Story cover for The Thrill of the Hunt | ONC 2022 by elmaloney
The Thrill of the Hunt | ONC 2022
  • WpView
    Reads 2,034
  • WpVote
    Votes 228
  • WpPart
    Parts 18
  • WpHistory
    Time 2h 47m
  • WpView
    Reads 2,034
  • WpVote
    Votes 228
  • WpPart
    Parts 18
  • WpHistory
    Time 2h 47m
Complete, First published Feb 14, 2022
OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST - LONG LISTED

Safety was never an option.
  
She has nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere safe to reside. No matter how far she runs or how quiet she hides, they always find her. She will never be free of her hunters. Theresa knows this, yet she still tries.
  
Theresa has a curse, one that makes her deadly to everyone and everything. She destroys anything she touches, and there is no way to stop it from consuming her surroundings. Not only is she wanted dead for her dark magic, but because she is one of them. A Naturian; and those aren't allowed to exist, not in this new age. But Theresa has always been running since her limbs let her, and she doesn't even know what she is.
  
It's only when he comes, that she finally understands who she is, and that she isn't alone. But she doesn't find safety. Safety was never there.
  
                                                           ➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶
  
 WARNING - this is a very violent and graphic book. It is not recommended for anyone under the age of sixteen.
  
Cover made with an image from Pinterest // graphics by me
Chapter covers made with an image from Pinterest // graphics by me
  
RANKINGS:
#04 in onc2022 - 16/02/2022
#05 in Hunting - 28/02/2022
#17 in Saviour - 16/02/2022
#39 in High Fantasy - 24/02/2022
#70 in Dark Fantasy - 16/02/2022


