Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hazel was nosing about Killian’s desk for some paperwork she’d misplaced when her husband’s laptop began to make the jingling noise that usually preceded a video call. What was odd was that the computer was closed and supposedly shut down, but when she opened it up curiously she saw a familiar white-bearded face. She grinned. 

“Hello, Paragon! I didn’t know you could manipulate electronics this way.” She observed cheerfully. 

He made a dismissive noise and waved his hand. “I could do this in my sleep. Humans have no idea how to guard their devices and programs against magic. Mixing magic and tech is a largely unexplored market and security for that tech will need to be made eventually. If I weren’t…” He cleared his throat and pouted. “Could you get Killian? That brat keeps shutting down my calls before I can get a word in!” 

“Of course!” Hazel chirped. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yes. I have simply come to the conclusion that Queen Leila is not the only one of us who can take advantage of various forms of media to grow our popularity with the humans. Bellus’ photo thing went shockingly well, so naturally we must come up with something else to keep us in the public eye and in favor. I thought of starting a TikTok series featuring the epitome of beauty and grace, my beloved Aphrodite, but she declined to so grace the world.” 

Hazel picked up the laptop and began to move through the great hall, looking for her husband. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her say no. What does that look like?” 

The Paragon blanched. “Let’s just say it was unmistakable. Here, give me a moment while I try to get the Night Queen in on this call.”

Hazel heard the jingle again, and it only went for a moment or two before Leila picked up. 

“What’s up?” She asked, and when Hazel glanced at the now split screen the Night Queen appeared to be walking about Magiford, holding a Queen’s Court coffee cup in her free hand and with a pink leash looped around her wrist. 

“Is your criminally-minded consort with you?” The Paragon grumbled, and Leila shifted her phone to display her silver haired husband, whose eyebrow lifted just slightly. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” Rigel said dryly. 

“No, no, I actually want both of you. Plus a few more….” The jingle rang again for about two notes before abruptly cutting off. “Oh.” The Paragon actually sounded nonplussed. “The device is no longer functioning. Let me try…” 

This time the call connected, and the Pre-Dominant’s wife showed up on screen. “Sorry, were you the one that just tried to call Greyson? I could’ve sworn that thing was on mute…” 

The rather large form of the werewolf alpha appeared over Pip’s shoulder and he tilted his head slightly as he took in the callers. “Does this have to do with the RCOM? I don’t recall any upcoming meetings.” 

“The Paragon has some kind of publicity stunt he wants to pitch to us.” Hazel explained as she came into the kitchen, where Killian and Considine were exchanging banter and Jade was trying to learn how to make chicken alfredo under the supervision of Killian’s fantastic cook. Killian rolled his eyes at Hazel’s words, but drifted her way. Considine obligingly went the other way, to help (or hinder) Jade’s efforts. 

“Yes!” The Paragon confirmed. “Just let me try to get Noctus to actually pick up for once.” 

“Chloe might be more inclined to answer.” Hazel offered, and the Paragon nodded. 

“She is a much more cooperative monarch.” He agreed. “However, Noctus does not appreciate people using her to get to him in any way. If he doesn’t answer, then I will call her.” 

The screen connected, the newest screen displaying an unamused elf king flanked by his steward or butler or whatever that other elf was. Noctus crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation for this intrusion. 

“Excellent! If you’d bring Chloe in, I believe that’s everyone.” The fae exclaimed cheerfully. A furry black head popped into view from the bottom of the screen, revealing that the shadow had been laying in Noctus’ lap. 

“Do try to keep it brief.” Killian drawled. “We already had our weekly dose of you.” 

“Rude! I know you miss me when I’m out of town and have to skip. Harka used to complain about how much worse you were when you didn’t get the little companionship that you tolerate.” 

“Paragon…” 

“Fine! I want you all to participate in a live streamed competition. The humans will love seeing the various races in action, and you are the representatives of your kinds in the area.” 

Killian’s eyes narrowed. “Why?” 

Greyson moved out of the view of the camera, apparently disinterested. He reappeared when Pip followed him and sprawled across his lap, making his expression soften a little as he enjoyed her proximity. 

Leila slurped at her coffee. “Sounds like fun! What kind of competition?” 

The powerful fae grinned in a way that several of those watching found ominous. “A hunt.” 

Greyson sat up a little, looking more interested in the possibility. Leila, on the other hand, nearly choked on her coffee without any help from fae enchantments. Her husband steadied her with an arm until her noises subsided. 

“What exactly are we hunting?” She croaked when she was able. 

“Each other.” The Paragon answered. 

“That could get dangerous.” Pip warned, but she didn’t sound like she was vetoing the idea. "And it would expose some of our dangerous abilities to the humans." 

“That’s another reason why I want it to be you. You are among the most powerful and skilled of your various kinds, if anyone can manage this without serious injury, it is you. I am not worried about any of you losing control and scaring the world too badly.” 

“By hunting each other do you mean like laser tag or paintball or something?” Hazel asked curiously. Considine seemed to drift closer, and Hazel flicked her eyes to him and smiled, but quickly turned her attention back to the screen in front of her. 

“I was thinking of something a little more unusual.” The fae grinned. “Half of you would be hunters, and half hunted, for one hour. Every player is on their own with one specific target or pursuer, but hunters can work with the other hunters and the hunted can work with the other hunted if you like.” 

“How do you determine who is hunting and who is being hunted?” Pip queried. 

