Page 131 of Mine To Hunt

A sudden surge of fear pushes me forward and I break into a jog, my heart pounding so hard it feels painful inside my chest. Panic drains my energy quickly, but instinct forces my legs to keep moving.

Behind me, I hear the change in his pace. His footsteps shift into a jog as well. Steady, controlled, never rushed. The sound of them growing closer makes tears sting my eyes as terror rises higher inside me.

I run faster, desperate to put distance between us, but the quiet street offers nowhere to hide. The calm certainty in his pursuitmakes everything feel worse, like he already knows this chase will end the way he wants it to.

Ahead of me, a narrow path leads into a wooded trail. Without thinking, I turn toward it. It is darker than the road and far less visible, but it is closer, and right now instinct matters more than logic.

Branches scrape against my arms as I push through the trees, leaving thin lines of pain I barely notice. Twigs snap loudly under my shoes with every step, echoing through the still morning air.

My breathing becomes ragged almost immediately, each inhale burning my lungs. Nothing matters except getting away. My phone nearly slides out of my pocket as I run, and I grab it tightly, holding onto it like it might be the only thing that could save me if I find a moment to call for help.

Behind me, his footsteps continue through the trees closing the distance little by little. His footsteps follow into the woods. Heavy. Not angry. Just persistent.

"Stop running, Iris."

His voice cuts through the trees behind me, closer than before. I don’t respond. I can’t spare the breath even if I wanted to. Panic is climbing higher inside my chest, making every inhale shallow and painful as I force my legs to keep moving.

"I want you to understand something." He continues calmly from somewhere behind me, his voice steady despite the chase. "You can’t escape me. No matter where you go. No matter who you talk to."

I keep running, my focus narrowing to the uneven ground beneath my feet. The chase stretches on, and exhaustion begins to creep in, slowly replacing the sharp edge of adrenaline.

My legs start to tremble with the effort. A sharp cramp forms in my side, stabbing with every breath. Tears blur my vision as fatigue and fear mix together, making the trail ahead harder to see.

"You can’t run forever." He calls again, even closer now. "Sooner or later you’ll have to stop."

My shoes slip more than once in the loose dirt, nearly sending me crashing down, but I keep moving, driven by the raw instinct to survive. I don’t look back. I don’t slow down. I just run.

Then my foot catches on something hidden beneath the leaves.

I trip hard over a thick root and fall forward with a cry of surprise, hitting the ground with enough force to knock the air completely out of my lungs. Pain shoots through my palms as they scrape against the dirt, and my knee slams into the ground.

For a few terrifying seconds I can’t breathe at all. My chest burns as my body struggles to pull air back into my lungs.

Behind me, his footsteps slow. Then they stop. I don’t need to turn around to know he’s standing there. I can feel the presence behind me, heavy and unavoidable.

A moment later he steps closer, and his shadow stretches over the ground beside me before I even see him. He crouches slightly, his voice low and controlled when he speaks.

"You shouldn’t have gone looking for me."

I try to crawl backward, desperate to put even a little space between us, but my back hits the rough bark of a tree almost immediately. The impact traps me there, leaving nowhere else to move. My chest rises and falls quickly as panic floods through me.

"Please…" The word escapes before I can stop it, my voice shaking. "Please just leave me alone."

He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he reaches down and grabs my wrist, his fingers closing around it with a firm, unyielding grip. I gasp as he pulls me closer, terror rushing through me so suddenly it makes my whole body go rigid.

I squeeze my eyes shut and cover my face with my free hand, my voice breaking as fear finally spills out of me.

Chapter 40

Him

Iapproach the building under the cover of night, moving carefully so no one notices my presence. Every step is planned, quiet and controlled, because even the smallest mistake could ruin everything I have prepared for Iris. My focus is sharp and steady, my mind fixed only on the task ahead.

When I reach the outer wall, I throw a small hook attached to a rope up toward the ledge above. It catches securely, and I pull myself up the wall with steady strength, climbing carefully until I reach the roof. I pause for a moment, listening, making sure no one is nearby.

On the roof, I quickly disable the alarm system that protects the building, using a small device that temporarily shuts down the signal so the system won’t notice anything unusual. Once I’m sure the alarm is inactive, I open a narrow access panel that I had already identified during an earlier visit to the area.

I lower myself quietly through the opening and land inside the building, careful not to make a sound. The corridors are dark and empty. Wearing gloves so I leave no traces behind, I movethrough the hallway slowly, paying attention to every detail around me.