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Wait, we’re splitting up? Wouldn’t it be safer to stay together? It seems all other participants have the same idea, separating from one another and disappearing into the woods.
Heart racing, I glance over my shoulder, seeing the vampires hanging back. Some look bored, sitting on the grass while they wait, others watch the directions everyone is running. My focus falls to the only one of them whose bite I actually know. Rhenn stands without movement, his sights already set on his prey.
Slipping my fingers through my hair, I wrap an elastic around the tendrils, securing it tightly so it’s out of my face. I know I need to move; the clock has already started ticking, and the longer I’m here, the more likely I am to be found.
There’s something almost heart stopping in his dark stare that keeps me rooted in place. Rhenn isn’t looking at me, he’s looking into me. Seeing all the way into the very fabric of my being. It doesn’t feel invasive. It’s invigorating.
A shiver works its way down my spine, finding its way to my legs and kick-starting my muscles back to life. My feet lead me forward, taking me to the cover of the trees. I run as fast as my legs will carry me, beyond those brave enough to have already begun to hide. I know if I want to escape this, I need to go farther, as deep into the forest as I can. This isn’t a game. This is survival. It’s claiming my freedom.
My sides burn, lungs feeling like they’re ready to collapse. It’s only then that I stop, placing my hands over my knees while I try to catch my breath.
It is silent here. Just my own thudding heartbeat.
The forest is beautiful. So green.
I step forward, looking for a place to hide, then freeze when I hear the snapping of a stick. Deadly quiet follows the sound, making me think it was in my head. Still, I wait another minute before advancing again.
A body drops down in front of me then, landing gracefully from somewhere above.
“Found you,” Rhenn purrs.
I know I should run. The goal was for him not to catch me. But the thought of him climbing these big ass trees to hide out on the branches is hilarious to me, and I start laughing.
At first, he looks confused. The hunter soon leaves his face, every feature softening.
“How did you find me so fast?”
Rhenn steps closer. “I will always find you, Vixen.” It’s not a threat. It’s a promise. And in this moment, I wish so desperately he keeps it.
To my back rests a steep wall of bark. To my front, him. His thumb brushes along my lips, moving down to the line of my jaw. “Little stray, little stray,” Rhenn hums, the tone so familiar. “If she was smart…”
She would run away.
I do exactly that, letting my feet pull me around him and out of his reach. Rhenn doesn’t try to stop me. He lets me go. Deeper and deeper into the dense wood.
The wind whips through my hair, brushing wildly against my cheeks. The pattering in my chest races, matching rhythm with each knock of the woodpecker ahead.
Finding myself out of breath for the second time, I pause, staring up at the most beautiful willow tree I’ve ever seen. Its branches hang low, capturing flecks of light through the swaying limbs in a way that has its shadows dancing at its base.
“Come out, come out, Vixen,” Rhenn calls, closer than I’d expected. The forest is too closed off, or maybe it’s too open. His voice sounds like it’s coming from all directions. I have no idea where to look, which way to escape.
The air is warm and sweet. It’s almost as if I can already feel him, like he’s already watching me.
“Such a pretty little stray.” The words seem to echo through the trees, circling all around me. “Are there any regrets buried behind those tempting eyes?”
There might be, if I could think straight. He’s making it impossible. I’m lost, searching high and low, wanting so badly to find him before he finds me.
Rhenn doesn’t wait for me to answer, the deep baritone of his voice filling the air again. “My life is built on them, and they almost all revolve around you.”
“Me?” I ask, whirling to look behind me, then back again. “What have I done?”
There’s a low tsk. It plays on repeat at the back of my ears. “It’s not only what you’ve done. It’s what you’re doing. Right now. In this very moment.”
“I’m not—”
“You are,” Rhenn interjects, so very near. “Just by breathing. You’re a disaster. A whirlwind of colorful destruction.” He’s there, right behind me, the warmth of his mouth cascading down my neck. “You, Vix, are my exact brand of crazy, and nothing makes me feel more unhinged.”
Turning, my palms find their way to his chest. I’m telling myself it’s so I can push him away, when really, it’s so I can feel him.
