Page 96 of Stalk the Dark
Ordell’s spine curved, his arms elongating with painful cracks and pops. He screamed and bellowed, eyes rolling.
“Orina…Run!”
I broke away from the entrance and ran down the tunnel, into the moonlight and out into the night.
Chapter 29
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Fuck you, Daisy. Fuck you, Ordell.
Why hadn’t he told me he was some kind of shifter?
I’d met plenty of lycan in the past, and Quinn’s pack—shifters like no other—were friends of mine. I’d have understood. But no. Secrets. Always with the fucking secrets.
I wove through trees at a sprint.
I hated forests.
Forests and wolves and monsters.
A roar shook the night.
Of course, he had my scent.
Of course, he was hunting me.
This night couldn’t get any worse.
I spotted a path up ahead. Paths weregood. Paths led to buildings and stuff. If I could get into the castle, then?—
My boot snagged on a tree root, and I fell, catching myself with my palms to avoid face-planting on the earth.
I scrambled to my feet and froze as a sharp crack sliced the air followed by a rolling, rumbling growl.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I turned slowly to face the beast, my hands in the air, palms outward in a placating gesture.
I’d seen many kinds of shifter before but none like the one standing in front of me. Ordell wasn’t on all fours to start with; he was upright and over seven feet. A fucking bipedal shifter covered in hair with talons, too many teeth, and burning blue eyes ringed in gold. Eyes fixed on me. His lips pulled back from his teeth, and a low snarl raised goosebumps over my skin. My breath came short and shallow as I kept my gaze on a point just below his eyes, not wanting to challenge him.
“Hey, you…It’s me, remember? Orina. You like me. You definitely don’t want to hurt me…” I took a slow, deliberate step back.
His gaze dropped to my feet, and he growled louder.
“Good, Ordell…You’re a good guy, remember?” I took another step away, and he snapped his teeth. I froze, chest so tight it was hard to draw breath. “Remember we’re friends. You like me. We hug.”
His growl died, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled.
“That’s right. You know me. Orina. Your friend.”
A new sound lit up his chest now, not a growl but more of a purr. A musky fragrance hit me, and the purring increased.
His stance relaxed, and his huge hand went to his crotch. Oh…No way.
He was hard, huge, and looking at me.
No…I shook my head. “Ordell. No.”
Fuck this. I turned and ran, but I didn’t make it far.
