The Prey: A Dark Enemies to Lovers Romance (Oakmount Elite Book 3)

The party is already in full swing when I walk through the front doors of The Mill house. Lee is sitting on the counter, shirtless, sipping a beer. Aries is just outside the kitchen with a girl wrapped around his waist.

As soon as Lee spots me across the room, he hops off the counter and cuts through the crowd, making a beeline right for me. “You made it. I was sure I’d have to come back out to your house and harass you again to get you out here, but I’m glad I didn’t.”

I sigh. “Is there any purpose for this party, or is it just the usual debauchery?”

Lee quirks a brow and nudges me with his shoulder. “Once upon a time, you loved this debauchery.” Then waving over at the throne pulled out for these types of events, he continues, “Drew is coming later with Bel. I doubt we’ll see much of them, so you get to lord over the underlings tonight. Take your seat and try to relax a little; you don’t always have to be so serious.”

With a grin, he shoves a bottle of cheap brown liquor into my grasp, and I stroll over to the chair, knowing it’s useless to argue with him. Lee is used to getting what he wants, and if I sulk around all night, he’ll only make his presence more defined. I step onto the platform and throw myself into the wooden throne. It’s hard and uncomfortable, but I’ve sat on worse.

I twist the tip of the liquor bottle off and bring it to my lips, tipping back the contents into my mouth. I take a couple of gulps, letting it warm my insides. I set the bottle on the arm of the chair and strip the hoodie I’m wearing off over my head.

I barely have the fabric out of my line of sight when a huge pair of tits fills my vision.

“Sebastian. It’s so good to see you,” a girl coos.

Hmm, fuck. I don’t remember her name. It’s not really surprising to me. I don’t see a name or even a face when I fuck them. They’re more of a means to an end, an outlet for my twisted fantasies. I search through my memory, and when recognition fails to take root in my eyes, she releases a huff of frustration.

“Trish, is it?” It’s a guess, but apparently the right one as her eyes light up with satisfaction.

“You remembered me!” She smiles and moves to sit on my lap.

I shift away as much as I can because that’s better than sending her running for the hills. She ends up with half her ass on my thigh and the other half on the wood chair. “Where have you been? The cheerleading team feels neglected.”

I’m not sure why she feels the need to tell me that. Each girl I fuck knows the score. It’s a one-time thing, and that’s it.

When I don’t respond to her questions, she asks me another. “The Hunt’s coming up. Are you excited?”

I shrug. “Sure. I’m excited for every event we put on.”

Snagging the bottle of liquor, I take another drink, my attention to the conversation fading as I scan the crowd of people for something better to distract me. In the throng of people, I spot Lee and Aries. They’re talking in the corner, their heads bowed.

What are you fuckers up to?

My pulse quickens as irritation blooms, and I look over at the girl. “What do you want?”

She simpers, and I barely keep myself from curling my lip in disgust. Elyse never does that. I roll my eyes. Why the fuck am I thinking about her again?

The reminder that I never wanted her in my life in the first place rolls through me, and I bring the drink to my lips. She was nothing but a pawn in a game played by our father figures, a symbol of everything I wanted to be away from with every cell in my body. And now…it’s like she’s burrowed under my skin, and I can’t fucking get away from her.

How did all of this get to be such a fucking mess?

“We had fun last time, didn’t we?” Trish places a well-manicured hand against her bicep, and my eyes gravitate toward the movement. Her fingers run along the signature scar I leave on all my conquests. I might feel guilty for it if they didn’t beg me so badly to do it.

To mark them.

To hurt them.

“Doesn’t mean we are doing it again. How many girls have you seen with two scars?”

She pouts and tosses the long strands of her blond hair over her shoulder. “None, but I could be the first.” When I don’t respond to her comment, her anger bubbles up and over the top. “You don’t have to be a dick about it, damn. Just say no.”

I clench my teeth and glare at her, leaning into her face so she can’t miss it. What part of “doesn’t mean we’re doing it again” isn’t registering? “No.”

“Whatever.” She sneers and clambers up and off the chair, taking the stink of her perfume with her. Maybe I should indulge in one of them. Or two…maybe it will keep me from doing something stupid like pinning Elyse to the wall and fucking her silly.

My dick takes interest in that idea, and I cross my legs to hide the raging hard-on growing there, letting my ankle rest on my knee. I notice the curious looks of a couple of girls who shift closer to me, one tripping over her own feet and landing directly in my lap, her ass pressing against my erection.

I could fuck them. It wouldn’t mean anything except maybe a reprieve from my lingering thoughts of Ely.

“Your cock is so big.” The nameless girl whimpers and writhes against me, her hips rolling, her eyes shimmering in the overhead lights. She’s cute. I’ve seen her at a party once or twice.

Her friend, who has jet-black hair and bright blue eyes, stares down at me. “Sebastian. We’ve missed you,” she drawls, sitting on the arm of the chair while her friend still dances.

I try to play my part, to smile even, but it comes out as more of a scowl. It’s fine; girls around here are used to me being a moody asshole. “You missed me, huh?”

