Page 34 of Cursed Beasts

“Are you taunting us?” I snapped.

“I’m just stating facts,” she shrugged. “I guess two hundred years makes you soft.”

“Or maybe we aren’t that worried about you.” Lucien said. “I mean, you are this tiny thing with no—”

“Don’t underestimate my size. You don’t know what I’m capable of,” she said smugly. “If I’m not mistaken, I’ve brought two of you down to your knees.”

I couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on my face because shehadgotten two of us to our knees, which brought a whole slew of images in my head.

Zev laughed, but I knew he was just trying to intimidate her. “I’d like to see you try it.” He took one step down and we followed. “I don’t think you can do it again.”

She instinctively took a step back, her smirk long gone with the threat of us coming closer to her. “I don’t need to prove myself again,” she said, taking another step back.

“Oh, I think you do, Kitten,” I said, as we took another step down. “I think it’s only fair.”

“If you can do it once, why not do it again?” Lucien sounded excited and hungry for the chase.

“Typical male, always needing a chance to redeem himself,” she said, with a smirk.

“Typical woman, always scared,” Zev taunted back.

She laughed. “Oh, it’s on, Zev.”

“Run, Belladonna,” I said, my voice getting deeper from my wolf, who was ready for the chase. She didn’t move, staring at us all, like she was waiting for something.

“He said run,” Zev growled, and she took off. We stayed still for a second before we all took off after her. The feel of the earth underneath my feet, the adrenaline pumping, and the smell of her fear made me feel alive. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt in years.

She was pretty small, but she was fast, a lot faster than us. The need to shift clawed at me, but I didn’t want my wolf to have all the fun. I needed this. Lucien howled as we were catching up to her, making her scream.

“Kitten, you can do better than this,” I growled, as she ran through some trees.

“Fuck you!” she shouted, and I knew I had to figure out what that word meant.

“Here kitty, kitty!” Lucien yelled, as we saw glimpses of her weaving in and out of trees until we lost sight of her and her scent.

“Where did she go?” Zev whispered.

Lucien backed tracked slowly, not wanting to give away where we were until I heard a twig break, and a loud smack came from next to me with a giggle.

“Man, you guys suck at this!” she yelled, running away.

“She spanked me!” Lucien yelled as he took off after her.

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my lips from her spanking Lucien, feeling lighter the longer she kept this game up. Through our bond, I felt Zev amused and Lucien feeling playful. Zev howled, hoping to scare her, but it felt like she might be enjoying this as much as we were.

We were getting closer, seeing her weave in and out of the trees before I lost sight of her. Zev walked ahead of us, taking a deep breath of her scent, while I looked around us then up into trees when I noticed she was on a branch. We locked eyes before I stomped after her.

She screamed as she climbed down, slipping on her step making her fall on her back.

“Fuck!”

Lucien laughed. “Kitten doesn’t look like a great climber.”

She quickly got up as Zev reached for her, but she rolled away, getting up and walking backwards right into Lucien. He wrapped both arms around her, lifting her up, but before I knew it, I heard a crunch and she was back on her feet, running away from us laughing.

“Oh, now you’re going to get it!” Lucien yelled, wiping blood from his nose.

“You guys are pussies!” Another laugh sounded from her, making me smirk again, but the hunt was getting stronger. Zev took off in front of us, trying to keep up with her. Her fear was still pungent, but an underlying scent was making its way to us.

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