A/N - This is by far the longest chapter so far in this story - and next chapter might be even longer since all hell breaks loose now!

I am now officially unemployed by choice, so things might be a bit hectic for me as I figure out what I will be doing to keep paying the bills. Mean while, I will keep writing. Hope you guys are enjoying the ride!

Former Arrangements

By Genavere

Chapter Eleven

In true Fairy Tail fashion, the days after the abduction were pure chaos. Search parties were sent out, a command post was set up on top of the old command post, and members from other guilds continued to show up to offer help. Natsu had been a true friend and companion to most of the wizarding community since he joined Fairy Tail—at least to those who were not a dark guild, the magic council, or had hurt one of his friends. And Lucy was, in all sense of the word, a shining star that fought for her friends and even gave her enemies a chance to change.

Flare had been one of the first people who arrived at the guild when news spread to see what she could do to find her Blonde.

As more people went out to search, leads were followed, but most of them were dead ends. That did not stop them from continuing to look for them. They just worked to extend their research and networking to find a way to track them down.

The member of the guild that had been determined to go out and find them had been the one the rest of the guild kept home. There was always someone with him to ensure he did not go out on his own.

Sitting on the table with his current round of watchers, Happy stared at the plate of fish before him and sighed. Around his neck and head, Natsu's dragon-scaled scarf was wrapped tight and caught many of his tears that he shed. In his knapsack, which was hidden by the scarf, were Lucy's keys instead of the usual fish he kept for a snack. He refused to let anyone else touch them, determined to keep them safe and return them himself.

"Happy, you must eat." Carla tried to reason with him and pushed the plate closer to him. "You have barely touched anything since the news came in."

"I can't, Carla." His already bloodshot eyes filled with tears as he stared at the fish. "What if they haven't been able to eat anything? How could I when they might be starving?!"

"Happy," Levy spoke softly to the exceed as not to startle him. "We shouldn't dwell on possibilities that we don't know if they are true or not. I know you are worried, but Natsu and Lucy will need your strength when we find them."

He lifted his head just enough to look at the script mage. "What if we don't? Poor Lucy! And Natsu! What if I lose them?"

"That's not gonna happen. Salamander wouldn't let anything happen to Bunny Girl." Gajeel grunted, not lifting his gaze from the reports he was going through. "What happened on Guiltina should've taught you that."

"Gajeel." Levy gave him a stern look.

"What? I'm only statin' the obvious."

"Well, you can state the obvious here while we go for a walk." She set her pile of reports down and gathered Happy up into her arms. Maybe it was the motherly instincts she developed with the twins that drove her to be protective of the miserable exceed and give him comfort. Or she knew just how much her best friend cherished him and would want him cared for in her absence. "Come on, Happy, let's see if Mira has heard anything from the outbound teams."

He sniffled, burying his face into her chest—it was not as soft or comfortable as Lucy's—and gave a pathetic "Aye sir" in return.

Managing the teams through the central communication lacrima crystal at the command post, Mira stared at the dark-haired ice mage in the device. Scattered around her were several papers of notes from each team she had talked to and what information they had managed to gather—more of the lack of information, she sighed.

"Seems like there are reports that a dark guild was talking about having a massive payout soon," Gray's voice came through the device. "But each source says a different guild name, and none can say who the payout is from."

"Do any of the guilds repeat?" Small tidbits had been the only thing they had managed to gather in the seven days they had been searching, and none of it drew a bigger picture. Though Mira had tried to keep a positive attitude, it wore at everyone to be no closer to finding their friends. Even the master was trying to use his own resources to find them.

"A few, and I am going to check them out the best I can. Any news from Erza?"

"I will be checking on her next for any updates," Mira said. "Last time she reported in, she was going to follow a lead with Yukino."

"Let me know if anything comes up from that. I'll report in at my next scheduled time unless I find anything important."

The lacrima cleared and Mira lowered her head. Guilt had been gnawing at her insides since she had fired the first flare into the night sky. It had been that moment the full grasp of the situation dawned on her, the red flare reminding her of Tenrou Island. She had been the first person in the guild that Lucy had confided in about the issue and she wondered if there could have been more done to keep this from happening.

An arm wrapped around her shoulders and a glass of water set on the table before her. "Hey sis, why don't you take a break?" Lisanna gave her a reassuring smile. "We are all worried about them, but if I know those two, they will come home just fine."

"That's right, Mira!" Levy came up on the other side of the oldest Strauss sibling with Happy and gave her a smile. "Once Natsu is back, things will go back to being loud and I won't be able to have the twins without him trying to teach them how to fight."