“Easy. The ladies will be hunted and the gentlemen the hunters. I suspect that will be the easiest way to divide it, otherwise you’ll all be wanting to be working with your spouses.” 

Killian scoffed. “Naturally. Hazel is the best partner I could have.” 

Greyson could be seen to tug his wife closer into his arms. “I have quite a bit of experience hunting my hunter. I’m not sure this competition of yours would be quite fair.” 

“Ah, yes! That is why you will not be hunting your wives. Also because I want the hunted to give their best effort, and not take it easy on the hunters. And because I want this to be PG, and I don’t trust some of you to keep your PDA to a level appropriate for younger audiences if you get to capture your wives.” The Paragon gave the camera a stern stink eye that Hazel got the distinct feeling was meant for Leila and her consort. 

The fae queen returned that look with an innocent one. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s been at least a month since we got Fell to puke into his own bushes.” 

“He puked into his own bushes because he drank too much.” Rigel corrected dryly. “Our presence was mere coincidence.” 

“Supposedly.” 

The Paragon cleared his throat to regain everyone’s attention. “We’ll have drones following you, like at the Midsummer Derby. The ladies will get one hour’s head start into one of the local parks, and then the men will have one hour to find and capture them. I expect you not to fight out there. Any injuries worse than mild bruising and scrapes will disqualify whoever dealt them. I’ll send you a full list of rules once I have completed them.” 

“We haven’t agreed to do this, yet.” Killian pointed out with an edge to his voice. “Hazel said this was a publicity stunt, but why should we do this, and what do we get for winning?” 

“Of course you would focus on that.” The Paragon grumbled. 

“It had better not be tea with you and your mockery of everything feline.” The vampire added. 

“I’ll have you know that tea with Aphrodite is a very great honor that many, many people would envy you the experience of!” The Paragon puffed up with his shrill words, but moved on quickly. “But no. The winner will get a tour of the city of Calor, personally guided by the King of the Elves, Noctus Mors.” 

Noctus raised an eyebrow. “Bold of you to volunteer me for this without asking.” He stated. 

The Paragon shook a finger at the camera. “You are still in desperate need of positive publicity, both among the humans and the supernaturals. This will all help you, especially if we film the tour as well.” 

“And if I win?” 

The Paragon tapped at his phone, and Noctus leaned forward a bit to peer at something on his screen that did not appear on Hazel’s. After a moment’s inspection, he nodded sharply. “Very well. And how do you determine the winners if any of the ladies manage to remain uncaught?” The elf’s eyes flicked down to the black cat in his lap, the line of thought clear enough to those that watched. 

“There will be separate winners among the hunters and hunted. Celestina was kind enough to help me to put together a reservation for a complete spa day for the lady who wins.” 

“Will there be limits on the use of magic?” Leila asked. “Because, frankly, I know I won’t be much of a challenge without it. Not knowing the person hunting me could be a werewolf, vampire, or warrior king.” 

“Part of the point is to show off your unique skills!” The Paragon chirped. “I’m sure the humans would be delighted to see what the Night Queen can do.” 

“The use of magic is hardly fair.” Greyson pointed out. 

Pip snorted. “Since when does that matter? We’re all different, there isn’t really a way to make it fair with all the natural advantages and disadvantages.” 

“For the most part it doesn’t matter.” The werewolf answered. “But if I have an accurate understanding of King Noctus’ power level, he could run us all into the ground.” 

“I will refrain from utilizing more magic than is average for a fae.” Noctus volunteered easily enough. “This is supposed to be positive publicity. I do not wish to terrify the humans that will be watching, or to start a war.” 

“Well, then, it’s settled!” The Paragon declared. “Clear your schedule for Saturday three weeks from now.” 

“Consider it cleared.” Considine purred, cutting into view of the laptop camera. “This sounds highly entertaining, and Jade and I will be happy to join in this hunt.” 

Jade looked up from her cooking. “I don’t recall agreeing to this!” 

“It’ll be such fun, Cookout. I have confidence you’ll give whoever hunts you a run for their money.” He grinned at his partner, and she rolled her eyes and shook her head but made no further protest. 

“Erm…” The Paragon clearly had not been planning for this addition. 

Killian scowled. “You weren’t invited!” 

“Worried I’ll show you up that badly, hmm?” 

“You aren’t on the RCOM, and you couldn’t care less about publicity. Do you even want the prize?” 

The older vampire took on a thoughtful posture. “It has been some centuries since I’ve seen an elven city. It will be interesting to see how much it’s changed, and show Jade around. As for the RCOM, he chose you because of your power and control. I assure you, my power and control is excellent.” 

“You remember elven cities?” Noctus asked curiously from his side of the screen. 

“It’s been a while, but yes.” Considine grinned at the computer. “I think this event is going to prove to be quite interesting.” 

Chapter Text

A few weeks later the ten contestants were lined up, listening to the Paragon go over the rules for all the humans watching from all over America and even from places across the world. Killian had muted his phone and was ignoring all of the texts from his siblings alternately mocking his decision to participate and wishing him luck in a competition that Considine felt like joining. 

The vampire Eminence still wore a suit, despite the nature of the activity he intended to participate in. Hazel was much better dressed for her role, wearing camouflage but with Medeis white and blue streaks in her hair and painted on her cheeks. Pip was also in camo and lugging a sniper rifle, while Chloe was dressed for running and Jade wore a slayer suit, though not the one in Task Force colors. Leila just wore jeans and a lacy t-shirt, and looked completely unconcerned as she sipped at a coffee. The men wore mostly light clothing in dark colors that they could move and fight in if necessary. 

