Chapter Eight

Horny Vampires.

"Why is everything harder at night? Being sick …much worse at night. Fear … more intense when it's dark. Desire … damn near impossible to ignore when the moon rules the sky." ~Katy

Katy sighed and shifted on the bed. Her body hurt everywhere, and she was sick of lying down and of feeling so weak. And now Otto was gone. He was going to help keep her best friends safe on their quest, which dulled the sting a little, but she still missed him. He was better entertainment than any show on TV.

She heard the door to the house open and close. The butterflies, which had taken up residency in her stomach since meeting Gage, stirred wildly. She'd discovered that though her life force was tied to the two women and the bond made her weak, the weakness didn't put a damper on her desire for Gage. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to be near him. When he'd left to take Otto to the plane, she'd wanted to cry out after him not to leave her. It was so irrational and ridiculous that she'd forced her lips closed. She could lie and blame it on the supernatural bond between them, but the truth was, she was already crazy about the Dire Wolf. He wasn't just incredibly handsome. He was noble, bold, a man of good character—even if he was a grumpy ass—and Katy was completely smitten with him.

"Whoa." His deep voice rumbled as he hurried into their room. "Why are you getting up? You need rest."

"I also need to pee. Lucky for you, I'm already house broken. Although, leave me for too long and I'm bound to pee in your bed."

"Our bed," Gage corrected and scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. He carried her to the bathroom and set her on her feet. "You good?"

"Regardless, you will not be staying in here while I use the restroom. In fact, go outside. And go far away."

Gage frowned. "Why?"

"Because you're a super-badass Dire Wolf, which means you probably have super-badass hearing, and I don't want you listening to me pee." She made a shooing motion with her hands. "There has to be some mystery in a relationship if you want the desire to last."

Gage's lips lifted into a crooked smile. "Is that so? And how would you know this?"

"Everyone knows. It's what they say. Keep the mystery alive." Katy's voice rose with each word.

He folded his muscular arms in front of him as he quirked a brow at her. "Who is ‘they?'"

She was about to bust out in the potty dance if this fool didn't get out of the damn bathroom. "They, they, they." She waved her hand like a crazy person. "All the relationship experts." Desperate, she shoved at him. "If you don't give me some serious supernatural privacy, I'm not going to be responsible for my actions."

Gage started walking backwards. "Just so you know, I think I'm going to like a little fight with our loving."

Katy's mouth dropped open as he laughed and shut the door in her shocked face. "What the actual?" She breathed out. "I'm not touching that. Nope," she muttered as she took care of her business and then washed her hands. When she opened the door, Gage was stretched out on the bed—his usual black coat, as well as his shirt, nowhere to be seen.

Katy froze in the bathroom doorway, momentarily spellbound by the sight of Gage's bare chest rising and falling with each breath. Good gracious, the man was carved from granite. Smooth, tanned skin stretched taut over rippling muscles that no amount of workout videos could ever replicate.

Swallowing hard, Katy forced her gaze upward to meet his knowing emerald stare. The smug glint in those eyes snapped her out of her trance.

"Seriously?" She gestured at him incredulously. "Did you take your clothes off just to mess with me?"

"I wanted to get comfortable." His lips twitched, belying the innocence in his tone.

Katy folded her arms, hip cocked. "Uh-huh. So the whole topless lounging thing isn't some ploy to make me ogle you?"

Propping himself up on one elbow, Gage gave her a slow once-over that made her pulse skitter wildly. "I mean, I won't complain if that's a side effect." His voice dropped an octave. "Ogle away, Little Wolf. I certainly have plans to do the same to you."

A flush that had nothing to do with illness crept up Katy's neck. She shook her head wryly, moving to sit beside him on the bed. "Nice line, Romeo. But it's gonna take more than some sweet talk and muscle flexing to seduce me." She trailed a finger down the hard ridges of his abs teasingly. "I'm an independent, modern woman. Your masculine wiles won't work on me."

Gage's abs clenched under her touch, but he merely raised a brow. "Is that a challenge I hear?"

His large hand slid around her waist, and suddenly Katy found herself flat on her back, pinned beneath him. Gage braced himself above her, the heat and tantalizing scent of his body enveloping her. Katy's breath caught as he nuzzled against her throat.

