Cataclysm (Four Horsemen #4)(59)

We’d meticulously planned the visit to Desecration. I’d taken one of our lesser-used cars that weren’t in any of our names. This impromptu chase was unplanned, but I was incapable of denying Scarlett the things she wanted, not when I wanted them too.

I turned to her as we stood together just under the cover of the trees and cupped her face with one hand.

“Stay in the woods, okay? We don’t want to get caught here.”

“I will. I promise.”

I stroked her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Run.”

My hand dropped. She gave me a smile, then she turned and ran into the trees. They were closer together than the woods we’d run through before. I gave her a minute before I gave chase. Given the danger of us being out here, I wasn’t going to draw it out. I was going to catch my lamb, shove her down in the mud, and give it to her without restraint. It had been raining hard for quite some time, so the ground was soggy, even in the densely packed trees.

I could see her up ahead, scrambling through the trees and trying not to trip over the undergrowth. It made me smile. Scarlett didn’t like to make things easy on herself.

There was no calling out to each other this time. We didn’t require taunts. She needed to run. I needed to chase. The rain was heavy. The trees creaked with the wind and I could hear thunder rolling in the distance. It made it a little eerie. The atmosphere was dense and unyielding, making me really feel like a wolf hunting down his prey. And what delightful prey she was. Her wet dress clung to her body. It was lucky it wasn’t long or it would be harder for her to run.

I wasn’t going at full pelt, wanting her to feel the mix of fear and adrenaline that came with the hunt. The closer I got, the more I could hear her heavy breathing and her feet pounding against the wet undergrowth. She could hear me too. Scarlett kept looking back to see if I was there. And when she spied me, she tried to run faster but was hampered by the weather and the trees surrounding us. The moan of fear she let out had my heart pounding harder against my chest. I wanted to grab her. I needed to feel her against me again.

The show at Desecration had been pretty fucking incredible. The experience I shared with her was unlike anything else. But this? Chasing her? It was my favourite. The primal, animalistic need inside me wasn’t often sated. Scarlett was the perfect prey. She was all of my fantasies rolled into one. The way she accepted and embraced the things I desired was unparalleled. She was everything.

I reached out, my fingers brushing her braid and narrowly missing her dress. She ran harder as if she realised she was about to get pounced on, making a sharp turn left to throw me off. I let out a growl as the thunder rumbled.

My hand went out again, catching hold of her braid this time and yanking her backwards into me. She slammed into my chest, sending me a few steps back to keep balanced. I spun her around, catching sight of her scared expression before I was shoving her down in the undergrowth and covering her body with my own. She was panting against me. I could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage. I pinned one of her hands in the mud before catching her mouth in a bruising kiss. The moment our lips met, it was a wild frenzy of pulling at each other, wanting to be closer, needing more, desperate for everything.

I shoved up her wet dress as her free hand fumbled with my clothes. She whined in frustration when she couldn’t unbutton my chinos. The wet fabric was making everything so much harder. I let go of her hand to help her, tearing at my clothes to free my aching dick. Once tonight wasn’t enough. It would never be enough with Scarlett. Never.

“Pres,” she gasped as I pulled aside her knickers and shoved my fingers inside her.

I covered her mouth with mine, kissing her as I pumped my fingers into her wet pussy and got my cock out. She wriggled in the muddy ground, getting herself all messy. My knees were already squelching in the mud as I moved closer to her. I didn’t care one fucking bit about the mud and the rain. All I wanted was her. My beautiful little lamb who was already clawing at me, needing me to fuck and claim her all over again.

I ripped my fingers from her pussy and replaced them with my cock, thrusting deep. She cried into my mouth at my roughness. Her legs wrapped around me, encouraging me to give it to her harder. I bit her bottom lip, making her pant and shove her hands under my shirt to scratch her nails down my back. I groaned, pressing kisses down her jaw and neck. My lips brushed over the scars West had given her. The neckline of her dress was low enough so everyone could see it. Scarlett was proud of wearing his mark now. She wanted to show everyone she belonged to War just as she belonged to Pestilence, Famine and Death.

“Bite me,” she panted. “Make me yours.”

I nuzzled the top of her breast before digging my teeth into her skin. Her nails dragged down my back, marking me in return. I growled against her skin, biting harder to bruise her. To show her she belonged to me.

My knees started sliding in the mud, so I slammed a hand down to steady myself, fucking her harder. I couldn’t help myself, acting on sheer fucking instinct and need. There was nothing but me, her, the trees, the mud and the rain hammering down on my back through the canopy. Scarlett was right. We needed this experience together. We needed it to set us free. She might run from me, but she always allowed herself to get caught. She wanted it. My girl would never abandon me.

“Mine,” I growled, letting go of her skin so I could crash my mouth to hers again. “All fucking mine.”