Chapter 73

73 Chapter Seventy Three

Katie walked through the festival with Cole, thoughts of what the girl from the ice cream stand had said still haunted her mind while she walked on with Cole. Katie was just about to take Cole to check out one more place before she was stopped. “Can you wait for me here for a bit? There is something I saw back there that I want to get,” he said.

“Well, I won’t hold you back. Just don’t make me wait too long,” she crossed her arms while waiting for her.

“Someone is enjoying the festival. I thought you were the Head of security,” someone called to her. She turned to see Samantha standing behind her with a smug look on her face.

“Well, my real job begins after lunch, so I don’t really have something to worry about,” she said innocently.

“Well, have fun. You deserve it, but I do want to know how you’re doing in terms of hunger,” she asked. Katie’s hand rushed to her stomach, she wasn’t hungry, but there was no sensation of food in there either. This was normally something that wouldn’t cause her to worry one bit, but today was a different story. It was only a matter of time before she’d have to find a way out of all this.

“How long do you think you have?” Samantha asked reading the girl’s expression.

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t paying attention to my condition. So it could be anywhere between thirty minutes and two hours,” she said.

“Then find a way to wrap this up... that is if you don’t want him to hear your stomach growling like a bear. It would be cute. The boy would have found something to spend on to please you,” Samantha giggled.

“Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” a familiar voice gripped Katie’s mind, the topic of discussion immediately escaping her as she wanted to know only what kept Cole away from her that long. Cole and Samantha looked between each other until they realized the person supposed to be introducing them was not going to.

.....

“Samantha Conners, I’m a hunter. Watched Katie grow up. What’s a Lycaon doing with this hunter?” she asked.

“Well, I was receiving a tour of the festival, though I think it’s almost done,” he said.

“Well, if I know Katie, then she saved her best part of the fair for the last. The part of the festival that only hunters can survive,” she said, “I won’t spoil the fun, so I’ll let you two get on with the festival.”

The two bid each other farewell, Cole being careful to keep one hand behind his back making it obvious he was holding something behind his back. Cole snapped his hands in front of the girl’s face snapping her back to reality, “She’s gone, you know.”

“Yeah, that must have been embarrassing,” Katie’s cheeks were turning a slight pink.

“That’s a very new look,” Cole sounded genuinely surprised by the reaction.

“Yeah, I’ve been getting that a lot today. Are you done shopping so that I can take you to my favourite part of the festival?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I’m done, but before we can proceed, I have something to give you,” he said, bringing his right hand out from behind him. In his hands, he held a black box made of hard thick paper. The box showed no sign of what was inside it. Katie’s curiosity spiked when she saw the box. She got it from him and opened it, freezing at the sight of the silver ornament that lay within the box. A silver chain necklace lay within the box, but the one thing about it that captured her attention the most was the giant sapphire pearl it held, the silver around it swirling to give it a nice finish.

She was at a loss of words and quite sure her burning cheeks should have been bright red. She wanted to complain about the price of the ornament, but Cole was a prince which meant that argument wouldn’t go anywhere. “It’s beautiful,” the words finally escaped her.

“I’m glad... For a second there, I thought you’d forgotten how to speak,” he joked, before getting a hold of the necklace, “Let me put it around your neck and see how that goes.”

“Sure,” she said, getting her black shoulder-length curls out of the way to expose her neck. Cole was forced to grit his teeth as his wolf surged forward in response to the bare neck he was seeing for the first time. ‘What’s this supposed to mean? You haven’t told me if she’s our mate and now you want to mark her. What aren’t you telling me?’ he mentally yelled at the wolf within him, fighting the urge to mark the deadly hunter before him, ‘She’ll have our hide before we can blink,’ he tried to sway the animal part of him.

“Are you going to put it there or not?” she asked him, pulling him out of his trance.

“Oh yes, here you go. I was just thinking of how much the ornament reminded me of your eyes,” he said, saving his hide in a different way.

Katie did not know how to reply to the compliment and blushed red. ‘I must look like a freakin tomato. This isn’t exactly a private place. Oh, what the hell... this is the last day with him in the dark. This won’t have to be secret much longer.’ “I’m flattered, Cole,” she said in reply.

Cole watched her let go of her hair, numbing pain in his canines as he lost the chance that should have never been his in the first place. He didn’t know why this one girl had this much effect on him. It felt like he was being unfair to the person the moon goddess was keeping for him, but he couldn’t help himself. A stupid move, but one he was ready to take full responsibility for... or at least that’s what he told himself to help him sleep at night. He knew one thing for sure, he couldn’t declare Katie his... ‘Did Katie know that though? Did she know that she couldn’t be his regardless of how sweet his actions were?’ the thoughts plagued his mind as he fazed in and out of reality.

