Kara turned her head; taking in as much of the forest as she was able,
positioned as she was in Hunter's arms. She caught glimpses of greys and
browns that flashed in the corner of her eye, making her wonder if she had
seen them at all. Wolves?
"Hunter, I think they're hemming us in," she said quietly. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure the shapes were werewolves but she figured if Hunter was worried she probably should be too.
"I think you're right," He ground out. Before they reached the forest's edge there were two wolves on either side, running close enough to touch, three behind that kept snapping their teeth as close to Hunter as they dared, and four men had gathered up ahead. Kara could only assume they were wolves in their human from and she wrapped her arms more firmly around Hunter's shoulders. They were a little outnumbered to put it mildly and Hunter was forced to stop running. He set her gently on her feet and pushed her slightly and firmly behind him, shielding her with his body. His hands were balled into fists and his mouth was set in a tense line. Frightened, Kara gripped the material of his shirt so hard her knuckles were going white. The wolves circled but didn't come any closer.
One of the men came forward. He was tall with long black hair that curled around his shoulders and yellow eyes that were feral and cold and definitely weren't human. He bowed mockingly before Hunter, but his eyes never left Hunter's for a second. "Vampire Prince, welcome." He said in greeting. Hunter didn't return the bow.
"I am here with the Goblin King's permission. Let me and mine pass unharmed." The man moved forward, stalking round them till he stood at Kara's back. She tensed as she felt his hand skim lightly over her hair.
"You are, but the girl is not. She's trying to complete the Labyrinth, therefore she is fair game. Leave her here and you shall pass."
"The girl is mine!" Hunter spat at the man, "You can not claim her!"
Kara wondered at the formal tone of voice from Hunter. He sounded stiff, like he was reading rehearsed lines from a page. She wondered if this was how all vampires and werewolves behaved with each other or if it was because Hunter was a prince.
The man had moved again, almost as if he couldn't bear to be still for any length of time and he was standing in front of Hunter again. "By what right do you claim her?"
Hunter grit his teeth. He hadn't actually claimed Kara in any way that the wolves would understand. Well more importantly, not in anyway their leader would understand. Kisses weren't enough to protect her and the only true way of claiming her as his, he suspected, would be objectionable to her. Not to mention there were consequences he wouldn't be able to explain to her now. He needed to mark her now if they were going to get through this and he needed to make it look like it had happened before.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled her forward, turning her to face him. He gripped her arms gently and looked into her eyes, willing her to understand what he was about to do. "Kara, I'm sorry." He whispered.
Oh god, he's going to leave me with them, Kara screamed in her head and tried not to let her fear show. After all, she attempted to convince herself, it's not like he owes me anything. It's not like he said he was here to play protector. He doesn't even know me that well.
He leaned to towards her and startled she almost pulled away from him, but his grip on her shoulders kept her still. She felt the brush of his lips on her neck and then the pressure of his fangs against her skin preceding the sharp sensation of his fangs breaking through the skin. She gasped, shocked by what he had just done and amazed that it didn't actually hurt. He pulled her body tight to his and she closed her eyes, unexpected pleasure washing through her body, making her skin tingle. A moment later he broke away from her and she wanted to cry out, pull him back. She felt like she'd lost something.
"By right of blood," he said to the werewolf. Kara leaned against him feeling slightly dazed and she didn't really take his words in. Hunter was supporting her weight against his chest and silently thanking whoever was listening that she hadn't started screaming.
The man bowed again, "Very well your highness," he said, bitterness evident in his voice. He signalled to the wolves and they slunk off in to the forest, bodies low to the ground. The other men disappeared as well, heads bowed.
The man who was obviously the leader turned to leave but he paused and spoke to Hunter, "Don't think you'll keep her safe forever." With that promise made, he was gone too.
In the short time the exchange took Kara was already feeling better, her thoughts clearer and she stood back from Hunter. She pulled her hand back and slapped him with all the strength she had, her other hand on her neck.
"You bit me!"
"If I hadn't they would have taken you!"
"Why?" Hunter wasn't sure if she wanted to know why he'd bitten her or why the wolves would have taken her. After a moments consideration he answered the latter question.
"That was Ulrich, leader of the wolf pack. Three years ago his sister disappeared and he's been blaming me ever since. He can't have open war with me because Jareth would prevent it so he's been looking for something of mine he can take."
"How does that justify you biting me?"
"Well biting you was away of saying you were mine, marking you. Since I'm here with Jareth's permission, for the moment, he couldn't take you because Jareth would interfere but it won't keep you safe forever."
Kara slapped him again, "that was for assuming I belonged to you." She turned and stalked out of the forest. Hunter rubbed his cheek and sighed. He'd known she wouldn't like the insinuation that she belonged to him. So few women in her world did, even if there were women in his kingdom who would kill for what had just passed between them. Sighing again he followed her, wondering when he would be able to explain that what had happened was so much more than a simple bite.
***
In one of the high towers of his castle, Jareth watched the entire exchange in a crystal.
"Now this is getting interesting," He remarked to the figure on the floor. He looked down at Arron whom he'd eventually had to tie and gag to get some peace. After all the pompous demands and such the man had begun to give Jareth a headache. In fact he wasn't impeding Kara's progress at all. Well no more that he had too. He couldn't wait to get rid of the man at his feet. It was always so much easier with children.
And to think, he'd only begun the whole thing because he'd been feeling particularly bored today. Still he hadn't counted on Hunter and it was interesting to watch what was developing between the prince and the girl. He tapped his riding crop against his thigh, wondering how long it would be before Kara learned of the bond that now tied her to the Prince and for both their sakes Jareth hoped that Hunter wouldn't have to bite her again. Every time he did that bond would get stronger and he had seen first hand how unpleasant that could turn out.
