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I enjoy the thrill of the chase.
Honestly, I think I enjoy it, too.
“The clock is ticking.” His dark warning sends prickles up my spine.
So, I jump up from my seat and run for my life.
Sprinting past the fountain, I hurdle toward the entrance of the garden. This was as far as I got the night of the Ambassadors’ Dinner, so everything beyond this point is unfamiliar territory.
Bolting into the garden, I find myself in a yard surrounded by tall hedges. Rose bushes line the path between manicured lawns, and it’s unexpectedly claustrophobic. I’m Alice in the Red Queen’s rose garden, with white and red flowers stretching in rows across the grass.
Alek was halfway finished with his glass when I ran, so I don’t have much time left. I sprint forward to put as much distance between us as possible.
At the end of the rose garden, I come across a fork in the path. One leads through a flower arch on the left, and the other ushers beneath a trellis of grapevines.
Which would Alek expect me to choose? Flowers?
So I choose the right and continue on.
On the other side of the trellis is another garden, a little bigger than the last, with rows of white grapevines. The grapes look a little young to be harvested; otherwise, I would take a moment to stop and sample them.
Alek’s distant call sends an eerie shiver down my neck.
“Malishka, I’m coming for you…”
My heart is pounding, but I have to press on. I don’t know what punishment Alek has in mind, and perhaps it’s the unknown I find so thrilling. It’s like watching a horror movie and sensing something sinister is waiting around the corner without knowing what sort of monster will jump out.
I charge down a narrow row of grapevines. My skirt catches on one of the branches, and I let out a yelp as it tears with a loud rip.
Slapping my hand over my mouth, I freeze.
Surely, Alek heard my shout, and he’ll know which way to go at the fork. I listen for footsteps, but he’s a stealthy cat closing in on a mouse. I don’t have much time before he catches me.
The path leads me to an orchard of mature apple trees. The tops of the trees are so thick the branches are intertwining, appearing as one canopy to block out the sun on an already cloudy day. The trunks are massive and gnarly, and I can’t make out how expansive this section of the garden is. For all I know, I’ve entered a forest that goes for miles.
There is no path anymore. The ground is dirt stretching in all directions, littered with fallen leaves and rotting apples. This area of the garden is neglected, and a worm is wiggling out of an apple by my feet, gorging on the decayed fruit.
I take a right and follow the hedges along the perimeter, but the further I run, the more lost I become. Each way I turn looks the same with no sign of an exit, the orchard growing darker the deeper I explore.
Dried leaves crunch beneath my shoes, mixing with the sound of my labored breathing. My legs are shaking from the exertion and threaten to give out.
I turn down one of the endless rows of trees until I come across one that offers a decent hiding place. I can stop here and catch my breath while keeping an ear out for Alek.
Plopping onto the ground, I lean against the trunk and rest my head on the rough bark. The tear in my skirt isn’t too bad, so Galina should be able to mend it. I stick my finger into the hole and play with the fabric as my breath slows.
“Malishka, where are you?”
I suck in a sharp gasp. His voice echoes through the orchard, goading me in a sinister sing-song.
My breathing quickens, and my heart rate escalates, pumping blood into my ears. I hold still and pray he can’t hear me.
If I run now, he’ll catch me. My best chance is to stay hidden here.
I close my eyes and try to listen for footsteps, but I’m only met with stillness. No birdsong or rustling leaves exist here. The air is heavy.
Alek wants to lure me into a false sense of security, though I know he’s closing in.
The unknown grips my body. A mixture of fear and excitement shoots straight to my core, making me clench my thighs together. Even in the depths of terror, Alek helps me find pleasure there in a way no one else can. My body reacts to him most when he’s the hunter and I’m his prey, which is fucked up.
