Page 35 of Courting the Tiger King

It was a perfect night. The rainfall earlier in the week had ensured favourable conditions for running amid the trees. Fresh earth and magic permeated the air in a heady scent that made Wren’s heart thump harder. Every hunt was unique, both in the people who attended and what transpired. Some would run, either in human or animal form, some would claim a prospective mate, and some would kill the small critters that called the forest home.

Gabe and Skye stood at his side, as was their personal tradition, and the others who’d been invited to attend the king’s hunt were either fanned out along the forest’s perimeter or were already among the trees. He hadn’t seen Neah and Zennon arrive, but he knew Neah was out there. Could feel it somehow, like a tingle across his skin that increased the brighter the moon became until the forest was washed with golden shadows and he felt like he might burst out of his skin at any moment.

The moon reached its apex and, wordlessly, Wren shifted as Gabe did the same from his place at Wren’s side. Magic rose in the air, thick and heady, and the thud of his paws hitting the ground sent sparks of feeling out from under him, rising up through his body until his head lifted to taste the night air and he released the snarl building in his chest.

The hunt had begun.

Miles of forest stretched out from the palace, surrounding the outskirts of the nearby town, and spanning the length of his kingdom. The dirt beneath him felt good,right, as he prowled forward and raked his claws across the tree closest to him, marking his territory.

Footfalls and soft breaths sounded in the vicinity of the tree cover and Wren paused, sinking down low and retreating into the shadows to watch the passerby.

Not her.

Disinterested, he stalked out from the underbrush and ignored the gasp of fear the human woman let out as he passed. His gait quickened, a scent from ahead catching his attention—sweet but earthy, honey mixed with the damp rain.

Was Neah hiding from him? The idea was amusing and he huffed out a laugh as his gait lengthened. The moonlight was his only guidance as he wove through the trees, the sound of breathless laughter and the grunting of an ongoing tussle mere blips that he tuned out in favour of the heartbeat up ahead.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The world narrowed down to that sound. A sharp breath, a muttered curse, and then footsteps. Fleeing.

Was she… running from him? Claws dug into the earth as Wren pushed himself to follow, to meet her stride for stride.

Neah.

As if she could hear him, her heart sped up and her breath hitched and his body vibrated with tension as her scent thickened. The sweet smell of honey grew stronger and Wren let his tongue taste the air, a growl vibrating in his chest. She was enjoying this.

So she liked to be chased. But would she like to be caught?

Her speed was impressive, but she was on two legs and not four despite the influence of the moon. It was a mystery they could look into later. For now, he was closing in.

As if she could tell he was growing closer, a burst of speed impressed him. Had she been holding back? He could just make out her form up ahead, the white silk of her jacket and trousers a ceremonial but impractical choice for running through the forest and the colour a beacon drawing him in.

Neah’s arms pumped at her side, the flash of her pale hands a blur as she ran, trying to increase her speed. It was an impressive feat, she was truly a worthy opponent, and maybe if she’d shifted she might have escaped.

But as it was…

Wren leapt, his paws hitting her back as he rolled so she was above him, taking the brunt of the impact with the leaves on the floor. If he’d been expecting that to be the end of the hunt, however, he was sorely mistaken.

A leg slipped between his haunches and before he could understand what was happening he was airborne. Laughter followed Neah’s retreating back as Wren shook himself, dizzy from the flip.

No matter,he reasoned. He could just catch her again, and again, until she was beneath him and begging.

Mud sprayed as his claws dug deep into the ground, pushing off with enough force to grant him a leap of distance as he pounded after her. She was fast, but he was faster, something she had worked out, because now Neah used the trees to increase her speed, rebounding from trunk to trunk with strength that awed him. He almost didn’t want to catch her, to interrupt the display of acrobatics she was putting on.

Almost.

This time, when he leapt for her he didn’t hold back. They collided in mid-air and he shifted simultaneously so that his claws and fangs would'n’t catch on her delicate human skin. Leaves shook as they collapsed to the forest floor and this time when she swung for him, he was ready.

She was panting, her wrists caught in his grip as he flattened her arms above her head, his body pinning her down carefully. Heat burned in her eyes, arousal pinking her cheeks, tightening her nipples through the silky, now-ripped, shirt. Even if he couldn’t see the evidence of her desire, he could smell it.

“Do you concede?” The words held more than a trace of a growl and his finger elongated into claws as he held her wrists with one hand and trailed the sharp point of the other lightly down her face, across her throat, down her chest. He pressedmore firmly, groaning when the fabric split cleanly under his sharp claw and revealed the pearlescent brightness of her skin beneath.

She wiggled under him, her hips pushing up in an attempt to throw him off that only teased the both of them, her hitched breath telling him she realised her mistake when his eyes shut momentarily to regain control.

His claw nicked the soft skin, a small bead of blood rising to the surface there, and his fingers returned to their normal state immediately as he looked at her, apologetic. But Neah was unfazed, defiance marking the tilt of her chin, like she was daring him to take her right there.

He chuckled at the look and leaned slowly closer, enjoying the way her eyes dropped to his mouth and the warmth that poured out of her as she became pliant under him. Wren closed the distance, holding back a hairsbreadth away from her lips and instead positioning his mouth by her ear. “Do you concede,caritas?”

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