At worst, it would draw her attention away from him and he could rush her. If it went to plan, she’d react and come at him in a panic.
Many men scoffed at some of his tactics and the way he treated the animals as thinking creatures, but none could argue that he had a better record of bringing down large game. He gave them the respect they deserved, learning their habits, making the cleanest kill possible, and always careful not to overhunt a species or territory.
The rocks hit like he planned, the first causing the doe’s head to snap upright. She flinched at the second, and the third got the reaction he’d been looking for.
Running straight down the trail he’d been following, she never saw him. Bracing himself for impact, Darcon clenched his dagger, spinning with an overhand swing just as the deer passed him.
He felt the shock jolt up his arm, blade sliding in all the way to the hilt. Releasing his grip on it, his spin ended with him facing the same direction as the doe as she stumbled. Her front knees buckled, head drooping as her body gave a final shudder.
The high of a successful kill wore off quickly. He still had to dress the meat, pack it in his bag, and get back to the village. If he hurried, he should have enough time before the evening meal to clean up.
Darcon made it into the caverns as the sun was descending below the edge of the ravine. Spotting Freida by the cookfire, he made his way over to her.
“Hey Freida, do you need this, or want me to store it?”
He heaved the bag from his shoulder, Freida’s brows rising at the wet plop as it hit the floor.
“We have enough for tonight, but that’ll come in handy tomorrow. Go ahead and store it.”
She raised a brow as she turned her gaze to him.
“And wash up for dinner.”
Darcon grunted. Freida mothered everyone, and he was sure he was a mess since he hadn’t taken the time he usually did when butchering his catch.
Swinging the strap back onto his shoulder, he glanced around hoping for a glimpse of auburn hair, but the only redhead he spotted was Kantor.
“Do you know where Autumn is?”
Freida raised a shoulder as she turned back to the food she was tending.
“She told me this morning she was going out with Roggern to look for shells on the beach, but I haven’t seen her since they left.”
Darcon’s fists clenched but he resisted the urge to growl. He didn’t know how she was going to be feeling after the news Larok delivered, and he’d wanted to be the one to spend time with her on her day off from chores.
He had to remind himself he’d had responsibilities and at least someone had been there for her. As much as he hated the thought of Autumn being alone with another alpha, he’d never had an issue with Roggern, and he didn’t worry the man would push her too far.
Darcon ran into Kull in their sleeping cavern when he stopped to grab a change of clothes and asked the same question, but the big alpha shook his head.
“I left before she woke, and she didn’t have lunch in the cavern. I heard someone was looking for Roggern earlier, too.”
Darcon’s brows drew together. Breakfast in the village was offered for everyone, and they came together for a community dinner, but lunch was up to the individuals.
The people who worked in the village all day tended to pool together and take turns making lunch for them all, but many skipped the meal or took it outside. Since Autumn worked in the mending cave, it had become habit for the men to come inside to eat with her, and it was strange she had missed it.
Someone looking for Roggern could be coincidence, but he didn’t like it. Kull must have seen the concern on his face because he sat up.
“I assumed since she woke late, she wasn’t hungry at the usual time.”
“Yeah, or Roggern could have packed a lunch for them before they headed to the beach.”
Even as the words passed his lips, Darcon didn’t believe them. It didn’t make sense for Roggern to take anything for lunch if they were only going down to the beach to look for shells.
“I’m going to get cleaned up. Everyone should be gathering in the cavern soon.”
Kull nodded as he stood.
“I’ll meet you there.”
Darcon washed and changed as fast as he could, rushing into the main cavern with his hair still dripping water down his back. Aesir and Kantor were sitting at their usual table with Kull standing beside it. Kull’s tense expression with his arms folded over his chest let Darcon know that neither of the two seated alphas had seen Autumn either.
Bypassing the food, he stopped besides Kull.
“None of you have seen Autumn since this morning?”
Darcon glared down at the two other alphas. Aesir was eating as if he hadn’t seen food in a week while Kantor leaned back in his seat and ate at a more leisurely pace.
“Why should we? It’s clear who she’s going to choose.”
Kantor’s face clouded at Aesir’s words, but he smoothed the expression away so fast Darcon wasn’t sure he’d seen it.
“Not necessarily. Maybe she ran away with him. Roggern hasn’t been seen either.”
Kantor shrugged, raising a brow.
“Who ran away with Roggern?”
Darcon’s head whipped to the side to see Larok approaching. The Second’s brows were drawn together as he looked at the four alphas gathered around the table.
“No one has seen Autumn since she left with Roggern this morning to head down to the beach,” Kull supplied.
Larok’s brows lowered further.
“She wouldn’t have run away. She still has family in Siloah and Roggern has no reason to leave the clan.”
Aesir’s head lifted as the tension around him finally sank through his sulking, but Kantor only shrugged.
“So maybe he offered to take her back if she chose him?”
Darcon growled at Kantor’s dismissive tone, but as much as he didn’t want to think Autumn would turn to one of the others to get her home, the idea made sense. She’d just found out her mother was gone, and he was sure she wanted to be with her family.
Larok shot him a warning glare so Darcon cut off the growl. Getting in a fight wasn’t going to help anything.
“If they were heading to Siloah they would need a horse and supplies. Someone should have seen them.”
Larok turned, striding toward where they stabled the horses. Darcon followed. He needed to know where Autumn was and that she was safe. After that, he could consider what to do if any of Kantor’s suggestions were true.
Chapter Fourteen
Autumn
Autumn groaned as she came to. She was bent over something hard that dug into her belly, and the world was swaying. Even after she forced her eyes open everything remained dark, the curtain of her hair blocking out any light there may have been nearby.
Trying to shake the fog from her head, she tugged on her arms, but her wrists were secured behind her. The motion alerted her captor that she was awake and earned her a sharp slap on her upturned bottom.
“Be still.”
Vargan’s gruff voice helped her scattered thoughts come together. The startling vividness of blood on pale lips, the pain of hitting the ground, the panic as she struggled to breath.
When she’d first come to, Vargan held her down and forced her to drink a bitter potion from his bottle. She didn’t know what it was, but unconsciousness claimed her so fast it couldn’t have been anything but a sleeping draught.