Page 9 of Delectable Soul

“You feel so tight around me, sofeckinggood,” he groans, his deep voice penetrating me to my basest level. He switches to long, deep thrusts that hit me just right. “I was already becoming addicted to you, but now I’m obsessed. I’ll never be able to let you go.”

His words don’t make sense to me, but I barely care. I scream as my climax hits me like a truck and I lose my balance, my forearms and face falling onto the blanket.

“Wild One, I bet your screams will sound even better when I chase you through the woods,” Hunter rasps as he releases inside me.

My heart skips a beat as I mentally replay what he said. Wild One?Wild One.I look over my shoulder, and my breath escapes me. A pale, angular face wrapped in shadow with glowing red eyes stares at me, grinning like a lunatic. His human form is gone, replaced by the monster from my dreams. His entire body is covered in swirling shadows. The masculine hands that left bruises on my hips have been replaced by sharp claws that cut into my skin. A massive creature kneels behind me where Hunter knelt. I freeze, unable to move as realization dawns on me.

The old folk called Sluaghs “The Hunt”, because they’re always on the hunt for souls.Hunter…The Hunt…Hunter is a Sluagh. He’s been hunting me in a human form, reeling me in like a fish on a line so he could feast from my pain and claim my soul. He wraps his arms around me, and an icy coldness seeps into my skin, killing the warmth I felt moments ago. His maniacal laughter brings tears to my eyes because I’m caught. He already has me in his grasp.

“Don’t cry, Wild One. I’m not done with you yet.” His words sound full of promise as he pulls out of me, and I feel a gush of wetness trickle down my leg and am reminded of the bliss he gave me.

How could the monster from my nightmare make me feel so alive? So cherished? How could a being so callous and cold bring me so much pleasure and make my body feel like it’s been reborn?

I’m ripped from my internal musing by the feeling of a cold talon dragging against my nipple. He sits on his heels and turns me around, so I’m in his lap. His tongue invades my mouth, stroking my own. Before I can even think, my mind is flooded with an unexplainable, twisted desire that scares me. I grab his shoulders, pulling him closer to me and grinding myself into him. His entire body is cold and as hard as stone. I’m a deadly mixture of desperate desire, an insatiable need, and a frantic fear that has me acting insane. His hand wraps around my throat and squeezes so hard that I can’t breathe.

“I thought you’d be my scared, broken little girl, but it turns out you’re my greedy little woodland whore. You’re already desperate for more and we just finished.” As the lack of oxygen permeates my brain, all the desire I felt before gives way to a crippling fear. “Mmm, there it is, that mouth-watering fear I’ve become addicted to. Make no mistake, I’m going to claim and consume your soul. You’re mine.”

He releases my throat, and my fight or flight instinct kicks in. I shoot up and swipe my coat from the ground, hastily putting it on as I dart into the trees. Every step between us increases my chances of survival. I need to run as fast and as far as I can.

My heart hammers within my chest, and I feel dizzy from a lack of oxygen. My feet are cut and scratched by the twigs and crunchy leaves that litter the forest floor. Nighttime descends, and I can’t see too far ahead of me. I push myself to weave faster, farther through the maze of trees. The entire woods is silent, absent of the bugs and creatures that roam its grounds. I dare to turn my head, fearful to see him right on my tail, but I don’t see him anywhere. I stop to catch my breath and figure out where I am. None of these trees look familiar, and I’m far off the beaten path I usually travel. I slowly turn in a circle, trying to somehow determine north, until I hear a loud buffeting noise tearing throughout the eerie quiet.

I peer up into the sky and see feathered black wings carrying an inhuman form.He’s tracking me from the sky.I break into a run again, wincing as my foot hits a sharp rock, and I fall to the ground. Blood soaks the sole of my foot, and I cry out in pain. He hovers above me in the sky, circling me like a vulture and toying with me.Is this how it ends?I’m going to die in the woods Granda told me not to get caught in at night by a creature I swore up and down didn’t exist.

The Sluagh lands in a kneel on the floor, like a dark avenger of the night. His smirk is firmly in place and he rises, walking toward me like a morbid angel as he retracts his wings behind his back.

Giving up so soon?His voice rings loud inside my mind.You’re pathetic for someone whose name translates to Wild One. I thought you’d put up more of a fight. I wanted to hunt you down before I claimed you.