"Or Lucy dragging him out of the guild when she doesn't want to get punished by Erza with him."

Mira smiled up at them, glad to have them supporting her. "Speaking of Erza, let me just get an update from her and then I will go rest." She transmitted the signal through the device that would alert the requip mage of their call. They did not have to wait long for her to answer.

"Erza here." The red-head came into view with Yukino in the background talking to someone out of view.

"Erza! Have you found anything?" Happy cried out, eager for any news.

"Actually, I believe we have finally found our break."

"Really?!" All three women crowded around the lacrima and drew the attention of the rest of the guild hall.

"Indeed, once you hear what we were told, we should gather our forces and head the location." She turned to address the person Yukino stood with. Gathered around the sphere, they watched Erza back away a bit and, in her place, Queen Hisui E. Fiore stepped forward.

"I believe I have information on who might be the one responsible for Lucy and Natsu's abduction."

#####

Bear Flint leaned against the wall and stared at the unconscious dragon slayer in annoyance. After watching both of his targets since the grand magic games, he had been certain the girl would have needed to see just who had the power at least once since being taken captive.

He had prepared several venoms to use against the slayer to maximize the amount of pain and damage he could do with minimal outer damage to the body. He had dreamed of inflicting the torture. To listen to his screams of pain that would drown hers to stop out. Yet, the bitch acted like a perfect princess and the pig refused to punish her for good behavior.

What infuriated him on a higher level had been when the duke ordered that the prisoner would get three meals each day. His jaw clenched. There was no place for mistakes with a dragon slayer. If one underestimated their enemy, their strengths, and their desires to protect those close to them, the battle was already lost.

One thing that he would never allow was to lose a battle. Not to his prey.

To keep a step ahead of the fire mage, he ensured the only time he was given the antidote to the venom was when the food arrived. The downfall to that was that he had to rely on the guards to inform him when he had finished eating.

Every day. Every meal! As soon as the venom had been cured and the slayer woke up, nothing could shut him up. Not even a mouthful of food brought any relief. He had never felt the urge to cause another so much pain until this insufferable creature.

It only served to prove that women knew how to play the men in their lives. He knew of no other way anyone could deal with the slayer otherwise. And he had seen it firsthand with her the day after her outburst and the duke laid down the rules to her. Any attitude she had disappeared. With it any chance of using his insurance. For now.

He knelt to look at the unconscious slayer on the ground and grinned.

Three more days until the wedding. Then things would change.

"Don't worry, pup. That girl might be behavin' now, but once that pig starts trying to get her pregnant, I am sure things will change." The drugged slayer did not even twitch, not that he expected him to with the venom still coursing his veins. "Then we can truly have fun together. All three of us."

He glanced over the boy's form and frowned. The guards had laxed their precautions on the fire mage since the first day to make their jobs easier. It did not bother him that he was not suspended from the ceiling anymore, but the lack of the other sealstone cuffs bothered him. All he had were the cuffs around his wrists to allow him to move around while he ate.

Too much freedom, he huffed, not that it mattered. None had ever escaped him after he caught them.

"Hey, dragon slayer," he said with a grin. The scars on his face pulled taunt. "How much you think I could sell your girl for? Her value drops a bit since who knows how many men she has slept with, but anyone able to handle something like you should bring in a decent stack of jewel."

Fingers twitched at the thought of administrating the antidote early. A rise out of the slayer would bring him amusement to stave away the boredom.

Glancing around, he checked the position of the guards. None of them were practically eager to share their space with a wizard from a dark guild. Too bad more would be arriving shortly, he smirked.

"Let me tell you a secret," he lowered his voice just enough to keep it from echoing down the hall. "Nobles think they are smart, smarter than us lowborn folk. Even that prissy girl you fuck is no different. It is why I am willing to wait to get my reward.

'Once the ten million jewel is in my hands, nothing will stop me from selling her on the slave market. Pregnant or not, those assets of her along with her rare magic will line my pockets more. And you know what will happen after she is sold away and I have the money? I will just track her down again and do it all again. Need to get some form of compensation since we never found her keys. Those could have made me quite a bit."

Still nothing. He spat in annoyance.

Patience was key for a hunter to have to pursue prey. But when the prey had been caught and they idled around in the traps alive, the sound of their squeals delighted him. A grin pulled his scars, crinkled his eyes. Things would change once his guild arrived, and the duke was not the only one to find loopholes in contracts.

