Her mouth moved fervently over mine, coaxing more kisses from me.
Her tongue flicked along my lip, and I met it with my own.
Heat burned between us, scorching and all-consuming.
Heavy footfalls approached. I drew back a fraction, panting against Eira’s lips, and whispered, “Do I have permission to touch you?”
“You already are,” she breathed.
“I mean… elsewhere?”
“Yes.” Her eyes were full of heat and longing, stoking something low in my belly.
I pressed into her fully, pinning her to the brick wall, then hitched up one of her legs until it was wrapped around my middle.
Then, I ground against her, drawing a gasp from her lips.
I bent down and kissed her neck, dragging my lips up and down the column of her throat.
Her fingernails dug into the back of my neck, her hips writhing underneath me.
I kept one hand under her thigh, holding her leg up.
My fingers inched higher and higher until she shuddered and let out a soft whimper.
“Louder,” I ordered.
A ragged moan poured from her mouth, and shivering bones, it did sinful things to me. My cock hardened, straining against my trousers, and she rubbed against it mercilessly. The friction of the fabric between us was both maddening and intoxicating.
I pulled the collar of her shirt, dragging it down to expose one of her pale shoulders. I brought my mouth to it, my tongue gliding over her soft skin. Eira’s hand ran through my hair, tugging on it to bring me closer.
A soldier ran past us. Then another.
“You need to make noises, too,” Eira hissed as more guards approached.
I made a low growling sound, and Eira’s leg tightened around me, almost imperceptibly. I wasn’t even sure if she realized she’d done it.
In the pixie caves, I recalled her saying she loved my low, gravelly voice. A smile quirked along my lips. In a rough tone, I said loudly, “That’s it, love. Harder.”
Her breath hitched, and she uttered a soft gasp. “Oh, damn.” She wrapped her other leg around me. I brought my hips closer to hold her upright against the wall. She drew back to stare at me with half-lidded eyes, her lips slightly swollen from our kisses.
“You aren’t playing fair, hunter,” she panted.
I only arched an eyebrow at her in response.
To my surprise, she grinned, her expression feral. “I can play, too.” She lifted her hips and wriggled directly on my arousal. Then, she slid a hand between her legs, easing it under the waistband of my trousers until her fingers gripped my cock.
I went rigid, then slammed against her with a bit too much force, pressing her back harder into the wall. Molten desire flooded my veins.
This was pure torture. I was torn between wanting this to be over and wanting to rip off Eira’s clothes and take her against this wall, witnesses be damned.
More soldiers darted past us. Eira’s grip on me tightened. My eyes shut against the onslaught of heat cutting through me.
“How does that feel?” she breathed in my ear.
A strangled sound escaped me, and I didn’t have to exaggerate it. This devious princess would be the death of me. My hand rested on her waist, and I inched it upward, tracing fingers along her ribs until I reached the bottom of her breasts.
She stilled as I pressed a thumb against her nipple. Even through the fabric of her tunic, she quivered under my touch. I pressed harder, kneading her breast between my fingers. Her head rolled back, and she cried out.
“This way!” shouted a guard.
Two more men shot past us, and I distinctly heard one of them say healer.
I froze, my heart lurching with recognition. My senses homed in on the men pounding through the alley, trying to catch snippets of their conversation. Eira’s moans faded, her eyes sparking with clarity as she, too, listened.
“The old healer tipped us off,” one of the men was saying. “The assassin is here, as is the Snow Princess.”
Shit. Lavinia had called the guards, the conniving bitch.
If the queen knew for certain Eira was in the village, she would tear apart every building until she found us.
Eira’s eyes widened as she processed the words. Our faces were only a breath apart; to a bystander, it would look like we were still kissing.
“What do we do?” she whispered.
There were still too many guards in the alley for us to slip away unnoticed. But if we waited too long, the area would be swarming with them.
“We need a diversion,” I breathed.
Her eyes suddenly lit up. She brought two fingers to her mouth and let out a faint, high-pitched whistle.
I stiffened before clapping a hand over her mouth. The sound hadn’t been too loud, but a few people nearby were looking around in confusion.
“What the hell are you doing?” I growled.
Her gaze was full of amusement. Slowly, I lowered my hand enough for her to respond.
“Summoning reinforcements,” she said with a grin.
I frowned, not understanding.
A small white shape landed on her shoulder, and my head reared back in shock. Kendra’s brilliant blue eyes darted from Eira to me and back again.
“Why are your lips so red?” she asked.
Eira’s cheeks flushed. She hastily removed her hand from my trousers, then dropped her legs so they were no longer wrapped around me.
I hated how much my body yearned for her warmth.
Eira cleared her throat. “Are Mauro and Frisk safe?”
“Yes. They are a few streets over. We’re following the commotion. I assume that’s why you two are cuddled up in this alley?”
“It is. Can you distract the guards so we can slip away?”
Kendra ducked her head under a wing. “I don’t know, Snow.”
“Please? We could really use your help.”
Kendra flared her wing so it nearly covered her entire head. She let out a small squeak of fear.
“Kendra,” I said, and she lifted her wing, her eyes snapping to me. “You can do this. You were incredible against the soldiers earlier. I watched you fight them off when they threatened those children. It was… Well, it was quite admirable.”
Kendra’s head rose, her eyes brightening. “Really?”
“Really. I was very impressed. And I don’t say that lightly.”
“It’s true,” Eira added. “He hates saying kind things.”
I shoved her arm, and she elbowed me in response.
“It’s just for a few seconds,” Eira went on. “You don’t even have to get that close to them. Just fly nearby, draw their attention, and let us slip away. Shoot some ice blasts at them from a distance.”
Kendra tilted her head, considering this. “I think I can do that.”
“You definitely can,” I said encouragingly.
Kendra glanced between us, then scrutinized Eira. “Why is your sleeve pulled down?”
Eira made an exasperated sound, her cheeks reddening further as she adjusted her tunic.
A few more soldiers moved past us, their pace slower than the others’.
I worried they would look at us too closely and recognize us.
I pressed closer to Eira, trying to block her and Kendra from their view.
I considered asking the princess to turn invisible but realized it would look even weirder if I were pressed up against the wall by myself.
“All right,” Kendra said, stretching out her wings. “When you hear my call, it’s time to move.”
Eira nodded. “We’ll meet you at Stella’s house.” She beamed with pride as Kendra leapt off her shoulder and took off into the sky. The dragon’s tiny form vanished, and I resisted the urge to turn and watch her fly away. I needed to look like a brothel patron, not someone acquainted with a dragon.
I kept my face close to Eira’s, our cheeks touching. Her erratic breathing matched mine. I could feel her thundering heartbeat even through her tunic.
From behind us, a scream rang out. Then another. I made to move, but Eira pinched my arm.
“Not yet,” she hissed.
I held perfectly still, waiting. I itched to turn and look at the cause of the commotion, but I needed to keep Eira hidden.
Then, a shrill caw sounded, like the amplified crow of a raven.
This time, it was Eira’s turn to grab my arm. Together, we bolted, taking off down the alley. I shot a quick glance over my shoulder, barely containing a snort of laughter.
Kendra, the fierce but tiny dragon, was flying around the guards.
She leapt from shoulder to shoulder, shooting bursts of ice directly into each soldier’s ear while they fruitlessly swung their swords at her.
I heard the familiar low bellow of Mauro and caught sight of a flash of his antlers as he joined the fray.
Though I longed to linger and watch the show, Eira pulled me forward. We rounded the corner, and the soldiers and animals faded from view.