Page 27 of Hunt Me (The Skulls #1)

Fauna ’ s fight-or-flight response was immediate as soon as I revealed the passage.

Her body tensed, and her breathing halted momentarily.

How I noticed, I ’ m not sure, but there are many things about this woman I notice that I have never cared to pay attention to with others before her.

Brown eyes scanned her surroundings like she was the prey about to be attacked by a predator.

Usually, I would love a look that evoked a scenario of her being hunted, but not this time.

This time, I went on the defensive with her.

I was startled as if there was a threat out there that needed to be destroyed to keep my little deer safe.

But I know there is no immediate threat.

I know the passageway doesn ’ t hold any creeps or demons, but I reacted that way anyway.

No matter what, I know that if this woman beside me feels unsafe, I will not feel peace until she does.

It's new, this feeling of over-protectiveness.

My mind has been racing with scenarios and possible things that Fauna could have experienced to account for her being so afraid.

I ’ ve been attacked in the past from doorways or cupboards I had not fully processed were there.

It was back when I was a lot less experienced in exploring an area, and I hadn ’ t seen some of the more fucked up things I have today, but for a while, it stuck with me.

The feeling of dread and fear that walking into a room will almost certainly be me walking into something far more horrifying than a simple jump scare.

Now, I thrive in those environments. I want to walk into a dangerous place so that I can eliminate the filth that plagues my city, the rats that roam around, causing nothing but terror and destruction.

I am their exterminator.

‘ Would you like to talk about it? ’ I ask Fauna, who is now sitting beside me on the sofa.

I ’ d led her up to the next level and guided her silently to where we now sit on a rather sad-looking sofa.

‘ What ’ s there to say? ’ she responds, her voice devoid of emotion.

‘ Whatever you want to. Everything, nothing, something completely unrelated. Whatever you want, I ’ m here to listen regardless. ’ I confess, meaning every word.

She sighs, and I accept I ’ ll not get much out of her again, but then she begins speaking.

‘ Being a woman… in a world like this is... ’

I listen, not trusting myself to say anything, so I clench my jaw.

‘ It ’ s happened a couple of times. Just walking around and there is some fucking weirdo hiding in the walls waiting to make their move. ’

I nod my head once in acknowledgement. ‘ I ’ ve come across so many disgusting people, and I ’ ve seen how a lot of them target women. One of the reasons we started hanging their balls around their necks when we nail them around the city is that we want to make a statement. ’

Fauna snorts. ‘ I noticed that when we were walking in. I thought it was a nice touch. ’

Satisfaction warms my chest at seeing her smile, a genuine one that crinkles the skin around her eyes.

I will cut off every man ’ s balls I kill now, just for her.

‘ Anyway, there was one time that was particularly bad, and he took someone close to me. We got her back, but she hasn ’ t been the same since. Not that I ’ d expect her to be, but…’ she shrugs. ‘ We ’ ve all been cautious about passages, hidden rooms, all that type of stuff since. ’

‘ Your group? ’ I ask, hoping not to push her away by mentioning them.

Fauna gives a singular nod.

She is finally opening up to me, allowing me in one tiny step at a time.

My shoulder muscles relax, but I struggle to let go of the anger I feel thinking about her story. At least we ’ re getting somewhere.

‘ He ’ s dead? ’ I ask, needing to know the answer.

‘ Yes. ’

One word, the one word I needed to hear.

‘ Good. ’

‘ If he wasn ’ t? ’ She asks.

If he weren ’ t, I would hunt him down and rip him to pieces.

His skin would be flailed from his body, every last square inch and then I would pour a variety of substances on each section of his wounds, testing out which one would make him scream the loudest. I would take my time torturing him, showing him that he does not get to harm what is mine, even if he did it before we ’ d even met.

No one is out of bounds for my revenge when it involves this beautiful woman.

I will show them why The Skulls are feared and why our stories are told as warnings of entering my city.

I will make them wish that they never came within a ten-mile radius of my little deer, and then I will make them beg for death.

‘ I would make sure he was. ’

Fauna ’ s intense stare drills into me. I can see her thinking and assessing why I am admitting that I would murder someone who had harmed her. But I don ’ t give her an answer, and I don't back down from her gaze.

‘ I killed him. So boo hoo for you, no need to go running around playing knight in shining armour. I don ’ t need a saviour. ’

Ouch. Her barbs hit deeper than I ’ d like to admit.

‘ I… that ’ s…’ Stumbling on my words, ‘ that ’ s not what I was trying to do. ’

Why is she so pissed off at that? It ’ s not as if she's some saint who dislikes violence; I ’ ve seen what she can do firsthand.

Maybe that is why she is pissed at me. Does it make her uncomfortable that I bring out that side of her? That she clearly likes it?

I blink slowly, cautious of the merciless animal in front of me and her next cutting remark that she may make.

I ’ m met with another one of her murderous scowls, big hazel brown eyes blazing with fury.

The setting sun behind me lights a flame in the reflection in her eyes, making it look like she is housing some flaming rage demon behind those pupils.

Yup, she is pissed at me.

And a little fucked up part of me is turned on by her fury.

The crotch of my trousers feels tight, and I try to be discrete in the readjustment of my waistline. Fauna, too observant for her own good, notices straight away. Her amber-tinted eyes take in the apparent bulge, which is beginning to grow hard.