Footsteps signaled the arrival of the guards with dinner—left overs from the servants' food, which meant the pig was already in his study. He could finally leave the manor and hunt for a real meal without being called on.

Summoning his storage, he pulled a needle forward with the antidote and held it to the guard that approached with the tray of food. "When he's done screaming, send a guard for me."

"Yes, sir!"

He stalked off to procure his own dinner unaware of the golden irises circled by red watching.

#####

"If you need anything else, Milady, please let us know." The maids helped Lucy get tucked in bed with a cup of lemon tea and some bread on the nightstand. They turned down the lights and bid her a goodnight before closing the door softly.

Earlier during dinner, with the same high calorie broth soup she had been served at every meal since she had arrived, she had carefully and purposely triggered her gag reflex. Promptly and without any warning to the duke across from her, she had thrown up all the liquid she had eaten. It covered her expensive dress, the remaining plates of food he had to eat, and even got some on his clothes.

She had been quite proud of that.

Then, using what she had learned from all those acting jobs, she swayed in her chair and toppled over. The duke had flown across the room opposite of her, his normally sweaty face drenched and pale as he called for a doctor and the servants.

She had been carried to her room and a doctor brought to examined her. As if he understood the issue already, all he had done was asked her the food she had consumed. Upon hearing of the broth, he deemed her diet had been the cause of the illness and expressed concern that her body was not receiving the nutrients needed to remain healthy.

"I will inform the Duke Sawarr that balanced meals must be presented to you, especially as I hear you will be married soon. Without such substance, producing a child would be near impossible." The doctor informed her after ordering the maids to bring lemon tea and bread for his patient.

As he packed his bag, Lucy gave him a soft smile from her bed. "Thank you, doctor."

"It is my position to care for the future of the Junelle Family," he returned her smile. "Cannot have the next heir born be weak due to a malnourished mother. Rest now, I am sure we will see each other within a months' time."

How she managed not to show her irritation to the doctor or the maids after his comment or their cooing of having a baby in the manor, she could not say. Probably from all the practice she had to keep order in her own life with Natsu and the guild. With all the acting she had done since dinner, she was certain she could give that Fairy Nail Nick a run for his money. The arrogant prick.

Before the click sounded of the lock at the door, the bread had been scarfed down with the tea. It was heavenly to taste something other than water or that broth. It hurt that such a small change of food tasted so good that tears filled her eyes. "When we get out of this, I will put Natsu to shame on table manners and eating."

And tonight, she would tell him that.

"I can't waste anymore time," she told herself and jumped out of the bed. That morning she had been informed that Eclipse Nexus would be sending more of their members to act as guards over the wedding. Dealing with Bear Flint was already a fault in her plans that could bring everything down. Without her magic or keys there was a good chance he would put a halt to their escape. If there were more wizards, her chances of getting to Natsu lowered considerably and they would never get out of there.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the scissors from her vanity and cut away at her nightgown until it reached her mid-thighs and tore the sleeves off. She took a belt that she had found earlier in the closet and secured it around her waist.

"Right, now that I can move, first the ladder than the fire. C'mon, Lucy, you can do this!"

She pulled the blankets off the bed and began tying the ends together. Just like how she snuck out of her family's manor when she had run away. Before, she had just needed to escape the loveless life her father forced on her. This time, she had someone to save and a home to go to.

"That should do it." She nodded at the length of the blanket ladder and gave it a few extra tugs to ensure it would hold. It was not a far drop down from her window, but she did not want to risk being injured when there were enough disadvantages for them. If she had Aries, she could have just jumped and landed on her wool.

She tied one end of the ladder to the post on the bed and gave it several tugs before she was convinced it would not come undone on her. Then she carried the rest over to the window that the maids had opened earlier to bring fresh air in and set it down by the sill. If she threw it out of the window too early, there was a chance a guard would notice it and the alarms would be sounded.

No, the fire would be set first before she dropped the blanket ladder out the window. And, thanks to the maids, the fire would be the easy part.

When she had decided fire would be the way to cause a distraction, she had resigned herself to the fact that she would have to create fire like she had on Edolas. That moment was still a highlight of her life that she proudly shoved in Natsu's face at times. Gathering up all the dresses from the walk-in closet first, she walked by the two lit candles the maids had left for her to read by.

Good behavior had its advantages at times, she thought with a grin.

