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

The crowd for the hunt is thinner this year. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. It doesn’t matter since this is my last year hosting the event. If I had known what a shit show this year was going to be I would have moved Lee into my position to take over the big event planning this year. He’s done a lot, regardless, while I’ve been dealing with everything else.

He jogs up the slight hill to join me on a small platform near the front door, set at the edge of the driveway.

“Where were you? I saw Drew run up, too.”

He shakes his head and pulls down his jacket. “Nowhere, man, just scouting things out, making sure the lanterns got set and that there weren’t any major hazards.”

I frown as I watch him. The scent of liquor wafts from him in waves. “Are you participating?”

He smiles wide. “Of course. This is my final chance to get out there and play. Did you bring your little pet?”

I roll my eyes and sigh. “She’s not my little anything and definitely not a pet.”

He chuckles softly. “Not your employee either?”

I shove his shoulder and stare at the small pack of runners moving and waiting next to the platform, surveying the people who will soon race across the lawn to the woods for the chase.

“Yes, she’s my employee, but that’s it.”

“I have a feeling that’s not all you want her to be.”

The pregnancy test flashes in my mind. The image of her round with my child. Fuck. I can’t handle this right now. “I don’t want to talk about her with you, or anyone for that matter. Elyse and I are not a thing, never were, and never will be. Whatever you thought you saw, forget it. It’s over.”

This time he checks me with his shoulder. “I very much doubt that, Seb. You two have something magical going on.”

“Oh, you’re the expert now because you’re engaged?”

His eyes flash cold, and his jaw clenches tight. “No, I’m not an expert at anything, even less love. I’m just telling you what I saw, and that if it’s obvious to everyone else, then it should be pretty fucking clear to the two of you.”

“Like I said, it doesn’t matter,” I snap and step up to the podium. My suit jacket is tight around my shoulders, and I shrug to try to shake off Lee’s words.

The crowd sees me and goes quiet. I nod at them all and wave to the woods on my right. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? The Mill House welcomes you to this year’s event. The Hunt is an annual fundraiser we put on every year. It’s a race for the depraved, filthy rich, and elite. You only win when you reach the cabin, and you must be the first runner there. Make it there, and the money is yours. If you’re caught…well, the person who catches you gets to do whatever they want to you, outside of causing bodily harm.”

There’s some excited murmuring from everyone, chasers and hunters alike. I wave my hand to silence them. “As you know, every year we come up with new twists.” I whip out my fox mask and pull it over my head.

There’s an echoing gasp and some laughter. Then I watch as the rest of the hunters pull masks out of their pockets and bags to place them on their faces. Some are animals, like Lee in his panther mask, Drew, who wears a wolf mask, and Aries, who is a bear. There are other animals in the crowd, each with their own design. There’s even one plague mask.

“You won’t even be able to see the face of your hunter this year. Maybe…it will inspire our little rabbits to try something new. Perhaps it will give the hunt an added thrill.” I keep my voice low and seductive, weaving the spell, adding the magic they expect from one of The Mill events.

I keep an eye on the time and the sun, and signal to Lee, who grabs the flare gun on the stage. At my nod, he raises the gun and squeezes the trigger. It goes off, a sharp crack ringing in my ears that echoes out across the waiting participants.

“Happy hunting…” I say into the microphone as the runners race across the lawn toward the trees.

The hunters stay back a moment, giving the prey a head start. It’s usually more fun that way. It allows the runners to hide but also plants the seed of winning in their minds. They believe they can succeed if they get a head start and think they’re ahead. It’s a psychological mind fuck at best, but it does what it’s supposed to.

Lee hops off the platform and tugs his hoodie off over his head.

“You should take the left quadrant if you’re going to be on patrol. It seems only right since you seem dead set that you aren’t participating this year.” He clips each word, letting me know he’s annoyed.

I grab the back of his neck hard and give him a little shake, then a shove. It makes him laugh as he catches his balance in motion and turns to flip me off.

