My stomach knots as I weigh my fate. Even if I survive the night, I can’t ever return to my village. For Lucy’s sake, the village council must believe that I’m dead.
War pinches my chin. “You disappear into your mind too much. Forget the past, little doe. Your life is here with us now.”
“I know.” I stare at his full lips. They are soft despite his rough disposition. I shudder as I remember the silky feel of them puckering around my nub.
His eyes darken. “If you know, then stop trying to make sense of it. There is nothing to figure out. You’re ours because we decided it so. That’s all.”
A fury rises from deep within. I shove him back, catching him off guard. He stumbles slightly but regains his footing with flared nostrils. But before he can retaliate, I stomp toward him with the rage of a thousand men.
I shove him again. “You yanked me from my life like I’m nothing but a piece of property or livestock. But I amnotan animal. I will never see my family again. So forgive me if I am not a well-behaved prisoner. Thepastwas yesterday for me.”
He snarls as he grabs my shoulders, spinning me around until my back’s against the wall. We glare at each other, locked in a battle of wills. He tips his mouth to my ear. “When Famine and Death are finished with you, I’m going to bend you over my knee and give you a spanking that will knock the breath from your lungs.”
My juices trickle out of my pussy. My own mouth betrays me with a whimper I don’t want him to hear. The more power he holds over me, the more I actually have in common with the livestock.
He chuckles, his breath tickling my neck. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He tucks another strand of my hair in before nipping at my neck with his razor-sharp teeth.
I lean back against the wall and close my eyes. “Your touch sickens me,” I lie.
He palms my breast over the coat and squeezes as he continues to scrape his teeth up my jaw. “Mmm, yes. You seem terribly ill right now. Maybe you should lie down.”
The heat in my chest rises to my cheeks. I try to swallow, but my mouth is bone dry. “Get away from me before I vomit all over you.”Another lie. I am more afraid that I will cum again.
He starts for my throat when the sound of horses galloping in the distance snaps his attention to the barred window. “They are growing impatient. It’s time to run, little doe. Run as fast as your tired feet will let you.”
My stomach drops. Not again. Each encounter is more brutal than the last. What will the next monster do to me? “No,” I growl back.
He grunts as he drags me across the room and shoves me down the rickety stairs. I twist out of his grip when we reach the first floor. “Oh, a fire!” I run to the hearth, relishing the heat from the blazing flames.
He allows me to warm my hands for a moment before pinching the back of my neck. “Delaying the inevitable isn’t going to save you. It only makes us hungrier for that decadent feast between your thighs.”
I shudder. Despite the warmth from the fire, his fingers are cold on my nape. I’m beginning to understand the thrill of this chase. This Wild Hunt. For them, it’s the delight in stalking their prey. It makes catching me that much sweeter. I’d be lying to myself if it didn’t provoke my own curiosities. Not to mention the growing sensation of shame for being secretly aroused by the rush it provides.
I let him pull me away from the hearth as if I even have a choice. He is not gentle this time when he yanks the front door open and shoves me out into the snow. I stumble onto my knees, landing at the hooves of his horse. The beast rears back and lets out a screech that I’ve never heard a horse make.
“Dear gods…” I whisper as I shut my eyes and prepare to be trampled. But instead, War yanks me to my feet and stands between me and my impending death. That split second it takes makes me realize I want to live.
He gives my cheek a light slap. “Enough. Go.Run.”
My breath hitches as I spin around. The path before me is treacherous. The open terrain leading back to the woods is dark, icy, and laden with spiny brush. If I don’t run fast enough, I’ll sink into the slush. If I run too fast, my stamina will give out before I even get to the edge of the tree line.
War grabs a fistful of my blonde hair, tugging my head back. “If you don’t run right fucking now, I will tie you to the back of my horse and let him drag you there.”
I wince from the pain shooting through my scalp. “Okay, let me go.”
He shoves me again, and this time I break out into a full sprint across the clearing.
The smell of sulfur intensifies as I crisscross through the trees. The branches snag on my coat, threatening to ensnare me like a fly caught in a spider’s web. It’s as if the forest itself is in on the Wild Hunt, creating more and more obstacles for me to get through. With only the moon to guide me, I pray to the gods.Please don’t let me trip and break both my legs.
Yet every noise makes me jump, increasing my chances of taking a nasty fall. Hooves pound like drums in the distance, louder still, no matter how fast I run. But it’s the howling of wolves that sends my adrenaline into overdrive.
With every jagged breath I take, my resolve crumbles. What if there is a way out of this forest? Maybe I could find the edge and disappear. I could find another village and start over. My sister would be safe, and I would be free.
Foolish thinking, silly girl.
The horsemen will find me no matter where I go. They’ve marked me with their scent. Claimed me as their property. The only chance I have of surviving is to play their game. If I behave, perhaps they’ll take pity on me and show me mercy. Or maybe they’ll grow bored and let me go.
Maniacal laughter echoes through the trees. He’s getting closer.This is impossible. I am not a slow runner, and I have taken ample care in choosing a chaotic path. But he is faster, smarter, and unrelenting.
