Chapter dedicated to YnaAllysaNue. Thanks so much for reading and voting! You are awesome!

Chapter 71 –Hunt– Raine's POV

I didn't dare take the time to look back to see if anyone was chasing me. Instead I gripped Loki tighter, urging him on as we hurtled across the remaining distance.

As we approached the building, I realized in alarm that Loki wasn't slowing down! I panicked, thinking he was going to run straight into the door! I yanked back hard on both tufts of hair clenched in my fists.

He slowed down, but only slightly. As we barreled forward, I tucked my head down behind his, hoping I wouldn't absorb too much of the impact. Shockingly, the instant we arrived, the door was opened, we flew through, and the door slammed shut behind us.

I snapped my head up and looked around to find Teo!

He motioned toward a hole and a trap door in the floor as he said urgently, "Time to go!"

My heart thundered in my chest. I dropped from Loki's neck, afraid I wouldn't be able to support my own weight. I must have wobbled enough to cause Teo the same suspicion because he darted to me and wrapped an arm around my waist in support. He started to carry me back to the hole in the floor.

I gripped his shirt and hissed, "Wait a minute! The alarm has sounded, which means they know I am gone and are looking for me! If my scent ends here, they will tear the building apart to find our exit. I turned to face Loki and threw my arms around his neck. I mumbled into his fur, my voice breaking with sadness, knowing I would never see him again, "Run fast, boy! My scent is all over you. Lead them on a wild goose chase through the woods! And when you are done, go home!"

Loki's nostrils flared and he shook his head, not wanting to leave me. I swiped the tears away from my cheeks and ordered him gruffly, "Go now! Do as I say!"

He whined, pushed his head into me one last time, and then spun around. Teo already had a back door open for him. The door faced the woods with the building blocking the view of anyone looking from the compound, which meant no one would know I wasn't still riding on the powerful tiger's back.

I let Teo gather me into his arms and tried not to scream as he dropped through the floor. When we landed, he grasped a handle and jerked hard, causing the door above us to close. It sounded like the entire floor above us with shifting, and I knew the entrance was now camouflaged in some fashion.

In the next instant, Teo was running!

It was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing as Teo careened through the darkness. The sensory void scared the fuck out of me, and I had to bury my head in his chest to keep from screaming.

He made complicated twists and turns, obviously familiar with the path. I considered again the irony that Hayden apparently had easy access in and out of Quinn's kingdom, just like he did with Armand.

.........

Thirty minutes ago...

Alaric's POV

I sat in the Council room, irritated that I had to be away from Raine. She had finally given herself to me. I had to adjust my pants as memories of the night before and earlier today, flowed through my head. But even more importantly, she hadn't held anything back! She had eagerly embraced my touch. I knew now we could make this work.

The thought of our mating ceremony in front of Cage still made me nervous. Not because I was worried about my performance. No, I highly suspected he wouldn't be able to stop himself from attacking me when I took her. I saw the way he had looked at her,  desperation and despair clouded his features. I had never found myself looking at a woman in that way, and couldn't imagine finally finding her, only having to let her go.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. It wouldn't help me to dwell on it when I had no control over what was going to happen. I was brought back on task when my father and the remaining council members filed in.

Fifteen minutes into the normal boring affair, we were interrupted when Marku decided to make a grand entrance! I shot to my feet, panicking. He wasn't supposed to still be here! I growled, "Why the fuck are you here?"

He smirked mischievously and purred, "I just wanted to touch base with Quinn on our upcoming treaty meeting." He grinned at my father and asked innocently, "What day was that again? I couldn't recall if it was three or four weeks from now?"

What the fuck?!

I hissed, "You came all of the way back here to confirm a date for an upcoming meeting?!"

He grinned, "Yes, my memory seems to be slipping in my old age."

I narrowed my eyes.

That bastard was clearly up to something!

I would feel a lot better if I knew where Raine was right this instant. My glance cut to Gen. Raed. He was already on his phone, I suspected trying to determine the same thing. His eyebrows furrowed. He hung up and made another call. Fuck!

Abruptly, one of our defense guards rushed in the door and made his way to Quinn's side. "We have had a security breach, Your Highness," he spoke quietly, but of course we could all hear him.

Marku's lips curled into a wide grin. That announcement obviously wasn't a surprise to him. I growled to Gen. Raed, "Where is she?"

He shook his head and continued talking on the phone.

I lunged at Marku. Several council members jumped between us and held me back. I vibrated with fury and fought against their hold, snarling, "What have you done to her?!"

"I'm sorry, my boy, but you are mistaken. I do not have her," his voice dropped off but I was almost certain he added the word 'yet' at the end. "Have you lost her?" he continued with fake concern, flashing me a wolfish grin. "It's a shame you can't look for her now. I would offer my services considering I am not restricted by the sun, but alas, I need to be going . It's too bad I can't stay, because I do adore a good hunt. And truly, what a delicious morsel of a prize, she is."

With that, he disappeared from the room.

I growled furiously, "Get Talon on the phone!"

Gen. Raed dropped his phone down on the table and pressed the speaker button so we could all hear. I demanded, "Talon, where is Raine right this instant?!"

Talon's voice shook as he replied, "I am sorry Your Highness, but I do not know."

I believed him, but the fear in his voice told me he knew more than he was sharing. I hissed, "Talon, you had better tell me everything that happened earlier today and do not make the mistake of leaving anything out!"

He rushed, "Of course, Master Alaric! Raine and I took a walk with Loki to the gardens. Marku found us there and advised he had been successful in convincing Armand to trade Raine to him."

Talon's tone was angry and bitter, which meant they had believed Marku's lie! I could barely breathe, already knowing the answer, but asked through gritted teeth, "What happened next?"

Talon's voice faltered as he whispered, "Mistress ordered me to kill her."

I shot out of my chair again and shouted into the phone, "Did you follow through on that order?!"

"No! Certainly not!" he gasped.

"So, what happened?" I demanded furiously.

He said shakily, "She ran..."

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Marku purposefully lied to Raine, knowing she would run. He also knew she was smart enough to be successful, which meant she was now somewhere in the forest, away from my protection. And there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it until the sun went down!

But Marku didn't have that restriction. He could walk in the sun!

I hurled the nearest chairs across the room, uncontrollable growls erupting from my chest.

That fucker was going to hunt  her!

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Anyone surprised at this particular turn of events?  Hang tight, cuz things are going to move very fast for awhile. lol.