Because I’m the new girl?
And speaking of the lunatic …
I was sure he was the one restraining me.
Trembling, I drew shaky breaths through my nose, his masculine scent flooding my lungs. It reeked of insanity with hints of spiciness, gunpowder, and pine.
His forearm pressed harder against my jaw, forcing my head back as he pulled me flush against his chest. The sudden movement jolted me back into the present.
His body was solid behind me, my spine pinned against him.
I felt his heartbeat. It was so slow that you’d think he was knocking on death’s door.
My heart? Quite the contrary.
It violently slammed against my ribs, desperate and frantic, like it was trying to escape my chest entirely and abandon my body to fend for itself.
A strangled gasp tore from my lungs when he slid his hand from my mouth to my throat, tapping his fingers to the frantic pulse beneath my skin.
He was counting my pulse.
Fucking asshole.
I screamed the moment his forearm loosened slightly around my neck.
Screamed so loud that my throat went raw.
That scream was short-lived.
He clenched his hand around my throat to silence me, so hard that I waited for my windpipe to crush. My vision grew hazy as I clawed at his arm, my breaths turning into ragged gasps.
He loosened his holdjust barelyto allow me a sliver of air, like he wasn’t ready to kill meyet.
He still wanted to have his fun.
That was one thing we had in common: I wasn’t ready to die yet.
While he could silence my screams, I wouldn’t go down without a fight. The harsh wind stung my face as I thrashed against him.
I kicked wildly, drove my elbows into his stomach, dug my nails into his sweatshirt, and twisted and jerked in his hold like a deer fighting to break free against a hunter’s snare.
But he didn’t flinch.
My blows didn’t even affect him.
He outpowered me in every way.
Physically. Mentally. Strategically.
He laughed wickedly, as if reading my mind. A chill ran down my back.
That laugh promised nothing but destruction. He had planned my ruin and couldn’t wait to watch it unfold.
He was the hunter, and I was the prey.
But hunting was never a sport if both parties didn’t consent to play. And I sure as hell hadn’t signed up for this game.
I took in my surroundings frantically. Nothing but the fog, trees, and silence. No one was coming to save me.
