Chapter 86: Let The Hunt Begin

Chapter 86: Let The Hunt Begin Reed POV: "Want to talk about it?" "No." "Then let me guess," he said, folding his arms. "You’re tired of being paraded like a breeding bull. You hate crowds. Hate expectations. You hate politics. And you hate that your father is throwing a festival instead of dealing with something more serious you clearly want to talk about." My eye twitched. Leo grinned without humor. "Thought so." I didn’t say it out loud, but he wasn’t wrong. He just didn’t know how right he was. Because the thing clawing at my chest, the pressure building in my skull, the reason I could barely stand still — it wasn’t just about duty. Or tradition. Or she-wolf politics. It was her. The girl I couldn’t name. The bond I couldn’t explain. The one no one else knew existed. She was out there. In danger. Alone. And I was trapped. I turned to the edge of the balcony and stared out across the dark pine trees surrounding the palace. Somewhere beyond them, I felt her. Like a whisper in my blood. Like a wound that wouldn’t close. Leo leaned next to me. "You know, you don’t have to pretend with me." I stayed quiet. He added, "But if you’re planning something reckless, just know... I’ll follow you into it. But only after you’ve used your brain, not just your wolf." I gave a half-smile. I wasn’t planning. Not yet. But soon. Because something told me—if I didn’t move soon, I’d lose her forever. And nothing would survive me then. "Just leave me alone" He sighed. "Your father gave me orders. To stay with you. Make sure you don’t... do anything reckless." "Like what?" Leo’s jaw tensed. "Run." I laughed—harsh, bitter. "So I’m a prisoner now?" "No," he said calmly. "You’re a king-in-waiting with a long leash. Don’t yank it." I stared him down. "You think I care about that throne?" "I think," Leo said slowly, "you’re hiding something. And I think whatever it is... is going to get someone hurt." I turned away before he saw too much. He didn’t know. No one did. Because if they did, if the packs discovered I’d marked a human girl—without trial, without sanction—they’d rip her to pieces just to keep the bloodline pure. And they’d call it justice. But Clause wasn’t a mistake. She was the only real thing I’d touched in years. And I’d be damned if I let this council of wolves decide her fate. Leo spoke again, quieter now. "If you’re in trouble, Reed... tell me. I’m not your enemy." But I couldn’t risk it. Not yet. So I just said, "I’m fine." And let him believe it. Let them all believe it. Because my father’s world was built on blood and oath. And if they knew what I’d done? They’d never let me leave. And they’d never let her live. The weight of Leo’s footsteps behind me was getting on my nerves. He wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it anymore. No more "casual patrol" excuse. No more "just making sure the royal alpha doesn’t get assassinated before the ceremony" bullshit. He was babysitting. Because my father had ordered him to. I halted in my stride, spinning sharply on my heel. "You can stop pretending now, Leo." His brows lifted in mock innocence. "Pretending what?" I narrowed my eyes. "I know you’re following me because the Alpha King ordered it. Why don’t you go have some fun?" Leo sighed, the heavy exhale of someone caught between duty and guilt. "He’s worried you’ll lose your temper," he said flatly. "There are daughters of twelve alphas here, Reed. And you’ve been avoiding every single one of them like they carry the plague." "They do carry something," I muttered, pushing past him. "Desperation." He jogged a few steps to keep up with me. "You’re the heir. This was meant to be your choosing season." I didn’t answer. Because if I opened my mouth, I’d blow up, and Leo knew it. He kept talking anyway. "He’s doing this for the packs. For unity." I stopped again, my jaw tightening. "I don’t care about unity if it means I have to parade myself around like a prize stallion in heat for a bunch of over-scented she-wolves who only want the title, not the wolf." I paused. "Besides... I already have someone." That last part slipped out before I could catch it. Leo’s eyes sharpened. "What did you say?" "Nothing," I said, too quickly. "Forget it." But he wouldn’t. Of course he wouldn’t. "You said you already have someone. Is it one of the High Council daughters? A rogue? Who is it?" I ignored him and kept walking. The ceremonial drums were starting to beat in the distance, deep and rhythmic, calling every wolf to the sacred gathering