Get Foxed: A Monster Romance, page 1
Get Foxed
Monster Mate Hunt, Book 2
Sakura Black
Nightbloom Publishing
Copyright © 2023 by Sakura Black
All rights reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Editor: Zainab M.
Cover: Phantom Dame
Chapter art: Luna Rose Digital
Blurb
It’s finally happened.
As much as I fought against it, I’ve woken up in the one place an ex-soldier never wants to find themselves—behind enemy lines.
Now, the fae are hunting me through an enchanted forest, and I know the terrifying reason why.
There’s one stalker in particular who I can’t seem to shake; a violent kitsune with a wicked grin that sets my pulse racing for more reasons than it should.
He claims to be my fated mate, offering me his heart, but how can I trust someone who seems utterly unhinged?
I don’t have time to play his games. I’m not the only one in danger, and I’ll stop at nothing to find my real mate.
But when a nightmare from my old life reappears, I can’t run from my demons any longer.
Can I defeat the monster from my past? Or will a new one take my heart first?
Contents
Also By Sakura Black
Foreword
Dedication
1. Kelsea
2. Neiron
3. Kelsea
4. Neiron
5. Kelsea
6. Kelsea
7. Kelsea
8. Kelsea
9. Kelsea
10. Neiron
11. Kelsea
12. Kelsea
13. Kelsea
14. Kelsea
15. Kelsea
16. Kelsea
17. Kelsea
18. Kelsea
19. Kelsea
Afterword
A little teaser...
About Author
Also By Sakura Black
Fae Mate Hunt Series (complete):
0.5 – The Nymph’s Dark Pleasure
1 – Selected for the Shifters
2 – Hunted by the Minotaur
3 – Burning for the Fire Nymphs
4 – Fleeing the Feline King
5 – Their Concubine Queen
Monster Mate Hunt Series:
1 – Rattled
2 – Get Foxed
3 – The Stones for It (coming soon)
Playing with Demons Series:
1 – Take Me to Hell
2 – Capturing Sin (coming soon)
For all the latest book release information, subscribe to Sakura’s newsletter at sakurablackbooks.com and for a limited time, get a FREE bonus short story – The Nymph’s Dark Pleasure – the prequel to Selected for the Shifters, all about Newbury’s hot night with a dark stranger. Warning: it’s a steamy one!
Foreword
Thank you for picking up this book!
Just a little word of warning, the book you are about to read contains swearing, violence and steamy scenes (monsters need love too). See sakurablackbooks.com for full trigger warnings.
If you have delicate sensibilities, maybe give this one a hard swerve…
For all those willing to tell sanity to get foxed, a least for a little while…
Chapter one
Kelsea
It wasn’t every day you were kidnapped. Apparently, today was my lucky day.
The disorienting feeling of waking up somewhere new lingered, like the remnants of a nightmare. I blew a few rogue indigo strands away from my face and took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Instead of the wooden beams of a cosy cabin in the Scottish Highlands, a sparkly canopy of golden leaves hung high above me, propped up by the darkest tree trunks of pure black. Orbs of warm light danced through the forest, lighting the nighttime gloom. Thankfully, it wasn’t anywhere near as cold as Scotland had been, and an almost balmy warmth cocooned me. The sweet scent of blackberries cloyed my throat, heightening the dream-like quality.
I supposed, most people could only ever dream of going to Faerie.
From what I’d heard, most of them were desperately trying to leave their cursed realm, anyway.
Unease pooled in my gut.
If they were all trying to leave, why had they dragged me here?
But I already knew why the fae were taking Selected humans like myself.
Spoiler alert—it wasn’t a super-secret tea party. Faerie was dying, and the fae were becoming less fertile because of it.
Any fae I’d meet in this enchanted forest apparently wanted to turn me into a little broodmare, but I’d be damned if I let them get their claws into me.
A chittering noise rose from the long grass, and I jumped to my feet. The love child between a porcupine and a squirrel poked its face above the greenery, baring a nest of pointy teeth.
“What in the holy haggis… um… Nice wee squirrel… Doona bite me.” I lifted my hands in surrender, backing away slowly.
It screeched, leaping for me, mouth wide open. It latched onto my hand, and I yelped as its sharp teeth sunk in. Flinging it off with a violent jerk, I dived for the nearest weapon, swiping up a fallen branch. The demonic squirrel lunged for me again, and I swung, sending it flying off into the trees with a squeak.
My heart raced in time with the painful throb in my hand. I waited for any signs of further attack, but the only sound was the low buzz of insects somewhere in the distance.
I lowered the branch with a curse, but didn’t let go. Faerie wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Blood dripped from tiny pricks on my palm and the back of my hand.
Another screech ratcheted my heart rate back up. The horned squirrel leapt onto the nearest tree, clinging to the bark with its sharp claws. Glowing eyes pinned me as it glared from its perch, baring teeth stained with my blood.
