Page 15 of Hunting for her Heart
Deciding that the berries probably aren’t harmful, and that my hunger gives me no other option right now, I pick up a berry and toss it into my mouth. It’s a perfect blend of sweetness and tartness, and I moan at the taste.
It only takes me a few minutes to finish the berries and nuts, and to take another small drink to wash them down.
Standing is a little difficult, and I have to use my hands against the side walls to help steady me, but when I finally get my feet under me and stand up, I glance out of the hole and consider what to do next. It’s dark in the forest, but I can’t tell if it just turned dark or if it’s the middle of the night. I can’t stay in here forever; I’m already feeling cramped. Eventually, I’ll have to climb out so I can stretch my legs properly.
Worry fills me, knowing someone left that food and water for me. There’s a small chance they did that and left, right? Is someone watching me right now?
Perhaps it was a kind man who was in search of Larissa or one of the other more desirable women. He stumbled across me and felt bad, so he left me food and water. Although I had seen the sort of men who had signed up for this Mating Hunt. None of them looks like the kind to do something like that without taking something from me in return.
Staying here is risky, since someone already found me, but the middle of the night is not a good time for me to go stumbling barefoot around the forest.
I decide to wait until daylight to move and sit back down in my hiding spot, hugging the canteen to my chest as I close my eyes and try to sleep.
Loud footsteps wake me,and my eyes fly open in shock and fear. A man’s rough chuckle fills the air, making my entire body tense.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you?” he asks, making fear crawl up my spine.
He knows I’m here.
I should probably stay hidden, but the need to see what’s going on has me slowly pushing to my feet. I try to subtly peek out the hole without pressing right up against it, and right in the middle of the small clearing, facing me, is a large man carrying a sword. He’s pointing it right in my direction, and my eyes widen with fear.
Panic surges through me as my body freezes.
“I think I’ll eliminate you now, so I won’t have to worry about you trying to steal my prize from me later.” Confusion mixes with the fear. What prize did he think I would steal from him?
He steps forward into a ray of moonlight, and I realize he’s not looking at me; he’s looking down at the base of my tree. Just as I start to question what’s down there, a gigantic wall rises in front of me, blocking my view.
No, not a wall. A man. His back is covered in swirling tattoos, and he takes a step away from the tree, giving me a better look at him. I recognize the long, brown hair.He’s one of the cannibals.
I press my back against the trunk, trying to get as far from them as I can, as I watch with wide eyes through my little peephole.
“Leave, or I won’t be held responsible for your death,” the cannibal says, turning his spear toward the other man.
The man laughs as more footsteps approach. I can’t see anything except his back, and I watch as his muscles tighten, as if readying for a fight.
“Look what we have here,” a new voice chimes in, sounding amused.
“Three on one, looks like easy pickings to me,” a third voice adds.
“I’ll give you this one warning,” the cannibal tells them. “Leave now or die.”
My heart is beating so loudly that I place my hand over it, hoping to quiet the sound so nobody hears it.
The sound of swords being unsheathed fills the night as the cannibal moves into a fighting stance.
Suddenly, one man yells as their opponent moves forward. Grunts and cries ring out, combined with the clanging of swords against what I think is a knife and spear.
It’s hard to make out what’s happening in the dark, through my small hole, and when fear gets the best of me, I drop back down and cover my ears as my body starts to tremble.
It doesn’t take long for the noises to come to a halt. Needing to see who’s won, I quietly stand back up. I have to lean toward the hole before I see anyone.
Two men lay on the ground, and I think they’re dead based on the blood pooling around them. I’ve never seen a dead body before, and it’s startling, to say the least.
A few feet away, the cannibal is glaring down from his towering height at the third man as he holds him by his throat. He bares his teeth and literally growls as he starts to lift him up by his neck, right off his feet.
The man's legs start to kick to find purchase as his eyes bulge wide. His hands fly up to the cannibal’s, and his mouth opens wide as he tries to breathe.
I see the cannibal squeeze tighter, and then suddenly the man goes limp. He’sdead.When he lets go, I gasp as the man crumples to the ground, alongside his friends. The winner of the fight, the cannibal, takes a few deep breaths and scans their bodies.
