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Placing the jeans and shirt in my lap, I turn to her, “Thank you… I don’t know your name.”

“Zoey. That’s Danielle,” Zoey informs me, pointing at the other woman.

Their plates are all clean. They didn’t wait for me to eat with them which is fine since I don’t plan to be here after today. The sound of the door opening captures everyone’s attention, Mykael walks in with a smile on his face. Handing me a map, Chloe pats my hand then stands to clear the table.

Mykael takes his seat at the head of the table looking at me. “Lily, each of us has a map. You will have a five-minute head start. The rules are that you must make it into town before one of us catches you, you can defend yourself to get away. We start in one minute and while I love the sight of you in my clothes… I suggest you put those on. The snow isn’t going away.”

Scrambling to my feet, I run into the room I was kept in just a day ago. I put on the clothes as fast as possible, rummaging in the cabinet under the table I find a scalpel. Tucking the handled end into my pocket, I see my hiking boots, counting down how much time I have left.

A wicked grin spreads across his face as Mykael stands to open the door for me. “Run little girl, don’t let the big bad wolf c

atch you.”

I don’t look back. I take off running.

Chapter 8

I’ve been running for what feels like hours. Leaning against the pine tree, I pull out the map Chloe handed me. I can see the direction I should go, but I won’t follow any trails, that’s how they tricked me last time.

I’ve been walking in the same direction at a steady pace, when all of a sudden, I hear a twig snap. Someone is close. Ducking behind the brush, I wait to see who is coming. It’s Zoey. I reach out for the tree branch near me, holding it like a bat I wait for her to come close enough to strike.

“Come out, come out wherever you are Lily. You won’t get away,” she sings, luring in her prey like a siren.

Snap. I here metal grind into bone, a hunter’s trap has caught her foot. The trap teeth have embedded into her bone. I stand, preparing to run away when she cries out in pain. I should run away and not look back. Sighing, I turn around, making my way over to her.

“If I take it off you won’t try to stop me, right?” I question.

Shaking her head, she tells me what I already knew. “I will. I can’t let you go free, Mykael would kill me. The only reason Chloe is alive after last night is that she’s pregnant. I’m not.”

Turning, I take off sprinting away as she calls out to the others. I can’t let them catch me. The darkness is descending, the night is getting drastically colder, and I haven’t made it to town yet. I’ve been out here for hours getting lost.

I feel like someone is watching me. Sitting down, I wait for whoever it is to show themselves. I don’t have to wait long. Mykael slithers into view. His hands are in his pockets like he is just out on a stroll. Climbing to my feet, I stand frozen. This is it, the end. I can hear the creek which causes me to take off running towards it. I listen to the leaves rustling and the twigs snapping under his weight. Standing next to the bank, I contemplate if I should dive into the water to end the hell on my own.

“Don’t. Be a good girl and come back this way. I’ll even go easy on you,” Mykael says, a hint of worry in his voice.

Backing away from the him, I slip, falling into the icy water. I can’t see in the darkness. The cold pierces my skin through my clothes. Rough hands grab me, Mykael is pulling me out of the creek. Tossing me over his shoulder, he begins walking towards the tree line. Placing me on the ground, he disappears, only to come back with shelter and blankets, I feel like an idiot. Of course, they would have tents along the creek for when they chase others like they did me. Mykael puts up the tent with expertise and then turning to me, he lifts me and places me inside, wrapped in the soft blanket.

I’m sitting here waiting for what comes next when I hear the voices of Nadine and Danielle. Trying to listen, I creep forward.

“She isn’t worth all of this Mykael… We should just kill her and be done… We can give you…”

“Enough. This is my choice, and I’ve made it,” Mykael breaks in, ending the conversation.

The tent opening pulls me back to reality. I didn’t make it. Mykael found me. He crawls into the small tent with me, the already small space filling with his scent and taking over my senses.

Chapter 9

Fresh tears begin to fall down my cheeks, I don’t want to be here.

“There, there now. I won’t bite. Actually, that’s a lie,” Mykael laughs out, coming towards me.

I’m terrified. Pleading wouldn’t work, that I know. Mykael has come to claim his spoils from the hunt. Pushing back the blanket, he trails his fingers down my breast to the hem of my soaking wet shirt. Lifting it, the material clings to my body, the cold air causing me to shiver.

“Stand up and take those pants off,” he commands, pulling his shirt over his head.

I can’t unbutton the pants. My fingers are shaking too badly. Mykael is impatient. Pulling out a knife, he inserts the blade between my hip and the jeans cutting them off of me. He grabs my ass bringing me closer to him. His face is eye level with my pussy when he picks up my leg and places it on his shoulder. Unsteady, I grab his head to remain standing. I don’t have time to ask what he is doing before I feel his tongue plunging into me. This is like nothing I have ever experienced. I don’t know what to do.

I gasp, crying out in pain. Looking down, I see the blood trickling down my thigh, his teeth marks on my skin. Lifting me off my feet, Mykael lays me down, not even giving me time to adjust before he drives his hips forward. Screaming, I let the world know the pain I am in. There is no romance, no pleasure like I expected, it isn’t Ethan and me making love for the first time. This is painful, brutal, and pure fucking the way animals go — feral and uncontrolled.