“Aye? Well, I told you not to bite me, pally.”
It hissed before scampering up into the canopy.
I snorted, but at least battling a spiky squirrel had helped clear the cobwebs from my mind. I needed to assess the situation objectively and come up with a plan of attack.
Maybe if I pretended I was still a badass soldier rather than a disgraced exile, it would be true enough to get me through this battle.
The fae had declared war on my freedom, and I would not take it lying down.
Literally. Since their Council liked to kidnap Selected humans for their people to seduce.
I gripped the branch tight, the cracked bark pricking my palm. Stress bled through me as the seriousness of my situation sank in. I needed to escape this creepy forest before some fae found me.
Staying ahead of the horny fairies on my tail wasn’t my only goal.
The memory of Rattle’s snarling face as he tried to defend me from the other Royal Hunters sliced through my mind.
I had to find him; the grumpy lamia who’d chased me through the Highlands and claimed me as his fated mate.
I had no idea what they’d done with him, or if he was even still alive. Though a part of me was convinced I’d know if he’d been killed. A faint thrumming sensation tugged in my chest as I thought of him, gifting me with hope.
“Okay. Step one; escape the nightmare forest. Step two; save a sexy lamia.” I nodded in agreement, like talking to myself was a perfectly normal thing to do.
Glowing eyes and a screechy hiss disagreed with my assessment as the squirrel beast poked its narrow face through the leaves right above me.
“Ya wee prick!” I hissed, hurrying off in the opposite direction.
I did not want to play another round of demonic whack-a-mole.
Enraged, I strode beneath the sparkly canopy, bare feet whispering over the soft grass. The pervy fae had changed me into a skimpy dress made of white mesh and lace like some sacrificial virgin. The hem floated just under my arse and I was one-hundred percent flashing everyone the teensy tiny thong I was now magically in too.
At least, I hoped magic was involved and not some stranger’s wandering hands.
I shook off the sticky feeling that seemed to coat my body. Unfortunately, I had bigger problems. As if to punctuate that thought, a deranged cackling flooded the night.
I broke into a run, clutching my paltry weapon. A twig probably wouldn’t do much against an actual fae, though.
Glowing orbs bobbed between the tree trunks, lighting my way as I sped between them, dodging jutting roots and fallen logs.
Footsteps pounded in the distance, growing steadily louder. The fae could move swift and silent, so this fucker wanted me to know I was being hunted.
Golden fur flashed in my peripherals, there and then gone like fuzzy ghosts.
If I was right about the fae hunting me, I stood little chance in a fair fight. Even armed to the teeth, I wouldn’t risk taking on the shifter castes alone.
A beast stepped into my path.
His humanoid frame, combined with a short muzzle and fluffy ears topping his head, made him look like an anime character. Wiry muscle corded beneath tan fur, decorated with distinct dark spots and rosettes.
The predator grinned, showcasing a sharp fang and a toothy gap where the second should have been.
I swerved away, racing off between the trees.
His whooping laugh chased me. “That’s it. Run, pathetic mortal! The hunt is as sweet as the kill.”
Chapter two
Neiron
Another mortal scurried through the undergrowth like a panicked rabbit.
My ears twitched at the pitter-patter of bare feet and the rapid drum of their heartbeats as countless Shua’than woke up and did what they always do—run.
I may have been to my fair share of Hunts already, but it never failed to amuse me. If they acted like prey, the predators would give chase.
Shuffling my wings, I tucked them in tighter against my back and settled in on the branch for another dull stay in the Night Forest.
It was an utter waste of my time.
I should be in a bar in the human realm, drinking their versions of our brews, or even in a casino, swindling the poor mortals out of their prized possessions.
Or, I supposed, dealing with the long list of inane tasks that came with ruling a court full of rowdy kitsune.
As the humans would say, it was like herding cats. But our arsehole tendencies were backed up with much bigger fangs and a lick of foxfire.
A gust ruffled my fur, forcing me to splay my tails for balance. Golden leaves swayed around me, shimmering under the will-o’-the-wisp lights.
“That’s it. Run, pathetic mortal! The hunt is as sweet as the kill,” a scratchy voice yelled, interrupting the relative hush.
I snorted, recognising Gerdan’s irritating tone. “Up to his old tricks again.”
Part of me was tempted to hop and discover what the Bouda King was up to, but his pitiful need to scare the humans for an ego stroke would drive me to violence. Again. And I was already on the brink of war with his scrappy little court.
Ugh, I’m being so fucking sensible. I huffed at the thought. “Vrath will be beside himself with joy.”
My oldest friend had such a hard-on for peace. It was as tedious as the Council forcing us to go to this embarrassingly desperate event.