They all perked up as the Paragon (toting Aphrodite in Robin Hood costume) pulled out a hat full of names on paper and shook it, dramatically holding it out for the first of the participants to randomly choose their prey. Well, it was supposedly random, but the Paragon had been careful to avoid that exact word choice and most of them accepted that he likely rigged it. If that meant they didn’t have to redraw a few times to avoid getting their wives, most of them were alright with that. 

The Paragon started with Considine, and the vampire snapped open the paper and grinned at Chloe in a way she didn’t quite like. “It seems I am hunting a shadow. I don’t actually recall having done that before.” He said conversationally. 

The fae gave him a look and then moved on to Rigel, who drew Pip. The Night King nodded acceptance and seemed to do a quick inventory of his weapons, prompting the Paragon to remind them that serious injuries would disqualify the one who dealt them. Further down the line, Killian drew Leila, Noctus ended up with Jade, and Greyson found he would have to hunt Hazel. 

“Ladies, if your hunter tags you, please consider that their win and give in without fighting.” The Paragon added in a quieter tone not meant for the viewers. 

“Just to be clear, they do have to actually touch us to call it a win, right?” Leila checked. 

“Yes, if for example they see you but you’re able to run and evade them you are still in the game.” The powerful fae confirmed. 

“Gotcha. Thanks!” 

Several of the girls flashed smirks at Leila before clumping together to start their own whispered conversations. Killian gave the half fae an assessing look, then pulled out the phone that was still being blown up with messages and tapped out several texts before putting it away. 

“Adept Medeis, Hunter Sabre, Slayer O’Neil, Queens Chloe and Leila - your one hour head start begins now. Use it wisely.” The Paragon announced, leaning into his current persona that seemed almost like he was imitating a game show host. Four out of five women took off into the woods, magically enhanced drones following their progress on screens that were facing away from the hunters. The little machines had been made to be completely silent and invisible, to avoid tipping off the pursuers to where their targets were. 

Leila, however, simply remained where she was and continued to nurse her coffee with a complete lack of concern. Her husband didn’t seem bothered by her inaction either, but it would have been hard to tell if he was. The Paragon’s bright smile dimmed a little in confusion, but he continued on as he would have, his own drone following him as he approached the men.

“Well, boys. What do you think your chances are?” 

For a long moment the only responses he got were cold glares, raised eyebrows, and expressions of disinterest. Then Considine shifted and treated the camera to a smile. 

“I think it’s hardly fair if Killian’s target isn’t going to run.” He tilted his head towards Leila, who smiled and waved at the smallish crowd of humans that had shown up to watch the event in person. 

Rigel shifted slightly, a light of amusement coming into his dark eyes but little noticeably changing in his expression. “I wouldn't worry. Focus on your own target.” 

“I intend to. The shadow should be able to make this very interesting, though that is also true of yours. We’re not supposed to hurt each other, but she brought a rifle?” The vampire gave the Paragon a chiding look, though his tone was teasing. 

“I confirmed that all of her ammunition was fae-spelled. It’s non-lethal and will put the target to sleep for a couple of hours.” The Paragon assured them. “Unless King Rigel is very close when it is fired, it shouldn’t do anything worse than bruise.” 

Greyson snorted. “I wouldn’t put it past her to turn that on all of us, if she gets a chance, regardless of who is coming after her.” 

“It would be foolish of her to give away her position before Rigel is neutralized.” Noctus pointed out, and Greyson acknowledged the point. 

They fell quiet again then, and after a moment the Paragon spun around to face the drone again. “Well! Why don’t we check on the ladies’ progress, shall we?” 

The girls had entered the forest together, easily falling into the kind of jog that would let them cover a decent amount of ground quickly without exhausting them. All of them were fit, subjected to training by their partners or occupation and more than capable of keeping this up for some time. They were heading for a stream that they knew cut through the park, on Pip’s recommendation. 

“The water will help break our scent trail, and we can go up or downstream without leaving tracks and they’ll just have to guess who went where.” She told them. 

They heard the stream before they saw it, and Hazel slowed long enough to drop something into a bush. The others paused and looked at her curiously, and she shrugged. 

“Remember when I asked for recordings of you all screaming?” She began to explain as she rejoined them. “I don’t want to set anything on fire, so I need every advantage I can get.” 

“That seems… not very nice.” Chloe said as they stripped off their shoes and socks and entered the chilly water. 

“Recordings always have a sort of tinny sound. Greyson’s going to know the difference.” Pip warned. 

“And he has your mate bond, so he’ll know you’re not in any real danger.” Hazel added in a bit of a grumble. “But it might distract and slow him down just a bit if he decides to investigate.” 

They split up then, Pip and Jade heading upstream while Hazel and Chloe went down. Hazel handed a couple of extra devices to the hunter and slayer, asking them to drop them somewhere along the way they chose to go. 

They hadn’t gone far before Chloe decided to branch off. “If I turn into a cat, would you throw me into that tree?” She asked the wizard. “I want to avoid leaving a clear trail, and if I stick to the trees for a short time I might lose Considine.” 

Hazel grinned. “I can do that. I’m curious to see if you can beat him, he’s really old and fast. I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to cover this whole forest in the hour he’ll have to find you.” 

