Page 35 of Vicious Luna
When the top half of my body is out, the curve of my butt gets stuck, and it’s a struggle to wiggle it through. Once I do, though, my legs slip through quickly and I’m out.I’m free.
Pushing up to my feet, I snap my head back and forth to scan my surroundings, blinking chaotically. There’s a log cabin at my back and dense forest right in front of me.
Run.
That singular word echoes in my mind over and over as I take off in a dead sprint, my bare feet pounding against the earth. Damnit, I wish I could shift. Even as I run, I mentally reach for my inner wolf, willing her to come out to play. If I’d given it one more day, I’ll bet she would’ve been strong enough to come forward. Instead, the twigs and rocks on the forest floor are cutting up my feet as I push my body to its absolute limit.Guess this is what I get for being impulsive.
Even though I’m running for my life right now, I’m not scared. I’m goddamn elated, because I’m no longer trapped in that claustrophobic cell. I’m breathing fresh air, surrounded by trees and the dense brush of the forest.
I’mfree.
17
Ihave no idea how Luna managed to get the fucking window open when it was painted shut, nor how she was able to climb up and squeeze her body through the small gap to escape through it, but that’s not what’s important right now. Right now, I just need to focus on finding her- because if I don’t, I’ll have to report her escape, and someone else will hunt her down. Someone who doesn’t abhor senseless violence and wouldn’t think twice about bloodying her up to teach her a lesson.
If I was thinking clearly, I would’ve followed protocol the moment I discovered she’d fled. I’d have gathered a team, armed up, and gone out with ample backup and a strategy for the hunt. I’m not thinking clearly, though. Not even close. Whether out of a sense of self-preservation or some twisted impulse to shield the object of my obsession from the brutality of my comrades, I immediately set out to track her down on my own, without any weapons or real plan for bringing her back in.
It's easy to pick up her trail from the basement window on the east side of the cabin to the edge of the forest beyond it. She was clearly in such a rush to escape that she hasn’t madeany attempt to cover her tracks, which bodes well for me in finding her. As unprepared as I am for this chase, the obvious trail she’s left behind indicates that this wasn’t some coordinated escape attempt. She must’ve found a window of opportunity and seized it.Literally.
She can’t have more than a five-minute head start, and despite how wound up I am, I snap into hunter mode as soon as I step into the forest to track her path. She’s been dosed with wolfsbane, so she won’t make it far on foot. I just need to take my time, follow her trail, and secure my prey. Then I can bring her back in before anyone else gets wind of this. Before my father does and makes both of us pay for her lapse in judgment.
Fuck.If I don’t get her back in that cell soon, he’ll have my head for this. Whether or not her escape was my fault, that’s how he’ll see it. Because I didn’t break her down with my fists and make her too scared to run. He’ll say I’m weak and take matters into his own hands.
My heart thumps against my ribcage at a steady cadence, adrenaline flooding my veins as I pick my way through the forest. Though the scent of nature is thick around me, I swear I can smellher, too. My beastie has a distinctive scent, like pears and wildflowers, sweet and delicate. A total contradiction to the woman herself.
Tracking is part and parcel of hunting, and I take note of every broken branch and area of disturbed ground as I follow Luna’s path away from the cabin, my body practically vibrating with excitement. The thrill of the hunt is intoxicating, especially considering the prey I’m after. There’s something primal in the desire to capture her; to bring this wild creature back under my control. I guess I wasn’t lying when I said hunting her would make my dick hard.
The heady feeling of exhilaration steadily builds as I follow her trail through the woods, sensing that I’m closing in on her with every step. Time ceases to exist while mymind’s completely in the zone, focused solely on my objective to track and trap my prey. It’s a painstaking process to slowly and methodically trace her path, but eventually, I’m rewarded when I see a flash of blonde hair up ahead.
I creep closer on silent feet, then slink into the brush for cover as I watch Luna pause to catch her breath, looking around like she’s trying to get her bearings. I could be impulsive and rush in while she’s distracted, but I’ve been on enough hunts to know that patience is key. There’s still too much distance between us. I need to close in on her before I strike, then take her down cleanly and efficiently.
I could really use a tranq gun right about now. With one accurate shot, this all could be over. Even so, some part of me relishes in the thrill of the chase. Higher stakes make for a sweeter victory.
Luna’s head snaps from side to side, like she’s trying to figure out which way to go. Then she glances behind her, right at the thicket of brush where I’m concealed, and my pulse takes off at a gallop. I don’t move. I don’t breathe. I remain frozen until she swings her head back around, then slowly exhale in relief.
My foot shifts, and the snap of a twig beneath my boot spooks her.Damnit.She takes off like a shot, sprinting ahead, and base instinct has me surging from the brush to give chase. Without even looking back, she knows I’m on her tail. She runs faster, pushing herself harder in an effort to maintain the distance between us, but when she trips and almost goes down, it allows me to gain on her. She’s fast, but so am I. She doesn’t make it far before I start closing in.
Another stumble puts me right on her heels, and I seize the opportunity to pounce, grabbing ahold of her and taking us both down to the dirt. I angle my body sideways so I’ll take the brunt of the fall, but the momentum still sends us rolling together in a mess of sprawling limbs. When we finally skid toa stop, I’ve got her pinned beneath my weight, my arms and legs bracketing her body and caging her in.
“What’d I tell you about running?” I snarl, her wide brown eyes finally meeting mine.
With a cry of frustration, she brandishes something metallic and tries to slash at me with it. I’m so caught off guard that I flinch back to avoid the edge of what appears to be a knife, and the element of surprise plays in her favor. In the blink of an eye, she manages to roll away and pop back up to her feet, taking off again in a flurry of movement. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so goddamn annoyed that she just tried to stab me.
Where the hell did she get a knife?
That’s a question I’ll have to sort out the answer to later, because right now, she’s getting away. I can’t let her do that. Grunting in irritation, I push up from the ground and run after her, my primal side relishing in the thrill of extending the chase. I’ve been a hunter for so long that it’s practically woven into my DNA at this point, and I can’t deny the exhilaration I feel as I sprint to catch up, quickly gaining ground until I’m right on her heels once more.
When I take her down for a second time, the impact knocks the air out of us both. We struggle in the dirt, both fighting for the upper hand, while I remain keenly focused on getting ahold of her wrists so she can’t stab me. My size and weight definitely work to my advantage in our scuffle. I manage to get on top of her and wrench her arms above her head, pinning her wrists securely to the ground and finally getting a good look at the weapon in her grasp. A goddamnbutterknife.
“Drop it,” I command.
“No,” she grits out, her knuckles whitening as she does the opposite, tightening her grip around the handle and fighting to yank her hands free.
I drag her wrists closer together, shifting mygrip so I can pin them both with one hand. Then I use the other to pry her fist open until the knife drops. As soon as it hits the ground, I pick up the damn thing and chuck it as far as I can into the forest, satisfied when I hear it land somewhere in the distance.
“Didn’t I tell you not to run, Luna?” I ask again, shifting my weight atop her body to keep her trapped firmly beneath me.
“Fuck you!” she seethes, glaring daggers up at me.