Chapter 205 – Daphne
I snicker.
Quiet and sharp.
She stops—my little bunny—ears twitching like satellite dishes, scanning the hallway. Her back stiffens, tail tucked tight against her thighs as she looks left… then right.
Poor thing.
She feels it. Me.
But she can't see me.
I press closer to the wall, blending into the shadows like I was made of them. I want her to feel it. That delicious tension. The thrill of being hunted but not caught. I want her ears to stay twitching all day, her skin crawling with the memory of my gaze.
She tilts her head slightly, nose wrinkling as she sniffs the air.
Her scent changes. Slightly. Barely.
But I smell it.
Crushed clover and warm soil. Innocence with a hint of defiance. It's like breathing in spring through a slit in a winter veil.
She moves again, hugging her books tighter to her chest. That worn satchel of hers looks ready to fall apart, but she carries it like armor.
My sweet little survivor.
