Chapter 16

Lillian

The fact that I was being chased through the woods by the sweetest man I'd ever known terrified me in an exciting way. I'd never imagined wanting to be hunted down like some helpless animal, but fuck , the way my heart was racing and my thighs were already slick… I couldn't wait for him to catch me.

When I'd turned around just before disappearing into the trees, I caught the feral look on his face. He looked hungry, ready to feast on my body.

I wouldn't make it easy on him. At first, I made a violent path through the bushes, leaving a noticeable trail he'd surely follow. I continued the destructive path, nearly landing face-first in a mud bath, until I decided to take off running in another direction.

Nicholas falling for my faux trail was something I was relying on, so sure he wouldn't think I would try to trick him. I'd seen enough movies to know you shouldn't make it obvious where you are going.

As I got further away, I had to slow down a bit. The burning in my legs wouldn't go away, my knees threatening to buckle if I didn't give them a quick rest. I could hear him yelling at me, though he was too far to make out the words, so I knew he was enough of a distance away for me to get away with power walking for a minute or so.

I continued down the path at a respectable speed and imagined what he'd look like when he did finally catch me, eyes wild, ready to tear into me. It sent a jolt straight to my clit, making my body tighten. I was so aroused, I could feel it in my chest, my nipples hardening to a point.

I heard a snap behind me. Shit . He'd already caught me. My false path didn't work as well as I'd hoped. I didn't dare turn around as I squealed, picked up my pace, and ran from him again.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest. The ponytail I'd put my hair up in before we came out was falling, the loose hairs whipping around and sticking to my face. I ran and ran until I reached a tiny clearing and stopped.

I couldn't run anymore, so I'd willingly take my punishment here.

I turned to face the tree line, trying to brush my hair back and straighten my clothes.

"You caught me." I threw up my hands in surrender and giggled.

The person who stepped out was not Nicholas, not by a long shot. My happy mood immediately morphed into pure terror.

This man was shorter, leaner, and his skin looked like it was bubbling up like boils, a strange hue of green. His eyes were a matching, more intense shade of the color. The smile he wore on his face screamed triumph and pride. He took slow, minacious steps toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.

I screamed as loud as I could, hoping Nicholas was close enough to hear me.

He sniffed the air with a smile, not bothered by the fact I'd just yelled out for help. "I thought I smelled a human." Demon.

I stepped back, trying to devise a plan to get myself out of this predicament. I wasn't armed, had no idea how far away Nicholas was, and had no powers to help me. Panic set in.

"What's a pretty little thing like ya doing out here all alone?" he asked, picking at his teeth.

I swallowed nervously. "I—I'm not alone."

He chuckled. "Then where's ya buddy? Because it seems to me that no one else is around, not for miles. It's just me and ya, human." His eyes trailed down my body, giving me an instant icky feeling. "I haven't tasted human flesh in centuries." He flicked his tongue across his lips.

I took another step back, nearly into a tree. A thunk sounded as the demon threw a knife in my direction, its blade embedding into the tree right behind me at eye level.

"Don't run anymore, human. I'm tired of chasing ya. I'd prefer ya alive when I take my first bite, but I'll kill ya if I have to."

I steadied my breathing as a plan came to mind. I just needed him to make the first move.

"Time to eat," he growled and approached me.

Bingo . I turned to pull the knife out of the tree, but it was more stuck than I'd anticipated. It took three tugs before it finally let loose, throwing me to the ground.

The demon laughed, "You think you can fight me? You're a pathetic little girl."

As I scrambled to my feet to face him, he retrieved another knife from his belt, passing it back and forth between his gnarled hands. I held the other knife firmly in my palm.

He lunged at me like a snake, and I dodged out of his way, narrowly missing his jab. I took the chance to kick him, my foot connecting just above his knee, sending him to the ground. He got up quickly, whipping around to face me again.

I bent my knees slightly, getting into the position Keir had taught me.

"Balance," he'd say. "It's all about balance. If your enemy throws you off balance, they've won."