She nods, beaming under my attention. I hand her the bottle of cheap bourbon and watch as she takes a long sip, then hands it off to her other friend. The girl in my lap stops dry humping me long enough to take a drink and passes it back to me. I tuck the bottle back into my hip for safekeeping.

“Do you want to hang out with us tonight?” the girl on the arm of the chair asks.

Hang out? I don’t know why she doesn’t just ask if I want to fuck them.

I look over the shoulder of the girl who’s planted in my lap, her ass rubbing against my cock. The strangest thing happens then. A ringing fills my ears, and the tiny hairs on my neck raise with awareness. I feel her presence before I see her. Elyse. A sick and twisted longing rips through me. It only intensifies when I see her there, standing in the doorway with Bel and Drew beside her.

Her brown hair lies in soft waves around her shoulders, and even from a distance, I see that she put on some makeup. That’s different. Something that feels a lot like jealousy burns in my veins. I hope she isn’t trying to impress someone because no one with a brain cell in their head is going to leave this party with her in their possession while I’m here. An irrational need to go to her pops into my head. I shake it, the movement subtle but fierce. No. She means nothing. The less interest I show in her, the easier this will all be.

Even with that thought, though, I can’t look away. I drag my gaze over her from head to toes, noticing that she’s wearing a zip-up hoodie over her jean skirt and ankle boots. Fuck, she looks good, even covered more than most of the girls at this party.

An image of her tiny little body writhing beneath me appears in my mind. Her skin between my teeth. Her pretty lips releasing sweet, intoxicating sounds.

The fucking ways I would ruin her.

I shift uncomfortably in the chair, and the girl beside me laughs. Suddenly, even the idea of being with either of them pisses me off.

Ely’s blue eyes find me. I can feel the weight of them on my skin, but her expression is different, unreadable, and I swear it looks like she’s looking through me, rather than at me.

The moment ends, the elastic band tethering us together snapping, and I clench my fist, needing something to ground me. Without an apparent second thought, she turns and follows Bel into the kitchen, both of them disappearing from my line of sight for a second because of the crowd.

I stand, pretending to stretch, and the girl on my lap tumbles forward.

“Hey, what the…” She pauses when I resettle into the seat, with a better view now, and tug her back onto my lap.

I’m not going to fuck either of them, but I can use them as a buffer between Elyse and myself.

The nameless girl wiggles in my lap, grinding her ass against my still-hard cock. If only she knew my cock was hard for someone else entirely. I wonder if she would still be working this hard?

The other girl leans in and drapes her arm over my shoulders. “We could go,” she whispers into my ear.

I shake my head. “Sorry, I have to stay. Mill business.”

She gives me what I assume she thinks is her best puppy dog eyes, and when that doesn’t work, she lets out a resounding sigh and turns to scan the crowd. After a moment, she looks back at me, realizing I’m not going to change my mind.

“Let’s go,” she orders her friend, grabbing her by the hand.

“What? I thought…” The girl in my lap stares between us, confusion filling her eyes.

“He doesn’t want to fuck us. Let’s go,” she announces like she’s ashamed and then drags her friend back out onto the dance floor.

Well, there goes my buffer. Whatever, I guess. I look away from the dance floor and back to where Elyse is standing. Bel is there with Drew wrapped behind her back as usual.

I notice there are a few other girls standing around, but none of them draws my attention like Elyse. I watch as she strips off her hoodie and ties it around her waist.

Drew says something and then passes her a cup, which Ely takes without question. I unclench my fist, not realizing how tightly I was holding it. Relax. She’s not your problem. I mean outside of her obligation to pay her father’s debt. Still, it’s a relief that she isn’t taking a drink from some random guy. I can trust Drew.

He doesn’t want her, wouldn’t even consider giving up Bel for her, not with how obsessed he is, but it’s not him that’s the issue. It’s the other fuckers in attendance. Interest reflects in their heavy stares, the way they look her up and down like she’s a big, juicy steak they can’t wait to get a taste of.

Just try it, fuckers. See what happens. Touch what is mine. I’ll feed you your fingers one by one.

When Ely smiles at something Bel says, my heart lurches out of my chest. How have I never noticed how pretty she is when she smiles? I suppose I’ve never seen her smile like that, since I’d have to give her a reason to smile in the first place. I grit my teeth in anger. It’s irrational to be jealous of everyone else who gets to see that smile, but now that I’ve seen it, I want to see more of it. All the time.

I’m fucking screwed.

My hands reach for the bottle of liquor absentmindedly, and I need the liquid courage to help get me away from this fucking chair and into that kitchen. It’s already packed in there, spilling out to where the small dining table usually sits. Even over onto the dance floor in front of where the throne was placed. I can’t stay here; I need to be closer to her.

I can’t bear to look away from her. She is laughing outright now between taking tiny sips of her drink. I can’t help but be reminded how much she looks like any other college girl having the time of her life at a party. Making friends. Socializing. The thought of ruining that for her makes my chest ache.

What if my presence doesn’t ruin it? Ha. Laughable. The second I go in there, she’ll stop laughing, and all the tension that’s been building between us lately will be evident to everyone.

Why did Bel have to bring her?

