Whoever that is, it’s not my Shadow. This is a different monster, and one I’ve never met before.
"Run, run, run little monster, you’ll only taste sweeter when I catch you," he taunts. I feel his presence encroach on me as he closes the distance with hungry grunts and growls.
My legs pump harder, propelling me forward. He's faster, stronger, a predator designed for this very chase. The thought that this pursuit might be heightening his enjoyment sends a thrill of terror mixed with a strange, dark excitement through me.
"You smell so good, Evie. Will I devour you whole? Or take you in pieces?"
I realize with a sinking heart that running has incited the hunter within him. The monster that cares for me thought he was saving me by giving me a head start, but I know now this chase is only intensifying his desire to catch me.
I am his prey, and he is relishing the chase.
Of course I’m still prey. I’m still weak, still human. Still nothing but a bleeding heart in a monster’s world.
I turn a corner sharply, my breath ragged, my chest burning. The streets are empty, the city asleep, oblivious to the nightmare unfolding in its midst. My only thought is to lead him away from others, away from potential harm. I may not survive, but I can get him away from other people. If I were to run into a crowd, who knows how his hunger will lash out with so many beating hearts in reach. I can't let him hurt anyone else.
"You aremine."
His words, so possessive and filled with hunger, terrify me.
But for a girl who has been unwanted her entire life, his words and pursuit reaches a tiny fist down into my chest where it grips me in a way I’ve always needed. The danger is real, but so is the underlying current of desire, a connection that binds us beyond the physical chase.
Am I so pathetic that I would prefer being devoured by a creature fixated on me, rather than living and being ignored by all of humanity?
Unfortunately, there is no time to yet again go over how much therapyI can’taffordright now.
My foot catches on an uneven patch of pavement and I stumble, falling hard onto the icy ground. Pain lances through my knee as I scrape against the concrete and shred the fabric of my jeans. I ignore the sharp sting as I scramble to my feet. I've lost precious seconds.
He is almost upon me now, the press of his shadows at my back. I can almost feel his breath on my neck, the heat of his monstrous form bearing down on me. Adrenaline courses through me and I push my body to its limits, but it's not enough. Nails of pain drive through my lungs, keeping them from getting enough oxygen.
I dart through an alley, my heart pounding. The sweat pouring off me instantly cools as soon as it hits the air.
As I emerge into the open expanse of the park, my lungs burn with exertion and my knee throbs with pain. The trees looming over me are unmoved by the twisted game of cat and mouse I’m about to lose. I glance back and see him, the dark figure gaining on me.
"There's nowhere to hide, Evie," he calls out, his voice a blend of dark desire and imminent threat. "Iwillcatch you. Iwillhave you, my little monster."
His words are a terrifying affirmation of my fate. I am his.
I’m slammed face forward onto the snowy ground of the park. Clothes and skin rip on the hard unforgiving terrain. The pain of the impact is secondary to my desperation to get up.
My fingers dig in the ice and dead grass as I try to scramble away, but with a swift yank, I’m overpowered. My short nails score the earth as I'm dragged across the dirt. A yelp of surprise and fear escapes me, but I don’t mean to draw the attention of anyone.
No one can help me. If anyone tries, they’ll likely die too. So I dig my teeth into my lower lip.
In a blink, I find myself on my back, the breath knocked out of me, staring up at my captor.
Shadow hovers over me, his form massive and terrifying in the moonlight. Eyes, coal black and feral, lock onto mine with a predatory intensity. His body pins me so there is no hope of getting away.
"You're mine, Evie," he whispers harshly, his breath hot against my cheek. He inhales deeply as if smelling the most heavenly of scents before his hand grips around my throat, squeezing a squeak out of me.
Still holding me by the neck, his head dips down to my folded-up leg. He licks at the torn knee that’s exposed to the icy air through my ripped sweatpants. His tongue is hot as it slides up and down my wound, too much for my sensitive, ravaged skin. I whimper at the pain even as a rush of endorphins follows hot on its heels. Shadow shudders in open pleasure, and I can’t help but close my eyes as warmth pools at my center.
I’m about to die, but my desire outweighs my fear.
‘Cause I’m an idiot. A pathetic little idiot who would rather die at the hands of her own personal monster than live a safe and normal life.
My eyes squeeze shut tighter. I deserve this. I deserve to die like this.
"I can smell you, Evie. Even as I’m about to eat your heart, your cunt quivers, begging me to fuck you. Is it dripping, Evie?"