© elmaloney 2022 | all rights reserved
All Rights Reserved
Sign up to add The Thrill of the Hunt | ONC 2022 to your library and receive updates
or
#7opennovellacontest2022
Content Guidelines
You may also like
Seer Me Wrong ✔ by ThatOneWriter129
42 parts Complete Mature
Winner of The People's Choice Awards by Phoenix Wars. #1 winner in Paranormal in the Pixie Awards [2019] 4th place in the Sassy Awards [2020] As a child, Theresa was given, the worst fate imaginable; to be without the ones she loves. More than that, the betrayal of being thrown into a dark, dangerous sanatorium by those very people, something no one really heals from. In a shadowed world populated by the insane, and the decrepit. Ran by those who care more for greed than people, do you think you could survive long enough to see freedom? Theresa had no choice. At the age of 10, her happy childhood was ripped away. Her trust and love shattered by those she trusted most of all. Why? You ask. All because her parents found out that she was had been having nightly conversations with a dead relative. Years passed, with Theresa slowly learning that in order to escape, she must subdue a part of herself. Broken and depressed, she eventually meets someone who would alter the flow of her fate. The oddest things begin to happen, and with a rush of speeding time, she ends up with a group of self-proclaimed "Paranormal Hunters". With help from the crew and the few friends she makes, she shows the world and herself just how far her powers go. But nothing is without consequence. Fate will not let her go so easily, and along the way, she will encounter people and otherworldly beings both, some who wish to hinder, some who wish to help. But can you ever really trust a spirit? This journey may teach her things about herself that no one could predict...
Darkness and Beauty (The Fated Series, #1) by _Hiraeth_Author_
55 parts Complete
Fauna Clarice Rheasydia is one of two of the most feared assassins in all of Ker. The Ebony Nightingale. Trained since four, her identity has been kept secret, leaving only rumors of her bloody wake to whisper through the streets. Little do they know that the blood pooling at her feet isn't that of her victims, but instead that of someone she may have never truly known. Lance Arthur Rheasydia, The Sinister Fox. Trained alongside his sister to protect those he cares for, more so now than ever after the death of his soulmate and betrayal of his best friend. He has no path left to follow aside from that of his family, and even that is beginning to narrow. Or is it widening? Darius Zandro Rosendal is sick of playing the picture-perfect Crown Prince of Vandaria. His father sees nothing but a ghost when he's nearby, too busy praying to the Gods and their Saints that his wife's womb carries another boy. Darius's life force runs through the veins of his guard and best friends. He has the family he wants, all the luxury wealth can buy, but still finds something missing. That is until an unexpected visitor gives him hope for the life he's only dreamt of. Can they keep the demons coming from every direction from breaking down the walls? Are they capable of fulfilling their destiny? Or will they fail and damn the world to its crumbling end? This is just the beginning, and hope is running thin. **Average Word Count Per Chapter: 4,000 **Edited (x1) LET ME KNOW IF YOU SPOT GRAMMAR ISSUES! NOTE FROM ME! - I very much model my works to resemble published examples, so there are no notes in any chapters from me, trigger warnings for chapters, etc. Just the world my brain likes to escape to every now and then. Thanks for reading!
Entangled With Them by anjay_writess
58 parts Complete Mature
"From today onwards, you'll be our captive. Our acquisition. Your life will be resigned to this chamber, to serving us. You'll answer to our every beck and call, and should you try to be defiant, we wouldn't hesitate to strip you bare and whip the devil out of you before locking you up in the dungeons without food and water. Are. We. Clear?" He ground out, punctuating the words with feral anger. Tears burned Elaine's eyes, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind, filled with trepidation. She choked on her own sob, but she had to answer. "Yes... Masters." She forced out, pitifully breaking into a sob. Their lips twitched then. "Welcome to your new life, Elaine. We hope you enjoy it." ******* Princess Elaine Renee Valys has always lived a sheltered life, hidden away in a tower on the outskirts of her father's kingdom. But she's had enough of it, secretly wishing for the day her father would call her home and she would be allowed to explore the world. It finally happens, but not in the way she expects. She falls right into the claws of the Brother Kings, who have completely different plans for her. King Ryker and King Marlon are the Brother Kings who are out for revenge and carnage. Once slaves to the despicable King Thraine, they have returned to destroy the very thing he holds dear - his kingdom. They stumble upon Elaine, hidden and the lone survivor of the massacre that has befallen King Thraine's family, and take her as a trophy, a reminder of their victory. Elaine is to be their captive, the subject of their cruel jokes and sinister actions until they have had enough. Except, things don't go the way any of them planned, and fate is about to throw a wicked curveball at them. Will Elaine be able to escape their darkness, or will she become a pawn in their deadly game? 1 in mfm on 31/7/2025 1 in spicyslowburn on 1/8/2025 2 in dreamlandbooks on 2/8/2025
As the Crow Falls | ✔ by SmokeAndOranges
46 parts Complete
Niccola is a demi-queen undercover in enemy territory. Her little sister went missing seven moons ago, but one lead remains: a picture of a woman's face, drawn by a diviner shortly after the disappearance. Tracking her down has led Niccola to Calis, the realm next door whose border with her own remains closed for a reason. There, the trail goes cold. Until, that is, Niccola runs into a man in the marketplace who bears a family resemblance to the woman she seeks. His name is Isaiah, crown prince of Calis, and he's investigating disappearances, too. They join forces, faking courtship to sneak Niccola into the palace and get Isaiah's wedding-minded mother off his back. It doesn't take long to suspect that a common threat might underpin both their realms' problems. And as Niccola begins to develop real feelings for Isaiah, she's faced with an impossible choice: reveal her secrets and risk breaking his trust, or leave him in order to chase down the woman who stole her sister... a woman whose forbidden magic comes with a cost that could bring both realms to ruin. ❖❖❖ Complete and fully edited. Cover credit goes to @CeeMTaylor. Go check out her books too if you like Dark Fantasy Romance-she writes some pretty incredible stuff! Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn :)
༺ 𝓣𝒉𝒆 𝓜𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷 ༻ by NERO_REVENGE_
10 parts Complete Mature
