Page 24 of Bloody Valentine

It was still there.

That overpowering metal scent was fresh in my cold nose.

Another sacrifice…Run child…

I started to walk back around and then I saw it, a huge form crashing down from high in the tree. It sprayed me with blood when it connected to the earth. I screamed, horrified at the sight in front of me.

The dead carcass of a white deer was lying contorted on the ground. It was half-skinned and had meat missing from its body. The head was still attached. The eyes glazed and stared atnothing. My stomach roiled with unease, and I ran to the edge of the maze to vomit.

“Why am I not surprised that you would wander away from the rest of your flock, Little Virgin?”

I jumped a mile high. The voice behind me scared me worse than the unfortunate animal.

It was Maddox Valentine.

I spun around. He was staring at my blood-splattered body with intrigue, licking his lips and eyeing me up and down. I pulled my blazer over my shoulders tighter, trying to block my see-through shirt from his eyes.

“I saw a blood trail. I followed it to…that,” I said, pointing to that poor deer in the snow.

He followed my gaze and shrugged.

“Fair enough. Do you always involve yourself in someone’s hunt?”

That wording made me shiver worse than the chill of the air.

“When someone needs help, I will be there,” I said, raising my chin.

Maddox chuckled, shaking his head.

“Do you think others would share that courtesy? What if it wereyourunning from the hunter?”

Unease smacked into my gut with such force that I had to fight to stay upright.

“But really, how noble of you, Little Virgin. Don’t you know that you can’t fight fate? This magnificent creature was always meant to die. By my own hand. Your interfering wouldn’t have changed that course.”

I shook my head vehemently. “I was too late. I would have stopped it.”

Now, his eyes filled with intrigue, and he began walking closer to me.

I could feel his body heat even in the freezing, frigid air.

“Do you really think that?”

I swallowed hard, unwilling to look him in the eyes, and instead turned back around to stare at the poor doe. “Yes.”

“You aren’t in control of these things, Little Virgin. You may as well save your energy.”

He was right behind me now. That warmth of his body grew to an inferno.

“Yeah, like what?” I challenged, falling right into his trap.

He chuckled and reached his hand around my waist, anchoring my back to his chest.

“Like how your body responds to me, for one,” he all but purred in my ear.

Fear took hold of me, even though I was so stupidly angry at him because…damn him, he was right. I was turned on, but I couldn’t move.

“Just like when I had you bare for me in my office. You were soaking wet. Do you deny that, Vivian? Do you deny your reaction to me?”

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