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Gray looked at my hands like they’d grown a fungus. “What is this?”

“Rock, paper, scissors. It’s the only way to decide who hides first.”

“Oh.”

“You ever done it before?”

Gray bit her bottom lip, her cheeks flushing pink as shame filled those expressive eyes of hers.

“You haven’t, have you?” And when her silence sang louder than the birds, I grabbed the sides of her face and made her look at me. “It’s okay. No big deal. I’ll show you.”

Gray listened intently as I detailed how to play the childhood-decision-making game of all other games passed onto me by Peri. Once finished, she positioned her hands as I had and straightened her shoulders.

“On the count of three. Loser hides first.” I studied the excited anticipation building in her features, wanting to soak up the fact that I was the one bringing it out of her. “One. Two. Three,” I counted, dragging out each number to allow the anticipation to grow. I chose paper while Gray maintained her hand in a fist to demonstrate rock. I closed my hand over the top of hers and gave it a squeeze. I didn’t move it away, and she didn’t retreat. “Paper beats rock, Princess.”

Her nostrils flared, and a strong hit of desire slammed into me with the familiar tug on my heart. Instead of commenting on it, I growled, “Run.”

Chapter 41

Gray

Iran, unable to stop the ache in my cheeks because of the wide grin plastered across my face.

We weren’t far from the lodge or the other cabins surrounding it, but these woods were unfamiliar, so I felt like Chrome’s prey. And oddly, I wasn’t objecting. It was only a game, but I felt like there was an underlying meaning behind it: that he’d always find me, no matter the mind state he rested in.

We couldn’t use our magic, and we couldn’t use weapons, but pretending we were mere mortals was unrealistic.

I kept my senses wide open, focusing on my surroundings in the ways I’d been trained by Void. It was November in the South, where it didn’t snow, but the temperature became bitter cold. The gusts of wind stole my breath and brought tears to my eyes while making me sniffle nonstop.

I came to a stop at the edge of a small creek. The shallow water washed over rocks and sticks buried in the bed. Heart racing, I scanned the surrounding area, totally unaware of my location, but I had no doubt that Chrome knew.

A large, coiled tree arched over the creek, leading to the other side of the bank. The trunk wasn’t dead, so I scaled it andtight-walked to the other side, all the while feeling the adrenaline from being hunted down pumping through my veins. I loved the thrill.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done something fun and childlike. My best guess was when Slate was still alive, but even then, we were limited in our quests and activities due to the king’s oppressive hold on me. I needed this.

I sprinted through the woods, not bothering to quiet my footsteps as I tried to find a concealed spot to hide. The smile never wavered.

At last, I found a large animal den of some type—probably vacated by coyotes—burrowed into the ground under a leaning tree. The entrance was large enough for me to squeeze through. Barely.

I probably should’ve inspected whether the den was truly abandoned before making the executive decision to enter, but I had to hide somewhere, and time was running out. Chrome would be upon me any minute.

The protection from the den spared me from the brisk wind that chilled my bones, but I still only wore a cloak that wasn’t quite warm enough.

Roughly five minutes passed, and my fingertips had already begun losing feeling. It was times like these when I questioned why I preferred the cold to the brutal heat. But I’d take it over the humidity any day. Hypothermia for the win.

Another five minutes went by, and I started to question if I had hidden too well. How long was I supposed to hide? Wasn’t there supposed to be a base I needed to beat him back to? Or was that another game? I couldn’t remember because I’d never been invited to play with the other kids either at school or at the palace. I decided to just sit and wait him out.

If anything, my chattering teeth would give me away.

The softest crunch of leaves sounded from the ground above me. I did my best to still the shivering.

The light footfalls moved past me. A mixture of glee and frustration warred within me that he hadn’t found me. Until he stopped and turned around.

I tried to silence my breaths, but it was hard to mute them completely.

Finally, his face framed with chrome hair came into view through the hole in the ground, surrounding his head with a halo of waning light. A wicked grin and a hungry glint in his eyes, marked him as the most dangerous being alive—an apex predator.

“I found you,” he murmured, his voice husky.