The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Mate

Within the Forest

Kara POV

I was frozen in place for what felt like an age before I was shoved in the back, sending me lurching forward towards the forest.

Reaching the edge of it, I could feel the looming darkness and cold, urging me to enter and succumb to my most ruthless form. The feeling was dizzying. Around me women streamed past me, their eyes wide and their fear pulsed in the air.

I saw Piper give me one last reassuring smile as she bounded off into the darkness, the forest swallowing her within moments. We had made the decision to work alone. Relying on each other would give the vampires too much leverage, especially if they figured out that we knew each other well before being dragged into this game.

My legs took off and I was enveloped in the darkness of the forest, leaving the bright sunlight and the loud cheering of the crowd behind.

Everything in the forest seemed to be silent, but I could hear the sounds of the other women trampling through, stumbling of raised roots and running into low hanging branches. These sounds eventually died out until all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing and steps of my feet.

I decided the best method was to not venture into the middle as most women had, believing that to be the quickest path to the other side. I could see the obvious trail their heavy footfalls had left in the ground.

I took off to the right, staying just inside the tree line where the trees weren’t too thick. It would take me slightly longer, but I was more than sure that there would be less danger just inside the forest, or at least I hoped. I would skirt around most of the danger, avoid the other women and be at the finish line quickly.

A blood-curdling scream pierced through the silence, which had my head whipping around, my body tense and alert. The scream went on and on until it was suddenly silenced with a loud choking sound. I felt sick. 

One down, Annysia commented darkly. I could feel her disgust, but she was right.

I pushed my body faster, my lungs working hard as my heart hammered in my chest.

I was moving quickly, the forest blurring around me as I weaved and ducked around the trees, heading around the edge of the forest. I could still see the bright sun to my right and feel its heat, but it was just out of my reach.

Suddenly, something barged into my side, taking me down to the ground. I rolled as the thing snapped viciously at my neck, trying to get me in its mouth. It was covered in fur, its legs and body thick and short, but its mouth was full of sharp teeth that were covered in drool as if it hungered for my blood. My legs tucked and pushed, kicking whatever it was off of me, and slamming its back into a tree. The beast lay still, unmoving.

My breath was coming in gasps and my heart hammering as I crouched down, my eyes narrowed. Where the heck had that thing come from? My eyes scanned the area, noticing the scuff marks. It had come from outside of the forest. My stomach churned. They were pushing me further in. They probably knew I was trying to skirt around the edge and wanted me to join the foray. 

I took one last glance at the dead beast at the base of the tree, and at the bright sunlight just outside of my reach before squeezing my eyes shut tight.

“You have got this,” I chanted to myself.

We have got this, Annysia corrected.

My eyes snapped open at the sound of growling behind me, the beast was up, slowly shaking its misshaped head and wobbling slightly as it righted itself.

I didn’t wait a moment longer, but took off at full speed right into the centre of the forest while it was distracted, hoping to hell the beast didn’t follow me in.

I ran for as long as I could before my legs began to shake and my lungs burned with a raging fire. Slowing to a brisk walk, I heaved in deep breaths and scanned the area.

The trees were getting wider and taller the more I moved into the forest, and strangely I hadn’t spotted any sign of the other women since I entered. The only thing I had heard was the screaming. 

Everything in here was coated in a thick silence, so overwhelming it was almost suffocating. No birds sung, no animals scurried in the undergrowth, it was an unnatural and unnerving silence that sent chills up my spine.

I stopped, crouching down and brushing my hand against the ground. I had some minor tracking skills which I had picked up from my father, but I was never as good as him. I could follow their tracks and find my way through.

The ground was slightly disturbed, meaning someone had passed through this way. I followed the tracks until I came to a small clearing.

In the middle of the clearing was a small pool of water. It didn’t look deep, but it was too big to jump across. I glanced around before entering the clearing slowly. It was dangerous to be out in the open. With thirty-eight other women fighting for their lives, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of them would resort to harming others just to survive. The King hadn’t made any mention of that, not ruling it out as a method of survival. I could imagine Raven being someone who would kill another just to survive the round.

I moved cautiously, relying on Annysia’s help and reflexes for me to be able to react quick enough if needed.

Something inside my told me to stop, a twisting feeling in my gut as I got closer to the crystalline water. It was like glass, smooth and untouched. I took another stepped forward and gasped when I looked down. 

My stomach churned, vomit threatening to make an appearance.

Just under the surface of the water, staring up at me were three women, their faces frozen in masks of horror, their eyes bulging and their hair floating around them ethereally. One was dressed in black, the other two in green. My hand flew to my mouth as I turned and took several gasping breaths to calm myself as my breakfast threatened to make an appearance. I quickly looked back and analysed their features, relief washing over me. None of them were Piper.

What the hell was happening in this place?

Avoid the water, Annysia muttered seriously. And keep moving. Four down.

I took her advice, and skirted around the pond in a wide arc, before throwing myself back into the dense trees on the other side of it.

I tried to block the image from my memory and pressed on, looking up at the limited sky every now and then to get an idea of where I was heading. Thank goddess Annysia could tap into my senses and was guiding me slightly.

Another scream pierced the air, this one much closer and louder. I set off running, stumbling over the raised roots of the trees. They stood so close together it was becoming near on impossible to move quickly.

In front of me, I saw a woman with long dark curly hair running, her face a mask of absolute terror. Her black clothes were covered in mud and leaves as if she had tried to camouflage herself. A knife went flying past her ear, sticking into the tree just beside her with a solid thwack. She screamed again, dodging the trees and stumbling as she tried to escape. How the hell did someone have a knife?

