Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
AUDREY
Deadman’s Forest
“Run.”
His command was like a gunshot, even though it was barely above a whisper.
The single word snapped the last thread I had been hanging onto as it ignited a feral fire in my blood.
The hairs along my neck stood on end as my survival instincts sparked to life, like they sensed a new predator had entered our line of sight. As if they knew I was now the prey.
I bolted as his fingers loosened their hold on my hips, tearing into the darkness of the trees that spiralled me into a panic just minutes ago.
I missed this feeling, this fire in my blood, that I only felt with him.
With Aleksandr, my korol.1 My King. In the years since we had started this game, my skills had improved.
I was now able to run almost silently along the forest’s rocky terrain.
The silence in the woods was eerie but I found my pulse slowing as I ducked under branches and jumped over obstacles in my path.
The recent rain we had gotten enhanced the scent of pine and dirt—of earth.
This is what freedom would feel like…absently, I wondered if it was the same for him as I broke into a sprint.
Making my way through the trees, I found myself in a second clearing, this one much smaller than where he had found me, and much more raw. More uninhabited.
He won’t catch me here…
Whirling around, I halted, freezing mid-spin as my breaths stopped when I heard the unmistakable sound of someone trying to be quiet, someone who was hunting me.
My senses sharpened, the night breeze rustling the leaves as I cocked my head, listening and waiting to see if the footsteps grew quieter or if they turned onto the path that I had stumbled upon.
My heart hammered in my chest, a stark contrast to my outward appearance. A skill I had mastered during my years spent in this town parading around with a mask I hated to wear. A name I wished I could erase.
The night air stilled, a pervasive silence sinking into the air around me as I finally heard the steps fade away. A sign. I darted to the left, hiding under the cover of branches, encasing myself in shadows along the edge of the clearing as I scouted for where I could go next.
I could feel the beginning of sweat line my brows as my legs rubbed together.
My poorly controlled desire edged me on, encouraging me to run and allow him to give chase again.
You want it…you greedy little slut. Don’t lie to yourself now that you’re alone again…
I wanted him to find me, but I also took a perverse thrill in the hunt, knowing that I shouldn’t want him to stalk me like this, but also accepting that I had never felt more alive than the times I fully submitted and had surrendered my control to him.
My feet were already moving, faster as my body gave into the refusal to be willing prey for him.
The woods blurred as my speed picked up, twigs snapped as I forgot to cover my sounds with caution.
Leaves crunched underneath me as I sprinted away from my temporary safety and into the dark again.
Adrenaline coursed through my blood, guiding my steps.
It felt like fire burning me alive as my anticipation heightened when his footsteps sounded close by again.
Now’s my chance…
“I’ll find you, Printsessa.” Crunch. The musk of the forest encased me as I strained my eyes. I wished I could see through the darkness that had fallen. “Bet your pussy is already dripping. She was always a goddamn needy whore for me.”
The sound of a branch falling snapped me out of the trance his deep timbre had ensorcelled me in.
My pulse picked up, no doubt my heart could be heard if he was close enough.
Run. Run, you little slut. Don’t make it easy for him.
Releasing a breath, I tiptoed out from where I was hiding, clocking my surroundings quickly as I realized where I had found myself.
The cliffs were metres away. The salty air of the ocean broke through the woodsy scent of pine and dirt as I made my way to the edge.
It would only take one misstep, and I would be yet another victim of the Alabastor Cliffs…
No, stop that! That was a story for another time.
Traversing along the rocks, I made my way to where the forest grew dense again. The foliage is less maintained here, more wild. Dangerous. Forbidden. Perfect for an assumed damsel to get herself lost—or hidden in—while running from a monster she had unleashed. In other words, perfect for me.
“Lenochka…” His voice was louder. Way louder than it should have been since I could not see him or the beginnings of his shadow. “You better run, pretty girl. Because I’m going to find you…”
Run. Run, you idiot.
But we want to be found…my inner voices waged war with each other as I gave up all pretence of hiding and bolted.
The brambles along the edge cut into my arms and legs as I ran, the tang of copper filling my mouth as my teeth bit down hard on my tongue and my bottom lip.
