The Hunt (closed to Lucian Devine)

[Kaena]

Elera walked swiftly, her eyes continuously scanning the crowd for any sign of threat to her sister Queen Saeya, who walked at her side. If her ebony skin and long black hair didn't draw attention to her in itself, the weapons she had strapped to her side and leg would. Elera wore her weapons with pride. Though her reputation was well known in the human kingdown where she grew up, she was now in a land she was not familiar with and surrounded by those that didn't know her well. Even so, just looking at her, there was no doubt that she was dangerous to anyone who dared cross her or the queen. Saeya on the other hand was a stark contrast to her sister, her skin fair and her hair almost silver.

Elera was a full elf, born before their mother married Saeya's human father, the king of Kailla. She had never known her father. Her parents love had been forbidden. Her mother was a high elf princess, promised in marriage to the human king of Kailla to join the human and elven kingdoms and he was not only a commoner, but a dark elf, a race that was looked down upon by the high elves. Their affair was revealed when Elera was conceived and her father was killed by her grandfather in a fit of rage. After that her mother had been shipped off to marry the human king and despite her heartbreak from losing her first love, she grew to love Saeya's father and settled in as the Queen of Kailla with ease. Not long after, Saeya was conceived. Though she was not the king's true daughter like Saeya, Elera was never treated any different. She was taught by the best tutors and trained to be a warrior alongside her sister. The only thing her parentage restricted her from was being Queen of Kailla, but, in reality she didn't want that responsibility and was happy to concede it to her sister when the time came. Instead, she acted as her sister's enforcer, her shadow as most called her. A force to be reckoned with.

Where Elera gave off an aura of danger, Saeya was more subtle. Her fair skin and light hair often made others think of her as weak, someone who hid behind her sister and wouldn't fight her own battles. Often she ended up surprising those that tried her, her skills with her weapons matching her sister's equally. In some ways she was more dangerous than Elera because no one expected it from her.

Saeya had been trained and prepared to take over the kingdom of Kailla once their father stepped down, but things had not gone as planned. News arrived days before her coronation of the assassination of their grandfather and uncle, who had been the rulers of the elven kingdom of Salendell. Their aunt was still alive, but she was in no condition to rule a kingdom, having been raped and left for dead. Though the guards arrived too late to save their family members, they were able to capture the small group of assassins responsible, before they managed to slip away into the night.

Saeya had been forced to leave Kailla and become the temporary ruler of Salendell, until their cousin Kharis was old enough to take his father's place on the throne. Since Elera never left her side, she had opted to travel with her as well. The kingdom had been in chaos when they arrived, with the king dead and the possibility of those responsible planning a take over. Fortunately, her uncle's army was formidable and had swayed anyone from attacking the kingdom until Elera and her sister arrived.

When they had arrived in Salendell, they were met with the news that the Queen had succumbed to her injuries and that the army had yet to extract information from the assassins.. They were resilient men and woman who had been trained to hold their tongue, even in the face of torture. For the entire month it took for Elera and Saeya to arrive, they were put through several kinds of torture to make them talk and still they refused to give up their employer. There was one young man though that had remained unscathed up to that point. The one that the queen had pin pointed as the man who had attacked her. Saeya had left express orders for him to be left them to deal with.

The man couldn't have been more than 20, however, he lasted several days under the severe torture and beatings bestowed upon him by Elera and Saeya. They had loved their aunt who had always treated them like her own children. By the fifth day, his broken and battered body was a clear testament of what they thought of him and he was begging them to stop. Still he held out providing them with any information about who had hired them. It wasn't until Elera threatened his manhood with her knife that he started to talk. He told them everything, starting with how he had acquired the job from the king of the north and convinced his brother, a seasoned assassin to gather his crew to do the job. She had even managed to get from him which one of the assassins were his brother, a leverage she knew she could use in the future.

Having no more use to keep the band of assassins alive, they gave them a choice, death or the Hunt. With the hunt, they would be hunted by noble men and woman who had paid for the chance to be there. If they managed to elude capture during the time set out, they would be given their freedom. If they were captured, they would become the slave of the one that captured them for the rest of their life. It wasn't surprising that they all chose the chance at freedom over certain death. It was now the day of the hunt, which would permanently seal the fates of the men and woman that had been captured.