“Well, I plan to find out.” Chloe smiled back, then jumped at Hazel, changing shape midair to avoid her furry form getting wet. The petite woman caught her, then flung her up at the indicated branch. She missed slightly, but Chloe was able to reach out and snag the branch with her claws and climb up. Hazel waved at her and continued, looking for another place to drop her devices and a good place to leave the water. 

Meanwhile, Pip and Jade plowed their way against the flow of the knee-deep water. Their going was a little slower, but the girls had had a few weeks to make a bare-bones plan and scout the area if they wished, and had agreed that splitting up this way was the best course of action. They stopped when Pip caught sight of a likely looking place. 

“I’m going to climb that tree there. If Rigel follows the river, I’ve got a pretty clear line of sight for a good distance and I don’t think I’ll be easy to see.” 

Jade had been pretty quiet up until now, and she gave Pip a sharp, business-like nod. “I don’t really know much about Noctus or how he’ll hunt.” She said with what seemed like an effort. “So I suppose… I could get out here and hopefully get them to stop and look at the tracks and give you a shot, or I could go upstream a little further to avoid giving them any kind of warning.” 

Pip glanced around. “I think Rigel’s had to hunt enough targets that he’ll see this and pick out where he would snipe from if it were him.” She said slowly, then grinned as her eyes settled on a different tree. “Could you give me a boost into this tree instead, then get out and head for that one? I’ll jump from this tree to that other one, and hopefully Rigel will fall for it and I can get him there.” 

Jade agreed, and boosted Pip into the indicated branch that hung relatively low over the stream, from which the hunter could leave the river without leaving any tracks. If wolves had been coming after her, then they might be able to scent her out. Greyson wasn’t specifically after her, though he could help if he desired. Why would he, though, when that would likely give up the win to whoever he helped? 

Pip climbed to her chosen vantage point, then made herself as comfortable as she could. Jade finished doing as requested, even climbing the tree Pip had originally chosen and dropping out of a branch as far from the trunk as she could before moving on to disappear into the forest. 

“One minute to time.” The Paragon warned Leila, and she nodded and threw away her now empty coffee cup. Then she strode over to a place near the edge of the woods and erected a double-layered barrier in the shape of a complete dome. She turned a satisfied smile on the watching men, and Killian returned it with a smirk before retrieving a large reusable shopping bag from one of his recently arrived minions. 

“What is that?” The Paragon demanded nosily, hurrying over to try to peek into the bag. 

“Not technically a violation of rules.” Killian answered, pulling it away. “None of it is dangerous to her.” 

“It smells like coffee.” 

“The whole area smells like coffee.” The vampire shot back, and the fae reluctantly backed off to check that the drones were ready. Then he pointed a starting pistol at the sky and started a dramatic countdown that the watching humans eagerly joined until the Paragon pulled the trigger, the shot loud enough that the girls were supposed to be able to hear it and know that the chase was on. 

Four out of five men made their way into the woods at their own swift paces, entering where they’d seen the girls disappear. Killian ambled over to Leila’s barrier instead. She smiled at him. 

“Hello!” She called. “Think you can convince the Paragon to just let us watch everyone else? It might get a little boring otherwise.” 

Killian raised an eyebrow. “You’re that confident I can’t break your barrier?” 

“I mean, you can try.” The fae queen shrugged. “But yeah, I’ve gotten pretty good at barriers over the years. Hazel told me about your ward-breakers a while ago, but they should only help you with one layer, and I can add another easily enough if you get through one.” 

“It would be much easier to employ a different tactic.” Killian acknowledged, then opened up the bag he’d been given, to pull out a thermos that he took in with some skepticism. 

“Oh, that’s adorable!” Leila gushed, stepping closer to examine it. It was on the large side in a deep purple, but it had been nearly covered in stickers. These stickers were all dogs that were very familiar to the fae queen. “It’s all your dogs that I worked with! Look at all of them!” 

“Josh has started some kind of scrapbooking craze." The vampire grumpled. "This is Juliane's work."

"Tell her she did a wonderful job, if I don't get a chance to soon." The fae queen requested.

"It's yours if you drop the barrier, and the contents." Killian flicked open the thermos to sniff at what it contained. “Raspberry cappuccino, I think. I told them to get whatever the barista at that cafe you love recommended.” He closed it and waved it temptingly.

Leila cackled. “Not a bad tactic, but you’ll have to do better than that. I’ve already had one good coffee today, I can wait a bit.” 

The vampire shot her a wicked grin and set the thermos on the ground next to the barrier. “Oh, I noticed. That’s fine, I have a little time at least. Unlike the others, I don’t actually have to hunt for my target.” 

The men hit the treeline and Considine and Greyson almost immediately picked up the pace and outstripped their slightly slower competitors. Rigel and Noctus were by no means unfit, but the natural speed that the vampire and werewolf boasted were far beyond what the fae and elf could manage without some extra enhancement. 

Unlike the women, they had no reason or desire to stay together, so when Greyson slowed and stopped to investigate a bush, Considine continued on to the water. The vampire glanced up and down the stream, then smiled and waved in the direction he thought his drone was. Then he popped into his bat form, letting it follow him as he gained some height to see if anything stood out. Nothing immediately presented itself, so he made a guess and began to flap upstream, flying low and looking for disturbed banks or anything else that might give him a lead. 

Within minutes he found the place where someone had left the river and climbed a tree, then dropped out of a different branch. He did a wide circle around the area, looking for evidence of the other women and caught a glimpse of white-blond hair that did not belong to his target. She didn’t seem to notice him, and he chose not to draw her attention. 

