Chapter Eighteen #2
His grin was feral as he walked me backwards until my back was against the tree. “I seem to remember you mentioning something about being chased.” He dragged his nose up my neck, inhaling me. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a sixty-second head start.”
Heat curled through my body at the way he pressed into me. His hand weaved through my hair, tugging my head back until I gasped. “What happens if you catch me?”
“If you can make it to that tree line first, then I’ll let you come.” His breath was warm against my ear, making me shiver. “But if I catch you first…” He made a tsking sound with his tongue, not bothering to finish his threat.
My pulse slammed in my throat as he bit down gently on my ear. “Run, little lamb.”
I didn’t wait.
Snow crunched under my boots as I spun out of his grip and bolted. The cold air burned in my lungs, and I made a mental note to start using the treadmill a few times a week.
My thighs screamed as I sprinted toward the tree line. The forest was alive with sounds—the snap of branches, the howling of the wind—and behind me… fuck, behind me Valen was already coming. He wasn’t even trying to be quiet. No, he wanted me to know I had no chance of getting away.
This was what we needed. What I needed. Fuck Cyrus. Fuck feeling afraid and terrified all the time. I wanted to feel alive.
After a minute, I risked a glance over my shoulder and found him way closer than I’d realized. His eyes locked on mine, a dark hunger in them that fueled me to move faster, which only made me stumble. Somehow, I managed not to fall.
My breath came out in ragged gasps, but I forced myself to keep going. This was what I wanted, what I craved, and Valen was the man to give it to me. My skin was burning under my clothes despite the cold temperature, and I ripped off my coat, letting it fall to the ground.
“Better run faster, Seraphine,” he taunted from behind me, but I didn’t dare look this time.
Adrenaline shot through me, along with something else, something darker and more primal. My body didn’t know whether to be afraid or turned on. Hell, probably both at this point.
Branches slapped at my arms as I pushed toward the tree line. My heart was beating so hard, it was all I could hear. Except for Valen’s laugh close behind me.
I stumbled over a small tree branch, catching myself before my head slammed into the tree trunk. Bark scraped against my palm, the sting making me hiss as a little spot of blood appeared. My pulse pounded in my ears as I darted forward.
“One,” he called out from close behind me, “two…”
God, he was so close, it was like he was inches away from me, but I was too scared to look.
“Three, little lamb.”
A laugh ripped out of my throat so suddenly that I surprised myself. The sound echoed around us, making me feel wild and untamed.
“Run faster,” he growled from behind me, closer than before.
My hair whipped all around me as I ran, nearing the tree line. But before I could make it, Valen slammed into me from behind. He wrapped his arms around me, bringing us both to the ground. The impact nearly knocked the air from my lungs, but I didn’t even care.
I screamed, but not in fear. No, far from it. I clawed at the snow, trying to push up or away, anything to get out from underneath him. But it was no use. He was twice my size and his dark laugh told me everything I needed to know.
He’d caught me, and he wasn’t letting me go.
His hands were on me in an instant, one wrapping around my wrists and pinning them over my head, the other on my hip, holding me down flat. “Got you,” he rasped, his breath warm against my ear. “Did you really think you could run from me?”
The coldness of the snow seeped through my clothes, a contrast to his heat pressed to my back. Every nerve ending in my body was alive and burning, screaming for me to put up a fight.
He flipped me over, my breath catching at the heat in his eyes.
“Is this what you wanted? Hm?” He kissed up my jaw, pressing harder into me. “You wanted me to hunt you? To use you?”
I whimpered, torn between saying yes or lying, but my body betrayed me anyway and arched toward him, pressing closer.
His growl vibrated through his chest against me, low and feral. “That’s right, little lamb. You’ll let me use you any way I want, won’t you?” His teeth grazed my neck, making me cry out.
“Yes,” I panted. “Please, Valen.” My voice sounded desperate, even to my own ears.
His cock pressed into me, making me squirm. “You know I love it when you beg.”
I arched against him, my mind torn between shame and a hunger for him I couldn’t control. “Please, fuck me, Valen.”
His lips slammed into mine before I could beg any further, and I was more than prepared to beg. His tongue was velvety soft against mine, but that was the only soft thing about him. The rest of him—the way his body pinned me down, the grip on my wrists—was hard and controlling.
And God, did I fucking love it.
His free hand tore at my pants, ripping them down until my thighs were bare. He straddled my legs, keeping me at his mercy. I moaned as he stroked my pussy, spreading me open for him.
“Look at you,” he moaned against my lips. “You’re so fucking wet. Dripping for me, ready to be fucked.” He pumped into me, then pulled his fingers out and shoved them in my mouth, making me taste myself.
I moaned around his fingers, his eyes darkening as I licked. “That’s a good fucking girl. Taste how greedy your pussy is to be fucked.”
My eyes nearly rolled to the back of my head at his words. I knew I should be humiliated, but a thrill of excitement burned through me instead. Before I could even blink, he had my pants ripped off, his cock pressing at my entrance.
He coated himself in my juices, the head of his cock teasing my clit. I jerked my hips up, needing to be filled by him. “Please, Valen,” I sobbed, not caring how needy I sounded.
“Fuck, Seraphine.” He stroked himself faster against me before slamming into me in one brutal thrust. “So fucking tight.”
He pulled back, slamming into me again. He wasn’t starting slow or taking his time, no, his pace was brutal and punishing. His skin slammed against mine, and I met him stroke for stroke.
“You were made for my cock. Made for me.” He released my wrists, only to wrap his hand around my throat. He fucked me into the ground, his thrusts merciless and punishing. Little black dots danced in my vision as he slammed into me, and that alone had me on the verge of coming.
I spread my legs wider, trying to take more of him. He was so thick, and so big, it was like being broken in the most perfect kind of way. He released my throat, and I gasped, sucking down air like my life depended on it.
“That’s it, little lamb. Take it. Scream my name, let the whole world hear who owns you.” He slammed into me harder, each thrust more punishing than the last.
Pleasure built fast and violent, my body aching for a release that only he could give me. Every thrust drove me closer until I was a sobbing mess, crying his name.
“Louder, Seraphine. Scream for me,” he snapped, like he was barely hanging on to the little bit of control he had left. “Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours, Valen,” I cried as electricity shot through my entire body.
“Mine,” he growled against my throat. “I’m going to fill you up with my come, breed you so you never forget who you belong to.”
It was like a bomb detonated in my chest at his filthy words, and I shattered around him, screaming out into the night as my body arched, toes curling.
“That’s it,” he groaned as he pinned me down and fucked me through my orgasm. “Good fucking girl.” A second later, he roared his release, spilling into me until I was full of him. His body trembled as he pinned me down, not letting me move as we both gasped for air.
When we finally caught our breath, his grip loosened. He kissed me, first my lips, then my cheeks and then down my neck. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “So perfectly mine.”
A sound escaped me, a mixture between a sob and a laugh, which made him chuckle. I buried my face against his neck, his heart hammering as wildly as mine.
“You’ll never outrun me, Seraphine,” he murmured, kissing me so softly, I wanted to melt. “I’ll always catch you.”
And the crazy part was, I knew I’d always want him to.