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And so, I ran.
Dio
Ember gave a “come and get me” grin then bolted.
The feline curled inside me waiting for his chance to stretch his wings sat up and noticed when I announced the terms of the game. There was nothing he liked more than a good game of chase, especially if it was followed by sex. Though this would be the first time for that sequence of events.
I was hard just thinking about it. That Ember accepted made it even better. Once we reclaimed Nightmare Castle, I intended to have Ember in every single place we could imagine.
When her expression eased and she agreed to my game, it was nearly all I could do not to take her right there against the wall. I was trying for patience, but my feline and my dick were both telling me we’d been patient for years. They weren’t wrong.
I twitched, nearly giving chase, but managed one last bit of restraint. She didn’t know the palace like I did, nor was she used to her powers like I was, so I would give her at least ten minutes to get far away. If the anticipation didn’t kill me, it certainly wouldn’t take me long to find her.
***
The wait nearly undid me. I barely managed to keep from finding a secluded spot to rub one out, but I wanted to be inside Ember when I came. I’d just have to make sure I was up to a repeat performance when I caught her.
Her scent perfumed the air, a heady mixture of a spring storm and the musk of desire crashing together and making me even harder every time I caught a whiff of it.
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. If I found her in a crowded corridor, I’d just have to drag her some place private before I ravaged her.
Following her scent wasn’t hard. The overwhelming musk of desire nearly covered the rest of it, and it stood out to my senses like a beacon.
I was sure the grin plastered on my face looked idiotic, but I didn’t care. I’d found my mate, and she was letting me hunt her.
She’d gone down the main hallway then turned into one of the many “secret” passages. This was one that servants actually bothered to close after them since it opened into a heavily traveled public accesses.
Even if I hadn’t known where the opening mechanism was, I would have been able to find it because Ember’s hand had lingered on the wall. I touched the correct pane, letting my hand rest there for a moment, imagining I could still feel the heat from her skin, and resisting the urge to rub all over her scent on the wall. My feline was riding me hard, and his urges were nearly overwhelming.
The door slid open, and I nearly barreled into a pair of teens as they giggled and raced through the hidden passage. They had the translucent quality of dreamers, and I stepped out of their way, not sure if they saw me or not. Their gaze flicked in my direction, but otherwise, they didn’t slow.
Their passage swirled the air, mixing Ember’s scent with others who had traveled these halls, but there was only one way she could go, and I confidently jogged along.
She had turned down another hidden passage. This one was less well known, but I knew every stretch of this palace. Maybe not as well as Nightmare Castle, but I still knew Dream Palace well.
And even if I hadn’t known it was there, her scent led me straight to it.
I wasn’t upset about the chase being so easy. This time.
Humming softly as I followed her scent, I made a few more turns.
Then her scent vanished. It took me a few moments to realize I was no longer following her trail. I’d almost stopped paying attention to it, because of the ease of the chase. But then it vanished.
I returned to the point where it ended and stood just outside the area where it swirled in air disturbed from my passing.
Confused, I searched the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling, but there was no clue as to where she’d gone.
“Damn it, Nic,” I muttered, realizing what she must have done. She’d shadow-walked with the powers she’d gotten from my brother. And now she could be anywhere.
Though momentarily annoyed that my pleasure would be delayed, the increase in challenge made up for it. As long as she had stayed in the palace, I would find her. If she hadn’t, well, then naughty princesses didn’t get the reward at the end of the chase. Of course, neither would the prince.
***
After almost an hour of prowling the halls, I picked up her scent again. It mingled enticingly with the aroma of baked goods and led me toward the dining hall. Her scent didn’t enter but continued on a draft of air. It was diluted enough that I didn’t think she’d passed this way, more that the slight breeze carried her scent.
Intrigued, I followed until it drifted up into an air vent.
I stopped, fists on my hips, and stared. Where the hell did that vent go?