A splash of colour snagged my attention. Rich purple hair streamed in the wind as a woman sprinted through the forest, clutching a branch. The tiny white gown they insisted on dressing the humans in only highlighted her position further, as bright as the stars.
Something inside me stirred and took notice.
I shifted to the next branch over, straining for a look at her face, but she zipped by before I could catch a glimpse. Lean muscle corded her lithe form, muscular thighs flexing attractively as she powered through the woods away from me with impressive speed. For a human.
I frowned as curiosity got the better of me. Leaping from branch to branch, I followed behind her.
A bouda male ran with us, quickly overtaking the mystery female. She slid to a stop before she could collide with all six and a half feet of unwashed fur.
She backed up with a dramatic gag, sliding into a defensive stance like she was about to fight a fully grown male shifter with only a twig. “Wow. Your breath could drop the loch ness monster.”
Her melodic voice washed over me like being doused with a glass of champagne, shocking yet decadent. My lips twitched at her sass.
I needed to get closer.
I stilled partway to the next branch, trying to work out this instant fascination. Did the female possess seduction magic? How could I be so drawn to someone without even seeing their face?
Caution wasn’t in my nature. If she was planning to trap me, she’d be in for a rather vicious surprise. “You’re going to regret insulting your superiors when I drag you back to the bouda court.” The male sneered, and I vaguely recognised him as one of Gerdan’s inner circle.
Skirting the pair, I gave in to the demand nagging at my brain.
Time suspended as I devoured every inch of her heart-shaped face, from her high arched brows to her sharp cheekbones and full, cupid’s bow lips. But it was her depthless eyes that lured me in and drowned me. Like a fabled siren of old. The darkest umber, so rich they were almost black. Even pinned on another, the impact hit me like a charging minotaur.
She was the most captivating thing I’d ever seen.
Fate ripped my heart out and replaced it with a piece of her. My entire being sustained on her alone. I didn’t need oxygen or food anymore; I needed the stunning creature standing before me.
I’d finally found her. The one who would complete me in every way.
My mate.
She cracked her neck and grinned, swinging the branch in one hand like she was warming up her wrist to strike. “Oh goodie. It’s been at least a minute since I’ve bled an elitist prick. I was starting to get twitchy, ya know?”
My lips stretched into a maniacal grin.
She was so damn feisty, even in the face of a dangerous beast like the bouda noble. My cock stiffened at the thought of her turning that fire on me next. I couldn’t wait to see how the fierce Shua’than would react to discovering that I was her mate.
The noble eyed the whooshing twig and cackled. “How would a lowly human like you make me ble—”
My mate’s fist darted out, popping the bastard in the face. Blood gushed from his broken nose and he clamped his hand over it, spluttering in outrage.
“Aye, isn’t a little demonstration helpful sometimes?” The beautiful woman slid out of range, widening the gap between them and beaming innocently. The blood dripping from her knuckles only made her look more adorable.
At that moment, I knew I’d do anything to have her.
The Bouda King scoffed as he stepped between the trees towards the pair, stalking my mate like prey. “General Lir, if you can’t handle one feeble whore, how can I entrust my army to you?”
I bristled at the insult to my perfect mate, my claws sinking into the bark hard enough for the limb beneath me to creak in protest.
I would eviscerate him.
Would my mate appreciate his still-beating heart as a courtship gift? Maybe she’d even welcome me between those toned thighs while coated in the blood of her enemies.
Fates, I hope she’s as bloodthirsty as she seems.
Lir snarled, “My King, I will retrieve this Shua’than for you.”
My mate’s pouty lips curved into a smirk as if she found the conversation funny. Her eyes raked the boudas, and I could almost see her assessing the threats with keen intelligence that had my instant craving for her flaring into a full obsession.
She didn’t know it yet, but her life had changed irrevocably. I wouldn’t stop until I made her mine in every sense. Until I was so entwined with her—body, heart and soul—that she couldn’t so much as breathe without me.
Whether she liked it or not, she was mine.
I may be a royal, but there wasn’t anything noble about me. Not like Vrath, if he was ever lucky enough to find his mate. Some candy hearts and flowers and sweet romance wasn’t in my nature.
They didn’t call me the Psycho King for nothing.
Chapter three
Kelsea
Feigning confidence, I smirked at the two boudas closing in on me.
One furry bastard I could probably have handled. Maybe.
Two would not end well for me. Especially a noble and a fucking royal.
I waved a dismissive hand, flinging a few drops of blood at them and faking a yawn. “Aye, you’re both big, scary alpha males,” I drawled. “I’m quaking in my wee boots.”
The fur around the king’s neck puffed in outrage. The arrogant royal probably wasn’t used to people defying him, and every moment I refused to cower tasted like sweet victory on my tongue despite the fear making my palms damp.
He took a menacing step closer. A silent snarl peeled his lips back to bare his single fang.
