Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Thirty Four

"We can do this two ways, pretty miss." His voice was the raspy nastiness of wind in dead leaves. "You come easily and you don't get hurt. I have no wish to cause a beautiful woman such as yourself any physical harm. That's the first way. The second way, you try your hand at running and I catch you." It was an ultimatum that ended with a calling whistle from his lips. From the dark thicket of trees, a dog appeared. He was large and savage... a primal, slobbering thing that was bred to hunt. "So choose."

"This is my home," Azabela began. "So why would I run?" She took a daring step forward. Her next words were a startling whisper, only loud enough for him to hear. "How about the third option? How about the option where you leave my property or I'll send an arrow through your eye and right out the back of your skull." She pulled the bow from her back and nocked an arrow with surprising swiftness.

The presence of the weapon sent the nasty man into motion. He took a step back and gestured for his dog to charge, and it happily obliged. It was a hunter. A predator. But so was Azabela --and she was faster. The rehearsed bowstring drew and snapped, shooting an arrow through the bloodhound's left eye. It landed at her feet, dead in a second.

She looked up at him. No remorse. No second thoughts. Another arrow drawn... another arrow released. It burrowed right between his ribs and into his heart with a thick crunch, sending him backwards on his feet and onto the ground. A gurgled scream left his throat and ended abruptly as he tried for a futile second to rip the projectile from his chest. Azabela felt no guilt as he writhed in throes of death --she had no time to feel anything.

As soon as he was dead, a sickening howl hit the air. It was a sound that came from behind her. Azabela didn't hesitate, but twisted around in time to hear a group of answering howls. She began backing away toward her front door.

More silhouettes stepped from the tree-line, and all too suddenly, Azabela realized that he had not been alone. There was at least a dozen men standing around her property, and at least four of them sported a hunting dog on a leash. Each of the dogs had the baron's sigil inscribed onto them. It was a turn of events that had Azabela feeling a lot more like the prey.

For a millisecond, she imagined her life as a forced whore. She imagined the life Rhalla had described.

No. The archer grit her teeth. They were never going to take her alive. Without another thought, she bolted, knowing full well she had about two seconds to get off the ground or she was as good as gone. She didn't see the intruders let go of their leashes, but she felt the thudding pursuit of the dogs on the ground behind her right before she jumped as high as she could.

She slammed against the trunk of the closest tree just as her heart slammed in her chest. With more strength than she knew she had, she quickly shimmied up two feet and grabbed the first large branch. With a burst of strength, she pulled herself up just as the dogs jumped for her dangling feet.

She didn't have time to do much at all. Just because the bloodhounds couldn't scale the trees didn't mean their owners couldn't. Even still, she had to get rid of the dogs. She drew another arrow, leaving her with eleven left in her quiver, and shot down one of the ravaging beasts. A ripping pain hit her directly in the meat of her shoulder and nearly knocked her off her feet.

She gasped in pain and wasn't surprised to find an arrow lodged in her shoulder.

She had to get out. Bracing herself through the shock, she quickly disappeared into the thick part of the tree. Another arrow grazed her foot as she moved upward, and Azabela didn't have time to wonder what they might've hit if she hadn't started climbing. The foliage of the leaves granted her cover... which was extremely important. But it wouldn't be enough, not if they tried to scale the tree and find her. She needed distance, but three dogs still lingered hungrily underfoot.