Page 4

Chapter

Four

Syros

O ne breath has my senses drowning in a minty, floral scent that clings to the mortal’s pale skin, and another allows me to push past it to her sweaty, gamey aroma.

She smells fucking delicious, and I bet she’ll taste even better.

The rush of her blood over my tongue, the intoxicating sensation of dragging my claws across her skin and watching it split open…

My growl rumbles through every part of my body.

I’ve waited for this moment.

For exactly six months, I’ve waited. The humans always come—no matter how terrified they are, they congregate in the woods like animals with no sense for their own safety.

I never have to venture far in order to find my prey.

Some years, I stumble upon a campsite and gorge myself on them, all lined up in neat rows around a fire like the light will somehow protect them from things that should scare them out in the darkness.

Other years, I have to trek much farther than the nearby, familiar path to find what I’m after. Yet every time the solstice rolls around, it is the same. They see me, they scream, and they run.

I hunt. Then, my stomach is filled, and I am satiated for another six months.

They do not all smell the same, however, and at times my prey has tasted nearly as foul as their smell. Fear can be the most delightful addition to the blood if the rest of the package is put together well, but like animals, humans are not made equal.

This one, however…

I draw in another breath, and my gut flips in anticipation.

She’s short, even by human standards, and petite, with a strange, mechanical device hanging around her neck like a large pendant. Silver hair spills around her shoulders, standing out vibrantly against her black clothes, and her jagged breaths are the only sound that breaks the silence.

We stare each other down without blinking.

I’ve never particularly cared for human appearances, but I’d venture to say this one is attractive. Surely a sight for the male species on this planet, like a rare flower.

What a shame, since I’m seconds away from tearing out her petals.

I’m sure they gawk at her with the same sense of desire coursing through me, yet for an entirely different reason.

A fire ignites in my veins that heats my skin, and the desire to sink my teeth into her flesh tears another needy, desperate growl from my chest. It’s been a long time, countless nights, since I’ve indulged in the rich, delectable taste of a human.

And it’s time to sate my hunger.

There is nothing finer, and this one, my senses tell me, will be especially tasty.

I can sense her heart racing as she stares up at me, flitting wildly in her chest as her bright eyes climb my body, meeting mine at last. Her fear is potent and seeps out of her pores to flame the fire burning within me, sending a ripple of arousal through me. Straight to my cock.

Bloodlust and desire are one and the same.

My instincts urge me to lunge at her, to sink my claws into her and drag her through the portal, back to my dying realm, but they’re overpowered by my desire to hunt her down.

To give her a false sense of hope that she can escape me, only to rip it away at the last second.

To hear her screams as she fights to get away and then silence them with my claws around her throat.

There is something primal about the hunt and the eventual victory. It lights a fire in me more than any taste of flesh.

I can already imagine running my tongue across the wounds I’ll make, tasting her blood and chewing on her delicate flesh. My mouth waters, and beads of saliva drip from my maw.

Oh, how I’m going to enjoy every second of this.

Pretty little thing. How still she stands there, rooted in place by her terror. Overwhelmed, yet drawn to the portal as any moth would be to a flame. Whatever is going on in her mind, she stares at me, mystified.

The brief moment of eye contact between us seems to stretch on forever before she turns and bolts deeper into the woods, her vibrant hair flowing like a beacon behind her. My muscles tense, eager to chase after her, but I hesitate.

I want to give her a head start, just enough to make her believe she has a shot at escaping.

A false sense of confidence will make catching her that much sweeter.

They always run. And they never make it far.

Either their fear trips them, or they allow it to turn them in circles in an unfamiliar landscape. Not to mention how delicate humans are—they break down with the slightest provocation.

Physically, mentally, or emotionally.

I shake out my arms, throwing my shoulders back and lifting my face to the sky overhead. This world has such wonders, and too many humans to ensure their longevity.

They will meet the same fate as my world, inevitably, where their kind overpopulates and their resources grow thin.

As such, I’m doing them a favor by culling the herd.

I wait several tense seconds until the girl’s shimmering hair is a pinprick in the distance, and then I take off after her. Weaving my way through tree trunks and crushing through bushes and vines and dense shrubs, I close the distance between us. Her scent grows stronger with her added perspiration, drenching the air and driving me wild as I pursue her.

She makes a left, and then a right, as though it’ll throw me off course despite not knowing her way. Her confusion is as evident as her anxiety.

Little does she know she’s only making my blood boil hotter as the chase sets fire to every part of me. She’s quick—I’ll give the little human that much.

