Huntress Claimed

  Huntress Claimed

  A Venatrix Chronicle

  by MK Masterson

  For those who believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself.

  I took the risk.

  "Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy." - modified from Theodore Roosevelt quoted by Ken Jenkins in an episode of Scrubs

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I acknowledge that I am human. With all seriousness, there will probably be more mistakes in this than I am aware of. And I have a couple of other gripes, but have been told to let it go. With that being said, knowing all of this, these characters have been begging for their story to be told; and finally, after twenty years, I have it out for the public to view, which ultimately makes me cringe.

  But seriously, thank you to my parents for leaving me alone for hours to write when I was a teenager. I would hole myself up in the basement and just type out this story and others, and they would just let me work through my creative process. It is especially meaningful to me that my mother has asked me for the first signed copy of this book.

  Thank you to my husband for having so much faith in me that I could make this happen that he told all of his friends how proud he was of me. I knew then that you truly believed in me.

  Thank you to all my students (former and current), who have been eager to support me and my very long journey in making this happen. A special thank you goes out to a few who have been reading this to offer their opinions and critiques. And another goes out to a former student, now friend, Cera, who lent me her name for one of my essential characters. I hope I have made her as strong a character as the person whose name it belongs to.

  A very special thank you goes out to my friend and content editor, Joel Ehrig. Really, you made a lot of this possible. There were countless times that I was on the phone to you, ready to throw this out or delete it, and you talked me off the cliff. You made my characters thrive.

  And finally, thank you to my cover artist, Gabriela from https://www.brosedesignz.com. Your artwork is fantastic, and you got back to me very quickly! Looking forward to contacting you for art for my next book.

  Preface

  Mundus Noctis

  …they call their world the "Mundus Noctis". It's a world hidden from humans that only exists in the darkness, shadows, and the night. There, you will find vampires, werewolves, demons, and other Supernatural creatures that you have only read or watched movies about. From stories, myths, or legends, they all exist.

  There are two Factions in their world: the Scelesti, genuinely evil beings that do nothing but kill, eat, and seek power. They have no tender emotions. They are cold inside and out. These are the creatures that feed off humans and responsible for people's nightmares. The horror movies and stories that are told about these creatures have truth to them, and your mysteries of human disappearances that cannot be explained are caused by them. And as a Venatrix Malorum, a huntress of evil, it will be your job to hunt them down.

  The other Faction: the Casti, a superior, egotistical group of Supernaturals that thrive on nothing but rules. They keep one another in line with their laws to keep themselves secret from the human world. In my experience, they do very little but regulate their world and only react when a law has been broken. Learn their laws and their rules. It's the only way to survive in the Mundus Noctis on the Casti side.

  Caden, as a Venatrix, you are a weapon for the Casti. Your purpose is to rid the Mundus Noctis of the Scelesti. You will be seen by them as nothing more. Do not expect their sympathy…

  Prologue

  A male with golden strawberry locks and piercing golden eyes entered the church with haste and purpose, tension making his body stiff as he looked around. Hunched in a pew in the darkest corner of the church was his quarry, a woman who had never cowered in fear in her life. A woman who took his breath away and captured his heart like the way she did everything else; with fierceness, audacity, and a stubborn tenacity. He had never known her to let go or give up.

  And he knew that she wasn't giving up now even though she appeared like she was folded in on herself. Her long, dark mahogany hair concealed their greatest treasure and the Mundus Noctis' greatest fear. A soft cry escaped from this treasure, and the woman, his mate, hushed the child softly. No one but him and their child would know of her tenderness.

  Pari Muaz, a Venatrix, had not always been apathetic, having been stolen from her village as a child and conditioned to fight in a military-like complex. In fact, her father had died at the hands of the Venator who had come to claim her, fighting for her. She had feared that her mother or sister would follow in her father's steps, as she knew they would fight for her. So she had reluctantly gone with the young warrior with hatred burning deep in her heart, waiting for the moment to avenge her father.

  Time and training had made her as hard as the Japanese steel, infused with silver magic, of the Katana that she had picked as her chosen weapon to wield in the fight against evil; a force called the Scelesti. And the burning rage that she had once felt toward the Venatrices had turned to charred charcoal and indifference. Love was almost forgotten until she met the Fae king, known to all as Rheise. Rheise was the only name given to those he didn't trust, which was all but a handful; since in the Fae world, knowing a birth name could mean enslavement.

  Pari had come to him for help against an evil she couldn't fight alone. And when she first met him, he was untrusting, but it had surprised him at the time that one of the Venatrices was able to put aside their pride and know when to ask for help. Since Venatrices were not known for their humility or accepting help from anyone not a Venatrix, but rather their brutish arrogance. And her uniqueness and willingness to work with someone outside her kind intrigued him.

