“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” she says as if that would make sense to me.
My heartbeat goes wild, and I ball my hands into fists, prepared to attack if it comes down to it. “I absolutely want to know what the fuck you mean by that!”
“Just catching sight of youonceseveral decades ago, I knew you were different. You make me feel different, and I need to know why, so I’ve been tracking you ever since you got away from me all those years ago,“ she whispers.
I let her words settle in. “You’re here because of some weird infatuation with me?”
A mirthless laugh leaves her lips. “My Little Relic, this is far more than an infatuation; it’s a full-blown obsession, and I’m not letting you get away again.”
I take a step toward the door, and her head whips in my direction. When our eyes meet, I hold my breath.
I’m in my gorgon form.
I’m going to turn her to stone, kill her—which I oddly want to avoid—so I avert my gaze and run.
Chapter four
When our eyes meet, I’m prepared to turn to stone, grateful for the little bit I was able to get. As she races from the room, I allow my eyes to drift shut, so I can savor the image of her being so close, yet still too far to touch.
But when nothing happens, my eyes fly open to look in the mirror. Merric uses my distraction to attempt an escape, which only serves to irritate me. He raises his fists to swing at my face, but I slam his back against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. The demon attempts to hit me again, and I squeeze his throat a little tighter, digging my nails into his flesh. As much as I want to torture the bastard, finding—and keeping—the gorgon is more important to me, so I rip out his windpipe. His body slides down the wall, and I watch as he drops to the floor, sticky, acrid blood pouring from the gaping hole in his throat.
Dropping the piece of flesh beside him, I walk over to the bed, grab the comforter, and try to clean my hand off as much as Ican. I’m able to get the majority of it off before an intense blue light fills the room. I don’t even bother turning around because I know exactly who it is, and I don’t have time for his shit right now.
“Why does it not surprise me that this is your doing, hunter?” a familiar voice says behind me.
“Because this is what I do? I hunt down pieces of trash that don’t deserve to live. He was a shitty excuse for a fucking bodyguard who was about to force himself onto a woman,” I growl. “Not to mention, that woman ismine.No one can touch what’s mine without fucking consequences.”
The man gives a gruff laugh. “All of you shifters are so possessive and grumpy. You should ease up a little, Anna.”
I drop the comforter and turn to face the demon most refer to as ‘The Retriever’. But I knew Alaric before he was given that title. “I’m not just any shifter, which is something you should know very well by now, seeing as we’ve known each other for centuries. This woman—who is currently getting farther and farther from me as we speak—has occupied every inch of my mind since I saw her severaldecadesago. No one has ever made me feel the way she does, just from one glance. She’s gotten away from me far too many times, and I won’t stop my pursuit until I have her in my clutches once and for all.”
Alaric shakes his head. “I pity anyone who gets in your way—until you get bored with her, at least. It’s bound to happen at some point; it’s what happened with Adrestia. You were obsessed with her until you weren’t. I swear you were looking for a reason to get rid of her, and her family gave you the perfect out.”
Anger surges, and I’m seeing red as I step toward the demon. “You’d better watch what you’re saying, otherwise the demons may have to find themselves a new ‘Retriever’. It’d be a shame after all the years you’ve been with them.”
Alaric rolls his eyes. “I’m shaking in my boots, Anna. You don’t scare me.”
“Well, let’s just get one thing straight then. Adrestia’s family auctioning me off to sex traffickers was not an excuse to be rid of her! What sealed her fate was the fact that she didn’t even try to help me when she found out what her family had done.”
His eyebrow raises as he stares me down. “You really think she just stood by and let those men do as they pleased with you without interfering? How the hell do you think you were able to get out? You’re an extremely strong and smart woman, but I highly doubt you’d be able to get out of a situation like that without a little bit of help—just saying. Then, when you got out, she tried to give you some space before she approached you, but you disappeared before she had a chance, and she didn’t want to chase after you. I can’t really blame her for that.”
I take a deep breath and roll my eyes. “Whatever. I don’t have time to listen to you ramble about shit that doesn’t matter anymore.”
He scoffs. “Well, go on then. I’ll take care of our friend here.”
“Goodbye, Alaric,” I say as I turn to leave.
“Enjoy your chase, Anna.”
I follow the scent of Roxanna’s fear down the hall to another bedroom very similar to hers. Several drawers on the dresser hang open, and a door on the opposite wall is wide open. I walk over to it and peer inside, only to find a closet full of outdatedshirts and pants that I doubt my girl would ever wear. The amount of clothing scattered on the floor in this otherwise well-kept space makes me think I’m correct in that assumption. She went through nearly half the closet before finding something she was willing to wear. Maybe I’ve underestimated her fear.
Moonlight streams through another open doorway around the corner, which leads to a lavish bathroom. This one differs entirely from the one I saw my girl in earlier. Every surface of this bathroom is pure white, while the fixtures—the sinks, tub, and showerheads to be exact—are all made of real gold. It’s such an incredible sight, and if I weren’t already in a rush, I’d love to bask in its beauty.
Across the room from me, curtains flutter, revealing a wide-open window. My first thought is that my girl has made a run for it by jumping out this damn window, and I’m going to have to chase her down. Excitement courses through me—I love a good hunt, and that’s what this is turning out to be.
Peering out, I watch as Roxanna runs down the street, her silky hair glinting in the moonlight. Watching her, I notice that her hair has a greenish tint to it, linking even further to her gorgon form. I let her run until she’s nearly out of my sight. Then, I propel myself out the window, landing gracefully on my feet, and take off at a full run. Even with my speed, my footfalls are silent—something that took me decades to master. I don’t want to alert her to my presence until she’s in my arms. She likely thinks I’m dead, and I’m really amazed I’m not, but I’m about to turn her whole world upside down.
It takes me less than a minute to catch up to her. When I do, I wrap my arms around her and take her down to the ground. “You can’t escape from me that easily, my little relic.”
