Free Monster Hunter Conquest Collection #1 by Mandoline Creme Page A

dove down her shirt, between her plump breasts, and had begun to
suckle on her teat while she ran about squealing. Shaking her head
once, she grit her teeth and steeled herself with determination.
    'This
time will be different,' she convinced herself.
    Carefully,
she wove through the barrier of thorns and damp branches, leaving
behind the golden fields of Sunhaven.
    Hyvar
was dank and deep as a forgotten crevice in the earth, each step she
took seeming to squish under her heels. The plants were drastically
large, ferns big as her whole body hiding what light there was in a
coating of verdant green. In the air, insects and other creatures
chirped a song that echoed and seemed to have no end in sight. It was
an ancient place, and served to make her already high nerves soar
ever upwards.
    The
skin on her neck prickled, and she rubbed at it idly to rub away more
sweat; this time from her adrenaline. The air was oppressive, making
her already tight clothes seem even more constraining. Soon, she was
fighting the desire to remove her top, knowing only that it would
leave her too exposed to her prey if she gave in.
    Tugging
at where it met her throat, she sighed and paused, peering around to
get her bearings. She was sure the smoke she had spotted was near,
but the greenery made it difficult to gauge. The sky above was hidden
by leaves, and the area around her a secret behind curling twigs.
    Knocking
aside a large leaf, Siena saw a gigantic fallen trunk was in her
path. The entire body of it was wrapped in soft, carpet like moss.
Gently, she touched her hand to it, feeling the same wetness
everything here seemed to hold. Without much hesitation, the girl
gripped it and hoisted herself up, pulling her way over the massive
thing until she was kneeling on top. It soaked through the cloth of
her pants, but she ignored it. Her emerald eyes were fixed elsewhere
from her new vantage.
    There,
in a gap of trees, she saw the wavering blackness of smoke, and the
acrid scent assaulted her sensitive nose.
    A
rush of anticipation crawled up her spine, and the Hunter inched
herself over the side of the dead tree as quietly as a mouse. Still,
every small noise she made as she edged forward through the bushes
made her grimace. Every muscle was tense, ready to burst at her
controlled coil of slowness.
    She
would not rush this, not like last time.
    Her
fingers lifted when she came to the last wall of ferns, pushing them
aside just enough to see through to the other side. Her heart was
fluttering, wild as a caged bird, and her mouth was dry despite the
wet air. Everything seemed so bright, so intense, her senses on the
edge of a razor.
    There,
in the large clearing, was a small camp fire.
    Her
mood shifted, falling down in defeat and disappointment. Had she been
wrong, so very misinformed on this journey? Was it a goose hunt, and
no dragon waited in this fetid place?
    Frowning
so hard her face hurt, the blonde stepped into the open area with all
pretense of caution forgotten behind her heavy air of irritation.
Turning her head, she observed nothing but the large circle of stones
and embers, seeing no one tending it. A tinge of confusion seeped in,
but Siena only moved ever closer.
    Crouching
down, she squinted into the crimson and orange flames, the heat waves
drying the sweat on her face. “Um, hello?” The fire had
no response, and the young woman sighed dramatically. “Great,
so now I'm talking to myself. Fantastic.”
    Shifting
onto her heels, she sat back on her haunches and dug into her bag,
thinking she'd take the moment to at least use the mysterious fire to
warm up a snack and get something to eat.
    The
sudden crackle of a breaking branch snapped her back to attention,
and she fell back roughly in her attempt to spin around. Behind her,
wide eyed and just as confused as her, was a young man she didn't
recognize. Scrambling, she jumped to her feet, stepping back
cautiously out of habit.
    “ I'm
sorry,” the stranger spoke, his voice holding