"I don't know," Gage murmured, lips grazing her racing pulse. "I think you like the idea of being seduced, and at my mercy, no matter how fiercely that spirit of yours protests. Your scent doesn't lie, Mate."

Katy shivered even as she glared at him half-heartedly. "That's playing dirty, and you know it. I can't just take a sniff and know what you're feeling."

The desire in his eyes increased. "You're wrong on two counts. First, you can smell me if you just connect with the animal that now lives inside you. And second, you don't need to smell me to know what I desire. I think I'm making it very clear."

Her hands came up, intending to push him back. Instead, her fingers tangled in his ink-dark hair to keep him close. Gage's deep chuckle vibrated against her skin as he continued trailing kisses down the column of her throat.

Katy knew she should stop this before they forgot themselves. But her treacherous body arched closer, chasing more of his intoxicating touch. All of her nerves felt exposed and raw under his intense attention, and Katy wanted to give him all of her and hide at the same time. The intimacy of the moment was overwhelming. She'd never experienced anything like it.

"I need to stop." Gage's voice was breathless and his entire body taut as if restraining himself. With visible effort, Gage drew back, eyes glowing wolf bright. His voice was rough with banked desire. "I should let you rest."

Neither of them moved for several heartbeats, the room crackling with longing. Then Gage rolled to the side with a resigned sigh, pulling her against his chest.

"I've rested enough," Katy growled, her agitation at the situation clear in her voice as she settled her head over his heart, clinging to his steady strength. She wanted nothing more than to give in fully, to seal this bond between them in body and soul. "I shouldn't feel as if I haven't slept in days." After a few minutes of tense silence, Gage's warm hand caressing her arm settled around her.

Katy sighed contentedly as she nuzzled against Gage's bare chest, letting his warmth and strength envelop her. She was so weak, the mysterious curse sapping her energy despite Gage's tireless care.

His large hand moved to stroke down her back. "I've been reading up on Dire Wolf lore. There are legends that claim our kind can heal each other through blood."

Katy lifted her head to meet his solemn gaze. "Like some kind of vampiry-thing?"

Gage frowned. "Well, I guess it's kind of similar, but I don't think vampires are real. And if they were, I don't think they'd go around biting people to heal them. No, I've read that blood sharing can enhance the mate bond, possibly amplify our natural healing ability." His eyes grew uncertain. "I thought perhaps it may help restore some of your strength. Not permanently, because as long as your life is tied to those females, they will continue to drain you. But this might be a way to give you some relief from the exhaustion. I'll only do it if you trust me enough to try."

Considering only a moment, Katy nodded. "I trust you." She laid a hand over his heart. "Do what you think will help."

Relief broke out across his striking face. Gage leaned in slowly until his breath washed warmly over her throat. Katy shivered in anticipation, tilting her head back.

When Gage's teeth first grazed the tender skin of her throat, Katy couldn't help but tense, a shard of fear piercing through the haze of anticipation. Then he bit down, firm yet gentle, and sharp pleasure speared through her entire body.

Katy's eyes drifted closed on a gasp as she sagged against him, overwhelmed by the intimacy of his mouth latched onto her neck. She had expected pain, but this was exhilarating, primal in its intensity. Every pull as he drank sent liquid heat pulsing through her veins.

Gage's arm locked around her waist, supporting her as her body went molten under the onslaught of sensation. His warm, solid chest was an anchor keeping her from sliding out of his arms. Katy clutched at his broad shoulders, certain she would come undone from this alone.

She felt the rhythmic draw as he swallowed, an erotic give and take. When his tongue stroked over the bite, Katy actually whimpered, arching closer. She had never imagined being bitten could be so intoxicating. Biting was supposed to hurt. But if the Dire Wolf's bite was like that, then bite away.

Far too soon, he left the shelter of her neck and bit into his own wrist. The rich, coppery scent flooded her senses, amplifying the haze of need clouding her mind.

"Drink," he commanded gruffly, his voice rough with his own barely leashed hunger. He held the wound insistently to her parted lips. "Take what I freely give, Katy."

Compelled by instinct and the smoldering desire in his eyes, Katy obeyed. She wrapped her lips around the gash, suckling eagerly at the ambrosia welling forth. With the first taste, raw, primal power rushed through her. Gage's wildness, his ancient Dire Wolf spirit, flooded her cells, binding them inexorably together.

