Page 20 of Into the Night

Glowing eyes and long nails are one thing, but a complete transformation is something else altogether.

Finally, he nods.

My beast preens at the idea of this powerful male checking her out. Except she’s feeling naughty, and she wants this to be fun.

“…but only if you can catch me.”

12

KALI

Aferal growl echoes through the cabin and out into the forest, which rages beyond the comfort of my cosy new home.

Branches swing, tapping against the glass to remind us just how wild it’s getting outside. Every animal that’s yet to take shelter has fallen deathly quiet, knowing an angry predator when they hear one.

I back away slowly as Griffin stalks forward.

One side of his mouth lifts, and his teeth push down past his top lip. “Kali. Stop. You need to stop moving.”

Ignoring him completely, I keep adding to the distance between us, slowly, steadily creeping toward the door.

His human side is telling him that his natural desires are wrong, but his animal side is telling him to take, to claim, and to breed.

“If you’re not interested, I’ll find another man willing to bury his teeth in my neck, and his seed in my womb.” Pulling the door open, I dash down the steps and then turn to face him again. Leaves swirl through the air, piling up in the corner of the porch and sticking to the deck. Walking backward toward the tree line, he stands in the doorway, the wind and rain sticking his short, dark hair to his forehead.

His tortured expression tells me exactly what he wants, but he’s frozen with doubt.

He feels it, so powerful, so untamed. That’s why he’s trying to resist.

“Kali?” His voice is strangled. His hands go to his head again, like he doesn’t want to do this, but he begins down the steps anyway, slowly, confidently, ready to stalk me into the forest. He can’t help it. His natural instincts have kicked in.

He’s a hunter. It’s what he’s born to do. Right now, I’m his prey.

And I can’t wait for him to take me down.

“Stop fucking about, Kali. This isn’t funny.”

Amused isn’t how I feel. Turned on. Excited. Scared. Ready. “No. I don’t think I will.”

Giving him my best mischievous grin, I turn and run, sprinting as hard as I can into the forest, drops of water from the canopy above soaking my back as I duck and dive.

A burst of excitement sends a shiver up my spine when I hear him crashing down the rest of the stairs, his boots hitting the wet ground with a squelch. The trees shake as he plunges into the forest behind me, charging through the trees with little care for the noise he’s making. This isn’t a silent pursuit. He wants me to know he’s coming for me.

As Griffin gets closer, I imagine I can feel his breath on the back of my neck, warm and dangerous, with teeth poised and ready to bite.

I swerve, jumping a fallen tree trunk, and change direction, hoping to catch him off guard. I want to make this harder for him than he expected. He needs to earn the right to have me. His beast needs to show mine just how strong he is.

But I’m nimble, where he’s all brawn.

Knowing these woods as well as I do, I could really draw this out. I could probably make sure he never catches me.

If I wanted to.

A furious roar sounds behind me… Griffin’s had enough. This isn’t a playful chase anymore; he’s running me down.

Pushing myself as hard as I can, I circle back and break through the treeline in front of the cabin, sprinting as hard as I can toward the rustic wooden structure. My shoes slide on the slippery mud and wet leaves coating the ground. I can’t wait to slam the door in his face and see what he does next.

Will he break it down to get to me? The idea of him so desperate to reach me that he’d tear it from its hinges has me panting with excitement. And distracted.

---