He considered his options for a moment, then decided to follow the footprints. He didn’t think they belonged to Chloe, but it would be easy for someone to carry her cat form for a little way or for her to follow them in the trees for a distance. Really, he had the most challenging target, but that was all the better. 

The mouth of his bat form formed an odd smile and he darted in the direction the footprints led. A few more minutes saw him to the entrance of a cave, where he noticed his lovely redheaded partner and couldn’t resist a brief visit. He dived into her soft hair, deliberately tickling the back of her neck. 

“Con! What are you doing?” The slayer asked, reaching back to gently disentangle the little bat from among the strands of her hair. 

“Hunting, of course.” He responded in a cheerful and squeaky voice. 

“You went the wrong way, then. She went downstream.” Jade informed him. 

Considine gave her a look. “The way you go is never the wrong way.” He told her in a matter of fact manner. “But I will search further west.” 

“Have fun!” The slayer told him. 

“You know, I might be getting a little peckish, Trail Mix…” 

“You can wait until we’re home.” Jade laughed a little at the sentence anyway, and Considine circled around and flapped at her hair once before disappearing into the woods. It wouldn’t be much help to go back to the water, he decided, but he had a hunch the girl would be trying to put as much distance behind her as she could. She seemed the anxious type, so he’d keep low and keep his eyes and ears open for disturbances or the sound of a rapidly beating heart. 

Hazel was up a tree she’d found growing conveniently close to the water, her hood pulled over her blond hair. She was watching the stream, and nearly muttered some kind of curse when she caught sight of Greyson trotting along the bank. He was still on the other side, and a fair distance away, but she’d hoped it would take him a little longer to find her. He did have a bit of an advantage, she knew, between his senses and the hunts that his pack regularly engaged in against each other and Pip. 

Slowly, hoping not to draw attention, she tapped the screen of her phone in front of her. Hazel then had to hold in a laugh when a scream tore through the air from the direction of Greyson’s pocket and the werewolf reacted by jumping half out of his skin and slapping at his posterior. 

She really should have realized he’d pick up on her scent and find at least one of the devices she’d set up to do this, she thought as she watched him take a moment to breathe and recover from the unexpected noise. Hazel considered her options. Greyson wasn’t stupid. She didn’t think that he would be easily distracted from his course. 

She hesitated, then tapped her phone again. 

A second scream, the exact same sound as the first, ripped from the bushes across the river and a bit downstream of her. Greyson moved to investigate, and even though she knew any movement was risky she tapped at her phone. 

A third scream could be heard in the distance, upstream and drawing the wolf’s gaze for a long moment. She gave a pause that was similar to the time span between the other screams, then tapped to activate the fourth and last of the devices and waited to see how the werewolf would respond. 

He stood perfectly still for a long moment, then circled around the bush where the second device had gone off. He knelt to examine the footprints she’d left, and Hazel mentally cursed. The water would have helped obscure her scent, but where she’d climbed out he could probably still smell her. His gaze lifted and began to scan the trees and Hazel held her breath. 

Then a real scream sundered the air, followed by a gunshot, and Greyson whipped around and took off upstream. His target was forgotten, but she hoped that whatever had caused that wasn’t dangerous and that Greyson would be reassured quickly. This was meant to be a competition, a game, not a real battle. 

Pip waited patiently for her hunter, eyes mostly focused downstream but occasionally drifting to her other surroundings just in case. Even with her vigilance, she was startled when she caught a glimpse of silver next to where Jade had left the water. Rigel knelt between two trees, taking as much cover as he could from multiple directions. 

That was when they heard the first scream - one Pip recognized as her own - and Rigel’s head came up to peer in that direction. He came to his feet and took a few steps downstream when the second scream sounded. The third came from the bushes a little to Rigel’s left, but if it startled him he didn’t show it. He did drift close enough to find and examine Hazel’s device before the fourth scream came from further into the woods, wherever Jade had dropped it. 

Pip still didn’t have a clear shot. She exhaled, an indulgence that would give her away if her hunter was a wolf, but Rigel was not and was far enough away she felt safe. It would only be a matter of time before he found her, though, and if she didn’t take him out soon then he would likely win the game. 

The Wraith was an assassin. He was an old hand at this sort of thing, and he was being careful not to present much of a target. She needed to surprise or startle him somehow if she was to have any chance. 

She brought her rifle up into as good of a position as she could get, then took a deep breath. Next, well aware of the risk she was taking but hoping it was worth it, she released a real, bloodcurdling scream that brought Rigel’s head up in an immediate reaction, bringing his torso into her line of sight.

Chapter Text

A taser and a gift card for a spa day (potentially the very one being offered as a reward) had joined the bribes at different points around the circle, now beginning to make it look like the points of a pentagram as Killian tapped away at his phone and set it on sounds of running water. He put it up full volume and left it at a fourth point, gaining a curious look from Leila. 

“I’m a bit confused about that one.” She admitted. 

“You had a rather large coffee shortly before the hunt started.” The vampire deigned to explain. “How’s your bladder?” 

Leila opened her mouth, closed it, and then glared at her old neighbor. “I can manage another half hour!” 

“Can you?” Killian mused with mock doubt. There wasn’t a lot of attention directed their way anymore, the humans glued to the screens that displayed the other competitors instead. A distant scream mostly prompted chuckles from the watchers, but as several more passed and a gunshot sounded, the humans got louder and more excited. 

