Novel & Cerita Prey 1

Or drowning me in wet concrete. He pulls the trigger and for a moment, the world around me pauses. I wonder if I am dead. Then I reason that there should be a loud bang or pop or something and I should be sprawled on the floor. All I hear is a small click. The gun has no bullets. I open my eyes to see him placing the gun on the table top and standing. “Enjoy your meal, Miss Houston. My assistant will reach out to you. Rhys will show you out when you’re done.” He says, pointing to the expressionless butler.

A final encrypted message appeared on a secure terminal meant only for Joel: “One nest down. Forty-three to go. The next target is closer than you think.” Joel closed his notebook, the weight of hidden order pressing upon him. The hunters were still being hunted. And IZO was always watching, He stared at the number, a cold realization settling deep. The game had only just begun and the predator was always one step ahead, learning, adapting, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again.

He sighs heavily, resigning himself, and starts eating again. “So, here’s how it goes,” I begin, my voice flat, devoid of emotion, because that’s how you have to approach it. “The prey are dressed in specific outfits, and they’re released with a five-minute head start to hide. After those five minutes are up, the hunters begin searching. The rules are simple: the hunters don’t have to kill the prey. They can just torment and torture them. But even if the prey survives being found once, it doesn’t mean they’ll live. If they’re found again, it could mean death.”

I asked him. "I will never bow to a witch. I will take pleasure in eating your heart since you chose to ruin my meal!" He spat back at me with an evil smirk. Yes, I could have easily done a killing blow, but I find a slight enjoyment in making the evil beings suffer a little. Plus, I get paid more if I deliver them alive. Mucelini here broke the law. Ghouls have centers where they can obtain flesh to survive. When several ghoul attacks started in the area and the Paranormal Enforcement Agents (PEA) couldn't find the culprit they called me. Freya Blackwood, paranormal bounty hunter. I take on hunting ghouls, vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. I am the best of the best and

"I need intel on the antidote for the Silent Night toxin from Lo Scorpione. In return, you'll get four years of the Costa famiglia's intel access, plus five million dollars." "Deal." After ending the call, I injected the coagulant Ombra had sold me previously. The numbness in my right hand eased slightly. "If I'm not back by 3:00 am," I told Carlo, "initiate Plan B, and you'll take over the famiglia." "Donna—" "That's an order," I said.

Something was different, though he could not yet name it. Each breath of the cool night air carried information—the sharp scent of wet earth, the metallic tang of distant prey, the faint, almost imperceptible rustle of creatures hidden in the shadows. Azriel’s instincts hummed beneath his skin, a taut string that tightened with every passing second. Hunting alone meant he was vulnerable to ambushes, yet the risk was part of the ritual, part of the clarity that only the forest could offer. A chorus of low snarls shattered the calm. The horses whinnied, stamping nervously against the harnesses. Azriel’s eyes snapped open, locking onto a pair of glowing, predatory eyes in the darkness beyond th

And then, the world tilted on its axis. Mates! Mates! Our mates! My wolf’s voice, usually a comforting presence, a wild echo within me, erupted with such violent force that it felt like a physical blow. The raw, primal scream reverberated through my very core, shaking me to my foundations. The knife nearly slipped from my grasp. “What…?” I gasped, the word a mere breath, my eyes snapping wide with a dawning horror. The carefully constructed reality around me began to warp and distort. The murmuring of the guests faded into a distant hum.

Once everyone had gotten their role, Alpha Jackson continued with his instructions. "Prey will have a twenty-minute head start to hide or get as far away, within pack grounds, as possible. The Hunters will be the only group who will shift as they search for the prey. A Hunter wins if they bring a Prey back to Beta Christian before the time runs out. A Prey wins if they outlast a Hunter. Those of you who lose will be on Mess Hall clean-up duty." There were mumbles around the pack and I nudged Annable, trying to get a look at her paper, "What did you get?" I whispered to her.

“You're a liability. Sit down, and you'll stay here with one of the guards. You're not venturing into the woods with us.” Annora looked crestfallen, but I didn't care. I turned to one of the guards. “Stay with her. Make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble.” The guard nodded in affirmation. Just then, one of the other guards came over, a parchment in his hand. “Sir, I have the points for the hunting game. If you kill a rabbit, it's ten points. A deer is twenty points. A bear is fifty points. And a leopard, tiger or lion, is one hundred points.”