Worlds Apart 2: Hunter's Revenge (3 page)

She looked back at the man who had carried her from her cell and licked her lips. What if he had truly come to help her? Looking beyond him, she noticed another man who lay dying on the floor. His chest barely moved. She could hear his raspy breaths as he struggled to draw the frozen air into his lungs. Blood coated his front, yet even near
death,
he still clutched his weapon in his hands. It didn’t take long to realize the man had sacrificed himself for her and for the man standing before her. At least now, the beast would never harm another woman.

Wiping her hands on the stained sheet the stranger had carefully wrapped around her like a toga before taking her from her cell, she stood and kicked the dead body, unable to keep
herself
from showing her anger, her despair. If this man used it against her in the future, so be it. At least she’d had that one momentary pleasure.

Amy looked beyond the two men to the light. A cold breeze touched her face and fresh air brushed the greasy hair at her temple. Could that really be the entrance to the cave? Was she really that close to freedom?

Even with the excruciating pain wracking her body, the thought that freedom was just feet away, gave her the motivation to do whatever she needed to get off this freaking cold ass barren planet and its vile inhabitants. “What kind of help do you need?”

Was it relief she saw crossing his features as he leaned down to lift the downed man into his arms. “I need you to trust me,
moya
. We are so close to freedom. Just a few more yards, but I can’t carry you both. He risked his life to save ours. Now I ask you to trust me. To follow me from this hellhole and do your best to keep up.” His gaze traveled from the top of her head to her bare feet and his expression gentled. “I know you’re in pain and unprepared for the bitter conditions and I will help you all that I can. Will you do this?”

She knew she wasted precious time for his friend’s life but she had to know. The question plagued her. The last thing she wanted was to jump from the frying pan and into the fire.

“Where do I know you from?” She tilted her head with a frown. “I know I have seen you before. You’re too familiar to me.”

He smiled. The action made him seem even more familiar. Still, she couldn’t think of where she’d seen him before.

“We have never met before this day,
moya
. But you
have
met my brother.”

“Your brother?”
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
She backed away.
God, please don’t tell me his brother is one of these animals.

“Yes, my brother. I am Hunter Shi’Lan. You met my brother Taliff, Eve’s mate, just before you were stolen from his ship.”

Memories came flooding back.
Eve, with her kind ways, keeping that bitch
Myra
from
queening
over everyone.
Taliff, who had kidnapped them all, promising them a better life…she almost laughed aloud at that. Right, her life was going just great right now. Then the ship went dark, gunfire, women screaming, and then darkness.

“Will you trust me and follow me to your freedom,
moya
?
Even now,
Mikel
dies in my arms.”

She nodded as she remembered his brother called Eve,
moya
.
Something about that memory, something elusive, made her realize that she could at least trust this man to get her out of this hellhole.

“Hunter? You did say that was your name, right?” She frowned, trying to remember what it was that his brother had said about him. It seemed important… She shook her head. It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was getting the hell out of here and getting his friend the medical attention he needed. It was the least she could do for what he was suffering on her behalf.

“Yes,
moya
?
”

“Lead the way. If you hand me the weapon, I’ll do my best to cover you, though I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”

Hunter nodded, handed her his friend’s weapon. “Any help is better than none. Follow me.”

He led the way toward the light, his friend cradled in his arms. The closer they got to the entrance to the tunnel, the more excited she got.
Freedom
.
She could practically smell it. The fresh air caressed her skin and though it was cold, freezing even, for the first time in months hope filled her heart.
Hope and the first stirrings of rage.
She would have her revenge, somehow, someday. The Black Rose and all her followers hadn’t seen the last of Amy Morgan. Not by a long shot.

Clutching the borrowed weapon in her hand, she took her first step into sunlight in weeks, months,
hell,
it could even have been years. She just didn’t know. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but snow and ice. The light from the sun glistened off the ice and snow. It would have been beautiful had it not been for the fact that she’d been held captive here. The glittering world before her only served to remind her that she’d been kept prisoner underground, forced to live in the bleak artificial light her captors chose to provide or withhold as they saw fit. The only things distinctive about their surroundings were the mountain peaks around them and the small, barely noticeable valley below.

She looked down at the trail she’d have to follow, glanced at her feet. She shook her head, knowing the only way she could get down this trail was if she shifted to her lioness form. She could just as easily defend the men in that form, it would just happen in close quarters rather than from a distance.

Hell, she didn’t even know if she could shift. The few times she tried to shift below the surface, blinding pain had incapacitated her for hours, leaving her at the mercy of her jailers. But, she wouldn’t know if she didn’t try, and standing here wasting time as Hunter’s friend lay dying in his arms was unacceptable. Besides, if she were in her other form, the pain she felt now wouldn’t be as debilitating. These injuries were next to nothing for a lioness. Without giving herself any more time to worry, Amy closed her eyes and called upon the shifter magic inside her.

Searing heat blasted through her body, truly warming her for the first time in months. Even behind her closed eyelids, she could see the light coalescing around her body as she shifted in an instant. She felt her face turn to a muzzle, felt the fur warming her body for the first time in ages. She dropped to the ground on four large paws. The lioness roared its joy at finally having the freedom to run, to hunt. She shook her body, luxuriating in the feeling of being in her hunter form after so long a slumber. Why hadn’t she been able to shift in the caves? Had they used some form of technology to keep them from shifting, some sort of medication in their food? She hadn’t ate last night, she’ been too sick. She’d flushed it down their version of a toilet to avoid the beating she knew she’d get for refusing to eat. She turned in a circle, scented the air.