Killian seemed to take this as an indication that his competitors were getting dangerously close, and moved to a fifth point to face Leila. “Well. It rather sounds like it’s time to cut to the chase.” He reached into his suit and brought out a checkbook, waving it temptingly. “Just how much is this prize worth to you? Let’s see who wants it more.” 

Leila wagged a finger at him. “I’m listening, but you can’t fool me. This is about winning and being able to lord it over everyone else.” 

Killian gave her a conspiratorial grin. “Of course it is. But we have no idea how it's going out there. Why not take what you can get?” 

Leila shifted to put a hand on her hip. “How much are you offering?” 

She’d missed. Rigel had spun into her line of sight, and then whether by instinct or conscious correction had leapt sideways in the instant that her finger pulled the trigger. She’d dropped hurriedly out of the tree, left her bulky rifle on the ground and run for it. He was at her heels, she knew, hardly expending any effort as he jumped from shadow to shadow. 

Pip couldn’t outrun the fae king. She knew in her head it was only a matter of time before he stepped out close enough to grab her wrist and take her down. Still, she had enough of a competitive streak that she didn’t want to just give up. So she tried to avoid the darker shadows and kept on running. She saw light through the trees and burst out into a meadow. Part of her exulted, but the rest of her knew that there was nowhere to hide or escape from the fae out here. He would have to actually run, but she had no doubt he could catch up to her when she’d already been running this long. 

“Hunter Sabre!” She heard him call when he reached the edge of the field, but she didn’t slow. She did, however, notice when her werewolf senses picked up an unexpected shifter blazing across the distance after her. 

She hadn’t meant to call Greyson. As Hazel had noted, they had a mate bond that should have let him know she wasn’t really in danger even when she screamed. She was running, though, and the adrenaline might have translated as fear across the bond. 

Pip looked back with some worry as Rigel glanced over his shoulder at some sound coming after him fast, then watched him barely dodge the full-speed charge of a protective werewolf. He was still in human form, despite the fact that the wolf would have been faster. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!?” Pip's husband demanded, and the werewolf hunter took advantage to disappear into the trees. Greyson was in control. He was always in control, and within moments the two would be back at their tasks. She did try to calm her racing heart and send warm fuzzy feelings to her mate. Just a bit longer, then he could get over this experience by being especially clingy once they were home. 

“I haven’t done anything!” Rigel answered in some confusion, falling into a defensive stance with a butterknife in hand. This was not how this outing was supposed to go. 

The werewolf stared at him and Rigel met the gaze, used to Chase’s tendency to try to stare into people’s souls. After one long moment Greyson exhaled and his posture slumped a little as he released his tension. 

“I apologize. The scream caught me by surprise, but it really shouldn’t have.” The werewolf admitted. 

“Our wives are cunning, but I don’t think all of that was part of her plan.” Rigel said slowly, warily. “I have no intention of harming Hunter Sabre.” 

Greyson nodded. “I know. I should return to my own hunt.” The Night King returned the gesture and watched until the werewolf disappeared into the trees, then began to scan the ground to pick up his target’s trail again. 

Noctus had parted ways with Rigel at the river. Both of them had cast minor tracking spells to point towards their targets, and Noctus’ continued to lead him deeper into the forest while Rigel’s had indicated that Hunter Sabre had gone upstream in the brief moment before it blinked out again. The elf king hadn’t seen any signs of the slayer, but he trusted his spell and thought that perhaps it was taking him a shorter way. 

He heard the screams and the shot, but chose to trust in the skills of his competitors. None of it sounded like Chloe, and she was more than capable of taking care of herself anyway. When he recast the spell, it didn’t seem like the slayer had moved, so he picked up the pace and soon found himself in a bit of a clearing. On the other side was a sort of dirt cave, and within sat the slayer with a piece of rope in her hands that disappeared to one side of the narrow entrance. 

She startled when she saw him, and though she smiled she still looked terrified. Noctus paused, well aware that many supernaturals were… jumpy… around elves. 

“I am not going to hurt you.” He told her. 

It seemed to take her an effort to answer. “I know.” 

“Are you afraid of me?” 

She shook her head, but words took a moment longer. “In the time since your people have revealed themselves, I’ve never seen them involved in trouble as aggressors. I believe that you want peace, for now at least.” 

“I want my people to be safe. That’s all, and I don’t intend for that to change.” Noctus slowly meandered closer, watching to be sure that the slayer didn’t seem frightened by his presence. This was supposed to be positive publicity, and terrifying his target was not the right choice now, even if it meant he lost the competition. 

Jade swallowed and took a try or two before she could answer. “I am glad to hear it. Have any of your people thought of joining the Task Force? They’d probably be good at it.” Her eyes widened with some kind of realization, and her next words were rushed. “Not that I think they’d scare people, or that elves are all dangerous or anything like that, I just…” 

“I am the king of the Mors elves.” Noctus answered. “Many of my people are warriors, and I have long believed that the purpose of being capable of fighting is to protect. For the time being I’ve told my people to refrain from applying, but if you think the Task Force would not be intimidated by them, I may extend permission to one or two. I was intending to ask Chloe’s brother for his assessment first.” 

Jade nodded sharply. “Pat has been a good addition to the team, and since he’s human he won’t have the same prejudices and will be a good example for the others to follow.” 

There was still a slight tremble to the woman’s voice, though her hands were steady as she watched Noctus’ approach. 

“Are you anxious?” He asked abruptly. 

