She felt him behind her, closing in, and her adrenaline spiked, sending another burst of speed through her muscles. Heart pounding, blood singing in her veins, the dark shapes of thick trunks blurred as she ran. She didn't dare risk a glance over her shoulder, but she knew where he was, could smell him in the air.

He wasn't the one she wanted to catch her.

She dodged over obstacles littering the forest floor until she reached the river. The water was deep and cold this early in the summer, but she was a good swimmer. Without pausing, she leapt into the dark swirling liquid and let the current carry her.

Only when the river turned, and the current slowed to a lazy roll, did she return to the shore. She paused, crouching on the bank, and sniffed the air. No scent. She'd lost the young one. For now.

But her ruse wouldn't fool him for long. Nor would it distract the others. They'd played this game before.
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Irina spun to her feet and took off again, letting the warm night air dry her naked flesh. The night sang to her, pulsing in her blood. Her nerves tingled and her body swelled with the rising of her estrus. The scent of her excitement called to them, all of them. And the thrill of their hunger drove her faster through the trees.

Breathing hard, she laughed and paused to scent the air again.

She caught his scent a split second before a hand closed over her mouth.

"Shhh," he murmured against her ear. "If you struggled, you'll attract the others."

She flicked her tongue out, tasting the palm covering her mouth, smiling when she heard his sharp intake of breath. And because she knew it would excite them both, she did struggle against his grip. He had to use both arms, wrapped tightly around her upper body, to hold her against his chest.

"Enough," he snarled. "Or I will let that young one find you."