“Happy hunting,” he mocks and then turns to race off into the trees.

The rest of the pack follows him, and within a couple of minutes, all hunters have disappeared into the forest. With a sigh, I start toward the woods, my steps slow and precise. Fear and sex cling to the air, and I breathe the scents deep in my lungs. Fuck. I should be out there, chasing and claiming someone, but the thought of taking anyone but Elyse makes me sick to my stomach.

A few yards away, I spot Drew, headed toward the far edge of the wooded area. Well, I guess that ensures I stay to the left of the property. No way in hell do I want to run into him and Bel in the woods. It’s bad enough that I know for a fact my best friend is fucking my sister, but to witness it? No fucking thank you.

Once I make it to the trees I shove my hands into my pockets and let the allure of calmness wash over me. It’s a little chilly tonight—not as bad as last year, but I have a feeling it will get colder as it gets darker. People will take their revelry up to the house as they get tired of freezing their asses off.

A scream splits the slowly darkening woods, and I stop, cocking my head to the side to listen. Screaming, moaning, begging. None of those things are abnormal to hear out here, but that sound… It wasn’t a normal scream of pleasure, of play. It was a banshee shout drenched in fear and dipped in pain.

Dammit. Did someone hurt themselves already? I race in the direction of where I heard the noise, scanning the trees and brush, hoping to catch sight of someone before I trek the entirety of the fucking property. That would be my fucking luck.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing there, and I strain my senses against the gathering dark and sounds of others fucking, moaning, playing in the woods like some great pagan rite. Weird. I shake my head and try to let go of the strange impending feeling of doom that I have in my gut. What the fuck is going on with me?

I’m tempted to call out to the voice. It sounded feminine, but I don’t want to risk drawing the attention of some of the more zealous hunters. Some participants take things too far, and I’m not in the mood to nurse anyone’s wounded pride tonight.

I catch the sound of rustling leaves behind a thicker copse of trees directly ahead of me, and I lean to the side to see if I can catch a glimpse of someone…hell, anything at all. It takes a lot to surprise me, and I’m not even really shocked since this is The Hunt, but when a tiny little woman comes rushing through the thicket, her body crashing into my chest, I am. Mainly because something about her, and the placement feels off. Wrong.

Chase participants rarely get this far out.

I catch her by the biceps, and she lashes out, instinctually fighting against my grip like she’s fighting for her life. What the fuck? She’s tiny, and if I wanted to, I could subdue her. Instead, I do a quick sweep of her body, trying to pinpoint anything that might give me a clue as to what the hell is going on. Knotted rope hangs off one wrist, gray rabbit ears adorn her head, and a black sash is tied around her throat.

I can’t really make out what she’s wearing, but from a quick glance, I’d assume some type of lingerie and black sneakers. Who is this girl? Where did she come from? None of the runners I had seen were wearing anything like this. I would’ve noticed.

She whimpers, trying to twist out of my grasp, which only makes me tighten my hold on her. I won’t lie, her cries make my cock hard, but I swallow that desire down. I’m more curious as to who she is, and how she ended up this far out here.

I stare at her face, my gaze roaming over her eyes, nose, and lips in the paltry moonlight shining through the trees.

Delicate. Breakable. Like porcelain.

The ground beneath my feet crumbles, and my entire world shifts into sharp focus. It can’t be. How? I didn’t invite her, and no one else would dare, and somehow here she is, a participant in The Hunt.

“Elyse,” I breathe.

Her big blue eyes widen with fear, and there’s this faraway look in her eyes. “Please… don’t. Just let me go.”

Let you go? She’s talking gibberish.

“Let you go?” I hiss.

“I don’t want to be kidnapped again.”

Something spears through me. Kidnapped? Who kidnapped her? I scan the trees over her head, half expecting another person to pop out. Yanov, mainly, but could be any unfortunate soul at this point. But, there’s no one else there.