The sisters were both dressed in similar clothing. A soft tunic under a leather corset, tied tightly to keep the cloth from impeding their movement. The tail of the tunic was tucked in neatly to a pair of soft leather pants which were tucked into a pair of knee high boots. Elera's clothing was a shade of black that closely matched her skin, making her impossible to see under the fall of night. Saeya's on the other hand was white, to complete the contrast between the two. The both carried a sword gifted them by their father, strapped at their waist. Aside from that, Elera had a dagger strapped to each thigh, as well as a bow strung over her shoulder. Saeya had one dagger strapped to her thigh, but also had one inside her boot and another strapped to her wrist under the sleeve of her tunic. Instead of a long bow like her sister, she carried a cross bow and a sheath of deadly bolts made of silver and tipped with a poison that could paralyze a man for several minutes.

After ensuring the area was secure, Elera left Saeya's side and made her way to where the captives were been held in cages. There were 8 in total, including the young man they had tortured. He hung limply from the chains that held him, barely able to stand on his own. In their eyes he was deserving of death, however, he had chosen the hunt as well. Despite this, they had already decided that they were not going to send him right away with the others. He would be only be sent in if his brother eluded capture long enough to risk the possibility he would win and gain his freedom. They had a feeling he would do anything to protect his younger brother and they intended to use it against him.

Elera slowly walked along the row of cages, gauging each captive separately. In one cage a female captive was being examined by one of the nobles who had purchased a ticket to the hunt. It was normal for those participating to evaluate their potential acquisitions. Elera watched for a moment before moving on. Though she despised the noble, she hated the assassins even more and didn't particularly care what happened to them. If they had only killed her grandfather, it would have been different. There was no love lost between her and her grandfather. She had despised him her whole life for what he had done to her father. Her uncle on the other hand had been a gentle and loving man. Any time he had visited them in Kailla he had always treated Elera with respect. The fact that these men and women had brutally murdered her uncle and aunt, leaving their children orphans, only fueled Elera's hatred for them.

Finally she came to a stop in front of the cage that held the brother of their informant. Her eyes locked with his as he stared defiantly back at her. He hung shirtless from the chains, his skin glistening with sweat from the hot sun beating down on him. Where all the other men and woman still bore evidence of their torture his skin was smooth and without blemish, as if he had somehow healed faster than the others. His muscular body was well toned and defined, drawing Elera's attention more than the fact that he was unmarked. It had been awhile since she had laid with a man and the thought of him under her made her loins tingle with excitement. She had always intended to join the hunt more for the sport than to actually acquire a slave for herself, but know she was more open to the idea.

Motioning to the jailer to open the cage, she moved in for a closer look. Her gaze met his once again as she reached out and slowly ran her fingers down his chest and over the bulge in his pants. He struggled to move away from her as she touched him, his gaze remaining on hers. Moving quickly, she moved around behind him and placed her hand on his throat, pulling him back against her.

"Stay still," she growled as she moved her hand down to his pants again and undid the ties holding them closed. Sliding her hand inside his pants she grabbed his cock and slid her fingers along its length. Once again her mind flashed to a vision of him beneath and she pulled her hand back, grateful that her ebony skin would hide the excited flush on her cheeks. Sliding her hand out of his pants, she made her way out of the cage. Taking one last glance back at him she noticed a red mark on his neck where the ring on her hand had touched his skin. Her ring was made of pure silver and for it to mark him like that, it would mean that he was some type of lycan. It completely made sense now as to why he was fully healed while the others were not.

"Spread the word that he is mine," she whispered to the jailer before making her way back to Saeya who stood watching the gathering crowd.

"We will have to be careful with that one," Elera whispered to her sister, nodding her head back in the direction of the cage she had just some from. "He has lycan blood. He may be harder to capture than we thought. Luckily we still have his brother, so if he gets too out of hand, we will play that card."

"He is a fine specimen," Saeya replied, her eyes appreciatively glancing in that direction. "Do you intend to join the hunt for him?"

"Yes, I have made my intentions known," she replied. "Let's get this over with." Saeya nodded her head in agreement and motioned for the jailers to release the captives and bring them forth, with the exception of the one young man. The were led forward to the edge of the forest and their chains removed.

"The rules of the hunt are simple." Saeya began, her eyes moving the group of captives. There are 20 hunters and 7 of you that are being hunted. The area is surrounded by a magical barrier and guards. You are not able to leave the area, however, there has been plenty of means provided for you to attempt to hide and evade capture. If you manage to elude capture for the next 2 hours, you will be given your freedom and your debt to the kingdom will be paid. If you are captured, you will become the property of the one who captured you and will be their slave for the rest of your life. You will be given a 10 minute head start. If I were you I would run."