Quick and desperate to survive.

And lighter on her feet than I may have given her initial credit for. This time, the growl purrs along the back of my throat, equal parts desire and glee. Ah, this is part of the fun. And more fun than I’ve had in years. There is something about this woman that pricks my curiosity.

Dropping to all fours, I pick up the pace, hunger gripping and twisting my insides. I catch sight of her and roar. The sound is loud enough to rustle the leaves overhead and a flurry of them scatter to the ground like they’ve been caught in an invisible breeze.

I run my tongue along my teeth, my gaze zeroing in as my instincts fight to cloud my judgment.

She’ll be so easy to ruin.

Once I catch her, it will be a small matter to tear her apart and devour. The joy of it, the sheer and unadulterated joy of this place with its endless pleasures designed to satiate me…

It would only take a few more seconds to reach her. To grab her and throw her against the damp ground, pinning her there. But I’m not done playing with her. Not yet.

It will spoil the mood to end this too early.

No, I’m going to draw this out as long as I can for both of us, until I can’t resist anymore. Until I’m panting, limbs aching from being denied what I want so badly, and I’ll enjoy every torturous second of it.

Then I’ll get to claim what’s mine.

I dive to the right, slipping off the path the girl is blazing through the woods and hunch lower, picking up speed. I keep my steps nimble and light as I race ahead, passing her by a long shot, and then curving back around. I step behind a wide tree trunk, large enough to conceal me entirely, and wait for her to catch up.

Every second that crawls by is torturous, making my mouth water more.

Her crashing footsteps through the underbrush give her away, growing louder and more careless as exhaustion slows her down.

I chuckle. Too easy.

It always is.

These humans are no match for my speed or strength, which makes these rare ventures to their planet so much more fun. They have no idea what monsters really wait for them, existing in the shadows.

They’re helpless, defenseless, and for some reason, always wandering into the woods alone. Clearly they’re not very smart either. If they were, they’d at least come prepared to fight. Instead, they practically offer themselves up to me every solstice.

I almost feel sorry for them.

Until I’m gnawing on their bones and draining the marrow from them, and then I don’t feel so bad.

The human’s footsteps grow louder as her feet struggle to find their way through the tangled underbrush, and a deep breath has her sweaty, floral scent filling my nostrils again, coating every nook and cranny of my senses. It’s all I can do to remain hidden, resisting the urge to tear after her, but I manage to keep my hiding spot and suppress the rumble of pleasure rolling in my chest.

I’m too hungry to be careless, practically starved since the last solstice. Capturing this prey will be perfect and surpassed only by how incredible she’ll taste on my tongue. My mouth waters and saliva drips, coating the patchy fur on my chest.

When she’s mere feet away, I step out from behind the tree, straight into her path, and her momentum drives her right into my chest. With a shrill squeak, she bounces off and tumbles to the ground, landing on her backside.

So predictable.

I take a step forward, swiping my tongue along my teeth again, her scent crashing into me in a seductive cloud. It smells and feels so good.

Need to taste.

Need to devour.

She frantically crawls backward in a futile attempt to get away. When it becomes apparent she has no chance of escaping, her eyes pop open wide and she reaches for her necklace, her shaky fingers pressing at it frantically.

What is this little mortal doing?

Nothing is going to save her at this point. We’ve come too far and I’m starving. I will never let her go, no matter what tricks she attempts to pull out of her pocket. It would take a miracle for her to escape me.

She isn’t begging, either. Normally at this point, once they’ve gone down, they are frantic and pleading for me to show them mercy. There is never any to be found, though. There is something delightful in watching the hope die in their eyes before I steal their dying breath for my own.

But this one has her lips pressed into a thin line and her jaw clenched as her fingers find whatever they sought before.

What does she think will happen?

Curiosity makes me hesitate before a bright flash of light erupts from the device. It’s blinding, bathing us in white, and for a brief moment the woods disappear. There is only the light blotting out every single other thing around us.

Magic?

Colorful spots flash before my eyes, and I shake my head in an attempt to clear my vision, roaring in frustration when it takes several seconds for the sensation to fade.

I scrub the back of my hand across my eye sockets to clear them.

It isn’t pain, exactly, but the sensation is less than pleasant.

When the darkness of the woods returns to me and I’m able to see clearly, it’s just in time to see the girl’s silver hair disappearing in the distance once again, and my chest shakes with a single chuckle.

Clever girl, isn’t she?

I don’t know what momentary magic her device casted over me, but clearly, this human wants to play games too.

Unluckily for her, I never lose.