༺ 𝓣𝒉𝒆 𝓜𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷 ༻Part of the Marked Series 𝓐𝓻𝓬 6 They're broken. Bleeding. On the run. Damon. Leo. Ace. Kai. Diana. Amora. After the fall of their last safe house, the group has been running for weeks-sleeping in abandoned cars, rationing crackers like gold, barely breathing between one ambush and the next. The ECU is always one step behind... but hunger and frostbite are catching up faster. Amora hasn't spoken in days. Her body's still healing from wounds that never got the chance. Now malnourished, barely conscious, she's a ghost in their arms. And still, she keeps walking. When Ace intercepts a transmission: a new safe house, isolated high in the mountains-off-grid, protected, promised by Nesa-they make a desperate push. But halfway there, the car dies. No reception. No rescue. Just a freezing trek across a deadly peak that wants them dead. The mountain was supposed to save them. Instead, it begins to break them. Blizzards. Altitude sickness. Silence. One wrong step could mean death-and still, there's no sign of Nesa. So Amora makes a choice. She walks into the storm alone-bruised, starving, trembling-to give the others a chance. To scream through her pain in the only way her broken body can. To summon the god who might be listening. But did she wait too long? In The Mountain, survival comes with a price. Some wounds are frozen deep. Some sacrifices leave scars colder than death. ⛰️ 𓆩 Trigger Warning 𓆪 Arc VI- The Mountain from the Marked Series This arc explores themes of survival, desperation, and physical decline. Please read with care. ╭───────────────╮ ⟡ Content Includes:  ‧ Strong language / profanity  ‧ Mature sexual content  ‧ Malnutrition & physical exhaustion  ‧ Emotional trauma  ‧ Self-sacrifice under extreme conditions  ‧ Isolation & near-death scenes ╰───────────────╯ Your comfort matte
In The Crossfire by Ink_DayDreams
8 parts Complete Mature
An angelic halfling, thrown into a brutal war - not her own. Can she survive, can humanity? Angels or Hellion, Sky hates them both, hell, she even hates half-breeds like herself. She has only known this war, waging long before her birth. Because of it she has been running all her life, leaving behind a trail of bodies- being chased by both monsters and forbidden secrets. The secrets of what she was- of who who she was. Her mother's warnings always loud in her mind, propelling her to care about nothing but survival. And to keep moving was to survive. Until one day she has no where left to run and everything she has been fleeing from swallows her whole. She finds herself held in a cell alongside humans, made to fight or die as if their lives have no worth. Unable to run, she is forced to face 'them' head on for she will never bow to the beings who never belonged on Earth to begin with. To survive in this world she will need to adapt- learning that sometimes those deemed untrustworthy may make powerful allies and those she had given her heart to may have always been the biggest threat of all. This is a dystopian story of loss, betrayal, friendship, love, and hope. Oh, and lots of action ;) **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** Added to the Dangerous Love reading list. March 2021 #1 in fantasyadventure - May 2021 #1 in YAfantasy - July 2021 #1 in fantasycreatures - April 2021 #37 in dystopian - April 2021 #27 in demonhunters - April 2021 #3 in romance - April 2021 **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** 🌙 Trigger Warning: There is violence and torture in this story. Also suicide will be mentioned in one chapter. **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****
Beyond the Veil of Yonder (Book 1) by XannaLurel
101 parts Complete Mature
If you love the epic worldbuilding of 𝘓𝘖𝘛𝘙, the dark intrigue of 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, the monster-hunting grit of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳, and the soul-deep romance of 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳, then this story is for you. --------------------------------- He's a battle-hardened knight; she's from the modern world. He survived horrors; she was shielded from them. His body and soul bear scars, but she still believes in wonders. He seeks redemption and peace, and she craves true love. Forgotten forests, cursed kingdoms, and a bond neither of them chose. Together, they must face ancient evils, unravel lost magic, and survive enemies in both shadow and light. Discover if love can truly banish the darkness in this thrilling, emotional tale! ⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎⚔︎ "Omg... I've never been so invested in a story!" "The story is so captivating and engaging that I couldn't put it down." "The characters are incredibly well-developed!" "It reminds me of Tolkien's lost kingdoms and the mysterious allure of Arthurian and Celtic legends." *********************** 🏆 The Cliffhanger Queen by The Hidden Gem Awards 2024 ************************ 💎 FEATURED ON: @WackyWriters - "Our Judges' Favorites" @Romance - "Slow Burn" and "The Para-Romantasy Experience" @Fantasy - "Dark Fantasy" and "Serialized Spotlight" @highfantasy - "Fair Verona - Romantic Fantasy" @Ambassadors - "Para-Romantasy" @DaturaCommunity - "The Lavender | Fantasy" *********************** Highest Rankings: 🌟 #1 in Medieval Fantasy - 14/03/2025 🌟 #2 in Portal Fantasy - 05/11/2024 🌟 #2 in Gothic - 09/12/2025 🌟 #3 in Medieval - 02/12/2024 🌟 #4 in High Fantasy - 05/08/2024
Mirror of Embers (Book 1) by Monkeygirl311
42 parts Complete Mature
Ember Ryvergrave is tired and alone. Her mother is dead, her twin sister doesn't need her, and her best friend is in love with another. She feels as though she has no purpose anymore. She's a trained assassin. A killer. Surely she shouldn't be feeling so dejected from the people around her, yet those feelings linger deep inside her stomach. Along with the secret magic that resides in Ember's bones. The magic that would cost her her life if anyone knew about it. She's prepared to live a life of solitude and coldness until a strange boy with mint eyes and golden hair sees her and her magic. Ember's world flips upside down. He comes with news. Ember's fellow assassin has been taken. She has been tasked with retrieving the assassin and bringing them home. However, Ember has to cross through her country and go into the capital. Where the King resides. The man who wishes her dead. Though, she doesn't journey alone. The mint-eyed boy insists on coming. Now she must watch out for him . . . and herself. Trouble stirs and old demons come back to haunt Ember. Especially two men who are on the hunt for her. Ember's past is coming back to life and it's worse than anything she has ever imagined. Will she be able to save her fellow assassin? Or will she perish before she even reaches the capital? TWs: sexual assault, mentions of sexual assault, violence, gore, obscene language, depression, suicidal thoughts. Please take note of these before reading! 214K words *COVER ART IS NOT MINE* Len Yan is the artist of the cover, I got it off of pinterest!
You may also like
Slide 1 of 10
Seer Me Wrong ✔ cover
Darkness and Beauty (The Fated Series, #1) cover
Entangled With Them cover
The Taste of Iron cover
As the Crow Falls | ✔ cover
The Book of Trials || ONC 2019 cover
༺ 𝓣𝒉𝒆 𝓜𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷 ༻ cover
In The Crossfire cover
Beyond the Veil of Yonder (Book 1) cover
Mirror of Embers (Book 1) cover

