The Chase Begins

LIANA

The food is amazing, Char was definitely right about that, but Lucian’s teasing has driven me crazy and by the time we are finished polishing off our meal, I am ready to crack.

~“Lucian,”~ I whine internally, and he almost chokes on his drink from the neediness in my voice. Turning to me and setting his drink back down on the table, his eyes are drawn straight down to my thighs, pressed together under the table as I do my best to trap in the scent of my wetness. I can see the hunger lingering in his eyes and know just how to catch him.

Opening my thighs slightly I let some of my scent free and his eyes close for a moment before they open with a burning intensity.

Kia almost leaps out of his seat with a jolt and he turns to Lucian with a stern look in his eye. I can see they’re communicating with each other, Kia pleading with Lucian to do something about my need, I’m sure. Even as a mated male, it’s not easy for him to resist a she-wolf’s needs.

~“Come with me. Now,”~ Lucian growls to me in his mind while his eyes are still on Kia, as if checking that he’s not going to make a move. He stands swiftly and I take his hand as he storms out of the restaurant with me in tow.

***

I don’t think I’ve ever been up this mountain before they built the restaurant, but the view from up here is incredible. You can see the river that divides the territories of Lucian’s kingdom and the neighboring queen’s land.

I don’t get much time to admire it, though, as Lucian spins me in his arms and pushes me back against the protective railing.

“Do you think that it’s funny to wind up every wolf near you, Princess?”

His face is hard but his voice is light, and I smile in the sweetest way I can muster.

“Maybe…” I tease, and that gets a small smile back. Glancing over his shoulder to check if we’re alone, he looks back at me with a devilish glint in his eyes.

“Strip.”

I blanch and look around. “W-what?”

“You heard me, Princess. Strip.” The depth in his voice sends that warm tingle down my spine and raises the hairs on my skin. Without taking my eyes off him, I reach around the back of my dress and slide the zipper down. The wonderful thing about this fabric is the way it slips down my body into a pool of silk at my feet.

“Holy mother of all that is great…” His eyes devour my form, and he groans with approval at the barely-there lace bodysuit that Alejandro helped me carefully conceal beneath the beautiful dress. Skimming his fingertips over the fabric’s edge, he shivers involuntarily and somehow passes it through to me with his slight touch. “Run,” he murmurs and takes one step back from me.

My brow rises slightly, and he smiles in that challenging way.

“Run, little princess. Hide, ~if you think you can.” Rolling his shoulders back, he shrugs off his suit jacket and loosens his tie slightly. “~When I catch you, because you know I will, I will give you what you want… ~But if I find you too easily, then you get nothing.”

I smile mischievously and look down over the cliff edge to the miles of forest before the river’s edge.

“Can you challenge me, Princess?” he asks in a mock-threatening tone, and I narrow my eyes at him.

Taking my time, I lock his eyes and purposely peel the lace from my body to stand bare before him. He once again shudders but still smiles back at me.

“Run fast. Hide well. You have a ten-minute head start while I settle our bill. Off you go, pup, and good luck.” He turns his back on me to allow my escape. I already know exactly which way I’m going, and quickly leap over the guard rail, shifting as I fall.

***

Landing on the rough shale, I slide slightly but catch my footing quickly. I look up at the cliffside I just jumped from and laugh at the look of pure terror on Lucian’s face before he relaxes and smiles. Shaking his head, he walks off toward the restaurant and is soon out of sight.

I take a moment to assess my surroundings and lift my nose into the air. I smell no nearby wolves, so that’s good. I pick up the promising smell of some damp moss far off to my left—but before I head toward it, I stop myself.

~That’s where he’ll expect you to go, to hide your scent.~

Looking into the darkness of the thick evergreens on my right, I sniff again, taking in the fresh pine smell before taking off in that direction.

The run feels incredible. My muscles, once built up and tight, are now loose and lax. I bring my pace down to a steady trot so I can take in some of my surroundings. Damn, I love this lycan vision. I could see well before, but man, now it’s like I can see every particle around me. I stop for a sniff around, knowing I’ve been running for some time now, although I’m not sure how long exactly. I inhale the air deeply but can’t pick up any whiff of Lucian at all. In fact, I can’t even hear him within me.

Looking around some more, I realize I have no idea where I am. I basically followed the river that I can still hear in the distance, but how far I followed it I’m not sure.

~“Lucian?”~ I reach out, hoping to hear something from him in reply. I look up at the silver moon; only three more nights until it’s full.

~“My queen,”~ he pushes back finally, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

~“I have no idea where I am,”~ I joke. As I peer around into the moonlit night, I feel his answering amusement.

~“I do,”~ he says, still mock-threatening. ~“You smell too good to resist, my love. Be careful.”~

~“I will,”~ I say, laughing internally. I need to get back on the run. His presence is getting stronger as he closes the net around me.

After running further than I expected, I close in on the river’s edge and roll myself in some of the sticky mud along the bank.

I hear Lucian’s wild howl in the distance as he realizes I’ve covered my scent. I giggle to myself and search for somewhere to hide along the riverbank.

Finding a soft patch in the bank, I quickly dig a hole just big enough to tuck myself into. The water laps along my stomach and my tucked up feet, but I’m unbothered. My body is pumped with too much adrenaline and excitement.

I focus and quieten my breathing— and wait.