Page 1 of A Seduction Of Death (Umbra Hunters #4)
ONE
Razar
“ W here the fuck is she?!”
My voice is low and rough as I gaze upon the frozen landscape of the North American mountain I’ve found myself standing on. My heart pounds furiously in my chest as I take in my surroundings, trying to figure out where I landed since this is most definitely not the North Ridge.
“What did you say? Wait, where the hell are we?” Nox rasps, then groans, rolling to his side as he tries to get to his feet. There is snow matted in his braids and beard, and his clothes are ripped and torn, similar to mine, as I give him a once-over, ensuring he’s not wounded. I managed to shove him out of the way of the black magic that tried to encompass us in the Rift, and then we were launched from the Rift and fell to the snow below.
Neither of us had been prepared for the fall into the Earth realm since it’s never been like that at the North Ridge. We crashed into the hard surface of the mountain with a force that rattled the teeth in my skull, sending pain down my spine and into my toes. I can feel my magic at work, healing my broken ribs and torn Achilles tendon as I spin in a circle. My nostrils flare as I try to find my Pup.
The moment Nox and I cleared the Rift, the Veil of the Demonic world snapping shut behind us, I knew my Pup wasn’t nearby, and panic immediately set in. My Beast snarls within me, and I can feel him pacing in my chest, clawing at me to be set free so he can find the girl he’s chosen for us.
“What the hell!? This isn't the North Ridge,” Nox mutters, then I hear a long pause, and I know he’s realizing what I already know. “She’s not here,” he says more to himself than me, his voice cracking with fear as he spins on his heel and then lets out a bone-chilling roar. “Where the fuck is she?”
“That's what I said,” I growl, kicking at the snow under my feet before nodding up the mountain. “The castle is that way. Valen, Jesthren, and Creed aren't here. Maybe they made it to the North Ridge. Jesthren looked like he might have been able to grab her before whatever the fuck knocked us out of the rift. Let's go there and see if they made it back. If not, we can take a Legion of Hunters to the North Ridge to find them.”
“What about the kid?” Nox rasps, looking around with an air of concern as he searches for the Drakos boy.
“He’s got to be with the others,” I growl, cracking my neck to the side as I try to reign in my Beast, but it's useless. He’s practically foaming at the mouth, furious that we have been separated from our family. “Let go,” I manage to grit out as my Beast takes over, my skin stretching until it splits, the black needle-like fur erupting over my body as I try and fail to keep some of my control.
“He better fucking be there, or our balls are done for,” Nox mutters, watching me closely as the world darkens, my Beast pressing for more control.
“Stop,” I command my Beast, making him snarl in response. He is trying to shove me deep into a mental cage so that he can track the people he needs to. I lash back out at him, managing to maintain some control as he sprints toward the castle. His desperate need to find one annoying female, in particular, sets me even more on edge, my anger growing at our lack of control over this situation.
The snow crunches under our paws as my Beast sprints between the snow-laden trees of the mountain, Nox running beside us, matching our stride. I make sure to keep my pace slower than usual to let him keep up with us, despite how badly I need to get to the castle and ensure my Pup is alright.
In a matter of minutes, we reach the road that winds up, leading us to our destination. I can hear the heartbeats of the Hunters, their muffled voices echo through the air just as the cold, gray stone of the castle walls come into sight. The gates are open, and the Hunters are moving freely within the courtyard, suggesting there has been no threat or attack, easing my worry the smallest amount.
“Faster,” Nox grinds out, a tone of desperation in his voice, no doubt feeling the ache of not being with his new mate. I oblige, my own frustrating need to see the silly girl pressing at my mind and chest, making my Beast release a loud roar in warning as we approach. If I hadn't been so on edge and upset over our situation, I might have found humor in the way the two young DeLuca rangers turn ghostly white the moment they spot us. One of them steps back like he’s about to run in the opposite direction, while the other’s hand falls to the hilt of his Kalis blade just as a towering figure steps up behind them.
Victor, the Drakos Senior, scowls down at the boys in front of him, cuffing the one who looks like he’s about to run upside his head while barking at them to stand down, his stern, dark eyes falling on us as we rush up to him.
“Meyer,” Nox demands, not wasting a breath with an unnecessary greeting. Victor raises a thick, untamed brow and dips his head in a greeting.
“Sassy blonde girl you lot have an unhealthy obsession with? What about her?” he asks, his frown deepening as he looks between the two of us. A low growl that almost sounds Demonic breaks from between his lips. “If you hurt her, I will help Elaine tie you up and filet you piece by bloody fucking piece, Demon Princes or not,” he grinds out, and I’m both very pleased and annoyed at his immediate threat of violence toward us.
For a Hunter, he’s not too bad. I instantly shake my head at the thought and glower at the man, wondering when the hell I became soft for fucking Hunters! This is all my Pup’s fault! I was fine in my hollow little world, hating everyone and everything that wasn't my family; then she had to come into my life and make me…. feel . I shiver in disgust and release a deep growl in warning at the Hunter.
“Where is she?” Nox growls, unamused with Senior Drakos’ attitude, shouldering past him as he stalks into the courtyard. I follow close; my ears perked up and nostrils flared as I try to pinpoint where my annoying Pup is.
“What do you mean where is she? Meyer left with you guys. Which is why Elaine and one of the Drakos Hunter Legions went to meet you at the North Ridge.”
