Now she can run as fast as she wants to, she just can’t go too far. I watched as she checked in at the front desk of the cute little boutique hotel and sighed before settling down in the bed again. I still have a few hours left before I have to go hunt her down and I have a feeling that after tonight my peace and quiet will come to a sudden end.
My eyes were at half-mast when she dragged herself up the short flight of stairs to the room she’d rented and once she locked herself inside and dropped down on the bed I knew it was safe to sleep again. I smirked at her thoughts of what to do, where to go…
Damn little fool! My mark had brought her closer to me.
Natalia
I fell asleep, how the hell did that happen? One minute I was sitting on the side of the bed trying to come up with something that would thwart him and the next…I was waking up from what must’ve been a very deep sleep because I have no recollection of anything between then and now.
I got my bearings and left the bed, heading for the bathroom to relieve my bladder. As I washed my hands over the sink I looked at the mark that was no longer as dark as it had been just a few hours ago. I didn’t fool myself that I was out of the woods yet, but that was a good sign wasn’t it?
My body felt a bit strange but I put that off to the time of the month. I usually get lethargic one moment and full of sexual angst the next; hormones! And though there was an added edge to what I felt this time around, I didn’t think too much of it. With all that’s been going on these past few days it’s no wonder my body is feeling part of the strain.
Outside the windows the sun was still up so I’d only lost a few hours. Now it was time to really get myself in gear. There was a lot I could do, but because I’m not too familiar with my opponent I felt a bit limited. Shielding is something that can be done from almost anyone when done right, but how would that work with this thing on my neck?
I rubbed it beneath my fingers as I’ve been doing but nothing happened. There was no burning sensation like before, though I did feel a strange tingling just beneath the surface of my skin.
“You’re just spooking yourself Nat.” I paced from one end of the room to the next until the growling of my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten all day. I’d been too nervous this morning to enjoy breakfast, all of us had been.
It was just past four, the sun has been setting later and later the closer we got to summer so I still had another three or four hours at least. The short skirt and light sweater I’d worn were a bit rumpled from my nap but that couldn’t be helped. It’s not like I could risk running back to the house for a change of clothes.
My fairy self hates to be anything but perfect when out in public but her natural distaste didn’t stand a chance against the persistent hunger rumbling in my tummy. I grabbed my purse from the nightstand and headed for the door. I’d rented the room for one night, hoping against hope that come morning this whole thing would be over.
As long as I could stay out of his reach until daybreak I should be fine, at least that’s what I gathered from what he’d said. Or had I misunderstood? He’d said we had seven days, which had been cut short because my egg had dropped which meant the time had been cut considerably.
But did that mean that after tonight he’d leave me alone, or that he’d become rabid? Crap, why didn’t I think about this? How could I have overlooked something like that? Raw panic dogged my steps as I left the little hotel in search of sustenance.
The food looked and smelled delicious but I didn’t taste a bite of the seafood pasta I usually love. As I sat there in the little out of the way restaurant staring down at my plate unseeingly I felt myself grow short of breath of all things and that tingling beneath my skin only seemed to be getting worst.
I left the restaurant and headed for the busiest place in the little square. It’s easier to blend in amongst a crowd than to stand out alone. It was Monday so there was nothing going on but people were out and about enjoying the unseasonable warmth of the late spring evening.
As the sun started to make its descent in the sky I stopped into the nearest grocery store and stocked up. I bought every bulb of garlic they had in the place before heading for the church at the other end of the town square. A bottle of holy water could be bought these days for a pittance when once it was priceless but I didn’t have time to worry about the incongruity of that now.
Even as I gathered this stuff I knew there was a good chance none of it would work. This was all that my sisters and I had come up with when we were looking for ways to escape him. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that he’d already entered my bedroom without an invitation and that most of the lore we’d read might be nothing more than drivel.
I regretted the fact that I’d never taken the time to learn much about them, but we’d been estranged for so long who could know that a time would arise when I’d need to know every little detail? As I left the little church I felt as though there were eyes watching me through the growing dark.
Of course it was just nerves, he couldn’t find me that easily even with his mark on my neck I’m sure. I’d put my shields in place and now with my extra protection it wouldn’t be that easy surely. I lifted the bag with the raw garlic closer to my chest even as that feeling of breathlessness assailed me again.
I hurried my steps as the sun seemed to have disappeared faster than normal and for a split second became disoriented. I looked around when my head cleared and didn’t recognize the place where I stood. I turned in a full circle and did not recognize any of the landmarks from before.
Before I could go into a full-blown panic there was a soft caress, like someone had blown a kiss against the mark on my neck and it started heating up again. This time not only my neck, but there seemed to be a heat radiating throughout my body, concentrated in my chest and making its way down between my thighs.
My pulse raced and my limbs felt heavy as if I couldn’t take another step. ‘Lucien!’ It could only be him taking over my senses this way, making me feel needy, hungry. My nymph rolled awake even as my fairy self tried to hold on to my sanity.
I felt a force holding me back, keeping me from moving too fast as I tried to make sense of where I was. That force field from before was even stronger now and in my head the words ‘no escape’ kept repeating themselves. ‘He’s here!’
I didn’t see him, couldn’t hear him, but I knew he’d caught up with me. If I were honest with myself I’d admit that I knew it was inevitable, that maybe the reason I hadn’t put up much of a fight is because I knew that this would be the end result. But I can’t just stand here like a stupid lamb to the slaughter.
Where had all the people gone? My steps became shorter, almost labored as I fought the rising heat like a throbbing ache between my thighs. Each step was torture, the touch of my clothes against my skin almost sensual. I wanted…. I don’t know what I wanted, but I know I need to get out of here.
LUCIEN
I woke with her scent in my nose and a feeling of contentment. Finally, we’ve reached the end. After tonight there’d be no more questions between us. We’ll either survive or destroy each other. I took a nice long shower paying very close attention to my cock, which hadn’t been in use for more than a week now. Had to get him ready for his queen.