Who would pin their entire future on a virtual stranger?
Men who are not so good,Greer decided.Men who are not so kind,she thought, watching as one met her gaze and licked his lips with unguarded suggestion.
Thank God I have Ellis,she thought, feeling guilty and sad for all these other girls who would have to contend with the likes of these hungry men.
But wherewasEllis?
Where was Louise?
Greer studied the tables, packed with Hunters eating their gluttonous fill and the girls who didn’t know any better. Neither of the Beauforts were there, or in the crowds gathering farther off.
The Stewards had said Louise was to run…Where was she now?
A crack of gunfire ripped the air open, signaling the young women to make their way to the start of the Hunting Grounds. The flags flanking the gate waved lazily.
Greer looked about wildly, trying to find Ellis. Where had the morning gone? She’d thought they’d go over their strategy one final time and steal a quick kiss.
But the crowd was too thick, and she couldn’t see him anywhere.
She did, unfortunately, spot Lachlan Davis.
“See you soon,” he mouthed to her, smiling wickedly.
With a shudder, Greer joined a group of girls who looked as nervous as she felt. Now that the moment was here, bravado was stripped away, and smiles began to wobble. Some had to be all but pulled from parents who called out final words of encouragement and good wishes.
Still Greer scanned the crowds, desperate for any sign of the Beauforts.
She needed to see Ellis—just once—before the cannon fired. She needed to see his smile. She needed to find Louise.
Hessel Mackenzie and the other Stewards made their way to the front of the crowd, climbing a platform that had been hastily assembled at dawn.
“Good morning,” Hessel began, his voice booming in the cold, crisp air.
Greer tried to duck to the back of the group, anxiety spreading in her chest, but several of the younger women gave her horrified looks, as though ignoring the Stewards, ignoring her own father, was a crime. With resignation, she turned back to the front. The Beauforts were there, in the crowds, somewhere. They must be.
“It has been more than one century since our forefathers came to this land, arrived at this cove, and—caught in the grip of the Warding Stones—settled Mistaken. It has not been an easy road. At times, it’s felt impossible to go on. It would be easy to give up, to say that the work is too hard, that our unusual circumstances are too severe. But we never have. Mistaken has always been a community of forward thinkers. We do what we can, and we do what we must. We carry out this Hunt, daring to believe that, in another century, our town will still be here, blessed and thriving.”
Cheers rose, first from the Hunters, then from their quarry, and finally from the rest of the town. Women clapped and men whistled, and through all their celebration, Greer searched for the Beauforts.
Wherewerethey?
“And so, good townspeople of Mistaken, I declare the thirteenth Hunt now officially under way! Ladies, I wish you good hiding, and, lads—even better luck!”
After a playful wink from Hessel, the town’s cannon fired, from its place high atop Barrenman’s Hill. Greer covered her ears, wincing as the blast ripped through the air. It deafened everyone, leaving the group dazed.
“Go on!” the Stewards urged, waving their hands to spur the girls into action. “Your time has begun—go on!”
“Greer!” a voice shouted over the chaos, and her heart brightened.
She fought her way round girls who raced by, heading into the trees, wanting to find the best spots first. There were too many bodies jostling in too little space, and for a moment, Greer feared she’d be dragged away. Men pressed forward as the girls left, watching their progress with hungry eyes.
But then there he was, right beside her. Ellis swept her into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said, struggling to be heard over the mêlée.“I was so scared I was going to miss you, and there’s something I need to—”
“It doesn’t matter; you’re here now,” she said, cutting him off as her mouth found his. The kiss was long and sweet and exactly as she’d imagined it would be. She cupped his cheeks, reveling in how good it felt to kiss him in public. Though the Hunters would claim their prey all throughout the afternoon, here and now, she’d openly declared hers. “I love you, Ellis Beaufort.”
Greer was surprised to see tears prick his eyes. Ellis pressed a long kiss to her forehead; his fingers ran over her face, her arms, as if he were trying to memorize every bit of her.