Seer Me Wrong ✔

42 parts Complete Mature

Winner of The People's Choice Awards by Phoenix Wars. #1 winner in Paranormal in the Pixie Awards [2019] 4th place in the Sassy Awards [2020] As a child, Theresa was given, the worst fate imaginable; to be without the ones she loves. More than that, the betrayal of being thrown into a dark, dangerous sanatorium by those very people, something no one really heals from. In a shadowed world populated by the insane, and the decrepit. Ran by those who care more for greed than people, do you think you could survive long enough to see freedom? Theresa had no choice. At the age of 10, her happy childhood was ripped away. Her trust and love shattered by those she trusted most of all. Why? You ask. All because her parents found out that she was had been having nightly conversations with a dead relative. Years passed, with Theresa slowly learning that in order to escape, she must subdue a part of herself. Broken and depressed, she eventually meets someone who would alter the flow of her fate. The oddest things begin to happen, and with a rush of speeding time, she ends up with a group of self-proclaimed "Paranormal Hunters". With help from the crew and the few friends she makes, she shows the world and herself just how far her powers go. But nothing is without consequence. Fate will not let her go so easily, and along the way, she will encounter people and otherworldly beings both, some who wish to hinder, some who wish to help. But can you ever really trust a spirit? This journey may teach her things about herself that no one could predict...