Page 60 of Dark Flame

I suck in a breath through my mouth, swallowing the scent of her fear. It prickles the roof of my mouth. Have I ever craved a being’s blood as much as I do hers? No, and I doubt there will ever be anyone else who makes me so ravenous. And itisher—all her. I’d been around dozens of Sinclairs, and not one of them had me dreaming of draining her dry in every manner possible.

A lifetime of self-preservation demands I don’t believe Freya’s claim that I’m too old for the weakened cure to be effective. But the short few days of craving my witch wipes away all that sensibility and demands I consume.

After another few steps, my ears pick up something that suggests I’m close.

Her tiny pants. Her breathing is ragged, lined with exhaustion and fear.

I smile.

Continuing at a walking pace, I catch up quicker than she can escape. Through the tree trunks, I spot her, hair streaming behind her. I match my next few steps to her heartbeat, memorizing the sound as it ricochets through my brain and sanity, demanding I feed.

I flick my tongue against a fang.Soon.

I can’t fucking wait…but only after I play with my food. After all, that hunt passed too quickly. She made the rules for round one, so now, it’s my turn to design the second round.

Unfortunately for her, I don’t play fair nor easy.

I let her run a few more feet, wallowing in the sense of satisfaction that she’s managed to escape. It’s thrilling, seeing her believe she’s a winner in a game I’ve been playing since before her birth.

Silly little witch doesn’t even peek behind her as she flees. So confident that she has this. She pushes between two trees when I streak by, my steps cracking on nearby twigs.

She gasps, spinning, but I’m already gone, shielded by the shadows of trees too far for her weak eyes to pick up.

Once she starts sprinting another direction, I do it again, and she yet again stops, scanning the trees.

“Alec, stop fucking around! I know it’s you.”

It could be the wolves and bears that also roam these woods, but unfortunately for her, I’m the most dangerous hunter on her trail.

She starts running again, her feet making all sorts of mess in how they kick up sticks and leaves. This time when I catch up, she slams into me, face in my chest, her curse disrupting the silent woods.

Once regaining her footing, she stares, finally understanding what she’s done. “I, I had to. You would have too if you were in my position.”

She doesn’t wait for my answer before bolting, this time towards the right. Now it’s adorable defiance, because the game’s up. I’ve caught her, so she seriously can’t believe she’ll escape now?

By the next tree, she glances over her shoulder, but I haven’t moved. I wait for her to face forward before robbing her of escape once again.

“You’ve fucked up, Hellion, and now you have to pay the price of your carelessness.”

She backs up, blown eyes darting around as the perfect little prey. For every two steps she takes, I take one. Her attention scurries to me like a scared bunny when sticks crack beneath my weight.

“Y-you can’t attack. You can’t drink from me. You’ll die.”

I tilt my head, focusing on her pulse. “Sounds like you care.”

“I don’t. It’s a warning.”

A warning that not only will I ignore, but I’ll gamble my immortality on if only for a better taste than the one she forced on me the other night.

“I have a warning for you as well.” My chin lowers, lips lifting until she can see exactly how extended my fangs are. How hungry she’s made me. “I have your scent memorized. You can run all night long, but there’s nowhere you’ll hide that I won’t be able to find you.”

She licks her lips, her nervous energy only feeding my hunger that much more. “I only have to make it ’til sunrise.”

I glance between the trees and towards the horizon. “Night fell not even an hour ago. You have a long night of evading me if you wish to make it until morning.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.”

I chuckle, the sound slithering through the trees and wrapping her in my taunt. “Please do, Miss Sinclair, and make it fun for me while you’re at it.”