“I thought the king doesn’t compete in the hunt,” I managed, trying to appear casual as Dalkhan edged closer.
His smirk was nothing short of sinful.“I can dowhateverI want.”
I took a step back, dead leaves and twigs crunching beneath my sandals.He followed, matching my retreat.
I kept my face towards him, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of turning my back to him.“But I’m beneath you.”
He closed in, his broad shoulders blocking out the moonlight.Casting me in his consuming shadow.He dipped down until his lips hovered by my ear, his scorching breath sending a cascade of sensations down my neck and spine.
“Notyet.”
A tight coil of fire ignited in my core, settling hot and heavy between my trembling thighs.
Damn him.
He drew in air, slow and deep, his nostrils flaring as he drank me in.Like he could taste the tension in my breath—the heat in my blood.
His fingers twitched at his sides.Was he fighting the urge to touch me or kill me?
“Is that what you want, mortal?”
I stepped back again.He followed.
“Do youwantme to hunt you?”
I scoffed.“No.”
It was the leastconvincing lie I had ever told.
He quirked his head to the side, studying me with calculating eyes.He saw right through me.
I took another step back and collided with solid bark.
Dalkhan wasted no time.He caged me in, palms slamming against the trunk with enough force to make the tree shudder—his powerful arms creating a prison.He dropped his head low, his breath tickling my throat.
I trembled as his lips grazed against my pulse, the ghost of a touch that sent lightning coursing through my veins.I dug my fingers into the rough wood.
“You’re supposed to chase me first,” I whispered, hating the breathlessness in my voice.
He made no move to pull away.Instead, he chuckled against my skin, the vibrations resonating in my chest.
His hand came up suddenly, calloused fingers capturing my jaw in a fierce grip, forcing my face up to his.His thumb pressed against my lower lip, applying pressure until it gave, tugging it down to expose the inner softness.
“Thenrun.”Fuck.
I summoned every ounce of strength and shoved against his chest with both hands, the impact hurting my palms more than actually moving him.For one terrifying moment, he didn’t budge, then he allowed himself to be pushed back a single step.
I bolted, launching past him, my heart leaping into my throat.My head spun, vision blurring at the edges, but I forced myself forward, desperate to put distance between us.
Low hanging branches whipped at my arms as I tore through the trees, leaving stinging welts across my skin.My lungs burned, my pulse roaring in my ears as my feet pounded against the forest floor.
I didn’t dare look back.I didn’t need to—I could feel him.
He wasn’t chasing me.Not yet.He was toying with me.
Then the earth shuddered.The trees groaned and the air thickened with power.
A laugh rolled through the trees like distant thunder, dark and full of wicked promise.
