Page 140 of Hunt Me

Luka turned and launched himself into the night sky. His damaged wing caught the wind unevenly, but it still lifted him above the trees. Matilda stared after him, tracking his every movement.

“Hunt me, my Queen.”

A dark smile spread across her face before she shot into the woods.

52

The Hunt

Matilda stared into the forest’s vastness, stretching before her like an endless ocean. For a moment, she closed her eyes and tapped into her newly heightened senses.

She could hear everything—the slow thump of a rabbit’s heart somewhere beneath the underbrush, an owl gliding through the trees above, and the distant rushing of a river.

And somehow, Luka’s heartbeat pulsed through the forest like a drum.

Her lips twitched in annoyance from the slow, steady beat. He didn’t fear her as he should.

“You arrogant bastard,” she whispered, stepping forward. She took another step before breaking out into a sprint.

The forest blurred around her as branches whipped past. Her feet barely touched the ground as she hunted him. She vaulted over a fallen log without breaking her stride and felt herself closing the distance.

She was born a hunter, and now that she was a vampire, her instincts screamed for her to hunt and destroy her prey.

She caught the first drop of Luka’s blood on a leaf. Her fingers brushed it. She brought it to her nose and inhaled sharply. Her hunger surged when she sucked her fingers clean. She chuckled, remembering how she judged Luka as debased and uncontrollable when he licked her blood off the window. Now, it was her with cravings she would do anything to satisfy.

Matilda moved deeper into the forest. His heart rhythm changed. He didn’t fear her… he anticipated her.

She paused, dropping low and moving through the undergrowth like a wild cat. Her fangs ached as the leaves rustled gently beneath her feet. And then she saw him. He stood in the clearing under the silver moon like a sacrificial lamb that had accepted its fate.

Her gaze assessed him, and she was mildly relieved when his wings disappeared.

“I knew you’d find me,” he said without turning to face her.

“You made it easy. I fear you didn’t try,” she mumbled, entering the clearing like she was in a trance. She stopped behind him and buried her nose into his back. “We should end this quickly. I don’t want to be from Denalia long.”

Luka laughed. “You’re a new vampire full of confidence, rage, and strength, and yet that means nothing because you will not best me.”

“Must I remind you of our first meeting?”

“Are you referring to when you attacked me from your hollow like some terrified woodland creature? Tell me, my Queen, what was the outcome of that hunt? I recall taking you as my prisoner.”

“You are wrong, my King.”

“How so?”

“You have always been my prisoner… my prey.”

Luka finally glanced at her over his shoulder. “Expound.”

Matilda’s hands wrapped around his waist, nails burying into his flesh. He grunted when she dragged her nails up his torso to his chest.

“Where should I begin? The challenge against Beta David, feuding with the nobles, amending the hybrid laws, creating a haven for interspecies couples and their family, or giving me your heir?”

The corner of Luka’s mouth twitched. “I’d like to think the last part is mutually beneficial.”

Matilda dropped her chin on his shoulder. “You jest at a time such as this because you are trying to prolong the inevitable.”

“Which is?”