I narrowed my eyes, staring this ugly, wretched demon in the face. He wouldn't win, because I was ready for something like this.

He lunged again, the blade aimed for my stomach, but I spun out of the way, jamming an elbow to his lowered head and slashing the blade across his ribs.

He howled, and pride welled in my chest. I was doing this. I was fighting—winning.

My moment of celebration was cut short as my legs were swept out from under me. I hit the ground with a grunt, and the demon crawled over on top of me.

Before I could slash at him, he gripped my wrist with so much force, I cried out, and he slammed my hand on the ground until I released the handle. The blade fell to the ground beside us, and he kicked it away.

"Stupid fucking girl," the demon spat. My nose wrinkled at the foul smell of decay that left his mouth. He held his knife up with both of his hands, the blade pointed at my chest. "Seems like I have to kill ya first."

As he brought his arms down, I grabbed his hands, pushing against him with all my might. He pushed harder, and my arms shook. I screamed. I bucked. I tried to roll over. I tried anything to throw him off or slow him down.

The tip of the blade got closer and closer to my chest, and tears filled my eyes. I was going to die. Keir had been right; I shouldn't have left the flat. It was dangerous out here, and not just because of their father. I sobbed, my life flashing before my eyes. I saw everyone, the good and the bad, the town and house I grew up in. I saw the princes.

I'd never see them again.

I stared into the demon's eyes, anger filling my veins. This stupid fucking demon had messed with the wrong woman. As I pushed against him with renewed strength, adrenaline pumping through me, he screamed. His pushing ceased entirely, and I took the upper hand, pushing him with enough force to knock him to the side.

Without hesitation, I scrambled to grab the knife he'd made me drop and jumped on top of him. He was still crying out, cradling his hands, when I jammed the blade into his heart. His eyes went wide as he gasped his last breaths, blood spilling from his chest and mouth, before he went limp.

I jumped off him, not wanting to touch him any longer, and fell on my ass as I got away, kicking my feet until I felt like I'd scooted far enough from him.

Greater emotions than I'd ever felt before—shock, pride, horror—washed over me, and I wept loudly.

I killed someone. I took his life.

I stared at his motionless body, my vision blurry with tears. I could've sworn I saw smoke coming from his body, so I wiped the tears away as best as I could, smearing blood and mud all over my face, I'm sure, and crawled on all fours until I could get a good look at him. His hands were sizzling.

Was that why he cried out? Why he'd stopped pushing against me?

My eyes went all over the place as I tried to think of an explanation, looking at my dirty yet otherwise perfectly healthy hands. The hands that had been on his when he screamed.

"Lilly!"

I turned to see Nicholas coming from the tree line, eyes going back and forth between me and the demon lying on the ground.

A choked sob of relief left my throat as he reached me, assuring me over and over that he was here now and I was safe. When I looked up at him, he kissed my forehead, my cheeks, my chin, and my nose, apologizing again and again for not getting to me faster.

We sat there, him holding me tight, for who knows how long before I sat up, finally calm enough to talk to him about what had happened.

"I thought he was you. I… I turned, and when I rea…realized it wasn't you, I… I screamed." My tears returned, falling down my face as I spoke.

"I know, baby. I heard you. I came running the moment I heard it." He looked me over for the millionth time, ensuring I was okay.

Tears continued to spill from my eyes, but I continued speaking through my sobbing and gasping for breath. "He said he was… going to eat me… threw a dagger at me… I fought… him off as best as I could… I was so… scared… I thought I was going to… to die… I was so close… I saw you guys… I couldn't… couldn't die like that… then his hands started… burning… he screamed and… I got him off… that's when I… I… I…" I looked over at the body on the ground.

"Shhh. It was him or you, baby. I'm so proud of you." He kissed my forehead again. "I'm so fucking sorry, Lilly. I shouldn't have brought you out here. I didn't think anything like this would happen. It was stupid. I could've gotten you killed." He hugged me tight against his chest. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Another several seconds—maybe minutes, maybe even hours—later, we stood up together, never breaking physical contact.

