Page 21 of Run Little Fawn

I stare down at her, my body thrumming with a primal hunger that threatens to consume me. She's so soft beneath me, so delicate and breakable. It would be so easy to take what I want, to claim her right here on the forest floor like the beast I am.

My hand trails down her side, fingers skimming over the curve of her body. She inhales sharply, her body going rigid beneath my touch. I can feel the heat of her through the thin fabric of her shirt, the pounding of her heart like a frightened rabbit's.

Part of me wants to rip her clothes away, to bury myself inside her until she screams my name. To mark her, inside and out, until there's no doubt in either of our minds who she belongs to.

But something holds me back, a flicker of hesitation that feels foreign and unsettling. I tell myself it's not because I'm not cut out for this, that the thrill of the hunt hasn't faded. I've killed before, felt the hot spray of blood on my face and reveled in the rush of power that comes with snuffing out a life.

But this... this is different. When I finally take her, I want her to enjoy it. I want to see the moment when fear turns to pleasure, when she surrenders herself to me completely.

I want to break her, yes. But not here. Not like this.

Not yet.

Slowly, reluctantly, I ease my weight off her, rolling to my feet in one fluid motion. She scrambles away from me, her eyes wide and wary as she watches me from the other side of the clearing.

"The first hunt is over, little fawn," I say, my voice deceptively calm. "And you lost."

She swallows hard, her fingers curling into the dirt beneath her. "What... what happens now?" she asks, her voice trembling.

I let my gaze travel over her, taking in the dirt smudged on her cheek, the leaves tangled in her hair. She looks wild, untamed. Like a creature of the forest herself.

"Now?" I say, a slow smile spreading across my face. "Now the real game begins."

I take a step toward her, and she flinches back, scrambling to her feet. But I don't pursue her, not yet. Instead, I lean against a nearby tree, crossing my arms over my chest as I watch her.

"You know, you really should make this more enjoyable for me next time," I drawl, my tone taunting. "Put up a bit more of a fight. Make me work for it."

Her brow furrows in confusion, her lips parting as if to speak. But I don't give her the chance. I push off the tree, turning my back on her as I start to walk away.

"Until next time, little fawn," I call over my shoulder, my voice echoing through the trees.

I can feel her eyes on me as I stride away, boring into my back like twin brands. But I don't look back, even as every instinct in my body screams at me to turn around, to finish what I started.

No, I'll let her go for now. Let her lick her wounds and gather her strength. Because the next time I catch her—and I will catch her—I won't be holding back.

The thought sends a shiver of anticipation down my spine, my blood heating with the promise of the hunt to come. She may have escaped me this time, but she won't be so lucky again.

I am the Hunter, after all.

And she is my prey.

Mine to chase and capture and claim as I see fit.

I can hardly wait.

Chapter Eleven

THE FAWN

I stand there in the clearing, my heart pounding and my legs shaking, staring at the spot where Lucian disappeared into the trees. I can still feel the weight of his body pressing me into the ground, the brutal grip of his hands on my wrists, the hot rush of his breath against my skin.

What the hell just happened?

One minute, he had me pinned beneath him, his eyes glittering with a dark, feral hunger that made my blood run cold. I was sure he was going to take what he wanted, to claim his prize and shatter me into a million jagged pieces.

But he didn't. He just let me go, melting back into the shadows like a ghost, leaving me confused and trembling in his wake.

I don't understand. Is this part of his game, some twisted mind fuck designed to throw me off balance? To make me doubt myself, doubt everything I thought I knew about this sick, twisted hunt?

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