Page 83 of Hunting for her Heart
“We need to move,” Ronan says. “The flames are moving this way, fast.”
I glance over my shoulder, and my eyes widen. The flames have already moved at least five feet closer to us. It’s spreading so quickly; whoever set this fire has put the entire forest at risk.
We move quicker, Bo in the lead now as we make sure to keep ourselves ahead of the flames. When we finally make some headway, the flames now at least twenty feet back, a swarm of men suddenly rush us.
I try not to scream from fear as three of them try to attack Bo at once, but his skill with the swords is unmatched as heducks and blocks their efforts, taking his attackers down swiftly. But more take their place.
My three Vikings surround me, their backs facing me as they try to stop any of our attackers from getting near me. And it’s clear that’s their plan as they keep trying to squeeze in between my guys with a hand stretched out to grab me. I pull the knife from the sheath at my side as I keep turning, swiping at any hand that comes too close.
My guys are vigilante in their efforts, though, managing to keep them at bay.
Suddenly, the men stop attacking and form a solid wall around us. With the flames quickly pressing in at our backs, we have nowhere to run. I try to count how many men there are, but I can’t see clearly past my guys and lose count at twenty.
In the distance, a loud horn rings out, and it takes me a moment to realize that’s the signal for the end of the Mating Hunt. We can finally end this, but for the first time since I met my Vikings, I worry that we won’t make it out of this unscathed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ronan
With my ax in one hand and a large dagger in the other, I stand ready, waiting for their attack.
My lip curls and I bare my teeth at the man standing directly in front of me, in the center of the line. I should have guessed the assholes who we ran into before we’d even signed up for the Mating Hunt would be the ones to orchestrate this.
I should have killed them a week ago, then we wouldn’t be in this mess now. They had dared to call us Redmere scum, as iftheyweren’t the ones who were disgusting excuses for men.
Now they point their pathetic excuses for weapons at us, while the fire moves closer to our backs. My eyes move along the line, waiting for one of them to make the first move as I consider our options.
Instinct tells me to keep her behind us, as far from their greedy hands as possible. But I need to be aware of how close the fire is getting.
I take a quick glance over my shoulder and see her standing in a fighting stance, her dagger at the ready, and pride swells in my chest. My mate is no longer hiding in a tree, shaking with fear.
With us, she feels protected, safe, and strong, unwilling to go down without a fight of her own. I feel truly honored to be her mate, and I will prove my worth by fighting for her and her freedom.
Lifting my ax, I yell, “For Willow!”
“For our mate!” Bo and Hawk yell in unison, raising their own weapons, then the three of us move forward as one.
I see the males' eyes widen in a moment of surprise, some of them taking a nervous step back before they raise their weapons. I head straight for the man in the middle, the one who called us cannibals. He manages to block my swing but doesn’t expect the follow-up from the dagger in my left hand, swiping across his chest.
He stumbles back, but the wound isn’t deep. Raising my foot, I kick him in the center of the chest, determined to keep him as far from my mate as possible. I block the swing of a sword from a man to my left, spinning to cut through his neck with my ax, killing him instantly.
I don’t wait for him to drop, turning back to block another attack from my first target. This time, as I push his sword to the side, I spin closer and use my dagger to sink deep into his side.
When he gasps and stumbles away, I finish the job with my ax.
A drop of rain hits my head, but I ignore it as I move to the next man beside me. A spear suddenly comes through his chest, from behind, and I nod at Hawk and spin away, knowing he’s already got this one taken care of.
More drops of rain start to fall from the sky, quickly turning into a downpour. The next few minutes are a mess of blood and mud as we take down the men who threaten to take our mate from us. When I down the next man, I turn, looking for anyone left alive, just as the last man standing runs between Bo and me, straight for Willow.
Even through the rain, I see her eyes widen with fear from where she’s standing twenty feet back, our attack having brought us further away from her. But with the wall of fire moving closer, she doesn’t retreat, instead she raises her dagger and points it at the man running toward her.
Unwilling to let him get his hands on her, I lift my ax over my shoulder and throw it end over end until it lands squarely in the man’s lower back, one second before Hawk’s spear pierces his shoulder, followed by one of Bo’s swords, which lands right beside my ax.
Willow jumps in surprise when he comes crashing to the ground at her feet. I run to her and scoop her up as the other two remove our weapons from the dead man’s back.
“Are you okay?” I ask, my free hand running over her face. She licks her lips and swallows, nodding. I think she’s just a little shocked, but seems uninjured.
I set her on her feet and look around, making sure that there’s nobody left, then look at the fire, which has been reduced to only smoke, thanks to the rain. When I’m finally convinced that all the threats are gone, for the moment, I turn back to Willow.