And because I can ’ t help myself around this fiery woman, I decide my best option is to taunt her.

‘ Are you imagining what's underneath these clothes, mischief? I bet your mind is racing, trying to remember what I looked like naked and on my knees earlier when I was tasting your sweet pussy. ’

Her sharp inhale has all of the blood in my body rushing to my cock, and I can ’ t help but bring my hand to palm the back of her head. My fingers intertwine with her loosely flowing strands of hair, and I make a fist, forcing her head to snap upwards and her eyes to connect with mine.

There she is.

The fight is there, and her eyes shine so brightly with it.

And I will do anything to keep it there.

To keep the light blazing amongst the golden speckles that dance around her pupils.

When I watched those golden lights dim on two occasions now, it felt like I was being suffocated, and that light shining brightly in my mischievous little deer ’ s eyes was the only oxygen my lungs would breathe.

‘ Musn ’ t have been that impressive, ’ Fauna says breathlessly. ‘ My mind can ’ t remember much. ’

I chuckle; there she is.

Her lips are slightly parted, and I bring my face forward so I am right in front of her, feeling her short breaths against my lips.

Her soft, pink tongue darts out to sweep across her plump bottom lip, leaving it glistening with a fresh wetness that shines in the setting sunlight. I wrestle with the urge to catch it between my teeth, to bite down so that I can hear the symphony of her screams.

God, I want to hear her scream for me so badly.

‘ Is that right, little deer? ’

‘ Umhmm. ’

Her eyes flick down to my lips as they move. ‘ Strange. I didn ’ t realise people could moan so loudly when being so wholly unsatisfied. Or is your lapse in memory down to being so utterly mindless with pleasure you weren ’ t able to concentrate on anything but giving in to your… urges? ’

‘ Fuck you, ’ she seethes, moving so close that our lips are almost touching. Fauna ’ s body bumps against my thigh as she shifts her weight on the couch.

‘ Oh baby, you have no idea how much I wish you would. ’ I admit.

Not being able to hold back a second longer, using the grip I still have on her hair, I crush my lips to hers, relishing in the moan she lets out as I slip my tongue between her lips.

Her body moulds to mine as she climbs on top of me, her thighs spreading to either side of my own.

Fauna begins to rock her hips back and forth, not taking her lips from mine in the process as we each fight for dominance.

I nip at her bottom lip, and she grinds her hips down harder, distracting me as I battle for composure.

She takes the opening, pulling my bottom lip between her teeth and biting down hard enough that I taste blood.

I grunt into her mouth as we both drawback, panting.

Fauna looks at my lower lip, her gaze caught on something that is there. From the dull pain, it must be bleeding, and I smile.

‘ I love it when you ’ re fiery, baby. Now, ’ I grab her hips, motioning for her to keep grinding down on top of me. ‘ I didn ’ t tell you to stop. ’

Fauna does as I instruct, deciding to be obedient just this once.

‘ Such a good girl, ’ I praise, palming each ass cheek and squeezing. ‘ Such a good fucking girl. ’

She moans as I guide her hips, the added force of my movements creating more friction between us.

‘ Fuck, ’ she whimpers as I jerk my hips upwards to meet her movements.

Fuck indeed.

I haven ’ t felt this turned on since I was a hormonal teenager and discovered I liked girls.

‘ That ’ s it, baby, ’ I bring my lips to her neck, kissing from her chest to below her earlobe, whispering in her ear. ‘ Let me see those beautiful tits again. ’

My teeth nip at her earlobe as my hands make their way up to the hemline of her oversized shirt. Despite its size, the view of her pebbled nipples stands out, hard and begging for attention as they press up against the fabric.

Too impatient, my mouth finds a peaked bud, and my teeth clamp around it despite the fabric that acts as a barrier. Fauna ’ s gasp has me grinning as she grinds down on my crotch harder than before, her movements more frantic.

I groan, releasing her nipple and ripping the top up and over her head, leaving her bare from the waist up.

‘ Fuck, ’ I repeat Fauna with a groan allowing my hands to roam across her beautiful skin.

I must be dreaming; how else could something so perfect be here touching me like this? Making me feel so fucking alive.

My thumb and forefinger reach up to capture the same hardened nipple I had tortured moments ago. The returned pressure has Fauna ’ s breaths panted and her movements erratic.

‘ You ’ re doing so good, baby. ’ I praise her because I have never experienced anything more beautiful than her getting herself off as she grinds against me.

‘ I ’ m…’ she gasps, her lips parted in another moan, and I grip her hips as her thighs tense around me.

Guiding her movements for her as she bites her lip on a whimper. ‘ That ’ s it, baby, cum for me. ’

Fauna ’ s body goes taut, and her grip on my shoulders is firm. I feel her short nails dig into my skin, but the slight sensation of pain does nothing but encourage me as I force her hips back and forth across my crotch.

I feel her wetness seep through my trousers, and I let out an audible moan at the sensation.

Fuck she already feels so fucking good.

By the way, my cock is pulsating between us, painful with how hard she has made me; I need to slow down or else I ’ m going to cum straight in my pants right along with her.

Fauna ’ s body loses its tension as she relaxes into me. I slow my pace in guiding her hips, allowing myself the time to watch the post-orgasmic bliss written across her features.

Her usually wide brown eyes are heavy, and her cheeks are flushed with pleasure.

She looks like a Goddess.