pit. I was meant to be there. Crowned with moonstone. Honored before the warriors. Introduced to the hopeful she-wolves. But I wasn’t going. Not yet. "Leo." I stopped abruptly, turning to him. "You’re starting to sound like a handler, not a friend." He raised an eyebrow. "Because right now, I’m both." I sighed and dropped my voice low. "You’re not going to follow me into the damn trees, are you?" He folded his arms. "Your father’s orders were—" "My father can shove his orders. I need five minutes. Alone." He hesitated. I could see the calculation behind his eyes—what this might mean, what it might cost. But I was his prince. Still, barely, the Alpha King’s heir. He wouldn’t defy me unless I gave him reason. So I dropped the final card. Cold. Sharp. "I need to piss, Leo. You want to supervise that too?" He made a face. "Gods, no." "Good." I turned and stalked into the woods, cutting off further argument. "Don’t wait up." He grunted something behind me, but the forest swallowed it whole. Once I was deep enough in the trees, where the torches couldn’t follow, I ran. Faster than I should’ve. Fast enough that my lungs burned and my bones ached to shift. But I couldn’t shift, not here—not yet. I needed my wits. I needed to think. Because this was madness. I should be in there, selecting a mate like a good heir. Laying hands on some noble-born she-wolf, claiming her, biting her in full view of the packs to secure the bloodline. On any other moon, I would’ve relished it. I’d have tasted them all, picked the strongest, the most savage, the most skilled in bed—and taken her in front of my rivals to remind them who I was. But now? All I could see was her. Her messy hair. Her defiance. Her venom-laced words and the way she looked at me like I was both her jailer and her chance at survival. She was supposed to be prey. Just another name on the Hunt roster. But the bond had snapped into place like a fucking trap. My wolf had scented her, seen her, chosen her—and it hadn’t asked for permission. And now here I was, a prince slinking through the forest to the edge of the Hunt zone, trying to protect the very girl I could never claim. The irony burned hotter than silver. Because if I made her mine—truly mine—every wolf would turn on her. My father’s allies, thinking her weak, unworthy. My enemies, thinking her leverage. And my own damn loyalists? They’d see her as the final insult. A human. Tied to their future Alpha King? No. They’d kill her in secret just to clean the bloodline. Even Leo—especially Leo—wouldn’t understand. That’s why no one could know. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Because she was somewhere on the other side of this damn forest. And if I didn’t find her before the Hunt began, she’d be torn apart in a game designed for bloodlust and dominance. My chest constricted. The Hunt wasn’t just for fun. It was symbolic. The heir to the throne oversaw it to show he could command the wolves and the wild. The captured humans were prey. Disposable. Forgettable. Game for the strongest warriors. And she was among them. A single mindlink buzz had reached me an hour ago — from the Alpha King himself. "The Hunt begins in thirty minutes. The humans have been released. Let the wolves ready themselves." I had thirty minutes to find her before over a hundred wolves were unleashed into the trees. And no one — not even Leo — could know why I was running the other way. "Reed," Leo growled behind me. "If you walk away now—" I turned just long enough to glare over my shoulder. "Then what? You’ll arrest me?" He didn’t answer. Just stared. I took off into the trees, faster than I’d ever run since I first shifted. Branches clawed at my arms, brambles slicing across my face, but I didn’t slow. I couldn’t. The ceremonial grounds faded behind me. So did Leo. The scent of flowers, firepits, and wolf pheromones gave way to damp earth, moss, and the sharp, unmistakable stench of fear. The human holding camps had been built in the old part of the forest — fenced perimeters, loose guards, more like cruel corrals than prisons. They were only meant to hold the humans long enough before the Hunt. I reached the clearing where the cages had been. Gone. The gates swung open, blood smeared along one latch where someone had cut themselves trying to squeeze through too fast. A shredded shirt hung from a branch like a flag. The carts were gone, the guards too. Just silence. And scent. Human. Dozens of them. All scattered. Some had taken off to the east. Others veered toward the river.