She was only vaguely aware of Gage's groan of pleasure or the way his body moved against hers. Her entire being focused solely on the blood link between them, giving her strength with each frantic swallow.

When she finally wrenched her lips away with a gasp, Gage's eyes glowed wolf bright with desire and triumph. They had done it. She was stronger. Katy knew the feeling was probably only temporary, but it was amazing. She touched her unblemished throat in awe, then threw her arms around him. "It worked! I feel like myself again instead of some puny waif."

Gage cupped her face as though she were infinitely precious. "It won't last forever," he warned her. "You'll have to drink from me when you begin to weaken again."

Her brow went up. "And you're saying that like it's a bad thing because…" Then a thought hit her. "Was it not good for you?" Her skin flushed. "Because it was amazing to me. Granted, it's not like I have any experience in the physical sense when it comes to being with a man intimately. So I would totally understand if you weren't into it. I mean, we don't have to do it again."

Suddenly, he growled at her, cupping her face in his large hands. He claimed her mouth fiercely then. Moments later, when he surfaced for air, he met her stare. "You are mine now, bound forevermore. And I am absolutely yours. And what just happened between us is the most incredible thing I have ever felt. If it were up to me, we'd never leave this bed. We'd exchange blood like a couple of horny vampires and live only off each other."

Katy burst into laughter at his description. "Horny vampires? Does anyone else see this side of you, or am I the only lucky one?"

"I'll deny ever saying that." Gage pressed his lips to first her right cheek and then her left. "No one would believe you anyway."

He wasn't wrong. Even though she'd only known Gage a short time, it was very clear that the only version of him the rest of the world saw was the serious, broody, grumpy-pants Gage.

"So now what?" Katy sat up and reached her arms over her head, stretching, feeling every vertebra in her spine popping. Her muscles seemed to awaken after a long slumber, and it was nice to feel whole, instead of like a shadow of herself.

"Now we get some much-needed sleep." He stroked her hair, and she practically purred under his attention. The last thing she wanted to do was sleep. But Katy also knew she wasn't quite ready to go further in their relationship, no matter how hot her mate was. So sleep it was.

Gage chuckled. "We have a lifetime for that, Little Wolf," he told her, having picked up on her amorous emotions.

"I'm going to have to get that shit under control because that is embarrassing," Katy muttered as she laid her head on his chest and soaked in his warmth. "Night, GPG."

"GPG?"

She yawned. "Grumpy-pants Gage."

This brought another laugh, and Katy wanted to be the cause of his laughter and smiles. She hoped she alone would always be the one who put a spark of joy in his eyes.

Gage knew he was dreaming. He stood beneath a towering oak, its branches spreading wide to shade the still glade. He recognized this place, though he hadn't been here in half a decade. At one time, he had wandered here often over the long, lonely centuries. Now, a sense of peace wrapped around him like the forest's gentle silence.

"Welcome, my son."

The rich voice resonated through Gage's very soul. He turned slowly, reverence rising within him.

A being of light stood amidst the trees, rays of dawn radiating from his form. Gage kept his eyes lowered, unworthy of looking directly upon infinite grace.

"Visata." He breathed out, dropping to one knee. "I await your guidance."

A warm touch on his shoulder bid him rise. As Gage stood, the Creator spoke again in an enveloping tone.

"You have done well, following the whisperings of your spirit. But your mate's trial is not yet passed." Compassion filled Visata's voice. "Her generous heart still cries out for those in need."

Gage's shoulders bowed beneath the remembered helplessness. "She believes her life must be forfeit to save two strangers. I cannot dissuade her from that righteous path." Anguish roughened his words.

"You speak truth. Her compassion would drive her even to sacrifice for strangers." A gentle hand cupped Gage's jaw, guiding his eyes up to meet the Creator's radiant form. "But she walks alone no longer."

Gage shuddered out a breath. "I will give all that I am to protect her. But how can I stand against her conscience?"

"By helping redeem another's." Visata's touch filled Gage with courage. "The time has come. The snake queen lingers in darkness, her hope smothered by cruelty. Seek her out and offer mercy without judgment." His piercing eyes held Gage transfixed. "Show her that light still dwells within her heart despite the shadows."