She glanced away, her head dipping just slightly with a hint of shame. “It… It’s nothing you’ve done.” 

“I’m aware there isn’t always a reason.” He gave her an attempt at a friendly smile. “You don’t live as long as I do without coming across that every now and then. Have you met Ker? She’s good with people. She might have some helpful tips, and regardless she is often eager to make new friends.” 

“I’ve… seen her. At the RCOM meetings. She’s the werewolf, correct?” 

“Yes.” If Noctus told her to go talk to Jade, she’d likely eagerly take the first steps to introduce herself and help the slayer along. 

The elf king stopped just short of the entrance to the slayer’s cave. “Why do I feel like this is some kind of trap?” He asked conversationally. 

Once again it took her an effort to speak. “It’s not really a trap… But the Paragon did tell us where this would be so that if we wanted to familiarize ourselves with the terrain we could. So… I looked around and came up with a plan.” 

“No chance I can convince you to just surrender?” 

The slayer smiled at him, then yanked on her rope. Noctus leapt back as a log and a bunch of rocks and dirt fell, the whole entrance seeming to collapse in front of him. He felt some concern, but this had clearly been part of Jade’s plan. 

He came back forward and rested a hand tentatively on the fallen debris. “Are you injured?” The elf called loudly. 

“No, I’m alright!” The slayer answered after a moment. 

“I hope you have another way out?” 

“Yes, but… I can barely fit. You won’t be able to get in.” Jade informed him. 

Noctus nodded, then realized she wouldn’t be able to see him. “Very well. I’ll try to find it anyway, but I want you to keep talking. If you fail to answer I will assume something’s gone wrong and make a way in to get you, even if that does take enough magic to forfeit my chance of victory.” 

“I appreciate that!” The slayer called back. Noctus set to work, but already accepted that he probably wasn’t winning this round. 

 Considine glided through the forest, listening more than anything else. This form wasn’t particularly fond of the full daylight that shone down on the trees around him, but he was hoping to catch the shadow by surprise. His vampire form might be a bit faster, but it would also be a bit noisier and might warn the cat shifter that he was coming. That aside, he just liked utilizing the unusual ability. 

He was specifically tracking heartbeats. Most of them belonged to squirrels and birds, too fast and small to be his quarry. He heard a few rabbits and mice as well, and a grumpy raccoon chittering at her babies. The ancient vampire was fast enough to make a few methodical passes through the area he thought the shadow might be hiding in before coming through an area where the animals were somewhere, but were quiet and out of sight. 

He glided lower, circling to find whatever predator had sent them to their homes. He nearly missed the black cat curled up under a small bush, and would have if he wasn’t listening for heartbeats. The vampire smiled to himself, then came in to land just in front of the sleek feline. Her head came up to observe him as he crawled closer, then she startled away. 

Considine did not know if Chloe knew about his form. He wasn’t really trying to keep it secret anymore, the whole Task Force knew (and apparently every slayer across America) but it was an extremely rare ability. 

So he smiled up at the cat. “Hello, Queen of the Mors.” 

The black cat fluffed up instantly and took off, leaving a surprising amount of fur drifting through the air behind her. Considine blinked, then shifted into a vampire form and took off after the cat. She was fast, but he was faster still and caught up quickly. 

Then the feline abruptly ricocheted off a tree to dart back between Considine’s legs. A foot slammed against the back of his leg, making that knee buckle due to the unexpectedness of the attack. 

“Sorry!” A voice squeaked, but the cat was already speeding away when he spun around having regained his feet. 

Considine laughed, then took up the chase again. The next time she tried to dodge he was prepared, he thought, but she shifted forms five times in as many breaths, making it difficult to catch hold of her. It would be very interesting to try to actually spar with her, but the shadow refrained from any further attacks and when Considine finally caught her wrist she gave in easily enough. 

“Well, that was fun.” He decided. “Though far too short. I suppose we have to head back and wait for the others now?” 

“I think that is what we’re supposed to do.” Chloe agreed, turning to head back to the start. 

“I might have lost my drone.” 

“I’m sure the Paragon will be able to find it again.” 

Hazel glanced behind her again. She’d left her initial hiding place, knowing from Pip that the longer she stayed the stronger her scent on that place would grow, and then she’d gone even further downstream. Now she was very nearly at the edge of the area they were allowed to be in and she wasn’t sure what more she could do to evade a powerful werewolf. 

Hide, she supposed. She climbed out of the stream. Her feet were nearly numb from the cold water, and she slipped on a slimy, half-rotted log back into the stream and she cried out when she landed on the sharp edge of a large boulder. 

The wizard pulled herself out with some difficulty, sitting on the bank to examine her bare foot that now streamed blood. She tried to wipe it off, then tied one sock around the injury as a makeshift bandage. She was trying to stuff that foot into her shoe when Greyson loped into view. Hazel certainly wasn’t in a fit state to run, so she waved cheerfully as the werewolf approached. 

“How bad is it?” He asked when he crossed the stream to join her. He extended a hand and Hazel used it to get up but found it painful to put any weight on her injury. 

“I don’t think it’s too deep, but I’ll take a healing potion or two when we’re back to the starting point. Can I lean on you to get back?” 

In answer Greyson knelt with his back to her. “Climb up. When he realizes you’re injured I’ll be much safer from your husband if I’m carrying you.” 

Hazel chuckled. “Don’t worry, he won’t attack you. Killian is too controlled to do that with an audience.” 