Everything she could move from the wooden drawers in the vanity to the dresses that filled the closet, even the dry towels in the bathroom were pulled from where they belonged and pushed against the entrance to her room. The only thing the duke bought her that she did not toss on the pile were a pair of soft boots and her tattered nightgown. Not even the books he had sent to her of how to be a proper noble wife were safe from the pile.

Taking one of the books, she opened it and set it on the middle of the heaping pile. She had been quiet for the most part to set everything by the door to keep the guards stationed outside from checking on her. Not like they would. The last week she had made it a nightly routine to move things around in the name of re-organizing to better suit her tastes.

Now, with a candle in hand, she stared at the open book and the raised pages.

If Natsu had been there, he could have just look at the pile and a fire would have consumed it all—and likely taken out the whole wall, too. Unfortunately for her, she only had two chances to get it started. If the candles failed…she would not fail. There was a makeshift fire starter like she had used in Edolas under the bed she was more than willing to pull out and work on to get this plan to work.

No one would keep her from her partner any more.

She pressed her lips together and thought of Natsu and Happy. How was Happy handling them gone? A frown marred her features. It was decided, she nodded to herself, when they went to get food, it had to be someplace with lots of fish.

And a good, greasy burger and steak and fries and…she wiped the drool from her chin.

After all this, they would all eat a hearty meal together. As a family. Her frown turned up at the thought.

The first step to getting back was the fire.

Carefully, since this fire could burn her, she set the wick of the candle to the edge of the paper in the book. Red embers licked and spread in all directions from the little flame. Smoke sputtered up at the inked words, but no flame flickered up from the pages. More embers spread to the other pages in a mystifying dance of red and black on the paper.

It was beautiful to watch even with her heart in her throat.

Red traveled to the thickets of the book, caressed the curve of the page and from the cracked spine, a flame flickered to lift with thick puffs of smoke. The blackness of the middle was soon consumed by flames and as they flickered and jolted from the glue and paper, it leapt out and added another book to its dance.

From the books, flames licked at the wood of the pile and traveled downward to consume the fabrics easily. Within the span of a few minutes, the small embers had become a heated entity of its own eager to stretch and consume all that stood by it. She smirked at the hunger the flames showed. "Now we have a fire in our bellies."

"Oh!" She nearly forgot! In the cabinet on the other side of the room hung one dress that likely cost the most out of all the dresses on the pile already. Fire cracked and reached higher to darken the ceiling high above as she pulled the offending dress to the pile. With a grunt, she tossed the offending garment onto the pile and ensured the ten-foot train Sawarr demanded followed. "I only wear embarrassing clothes for my friends."

#####

"Dinner time, ya poor sap." The guard with the tray of food sighed as he unlocked the cell door with as much enthusiasm as a cat in a thunderstorm. None of this sat well with him, but when the only jobs around the area were run by the Junelle family, beggars could not be choosers. He brought the tray of food in and set it down on the floor by the unconscious man.

He looked down at the needle on the tray and shook his head. "I dunno what ya did to piss off the duke, but I canna risk m'family by helping ya. Justa happy got off morrow, ya know?" Eyes like those of a demon stared up at him. He had not even grabbed the needle yet! "Wait—!"

The wall slammed into his back. A hand covered his mouth. Those red-rimmed golden eyes stared down at him. Images of his wife and young daughter came to mind as he soiled himself in fear. He had never wanted to leave them alone in the world!

"I am going to burn this place to the ground," a voice growled sending chills through his body. "If I see you again tonight, I will not hesitate to kill you."

The boy—no, the demon stepped back from him with his arms raised high in the air. Flames shot out from his feet and coiled around until they melted the sealstone cuffs from his raised arms. The eyes that glowed in the flames never left the guard. Dominance between the two was quickly settled and the guard lowered his eyes. Tucked into a ball, he sobbed in fear and stayed like that until later that night when his fellow guards found him and dragged him from burning manor.

#####

Clattering filled the stone stairway behind him from the discarded tray tumbling downward. Natsu wiped the crumbs off his face and carefully tucked the needle into his pocket for later, unsure when it would come in play.

Magic surged through his veins like tidal waves filling a starved riverbed. Power from his dragon and demon powers melded together, a hum of pent-up energy filled his ears. Together, they transformed his body, shifting flesh into scales, horns curling up from his grimy hair, claws extending from his fingers. All his senses were sharper, he felt the strength flowing through him and burn the remaining drugs from his system. Most importantly, he was in control with a clear mind and goal.

To burn this place to the ground and take Lucy back home.

Training himself in his Beta Heaven had been a long shot on if it would even equate to the real world, but the one chance of finding that place from a near-death experience had served him well. Not that he would ever tell that to Lucy.

