Page 36 of Heir of Darkness

“Go.”

And just like that she was off, fleeing like a lamb trying to escape a wolf. All she could think about was the one thing he had told her before: He never loses.

FIFTEEN

LUNA

The heartbeatin her ears thumped loudly, drowning out all other noise in the forest. Her legs burned and ached, but she kept running because she had no idea where he was. With how long his legs were, he would have no problem reaching her. If she wanted any chance at winning, she had to push herself.

In the dense forest, the moon’s light was limited. Sticks and leaves scraped against the bottom of her feet, while she held her hands out in front of her as a second line of defense against the trees. She barely avoided colliding with them multiple times, her hands taking most of the abuse.

Despite her fear, her adrenaline was at an all-time high. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever felt so alive, let alone on a night as awful as this one.

Running for her life was proving to be a perfect distraction for everything that was going on a couple hundred feet away. And she needed it. Especially after what she had contemplated moments before Valerio showed up.

“Where are you, my little moon?” he called out through the forest. Panic rose inside of her. She couldn’t tell which direction his voice was coming from, the echo jumping from side to side.

She forced herself to move quicker, only to find herself running directly into a clearing. The trees were positioned in a circle, creating a fence around her. She was completely exposed, while anything hiding in the forest line would be able to watch her without her knowledge. A single large boulder sat in the center of the clearing and that was it. The strange setup felt odd, but it didn’t matter when his voice called again, this time so much closer than before. Luna stopped for a second, trying to decide on a direction to take.

A branch cracked from somewhere in the tree line. She ran behind the boulder, holding her hand against her mouth to quiet her breathing. It was silent, too silent. Luna stepped around the boulder, trying to look out into the area she had just come from to see if he was there or not. She saw no one.

Her shoulders dropped. She released a breath of relief. She could make a run into the forest again, going until she got up to the main road. She turned back around.

Two hands pushed her against the rock, locking her in place. Luna gasped. Valerio had found her.

His eyes were wild, his breaths harsh.

“I found you,” he growled, pressing against hers.

“What now?” she asked. She had to have looked as wild as he did. She waited in anticipation for his answer, her skin itching for the scratch only he could provide.

She should have pushed against him, fought him, told him he needed to get her out of the country even though they had made a deal. But she did none of it. Maybe he would have helped her too if she pleaded with him. She could have blamed it on her confused state of mind, on how hopeless life seemed just a few moments ago and now it seemed hopeful again, or even on the adrenaline coursing through her body.

But there were no excuses for the way she felt now around him: protected and safe. His presence felt so familiar, so goodto be in again, she almost felt guilty allowing herself to relish in it when she had only pushed him away. For the past couple of weeks, all she had felt was unsafe and in danger. Now, it was the opposite, and it was thanks to him. And maybe it was always his presence in her life all these years that kept the lingering protection there. The moment he was gone, so was everything else.

The overwhelming sense of longing filled her. She hadn’t even realized that she missed him until he showed up once again unannounced in her life. Maybe that was the real reason she didn’t fight him.

“Now,” he said, drawing it out. He traced the skin of her neck, feeling the quick pulse under her skin. “You’re mine.”

And then his lips were on hers. One hand found its way into her hair, pulling on it so he could have more access. Luna melted in his hold, trying to keep up with his kiss. It was violent, angry, but exactly what she needed.

He grasped her neck like a necklace warming her skin. He grabbed it firmly before he let go of it again, but it was enough for Luna to feel the dampening in her underwear. His lips replaced his hand, biting and sucking on the soft skin, leaving bruises in its wake. Luna wasn’t sure she would be able to cover them up. She lifted her leg, wrapping it around his waist while he grinded against her.

His free hand yanked the straps of the dress down her shoulders, exposing her nipples to the now freezing night air. Valerio stared at them, looking up at Luna who looked at him with wide eyes. The eye contact didn’t last long; a moment later he pressed a kiss against her left breast, wrapping his mouth around the nipple.

“Absolutely perfect,” he told her, before digging back in.

Moans slipped out. He paid attention to the other nipple, pulling and squeezing, mixing pleasure with a little bit of pain.He played with her as much as he wanted, as if he were entitled to it, as if her body was his.

Luna wrapped her hands into the back of his hair, pushing his head into her chest.

He fell to his knees, trailing his hands along the smooth skin of her thighs. She looked down at him this time, feeling overly powerful having someone like Valerio on his knees for her. “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

“I want a taste of my fiancée.”

“We’re in the middle of the woods,” she said. She attempted to close her legs, but his hands held her open.

His boyish grin sent her mad—teasing her, making her wish he would put that mouth to good use instead. “This wasn’t where I imagined I would eat your pussy for the first time, but no time better than now.”

---