I hid behind the tree in front of me, just as a second woman stalked by, her eyes set and determined, with a large, cruel grin lifting her thin lips. I recognised her as one of the women who had slept near me before today. She had seemed so nice and friendly, but there was something strange about her gaze.

I tried to contain my gasp, as her eyes darted towards my direction, her pupils narrowing. I held my breath as she looked away and continued after her first victim, a second knife twirling in her fingers.

There was something wrong with her, as if something had taken her over. Her eyes had a dark, glazed over appearance and her face had lost all of its colour. With a shudder, I realised she looked more vampire than human. I took a few cautious steps forward and watched her retreating form as she continued to stalk after the first woman and noticed the large gash that ran down the entire length of her back that looked like claw marks.Her green jacket and shirt had been ripped open to reveal the large, gaping wound. If I didn’t know any better, I would have said they looked like wolf claws.

A shot of fear sliced through me. Could this have been from the same kind of beast that had attacked me? Maybe she hadn’t been so lucky, and this was the result.

I shook her from my mind and continued forward. How long had I been moving? How many others had already made it through?

As this thought crossed my mind a loud horn sounded, two short blasts. What did that mean?

Maybe two people have made it through? Annysia mused.

Shit! If that was the case, that left fewer spots left for me and Piper. I prayed to the Goddess that Piper was okay, but I knew she was just as resourceful as me, probably more so. Maybe she had already made it through.

I picked up my pace again, moving quicker than before as anxiety and fear pulsed through me, pushing me forward.

I noticed that the trees were starting to thin again, bringing me hope that I was getting closer to the other side.

Another horn sounded, louder this time.

We are getting closer, I whispered thankfully to Annysia.

But not there yet, keep your guard up.

I pushed my body harder, running as hard as I could. Behind me a low growl began, and several barks echoed in the silence. I glanced back and saw not one, but three of the beasts, their beady eyes focussed solely on my as they ran, their paws flicking dirt with their pace. They were gaining on me, and easily.

Run faster, Kara! Annysia screamed in my mind.

I pulled from her strength, using it to pick up speed. I could hear their footsteps right behind me and feel their hot, putrid breath on the back of my legs. They were far too close.

I was running directly at a tree, but at the last minute, dodged sideways, sending one crashing into the tree. The other two followed after me, snapping their jaws at the back of my feet.

Ahead of me, the trees were dramatically thinning out and the sun was blaring. I was almost at the edge.

“Kara! Help me!” a voice screamed.

I twisted again, sending one of the mutts into another tree and giving me some breathing room as the third had to circle around a particularly large tree before making chase.

My eyes snapped to the scream and about two metres off the ground in one of the larger trees was a pale-faced Jo. Her huge eyes were pleading, her face covered in mud with a large scratch that ran along her cheek.

I turned and ran towards the sunlight, but her voice was so panicked that my heart clenched and my stomach tightened.

“Kara? Please!”

“s**t!” I growled under my breath as I twisted and kicked at the mutt as it lunged at me. 

It yelped as my foot made contact, rolling along the ground and coming to its feet. Its beady eyes were glued on me, its teeth bared and a low, rumbling growl filled the air.

It lunged forward and I dodged, but not quickly enough, its jaws sinking into the soft flesh of my arm. A rough scream was ripped from my lips as I flung my arm, tossing the beast away. I ran full pelt at the tree Jo was hiding in and jumped, dragging her down with a scream.

I threw her on my shoulder as my arm seared in excruciating pain, leaving it almost useless.

The mutt rounded on us again as I forced my body to run, carrying Jo’s extra weight. Another horn sounded, the mutt whining and twitching slightly as it ran after us.

“Can you run?” I huffed at Jo who simply grunted in agreement.

I slid to a stop, dropped her down and she took off running towards the light, as the mutt came into my view. We squared off and a low growl came from my lips, my teeth bared. The pain in my arm was now radiating up, burning its way up to my shoulder and I didn’t dare to look down at the damage the beast had done. Based on the appearance of the animal, the bite was going to become infected if I didn’t do something about it.

The beast circled around me, taking a few quick snaps at my heels, which I dodged.

I was so close. Another horn blasted in the air, and I watched at the beast shied away from the sound, giving me an idea.

With a final growl, the mutt leapt at me, and I twisted my body, moving with speed that I drew from Annysia. My own strength was all but depleted and not for the first time, I was grateful I had her with me.

My good arm wrapped around the solid middle of the beast as I flung it as far as I could and took off running towards the light. Ahead of me, I could see Jo stumbling slowly and as the light encompassed her whole body the horn blasted again.

It was to count the successful participants.

The beast was gaining on me as my movements were slowed by the pain my arm, but I forced myself on. I was so close. Barely ten metres, nine, eight…

I continued counting, hearing the erratic growls and snaps of the mutt behind me, I closed my eyes and threw myself past the edge of the tree line, coming to a harsh crash landing on solid dirt.

I groaned and opened my eyes to the harsh, blinding light as the sweet sound of the horn blasted in the air. I had made it

I flurry of movement surrounded me as my mind wavered in and out of consciousness. The pain was beginning to take over and drag me under. I could hear Piper screaming my name, her voice piercing through the haze in my brain.

A loud snap and whine of the mutt, so close to my ears captured my thoughts. My gaze searched and I saw the beast lying beside me, its head at an awful angle to the rest of its body. Someone had snapped its neck.

I groaned out loud and the last thing I saw was a pair of dark, blood red eyes staring down at me, and the strongest, most mouth-watering smell of pine and lemongrass filling my senses before I was pulled into the dark abyss.

Mate!