❛Catch Me If You Dare, part 2❜

ㅤ MAËLLE

ㅤ The playfulness begins to fade as we realize where we’ve ended up. Aleksei’s hands slide down to my waist, and I lift my chin to meet his eyes. Beams of light filter through the leaves, brightening his irises and making them look more like a sky-blue hue. He’s so close…

ㅤ His thumb strokes my hip through the fabric of my dress. He moves to rest one hand on the tree beside my head, bringing us face to face. His body casts a shadow, almost pressing against mine. Aleksei leans in slowly until his warm breath touches the curve of my neck. I feel his lips brushing the pulse there. He whispers something in a low voice that I hear, but don’t understand the meaning of.

ㅤ “Brúðr mín fagra,” Aleksei murmurs. The low rasp of his voice warms my skin.

ㅤ As soon as I realize the tempting trap he’s trying to lure me into, I twist my shoulder, slipping out from under his arm to escape. The cold breeze from the woods brushes against my skin, and immediately my body misses being so close to him.

ㅤ I take big steps backward, still facing him, ready to run at the slightest movement. Aleksei keeps his hands on the tree as he stares at me with a look of annoyance. The mischievous smile that spreads across my face is all he needs.

ㅤ “Cheating doesn’t count.”

ㅤ So, without looking back, I take off. The wooden bridge creaks beneath my feet as I move forward.

ㅤ I feel Aleksei’s hand pull on the bow tied at the dress’s strap, undoing it. Amidst the through my laughter, all I can do is let out a startled gasp as I feel my waist being grabbed and my body spun around with incredible ease.

ㅤ Aleksei steals a kiss from me before letting go again.

ㅤ “That’s no fun, Starshine. It was way too easy.” He brushes his hair back. “You’re going to need a lot more than that if you’re trying to provoke me, you know.”

ㅤ I touch my lower lip, noticing a red droplet there. I run my tongue over the cut, tasting the faint, metallic flavor that quickly fades.

ㅤ “You don’t have to pretend when you’re with me,” he teases. There’s a playful tone in his voice, and for a second, I’m almost certain I saw a truly teasing smile flash across his face.

ㅤ I pull Aleksei by his shirt until he’s close enough. He doesn’t pull away. His gaze drops for a second, and that’s enough for him to kiss me without warning. His arm wraps firmly around me while his hand runs through the strands of hair at the nape of my neck, forcing me up onto my tiptoes.

ㅤ How long has it been since the last time?

ㅤ I won’t let him go on. I break the kiss before his tongue touches mine.

ㅤ “The rule is clear… no kissing.” I scold him again.

ㅤ Aleksei raises an eyebrow, amused. “What difference does it make? We’ve done more than that… Much more,” he jokes, boasting. He gently cups my chin, lifting my face and guiding my gaze to his eyes. “I miss you, Maëlle.”

ㅤ This time, he holds me tighter. A groan escapes my throat as I can’t break free. His grip makes me feel every inch of his body, while he buries his face in the hollow of my throat again, inhaling the scent there. One moment he’s cold, the next he’s too hot. Oh, heavens… make up your mind.

ㅤ I can't stop myself from laughing, even as I try desperately to hold it back. I feel numb.

ㅤ “Wait—did you hear that?” I ask, struggling desperately to stop myself from laughing out loud.

ㅤ Aleksei mutters, “You won’t fool me.”

ㅤ “All right… you win.” My hands reach up to his shoulders, holding on before my legs give out. “Okay, now it’s for real. You beat me.”

ㅤ My feigned surrender convinces him. He loosens his grip and cups my face with both hands. So naive.

ㅤ Aleksei tries to stop me, but once again, I slip away like sand slipping through his fingers. The ground is covered with dry leaves, and the sun lights my path through the tree trunks. The victorious smile on my face fades when I glance back over my shoulder. Aleksei is no longer where I left him a moment ago.

ㅤ I hide behind the first tree I see in front of me. Still panting, I look around—there’s nothing but the wind and the distant song of birds. It’s as if he had never been here.

ㅤ My heart races, and this time, I'm sure it’s not from running. A complete silence settles in. The wind no longer stirs the leaves at the tops of the trees. The birds are gone, and even the cicadas have fallen silent.

ㅤ I rest my head against the tree trunk, gasping for air as I try to catch my breath. I swallow hard when I hear a branch snap. I don’t have the courage to turn around, but I can clearly sense someone’s presence beside me, breathing heavily.

ㅤ I can’t back down now. It was my idea. Taking one last deep breath, I turn around abruptly. A small deer calmly chews on some shoots, as if trying to figure out what I’m doing. I put my hand to my chest, letting the trapped air escape.

ㅤ The deer then pricks up its ears, alert, and suddenly stops chewing. Before I have time to process its reaction, the animal bolts away from me.

