Hunted Predators✔️

CHAPTER FOUR

What are the odds it's actually real? But if she didn't react, what would they all think? Katherine slowly crosses the circle, her face twisted. She's painfully aware of every eye on her. When she sits next to him, Darko closes the distance between them, brushing his lips against her ear.

Even while Katherine steels herself, not so much as flinching, the apprehension on her face is clear. "I told you I'd make everyone play," he whispers. Then, louder, he says, "Kiss me."

When Darko doesn't so much as twitch, she looks around the room but is greeted by a blur of unfamiliar, all too eager faces. Rayna! There's Rayna. Katherine looks at her, silently pleading. The corners of Rayna's lips turn up into a grin. Darko grabs Katherine's chin, turning her to look at him. "Please," she whispers. "I've never-"

"You'll have to do better than that."

Katherine forgets all about the people watching, glaring at Darko. Darko rolls his eyes. "Today, Cruz, before I-" Katherine squeezing her eyes shut, leaning her head towards his.

Her touch is feather light, and she's careful not to touch anywhere else. In retaliation, Darko grabs her hair and yanks her closer.

He's trying to make her uncomfortable, and it's working. It's hot in this room. She's hot. All too hot. Like she's on fire- being cooked inside out. The feeling sinks its hooks into her gut and spreads lower, making her toes curl and her head spin. Thinking at all is getting harder as he runs his hands up and down her back, as his tongue-

Katherine's eyes open. She grabs Darko by the shoulders and pushes him off. She runs out the room and slams the door, cutting the kids off midcheer. "Stop!"

Darko is a few feet behind her, and he's closing the distance. She turns around and realizes Darko's sneer is just as crooked as his smirk. "That was only five minutes," Darko says.

Katherine crosses her arms, staring at the floor. Her eyes burn. Darko strolls closer to her. "I must commend you on what you ate in the cafeteria. It takes a certain level of commitment to be willing to puke your guts out every day."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Katherine takes a step forward, but Darko grabs her waist, pushing her back. Her back hits the wall, and while it won't leave a mark, it gets her heart racing.

"Don't touch me," Katherine says.

"Or what?"

Katherine looks away, at the empty hallway.

"One night," Darko says, "I was sneaking out of Adelaide's room and I saw you sneaking back into yours. But you weren't coming from the side of the school the boy's rooms are. You weren't coming from anywhere on campus. So I followed you, wondering what the hell you were up to, and you know what I saw?"

"I draw the curtains, creep."

"There were red handprints on your windowsill. Why were you coming back to campus in the middle of the night with blood on your hands? But what about the way you reacted to the Iodeen? You were affected. You did what I asked. The only thing is," Darko leans in, his voice dropping to a menace. "I didn't put any in your cup."