Now he was pure menace.
He didn’t need brute strength, only utter stillness.
Bone-biting fear froze my blood.
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, my tongue too heavy to speak.
Subarctic cold radiated from him, and I staggered back as it brushed against my skin in frigid waves. I bumped into Caidan and stumbled away as Graysen stalked toward me, his posture intimidating, his stride predatory.
My heart sped up and faltered and raced. I backed up, and he matched me step for step until my hip suddenly caught on the edge of a table.
I jolted, barely stifling a startled cry. The movement shuddered the table, sending plates and mugs clattering against wood.
Graysen loomed over me.
All the hair on the nape of my neck stood on end.
He slowly leaned down so we were at eye level, his breath skating over my lips. This time he smiled, but it was cold, and the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Because I love thehunt.”
21
Nelle
Wintry air swirled along my cheekbones as Graysen reached for me, intending to push his hand into my hair and clamp down. Not with fangs but fingers. To grasp the back of my neck with ruthless intent and force me to submit.
I reacted in pure, mindless terror. My heart slammed in my chest as I whirled around and fled, chased from the Great Hall by the cruel sound of laughter.
Sage surged beside me as I escaped, then shot ahead. He led me through twisting hallways and past startled servants, his keen senses honing in on a way out of the Keep. Anxiety clawed up my throat as I burst into a gateway framed by curved arches and iron portcullises, their menacing lattice looming above as I tore beneath and erupted outside.
Part of me knew it was useless even to run. This was Graysen’s territory. There wasn’t an inch of it he didn’t know. Yet I had to try. Pure survival drove me on. I flew across a weathered porch,down stone steps, and into a lush garden where pebble paths cut toward a copse of trees with drooping, serrated leaves.
The thick canopy scattered dappled light that skittered across my frozen skin. Sage raced ahead, his paws spraying stones in his wake. My braid slapped against my back, and spindly branches scratched at my face as I tore across the pebbled path.
All I could see in my mind was that cold, empty look Graysen had delivered while his brothers closed in like an unyielding wall, waiting to see him break my spirit.
Had I read him wrong these past few days? He’d been nothing but disarmingly solicitous up at his residence. I’d been the one tormenting him in my childish way, and he’d borne the brunt of my wrath. But was that just him playing a twisted game simply to amuse himself?
Terror rattled through me at the eruption of noise.
Graysen was right behind me.
Hunting me like an animal.
His pounding footfall crunched through pebbles.
His breathing—excited.
He could have caught me so easily, but he’d let me run just to terrorize me further. I didn’t know where I was going, shoving past low-hanging branches and following the twisting path ahead.
Suddenly, his arm banded around my middle, lifting me right off the ground.
I screamed and thrashed, kicking out as I fought to free myself. “Let me go!”
My heel slammed into his shin, wrenching us off-balance. He stumbled back with a startledoof,my high-pitched shriekringing loud.Weswayed wildly as he lurched backward, falling hard on his ass. I jolted with him, briefly airborne before crashing down.
Graysen only held me tighter as I half-twisted around, trying to hit him with my fists, screeching at him to let me go. One hand grabbed hold of my wrists, handcuffing them with fingers. His stubble-dusted chin was right beside my ear, but all he did was shush me. “It’s okay…I’ve got you… I’m not going to hurt you,” he repeated until my ragged, panting breaths quietened and my weary limbs were too heavy to put up a fight any longer.
I sagged against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against my back, an uneasy pace that matched my own.