As the last words fell from Saeya's lips the group of captives began to move, one by one disappearing into the trees.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

"Don't do business with royalty...Don't do business with royalty...Don't do business with royalty..."

The words repeated themselves in Kane's mind like some sort of mantra. It was one of his few rules when it came to the shady business of assassinations. No good ever came from working with royalty or trying to kill royalty. Yet here he was, captured and preparing to be hunted because he'd broken that one rule.

Despite his capture, Kane's hazel eyes burned with a determination, the same determination that had allowed him to carry out the task that had brought him to this point, and for the person he'd done it for. It was of course for that reason that he'd chosen to be part of the hunt.

Kane's captors had not been kind to say the least, and if he were not a full-blooded lycan, his body would have shown the result of their efforts. They'd tortured and questioned, but it was easy to refuse information when he didn't know the answers. He'd taken the job to help his brother, and intentionally remained ignorant of the client. All he cared about was the target.

"Fucking moron..." Kane muttered to himself, his mind constantly replaying the events in his mind. He didn't have to search for what went wrong though...He knew what went wrong, and it made him hate his situation that much more. The job was done, and they were within their window to escape, if only Keene had stuck to the plan.

The sound of boots on the ground caught Kane's attention and pulled him out of his own head. He'd of course been hearing them all day, being under constant guard and patrol, but this gait sounded different, and a single glance was enough to tell him why.

The sight of a dark elf in this kingdom was a curious one. That curiosity only increased when she commanded the guard to open the cage and he actually did. Despite his current circumstances, it was hard for Kane to not wonder who this woman was. His face and eyes betrayed none of the thoughts in his head though, and he simply met her gaze as he'd done with anybody else that walked by and looked at him.

Any curiosity shifted to annoyance when the woman reached out her hand and slid her fingers down his sweat-slicked chest, and to anger when she kept going. By the time her fingers reached the bulge in Kane's trousers, he turned to the side, making her hand glance off. He'd let out an aggravated sigh, but didn't have time for anything else before the woman dipped behind him. Her hand around his neck would have been laughable if not for the stinging feeling that quickly turned into a burning.

The pain was nothing new to Kane. All lycans knew the touch of silver when they felt it, and while the pain continued to intensify, he was still aware of the woman's actions, untying his pants and reaching her tiny ebony hand into them. He would have been curious about her initial reaction to the eight inch cock she felt beneath her fingers and the feel of leather-covered breasts against his back.

As Kane's anger grew, another sensation started to build inside him. With his body assaulted by anger and pain, it wanted to transform, and he was glad that the woman pulled both her hands away before his body started to literally shake as he fought the transformation. His mind of course knew how easy it would be to transform, rip off these chains and break out of this cage. It was only because of a small shred of logic reminding himself that his brother was in no condition to run, let alone fight that he was able to restrain himself. He knew his time would come, and even when the dark elf foolishly laid claim to him, he met her gaze once more. He had to stifle the urge to smile as he thought of the things he would do to her and anybody else that got between him and his brother.

The mark that Kane knew was on his flesh faded with time, and was gone when the final preparations for the hunt started. When the man announced that there would only be seven participants, Kane's anger flared up again. A simple glance was all it took for him to find out that his brother was still caged. That meant that Kane would not only have to evade capture, but also come back after he was free and try to rescue his brother. Life just kept adding fun little hurdles to this ordeal, as if to remind him why that rule of his was important.

Kane forced himself to temper his anger in the moments before the cage was going to be opened. He would gain nothing by acting irrationally. His first goal was freedom. Then he'd worry about the rest.

When the cage was opened the the chains were released, Kane started moving, but kept his speed the same as the rest of the group until they made it to the tree line. Only when they were out of sight of the pursuers did he truly start to run, easily putting distance between him and the others. It was true that he'd gathered this crew together, but it was purely a business relationship. No honor among thieves and all that. So he had no trouble leaving them behind.