He stops next to me and lifts my foot, swiping his claw through the blood. Popping the talon in his mouth, his sick and depraved groan echoes in my head. His entire body is muscle encased in opal skin, glittering the dark. I can’t tear my eyes away from him. He equally scares and arouses me, and I feel so fecked up over it all. His deep, rasping inhale breaks the spell that’s come over me, and I realize how close he is.

Christ, I’m about to end your life and you’re trying to figure out if I scare you or turn you on. You’re a fecked bird with zero self preservation, aren’t you? I’m going to have so much fun claiming you and tearing your soul shred by fecking shred from your body before I consume every last bit.

Something snaps inside me, and I scramble up again. He’s right–I’m pathetic, a scared deer waiting for the wolf to rip it apart. I refuse to lay down like a sacrifice for a reject-faerie that took advantage of me and tricked me into the woods for a primal playdate.Feck that, I’m fighting.I start to run again, pushing myself deeper and deeper into the woods.

His voice clatters in my mind, its evil edge slowing me down.You cannot outrun me, Wild One. I’ve felt the hopelessness of your heart, the agony of your soul. You are mine.

The Hunt

My words spur her on, carrying her deeper into the trees until she thinks she’s gained a distance on me. Little does she know, I’m lurking right behind her, waiting for her to realize that no matter how fast or far she runs, I’m The Hunt…The Bringer of Death. I willalwaysfind her. She’s just delaying the inevitable and ramping up my all-consuming desire for her by running. She’s playing with a predator who will never let her walk away. Her fate is sealed.

I start to run, eager to catch my prey and finally claim what’s mine. Her desecrated soul calls to me in a way no other has for centuries.I need to have it.Closing the distance between us, I unleash an icy cold breath on her neck, making her turn her head. I catch her by surprise, causing her to trip again. She lands on her hands and knees, reminding me of the carnal moment we shared in the woods earlier. Her body felt amazing, but her fear when she realized who I really am—who was really making her come—that made me feel a special kind of high I’d only feel once in my immortal lifetime. I could gorge myself on her fear and despair for the rest of my days and never be satisfied.

She tries to crawl away, but I put my foot between her shoulder blades, pushing her into the dirt so she can’t escape. I crouch to the ground, flipping her over so she is forced to look at the monster who finally caught her. I tear off her coat, exposing a sensual combination of soft curves, round hips, and ample breasts. Her pale skin reflects the moonlight, and my mouth waters. Images of me defiling her body, making her scream my name–my real name–so loudly she loses her voice come unbidden to my mind, but I shake them off. I want to focus on this, enjoy it. There’s nothing like ripping a human soul from its vessel. The screams of pure agony, the crying, begging, and indescribable pain. It sustains me for days, sometimes even weeks.

Her tear-filled eyes peer up at me under dark lashes and her entire body shakes. Her horror is so pungent that it’s opaque—I can see it swirling in the air, cloaking her. I’ve never found such a perfect, beautiful specimen to feast upon. I’m not sure if I can let her go by simply ripping her soul out. I can keep her forever, make her my personal toy. The thought of destroying her and claiming her mortal soul doesn’t fulfill me the way it usually has with past conquests. I never want to let her go. There’s only one thing I can do to get what I crave without killing her.

I grab her hair and rise, pulling her up to stand. Her lips quiver, and she averts her eyes to the ground. I use a claw to tip her chin up to meet my gaze, and it punctures the skin, letting a trickle of blood fall down her neck. I lick it, tasting her blood again, and my cock hardens. She whimpers, and the sound is music to my ears. Seems I’m addicted to everything about this lost little girl.

Her wide eyes take in my calculating expression and her panic hits my nostrils like a bullet.That’s right, give me all your fear, everything you have.

I can feel your soul, Wild One. It’s full of suffering, despair, and fear. It pains you to carry such sorrow everyday.

She cries, her tears falling down her face and rolling into the dirt below us. She nods, and I hear her small, breathless voice.

“Yes, I miss Daire every day and I keep thinking it will get easier, but it never does. My mind is breaking just like my heart has and I have no idea who I am anymore.” A hint of jealousy hits me at the mention of her late husband, but I brush it aside. She’ll be mine soon enough.

How would you feel if I could take away all your pain?On Samhain, anything is possible. The veil is translucent, allowing all kinds of creatures and energies to pass between the human world and what lies beyond.

She sighs, and breathes in deeply. Her silence stretches and I almost ask her again before she speaks.

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