Page 40 of Moonflower
“Your safe word is pumpkin.”
“Pumpkin?”
“That’s right. And if you can’t speak, tap twice. Anywhere.”
I gulp. How many times have I imagined him doing that? How many times have I come from the thought alone? An embarrassing amount, if I’m being honest.
“Ready, Cora?”
I swallow. “Yes.”
Wilder turns me slightly so I’m facing right in between two trees. He places his lips right next to my ear, his voice a low rumble. “Run.”
He releases me, and I take off. Thankfully the moonlight helps illuminate the forest some, so I’m able to see most fallen branches.
I don’t dare look back. Wilder said he’d give me a head start, but I don’t know how long that’ll be. Trying to gauge how far away he is will just slow me down. Or worse, it’ll make me trip and fall.
As I run through the trees, my chest tightens, and my heart feels like it’s in my throat. I know it’s fake—Wilder would never hurt me. Well, he wouldn’t hurt me too much. But it feels real.
Running through the forest is scary as hell, too. I can see, but only barely. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves has me jumping out of my skin.
And then I hear it—a deep, unhinged laugh that echoes through the trees. When it reaches my ears, I start running faster.
“You can’t hide from me, pretty girl,” Wilder calls.
With a gasp, I veer to my right. Can he see me? Or am I far ahead enough? I narrowly avoid scraping up against a tree as I risk a glance behind me. It’s not worth it—I don’t see him.
Footsteps sound behind me and to my right, so I start heading in my original direction. How has he caught up so fast?
Wilder laughs again. “You think you can outrun me?”
I don’t respond. Just in case he can’t see me, I don’t want to give away where I am.
With every step I take, I try to ready myself for his hands reaching through the darkness and grabbing me. Will he tackle me to the ground? Or will he pin me to a tree? Or maybe he’ll grab my arm? Will it hurt?
“Slowing down already, Moonflower?” Wilder’s voice is unnervingly close.
With a gasp, I realize I’ve lost my pace. I force my legs to move faster, whimpering when he snickers behind me. He doesn’t sound close enough to reach me—yet. Is he intentionally keeping his distance? I can’t tell.
I burst out the other side of the woods, which I wasn’t expecting. The lack of trees gives me more light, but it also means I’m more exposed to Wilder.
It takes me a second to recognize the dark shapes in front of me. Rectangles, pillars, and crosses are all scattered across the space in front of me. And behind them all is a small church.
A graveyard. I’m in a graveyard.
I dodge between the tombstones, ducking behind one that’s taller than I am. For a second, I let myself heave in a few breaths. I’m caught between wanting to draw this out and wanting Wilder to find me. The thrill of not knowing when he’ll catch me has my body tingling with adrenaline. But I’m also desperate to feel him against me.
“Go ahead and hide, Cora. I’ll find you eventually.”
There’s something about the way his voice echoes through the graveyard that has me shivering. It sounds like Wilder is to my left, so I move to my right, creeping through the tombstones. When I hear him laugh behind me, I break into a run.
The shadows are long and creepy, stretching out almost like death itself is trying to wrap around my ankles and pull me into the ground. The thought sends goosebumps across my skin, and I start running faster. Wilder’s footsteps pound on the grass behind me, getting closer and closer.
Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god. He’s so close.
There’s an obelisk up ahead. If I can get around it, maybe I can lose him. And then—
A tall figure steps out from behind the obelisk, shrouded in a black cloak and holding a long, deadly scythe. His face is darkened by his hood, presenting a silhouette I’d recognize anywhere.