ㅤ Startled, I turn in the direction the poor animal was looking—the very direction that made it run away—only to find Aleksei standing right next to me. The clouds are blocking the sun, and the shadows cast by the trees allow me to see only part of his face. His eyes and part of his nose are shrouded in darkness. I know it’s him only by his clothes.

ㅤ Then he smiles.

ㅤ A grin that splits his face from ear to ear.

ㅤ My whole body shakes. A piercing scream rises from the depths of my soul, filling the woods.

ㅤ He doesn’t move. There’s no sign that he’s coming toward me, and I don’t expect him to try. I feel his gaze burning into my back and I know he’s behind me, but I don’t dare look back again. The only footsteps I hear are my own.

ㅤ Before I know it, a small ravine appears at my feet. I’m moving too fast to even try to make my body stop. It’s too late to stop. I don’t even have time to process the panic—I just shut my eyes tight, as if that could cushion the fall, no matter how high up I am.

ㅤ I feel my body being embraced the moment the sensation of emptiness reaches my feet.

ㅤ We rolled down the ravine, sending dry leaves and dirt flying. My leg stings from the scratches caused by the branches. For a second, everything spins, until we finally come to a stop.

ㅤ “Oh, my God, Aleksei… Are you okay?” My eyebrows furrow, and concern vibrates in my trembling voice. He nods, and I exhale the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. I sigh, relieved.

ㅤ I pluck a leaf stuck in his hair and brush the dust off his shirt.

ㅤ My hands touch the soft grass, and it makes me look up. Before us, surrounded by rocks and moss, lies a crystal-clear lake, glistening in the radiant sunlight. The turquoise water reveals the bottom with perfect clarity. Wow… this is paradise.

ㅤ Aleksei doesn’t give me time to hear his answer, or even to admire the lush landscape before us. His lips find mine again, and I respond before reason can stop me. One hand rests against his chest while the other braces me beside his head. He slides his hand down to my thigh, digging his fingers into my bare skin, not caring that the fabric of my dress is riding up.

ㅤ My tongue brushes against his. Aleksei pulls me closer, and I can clearly feel his arousal. A moan escapes me, muffled by the kiss.

ㅤ A brief, sharp clink of thin metal striking metal snaps me back to reality.

ㅤ I pull away from him abruptly, and Aleksei grumbles in frustration.

ㅤ “What was that?”

ㅤ The sound continues—a faint but persistent metallic clinking.

ㅤ Aleksei lets out a heavy sigh, his irritation plain to see. “Oh, no… not again. Let’s not start with this again, okay?”

ㅤ “Can’t you hear it?”

ㅤ The noise grows louder and closer. It’s as if it’s coming from inside my head.

ㅤ My jaw drops when I realize what it is... or rather, who it is. A red, translucent, flowing veil brushes against my face. The figure of a woman rushes past me, her jewelry jingling with every movement.

ㅤ Aleksei turns to look in the same direction, says something, but my mind is drowned in a dull buzz. I’ve seen this before, but I’m not sure where…

ㅤ She strides along, seemingly trying to avoid being seen, until she reaches a makeshift hut. That’s it! I remember.

ㅤ “Do you remember?” Aleksei asks, intrigued.

ㅤ I frown. “What did you say?” I can’t focus on what he’s saying. All my senses are fixated on that woman.

ㅤ The wind picks up, rustling the treetops and letting sunlight stream into places that were once in shadow. The hood covering the mysterious woman’s face is blown off her head by the gust. My eyes narrow, then widen.

ㅤ A long strand of golden-red hair falls down her back, allowing me to see her profile.

ㅤ She finally turns toward me. She doesn’t seem to see me, even though she’s looking in our direction, but I can see her clearly. My gaze locks onto her, while my body tenses and my breath catches without my realizing it.

ㅤ That's not right.

ㅤ I blink. Again. One more time.

ㅤ My mind tries to deny what’s right before my eyes, while my breathing quickens and my ears start to ring. My fingers tingle, as if tiny shocks were running beneath my skin. My mouth feels numb, and I have to run my tongue over my lips to make sure they’re still there.

ㅤ Everything about her looks exactly like… me.

ㅤ The nausea is accompanied by a chill running down my spine and tension in my jaw.

ㅤ I want to get out of here.

ㅤ I squint my eyes, and when I open them again, there’s nothing there anymore. My body, which had been paralyzed, starts moving again, and I slump down next to Aleksei, who stares at me in astonishment. Relief fills my chest. I lean back, propping myself up on my elbows.

ㅤ A laugh escapes, but it quickly fades away.

ㅤ In the palm of my hand, something grows hot, as if I were standing over a stove. My eyes widen with the same sensation I felt last night. It can’t be. The sunlight reflects off the round, golden surface of the cursed coin.

ㅤ My furious shout sends the birds in the treetops flying away.