“Meyer’s not here?”
Victor frowns, a glimmer of concern furrowing his brow as he shakes his head. The sound of a twig snapping about two hundred feet away gains my attention, and I tilt my head to the left, my heart stalling as my Beast releases a calm breath.
“My brothers?” Nox asks, voice strained. I don’t hear Victor's response, only Lennox losing his fucking mind as he roars in frustration, black magic billowing around him. My own magic responds, its bitter cold sparks eating at my claws as I try to remain in control.
“Wait, where the fuck is Theodore? I swear to the Gods, Regalis, if a single hair on that boy's head has been harmed,” Victor threatens as I step back and raise my nose to the air. I still can’t scent the mouthwatering smell of lemons and sugar, but it’s the next best thing.
Instead of granting my little brother attention from his tantrum or helping him answer Victor's questions, I turn on my heel as footsteps become audible. Pivoting, I race back out the gates and watch as Valen and Creed run up the road, hair disheveled and looking more than a little pissed off. Ranger Drakos trails behind them, limping a little as his brown eyes scan the castle walls, his shoulders tense like he’s waiting for an attack.
“Lemon Drop?” Creed immediately asks, making my blood run cold as I realize she’s not with them.
“Valen!” Nox shouts, rushing over looking behind them, then back at our brothers. One look at Nox causes Valen's eyes to shift from their normal light green to the cold, steely gray of his shade form. Magic dances at his fingertips as he shakes his head and steps back.
“She… she’s with you, right?” Creed whispers, his eyes darkening as Nox curses and shakes his head. “Are you fucking kidding me!” Creed roars, then shocks the hell out of us all as he launches himself at Nox, punching him in the face, sending the two of them to the ground as they begin to fight.
I roll my eyes, and my Beast huffs out a disgusted breath. Must we always be the smart ones here? I know the two buffoons are riding the mating high and are struggling with control, but fighting amongst ourselves won't solve this problem.
“We need to find her,” the young Hunter my Pup insists on keeping around as a weird pet mutters as he runs his hands through his messy hair, gripping the strands like he’s going to pull them from his head. “The big scary one has to be with her, right?”
Valen nods, and I huff in agreement. The knowledge that Jesthren was closest to her in the rift and is also missing helps settle my anger and bloodlust that courses through me like a drug. My brother has her, and she’s fine. She’s probably talking his ear off, making all her absurdly annoying yet somehow adorable comments as they make their way slowly back to the castle. My Pup is slow and clumsy, after all. That’s the logical explanation. Yet I can't stop the deep curl of dread that my Beast feels, and I know that I need to trust him over me. He’s never wrong, and that thought makes bile crawl up my throat.
“Theo? What the hell? Get the fuck out of my way!”
I growl in annoyance, my eyes bouncing from where Nox and Creed are still punching each other to where my Pup’s other unnecessary human pet comes out, shoving through the small crowd of Hunters gathered behind Victor, watching my brothers fight. I wrinkle my nose at the Hunters and sigh in frustration. My pet is so much better than my Pup’s. Granted, she is the one who discovered my tiny orange beast before I laid claim to him, but her choice of pets since that point has been seriously lacking.
I look away from the fight to the trees, knowing I must find my Pup myself. I wanted to check in with my tiny feline when I returned, but that will have to wait. My Pup decided to get lost on the mountain, and I’m going to have to fetch her before my brothers decide to kill each other. My Beast growls in agreement, watching our brothers in disgust, wondering if the two idiots could manage to gather all two of their dumb brain cells and rub them together to come up with something helpful, but it's looking highly unlikely the longer they fight.
I glance at Valen, the only one of my brothers who hasn't done or said anything, and I almost grin at the darkness surrounding him. His shade form is out in all its glory, the dark energy radiating from him like a wave of death, calling to the dark stain on my soul. I gesture to one side of the mountain with a nod of my large head, and he nods in agreement, his movements quick and precise. Valen is no longer the sweet prince and heir of the Dream Walkers but the terrifying harbinger of death that I can’t help but admire.
Good. I, at least, have one brother I can rely on.
“Ow! What the hell, Jordan?” Theo snarls, stumbling back, holding his hand to his now-bloody nose as Ranger Jennings glares at the boy.
“You went to the Demon realm without me?! Are you mad? You could have been killed!” Ranger Jennings raises his arm, going for another hit as Ranger Drakos kicks out, catching him in the shin as he glowers at his friend.
“You told me to leave you alone!”
“Yeah, leave me alone. Not run off and try to get yourself killed!” Jennings roars, his eyes flashing with anger and something I’m unsure I understand. Victor sighs and wraps a thick arm around Jennings’ neck, then Drakos’ waist, separating them with ease while they try to kick each other's asses.
How the hell is this my life? I’m surrounded by dim-witted fools.
I glance back at Valen, then freeze, unease curling through me and my Beast when I see he’s already left, and we didn't hear him go. My Beast growls low, not used to being unaware of the people around us, but I only push him to leave, needing to find our Pup and bring her back here.
It doesn’t take much convincing, considering he’s just as obsessed, if not more so, than I am with the girl. Racing through the trees, I finally relinquish my control to him, knowing he will find her faster than I ever will and hoping that wherever she is, she’s unharmed.
Apparently, my Pup needs a lesson on staying close to us, and I’m more than willing to teach her that and dole out whatever punishment is required to ensure she doesn't scare us like this again.