Mara stumbled over a root, barely catching herself before she fell. Her hands still trembled from the encounter with the vampire who had almost killed her.
The dense undergrowth snagged at her clothes, slowing her down, but she pushed forward.
Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, sent her heart racing anew. She could feel her legs beginning to tire, the adrenaline that had fueled her initial sprint waning. Still, she pressed on, her mind focused on one thing—survival.
But fate had other plans.
Without warning, she collided with something solid and unyielding. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she stumbled back, her eyes widening as she looked up to see what—or who—she had run into.
Lucien.
The vampire prince stood before her. His imposing figure cast a long shadow across the forest floor.
