Page 20 of Run Little Fawn

But what she doesn't realize is that there's nowhere she can go that I won't find her. No hiding place so remote or clever that I won't sniff her out like the predator I am.

I take the next exit, my heart beating faster as I navigate the winding roads leading to the rest stop. It's a small, unremarkable place, the kind of anonymous waypoint that dots the landscape like freckles. The perfect spot for a weary traveler to rest her head... or for a hunter to corner his prey.

I pull into the parking lot, my eyes scanning the handful of cars scattered across the cracked asphalt. And there, tucked away in the far corner, is a familiar rust-bucket of a truck, its faded blue paint gleaming dully in the sunlight.

Bingo.

I ease my car into a spot a few spaces down, killing the engine as I sit back and wait. My senses are on high alert, every nerve ending singing with anticipation as I watch the truck for any sign of movement.

Minutes tick by, the silence broken only by the distant hum of traffic on the highway. And then, just as I'm starting to wonder if I've miscalculated, I see a glimpse of chestnut hair coming out of the main shop at the rest stop.

Even from this distance, I can tell it's her. The way she moves, all coiled tension and wary grace, is as unique to her as a fingerprint. She's shed the cap and leather jacket from earlier, her wavy hair spilling down her back in a tangled waves.

She looks exhausted, her shoulders slumped and her steps heavy as she makes her way toward the restroom building. But there's a determined set to her jaw, a steely glint in her eye that tells me she's far from broken.

Not yet, anyway.

I wait until she disappears inside before I make my move, unfolding myself from the car with predatory grace. I take my time crossing the parking lot, my steps measured and unhurried as I savor the delicious tension building in my gut.

Oh, my sweet little fawn. If you only knew what awaits you on the other side of that door. The games we'll play, the secrets we'll unravel... the screams I'll wring from that pretty throat before I'm through.

I pause outside the restroom, listening intently for any sound within. But there's only silence, a thick, heavy quiet that presses down on me like a physical weight.

Slowly, carefully, I ease the door open, slipping inside the dimly lit space beyond. The air is thick with the sour stench of urine and industrial cleaner, the fluorescent lights overhead flickering and buzzing like angry wasps.

I move deeper into the room, my eyes scanning the row of battered stall doors for any sign of her.

And then I see it. The door on the far side of the restroom, slightly ajar. A slow smile spreads across my face as I realize what she's done. Clever girl, slipping out the back while I was busy playing cat and mouse out front.

But not clever enough.

I push through the door, blinking against the sudden brightness of the afternoon sun. The woods stretch out before me, a sea of green and brown that seems to go on forever. And there, just at the edge of the tree line, is a flash of golden brown hair disappearing into the shadows.

My heart kicks into overdrive, adrenaline surging through my veins like liquid fire. This is what I live for, this primal thrill of the chase, the heady rush of knowing my prey is just within reach.

I take off after her, my long legs eating up the ground as I plunge into the forest. The undergrowth is thick and tangled, branches snagging at my clothes and scraping against my skin. But I barely feel it, my focus narrowed to a single point—the glimpses of sun dappled hair and pale skin flitting through the trees ahead of me.

She's fast, I'll give her that. But I'm faster, my body honed by years of training. I can hear her labored breathing, the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath her feet as she tries to outpace me.

But it's only a matter of time before I catch her. We both know it, deep down in the marrow of our bones. This is the inevitable conclusion to our little game, the moment when predator finally claims prey.

I put on a burst of speed, my muscles burning with the effort. And then, just as she breaks through into a small clearing, I'm on her. I tackle her to the ground, my body slamming into hers with bruising force.

We tumble to the forest floor in a tangle of limbs, her small body struggling beneath mine. But I'm too strong, too determined to let her slip away again. I pin her wrists above her head, my fingers digging into her soft skin as I straddle her hips.

She stares up at me, chest heaving, those green eyes wide and wild with fear. But there's something else there too, a flicker of defiance that sends a thrill racing down my spine.

"Got you," I murmur, my voice low and rough with victory and exertion.

She twists beneath me, trying to buck me off. But I just tighten my grip, leaning down until our faces are mere inches apart.

"Did you really think you could outrun me?" I breathe, my lips brushing against the shell of her ear. "Did you really think you could escape the wolf?"

She shudders beneath me, a choked sob escaping her throat. "Please," she whispers, her voice breaking on the word. "Please don't hurt me."

I chuckle darkly, nuzzling against the soft skin of her neck. She smells like sweat and fear and something uniquely her, a scent that makes my mouth water and my pulse race.

"Oh, my sweet little fawn," I murmur, trailing my lips along the column of her throat. "I'm not going to hurt you yet. Where would be the fun in that? We're just getting started."

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