Page 36 of Their Demon

Chapter 16

Lillian

The fact that I was being chased through the woods by the sweetest man I’d ever known terrified me in an exciting way. I’d never imagined wanting to be hunted down like some helpless animal, butfuck, the way my heart was racing and my thighs were already slick… I couldn’t wait for him to catch me.

When I’d turned around just before disappearing into the trees, I caught the feral look on his face. He looked hungry, ready to feast on my body.

I wouldn’t make it easy on him. At first, I made a violent path through the bushes, leaving a noticeable trail he’d surely follow. I continued the destructive path, nearly landing face-first in a mud bath, until I decided to take off running in another direction.

Nicholas falling for my faux trail was something I was relying on, so sure he wouldn’t think I would try to trick him. I’d seen enough movies to know you shouldn’t make it obvious where you are going.

As I got further away, I had to slow down a bit. The burning in my legs wouldn’t go away, my knees threatening to buckle if I didn’t give them a quick rest. I could hear him yelling at me, though he was too far to make out the words, so I knew he was enough of a distance away for me to get away with power walking for a minute or so.

I continued down the path at a respectable speed and imagined what he’d look like when he did finally catch me, eyes wild, ready to tear into me. It sent a jolt straight to my clit,making my body tighten. I was so aroused, I could feel it in my chest, my nipples hardening to a point.

I heard a snap behind me.Shit. He’d already caught me. My false path didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. I didn’t dare turn around as I squealed, picked up my pace, and ran from him again.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest. The ponytail I’d put my hair up in before we came out was falling, the loose hairs whipping around and sticking to my face. I ran and ran until I reached a tiny clearing and stopped.

I couldn’t run anymore, so I’d willingly take my punishment here.

I turned to face the tree line, trying to brush my hair back and straighten my clothes.

“You caught me.” I threw up my hands in surrender and giggled.

The person who stepped out was not Nicholas, not by a long shot. My happy mood immediately morphed into pure terror.

This man was shorter, leaner, and his skin looked like it was bubbling up like boils, a strange hue of green. His eyes were a matching, more intense shade of the color. The smile he wore on his face screamed triumph and pride. He took slow, minacious steps toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.

I screamed as loud as I could, hoping Nicholas was close enough to hear me.

He sniffed the air with a smile, not bothered by the fact I’d just yelled out for help. “I thought I smelled a human.”Demon.

I stepped back, trying to devise a plan to get myself out of this predicament. I wasn’t armed, had no idea how far away Nicholas was, and had no powers to help me. Panic set in.

“What's a pretty little thing like ya doing out here all alone?” he asked, picking at his teeth.

I swallowed nervously. “I—I’m not alone.”

He chuckled. “Then where’s ya buddy? Because it seems to me that no one else is around, not for miles. It’s just me and ya, human.” His eyes trailed down my body, giving me an instant icky feeling. “I haven’t tasted human flesh in centuries.” He flicked his tongue across his lips.

I took another step back, nearly into a tree. Athunksounded as the demon threw a knife in my direction, its blade embedding into the tree right behind me at eye level.

“Don’t run anymore, human. I’m tired of chasing ya. I’d prefer ya alive when I take my first bite, but I’ll kill ya if I have to.”

I steadied my breathing as a plan came to mind. I just needed him to make the first move.

“Time to eat,” he growled and approached me.

Bingo. I turned to pull the knife out of the tree, but it was more stuck than I’d anticipated. It took three tugs before it finally let loose, throwing me to the ground.

The demon laughed, “You think you can fight me? You’re a pathetic little girl.”

As I scrambled to my feet to face him, he retrieved another knife from his belt, passing it back and forth between his gnarled hands. I held the other knife firmly in my palm.

He lunged at me like a snake, and I dodged out of his way, narrowly missing his jab. I took the chance to kick him, my foot connecting just above his knee, sending him to the ground. He got up quickly, whipping around to face me again.

I bent my knees slightly, getting into the position Keir had taught me.

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