Page 2 of Women Love Wraiths

I stepped to the side to go around him, but he mirrored my movement.

Fuck.

Electricity jolted through my body, sending my heart galloping in my chest as my fight response kicked in. I wasn’t the type of girl who ever ran away—I always stood my ground, but that didn’t stop the knife of fear from stabbing in my chest.

Jenna, please hurry.

“Can you please step aside? I apologized for being on your property and now I’m leaving.” I crossed my arms, but he still didn’t move.

A sneer curled my lips as I moved to go around him again, this time not stopping when he moved with me. When I was beside him, his hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

“Fucking let me go, asshole,” I said as I wrenched my arm from his grip. “I didn’t disturb anything so let me leave. This is church property anyway. People are allowed to be here.”

His hood turned to look at me before he finally spoke, his voice gravelly and bone chilling. “It’s not often I come across a woman in the woods. Does anyone know you’re out here, lady?”

“That’s none of your goddamn business,” I spat as he turned to face me fully and stepped even closer.

“I like the looks of you. I think I might like to have some fun before I get rid of you. You can’t run your mouth if you’re dead.”

Alarm bells blared in my head and I bolted toward the cemetery, running as fast as I could. Before I got out of the woods, I was yanked backward by my hair. I hit the ground hard and then he was on me, his heavy build pinning me in a pile of leaves. Twisting my body any way I could manage to get myself free, the man gripped me harder while he fought to secure my wrists. I got a few good kicks in before he managed to restrain my legs with his knee.

Wrists held against my chest with a large hand, he brought his other up and his fist collided with my head. Blood pounded in my ears and I pleaded with everything in my body that Jenna and Alex would come back quickly.

My vision blurred and shadows danced at the edges of my mind as I fought to keep consciousness. The man reached down to his boot and a flash of moonlight glinted off metal when something screeched in the distance. He looked up and when the shriek came again, closer this time, he finally hurried off me. The piercing sound reverberated against the trees and the attacker brandished his knife at the darkness, forgetting all about my writhing form at his feet.

“What the fuck is that? Who are you?”

The man’s yells cleared the fog from my mind as I came back to myself. I rushed to my knees and looked deeper into the woods. A cloaked figure came into view from the shadows, floating over the ground toward us. There were no feet touching the leaves, its tattered robe-like shroud fluttering as it drew closer.

Screams tried to claw from my throat, but none broke free. I scrambled backward while the hooded man yelled at it to stop behind me. When it reached me, it simply floated over my body and came to a stop in front of the assailant. I turned, still on the ground in the dirt, not believing my eyes. The man slashed his knife in the air in front of him, unsuccessful in hitting his target.

“You’ll not take her,” a raspy voice hissed. Malice dripped from the words, yet the voice was enticing. It was throaty and terrifying, but it was beautiful. “It’s not her time. But it is yours.”

The man stared dumbfounded at the figure, his hood no longer concealing his face. I didn’t recognize him, but it didn’t matter. In moments, I watched his limbs go stiff as he fell to the ground twitching as the life left his body.

Fear I was next punched me in the gut as the figure turned slowly. Spots dotted the scene and as the darkness enveloped me, I swore I heard, she’s mine.

Chapter 2

“Jade! Jade, where the fuck are you?”

I swam toward Jenna’s voice in the dark ocean of currents in my unconsciousness. Footsteps crunched leaves and the smell of Jenna’s perfume drifted on the breeze. I pried my eyes open as she knelt over me and her bleach blonde hair came into focus.

“Jade, are you ok? What the fuck happened?” she asked, concern lacing her words. “Are you hurt?”

I struggled to sit up and she reached a hand out to help. Shaking my head, I pressed fingertips into my eyes, willing the world to stop spinning.

“I…I don’t know,” I said once everything righted itself. I glanced all around for a sign of the man and whatever had just saved me.

Only Jenna and Alex’s confused faces stared back at me.

“Why are you on the ground? Is someone out here?” Jenna searched my face as if an explanation would appear on my forehead.

Leaves rustled as Alex stepped closer, squinting his eyes as if I had a second head.

“No. No one is here. I probably tripped from exhaustion and maybe hit my head,” I rushed.

Telling them what happened would be useless. Alex would be a disbelieving prick about it and Jenna would be ruffled unnecessarily. Some of her inebriation had probably worn off by now, but she wouldn’t be herself until she slept. She was an emotional drunk which meant she cried at the drop of a hat.