Page 91 of Abdominal Snowman

The Chase

Sage pumped her arms furiously, glancing over her shoulder every so often. Soft puffs of air and the crunch of her boots were the only sounds in the forest as she ran. Adrenaline coursed through her veins at the slightest hint of the wind, the crack of a branch, the soft plop of melting snow falling from the branches.

She slid to a stop behind a tree, chest heaving as she collapsed against the rough bark. Sage gulped air into her burning lungs, eyes skittering through the gaps in the forest.

Her heart galloped as she surveyed the trees. A snap echoed from her left, and she whipped her head toward the sound.

A flash of white.

She took off in a sprint, the presence in the woods a constant thrum at her back.

Sage heard a low rumble behind her and a soft gasp escaped. Spinning around a tree at the last second, she saved her momentum and sprinted in the opposite direction.

A huffing blur of white flew past the corner of her eye, the claws of a beast scrambling in the snow after her abrupt direction change. He was hot on her trail.

Soren’s cabin appeared in the distance, and Sage pumped her arms faster and faster as her sore legs brought her closer and closer and...

Soren dropped down in front of her in a flurry of snow, the branch he’d leapt from wobbling from the force.

“There you are,” he rumbled, razor-sharp claws flexing as he prowled toward her.

Sage’s heart stuttered in her chest as the towering monster drew closer. The smirk on his face was predatory.

“Run,” he whispered, fangs peeking out as he crouched, giving her a few second head start.

Sage’s pealing laughter echoed through the trees as Soren chased her from copse to boulder to tree, knowing he was right behind her, hearing his steps grow close and then fade away, thinking each time she heard them was going to be the time he caught her. Caught her and threw her down in the snow and had his way with her.

Breathless not only from running, she rubbed her thighs together and came to a stop in the middle of a small meadow.

The snow was melting around her as springtime gripped the mountain, the last chill in the air clinging with desperate fingers in the shape of skeletal branches reaching toward the sun.

She strained her ears, listening for Soren’s approach. Sage knew he wasn’t far behind. It was impossible to lose him, not with their difference in gait. Now all she had to do was wait, and it was only a matter of time until he found her.

Staying here on the mountain with Soren was the easiest decision she’d ever made. She left the palm trees and beaches behind in favor of snow, mountains, and her monster.

Her photos of Overlook Peak had expanded her portfolio, but instead of taking another reporting job, she was content to rely on her photography.

It wasn’t like she lacked content. Look at this place! she thought, and turned in a circle.

She still worked freelance, selling her photos to the highest bidder she could, and at the moment, she wished she’d brought her camera with her.

Sage tilted her head toward the spring sky, the sun warming her face as she slowed her breathing before she took off in a sprint back to the cabin. Just a few more moments...

A growl from behind her made her heart skip, but then Soren spun her and heaved her over his shoulder as he began a full-out run toward their cabin.

“You brute!” She laughed, her hair fanning out around her with the wind.

“I figured a soft bed was better than muddy ground, don’t you agree?”

Okay, so he had a point.

Soren stopped only to kick open the front door, his claws clicking as he all but galloped up the stairs. Sage was breathless as he deposited her on the bed with a bounce.

“Tired of frolicking in the snow, Snowflake?” she purred as he caged her in with his abominable form on the bed.

“Tired of not being inside you, Sunshine.” Soren leaned over her, dragging a claw over her soft stomach.

Heat rushed through Sage as she sat up, relieving herself of her shirt and bra. Her heavy breasts were tight with want as she met his icy gaze.