Squinting into the dense part of the woods, I listen. Nothing.
“Tristan?” I call out, confused. He should be behind me, not off to the side.
No answer.
Then—there it is again. A flash of dark fabric between trees.
My heartbeat quickens. I scan the surrounding forest more carefully, piercing through the layers of foliage with my gaze.
A gasp chokes in my throat when I realize I’m not alone. About thirty yards away, partially concealed behind a massive pine tree, a figure in a dark hoodie stands perfectly still. Even at this distance, I can make out the grotesque print on the mask covering his entire face.
A butterfly.
My blood turns to ice. “Tristan!” I scream, stumbling back on my feet.
The hooded figure steps fully into view now, tilting his head as if curious. The butterfly mask catches the light, its intricate patterns somehow more terrifying in daylight.
I turn and run, no longer caring about the path, just putting distance between myself and the nightmare made flesh. Behind me, I hear Tristan shouting my name, the confusion in his voice telling me he hasn’t seen what I’ve seen.
I crash through ferns and low-hanging branches, the sound of my own panicked breathing drowning out everything else. Sharp thorns from berry bushes tear at my arms as I push through, but I barely feel the sting.
A quick glance over my shoulder, and my heart nearly stops. The hooded figure is following, his movements eerily smooth as he navigates the forest.
“He’s here!” I shout, hoping Tristan can hear me. “Butterfly Man is here!”
I trip over an exposed root, stumble, but manage to keep my footing. The path slopes sharply downward now, leading toward the hidden cove. If I can reach the beach, the open space will give me nowhere to hide, but at least I’ll be able to see him coming.
The trees thin out ahead, revealing glimpses of grey sky and the ocean beyond. Almost there.
The sky thunders, and rain pours out of nowhere. Something catches my ankle. A hand? A branch? I don’t know, but I’m falling, tumbling down the last section of the slope, loose dirt and pine needles sliding with me.
The roar of waves is now deafening, yelling over my screams. Dazed, I roll over, spitting wet dirt from my mouth. Then a shadow falls over me.
I look up, heart hammering in my chest. The butterfly mask stares down. My stalker has found me. Butterfly Man has come to claim what is his.
CHAPTER 19
Butterfly Man
“Got you, little butterfly.”
The rain washes over us like a baptism. My little butterfly, sprawled before me, drenched, her eyes wide with recognition. With fear.
“Tristan!” she screams, and I drop to my knees and place my palms on either side of her head. My body hovers over hers, caging her beneath me. She scrambles backward, but I move with her, my knees now bracketing her hips, trapping her against the muddy forest floor. The rain cascades down my mask onto her face, our breaths mingling in the narrow space between us.
“Don’t be afraid.” I caress her cheek with the back of my hand and watch her flinch. So fragile, so beautiful in her terror. “I would never hurt you, Raegan. Never you.”
“I have every reason to fear you. You’ve left trails of blood in your wake,” she whispers.
“For you. And you like it.” Can she argue with that?
“How did you find me?” Her voice trembles.
I tilt my head, studying her, my hand sliding down to her throat. The rain slicks her hair against her face, dark tendrils framing those eyes that haunt me. Her pulse flutters at her neck like that of a captured animal, her chest heaving with each panicked breath. “I’ve always known where you are. Every moment. Every breath.”
“No. You couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t I?” I lower my face closer to hers. I want to kiss her so badly. God, she’s beautiful. But she’s never been more beautiful than in this moment of surrender, this perfect culmination of our chase. The fear in her eyes ignites something savage within me, something primal. Predator and prey. Hunter and hunted. “And yet here I am, darling. The question is, why did you run from me? Don’t you know I’ll always chase after you? It makes me hard as fuck.” I push my hips forward, letting her feel the proof.
