Free Royal Dragon (The Bride Hunt Book 1) by Charlene Hartnady

have a head start. At first he was tempted to run back the way he had come but that would alert any others to the trap the females had set. If he had fallen for it, others would too. If he wanted a chance at finding and winning the female that set this up, he needed to continue on parallel with the river and then head back to the water, only further along the bank. The females would be trying to hide their scents and therefore sticking to the water. It’s what he would do if he was in their place.
    This was becoming more and more interesting by the second. Coal picked up the pace. fifteen minutes later he was swinging in. He could hear the sound of the water as it trickled and gurgled. It wouldn’t be long now.
    Coal watched a grin appear on Flame’s face as he caught sight of him. There was a group of about four males running closely behind his friend. They weren’t working together but since this was the most likely path the females had taken, it meant others would be on it too. Coal frowned.
    “They caught you out, didn’t they?” Flame said. His friend had blood smeared on his face. Some of the others had torn clothing and blood smears and splatters. The males had fought for the female and had lost. Torrent was a little behind the group. It shocked him that the male had failed to secure the female as well.
    Flame chuckled. “You fell for the oldest trick in the book.”
    Coal growled. “Are there any others ahead?”
    Flame shook his head. “Not a chance.”
    Coal nodded once and turned back to where the river meandered. He didn’t feel much like small talk. He needed to concentrate on staying ahead.
    “Relax! I’m pretty sure that this group is not the only one that didn’t fall for it and I’m pretty sure that there’s more than one female up ahead so maybe we can work together.”
    Coal did not answer.
    “I’ll let you have first dibs.”
    “First what?” he growled. Coal was not interested in games.
    “First dibs. It means that you can pick first.” Flame was an arrogant male. He was strong and fast. One of the best warriors. In a competition such as this, Coal’s status meant nothing. They were all equals.
    Coal made a grunting noise. “That’s nice of you.” He was still a royal though, still one of the fastest, strongest males. He didn’t need to make pacts.
    Flame laughed. “Not in agreement then?” He paused. “That’s a pity.”
    They continued to run on the bank of the river. Aside from the fact that humans would easily tire, they would also not be able to move very fast while sticking to the water. There was a distinct possibility that they were on the wrong trail but his gut told him that this was the way that the females were headed.
    It didn’t sound like the others were growing closer. For now though, it was just himself, Flame and the four trailing males, one of whom was a water prince and the other the water king. The young prince was not much competition. Torrent on the other hand.
    The forests on either side of them grew thicker. The currents within the river grew stronger and the banks deeper. The water cut a sharp left up ahead as the river began to meander.
    The females had gotten further than he would have thought possible. They ran on. The mud thick beneath their feet. The air crisp in his nose.
    He sniffed again and Flame did the same. There was a hint of citrus, something floral and berry in the air. It was a scent he hadn’t smelled before. By the reaction of the males around him, the scent of human females was up ahead. The water prince roared. One of the others growled. The whole group surged with renewed strength. They were on the right path. Adrenaline coursed, this reinvigorated him and he picked up the pace.
    Unfortunately, it reinvigorated all of them. Flame surged forward with a roar. They would be just around the bend.
    ****
    Pauline stumbled and fell to her knees with a soft gasp. Julie turned, the other woman struggled to get back onto her feet.
    The