Once he'd put a good distance between himself and the others, Kane went one step further, shedding the boots and the white pants that had been put on him. He knew why they'd given them all white to wear, and he had no intention of making it easy for them. He then dropped down onto the ground, covering the full of his naked body in dirt and leaves before moving towards a tree. He made obvious foot prints up to it, and left some scuff marks on the bark of the tree. When he was up onto the thicker branches, he effortlessly jumped from one tree to another moving back in the direction he'd come. He knew that they'd expect him to run as far as possible. So he doubted that they'd truly start looking through the trees too early on. Still, he took no chances, and stopped moving with enough time for his breathing to stabilize. He then remained perfectly still in his tree, intending to wait out the hunt in this exact spot.

 

[Kaena]

Elera watched with interest as Kane made his way into the trees with the other captives. She knew with his lycan blood that he would be faster and stronger than the others and would quickly be able to put distance between himself and those pursuing him. Lucky for her she had a few of her own tricks up her sleeve that would allow her to track him easily. Looking back at Saeya she found that she had dragged Keene out of his cage and had him kneeling at her feet and was running her fingers through his hair as if he was merely a pet. Elera wondered if Kane had seen his brother before he took off running. If he had, she was sure it would it would fuel his desire to elude them and could either make it even harder to find him or make him distracted enough for her to swoop in and take him down.

After the 10 minute head start had finally passed, the group of hunters moved forward towards the trees. Elera scowled at a young nobleman who headed in the direction Kane had disappeared in, making him decide better of it and move off in a completely opposite direction. She knew she was easily the superior hunter when compared to the lot of nobles that had joined the hunt, but she was not running the risk of them accidentally coming across Kane before she had a chance to get to him. Nodding briefly to Saeya in a silent acknowledgement of their plan, she stealthily slipped into the darkness of the trees. Once she was under the canopy of the leaves it was almost as if she disappeared. Her skin and clothes allowed her to blend into the environment making it almost impossible to see her with the naked eye. Even though she was invisible to most, she knew with his lycan blood he would most likely be able to see her so she moved slowly, making no sound as she moved deeper into the trees.

I didn't take her long to find the clothes that Kane had discarded and find the obviously planted foot prints and scuff marks he had left on the tree. Taking a deep breath she looked up into the branches, a quick glance confirming her suspicions, He was long gone from the area, having taken off through the upper branches of the canopy above them. Anyone else would have assumed he had made his way deeper in the forest, but Elera knew better. Though she had not been blessed with the magic of the high elves like her sister, she was an expert tracker and her heritage had given her the gift of being able to see in the dark. Scanning the trees, she quickly found the path Kane had taken by the few branches that had snapped as he passed through them. It was obvious that he had turned back the way they had come from, back towards the tree line where Saeya waited with his brother.

Turning back in the other direction, she crept along slowly, constantly scanning the trees for any sign of him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Elera to follow his path, as if he had become more cautious as he moved, no longer leaving broken branches in his wake. Soon it was apparent that he had eluded her and had hunkered down somewhere to wait out the timer. Sighing, she shook her head and made her way back to Saeya. On her way she passed the nobleman she had seen earlier. Having now captured the young woman he had been inspecting earlier, he had her pinned against a tree, his hand roughly cupping her breast as his other hand dipped between her legs. Despite the desperate look from the young woman, Elera made no move to help her. Once a captive was captured, they became the property of their new Master or Mistress, who had the freedom to do whatever they wished with their new slave. In past hunts, Elera had seen both noblemen and women capture slaves. Though some had been kept for labour purposes, the majority of them became sex slaves, as it was apparent the young woman was destined for in this case.

Scanning the treetops once more time, Elera left the trees and made her way over to where Saeya stood waiting. Saeya grinned as she saw her approach and shook her head.

"So the mighty hunter has been bested has she," Saeya teased only to be met with a dissatisfied growl from Elera.

"He is faster and smarter than I gave him credit for," Elera replied, looking down at where Keene still knelt at Saeya's feet. "He has disappeared into the tree tops and has probably found a place to lay low until the timer runs out. I don't think he intends to move from his hiding spot until the hunt is over. Looks like its time to send in brother dearest here and see if that draws him out of hiding."

Saeya nodded in agreement and put her foot on Keene's back, pushing him face down in the dirt. Kneeling down, she placed a knee on his back as she cut the ropes that held his hands behind him before getting to her feet once again.

"Get up," she ordered, the tone of her voice spurring Keene to action. As quick as his battered body allowed it, he got to his feet, standing unsteadily before them. Without words, Saeya pushed him towards the trees, Elera following closely on his heels.

