She honestly didn't remember being as skeptical before the accident with the cougar. Kat hadn't admitted it, even to herself, but a small thrill of excitement had followed her into the woods the day they hunted one of the elusive black panthers locals claimed were prowling about. When she accepted the invitation to be the zoological expert in the investigation, it was something different. An adventure.
A throb in her thigh brought her back to reality. When the black panther turned out to be a territorial, ordinary cougar...reality had paid her a visit. She'd gotten her wake-up call back to the world of scientific fact, and all fiction had to be pushed aside. She looked forward to studying real cats, even cougars, in the wild once more. The one that attacked her had been acting on instinct. It had been her fault she'd been attacked, not the cougar's. Kat should've been more careful, but she hadn't paid close enough attention to the signs, and she suffered the consequences for it. One mishap shouldn't prevent her from pursuing her passion forever.
After she finished hunting the Jersey Devil, she would immerse herself back into her work. Perhaps she'd start with cougars to prove the attack wouldn't keep her down. A smile teased the edge of her lips at the thought.
Cindy twisted the lid back on her nail polish and set it on the table. "I heard there's lots of weird shit in the Pine Barrens. The clerk in the lobby was telling me about all these urban legends in the area. Creepy dirt roads in the middle of the woods, secluded towns, and stuff. Maybe we should check some out. It could provide filler if we can't find any better footage to use."
Kat turned back to her computer screen and ran an Internet search for strange places in the Pine Barrens, and when the links popped up, all the words seemed to blur together. She stared at the screen while her thoughts remained in the past and future, avoiding the present. "Maybe. I mean, nothing can be weirder than this afternoon, can it?"
Chapter 5
Moonlight flooded the dirt path with subtle illumination, making the dense fog all the more eerie as it curled around the trees. It made visibility difficult for more than a few feet. In most instances, nighttime strolls through the forest filled Pan with a sense of tranquility. However, making sure Katerina didn't find herself into serious trouble was becoming exhausting. For the sole purpose of entertainment value, she and her friends had been traversing through dangerous areas of the Pine Barrens with the intent of running into something scary. Well, if Pan were not around, they likely would. People who lived in those areas were not fans of trespassers wandering around with cameras.
Even worse, it had been three days since he met the woman, yet no one had dared reveal themselves as the reason for placing her there. To top it all, Pan still had not bedded Katerina. Not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to be underhanded in his methods. He could have acted as an incubus and taken her while she slept. She would have remembered it only as a dream, so he could have knocked on the door after Katerina consumed the wine and taken advantage of her. Pan could have played her music on his panpipes. The music would have acted as an aphrodisiac, making her burn to have him inside her.
Too easy. Too desperate. She tempted him harder than anyone since Syrinx, perhaps more so. Which was why Pan made as little contact with her as possible since Wednesday, but he'd spied on her regardless.
Not knowing what else to do for material—the camera traps they set had only picked up deer and raccoons, big surprise there—Katerina and her posse had taken to exploring a few other local legends while they were in town. There were many places in the Pine Barrens bordering on the strange and unusual, and nearly all of them were dangerous after dark. Tonight they took a great risk in hiking dirt roads through privately owned property lines so far into the woods that, if anything were to happen, they would not be discovered for days or weeks, if at all. The road they currently ambled down was known as the hunting grounds of a serial rapist of the past.
The fog had thickened enough to conceal them without his help. Or it would have if Katerina hadn't decided to wear a lime-green sweater with light blue jeans. She was a beacon of color proclaiming I'm a victim, take me now! Sure, it would keep her from being run over by a car, but did she have to prance around all vulnerable?
He palmed himself, wishing once more that he had given into the easy route despite knowing he'd hate himself for it later. Blue balls were becoming a fashion statement instead of a condition, and he didn't wear them with pride. He wondered how Katerina would feel knowing a naked satyr followed her around through the woods, keeping her hidden from anyone who could do her harm. And he was currently walking the dirt road in all his naked glory. The discomfort had gotten so bad that clothing irritated him. Not like he could offend anyone when he was invisible anyway.
Would Katerina be appalled by his body?
Thoughts of his affliction, as they often did, put him in a foul mood. He supposed it was a side effect of the curse itself. He fidgeted from hoof to hoof as he waited for Katerina to cease talking to the camera Rick aimed at her.
Pan crossed his arms and glared at everyone, but at no one in particular. When that did nothing to enhance his mood, he perused the area around the group of humans, unable to see far enough through the fog to determine if any threat loomed in the distance. If he had hackles, they'd be raised. Was Katerina so desperate to catch a monster on film that she'd risk her life to do it? The residents of the area were known to chase people through the woods in their pickup trucks, to threaten them with firearms, and sometimes people weren't seen again. On the other hand, the crazy inhabitants and stories surrounding the location were what made the Pine Barrens a superb place to blend in and stay hidden.