When he had that guard's life in his hands, a flick of the wrist in any movement, he had been surprised neither his dragon or demon were calling for the man's blood. Revenge and the need to protect burned through him, but he could tell those who were unwilling pawns and those responsible.

He was not lost to the throes of the darker parts of himself.

Not this time.

In a room on one of the floors, he rummaged through it to find something to cover himself better than his beyond destroyed pants. Leather pants, a loose wool shirt, and an overcoat were all a bit oversized for him, but a belt with a pouch helped keep it all together to be useable. He even moved the needle to the pouch for safe keeping. A pair of leather shoes were in the back corner, and though he hated the feel of them on his feet, he endured them.

Once he got out of the dungeons and lower levels of the manor, there was no telling what he would run into. Any protection he could use would be better than nothing.

Sniffing the air, he easily picked up the scent of the dark mage and followed it further along until the whole area changed. Gone were the rough stones and cold dampness of the lower levels and dungeons. Instead, a stifling warmth filled the glamorous halls of the manor. Gold lined every corner and trim, paintings and statues decorated the walls. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the archways to different rooms would easily allow Elfman to pass through them.

Even Elfman and Gemini posing as Elfman, side by side!

He looked around at the obvious display of money and baulked. "Did they really think Lucy would want to live in a place like this?"

Glancing at the paintings lining the walls and the statues, there was a repeating figure in all of the different famous scenes he remembered Lucy showing him at a museum once—and she had only trusted him there by keeping a firm hold on his hand. Going between each one, he found that whoever was supposed to be the main person or focal point had been changed to look like the same guy that was on all the statues that filled the halls, too.

It was freaky, if he was honest. "Someone really loves themselves."

He grinned, curling his clawed hands into fists. It was time to do what he did best.

A flick of his hand and flames flew down the hallway on both sides, engulfing all the paintings, furniture, and sculptures. Windows exploded from the heat sending glass everywhere.

He strolled through an open doorway and sent another ball of fire into a large portrait of the large man sitting naked on a rock like he was pondering what to eat for dinner that hung above a fireplace. Flames licked up the walls and moved to the other paintings on the walls.

A chuckle escaped him at the thought of the pompous windbag in all those paintings learning his art was all going up in flames. Keeping his grin in place, he went up to a wall that had no doors or archways in it. A wall had never kept him from getting from one place to another. Flames ignited over his fists. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Debris shot out into the grand room he made an entrance to. From the table setting and the faded smell of food, he could only assume he had found the dining room or something related to food. He sniffed the air carefully. Behind him raged the fire he had started, but through the smoke he could smell Lucy's scent. It was at least a couple hours old since she had been there, but it was there. And, along with her scent, the faint aroma of another fire that he did not start caught his senses.

He grinned proudly. "That's my girl."

If she started a fire, that meant it was a diversion. No point going toward it, then. Knowing her, she would try to get to the dungeons. That meant he needed to make enough of a scene to let her know that he had freed himself. And he knew exactly how to do that.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

#####

Lucy found herself in the hedge maze of the gardens as she made her way to the servants' entrance. There had been more guards on patrol than she had initially estimated. It had pushed her back further from the manor as she tried to find a way into the manor that would be less inconspicuous.

In her hand, she gripped her only weapon she managed to find for herself after knocking out a guard who had stumbled upon her. While his sword had seemed like a good choice to take, there was a difference between Cancer's dual swords and the broadsword the guard had. Instead, she settled to take his dagger. At least she could carry it without needing both hands.

A quiet calm settled over the gardens. The red sky above the manor happened to be the only sign that anything had happened that night. Time was ticking down for her before they had the inferno handled and they began searching for her. If she did not get into the dungeons by then, Natsu would be tortured and used to bring her back.

And no matter what he would tell her, she would to keep him safe.

The air around her stilled for a moment. Wide eyes glanced toward the manor from an opening in the hedge. A large explosion shook the grounds and the manor. Flames erupted out of the windows and glass was sent flying into the night sky like comets. Chaos from guards and servants filled the quiet and the clouds above shone pink from the flames that rose up toward them.

A teary smile brightened her features. "Natsu…" Leave it to her partner to make sure she knew he was out. Did that mean he had caught scent of the fire she started? Whether he did or not, she knew that her plan to get to him had changed. Going back into the manor would be too dangerous, but with more people coming out, she had to find a place she could lay low until he could catch her scent.

