Page 66 of Written In Flesh

I take a step around him then freeze. Red. A pair of red eyes are materializing on the road. “Madden.” I manage to get his name out right as the rest of the black, solid looking body forms in place. It growls, low and viscous. Madden moves in front of me, pushing me behind him.

“What the fuck?” he breathes out, his body tensing. “Stay behind me, Skully.”

“This isn’t normal, is it?” I ask, my fingers curling into his jacket.

Madden shakes his head, still never taking his eyes off the Hell Hound. The hound takes a step toward us. “I want you to run, Skully.”

“I can’t—”

“You can. When I say run, you run. Get inside a church or something considered sacred. Then call Aero.” He cuts me off, his body already shuffling backward, pushing me farther away from the hound.

“What about you?”

His hand squeezes my arm. “I just need you safe.”

My breath hitches in my throat, and the dog barks. His paws prance against the snowy road. It bares its teeth.

“Run.”

I turn, sprinting away as fast as I can. The skirt on my dress whips around my legs while my boots clack against the road. The chilled air burns my lungs and melting snow drips down my face, but I keep going. Pumping my arms, I let the muscle memory of my runs in California take over, seriously wishing I hadn’t given it up when I moved here. A dog’s barking and growling follows me, and I push harder. My heart screams for Madden, but I force myself to keep going. I’m miles down the road when the noise stops. My eyes bounce around, realizing I’m completely alone on a deserted town road. Time seems to stop; the snowflakes in the air hover. A bark grabs my attention, and I whip around. In the middle of the road, the Hell Hound is watching, me and I’m all alone.

My eyes meet its eerie red ones. Its large head cocks to the side, watching me too. My pulse hammers so loud in my ears I can’t hear anything else. My hands ball into fists, but it does nothing to stop my magic from sparking between my fingers. The hound takes a step back.

“Oh, you don’t like that?” I ask, flipping my palm up and creating a dancing flame of magic right in my hand. The hound’s head moves up and down, but it still doesn’t move.

“Run along, puppy,” I tell it. Its teeth push forward, almost as if in a smile before it disappears.

“Skully!” Madden’s voice is ragged, my name sounding like it was torn from his throat when he finds me. My hands reach for him, but he’s already pulling my body to his. One of his hands fists my hair, and the other wraps under me, hoisting my body off the ground. My arms wrap around his neck, and I let him hold me.

“Are you okay?” I breathe against his neck, feeling his heart racing against my chest.

He sets me down on my feet, his hands moving to cradle my face. “I’m fine. Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay, Angel.”

I nod, wrapping my arms around his waist. He holds me tight, breathing deeply. His phone vibrates against my stomach. Without moving out of my hold, he plucks his phone from his pocket and answers it.

“No, it’s gone. At the Gate?” Madden practically growls. “Are you sure? So all three of them went through?”

Madden glances down at me, his lips gently touching the crown of my head. “I’m taking Skully home. Let me know if anything comes up.”

They hang up, and Madden holds onto me while we shimmer back to his car. I get in, and he guns it back onto the road back to River Falls.

Madden walks me to my door, and I still refuse to let go of him. Not that he’s stopped touching me, reassuring himself that I am still with him, the entire drive back. “I need to stay with you tonight, Skully. I can’t.” He shakes his head, dropping his forehead to mine. “I can’t be away from you.”

“I want you to stay,” I tell him, letting another piece of my shield fall away.

Madden places his hand against the lock on my door, and it pops open. My eyes widen, but he just smirks before his hands band around my waist, lifting me off my feet. My legs wrap around his waist effortlessly. “My room’s that one.” I point over my shoulder.

He carries me down the short hallway and into my room. Once my door closes, I let my body slide down his, feeling every hard ridge of him. He pushes closer until my back rests against the wall. His head drops to the crook of my neck, his lips softly pressing against the sensitive skin. “I should walk away. I don’t deserve any part of you yet, but fuck, Skully, having my hands on you again is the best thing in the world.”

Shivers break across my skin from the low rasp of his voice. I can feel his need tinged with desperation in the way his fingers dig into my thigh. He is holding me possessively, reverently, like he doesn’t want to ever let me go. My magic practically preens inside my chest.

“Let me taste you, Angel,” he growls, voice thick with emotion. “Let me have just that again.”

My body trembles in his hold, every nerve in my body is screaming how right this is. How much I want him too even if I shouldn’t. Madden slowly lowers to his knees in front of me, lifting my dress just enough to press a kiss to my stomach. My muscles quiver under his touch, and a soft whimper leaves my lips. His hands slide to my hips, his fingers curling under the band of the silky black panties I had put on only hours before. My hands make fists against his broad shoulders; yet, I don’t push him away.

Madden’s fingers start to drag my panties down my legs to my feet, where he helps me step out of them. My hands reach for the top of my thigh-high stocks, but his hand closes over mine.

“Those stay on, Skully.’