  And with all things that intrigued him, being Fae, he had to have her. Fae were quite known for their impishness, manipulation, and misdirection. In the beginning, he had only wanted her But her rigidness had made it impossible. And even though she was willing to work with him, she had just eyed him as a pest, a cockroach she had wanted to squish under her steel-toed boots, which of course, had only encouraged him more and he had still toyed with her.

  He couldn't help himself, but to find the open-minded woman hidden beneath Venatrix training. With each passing day that they had spent together, he had gotten underneath her skin, and she gradually opened up to him. He reminded her of the play from her childhood and the love that she had once felt. And she found her freedom in him.

  And the more she opened up, the more she fascinated him until he knew that he could never be without her. Her heart was more generous than he had bargained. And this fascination turned to love, and the minute she knew of his love, she grabbed on with two hands and held on; for she had known of love before the Venatrix Counsel had found her. She had had the love of her parents and sister who had fought tooth and nail to keep her with them.

  They both knew what they were doing when he took her as his mate, a union stronger than marriage and only death could break. The Fae king who had stayed in power for a long time was not stupid, and a Venatrix was always taught strategy. Although their union in her world would be an abomination, he had hoped they could find solace in his. The Fae didn't yield to the Mundus Noctis; in fact, his world had no place in theirs, existing in a plane beyond their realm and only reached through the thin veiling doorways of the convergence of ley lines.

  Rheise had kept Pari hidden from her world in his kingdom. And for a time, they could imagine a family and a happily ever after. But neither one would be so lucky.

  Rheise's jealous brother, Corin, had learned of their secret, and with a small army, he had threatened everything the Fae king loved. So the king relinquished his throne to his brother, took his ma
te, and fled. However, no other Fae kingdom would give them sanctuary, fearing Corin's jealousy, callousness, and bloodlust for power. And so, Pari and Rheise had to reenter her world.

  Corin's cruelty knew no bounds, and he put bounties on their heads even in her world, and they were hunted the minute of her return. The Venatrix Council wanted her captured to rehabilitate her back into their world; the rest of the Mundus Noctis wanted her dead for the bounty or their union. No one, but Rheise knew that she was pregnant. This was the threat to the throne that Corin had feared. And in the Mundus Noctis, the result of a mixed union was seen as an abomination. Their child, if discovered, would be instantly killed and her soul excommunicated. No half-breeds were permitted to live in the Mundus Noctis. There were laws against interspecies unions and even greater ones against half-breed children.

  Pari had given birth on their vestige, and as their luck was holding, no one had known. But she knew their luck would run out eventually. There was no hiding in her world or his. It would only be a matter of time before they were found. And then their daughter would be found and killed.

  She had sought final sanctuary in a human church, while her mate made arrangements for their daughter's safety, a baby not even a week old. This would be Pari's final stance; her final battle, and after her sacrifice, there would only be one other who would know the outcome of her and the Fae's union. One of whom they could trust with everything that they held dear. Her mate would take their daughter there, cloaked in his magic to keep her hidden from the rest of the world, while Pari would fight her last battle.

  Now, holding her child close in the pew of the church, Pari closed her eyes tightly, refusing to allow any tears to escape and clue her mate to her plan. Rheise had believed it was solely because they were giving up their child. He did not know of her plan; the plan to sacrifice herself. Pari trusted that this would fulfill the bounty and stop the hunting. Rheise, not bound to Mundus Noctis law could be safe, and their child was non-existent to everyone save one. She also knew that if she told him her plan, he would do everything possible to protect them both, and they would all die.

  A sob broke from her chest as her mate gathered her and their daughter in his arms; his Fae aura and power muted to the point that it was almost non-existent. But Pari could tell as she placed a free hand on his chest, the other holding their bundle tightly in her arm. She felt his chest vibrate with subtle power. It would always be there, but for now, it was drawn in to keep others of his kind from knowing where he was as Fae power could be tracked.

  "You'll have to bind her power, my love," she said, knowing that if he didn't, their daughter could be tracked or discovered.

  "It will have to be quick. Once I use that much power, I will be on their radar."

  A wry, sad smile appeared on her face. "We didn't intend to stay here forever."

  His lips turned up in half a smile to match hers. "No, but it would have been nice to have a little more time."

  He placed his hands on the infant and drew on his power. At first, it was a subtle hum that vibrated through the air before the hum became something visual. The outer ring of his golden eyes burned with a blazing ring of golden fire, and power radiated off him in a wave of golden heat that poured into their daughter. Such exertion of his power always made Pari's insides liquify. There was something about the fact that he could destroy or create with his power, but he rarely did. It was humbling to Pari since most Venatrices couldn't help but show off their skills.

  "It is done," he said as the wave of heat tempered off to nothing. And then he pulled the power back into himself. "No one will ever know our daughter is from the Mundus Noctis. She will be mistaken as human."

  Rheise kissed her hard one last time.

  "It will all work out," he whispered against her lips. "We will all be together again." He brushed his hand against his mate's cheek before taking their daughter in his arms.