If I really wanted to be an asshole, I could order her away…tell her to go home, throw her out. I release a groan of frustration. I’d never live that shit down. Not with Lee watching my every move, and that’s not even considering the tongue-lashing I would get from Bel. No, I can’t do that.

God, I’m a fuckhead. She deserves to be here just like everyone else, but her presence is doing crazy things to my head.

A group of girls form into a circle a few feet away from Bel and Ely, and they whirl around to join in on the conversation. Even from my spot across the room, I can feel the shift in the air. The fun, easygoing conversation has taken a nosedive in a different direction.

I take in Bel’s glare of disgust, aimed at the blond girl closest to her.

“What the fuck?” I mutter to myself, watching as Drew tightens his hold on Bel, tugging her backward like he’s afraid she might launch herself at the girl.

If someone is fucking with Bel… I pause for a moment, and my attention turns to Ely, who is staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed over, looking as if someone has slapped her. I shove out of the chair and watch them with confusion as the crowd surrounding them turns their faces toward me.

Fuck, they have to be talking about me. Why else would they look over here?

Bel yells something, but I can’t hear it over the beat of the music. Then she lifts her hand and points at the door. I step down onto the makeshift dance floor, intending to stalk over there and figure out what the hell is going on, but then Ely whirls around and cuts back through the kitchen, crossing directly into my path.

She freezes in her tracks when she spots me, and the look of horror in her eyes is unmissable. I’ve done many things to her, said many things to her, but she’s never looked at me like that. Like I’m a monster.

I open my mouth to say something, anything but she spins around and trudges back into the kitchen, fighting her way through the crowd to the back door.

Goddammit. I shouldn’t give a fuck what it is that’s suddenly made her thoughts on me shift, but I can’t make myself not care. Not when it’s about her. Or anything that concerns her.

“Elyse, wait,” I call after her, but the music is too loud for her to hear me.

Anger replaces whatever I felt before, and I stalk over to where Drew and Bel stand, talking to one another.

“What just happened?”

Bel eyes me out of the corner of her eye. “You happened. Your little harem told her about your ritual, among a couple of other things. I think she just needs a minute to cool off.”

I’m so confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Bel drags her finger up the side of her bicep. “That thing you do to the girls you’ve been with.”

“Okay?” What does that have to do with Elyse?

Bel shakes her head, looking at me with disappointment. “Do you think the rumors about girls fawning over their desire to wear your signature mark never make it back to me? It’s disgusting, if you ask me.”

“Good thing I didn’t fucking ask you, then,” I snap, scanning the area for a way to get back to that door. Too many fucking people are in here.

“Watch it,” Drew warns with a growl. “I don’t care if you’re her brother. Talk to her like that again, and we’re going to have a problem.”

Fucking shit. I need to pull it together. Bel hasn’t done anything to deserve my shitty attitude. I release a sigh of defeat and focus my attention back on her.

“I’m sorry, Bel. I shouldn’t have said that.” I shake my head, trying to reel myself back in. “I’ll go make sure Ely is okay.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Bel warns.

In a perfect world, I’d leave her to her anger, let her go home and sleep it off. Whatever. The mark on her arm was just to release her from that nightmare; it’s not like I fucked her. If I’d been inside her, the mark she wears would be much different, deeper, and clear to anyone who looks that she is mine and mine alone.

I swallow the visual, shaking my head, and reach behind them for another bottle of liquor. “I’m not afraid of Ely.”

As badly as I don’t want to, I need to try to fix this however I can. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving her outside, in the dark, alone with Yanov still out there. When I turn in the direction of the back door, my worry of being able to get through the crowd eases when the masses part on their own as I cross the room.

Maybe the look on my face is enough warning, who knows. Or at least it is to everyone except Aries. He doesn’t give a fuck if I’m pissed off.

He cuts into my path, blocking me from exiting the back door. “Where’ve you been, man? I didn’t see you get here.”

The smell of alcohol and pussy seeps off his pores. “I need to go out that way, asshole. Move.”

Grinning, he steps aside with a sweeping bow. “Good luck fixing that clusterfuck.”

Everyone thinks Aries is a playboy, stupid and attractive, but they don’t have the first clue how fucked up he is, or worse, how dark and malicious he can be. I slip past him and exit through the door, traipsing onto the grass. It’s darker than fuck out here.

I scan the dark grounds, but I don’t see her anywhere. Nor do I want to call out for her because, depending on how upset she is, I wouldn’t put it past her to run away from me. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they do, I can make out movement near the tree line, and that’s when I spot her leaning against the trunk of a tall, fall-stripped oak. The moonlight plays across her fair skin, fading away into the dark of her hair.

My stomach twists into a tight knot as I stalk toward her. I can tell the moment she notices me, her dark gaze resting on me. I pause, waiting to see if she runs.

Do it. Run, Little Prey.

I’m playing with fire here, since I already know I won’t be able to control myself if she takes off on me. The thrill of the hunt is too much to resist.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t move. She stays right where she is, her back pressed firmly against the tree, looking every bit like the prey I call her, caught in a trap and waiting for the big monster to come and eat her.

I smile. “What are you doing out here alone in the dark, Little Prey?”