The group moved on, soon coming to another halt. The more he followed behind the filmmakers, the more ground his teeth together and felt the urge to do...something. Katerina droned on and on about the local stories. Rick said something about night vision cameras to which Cindy mumbled an inaudible reply. Soon after that, the fog provided a great ambiance for their footage as it gave the location a supernatural atmosphere without having to use infrared. Cindy carried a bulky flashlight with a wide, bright beam that could double as a searchlight. Pan made sure the light wasn't seen by the residents.
Accident. Waiting. To. Happen.
None of them truly believed in the stories of the Jersey Devil, despite being shaken by his earlier display. Traipsing about in the daytime, hunting for creatures was one thing; willingly venturing into dangerous territories at night, with one gun—which was left in the truck as the humans were worried about the state laws on firearms being an issue—was beyond stupidity. A gun would not keep them safe if they didn't have it with them. Pan was more than willing to give them the footage they craved by proving how reckless they were.
The need to act on a buried instinct, to take pleasure in what he wanted, damn all the consequences, became more difficult to deny by the minute. It was too late to stomp it back down. Pan knew, even before he made his move, he was making a terrible mistake. His impulsiveness had gotten Syrinx killed, and he'd lived with regret every damned day for centuries, but he was beyond reason. He'd fought his nature so long he barely recognized his own actions when he finally gave in.
There wasn't time to think about the repercussions. Katerina wanted a demonic creature to jump out at her, well, her wish was his demand. Pan dropped all the glamour he had around him and transformed into the nightmarish Jersey Devil. Dark wings sprang from his back as a long, serpentine tail slithered behind him, forked at the end. His face protruded into a snout that, if it could be compared to any living creature, was a mixture of goat and horse in appearance. He let out an inhuman growl from where he hovered behind Katerina, Rick, and Cindy. The humans stopped dead in their tracks, and he mused that they knew running from a wild animal would incite the beast to attack.
They were right. Pan longed for Katerina to run. He craved the exhilaration in the chase, in the pursuit of that which he craved most of all. The hunt, the glorious chase, would thrill him in w
ays it shouldn't. His breathing deepened as the anticipation mounted.
Rick's hand went for the weapon he belatedly realized was not slung over his shoulder. Cursing under his breath, Rick started to turn when Katerina glanced over her shoulder at Pan. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she looked away again with clipped breaths she didn't seem to be able to take in fully. Pan heard her heartbeat increase to a rapid pace.
Katerina rasped out to her companions, "We have to run for the van. Now." She didn't give them a chance to agree or argue. She took off.
Rick and Cindy, encouraged by her action, did the same. The van remained a good distance away, but the faint outline of the solid white vehicle was barely distinguishable in the glow of Cindy's light. Unfortunately for Katerina, she didn't realize how much Pan had denied himself the simple pleasure of the chase. Honestly, he shouldn't have been as excited as he was in that moment, as it alone would horrify Katerina if she noticed. This glamour was beyond atrocious, and his desire would be obnoxiously evident.
Pan flapped his leathery wings, gaining air. He then swooped down in front of Rick, shielding himself from being filmed as he did. The footage would show no visible evidence to make believers out of the humans who would view it. As with the first time he'd toyed with them, he knew sound effects could be easily added from an unseen location, so he wasn't worried about being heard.
Cindy noticed the threat to her husband and shined light in Pan's eyes, hoping to blind him. He couldn't blame her for not knowing he wasn't a meager animal to be deterred by such a feeble attempt. His eyes adjusted easily to any location and most levels of brightness or darkness. But since he was going for dramatic...
Pan used his wing to slap the spotlight out of her hands, and it skidded across the dirt road with a loud clatter. The light flickered once, twice, dimmed, and finally went dead. The moon proved bright enough to outline the individuals present, but offered little more than that. Cindy took a few steps back and tripped, landing hard on her ass. She immediately scrambled backward, attempting to regain her footing while placing distance between them.
Rick stepped in front of his wife, shielding her. He hadn't turned off the camera, but he slowly set it down, probably hoping the beast before him was too stupid to realize what a camera was. Keeping his hands out in nonthreatening gesture, Rick cautiously stood up and then began to back away. He remained between Pan and Cindy. How very noble.
Pan smiled, though in this form it likely appeared as a snarl. Lifting off from the ground, he knocked Rick over, which caused Cindy to tumble back down in effect. Neither concerned him. They weren't his prey.
He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, citrus and female filled his senses. Katerina. She was afraid, but her fear would be short lived. He'd make it up to her.
With a gust of air, he glided upward, flapping his wings every so often as he gained altitude. The trees made it difficult, but he maneuvered through them like he'd been born to fly. He dipped under a low branch as he descended toward Katerina.
She dropped to the ground as he flew over her head, dodging him. Adrenaline shot through his system, almost as invigorating as an orgasm in itself. He was pleased she wasn't to be caught easily. The hunt made the capture so much more satisfying.
Katerina was almost to the van when he landed on the top of the vehicle and perched in front of her like a gargoyle, crouched with one hand on the edge of the roof. Pan folded his wings and towered above her as he leered, sizing her up. She stared up at him, mouth open in a scream that provided no sound. Pan watched as a tear streaked down her face, and it impacted him like a sucker punch to the gut.