I want him to find me…I want what I’ve edged him towards…
“And when I do, I’m going to fuck you. Make you beg and plead until the only thing, only person, you can see and hear…is…me.”
I slid along the rocks, the density of the forest slowing me down as I attempted to regulate my breaths.
Trying to remain hidden was pointless now, my mad dash had given away any hope I had of remaining unseen and unheard.
Yet I refused to give in easily. Ducking under deadened limbs, I pushed myself further.
Fatigue had begun to set in as some of the adrenaline waned but still, I ran.
Don’t make this easy for him…I was already throbbing for him, my core pulsed as I felt the need to give in even when my desire to beat him for once told me I would hate myself if I ended this chase now.
“Go, go, go,” I egged myself on. The friction running created caused a whimper to escape my lips as I felt my arousal slicken my thighs.
“C’mon…just a little more…” Your cunt’s begging for him.
Imagine how feral he will be when he finally catches you…
I knew it had not actually been that long since we began, though it felt like hours.
Hours where I grew excited for him to track me down.
It had also felt like seconds, like running from him, taunting him like this…
would never be long enough. At least not for us.
“Printsessa…” His voice was laced with a faint breathiness.
I swore his scent wrapped around me even though he was still far away based on the echo bouncing off the surrounding cliffs.
“All you’re doing now is making my cock hard.
Making me think of how beautiful it will be when you finally. Submit. To. Me.”
Yes! Give in! We want him to break us…to make us forget. If only temporarily…
I broke through into an area that was less dense, the trees here were older. Decaying almost like they had been here and finally let go of their will to live.
“You’re mine, Printsessa. And tonight you’ll realise just how futile this cat and mouse game has been.” His voice was raspy now, the excitement near boiling as the promise in those words hit like bullets.
Biting my lip, I swung my gaze around. It would be quick now, the feeling of him closing in was electric. Gooseflesh pimpled my skin as I spotted a tree with a lower-hanging branch. I made an impulsive decision to flip the switch on this game we both loved to play.
I reached for the branch, vaulting myself up and into the leaves, just as I heard the faintest of footsteps slow a few yards behind me. Blood pounded in my veins as a whooshing sound echoed in my ears. The sounds of the forest grew loud around me before they suddenly ceased at once.
A pause, almost like the woods were taking a breath in the presence of a predator.
The quiet grew so loud I could hear the faint spatter of my blood hitting the leaves beneath me.
The cuts I had forgotten about now stung as I took account of how much damage the underbrush had caused.
Worth it. His shadow broke through first. Oblong and growing—morphing into the shape of a man as his body broke through next.
“You can’t hide forever, Lenochka,” Aleksandr called out, just above a whisper. “But you of all people should know.” His near-silent steps continued as he casually and almost serenely walked under the hidden perch I was on. “You’ll never be able to outrun me.”
As I readied to pounce, his arm snapped up, grabbing onto the edge of the limb my feet were planted on, then forcefully yanked down to tear it away from the trunk.
Through dim lighting, Aleksandr flashed his pearly whites up at me, but it was more a baring of teeth before his tongue darted out to wet his lips.
The moonlight caught his features then, making him appear like an ancient god full of malevolence and sin.
His dark orbs gazed up at me right as I began to topple from the tree.
“You’ve gotten worse, pretty girl. That was almost like you were just teasing me…
” His response was calm as he took a step toward me.
Then another. His arms shot out, the smell of campfire and whiskey invading my senses as he broke my fall.
His lips ghosted my ear, my pulse erratic as his lips trailed my neck, nipping softly as his words reached me.
“Almost as if…You wanted me to find you, to catch you. To make you beg.”
Exhaling roughly, my hands slid down from where I had been holding onto his neck.
The rapid beat of his heart gave away his calm demeanour as they worked their way down.
My fight had not completely surrendered yet.
His teeth scraped my throat as my fingers brushed the band of his sweats.
“Don’t worry Printsessa. I’ll fuck you so good that your weeping pussy will happily beg for me. ”
1 Korol (Russian): king