“I wouldn’t be concerned without the audience. The humans don’t need to see us actually fight.” 

“What happened when you ran off?” Hazel asked as she made herself comfortable on the werewolf’s broad back. 

“I didn’t fight anyone. I might have thrown Rigel off of his hunt for a little while, though. Did you ask her to do that? I found how close you must have been hiding at the time.” 

“No, though I did ask her and Jade to hide a few of those recordings along their way. I didn’t think they’d fool you, but hoped they might give you a false trail for a bit.” 

The werewolf shook his head. “Your scent was pretty strong on the ones you dropped, and it seemed unlikely you could have traveled that far up and down the river in the time you had. Another minute or two and I’d have had you.” 

“Oh well. I suppose it saved me from being found quite so quickly and easily.” Hazel shrugged. 

“You’re a wizard. You’re not exactly trained to hide from or evade a werewolf the way Pip is. I suspect the slayer or shadow would have done fairly well, but you and Queen Leila were put a bit out of your element here.” 

“That’s true.” Hazel agreed. “I wonder if Killian managed to bribe her out of her ward in time or not.” 

Greyson snorted. “That hardly seems fair, but that does seem in character for both of them.” 

They talked a little as they made the rest of the journey, coming into the open to see Killian and Leila relaxing in a couple of lawn chairs with Considine and Chloe standing nearby and chatting. Rigel and Pip emerged from a little further down the tree line at about the same time as Greyson came out with Hazel, but he could see no sign of Noctus and Jade. 

The werewolf could see Killian’s gaze darken when it landed on him and Hazel, and the vampire came to his feet to better inspect his wife. Killian reached for Hazel and she gladly fell off of Greyson and into her husband’s arms. He took the wizard and put her in the chair he’d vacated, then retrieved a healing potion from one of his minions and knelt to take a look at the injury when she told him where it was. Greyson just drifted over to the others to wait for the last two participants. 

He listened in to the human conversation enough to learn that Jade was still in hiding, and that the Paragon was collecting questions for a quick Q&A for the human watchers. He resigned himself for that when the fae representative fired the starter pistol again to let Noctus and Jade know that the time was up and they could come out. The Paragon swung one screen around to let them watch Jade wiggle through a smallish hole in the ground to emerge covered in dirt and smiling near where the elf king waited. 

“I shall have to rewrite the rules before we do any such thing again.” The Paragon muttered to himself. 

“Maybe next time the girls can be the hunters.” Pip suggested with a devilish grin. 

“Only if you give me a few tracking lessons first.” Leila responded easily. 

“I can do that. Bring Chrys, now that she’s got Chase I want to teach her a few things before she tries to join a Pack run or hunt.” 

“I’m going to ask a few watcher-submitted questions while we wait for Noctus and Jade to return. Keep in mind that these may have been written by people who are unfamiliar with supernaturals in general.” The Paragon announced, pulling up some kind of list on his phone. “Greyson. Why didn’t you ever turn into a wolf?” 

It didn’t take all that long for the elf king and the slayer to return, and the Paragon announced Killian as the winner of the hunters and Jade the winner of the hunted. In order, according to drone footage, Considine had come in second, Rigel just barely third, Greyson fourth and Noctus last. The Paragon asked a few more questions in the manner of some kind of TV show host, and the participants reluctantly played along. The fae was smart enough to recognize when their patience was wearing thin, however, and wrapped it up with one last question. 

“Would any of you participate in other competitions like this again in the future?” He asked them, then went down the line. 

“It is unlikely.” Killian stated in an irritated tone. 

“He means it depends on the competition and reward.” Hazel helpfully supplied. “I think it was fun! I’d do it again.” 

“You were injured.” Her husband pointed out. 

“Yes, and?” She blinked up at him as though this was not even a consideration. 

Rigel didn’t seem inclined to answer, so Leila spoke for both of them. “I don’t know that I’d do this again, but I’d be open to other competitions. Maybe we should race horses next time!” She grinned and winked at the drone that was filming them, prompting some cheers from the humans that watched. 

Greyson shrugged when it came to him. “It was a nice break from my usual work. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.” 

“I’d be up for something, though maybe not a hunt. I get enough of those as a member of the Northern Lakes Pack.” Pip said agreeably. 

“Perhaps.” Was all Noctus would commit to. 

“I suppose we’ll see what the competition is.” Chloe hazarded.  

“I suggest a sparring tournament.” Considine grinned as he spoke, ignoring the elbow that dug into his side from his partner. 

“That could actually be interesting.” Noctus agreed, sizing up the ancient vampire. “Depending on what abilities are barred.” 

“Why hold back? We’d be fine.” Considine suggested with far too much innocence. 

“You just want to show off.” Jade dared to insert. Her eyes stayed on him as she answered the Paragon’s question hurriedly. “I enjoyed this challenge. I would consider something similar in the future, if it helps to represent our community to the rest of the world.” 

The Paragon nodded and turned to face his camera drone dramatically, finishing up whatever speech he had planned and showing off his cat. The various powerful supernaturals that had participated glanced up and down the line, some of them grinning and some of them displaying bored expressions, but all of them amiable enough. 

The experience was not perhaps something they would have deliberately chosen, but it wasn’t one that any of them found they regretted. And if it somehow helped their people - by boosting the popularity of supernatural owned and operated businesses, by encouraging the kind of interest that would help the spread of useful information, by showing their own kinds that they could work together and be friendly - then they would do it again and again as long as they saw the results.