Staggering beneath this revelation, Gage grasped the Creator's words like a lifeline. "We will find the queen and help her walk in your ways again." He hesitated. "But the Council…" Gage didn't need to say that he wasn't sure if he should trust all the shaman, not when they still weren't sure which kingdoms were in league with Azure.

"Trust in me over any other voice." Visata's gaze bore into him. "Keep your task hidden for now. Seek only truth."

The vision faded even as Gage cried out, desperate for more time, for more clarity. But the Creator's parting words echoed through his soul.

"Lead my lost daughter home from the chaos she's found herself in, Gage. For only one well acquainted with darkness can show her the way back to light."

Gage woke with a gasp, his heart racing. Certainty filled him along with hope. They would seek out Zeena as Visata bid, and, perhaps through her, find the path that would spare Katy.

He looked down at his mate nestled against him, peaceful in sleep. Gage silently renewed his vow. He would walk through fire and blood to see her bright spirit protected and, Visata willing, even help rekindle another's inner flame grown dim. Gage watched Katy sleep, her body curled trustingly against his. Color had returned to her pale cheeks, the dark circles under her eyes fading. His brave mate looked peaceful at last after endless days of torment. It seemed a miracle that their mingled blood had worked to strengthen their fledgling bond and restore her vitality. Gage knew it was no mere chance, but a gift from the One who had ordained them for each other.

Two nights had passed since Visata had first come to Gage in a dream, promising there were still paths to freedom if Gage continued to walk in faith and wisdom. He had not understood the Creator's cryptic words then. Now, with his Creator's second visit, clarity dawned along with the rising sun.

Katy stirred, blinking up at him drowsily. Gage's heart swelled, and he brushed a tendril of rich brown hair back from her face. "Good morning, Little Wolf."

Her smile never failed to make his ancient spirit feel young again. "Hey, you."

His hand lifted to curl around the back of her neck, his thumb idly stroking over his bite mark from the night before. It had already faded, but the memory still spiked his pulse. Surely Visata would not gift them with such a profound bond only to allow it to be torn asunder now. They would find an answer without sacrifice or sorrow. Gage had to hold on to hope.

Propping herself up on one elbow, Katy regarded him curiously. "You look very serious this morning. Everything okay?"

He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her wrist where he could feel her heartbeat. "Just thinking about you. About us."

She cocked her head. "What about us? You better not be getting cold paws," she warned, pointing a finger at him. "If you have some sort of commitment issues, we're going to have problems."

"You couldn't chase me away even if you tried," he told her, and then Gage hesitated, unsure how she would take Visata's direct revelation to him. But he could not keep secrets from his mate.

"Do you remember the vision I told you of, where Visata said you have a generous heart?" At her nod, he went on. "The Creator came to me again in a dream last night."

Katy's eyes widened, and her hand tightened on his. "What did He say? Does He have a way to break the spell? I mean, He's the Creator of the Damarians. A god. Can't He just snap His fingers and make it all right?"

"That's not how it works, Katy," Gage said gently. "Is He powerful enough to do just that? Yes. But, if He did, then what have we learned? How have we grown or evolved in our character and integrity?" The words poured from his heart as he felt his animal spirit rise at the rightness of his convictions. Yet, how many times had he felt just as Katy did? How many times had he wanted to shake his fist at Visata and ask why? Why didn't you spare them? Over the decades and centuries, Gage had ached inside, wondering why the Creator allowed such things to happen. Now, his heart was open, and his mind was willing to learn.

"Growing is overrated," Katy grumbled, looking too cute for her own good.

Gage chuckled. "Sometimes it feels that way, but while Visata might not be snapping his fingers to fix all our problems, He is helping us. He said there is one who can aid us, if we can find her." Gage's jaw tightened. "Azure's mate."

Katy recoiled slightly. "The snake queen? Why would she ever help us? Because the vibe I got from her was more like, ‘Turn your back on me at your own peril.'"

Gage smoothed his knuckles along her cheek. "According to Visata, she is not as loyal to Azure as it seems. But her heart has been closed off by centuries of cruelty." His gaze grew thoughtful, fingers still trailing gently over her face. "Sometimes the light in a person can grow so dim they forget it was ever there."

When he focused on Katy again, her eyes were luminous with understanding. She turned her head to press a kiss to his caressing hand. "You would know better than anyone," she said softly.