“There’s no one there,” I murmur and then ask, “Who kidnapped you?”

She shoves at my chest again, tears trailing down her cheeks. I don’t want to let her go, but it’s obvious touching her is making things worse. “Let me go. Please, let me go!”

With a sigh I soften my grasp, and she tugs her arms free like a thread through the eye of a needle. Studying her, I notice more rope, this time hanging off her right ankle. It looks cut. I survey the area for any other clues, and my gaze catches on something shiny. That’s when I see the blade of a small knife she’s wielding in her hand.

My gaze shifts almost involuntarily to the gray bodysuit she’s wearing. Spaghetti straps and silk hug her body. Lace panel cut-outs give me glimpses of bare, goosebumped flesh, and I have to swallow hard.

Shit. What the fuck is going on?

I reach for her again, mainly because I need to touch her to ensure she’s real, and maybe touching her will give me an answer because I need to know what the fuck is happening. Is she out here to play? Was she planted here? I don’t get very far because she releases a screech of pure terror and swings the knife toward me like she thinks I’m going to hurt her.

With a long exhale, I snatch her wrist, the one holding the knife, and tug her back against my chest. At the very least to give her some of my body heat. Her skin is ice cold now that the sun has set. How long has she been out here?

“If you cut me before I’m ready to play I’m going to get mad, and then I’ll have to punish you,” I hiss.

She jerks against me and freezes, her wrist still caught in my grasp.

Is she finally giving up? Then, like her fight or flight has been activated, she moves with precision, twisting her wrist hard, forcing me to lose my grip. The knife knicks my suit jacket, and all I can do is shake my head. Fucking hell, I thought she was done destroying my clothing.

I don’t have enough time to grab her again, and like the bunny she’s dressed as she scampers off into the woods. Adrenaline races in my veins, awakening needs and desires I’d spent the last couple of days burying.

My instincts beg me to give in, to chase her down and claim her, but if I do that, it’s over. She will be mine whether she wants it or not, and that baby inside her will be mine, as well.

Her body, her soul, her life. All fucking mine.

It’s not a choice but a need. A bone-deep ache I can’t reject. I have no other choice. I can’t let her go. The possibility that someone else might find her and claim her makes me murderous.. I strip off my jacket, hanging it on a low tree branch, and tuck the flashlight into my pants pocket.

Then I start to walk, my steps slow but without hesitation. I know this property and have been playing this game since I was a teenager. She can’t escape me. Not at my own game. I watch curiously as she cuts a path through the trees.

She’s fast, faster than I thought she’d be, I’ll give her that.

Desire ripples through me, bringing with it heat. I tug the tie I’m wearing loose, letting it hang limply around my neck. I choose not to toss it as it might come in handy later. Depending upon how squirmy she is. I cut around the trees, going left to see if I can cut her off if I move quickly enough. The sheath of my favorite knife rubs against my ankle, reminding me that it’s there.

Something hot and molten fills my veins, igniting things I’ve been suppressing. It’s as if my world shifts on its axis like I’ve been waiting for this very moment, this one perfect second, to come back to myself.

Of course it would be my Ely who brings me home.

“You can’t hide from me, Ely. I know these woods like the back of my hand.” I taunt.

Leaning into those feelings, I finally race after her, closing the distance between us. She hasn’t looked back once, and it only takes a minute to catch her around the waist, lifting her off her feet and taking her down to the cold-packed earth.

There’s a soft bed of leaves beneath us, but I know she’ll be aching from the hit tomorrow. Being that she’s pregnant, I can’t risk hurting her out here, or at all, so while I want to unleash myself on her, I remind myself that I must maintain control and be gentle. Something I have no experience being.

“Look what I caught, a little rabbit.”

She, on the other hand, doesn’t think she has to be gentle, and swipes at me with the knife. I roughly lever my weight off her, pressing my hips into hers and anchoring her arms to the forest floor.