There. She could scent the path Hunter had followed on his way to rescue her. Skirting past the gaping man, she led the way down the trail. She’d have to think about why he’d looked at her so strangely later. Right now, all she wanted was to get off this planet; heal,
then
get her revenge.

Behind her, Hunter followed, carrying his burden gently in his arms. They were nearly halfway down the mountain when the scent of fear hit her. The sounds of whimpering and flesh striking flesh soon followed. Then that voice. The voice she’d never wanted to hear again echoed across the frozen tundra.

Up ahead, Hunter stopped, turned his head toward the newcomers. He started to put his friend down, to go help whomever they’d recaptured. Amy couldn’t let him sacrifice his friend. She’d take care of this. Amy padded over to Hunter, grabbed his pants in her teeth and started pulling him back toward the trail.

His gaze was uncertain, guilt and grief warred on his face, but he finally nodded and headed back down the trail. Once certain he wouldn’t turn back, she darted off the trail and headed toward the downed rescue team. The voice of the betrayer grew louder as she approached.

“Too bad her rescuers had to die. I would have liked to ride them. Grab the woman and take her back to her cell. The more women here when the Black Rose hears about today’s rescue attempt, the better for all of us.”

“Yes, Lady
Myra
. It will be as you say.”

Everything in Amy, both the human and the lioness demanded revenge. She wanted to rip the woman apart. Eve had done no favors for the women when she spared
Myra
’s life on
Taliff’s
ship. Amy didn’t blame Eve for what had happened to her and the others at Myra’s hands—didn’t blame her for sparing the bitch’s life—but, that didn’t mean she’d follow Eve’s example and show the traitor mercy. No, if it was the last thing she did before she died, she would make sure
Myra
paid for all the pain and suffering she’d caused.

Amy slowed as she neared
Myra
and the others, lowered her body until she was creeping just above the snow-packed ground. She did her best staying upwind so the chances of
Myra
catching her scent were lower. No sense in making herself a target before she pounced, or so her ma back home had taught her when she’d taken her on her first hunt as a child. The men would be no protection for
Myra
in their human form. They were little more than brainless brawn.

These people hadn’t learned it yet. Centuries on Earth had taught the Earth
Lionese
that the female were truly the stealthiest of the species. The female stalked and hunted the prey. The men were the stronger, but only if they had the strength of numbers and the female lacked the element of surprise. Both luck and circumstances were on her side this night.

As physically weak and exhausted as she was, she needed as much of an advantage as she could get if she hoped to rescue the woman they’d recaptured. During their “stay” here, the rebels went out of their way to ensure that bitch
Myra
stayed happy and healthy.
Compensation for her role in procuring the Black Rose females, most likely.
Crawling forward on her belly, she watched, hoping to find an opening that would give her the advantage over her enemy.

“No. Please. I can’t go back. Just let me go, I beg you. Just let me go.” Amy knew that voice.
A female from the cell next to her--Maryann.
How did she get here, anyway? Taliff hadn’t taken her from Earth aboard his ship. Had they sent more ships to Earth to procure more females? She shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to ask those questions. They would have to wait.

Another slap, another pitiful whimper.
Fury and rage rode the lioness hard. That was the last time
Myra
or the others would raise a hand to the once exuberant girl. The next person that raised a hand to her died.

Amy stopped, plastered herself across the cold snow and watched the horrifying scene in front of her.
Myra
stood with her back to the lioness, a laser whip fisted in her hands as she towered over the sprawled unarmed girl. Though, she wasn’t really a girl now either. She looked to be in her early twenties as least. How long had they kept her in stasis—forcing her body into a slowly aging hibernation—before bringing them to this planet? How many years had she lost?

As
Myra
lifted the whip, Amy crept forward, shoving her worries to the back of her mind.
Time enough to contemplate her miserable life later.
Besides, she was in no hurry to see
herself
in a mirror. Right now, Maryann needed her and for once, she wasn’t helpless. This she could do something about.

Just as the bitch began her down swing, Amy lost what little control she possessed and pounced. Losing her element of surprise, she tackled the woman from behind, pinning the one handed woman to the ground. Before she could grab on to the traitor’s neck to tear out her throat, she felt the sting of the whip rip across her back. Dammit! How could she have forgotten the men?
Such a stupid, stupid, mistake, you idiot
, she berated herself. She knew better than that. She’d just made a childish mistake that may have just cost both her and Maryann their lives.

Another man stepped within view. With one at her front and the other at her back, wielding the whip, they had her at a disadvantage. She knew her mistake. It was her mother’s first rule of the hunt.
Never let your emotions rule your actions
. A clear head meant a clear target and an easy kill. This had just become anything but easy.

“Back off,” the man gestured with his phase pistol, “or I’ll rape the girl in front of you.
Would you like that, you feline bitch?
Like to hear your friend beg me for mercy before I strangle the life out of her?”

Maryann whimpered. Amy’s hackles rose and she cursed her own stupidity. Fuck, what was she going to do now?

Chapter Three

Agitated beyond belief, Hunter watched as the transporter beam took his friend to the ship where med-techs were on standby, awaiting their prince. He hoped he wasn’t too late. The last thing he wanted to do was let him go up to the ship alone. He felt as though he should be there. His friend risked his life for him and his mate. It seemed such a small thing to expect of one’s best friend.