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Chapter 1

She couldn’t run fast enough

Behind her, saplings snapped and the world pounded beneath the feet of the crowned predator who had her scent and would not stop the hunt until he was sated

He was close

Growling inhalations followed by the bellowed exhalations see over her, blanking out as left of the frightened sun

Still she ran

She ran even though running was pointless Even though it was inevitable that she would be captured and no doubt consued re woman she was now in these, her lastripped aith every panicked step

“Go away!”

The words were so pathetically useless, hurled into the air and whipped awayof the creature behind her

“GO AWAY!”

Screa them louder onlyreserves of energy This was a persistence hunter, one ould run her until she lay panting on the forest floor, unable to stop as going to happen to her

Then the beast could take his time He could do with her as he willed No matter how painful it was, or how it hu would be stripped away from her

She knew that with the same instinct a mouse knows to scurry away from the path of a cat

She was fast, but he was faster

She was fit, but he was fitter