Chasing Shadows

Chapter 8 Found

~ Dante ~

I slipped through the shadows crossing the street quickly behind a couple cars and darting against the fence line and around the building before climbing up to her landing. The door was locked but it was a cheap lock that gave way to a sharp twist of my wrist and i silently slipped into the apartment, closing the door though now it didn’t quite close all the way.

I could hear the shower running and feel the steam hanging in the air, it seemed she’d been in there a while with the hot water on full blast. A hint of a smile touched my lips as my thoughts drifted to her in the shower but I forced my mind away and instead to scanning the room. There was no telling how much time i had before she’d be back and things could get interesting.

The room was small with a cheap love seat against one wall, a small bookshelf next to the door, jammed with books of all sorts, a scarred coffee table, a bowl of change sitting in the middle along with a worn paperback. The living room lead right into a cramped kitchen with a fridge, stove, sink, a couple cabinets and a few feet of counter space. They’d tucked a small round table and two chairs in one corner. And down the hall he could see three doors, two standing open and one closed, light and steam slipping beneath the door where there was a significant gap.

Again my mind wondered to the woman, Madeline, showering just on the other side of the door. Her scent was thick in the air and a hazy image came to mind, I could remember the dark red curls of her hair and wondered how long it was when it was wet, did it reach all the way to her hips? I shook my head then trying to cast away the intrusive thoughts, hearing the shower stop, feeling suddenly too hot. I felt my pulse picked up and sweat prickling on my skin. Stepping back into the kitchen I hoped she wouldn’t see me. My heart raced as I waited for her to come out but she didn’t. As first I chalked it up to her being high maintenance but a few minutes more and I worried maybe she’d heard something or been alerted somehow and slipped out. I stepped out into the kitchen and a scream cut the air. I froze, gaze colliding with her green eyes, wide with fear.

She managed to come most of the way down the hall before I stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room and her line of sight. I winced as her scream cut the air and snapped into action, closing the distance in a leap over the coffee table and grabbing her around the waist, the other hand slammed over her mouth, cutting off her high pitched cry.

“Madeline.” I hissed struggling to hold her thrashing body without bruising her. Her heel crashed into my shin, pain blooming in its place, and she pointed her elbows jabbing them into my ribs making me grunt, all while trying to bite my fingers, I could feel her lips moving against my palm. “Maddie. stop.” I growled gruffly, flexing my arms and tightening my grip on her. She squeaked and went still in my grasp. It wasn’t a calm still, but a tight vibrating, tense stillness, like a freshly caught rabbit, ready to bolt at the slightest opening.

But still was still and in that moment I became hyper aware of the woman’s body I had held tightly against my own. Her hair was piled on top of her head and teasing my chin, the scent coming off of her was making my head spin. Her waist was narrow and she fit almost perfectly against my body, her ass pressed against my groin and I realized all she was wearing was a thin robe that was more teasing then concealing. Heat flashed through my body and I let go of her suddenly and taking a couple steps back, wishing I had more space to get away from her smell. I used my body to block the door and she whipped around to glare daggers at me, crossing her arms tightly across her chest.

“Diana’s gone.” She snapped out, sounding bitter and angry. Distrust radiated off her in waves. But she didn’t cower either. She stood tall, eyes blazing at me with open challenge. She had no intention of simply coming with me.

There had been a plan, I’d had a plan but all thinking about anything but the single bead of water trailing down the side of her slender throat and disappearing under the plunging neckline of her robe seemed impossible. I knew the circumstances were wildly inappropriate, but all I could think about was pulling her back against my body and tasting her full lips, feeling the roundness of her ass in my hands, burying myself inside her tight heat.

I shook my head trying to focus, “I need you to come with me Maddie.” I said, surprised at how tight and strained my own voice sounded, as if I was in pain. I was. My skin burned and the wolf pressed, demanding release, wanting to take what was tempting me so. Her gaze darkened and her face was a series of hard lines, a testament to her immobility.

“No.” She snapped like she had some kind of choice in the matter. A growl of frustration came from low in my throat and I saw her flinch and felt instantly like an ass but didn’t soften my face as I closed the few feet of space between us. She shrank back but didn’t retreat from me.

I reached out and tilted her chin up glowering down at her as I forced her limpid green eyes to meet my own. It was like a punch to the gut, the vulnerability i saw there that I almost faltered, “Maddie,” I said slowly, softening my voice, wanting so much in that moment to lean into her, to claim her lips with my own, find out if she tasted as good as she smelled, but also wanting her to want me to and that desire kept me from simply taking what was so temptingly close, “I could find you where ever you run. And I will, I’ll chase you if you want to run but please, come back with me.” I implored not noticing that my grip on her chin has tightened until I forced myself to relax and impulsively, ran my thumb across her lower lip, fire racing up my arm at the less then innocent caress.

For a moment she looked like she might agree but the moment my thumb moved over her lower lip her eyes went wide and in a bust of motion she shoved past me, swung open the door and was running. “Maddie” I yelled tearing after her as she streaked down the stairs and into the dark street. She was bare foot, wearing nothing but a loosely belted, thigh length black satin robe, and her hair had come loose to fall down her back in a tangled mass of damp curls.

I was chasing her but was too late. She was crossing the street, head turned over her shoulder, checking my progress when I saw Silver step out of the shadows as if appearing out of nowhere. He walked out into the light, opening his arms and called out, his clear voice ringing out in the night, “Madeline.” He called and I watched her head snap around, attention fixed to Silver.

She stopped in her tracks and I wished I could see her face. I slows to a walk moving to join Mark who stood at the edge of the tree line his gaze fixed on the pair in the middle of the street, watching as the two spoke. Jealously like a living beast roared in my chest as Silver wrapped his arms around Maddie hugging her trembling form against his body.

“Get her s**t, we need to leave.” I snapped at Silver, getting a curious look from Silver and an amused chuckle out of Mark as I disappeared into the trees, needing in that moment to run and get away from the smell of Maddie that was driving me insane.