Page 134 of Flirting with Darkness

No greenery here, only dirt and shade. Yipping cries bounced off the rock, sounding like they were coming from everywhere at once, but this place would also echo my steps and heaving breaths, making me harder to track. It was my best chance.

If these monsters killed me, Ari really would be on her own.

There were no more yelps of pain. Maybe that shape had just been a bigger member of the pack and it was all part of their brutal game to tear each other apart in order to be the first to reach me.

“Come play with us.” The call echoed from all directions. “We promise not to be gentle.”

Fuck you.Left, right, ahead, I moved as quickly as I could through the tight passages. Gods knew if I was heading north, south, east, or west—even the narrow glimpse of cloud-veiled sky above was no help.

It didn’t matter what way I went, as long as I got away from—

Something clamped over my mouth.

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CAPTURED

I’d barely registered it was a hand when a thick arm fastened around my waist and the ground wasn’t under my feet anymore. Something—someonewhirled me through the air into the narrow gap between two rocks.

My heart thundered. They’d caught me. Fuck. Fuck.

And this one was huge, his chest against my back solid like the granite around us. The muscular arm around my waist held me off the floor as though I weighed nothing. If I’d known who he was, if this had been another day and different circumstances, I might’ve enjoyed being pressed against someone with a body like his.

But he was a werewolf who wanted nothing more than to “play” with me.

I went rigid, muscles burning, groaning as I tried to free myself—or at least my right hand. If I could land a slash, it would burn the fae bastard.

But his grip was as hard as my iron blade.

Kicking backwards, I bellowed against the rough, salty skin and a mouthful of my own hair, but barely a squeak escaped. My heels connected with something, but the form at my back didn’t even grunt.

Instead, he squeezed my forearm and my fingers twitched. The knife clanged to the floor.

I was dead.

A scrape of metal on stone, like he’d kicked the blade away.

I was really fucking dead.

Thrashing, I screamed into his palm. I tried to bite, but he curled his hand, keeping his flesh from my teeth.

“Shut up, unless you want them to hear you.” A soft, growling voice hot in my ear, rumbling against my spine.

I huffed through my nose, breathless.Them? That meant he wasn’t one of the wolfmen—or at least wanted me to think he wasn’t. Still, he’d grabbed me and I had no idea who the hells he was or what he wanted. And this was Elfhame—he was fae. They werealldangerous. I’d been stupid to think a bit of iron was enough to keep me safe.

But I couldn’t let Ari down. I couldn’t—

“Are you going to keep quiet or do I need to keep this here?” His fingers flexed, making his nails dig into my cheek.

If I was going to save Ari, I needed to survive and get out of this—this… whatever it was.Messdidn’t seem a strong enough word. Playing along might win me time and a chance to escape. I sagged in his hold as if defeated and nodded.

“Good.”

The hand fell away, and I gulped down greedy breaths, tossing my head to get the hair out of my mouth. I caught a glimpse of his arm—not furry like the werewolves’.

But in that case whatwashe? Something else… somethingworse?

And was that dark, wet mark on his sleeve blood?

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