“Tempting, but I was thinking more along the lines of showing you exactly how much I want you.”
“Oh…” I lick my lips, my heart jumping at the deeper notes in his scent. Even here with a storm brewing on the horizon, I can smell his arousal. Something that goes beyond dominance ripples off him, making my skin prickle with anticipation. “What did you have in mind?”
He nods towards the hiking trail that loops down to the lake at the bottom of the rise. “I thought I’d give you a five-minute headstart and then chase you down our old path.”
I snort. The last time we were up here together was on my seventeenth birthday. A bunch of us came to swim and hike and while there were other kids around, I distinctly remember watching Ark for most of the outing.
“You think you can remember the way in the dark?”
I widen my eyes at him. “Uh, I think I can remember how to trip over and break my ass…”
“Don’t be pessimistic.” He hooks a finger around my dog tags, pulling me closer. “I have great faith in your evasive skills. You’ve been running from me for a long time, butterfly.”
I slap his hand away. “Runningfrom you? You’ve had half the clubspyingon me!”
“I meant emotionally. You’re an emotional runner, sweetheart. In fact, you probably hold the land speed record.”
“You’re ridiculous!” I splutter, shivering as a stray gust pulls at my hair. “Come on, Ark, it’s going to rain!”
“You think I care about getting a little wet?” A wicked smile curves his lips. “Besides, you already rubbed that sweet little wet spot all over me.”
“Ark!” I back up a step, trying a different tactic. If he wants to play, I’m definitely up for it, but not on the side of a mountain in a storm. “I think we should take this back to my suite. A warm shower, that big, comfy bed…”
“Oh no, butterfly.” He shakes his head, his eyes tracking my every move. “You don’t get to wiggle your way out of this.”
“I’m still not sure what you think is going to happen here.”
“I’m gonna give you a head start. You’re gonna run. I’m gonna find you and show you what happens when you get under a man’s skin and don’t let him up for air.”
Holy hell.Is he’s really going to do this?
“That doesn’t make sense,” I mutter, then hop back a step as he starts walking towards me, slow and deliberate. “I’m just saying, you made that beautiful pack suite for us, right? Designed it with all those pretty jewel colors that you know I love so much.” He arches a brow at me, but I know it’s true. I once told him about my fascination with peacock feathers, and the next day there was one tucked into my schoolbag, like he’d planted an iridescent flag in my heart. “You always planned for us to end up there together, so why don’t we go make all your dreams come true?”
He makes a rumbling sound, but he doesn’t stop stalking me. “That sounds pretty good, but right now I want you all to myself.”
“Well, that’s kind of hard when I have a pack. You’ll have to work on your sharing skills, Pres.”
“Oh, I’ve got no problems sharing you with them. The second, third, and hundredth times.” His smirk is all dark, wicked promise. “But the first time is all mine.”
The path ends under my feet, giving way to the hiking trail, and I stop abruptly. I prop a hand on my hip, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. “Ark, do you really want to chase me through the woods like a couple of animals in heat?”
He leans forward, brushing my hair off my shoulder to bare my ear to his mouth. “Fly, Omega.”
I run.
Chapter Twenty-Two: ABBIE
A starter’s gun might as well have exploded into the air, the way my feet fly down the dirt trail. Ark said he’d give me a headstart, but I have no idea if he’ll honor that, especially given his mood tonight. The sight of me running for my life probably has the sadistic asshole straining at the leash.
I’d roll my eyes if I didn’t need to be watching my every step. The path is well-packed and mostly free of debris, but the wind is still picking up, and I huff as I slap a stray leaf out of my face. There’s a little light cast from the parking lot, but the further I go, the more I have to rely on the moon. Of course, the storm has blown a bunch of clouds our way, and I yelp as the path suddenly veers sideways. I trip, and have to pivot quickly to avoid running straight into a giant-ass tree.
“It won’t be much fun when I break my neck!” I call over my shoulder, a moment before I’m hit by a leather-clad, six-foot-something freight train.
To be fair, a train would probably just pound me into the ground and be on its way. While Ark knocks me off my feet, he also wraps his arms around me and takes me down against hischest. It still jolts the wind out of me, and I hiss as my back connects with the cold earth. I don’t know if I’m breathless from his weight or the wild chase through the woods, but my stomach flips as he laughs darkly into my neck. “Fuck, you can run, Abbie.”
I shove at his chest. “That’s what terror does to you, asshole!”
“You’re not terrified, butterfly.”
