Page 4 of Hunting for her Heart
I try to understand everything that is happening here. They must think I’m that woman I just switched places with. Her name was Willow too?
It sounds like they might be her brothers and that she’s supposed to be part of this Mating Hunt, whatever that is.
The problem is,sheis no longer here.I am.
My hands tremble as I realize how much trouble I’m in. Whatever is going on in this world had her stepping through that doorway just as quickly as I did. She clearly wanted to get away from here.
And I just willingly took her place.
Chapter Two
Willow
“Well, what are you standing there staring at us for?” the first man asks, sounding annoyed. “Go change!” He gestures to the tent I stepped out of and I hesitate.
I want to ask about the Mating Hunt, but it sounds like something I should already know about, and they already seem angry. Maybe if they leave, I can sneak out and find someone else to help me?
Silently, I duck back into the tent and glance around at all the clothing. It would be nice to get out of this filthy nightgown and cover myself up a bit more. I pull off the sweater Aribella gave me, then look around for a dress that will fit my small frame.
I find a soft blue one that looks simpler than most of the others in here, with no petticoats and only one layer of fabric. I pull off my tattered nightgown and realize I’ll have no undergarments beneath the dress. Glancing around, I see no replacements.
With no other choice, I carefully pull on the new dressover my naked, battered body. It’s painful to move like this, but I do the best I can, grunting and hissing in pain the entire time.
The dress appears to have built-in support, not that I need much, and it doesn’t fit too badly. It’s a little loose on my arms and around my middle, where it’s meant to be fitted, but it won’t fall off. That’s all that matters.
Suddenly, the tent flap is shoved open, making me gasp in surprise as several women come piling inside. Their eyebrows raise as they look at me and the messy tent.
“What happened in here?” the woman with brown hair asks as she glances around at all the dresses.
“And what happened to your hair, Willow?” the woman with black hair asks as she frowns at my appearance.
So they know me then. Or at least, the other version of me. I touch my hair at the side of my head and can feel how knotted and messy it is, making me wince in embarrassment.
The third woman drops down onto a pile of dresses and laughs. “You were serious about not wanting to do this, huh?” she asks as she settles in to watch me.
I nod slowly, unsure what to say.
“I saw your brothers out there,” the brunette says, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. “Guess it didn’t work, did it?”
I shake my head as I try to read between the lines. The other Willow clearly wanted to get out of here; she must have told these women as much. Were they her friends? Could I confide in them?
“I... Um… I’m not who you think I am,” I finally tell them.
They frown as the third woman, the other brunette, asks, “What do you mean?”
“The Willow that you know, well, she and I… we, uh… sortof switched places,” I tell them before biting my lip nervously.
They stare at me in confusion for five seconds before they all burst out laughing.
“Good one, Willow,” the black-haired woman says with a laugh. “But it won’t get you out of the hunt. You already signed the forms.”
“What is it?” I ask, desperate to know what I’m about to be thrown into. “The Mating Hunt?”
They look amused as they exchange glances, and it's the brunette who’s lounging on the pile of dresses who finally answers. “Okay, sure, we’ll play along.” She smirks at the others before she continues. “The Mating Hunt is a tradition, held once every four years to help women find the strongest, smartest men.”
“For what purpose?” I ask, a knot of dread growing in my gut.
The black-haired woman snorts, shaking her head. “To be her mates, of course.”
