Persephone

20. The Chase

Persephone had been wandering the garden for a few minutes before she glanced an opening in the bushes, showing her a glimpse of the outside. The Garden opened into a path into the woods. She hovered by the path looking at the flowers around her, every once in a while looking back to see if Alastair was still watching her. He wasn't, his eyes were unfocused and he seemed to be focusing on something.

She tip toed to the edge of the woods, looking back after every few steps to make sure he wasn't following her. As soon as she hit the tree line she took off, careful to avoid fallen branches. She lifted the bottom of her skirt so she had more mobility, it was as if she was dressed just so she would have a hard time escaping.

Keeping an eye out, she sprinted through the trees, hoping to see something familiar. Any glimpse of houses or a path, yet nothing showed. Everything looked the same.

Suddenly from behind he came a roar. A bone chilling, heart stopping roar of absolute fury. Alastair had discovered her escape and he was hot on her trail.

The idea of being caught so soon after her escape brought tears to Persephone's eyes, her tiny flame of hope shuddered in her chest. Throwing all caution to the wind, Persephone sped up, fueled by adrenaline.

But her last few days of fasting and fear had made her weak, and even with the chemicals mixing in her blood stream, she was soon out of breath. Her fear climbing into her throat, she slowed down and sought somewhere to hide. She wasn't stupid, she knew she couldn't outrun him, even if he was a normal man. Which he had proven over and over again he was not.

So she turned to the nearest tree, a tall, strong oak, and began to climb, not caring if her dress tore, only that she get as far out of eyesight as possible.

~~~~

Alastair glared at the opening into the woods where his beloved had disappeared. How dare she. How dare she leave his side as he provided her with such a gift. Anger ruled his body as his eyes turn black, not even the whites showing. His predator side had taken over, and he was not about to let his prey get away.

Stalking into the shade of the forest, he raised his nose to the air, catching a whiff of her delicious scent. There. Just the faintest hint of roses. That was his.

Off he went, prowling like a tiger, feet quiet as he stepped swiftly through the woods. With his speed he could have her in seconds, but the beast within him wished to savor the moment he was given. There was nothing in these woods more threatening than him and he would not have to worry about losing her.

She was lousy at covering her tracks, even if he could not follow her scent, her foot prints in the soft dirt would have given her away.

Alastair was quickly catching up with her, moving quiet and deadly through the wood. Soon he was close enough to hear her pounding heart.

There. Just ahead. He caught a glimpse of ocean colored fabric in the tree line.

How cute. She had sought shelter in the trees like the little bird she was.

"Well," Alastair thought, "time to clip little birdy's wings."

Stepping forward, he moved on.

~~~~
Persephone watched from her perch thirty feet from the ground as Alastair grew near. His eyes trained on the ground, he seemed to be following a trail.

He stepped nearer to her hiding place and her breath caught in her throat as he stopped near the trunk of her tree. But then he moved on.

She watched unwaveringly as he moved past her eyesight in deeper into the forest.

Sighing she leaned back against the thick trunk of the tree, she was safe for now.

"Boo."

Persephone's head whipped to the side to come face to face with the man who now haunted her nightmares. An ear piercing scream caught in her throat as she scrambled to get away, but there was nowhere to go. Her hand reached into air but met nothing, it dropped and her body followed suit and then she was weightless, plummeting face first toward the forest floor.

A/n: hello! Sorry it's been awhile, but I figured I should update considering this got featured?!!?!? What! That's crazy, thank you guys so much for reading this, and thank you so much for the positive feedback. I can't guarantee  a fast update, but I will try to do it soon