Page 179 of Ignite

This is it.

She’s coming down from whatever perch she’s been hiding in.

And I know—without a single doubt—that when I see her, everything I’ve fought to keep buried will come roaring back to life.

I’m not ready.

But I have no choice.

Because Hallie is about to step into my line of sight.

And once she does, nothing will ever be the same again.

Chapter 65

HALLIE

As soon as my boots hit the ground, I clutch the nearest tree like it's the only solid thing left in the world.

I have no idea if I’m the last contestant. I don’t know where The Hunter is. And right now, it doesn’t matter.

Because I’m the prey.

And he’s coming for me.

I suck in a deep breath, adrenaline boiling in my veins, my chest heaving like my lungs forgot how to function. I shove off the tree and move silently. Every twig crack and every shift in the wind hits like a gunshot to my senses.

I don’t run. Not yet.

The second I do, it’s over.

I wait. Assess.

Nothing moves.

So I run.

I bolt for the camp, the trees slicing past me like shadows. I barely get a few feet before I hear him.

Heavy, deliberate steps.

He’s behind me. And he’s way too close.

I force my legs to move faster, the air burning in my throat. I weave through the trees, cutting right, making sharp turns, anything to shake him. But he’s there. Right there.

So close I can feel his breath against my neck.

So close I can smell him.

And suddenly—I’m back in that chase with Conan. My body remembers.

The panic. The heat. The ache that burned under the terror.

I spot an opening, a sliver of moonlight spilling into the clearing by the tents. I’m weak, but I push forward. I can’t let him catch me.

His breath hits my skin again, and I cry out, flinging myself forward.

But his arms wrap around my waist and we slam into the ground.

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