Page 5 of Stalking His Prey

All alone, sweetheart…

I reach behind me and feel the weight of my backpack. Yup. Everything’s there.

Of course I didn’t forget anything. I’ve been planning this for months. But now that this is about to happen, I want to make sure it goes absolutely perfectly.

I keep my eyes on Penelope’s hips as she continues her trek farther and farther away from the parking lot. We’ve been walking for just over an hour when I realize the time has come.

I can no longer hold out.

There’s no one else out here but us. It’s time to claim her.

I strip out of my shirt and flex my muscles so hard my right bicep almost cramps. I stretch my arms behind me, feeling the strain in my chest, which is swollen and full as my heart pumps like a jet engine within. I roll my neck to get out the kinks and pound both of my leg muscles with my fists to get the blood flowing into them.

I set my down my bag and reach inside, finding the coil of rope.

Then I remove my mask.

It’s matte black plastic and covers my face from the nose up, leaving my lips and teeth exposed. It will make me look like a cross between a man and a giant wolf.

I’m overwhelmed with lust as I ready myself.

This is it. This is the moment. This innocent little 18-year-old is about to be mine.

I slip the mask over my face, pick up my rope, and narrow my eyes on my obsession.

My prey.

It’s time.

And then I start to move in on her.

3

PENELOPE

Yep,hiking is definitely a destressor for me. I need to do this more often, even if Anna continues to bail on me. I tilt my head back and inhale deeply, filling my lungs with clean forest air. It’s such a welcome change of pace from the constant barrage of scents I get when I’m back in town, especially working. Coffee, cigarettes, burnt food on the grill. That’s what I’m used to.

But out here, it’s like breathing pure heaven. Ever since I left the car and started my hike, I’ve felt an enormous sense of relief. My lungs are clear, my sinuses are open, and as corny as it may sound, I feel like I’ve become closer to nature.

And that’s a good thing!

I set my pack down on some clear dry ground and remove my water bottle. I take a small swig, but not too much, as I’d like to avoid having to squat in the woods as much as possible.

I look around. Anna and I have been this way before, and I’m pretty sure we’re close to where we were that time when we–

Snap!

A loud cracking sound causes me to whirl around and look behind me. Of course there’s nothing there. Probably just a branch falling, and that’s something I’m still trying to get used to. The sounds of the forest.

It’s so quiet out here compared to back in town where noise is constant. Here, any little sound can get your attention.

I sigh and take a seat. I can’t stop mulling over the disaster last night at the bar. What was Anna thinking, introducing me to Mack? I never storm out on anybody, but I had to get away from that vile, disgusting pig.

Drenched in cologne, hitting on me like a frat boy, and then he actually had the balls to make a joke about eating my ass when we’d just met two minutes ago? Yuck.

Anna called me to apologize later, but that only made things worse. I went off on her for springing Mack on me like that and asked her why it was that he was inferring that he knew I was “unconventional.”

Anna told me that maybe she’d let a few of our private conversations about sexual fantasies slip to Todd, and that maybe Todd had been the one who told Mack.

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