Page 100 of Bonded Chaos

The true hunt had begun.

Chapter Forty

Cadence

The forest was conspiring against me.

Twisted branches reached out to me like claws trying to hinder my escape, and the damp ground made each step unsteady. But I didn’t stop running. I pumped my arms as hard as I could,ignoring the way my breathing grew ragged with each passing second.

I could hear Ryker closing the distance between us. His footfalls were deliberate and unhurried, a predator savoring the chase.

My heart hammered away inside my chest, the wild beat of terror mixing with something much more dangerous.

Exhilaration.

The thrill of the hunt made me feel more alive than I’d ever felt before, and even though my mind screamed at me to flee, my body was telling a very different story.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby, and I quickened my pace as I wove between the trees. My hand brushed against the rough bark, and I almost stumbled as a root ensnared my foot for the second time that night.

“The faster you run, the more I crave catching you, Cadence,” Ryker called, his voice thick with unmistakable hunger.

A tremor raced down my spine, and I didn’t know if I was more afraid that he would catch me… or that he wouldn’t.

“And when I do, I am going to punish you for your disobedience.”

Thorns snagged at my dress, but I tore myself free, not willing to let him claim victory so easily. Shadows stalked my every move, drawing nearer and snaking around me as they gently caressed my skin.

I felt him before I saw him. My skin prickled, and my blood heated, sensing his gaze in the darkness.

A large hand encircled my waist while the other pressed against my mouth. I tried to scream, to fight him off, but Ryker was as immovable as stone.

His warm breath fanned against my neck as he pulled me against his taut chest.

“Caught you.”

Ryker’s words were little more than a whisper, but they were edged with menace.

My pulse raced, and I trembled in his arms. The dark forest seemed to close in around us, and I felt trapped, unable to break his hold on me.

I felt like prey.

Without warning, Ryker threw me to the ground, and I barely had time to brace my fall. Before I could regain my footing, the weight of his body pressed into mine, his larger frame caging me in as he rubbed his hard length against my ass.

“Do you feel that, Cadence?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “That’s what hunting you down like a fucking animal does to me.”

My breathing hitched, and to my horror, I realized I was pushing against him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

Ryker chuckled darkly.

“I knew there was a wanton whore beneath your self-righteous indignation,” he mocked.

“Are you going to talk all night, or are you going to fuck me, Ryker?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You want to feel my cock tearing into your cunt and forcing you to come because you’re unable to deny the pleasure I rip from you.”

I swallowed roughly. I did want that, but I’d take my last breath before I ever gave him the satisfaction of hearing me say the words.

“Answer me, Cadence!”

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