She was terrified of him and would never want him now. He'd only deluded himself. However, if he gave up and let her go, she'd flee the area and give up her film. She should leave the area. It was the best thing for her to do. The only thing that would keep her safe from his lecherous thoughts.
No. She is mine.
The last time he'd felt a strong connection to someone, he'd let her slip through his fingers and into the path of harm before he could see if anything more could have blossomed between them. He'd been so scared of consequences for his actions that he hadn't manned up in time to act. Not again. Fuck waiting to see why she was there. He wasn't allowing her to leave, and he damned sure wouldn't stand by as something happened to her because of any association she had with him.
Never again.
His wings unfurled as he used the leverage of the van to push into a dive, the strength and force of his body knocking the vehicle sideways in the road. Katerina screamed, finding her voice at last, as he landed directly in front of her on hoofed feet. He intimidated her with his size, fearsome appearance, and blatant nudity. She scrambled backward in the dirt like a crab, rolling over into a crawl as she forced herself to her feet. When she attempted to run, the fog hindered her by concealing the line of trees beyond her field of vision.
Katerina crashed into a tree, turned, and caught the impact with her back and an, "oomph." He took the opportunity to crowd her in, blocking any escape with his body. Trapping her against the pine tree, he buried his snout between her neck and shoulder. The scent of fear came off her in waves, mixed with the distinct hint of oranges. Her breathing was heavy, choked with sobs, and leaving smoky clouds in the crisp October air, containing the scent of the wine she'd been drinking the last few days. It had been made to linger and affect its drinker long after consuming it.
The wine was most definitely a message to him. She was a message to him. One he should study before sampling. Avoid sampling. A warning; one he should heed. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself of what he should do, the more he longed to do the opposite.
It's too late.
Pan dragged her bodily to his chest with one arm; the other dipped down to catch behind her knees in order to lift her. She was too shocked to react. With Katerina in his arms, he tore off the ground and into the trees. A beast with his beauty. Her terrified scream echoed in the night and shattered his soul.
* * *
Kat's throat burned and her screams grew hoarse as the Jersey Devil—the Jersey Fucking Devil—snatched her off the ground and flew into the air. She had been too stunned to believe what was happening at first. An animalistic growl had cut through the silence somewhere behind her, and her first thought had been that she'd screwed up a second time and couldn't be lucky enough to live through a brutal attack twice.
She'd expected a bear or a bobcat behind her, not a mythical monster! The creature was supposed to be a superstition; it wasn't supposed to be real. Everything about it didn't add up to a real creature, yet she couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation for what happened or what was currently carrying her over the Pine Barrens like a fat, juicy grub being hauled to a nest full of squawking baby birds by their mother. Not an image that helped pacify her nerves in the least.
When he backed her against the tree, she hadn't moved, hadn't fought. The creature had sported an enormous erection, which was wedged against her hip at the moment. More disturbingly, many aspects of the creature, from its shoulders down to its thighs, looked human. Its penis resembled a human penis, and that freaked her out more than anything else. It was scientifically impossible for anything human to breed with an animal and create offspring, but this thing was a genetic clusterfuck on two legs.
I'm being kidnapped by the Jersey Devil. Probably about to get raped and then eaten.
Maybe not in that order.
Hell no.
A glimpse below proved they were flying miles above the tops of the tall pines that gave the Barrens its name, but she squirmed and kicked, hell, she put in a good, hard blood-drawing bite for good measure. She'd rather a swift plummet to her death than a prolonged death by violation. Her sick mind painted vivid, detailed scenarios involving what was in store for her when they landed. It would drink her blood like wine to wash down the meat it stripped from her bones, using said bones as toothpicks when it was finished. If she made it out of
New Jersey alive, she was throwing away every horror movie she owned.
The creature only wrapped his arms around her tighter with a grunt and a growl to demonstrate its displeasure at her actions. All she was left with from her exertion was a coppery taste in her mouth and a closer encounter with the part of him she wanted to be farthest away from. Well, second part of him. She'd prefer to be far away from his pointed teeth as well. Nevertheless, the erection pressing into her side reminded her that he was most definitely a warm-blooded male, no matter the species.
Abruptly, the creature descended into the fog and trees. Kat shrieked at the sudden downward motion and tightened her arms around her captor. When she realized what she had done, she immediately tried to wiggle out of the monster's grasp, but could not pry herself loose.
JD, she decided to call him in an attempt to calm herself somewhat in order to be brave, landed in front of a long unused marble fountain full of leaves and branches rather than water. The figure in the middle was of a woman, draped in a sheet or a toga-style dress. The stone woman had long, curled hair, and one of her hands dipped into the area where water should have been. Her expression appeared so sad, lost even. The oddity of seeing it momentarily made Kat forget her current circumstances. What a peculiar thing to find in the middle of the woods.
Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1) Page 137