Gage's throat tightened. In his long, dark years, exiled alone, only his faith had kept his own inner light from being snuffed out completely. And even that had been weak at times. Everything changed when Katy reignited the torch anew simply by being who she was.

Clearing his throat, he said gruffly, "Perhaps Zeena also walks in shadows not entirely of her own making." He curled a lock of Katy's hair around his finger. "We cannot know her heart. But we should try to find her. Visata mentioned chaos, which leads me to believe we will find her in the Kingdom of Chaos."

Katy chewed her bottom lip, glancing down at their entwined hands. "I want to believe she could be an ally," she said slowly. "But if we're wrong…"

"I will let no harm come to you." Gage tilted her chin up, seeing both hope and trepidation in her eyes. "But this may be our only recourse. If you do not wish it, I will think no less of you."

Her lips twisted wryly. "Pretty sure Visata's vision was meant for you, oh great Dire Wolf. Not really my place to refuse." She searched his face. "You trust your Creator to lead us down the right path?"

"With my life," he vowed. "With our future."

Katy took a deep breath and then nodded firmly. "Okay then. We'll seek out the snake queen and hope she chooses mercy over malice." A teasing light entered her eyes. "Maybe I can convince her you're not so bad once she gets to know you."

Gage nipped her neck in retribution, satisfied when she squealed. "Perhaps it is you who will sway her sympathies." His voice dropped lower. "Few can resist you for long. You even won over Otto. He's even grumpier than I am."

Katy flushed beautifully as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm kind of like a fungus. I grow on you." Her smile faded. "So where is this Kingdom of Chaos located?"

"That's going to be the hard part. They aren't necessarily all gathered in one territory like the rest of us." Gage considered the several locations that the kingdom's members inhabited. "They tend to prefer places where they won't stand out. The Kingdom of Chaos members aren't fully human looking. They can use glamour, but when someone like you sees through it, they can't hide any of their animal nature. And they don't look like just one animal. Most of the time, they have two or more different species."

"Hence the term chaos?"

"Exactly," Gage nodded. "Places like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, essentially places that are very crowded and where oddities are ignored or celebrated."

At Katy's worried look, he squeezed her hand. "We will find her. We can do this. Visata wouldn't put us on a hopeless mission."

Though she still appeared anxious at the thought of willingly seeking out the cobra's mate, resolve shone in Katy's eyes. "Well, guess I'd better pack for this reconciliation road trip with Mrs. Snake King."

She stretched up to brush a light kiss over his lips before slipping from the bed. Gage watched her fondly as she gathered a few belongings for the journey ahead. His brave mate never ceased to amaze him. She would walk into the lion's maw if it meant saving innocent lives. And he would be at her side, come what may.

"Crap." She huffed.

"What's wrong?"

"My Dad." Katy hurried over to the bedside table and snatched up her phone. "I have to text him every couple of days, or he will start doing crazy dad things."

"And those are…" The word dragged out as Gage watched her fingers move quickly over the screen.

"You know"—she made an impatient motion with the hand not holding the phone—"calling out search parties, putting my face on a grocery store wall, contacting every hospital in a 200-mile radius of New York. All the things." She went back to texting, and he continued to watch the emotions, that he could also scent, flick across her face. Katy growled at the phone and tossed it onto the bed. "He wants a picture of me, Lola, and Maddie together."

"Why?"

"Because he wants to make sure I haven't run off with some strange man or been abducted. Both of which I have done. It's like he has a sixth sense or something."

Gage pushed up and sat on the edge of the bed. "What did you tell him?"

"The truth," Katy said.

He waited for her to say she was kidding. "You're serious?" He picked up the phone and swiped the screen. "Password?"

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

Gage's head snapped up to look at her. "Not joking this time either, are you?"

Katy folded her arms in front of her and shook her head. "I'm always serious when it comes to words. I like big words, I like odd words, and I usually have a Word of the Day. But having energy siphoned from me has overshadowed my daily word habit."

"Can you spell it for me?"

She closed the distance between them and took the phone from Gage's hands. Her thumbs moved quickly. "I can't spell it out loud. But I can spell it if I use the keyboard to type it out." She held the phone back to him.

