Page 5 of Hunting for her Heart
Did she saymates, as in plural?
A loud horn sounds in the distance, and the women smile eagerly. “That’s the five-minute warning,” the sitting brunette says. “You sure you don’t want to brush your hair?” she asks me.
But I barely hear her, my mind too caught up in what she just said.
“But how does it work?” I ask, eager to know more. “Is it a contest?”
“Sort of,” the black-haired one answers. “The women… us,” she says, gesturing to the four of us, “are given a head start to run into the woods. The first group of men to find each of us, get to claim us as their mate and their bride.”
My jaw drops open, rendering me speechless.Men are going to hunt us? To wed?How is this any better than the situation I just ran from? Although I suppose the risk of being sacrificed is off the table here. Or at least I hope it is.
I glance at the back of the tent, hoping the doorway back to my world would suddenly appear, but sadly, there’s no way out for me there.
“Oh my God, Larissa! Did you hear that there are men here from Redmere?” the standing brunette suddenly asks the woman on the ground.
“What?!” Larissa jumps to her feet and starts shaking her head. “Claudette, they’re not going to let them compete, are they?” she asks in horror, finally revealing the names of two of the women.
“It sounded like they weren’t here to compete,” the black-haired woman explains.
“Thank goodness,” Claudette says, looking relieved.
The tension in Larissa’s shoulders drops as she lets out a deep exhale. “They were probably denied entrance. Those men aren’t just savages, they’re lonelings too!”
“You know lonelings are allowed to enter the competition,” Claudette tells her with a frown.
“Yes, I know, but could you imagine? Lonelings from Redmere? It’s like getting the worst of the worst!”
“What’s a loneling?” I ask, not recognizing that word.
They all look at me as if I’m stupid before the black-haired woman answers. “They’re not brothers, Willow. They aren’t even related.”
I don’t understand why that matters, but the black-haired speaks again before I can ask. “Claudette, did you see the biggest one?” The other woman nods and they both shiver, as if the mere thought of him disgusts them.
“What’s wrong with them?” I ask, worry filling me.
Claudette’s eyes meet mine as she tells me, “Just be glad they’re not participating in the Mating Hunt.”
“W-why?”
“They’re cannibals,” the black-haired woman whispers as a look of disgust covers all three of their faces.
“They eat people?” I ask in alarm.
Larissa nods her head. “They’re savages! They don’t even wear real clothes.” She turns to Claudette as she asks, “Why are they here? They’ve never left their island before.”
She shrugs in response. “Nobody knows. Maybe they’ve run out of females. They probably need someone to knock up so they don’t go extinct.”
Nausea fills me, and I press a hand to my stomach, not liking the sound of that at all.
“Don’t worry. There are dozens of men competing. We’ll all get claimed in the hunt. I took a peek earlier and there are a few I’m hoping will find me first,” the black-haired woman says with a grin, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
“Nicolina, please tell me there’s at least some good-looking men out there?” Larissa asks hopefully. “The men from my town were dreadful, that’s why I’m here.”
“Me too,” Claudette adds. “My town had really slim pickings since it was so small.”
Another horn chimes, and the women smile with excitement as they move to the exit.
“Come on, Willow,” Larissa says, gesturing for me to join them.
