Page 76 of Nightshades
“Just run into the dark. It’s endless since it’s my nightmare—well—a dream now that you’re here.”
“Don’t sweet-talk me when you’re about to hunt me. You’re going to give me a head start, right?”
“Lula-lala-la-la-laa,” I sing, a warning that I am no longer in charge, but my nightmare is.
“You’re the song.” True astonishment has her walking backwards, trying to put more space between us. “I’ve heard you for days now.”
“It’s one of the waysss I get into your head.” I tap a finger on the side of my skull. “And I do love getting into your head, but you’re in mine now. That’s a very dangerous place to be. It’s worse than the dark.” I fall to all fours, blowing out a breath that turns to fog in the night. “Tick Tock, Lula. You’d better run. I’m becoming impatient.”
She turns, launching herself into a sprint. Her hair flows behind her, wild and untamed. Looking over her shoulder to see where I’m at, I paw at the ground, the rhino fueling my veins to charge.
I give her such a large head start that she disappears into the night just like I told her to. My blood heats with the anticipation of catching her. My cock extends from its mouth, already dripping with precome. My claws extend, digging into the cold, wet surface of the earth, my muscles trembling and ready to launch.
Do I play with her emotions? Do I tease her? How long should I scare her?
Reaching between my legs from the thoughts, I swipe a finger over the flared thick crown, gathering the precome, then suck it into my mouth. I shiver when I allow myself to think about being connected to her in reality. She’s still wrapped around my cock, her tightness gripping me as more orgasms take over her body.
I don’t only want her in reality.
I want her in my nightmares too.
This nightmare, especially, is the darkest one I have. And already, she’s making it feel like a dream.
When I can no longer hear her breathing as she runs, I take off, running full speed into the darkness. The further away I get from the house that holds my mother’s and father’s murder, the better I feel.
The emptiness of the abyss of space morphs into a forest. The trees are tall with massive trunks that can easily be hidden behind. She has no idea how I’ve set her up to fail. I can easily find her now by her scent, hearing her breathe, hearing every step she takes, her heartbeat, everything is working against her.
It’s a few degrees cooler within the thick of the woods. Fog hovers over the ground, drifting in slow motion. Lifting my head, I inhale, allowing her aroma to seep into my lungs to tell me where to go.
With a quick jerk of my head to the left, I run again, tearing down trees that are in my way with one solid swipe of my arm. The ground shakes with every step I take, the leaves shaking from the vibrations traveling through the ground and up the roots of the trees.
When I’m close enough to her, I slow. I don’t want to give away my position. She’s up ahead, twisting and turning to find me. Even from this far, her fear smells like a fresh rain at night with loud thunder and hot, intense lightning. There’s a warm undertone to it, a bitterness that reminds me of licorice.
Lula is my sweet treat, even when she’s afraid.
“Lula-lala-la-la-la,” I sing, dashing closer to her with my enhanced abilities.
I hide behind the tree next to her, remaining quiet and stealthy. My heart is fucking racing. I press my hand against the middle of my chest, needing to feel the strong beat bumping against my ribcage.
Taking a moment to wonder what I’m experiencing, it dawns on me that I’m excited.
I’m…happy.
She’s allowing me to hunt her. She accepts me, for me. What I need to survive, to thrive, she’s willing to give.
My mate deserves the sun, but unfortunately, she is damned to the moon.
I peek around the tree trunk, my mouth salivating when the salty air of her sweat lingers. A growl works its way up my throat, but I hold it in, needing to remain quiet.
“Lula-lala-la-la-la.” I dash to another tree, dig my claws into the bark, and climb up it.
“Shade!” She twists and turns, that wonderful smell of her fear feeding my sinister soul.
I climb higher into the tree, hiding myself in the snow-covered branches. Our surroundings are so dark, it’s impossible for her to see me unless I’m directly in front of her. A chitter clicks within my throat, the nightmare singing its happiness.
Jumping from one tree to another, the snow jostles from the branches and falls. Lula peers up, trying to locate where I’m at before taking off running again. I laugh to myself, finding her effort to escape me adorable.
“Lula-lala-la-la-laaa.”