Chapter 215
Ellie's POV
"I'll handle it."
The two warriors immediately looked at me.
Their expressions shifted from exhaustion to surprise.
"Luna?"
I finished the last bite of my toast and brushed the crumbs from my fingers.
"I've hunted plenty before."
That wasn't exactly something most people knew about me.
But then again, there were a lot of things people didn't know about me.
I turned away from them, already making my decision.
As I walked through the kitchen, I noticed one of the servants standing nearby.
"Would you mind harvesting some fresh vegetables from the garden?" I asked.
The woman straightened.
"Of course, Luna."
"Carrots, specifically."
I glanced toward the window.
"I think a roast tonight sounds perfect."
"Yes, Luna."
She hurried away to do as I asked.
I told myself I wasn't doing this because of Vivian.
I wasn't.
This was simply practical.
Someone needed to prepare dinner, and if we were having fresh wild boar, then it made sense to have the right side dishes.
Besides, Dominic actually liked game meat.
That was all.
It had nothing to do with proving anything.
Nothing to do with showing Vivian that I knew him better than she did.
Absolutely nothing.
...
Except maybe a little.
Because deep down, I knew exactly what this was.
Competition.
That old, ugly instinct that had ruined so much of my past life was clawing its way back to the surface.
And I hated that part of me still cared.
The forest was peaceful.
The rain from earlier had left everything refreshed.
Water dripped from the pine branches above, falling onto the moss-covered ground with soft, rhythmic splashes.
The entire forest seemed sharper somehow.
Greener.
Alive.
The scent of wet earth filled my lungs, and for the first time in days, I felt something close to calm.
I moved quietly between the trees, my bow already prepared, an arrow resting against the string.
I had been following the boar's trail for a while.
The warriors hadn't exaggerated.
This animal was enormous.
The broken branches and crushed plants left behind him made that obvious.
I couldn't remember the last time I had hunted.
Not in this life.
But in my previous one...
The forest had been my escape.
Before everything fell apart.
Before I became so consumed by Dominic, by my duties, by trying to be the perfect Luna.
Before I took the assassin's blade meant for him.
Back then, I would sneak away whenever I could.
At first, I practiced archery against trees.
Then small animals.
Then birds.
Eventually, larger game.
It had been my secret.
The one thing that belonged only to me.
And I never thought I'd get the chance to do it again.
A sound pulled me from my thoughts.
A low grunt.
Then another.
I froze.
Ahead of me came the scraping sound of something rubbing against wood.
Slowly, I lowered myself.
Quietly, I moved through the bushes.
And there he was.
The boar.
The warriors had been right.
He was massive.
His body was covered in thick, coarse hair, his shoulders broad and powerful.
Two large tusks curved from his mouth.
One was broken.
A scar crossed over one eye, and part of his ear was missing.
He looked like he had survived countless battles.
Probably against other males.
And judging by his size...
He had won every single one.
I slowly raised my bow.
The best place to hit would be the neck.
The skin there was thinner.
But even then, one arrow probably wouldn't be enough.
I steadied my breathing.
Pulled back the string.
Aimed.
And released.
The arrow flew.
A sharp thwack echoed through the forest.
It struck.
The boar screamed, jerking backward.
For a moment, I thought it worked.
Then he turned.
Still standing.
Still angry.
"Of course," I muttered.
I reached for another arrow.
But the boar had already seen me.
His body went rigid.
His nostrils flared.
His hoof slammed against the ground.
Then he charged.
Time seemed to slow.
I pulled back another arrow.
Released.
But my aim was off.
The arrow only grazed his side.
"Shit."
I reached for another.
Too slow.
The boar was already halfway across the clearing.
Blood poured from the first wound, but it didn't slow him down.
He was running purely on rage now.
My fingers fumbled.
I grabbed the third arrow.
Knocked it.
But there wasn't enough time.
The boar slammed into me.
The impact was brutal.
All the air disappeared from my lungs.
Pain exploded through my body.
Something cracked.
A sharp, horrifying sound.
Like a tree splitting beneath too much weight.
My vision blurred.
The world tilted.
And darkness rushed in.
The last thing I heard was the boar's victorious scream.