Page 97 of Haunted

“Come here.”

Two simple words, but they carry the weight ofcomplete ownership. Elliot takes one stilted step forward, then another, drawn to Julian like a moth to flame.

Elliot reaches the platform. Julian circles, and I feel the anticipation crackling through the entire room.

“Good boy,” Julian murmurs, his voice carrying a solemn approval that somehow manages to be both praising and condescending.

The effect on Elliot is immediate and overwhelming. His composure crumbles to dust at those two words, a shuddering breath escaping his lips as his shoulders sag with what looks like relief.

Julian’s hands move to Elliot’s shoulders, guiding him down to the platform. “On your hands and knees. Face the audience.”

Elliot complies without hesitation, positioning himself exactly as commanded. He assumes the submissive pose, and I catch the way his breath quickens with each passing second.

The sight of the usually composed man on display like this sends a ripple of excitement through the assembled hunters and their prey. However, it’s Mira’s reaction that completely captures my attention.

She lets out a soft, involuntary moan as Julian retrieves a bottle of lubricant from the platform’s supplies. Her hips shift restlessly, seeking friction as she grinds her cunt down on my hardened cock. Strictly speaking, during the ceremony, we are supposed to keep our hands and cocks to ourselves, but I’m not wasting a single second of the time we have left to be inside her.

“You enjoy seeing him give in,” I note, tightening my grip around her waist to guide her movements.

Julian works quickly, preparing Elliot while maintaining that air of dominance that makes his financial negotiations so effective. Every touch is deliberate, calculated to break down whatever resistance remains.

When Julian positions himself behind Elliot, the entire chamber falls silent except for the soft sounds of breathing.

Julian grips Elliot’s hips with both hands and slams inside him in one brutal thrust.

Elliot’s cry echoes through the chamber—part pain, part desperate pleasure. His cock springs to attention, already leaking precum onto the platform beneath him as Julian sets a punishing rhythm.

Mira’s reaction is instantaneous. She moans louder this time, watching Julian fuck Elliot.

“Look at how hard he is,” I murmur against her ear, keeping my voice low enough that only she can hear. “Elliot’s cock is leaking from being fucked in front of everyone.”

Mira’s breathing hitches, becoming ragged as she watches the two men, her hips moving with increasing desperation against my cock. I feel her inner walls starting to flutter around me, the telltale signs of her approaching climax.

“Stop,” I growl. “Don’t you dare come.”

She whimpers in frustration, trembling with the effort of holding back her orgasm. “Xavier, please?—”

“Save it for our turn,” I growl. “You’ll come when I allow you to.”

The ceremony continues around us as each remaining hunter steps forward to make their declaration. Knox claims Bianca for the full year, followed by Vane with Lia. The pattern repeats—every single hunter chooses the maximum duration available.

This has never happened before. In previous Hunts, most hunters claimed their prey for the standard seventy-two hours after the Hunt. Some might extend to a week or a month if the woman particularly appealed to them. But a full year was rare, reserved for the hunters who caught someone truly exceptional.

The Dexter twins have chosen to have Keira together for the year, their synchronized voices creating an eerie harmony. Dominic, Liam, and Ryder collectively claim Cora for the full year rather than individually.

Then, the chamber falls silent as all eyes turn to me.

“Get up,” I demand.

She stands to her feet, whimpering as my cock slips out of her dripping cunt. Slowly, I rise and then I spin her to face me, lifting her off her feet and slamming my dick back inside her in mid-air. She wraps her legs around my waist for support.

“I claim Mira Sullivan for one full year,” my voice carries clearly through the chamber. “She belongs to me completely.”

The gasps echo through the room. Conversations halt mid-sentence.

I have never wanted anyone beyond the initialseventy-two hours. Never. My reputation for cold detachment, for taking what I want and discarding it without sentiment, is legendary among Ravenwood’s elite. The idea that I would bind myself to one woman for an entire year goes against everything they know about Xavier Blackwood.

Mira’s breath catches. “Xavier,” she whispers, her voice barely audible.