Still thinking he returned his gaze to the crystal.
"Hunter, I think they're hemming us in," she said quietly. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure the shapes were werewolves but she figured if Hunter was worried she probably should be too.
"I think you're right," He ground out. Before they reached the forest's edge there were two wolves on either side, running close enough to touch, three behind that kept snapping their teeth as close to Hunter as they dared, and four men had gathered up ahead. Kara could only assume they were wolves in their human from and she wrapped her arms more firmly around Hunter's shoulders. They were a little outnumbered to put it mildly and Hunter was forced to stop running. He set her gently on her feet and pushed her slightly and firmly behind him, shielding her with his body. His hands were balled into fists and his mouth was set in a tense line. Frightened, Kara gripped the material of his shirt so hard her knuckles were going white. The wolves circled but didn't come any closer.
One of the men came forward. He was tall with long black hair that curled around his shoulders and yellow eyes that were feral and cold and definitely weren't human. He bowed mockingly before Hunter, but his eyes never left Hunter's for a second. "Vampire Prince, welcome." He said in greeting. Hunter didn't return the bow.
"I am here with the Goblin King's permission. Let me and mine pass unharmed." The man moved forward, stalking round them till he stood at Kara's back. She tensed as she felt his hand skim lightly over her hair.
"You are, but the girl is not. She's trying to complete the Labyrinth, therefore she is fair game. Leave her here and you shall pass."
"The girl is mine!" Hunter spat at the man, "You can not claim her!"
Kara wondered at the formal tone of voice from Hunter. He sounded stiff, like he was reading rehearsed lines from a page. She wondered if this was how all vampires and werewolves behaved with each other or if it was because Hunter was a prince.
The man had moved again, almost as if he couldn't bear to be still for any length of time and he was standing in front of Hunter again. "By what right do you claim her?"
Hunter grit his teeth. He hadn't actually claimed Kara in any way that the wolves would understand. Well more importantly, not in anyway their leader would understand. Kisses weren't enough to protect her and the only true way of claiming her as his, he suspected, would be objectionable to her. Not to mention there were consequences he wouldn't be able to explain to her now. He needed to mark her now if they were going to get through this and he needed to make it look like it had happened before.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled her forward, turning her to face him. He gripped her arms gently and looked into her eyes, willing her to understand what he was about to do. "Kara, I'm sorry." He whispered.
Oh god, he's going to leave me with them, Kara screamed in her head and tried not to let her fear show. After all, she attempted to convince herself, it's not like he owes me anything. It's not like he said he was here to play protector. He doesn't even know me that well.
He leaned to towards her and startled she almost pulled away from him, but his grip on her shoulders kept her still. She felt the brush of his lips on her neck and then the pressure of his fangs against her skin preceding the sharp sensation of his fangs breaking through the skin. She gasped, shocked by what he had just done and amazed that it didn't actually hurt. He pulled her body tight to his and she closed her eyes, unexpected pleasure washing through her body, making her skin tingle. A moment later he broke away from her and she wanted to cry out, pull him back. She felt like she'd lost something.
"By right of blood," he said to the werewolf. Kara leaned against him feeling slightly dazed and she didn't really take his words in. Hunter was supporting her weight against his chest and silently thanking whoever was listening that she hadn't started screaming.
The man bowed again, "Very well your highness," he said, bitterness evident in his voice. He signalled to the wolves and they slunk off in to the forest, bodies low to the ground. The other men disappeared as well, heads bowed.
The man who was obviously the leader turned to leave but he paused and spoke to Hunter, "Don't think you'll keep her safe forever." With that promise made, he was gone too.
In the short time the exchange took Kara was already feeling better, her thoughts clearer and she stood back from Hunter. She pulled her hand back and slapped him with all the strength she had, her other hand on her neck.
"You bit me!"
"If I hadn't they would have taken you!"
"Why?" Hunter wasn't sure if she wanted to know why he'd bitten her or why the wolves would have taken her. After a moments consideration he answered the latter question.
"That was Ulrich, leader of the wolf pack. Three years ago his sister disappeared and he's been blaming me ever since. He can't have open war with me because Jareth would prevent it so he's been looking for something of mine he can take."
"How does that justify you biting me?"
"Well biting you was away of saying you were mine, marking you. Since I'm here with Jareth's permission, for the moment, he couldn't take you because Jareth would interfere but it won't keep you safe forever."
Kara slapped him again, "that was for assuming I belonged to you." She turned and stalked out of the forest. Hunter rubbed his cheek and sighed. He'd known she wouldn't like the insinuation that she belonged to him. So few women in her world did, even if there were women in his kingdom who would kill for what had just passed between them. Sighing again he followed her, wondering when he would be able to explain that what had happened was so much more than a simple bite.
***
In one of the high towers of his castle, Jareth watched the entire exchange in a crystal.
"Now this is getting interesting," He remarked to the figure on the floor. He looked down at Arron whom he'd eventually had to tie and gag to get some peace. After all the pompous demands and such the man had begun to give Jareth a headache. In fact he wasn't impeding Kara's progress at all. Well no more that he had too. He couldn't wait to get rid of the man at his feet. It was always so much easier with children.
And to think, he'd only begun the whole thing because he'd been feeling particularly bored today. Still he hadn't counted on Hunter and it was interesting to watch what was developing between the prince and the girl. He tapped his riding crop against his thigh, wondering how long it would be before Kara learned of the bond that now tied her to the Prince and for both their sakes Jareth hoped that Hunter wouldn't have to bite her again. Every time he did that bond would get stronger and he had seen first hand how unpleasant that could turn out.
Still thinking he returned his gaze to the crystal.