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I covered a yawn with the back of my hand, the last dregs of period exhaustion suddenly weighing on my eyelids as I snuggled deeper into the reading nook and pulled the blanket covering me up to my chin. Perhaps I’ll take a nap, then I’ll order a late dinner.
I bolted upright, heart beating violently in my chest. Unsure what woke me, disorientation set in and panic swelled inside me.
Something’s wrong.
As if the thought aimed to set the mood, a rumbling string of thunderclaps erupted, and I yelped. Blindly, I reached for the nightstand, fumbling for my glasses and accidentally grabbing them by a lens, however, I had bigger concerns than the fingerprint smudge that would undoubtedly piss me off later.
Wait…nightstand? I don’t remember coming to bed.
A crack split the air, followed by another bone deep boom of thunder so intense it vibrated the mattress beneath me and brilliant white light lit up my bedroom. “Jesus motherfuck,” I blurted, throwing a hand to my chest, then pulled on the bedside lamp’s cord. My heart squeezed as the smothering darkness remained. Shit, the power’s out.
I rolled out of bed and hurried to the living room where I remembered seeing a candelabra displayed on a floating shelf over the desk, bouncing off door jambs and walls, not to mention stubbing my toes on rouge furniture as I went. Lightning cracked before another violent boom of thunder rattled the windowpanes, still, I was grateful for the brief illumination, even if the sheer brightness of the strike branded itself onto my retinas. I plucked one of the tall candle sticks from its holder, then slid open the convenient little drawer built into the shelf and extracted a box of matches.
Lit candle in hand, my pulse skyrocketed as I reached a shaking hand toward the crisply folded piece of paper right where Bane usually left me surprise morning treats on my coffee table.
“Get a hold of yourself Miko,” I grumbled under my breath, the paper shaking in my grasp.
I carefully set the burning candle in a nearly empty glass candle jar and wax dripped onto the wooden surface beneath. Blowing out a breath, I opened the note, immediately recognizing Bane’s handwriting, the ruins he wrote cramped and messy as if written with a hasty hand.
Nerves clogged my throat as I translated the message.
Come play with me, Honeybee.
Use the secret entrance and meet me in the library.
My lips curved down. He should know I’m much too interested in preserving my life than to willfully follow a demand like that. Screw that shit.
Thunder vibrated the floor, tickling my bare feet as I sped to the door, hand already reaching to twist the knob, but something caught my eye, halting my progress. My eyes narrowed on a folded note identical to the first taped over the peephole.
If you choose to run from me, Lass, know this- I'm not responsible for what happens next.
Goosebumps erupted all over my skin despite the damp heat gathering in my apartment without the AC to battle it. I shoved the note in my pocket, deliberating for only a second before grabbing the skeleton key out of the dish by the door, then hastily exiting.
My impulsive bravery faded slightly with the next streak of lightning, but I would not be deterred. “Go fuck yourself, Grotesque.” I closed and locked the apartment, swearing I heard the ghost of deep laughter issuing from inside, then sprinted into the rain, all too aware I didn’t have a plan.
Where the fuck was I running to anyway? Maybe it would have been more intelligent to stay indoors and not dare fate to strike me with lightning.
Though, deep down, I knew why I was running—I wanted Bane to chase me. The hair on the back of my neck prickled, but I refused to look behind me like some damsel in a B-grade slasher movie.
“Oh, Honeybee,” a sing song voice rang through the storm, skittering along my spine.
I couldn't tell which way it was coming from, and for some sick reason it made arousal flood my bloodstream right along with the adrenaline pumping through me. I sprinted under a mammoth tree, its branches laden with healthy, leaves, the layers so thick I only felt the occasional drop of rain. My hand gripped my knees as I panted, clothes sodden and clinging to me.
What’s wrong with me? Everyone knows you don't go anywhere near a tree during a thunderstorm. I only raised my chances of electrocution.
I made to step out from beneath the cover of branches when lightning illuminated something in my peripheral, but between the rain and the quickness of the strike I couldn't make out what it was. My pulse thundered in my ears as that ache near my heart alerted me all the same.
How did he find me already? Is it even worth running at all?
I spent too long debating my options, another fresh crack of lightning lit up the sky in a hazy purplish-white and I screamed. Not two feet in front of me stood Bane. Swallowing thickly, my eyes drug over his bare chest to the warrior helmet covering most of his face.
My knees quaked as I stepped back and he loomed over me. I pressed my thighs together, my pussy clamping around nothing but air. Terror insisted I flee but it wasn't always the best decision to run from a predator. Bane didn't say anything, but a growl rumbled from his chest, the foreboding sound cutting through the shush of raindrops pinging off the tree canopy. His helmeted head tilted to the side as he stood there, watching me unravel.
“Maybe you should've heeded my warning. Now you've gotten me too excited to be gentle.” He leaned closer, blocking out everything but himself. “Be a good lass and run. Let’s see how far those sexy little legs of yours can get before I catch you.”
CHAPTER 25
Primal Instincts
