Page 15 of Kat Bethel

The candle.

It burned down far enough to tell me it had been a long while, but I couldn’t say exactly what that was. The accumulated wax sloshed when I jostled in my struggle.

I took a deep inhale through my nose, letting the lemony scent fill my nose. Strings of sanity returned to me, anchoring me to that little bedroom where my cousins would burn lemon balm to help me sleep.

When I exhaled, it was easier to focus.

How long had it taken me to walk to the settlement the first time?

Would that even be helpful? Considering something had been actively holding me back for miles.

I was exhausted. The gas tank was empty, and I didn’t even know how much further the exit was.

A heavy hand pressed down on my back, making my knees buckle. Tears pricked my eyes.

How much further could I go like this? Did I even want to live that much? Two months ago, I hadn’t.

The lemon balm filled my nose with my next ragged breath.Esme and Willow.

I let out a guttural shout of frustration, tears pricking my eyes. Giving up wasn’t an option.

A tendril slid around my throat and squeezed, but didn’t cut off my air, as the shadow pressed himself to my back. With a single force of something, maybe a foot, to the back of my knee I collapsed to the ground. I used my body as a shield against the wind, crawling on one hand.

Were the trees thinning? My heart pounded against my chest, but I tried to squash the hope. Disappointment killed faster than grim endurance.

The wind whirled into a tunnel around me.

“Fuck you!” My nails dug into the dirt below me, pulling myself forward.

A hum vibrated on my back, and it was a gut punch to my ego. He was so unbothered, it was an insult.

I was the hunter that made the most vicious of creatures wail for mercy. How dare he?

“I’m going to hurt you,” I grumbled between my teeth. I’d get out of here, figure out how to destroy him, and hand deliver his destruction as painfully as possible.

He shoved me until I was belly-down on the ground. Hard enough to make me nauseous.

A big wave of icy breath blew across my face in one quick spurt, blowing out my candle like he was making a wish for the best birthday gift ever.

My heart stopped.

Fuck.

The sensation of lips, giving me a deep affectionate kiss on the cheek, shook me before all the weight disappeared off me.

I was so wrapped up in his passion that it took me too long to realize I wasn’t restrained anymore. I shook off the way my heart yearned for that type of desire. I wasn’t a fool. He let me go, but I still forced myself to crawl away. Desperate to make any progress before he trapped me in that damn forest.

Two seconds later, I cleared the tree line. Brilliant orange light peeked over the horizon, like some kind of miracle.

I was out.

I scrambled to my feet, putting a few feet between me and the trees. My eyes shot to the entryway to see the shadow leaning casually against a tree, as if the fight of my life had been nothing for him.

Here I was, covered in dirt and sweat in every uncomfortable crease, standing on shaky jelly legs and a throbbing shin, and he was so unaffected it made me want to go back in. I didn’t fall for the bait, I wouldn’t win.

The only reason I made it out was because he let me.

My shadow stretched unnaturally toward the trees as if it wanted to stay behind with him. I didn’t give that a second thought, stumbling back to put as much distance between us as possible.