"Lilly?"

"Hmm?" I looked up at him.

"What did you mean his hands started burning? Like, he wielded fire?" Nicholas looked confused and gave a sideways glance at the dead demon.

I shook my head. "No. I was holding his hands. They never got hot, but he screamed like he was in agonizing pain. They were sizzling ."

He inspected my hands, ensuring they were fine, then looked at me again with a relieved smile. "I know this is fucked up, but I am so proud of you."

My chest tightened, and I returned his smile. The situation wasn't ideal, but I was proud too. I'd defended myself and won. It was a euphoric feeling, like I was high on adrenaline, buzzing with energy.

I grabbed Nicholas's face with my hand and got onto my tiptoes. When our lips met, his arms wrapped around me, pulling my hips to him. Before I knew it, he'd tucked his hands under my ass and lifted me, prompting me to wrap my legs around his waist.

My lips parted, letting his tongue in. He thrusted it as far back as he could, claiming every inch of my mouth. He sucked and bit and kissed until we were both breathless.

I pulled away and gave him a sultry smile. "You know… You did catch me."

His eyes lit up. "Do you want me to fuck you right here, baby?"

The air was sucked from my lungs as I nodded slowly. "Yes," I managed to get out.

He gave me another deep kiss. "Such a good little whore for me, aren't you?" He dove for my lips again before I could answer him.

Nicholas lowered us to the ground, my legs still wrapped around him. He pulled his shirt off over his head and tucked it under mine. The gesture made me giggle.

"Can't have you getting hurt out here, now, can we?" he teased. "My brothers might kill me."

He grabbed my legs and forced me to release my grip on him before pulling his bottoms off, his cock springing out. My mouth watered at the sight. Then, he grabbed my shirt and ripped it right down the middle with his bare hands. He did the same with my bra, and once my breasts were out for him, he grabbed one with his mouth and the other with his hand.

I arched into him as he sucked my nipple into his mouth, closing his teeth around it. The pain made my core ache. I moaned loudly when he switched to the other, giving it the same treatment.

He moved onto my shorts, making quick work of them with an ice dagger he formed on the spot. I laid before him, my clothes in tatters, only my thin panties remaining. The way his eyes scoured me made my skin tingle. He grabbed his length and rubbed it along the cloth separating us. The sensation was unbearable. I wanted him to shove into me and fuck me like a wild beast here in the dirt.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his eyes closing as he continued to rub against my covered clit. My hips rose to meet him. "I can't decide which hole I want to use first." He opened his eyes, and they pierced right through me, bluer than any sky or ocean I'd ever seen.

Nicholas was a breathtaking creature of a man, and he knew it, but I'd never get used to seeing him like this: riled up and excited. It made my pussy flutter faster than my heart.

"I don't care," I said with a huff. "Just fuck me. Please, Nicholas." My hips moved desperately against him, trying to create more friction between us. I closed my eyes as the pressure began to build slowly, but he pulled away, yanking my chance at finding release from my grasp. "Hail Satan, stop fucking teasing me."

I opened my eyes to see him smiling with a special, loving expression. For the millionth time today, my breath left my lungs, mesmerized at the toned, naked, tattooed masterpiece that leaned over me here in the middle of nowhere.

In an attempt to tease him, I looked away. Once again, I caught sight of the body lying stiff on the ground. I let the moment sink in, and this time, I felt no remorse, disgust, or fear—nothing bad at all. Instead, I felt invincible, untouchable—that, and ready to get my brains screwed out on the forest floor.

My gaze turned to meet his ravenous one. I was panting, the blood rushing to my limbs, full of power and ecstasy. It was all too much; it made me feel like I was going to spontaneously combust. I needed somewhere for all this energy to go.

"I need this," I told him, moving my hands to my hips and dragging them up until I was cupping my breasts. I pinched my hardened nipples, his favorite thing to do to me, a shiver running down my spine at the sensation.