Page 24 of Alien Prince's Fated Mate

I inclined my head. Perhaps the physical activity would clear my mind. “Of course.”

“Your...” Bavak paused. “Your companion will be safe here.”

The reference to Niam made my hands clench. With effort, I relaxed them. These were Mahra's people. They meant no harm.

“Here.” An older hunter handed me his spare bow. “Unless you prefer more... direct methods?”

The implication was clear. They all knew what I was.

I tested the draw. The weapon balanced well enough. “This will do.”

We moved into the forest, spreading out in a standard hunting pattern. The physical activity helped, but thoughts ofNiam invaded with every breath. The curve of her neck. The steel in her spine. The fierce determination in her face when she spoke of her plans.

A rustle in the undergrowth snapped my attention back to the present. Bavak signaled - large prey, moving east. Perfect.

The hunt began in earnest now. We tracked the beast through the deepening shadows, following broken twigs and disturbed leaves. My enhanced senses picked up its musk on the wind.

There - a flash of tawny fur through the trees. A belevashka, larger than most. A worthy prize.

Four arrows flew. Three missed.

Mine struck true, but only wounded. The beast spun, snarling, yellow fangs bared.

This. This was what I needed.

The belevashka's blood trail led deeper into the ancient forest. My muscles burned with the thrill of pursuit as we crashed through the undergrowth.

“Split up,” I ordered. “Circle around. Drive it toward the clearing.”

The hunters fanned out through the trees. Twigs snapped under their boots, leaves rustled. But I moved in silence, my Valti nature letting me track the cat’s ragged breathing.

Blood pulsed through my veins, each heartbeat a drumbeat of hunt-chase-kill. Without my suppressants, the beast inside me reveled in the pursuit.

A flash of movement - there. The creature struggled up a rocky slope, my arrow still protruding from its flank. Its muscles bunched as it prepared to spring.

I nocked another arrow, but it launched itself at Bavak instead. The hunter raised his bow too late.

The Valti took over. I dropped the bow and intercepted it mid-leap, catching its bulk with my shoulder. We tumbled down the slope together, a snarling mass of fur and fangs and claws.

Pain lanced through my arm as fangs pierced flesh. The scent of my own blood only fueled the fire in my veins. I grabbed the belevashka’s throat with one hand, squeezing. My other hand found purchase in its fur as we wrestled.

It thrashed and clawed, but I held firm. Its struggles grew weaker as my grip tightened. With a final wrench, I snapped its neck.

The sound of breaking bone echoed through the trees. I stood over my kill, chest heaving, blood dripping from my wounds.

“By the ancestors,” the young hunter breathed. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Bavak approached cautiously. “Are you injured, my prince?”

The title snapped me back to myself. I forced the Valti down, though it fought me every step. “Nothing serious. The meat will feed the camp well tonight.”

But even as we field-dressed the carcass, my thoughts returned to Niam. The hunt had done nothing to quiet my need for her. If anything, the beast’s victory only made it stronger.

I needed to get back to her. Now.

“You two, carry the meat back to camp,” I ordered. “Bavak, with me. We’ll scout ahead for any other predators in the area.”

The stream ran cold over my wounds, washing away blood and dirt. Better Niam not see the evidence of the fight. She had worries enough without seeing how close the belevashka had come to taking my throat.

---