Turning around, she moved further into the hedge in the direction of the forest that surrounded the grounds. Every few feet, she rubbed her hands and arms on the environment as she went by it. Whatever she could do to make him tracking her easier.

At the edge of the gardens, an abrupt feeling of dread brought her to a halt. A large clearing separated her from the woods. There would be no hiding until she got to the woods. What probability was there that members of Eclipse Nexus had already arrived? Where was Bear Flint in all this mess? She frowned, pressing a curved finger to her lips. There were too many variables for her to fully grasp their current situation.

Then a cold chill ran down her spine. How much of the situation did Natsu know? Had he heard that there were more dark wizards coming to the manor? If they were already there, could they be fighting and that was the reason for the explosion?

The uncertainty would drive her crazy. There was no time to worry about everything she had no control over. Instead, she looked to the forest to decide the best gameplan to get there without being seen.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Her breath caught.

Without questioning it, she dove to the right. Needles burrowed into the ground where she had stood just a moment before. Quickly, she spun around and glared at the massive figure of Bear Flint.

More needles floated above his outstretched hands as his dark eyes glared down at her. "I knew you would do something, you little bitch!" He threw out more needles at her.

She leapt back and blocked them with her dagger. "Guess you should have figured that into your plans, then."

A growl answered her and more needles were sent at her that she dodged and blocked again. As she watched him, she realized he was using a type of requip magic like Erza. That meant he could have thousands of needles at his disposal. Already he had pushed her further into the clearing, which meant she had no cover to hide behind. No matter how quick she was, there would be no way she could avoid all of the needles he threw at her.

The realization must have shown on her face as he grinned at her. "You know how useless your situation is now." He moved toward her, each step he took was matched by her own moving back to maintain their distance. "You have sentenced your little dragon slayer to so much pain, he might never be the same."

"You really think I would let you touch him?"

"What will you do with that little dagger?" He laughed at her, his steps gaining on her. They were half way across the clearing now.

"I know I can't do anything to you with this," she shrugged at him. "But after all that time watching us and all that information you gathered on us, do you really think that I could have caused all that destruction?"

It was her turn to smirk at him as the realization settled in. Salamander was quite known to be a destructive force that left cities half burned down. There was only so much damage a celestial mage could do even at full force—if the spirit brought out was not Aquarius.

She shuddered at the thought, but still smiled knowing her oldest friend was, hopefully, safe back home.

Realizing her mistake a bit too late, she barely managed to jump back in time to avoid more needles that were flung at her. Another barrage came barely a second later. A cry left her lips as one embedded itself into her left calf. The limb went numb up to mid-thigh. It was completely useless. Even her toes on that leg refused to move.

More needles embedded themselves into the ground around her. Each getting closer to her. Some scratched her skin and left the area around the cuts numb. A boot kicked her chest hard and she landed hard against the grass covered dirt. Her lungs fought for breath, her body panicked at the thought he would bring more pain. And her heart just ached to see her partner again.

Above her, Bear Flint's dark eyes grinned down at her. He was playing with her now.

He reached down and grabbed her by the wrist like he had done so many times already since her capture. Enough. She had had enough! Pain pulled at her joints in her arm as he lifted her into the air and held her before him. The downfall of hunters happened when they no longer saw their prey as anything dangerous.

His hot breath pressed into her face. With all her might, she threw herself forward as best as she could in his grip. Initially, she aimed for his throat with her dagger, but his hand managed to catch her, but not enough to stop the momentum. Hot blood squelched between the hilt and blade to coat her fingers as it pierced his shoulder.

They both stared at each other in shock.

Rage twisted his features. "You bitch!"

His fist connected with her face once, twice. The ground rushed up and forced the air from her lungs again after he slammed her down. Before she could catch her breath, his mud-covered boot stomped on her chest. Cracks and pops wretched a gasp past her lips.

Above her, he pulled the dagger from his shoulder and tossed it to the ground away from them. Even if she had the strength, her fingers could not reach the hilt. Rage twitched across his features, muscles bulged and pulsed, his whole body shook from the suppressed impulses.

"No more," he sneered down at her, grounding his boot further into her chest. "You will learn your place as my prey!" Several needles appeared around him, spinning around like Erza's Heaven's Wheel swords.

Fear gripped her. If he sent out all of those at her, she would not survive.

She struggled to pull in a breath and threw her head back. "Natsu!"

Rapidly approaching, a voice answered her.

"Lucy!"

A/N - Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Let me know what you thought, good or bad. Wouldn't mind knowing what you guys think! :)