Page 34 of Corrupted Torment

I try to scramble away from them, but a large, booted foot kicks me in the stomach. My heartbeat thunders in my ears and my head throbs. Liquid, most likely blood, trails down the side of my face and know this fate is unavoidable.

I try to go into the depths of my mind, something I used to do with ease as a kid, but I am out of practice. I close my eyes, screwing them shut, willing myself away to anywhere else. To disassociate from what’s to come.

I hear a roar, a loud deafening noise that makes me cover my ears. I curl into a small ball, arms and hands covering my eyes and ears as much as possible. Howl's start to break out and my body quakes, this makes no sense.

Then it’shisvoice I’m hearing, telling me to stay down. I dare not open my eyes. Is this real, or is my mind playing tricks? I’m too scared to find out. My mind can’t have snapped. This must be the injection. A breeze of their moving forms shifts around me, while their words are growled unintelligibly.

By the time I finally convince myself to open my eyes, no one is here. The snarling growls echoing in the distance. I don’t understand exactly what is going on, but I know my protector has come. I stare toward the noise, waiting for what comes next. Hoping that this fear is not my mind breaking.

As the silence falls, I watch with bated breath, hopeful that he has won. My heart pattering a desperate rhythm, willing him to come back to me. I could have run from him, should have run, but find myself unable to. I need to know.

I squint my eyes as a figure comes back into the silvery moonlight towards me. His silent footsteps give me hope. No one is as quiet as my predator. Closer and closer he comes until his gorgeous features are finally revealed.

Relief sinks into me that I am no longer alone in this. Despite the guilt of the other women not having this same advantage, I am relieved to have him. It was hard enough being on this island, but if I hadn’t had him, I’m not sure I would have survived it all these years.

My protector, with his strong-muscled body and lithe movements that I could imagine turning into the most stunning of dances. His advances are a graceful performance, moving so deftly through the trees towards me. Only for a moment, I forget the hunter he is as I watch him approach. Never could I imagine his next move to be so forceful.

“Never leave it that late to run again, Wildcat. That was too close. You run and I will always find you.”

Silver grey eyes gleam at me wickedly as he slams my body back into the tree behind me. A thrill rushes through me as the bite of the bark digs into my skin. It hurts, but I don’t care as I let out panting breaths of air. My predator has saved me from the other wraiths once more and now he is here.

“What happened back there?” I ask in a breathless whisper.

“It’s not time yet, Wildcat. Soon though.”

The side of himself that loved to hunt me down, to have me as his prey was in charge and ready to take his prize. He moves in close, pinning me to the trunk with his body. I feel his hard length press against my stomach, and I know things will never be the same again after tonight.

His fingers swipe over the lingering wetness tracking down my face. Pulling his hand back, my blood slick on his digits, he places them on his tongue, his eyes never leaving mine. He sucks them into his mouth, cheeks hollowing, he wraps his sinister lips around them. A rumbling sounds from deep within his chest, satisfaction shining bright in his eyes. I should be horrified, but I’m not. I’m fascinated by him, like I always have been.

His smirk hypnotises me, leaving me still, even as his huge palm wraps around my neck. A subtle caress of his thumb along my pulse has my already erratic heart skipping a beat. My eyes fall closed as a whimper escapes my lips.

His lips touch my forehead. Whisper soft kisses trailing across to the slight cut that has blood dribbling down my face. I should have expected it, something like that from him, but I flinch, jumping slightly as his tongue laps at my injury. It’s a strange sensation.

My predator has never held me so close before, and it’s a heady feeling that I never want to let go. Without thought, I bite my bottom lip; his other hand is there, pulling it from between my teeth before I even register it.

“These lips are only for me to bite.”

My eyes open, staring upwards; he looks back down at me. Eyes a sparkling silver shining in the moonlit night. A mischievous smirk tilts his blood covered, thin lips as he ducks his head in towards me. Teeth nip at my ear, and I can’t deny the aching pressure only this man has ever achieved before, a shiver ripping its way up my spine.

“In fact, I think all of you is mine for the taking.”

Years of being chased by him and never touched has made me go crazy. Perhaps I don’t care. For him, I have become immune to the fear instinct tells me I should be consumed by. I will always be wary of his reasoning. After all, he still injects me with poison. I will always fight him on that, but this, right here. This is something I can’t seem to fight any longer.

“Wildcat,” his voice is a hushed growl against my neck, before he lays nipping kisses across my jaw, forcing my thoughts back, helping me stay in the now. “I need you to listen very carefully. I’m about to let you go, and when I do, you better not run. If you run, I will chase you down. If I chase you down, Little Seductress, you know I will catch you and when I do, l will fuck that dripping wet little pussy of yours.” His hand squeezes briefly around my neck, looking me directly in the eye.

“Do you understand me, Little Seductress?”

I nod because I do understand, my body trembling. This is my out, the chance to stop this sizzling energy burning between us. This new dynamic is something explosive and exhilarating. I clench my thighs together; already knowing I’m going to regret my decision as soon as I make it.

I already know I am going to run, and so does he.

If anyone asks me, I’ll blame the head injury. I shouldn’t want this after coming so close to hell today, but I need to forget. I need to let go of the fear of my nightmares and do something for me. As he releases me, I stare into his eyes for only a second.

Without giving it another moment's thought, I run.

I don’t hear his following footsteps, then again, I hadn’t expected to. For the first time in years, I let loose the wildness inside me, laughing instead of concerning myself with the intense sense of fear as I race away. It’s wild and thrilling. I slow my pace to briefly to peer into the woodland behind, seeing nothing.

I half expect to see him ahead of me as I turn back, but he’s nowhere to be seen as I keep moving. I know this place like the back of my hand, our very own wilderness playground to live in. For once, I am happy to be his prey.

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