"Run," at Saeya's simple command, Keene took off into the trees, the sisters easily following after him. Once again, Elera slipped into the cover of darkness, following several yards off to the side of Keene, while Saeya followed along behind. Where Elera could not be seen, Saeya stood out in the darkness, her obvious presence making Keene panic and attempt to run faster. They continued their evil game of cat and mouse with him for several minutes before the sounds of other hunters up ahead could be heard. Stopping on the path, she motioned for Elera to continue following Keene as she made her way deeper into the trees, suddenly disappearing from view. Continuing on, Elera followed after Keene. Unlike his brother, he was not thinking clearly as he ran, his trail clear to follow and his footsteps echoing loudly through the quiet of the forest. Elera watched in amusement as he ran out of the trees into a small clearing and straight into Alvarus, one of the noblemen that had joined the hunt.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," Alvarus sneered, quickly taking ahold of Keene's arm before he had a chance to run away. "Just when I thought my luck had ran out and I was going to end up empty handed today." From where Elera stood observing she could see that Keene was struggling to pull away, but the weakened state his body was in was not in his favour.

"I know who you are," Alvarus continued, loosening the bundle of rope he had tied to his belt. Pushing Keene up against a tree, he quickly pulled his hands behind him and tied them tightly. "You are the one that killed that killed the Queen. Frankly I am surprised you are even alive. If I was king, I would have had you executed immediately. That's what happens when you put women in charge. Soft and useless if you ask me. I will be glad when that boy grows up and we are rid of those two halfbreed whores." Elera scowled at his words from her hiding spot, her eyes shining with anger. She knew that some of the noblemen were not happy that Saeya had been made queen until their cousin was old enough to rule, but this was the first time she had heard their opinion voiced. Of course, she was sure he would have held his tongue if he knew she was listening and that Saeya herself was close by as well.

"I heard what you did to the queen," Alvarus sneered again, turning Keene face towards the tree and moving to undo the belt of his pants. "Maybe you need a taste of your own medicine."

As Elera watched the scene before her, she listened intently to her surroundings. She knew Kane had to have seen his brother clumsily running through the forest. And if he had not seen him, he definitely would have heard him. She just wondered if he would arrive in time to stop Alvarus from raping his brother. Drawing her bow, she crouched down and waited.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Kane was a very experienced assassin to say the least, and where most people would struggle to stay in one place for an extended period of time, he had no such problems. Any assassin worth his salt should be able to remain motionless for hours or even days, with minimal breaks to to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. He took things one step further though. His lycan blood made it possible for him to go weeks without eating or drinking before he would start to feel the effects. He was perfectly built for something like this, and had every confidence in his abilities, even as he watched the dark elf walk past him not once but twice.

The fact that the dark elf knew that he'd doubled back spoke volumes. She had good instincts for sure, and was clearly not light on skills to have been able to follow his nearly invisible trail back to this point. Kane could tell that that's what she was doing just by how she was moving. Similarly, he knew the exact moment that she gave up on the hunt. Her posture and the way she walked changed completely when she gave up and started walking back towards the cages.

It wasn't until the dark elf had given up the hunt that Kane allowed himself a slow and steady exhale. Sure, he hated her for her treatment of him earlier, but he really couldn't blame her for it. He and his team had wiped out the full line of succession here, and likely would have come back for her and her sister if they hadn't been caught.

With the person hunting him out of the picture, and none of the other hunters even being worth of the attempt, Kane knew he was in the clear. There was nothing left to do but sit and wait. His instincts knew how much time had passed, just over 75% of it, leaving just under a half hour left to go before he was free once more.

While the forest hadn't exactly been quiet, the sudden crashing of footsteps through and over the underbrush. "Fuck..." Kane cursed softly under his breath. With most of the others that were being pursued likely either hiding, fighting, or captured, this clearly had to be a new person, added at the last minute, and if he was a betting man, he could definitely guess who it was.

While there was no way for Kane to know if he was right or not, he still knew that had to go and see. It was one thing to know that he was going to have to rescue his brother, but it would be much harder if he didn't know who his brother ended up getting captured by. That much was a gamble the two sisters were taking as well, but it was mostly just to lure him out, and he knew it.

With his mind all but made up, Kane took one last slow breath before he started to move. He crept slowly along the topmost branches that he knew could support his weight. The trees were thankfully close enough that he could get from the branches of one to the other without much difficulty, with some just needing a small jump to reach.