Gage looked at the screen and tapped the message icon. Her convo with her father popped up first and he began to read.

Dad: If I don't hear from you soon, I will start hanging up posters of you.

Katy: I'm fine, Dad. You don't need to plaster my face on every streetlight or store window. Maddie and Lola are good, too.

Dad: You know I don't believe your story. But you're an adult, and I can't ground you or threaten to take your phone away. Just tell me the truth.

Katy: *sigh* Okay, here's the truth. Lola met a guy. Turns out he's a supernatural species that came from another realm, and he can shift into a lion. Lola is his mate, which is kind of like marriage, only it's really for life. When I went over to Lola's however long ago—I haven't been keeping track—there was another guy there, but he shifted into a panther. Then another guy crawled through her window. By this point I'm just going with the flow because hysterics aren't going to get us anywhere. So the last guy who came in wasn't a shifter. He's some sort of holy man- slash-politician-slash-supernatural police. Fast forward a few hours, and there's a knock on Lola's door. I stupidly answered it, and Antonio was there. He was with two other guys I didn't know. They abducted me. I found out later those two dudes are also part of this secret supernatural world.

Dad: Enough. If you don't want to tell me, at least tell me you're safe and mean it.

Katy: Safer than I've ever been.

Dad: Text me tomorrow, even if it's to tell me an elaborate story. I just need to know you're okay.

Katy: Love you, Dad. Everything is fine.

Gage held the phone out to her, and she took it. "You did that so he'd stay off your back? And he didn't believe a word. Why are humans so quick to discard information that, admittedly very bizarre, could be truth?"

"It doesn't matter what I tell him. As long as he knows I'm safe." Katy returned to the task of gathering things to pack.

"When all of this is done, I will meet your father. I will assure him that you will never be in danger again."

Katy paused and turned to look at him. "Because you'll always be there to protect me?"

He shook his head. "No. Because I will teach you how to defend yourself. As much as I never want you out of my sight, that would suffocate you, and you'd grow to resent me."

Her eyes brightened at his declaration. "Does it seriously take centuries for a guy to figure that out?"

"I have no idea, nor do I care," he said bluntly. "As long as none attempt to court you, they can go on being clueless about their females."

"There's the Grumpy-pants Gage we all know and love," Katy teased.

He clenched his jaw tightly and then released it. "I don't like you talking about other males." Jealousy was a new emotion to him, and Gage had a feeling it was going to take a ton of self-discipline to keep from maiming human males who didn't respect the clues that made it clear his female was already claimed. His kind would smell him on Katy and backtrack quickly. But human males didn't have those senses. Their symbol was the wedding band. He made a mental note to find a jewelry store as soon as Azure was dead. He wanted Katy marked in every way that it took for every kind of male to stay away.

A warm hand on his face pulled him from the thoughts where he'd gotten lost. Katy stood before him, rubbing her thumb across his cheek. "You don't have to be jealous, Gage." Her lips turned up in a tender smile. "I'm yours. And you're mine." Her words rang with such possessiveness that his wolf wanted to howl as if they'd obtained some sort of victory.

He put an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. When had he become such a hugger? Katy wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against his shoulder. Okay, so since meeting his mate, she'd brought out the inner hugger in him. Only her. His wolf rumbled in his mind. Yes. Gage agreed with his beast. Katy's warmth seeped into him like the warmth of the sun chasing away the coldness caused by the jealousy.

She released him and took a step back. He dropped his arms from her, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. "I've got to get packed if we ever plan to find Zeena."

He knew she was right. All other things would have to wait. "You're going to want to put your stuff in a backpack so you can easily carry it in your mouth."

Katy paused mid-step and slowly turned to look at him. "In my mouth?" she asked slowly. "Why in the world am I going to carry a freaking backpack in my mouth?"

"Because we need to lie low and not draw attention to ourselves. That means traveling in our beast forms, sticking to the countryside out of the main avenues of travel. I don't know which kingdoms are in league with Azure. So I don't want anyone, not even your friends, knowing what we're doing."

"Beast. Form." Katy's words were stilted as she stared at him.

He nodded.

She blinked several times. "I'm"—Katy pointed at herself—"going to turn into a wolf? Like you?"

Another nod as his lips turned up in a sly smile. "Word to the wise. Try not to run from me. It will only make me want to chase you."