My fingertips tingled.The confidence radiating from him sent a dangerous thrill through my veins.
“If you run…” he mused, easing forward, his hands flexing at his sides.“I will only chase you further.”
I arched a brow, forcing my expression into something teasing despite the rapid beat of my heart.“I thought the whole point of the Hunt was the chase?”
His lips curled into a dangerous smile.He rolled his shoulders back, chest expanding as he took a step closer.“The whole point isto get caught.”
I gulped, the sound loud in the tense air.
His gaze swept over me, lingering at the curve of my neck.The swell of my breasts.His head tilted as he took in every detail with unabashed hunger.“You are a prey worth pursuing.”
I took a step back, trying to keep space between us.“And who might you be?”
He placed a hand over his bare chest.“I’m Jaruun.”He prowled closer.“And you—” he reached out, fingers almost grazing my cheek before I jerked back, “—are mine.”
I twisted away as he lunged, his fingers grasping at empty air.
A startled laugh tore from my throat as I spun away, sprinting into the trees.I ran faster than I ever had in my life, not in fear, but in thrill of the pursuit.
Jaruun was on my heels, the leaves rustling behind me—the rhythm of his breathing growing heavier.He was getting closer.
I bunched up my skirt in my hands, freeing my legs to run faster.My thighs burned with the effort, muscles screaming, but I pushed harder.
Ahead, the bonfires still raged, their towering flames soaring high, bathing the grounds in pulsing amber light.I glanced frantically toward the stones where Dalkhan stood.
His posture had transformed completely—rigid as the rocks themselves.Every line of his powerful body radiated tension as he tracked Jaruun’s pursuit.
Something hot and dark slid through me at the sight of that barely contained fury—that possessive rage.
Jaruun’s voice wrapped around me like a caress, sliding along my heated skin.It seemed to come from everywhere at once, carried on the night breeze.“A kiss from you will be the sweetest prize.”
I spun wildly, searching for him in the dark.My hair whipped across my face as I squinted against the darkness—against the sweat stinging my eyes.
I couldn’t pinpoint where his voice was coming from.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” I called back, forcing out defiant laughter.
A whisper of movement darted nearby, the sharp crack of a twig breaking the silence.I pivoted sharply, my foot twisting as it got caught in the uneven ground.
Too late.
I yelped, stumbling back too fast, my arms flailing for balance.My back hit the rough trunk of a tree, scraping my exposed skin.
Jaruun appeared before me, bracing his hands on either side of my head.His smile sharpened.“It seems Iwin…”
I surrendered, my shoulders slumping against the tree trunk.The fight draining from my limbs.There was no use in running.My chest rose and fell rapidly as I huffed a laugh, the thin layer of material clinging to my damp skin.
Jaruun’s entire body stiffened, his jaw clenching with an audible click of the teeth.The playful hunger drained from his expression, replaced by something akin to fear.
He stepped back abruptly, bowing his head.His thick braid swinging forward.
“Another time,” he muttered, the words clipped and formal.Then he turned sharply and disappeared into the shadows.
Goosebumps spread across my skin despite the heat of the night.
I understood why he had fled.I felt it—the oppressive weight ofhispresence radiating behind me, the way the very air thickened and heated.
I pushed away from the tree, bits of bark clinging to my hair.