“Mmm, she’s got teeth. But so do I.” The words come out in a low groan as I lean in and run the rubber mouth of the fox mask down her neck.

She whimpers. Trembles under me, the feeling entering my own body. I stare down at her face, taking note of her pinched features, the way her eyes are squeezed shut, like she’s trying to crawl inside herself. Wait. The realization of it all slams into me like a brick wall. This isn’t a game to her. She’s truly fucking terrified.

I slowly raise the mask up to rest on top of my head and lower my face near hers. “Ely, look at me.”

She shakes her head hard, and I spot the streak of tears as they slide down the apples of her cheeks. There’s a smudge of dirt on her pretty pointed chin.

“Ely,” I whisper. “You’re safe. Always safe. I’m not going to hurt you. Open your eyes and see. I’ve taken off the mask.”

Her body shudders against me once more, and it’s not in pleasure. Fucking hell. How did I not see how far down the rabbit hole she’d gone? Trapped in a memory, triggered by the chase.

“Ely, Ely, Ely…” I continue saying her name, hoping to bring her back.

It takes a minute and more patience than I ever thought I’d be capable of possessing, but slowly, the panic recedes, and she cracks one eye open to look up at me. The only way to describe the look in her eyes is relief. Complete relief.

“Seb…Sebastian?” Her voice cracks, ending on a sob.

“Yes.” I nod, searching her eyes for sanity. “It’s me. You’re okay.”

She blinks her eyes open, her gaze darting around the quiet forest before coming back to my face. “You…you did this? You had them kidnap me?” I don’t miss the way her voice rises, ringing with panic.

“No, I didn’t have them kidnap you. I didn’t know you were out here.” All I can do is shake my head. Fucking Christ. I should’ve known something like this would happen. Why would I ever think she signed up or willingly joined the event? “It was probably fucking Lee.”

She nods once, then again. “Yes, he… he dressed me in this…whatever it is…and Drew. He was…he brought me out here.” Her lips tremble as she speaks, but at least she is here, her mind present, with me.

I’m a little surprised that Drew was involved, being that Elyse and Bel are friends, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll deal with them assholes later. Right now, my concern is Elyse.

“Listen, it’s going to be okay. They were just trying to fuck with me.”

“Wait, why? What’s happening? Why did they bring me out into the woods and dump me here?” She questions, her voice small and whisper thin. “And how did you know I would be here? Are you going to hurt me?”

I had hoped this event would come and go without a hitch, but I guess Lee and Drew had other fucking plans. “No, no one is going to hurt you. Lee stuck you in the middle of the annual event for The Mill. The Hunt.”

Her eyes go wide. “The Hunt? Like the sex game thing.”

I feel my neck flash hot at her accusation. “Yes, it’s a primal hunt. A lot of people beg for an invitation to this event,” I say, almost indignantly. “But you didn’t sign up for it. You aren’t here because you want to be, so it’s okay. I can take you back to the house.”

I push up to ease some of my weight off her, but when her tiny hands curl into the fabric of my shirt, I pause. “Wait.”

Her blue eyes shine like luminous pools of water. I notice she’s breathing deeper now, her features relaxed, and it allows me to calm as well, but in the wake of that calmness, I realize how close our bodies are and how badly I still want her. We never finished our conversation from last night, but discussing that now feels wrong. I know we need to talk about it, but all I want is to be inside her, to claim her, and keep her.

My cock grows thick at the thought, and I realize the moment she feels it pressing against her pussy. A soft breath escapes her lips, similar to that of a gasp but more sexual. Her pretty blue eyes widen with shock that bleeds into curiosity as we stare at each other.

The air between our bodies grows heavy, electrically charged. I find myself panting, a desperate need threatening to tear me apart at the seams. The fate of us lies in her hands, and only hers. If she wants me to take her back to the mansion, I will.

But if she gets up and runs from me, there will be no going back. I will chase her, and when I catch her, I will fuck her into submission until the only thing she sees and feels is me.