As he headed in the direction of the thunderous crashing, Kane still kept his wits about him. His eyes and ears were tuned as he moved from tree to tree. He cursed under his breath again when he heard a female whimpering and softly sobbing. Given the nature of this hunt, he knew exactly what would happen to the young woman if he did nothing. Time was of the essence right now though, and he turned away from where he knew the young woman and her attacker were and took a single step before he cursed one last time and turned back.

Kane may be a ruthless assassin who was all business when it came to the job, but rape was something he just couldn't tolerate. He quickly climbed down the tree and headed towards the whimpering. He saw Amara pinned against a tree with her arm leveraged around her back, and her trousers around her knees. He couldn't see the face of the man, but he didn't care. The guy's trousers were around his ankles, and his freed cock was pushing into Amara while his other hand continued to grope her.

With barely a sound at all, Kane darted forward, and was on top of the pair before the man had time to do anything more than just turn his head. Kane's fist came up and around, catching the man flush on the chin with enough force to lift him off his feet before falling flat on his ass. "Wait...I" Was all the man managed to get out before Kane had closed the distance once more and punched him again. The punch wasn't enough to kill, and Kane knew it, not even hesitating before kneeling down, grabbing the man's chin and head in both hands, and snapping his neck like a twig.

Kane rose to his feet and turned back to Amara, pulling a dagger from the man's boot in the process. She was a warrior and assassin in her own right, but you wouldn't know it from the look on her face as she pulled her shirt down with one hand and her pants up with the other. "Run...that way..." Was all Kane said as he spun the dagger around, presenting it to her hilt first, and continuing on his way. He'd done all he could for her in this moment, and he had another issue to tend to.

Without bothering to climb back into the trees, Kane headed once more in the direction that the he suspected his brother was coming from. Without the added cover of the trees he had to go slower, and found himself growing more and more annoyed as he had to dodge other hunters and find a way to pass them as they headed in the same direction.

Kane got close enough to see his brother through the last couple rows of trees, and he heard the words the man spoke. He was only in time to catch the last few words and see the man undoing his belt and drooping his trousers, just like the previous man.

"God fucking dammit..." Kane hissed silently to himself. What the fuck was it with everyone and their obsession with rape as a means of conquest.

With the size of the clearing and the sounds of other hunters closing in, Kane knew that this rescue wasn't going to be quite as easy as the last one. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, and as he did so, his body began to change. He felt himself grow taller, felt his muscles grow and tighten His head underwent the biggest change sliding forward a bit as his neck grew new powerful muscles, and his jaw shifting and changing to accommodate the new and larger teeth. He was already naked, making everything else about the change easier. Fur sprouted out across his entire body, white along his stomach, chest, and the inside of both his arms and legs, with a bright orange covering the rest. Next came the stripes, thick and black in that distinct tiger pattern. Finally came the tail, growing out of his tailbone and flicking back and forth when it hit it's full length.

The only remnant of Kane's human form was his hazel eyes, which now locked onto their target as he dropped to all fours. He hesitated for but a moment, getting the feel for the ground beneath his strong clawed paws before finally taking off. His muscles unfurled and propelled him from the tree line, going from zero to full speed within a couple of strides.

This man managed to turn his head to see Kane coming, but nothing could have prepared him for the sudden sight of a weretiger's hybrid form bearing down on him. He tried to turn and brace himself for the charge, but his dropped trousers restricted his motion. He would have fallen on his ass just like the last guy if Kane hadn't reached him first. His paw came around, just like his fist had earlier, but this time he struck with razor-sharp claws, cutting the man's throat from ear to ear before he even had time to scream.

Knowing that there was more to come, but not caring in this instant, Kane rose up to his full height, lifted his tiger-shaped head, and let out an ear-piercing roar.

"It took you long eno..." It didn't take a genius to know what Keene would have said next if Kane hadn't backhanded him across the face with enough force to turn him back around into the tree he had been pushed against earlier.

"You...don't...get...to...talk..." Kane said slowly, emphasizing each word as he slowly shifted back to his human form. "All of this is your fault, Keene and I will die before I hear you make light of putting eight peoples' lives in danger so you could get your dick wet raping a queen. If you were anybody else I'd have left you to your fate without a second thought."

As he finished speaking, Kane's hazel gaze started to scan the tree line of the large clearing. He knew the other hunters were out there, and he expected that the dark elf was out there too. Time was running out though, and if she, her sister, or anybody else wanted to try to claim either of them as a prize, they'd have to strike sooner rather than later.