“Hey, Cole, are you okay?” he snapped out of his thoughts to see the person before him. The sapphire matched her eyes perfectly that it felt like he was staring at her for the first time that day. She looked nothing like a hunter at the moment and for a slight moment, he forgot that she was the same scary hunter that possessed two Prometheus gifts and was potentially stronger than he was.(It was yet to be proven).

“You look beautiful,” he said.

“I thought you found didn’t like my eyes,” she started, remembering his reaction on the first day they met.

“They were intimidating at first. Humans don’t usually have eyes that colour, but I found that they suit you quite well. Prometheus blessed with a nice set of orbs,” he defended himself.

“That’s quite flattering, Lycaon,” she summarized, “Now follow me to the Archery range such that I might cream you in a game that only hunters were born to do.”

The evil laugh that followed had him laughing, draining his memory of the troubling thoughts that had plagued him only moments ago...

.......................

The Archery range was set up in an enclosed area to protect people from any stray arrows. It was as Samantha had said it, Archers were everywhere here. Competitions were held in pairs. The junior hunters had already had their turn and left everything to the professionals that had now shown up. Cole found Katie’s enthusiasm cute as she couldn’t wait for their turn. He hadn’t even noticed when she’d signed them up.

She just turned up with their number and they sat on the sidelines to watch the pairs before them compete. The professional hunters were boisterous and highly competitive. Most of them got bullseyes, intimidating Cole to his core, “Are you that good?” he asked his partner.

“No, not really. I love using the bow, but not in real combat unless absolutely necessary. I like to let my fists fly in a real fight, that way, I don’t miss,” she said.

“Oh, gotcha... I have to ask though. Were the hunters always this many?”

“Not really... The VIPs come with their own escorts. The scouts usually get here first and call the convoy informing them of the situation. That way they aren’t in any real trouble. Though I must admit they are more than I thought they’d be at this time,” she answered.

Soon enough it was their turn and were called up to the starting points. They were each given five chances to shoot and no second chances. Cole was not the best with a bow. All he knew about it was what he learnt for the Royal games. This was one of the contests where Drake had beaten him. They handed them the bows and arrows. “Have you done this before?”

“Yes, I have, but I can’t say I was that good at it,” he said.

“Don’t panic and listen to the wind and you’ll be all good,” she said to him whilst nocking her first arrow. Planting one foot firmly in front of the other and pulling the string back, she looked the part of a hunter with her entire stand flawless. After taking in a deep breath, she let the arrow fly. It soared through the air and landed next to the bullseye. “Your turn.”

“For a second there, I thought you were going to hit a bullseye...” he sighed in relief before nocking his first arrow as well. Katie chuckled at him and watched the man take up his stance as well. Flawed as it might have been, he seemed to know what he was doing as he let his arrow fly, having given himself enough time to get ready. The arrow hit the bullseye, leaving no room for negotiation. “That’s going to sting,” he sighed, for the next three arrows, Katie did not miss a single one, while he strayed ever so close to the outer circle.

“Was your first shot a lucky one?” she asked.

“Yes, it was... I know you held back with your first one, so I gained a bit of confidence that it would be a close match. Once I made that lucky shot, I didn’t stand a chance,” the Royal whined.

Katie couldn’t contain her laughter on hearing that. She got ready with her last arrow and made a quick shot hitting close to the bullseye effortlessly. She placed the arrow in its rack and came back to Cole. “How about I guide you for your next shot...”

“I’m all ears...”

“Alright then, nock your arrow and show me your stance. You have a few adjustments to make if you want that arrow to hit the mark,” she ordered and the Royal did as he’d been instructed. Katie walked around him making the necessary adjustments to his elbow and hands. She forced him to align his feet right so that he was in line with the target.

“Now listen for the wind and make sure to let the arrow go once it’s at its calmest. That was you won’t have that much of an adjustment to the position of the arrow,” she ordered. Cole thanked the goddess for making him a werewolf, for the bowstring, was screaming to be released. His werewolf strength, however, allowed him to hold it this long.

The arrow seemed to soar through the air for ages before it hit right at the centre of the bullseye, “Nicely done.”

“I had an amazing teacher,” he said.

“If you wouldn’t mind the interruption, might I cut in and ask the fair lady for one round with me,” a voice interrupted them catching their attention. What stood out most about the new arrival was the fact that he hid his face behind a mask. Katie couldn’t quite place his voice, but she was certain she’d heard it somewhere.

“Sure, go ahead,” Cole answered, hiding his now-clenching fist.