  "I wish we had more time." Pari bent over to place a soft kiss on the infant's cheek. "We didn't even get a chance to name her."

  "Let's do it now."

  Pari twisted her lips and looked dismayed. "A strong name takes time in my culture. I can't just make one up."

  Pari saw the twinkle in her mate's eyes, and even during a time such as this, he was prepared to tease her. She just shook her head. The twinkle didn't leave, but she knew he understood.

  "She'll need a warrior's name, like her mother."

  Pari grinned. "And she'll need a name that's powerful, like her father."

  The Fae's heart was in his eyes from Pari's response. "There is a Fae name in the Old Language that means ‘little warrior,' and it would have all the power in the world, being a Fae name, but yet, it would be so modern that no one would think twice."

  "Whatever it is, I say ‘yes.'"

  He whispered their daughter's name into Pari's ear. Pari nodded, her eyes becoming watery as she looked at her daughter one final time, memorizing all the little details. All the traits that belonged to her, and all the traits that belonged to her father. Pari knew that her daughter had her eye shape, but the color would belonged to Rheise; as well as the twitch in her lips. Those playful lips belonged to him as well.

  She touched the softness of her daughter's head, feeling the baby downy of dark hair. Looking at her mate with purpose in her eyes, she nodded. "It's time."

  The Fae nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's time." He was about to speak more, but she placed her fingers over his lips and shook her head.

  "No more words. Go, my love."

  There was so much left to still tell him, but the more she stayed with Rheise, the more her resolve was weakening. So she exchanged everything she wanted to say to him with a heated look before he turned and hurried out of the church.

  When she knew for sure that he was gone, Pari sighed with finality. She had placed a letter under the padding of their daughter's carrier. One day, her daughter would know the truth. When it was safe. But now wasn't that time.

  She made one more phone call.

  "Come and get me," she dared in a steady, fierce voice, knowing the being on the other line would know where to find her. Then, she grabbed her Katana. She had always promised her mate that she would fight. And she would, it wasn't in her to give up. But she also knew who she would be fighting, and it wasn't a battle she would win. Gathering her resolve, she exited the church.

  ✽✽✽

  Rheise knew the moment his mate died. Mates always did because their binding wasn't just about words; it was taking a piece of the other's soul within. And when he was halfway to his destination, part of his soul died; the part that belonged to Pari.

  He sank to his knees, holding his child tight, fearing that she would fall, as a piece of him died. He couldn't breathe; feeling as if he had been stabbed in the chest. He waited to die, clutching his child to his chest, but the stabbing pain was not a physical one to take him. And yet, it persisted every time he took a breath. He knew he had somewhere to go, and taking a few moments to compose himself, he tried to find a way to dull the pain.

  It wouldn't dull, but he found the courage to eventually stand back up, and walk the rest of the way to meet the person who would be taking care of their daughter. By the time he reached her, he had managed to harden his heart. The pain still pounded with every beat, but it was finally dull, and he promised himself that he would fully take care of his heart after giving their child over to safety.

  The cold, crystal ice that he surrounded his heart threatened to thaw when he arrived at his destination and saw the woman who would be their daughter's guardian. She shared the same dark hair as his mate's, and the same eyes. A sharp pain managed to break through, and he sucked in a breath.

  "She's gone, isn't she?" The woman asked, pain in her eyes.

  He couldn't speak but nodded.

  The woman held the same determination that Pari had, as she clenched her teeth, and looked at him with the same steely expression that was so familiar to him that it threatened to und
o him.

  "I won't let them have her," she declared. "I promise to take care of her as if she was my own."

  "I know," he rasped and handed her over to the woman. He wanted to look at his child one more time, but the pain was too great. So he turned to leave; only forgetting one thing. Looking back at the dark-haired woman that could almost be Pari's twin, he met her eyes.

  "Her name is Caden," he whispered, before finally leaving.

  ✽✽✽

  Flora Walker knew that that would be the last time she would see the Fae. His pain was too great and knew his grief had to be unbearable. No, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he met his mate in death. She pitied the Mundus Noctis. It was so much easier being human. Humans would never know what it felt like to have their heart completed by another to the point their souls merged. But they would also never feel the agony as a part of them died when their mate did. Her heart broke; it broke for Pari, the Fae king, and it broke for Caden. But her promise would not break. As long as she lived, she would never let the Mundus Noctis take Caden.

  Chapter One

  I was waiting impatiently outside on the porch for my best friend, Meredith Weber, to answer her door. It was a week before school was starting and I had just gotten my schedule for my sophomore year at Erie High School in the mail. I was excited to share it with her, and I hadn't seen her since July 4th. She was in band camp over most of the summer and had recently gotten back. I didn't really have any female friends besides Meredith, so there were very few people I was able to gossip with or who would be excited over a class schedule. Actually, looking back, there were very few people that I would have talked to besides Meredith, and my friend/crush, Nate; or even excited to share pieces of my life with someone who wasn't my guardian/sister Sera.