Page 42

O h. Right. I’d almost forgotten.

I’ve been dead this whole time.

Well, Ghost has been. I just replaced him.

It was quite hilarious. Wearing his skin. Playing house in it after inheriting not only his body, but his mind, his soul, all that made him.

I missed the feeling of freedom riding on open Arizona highways, even though I’ve never sat on a motorcycle.

I missed greasy tacos and sticky root beer floats from that one food truck, though my tongue has never known the taste.

And most of all, I missed her.

Fuck, I missed her to the point of insanity, even though I’ve never met her before.

But he had. He was so in love with her. So captivated and consumed, yet… held such strong animosity towards her.

He worshipped her. Hated her. Violated her.

His obsession became the driving force in this meat suit I wore. I just… sharpened it. Made it darker. More honest. It twisted and coiled like a nest of serpents inside me until I knew I had to have her.

Not just fuck her.

Own her.

So I lured her out here.

Yet, somewhere along the way, things became too real. She made me feel human. Almost .

But I wasn’t. Not even close.

And now, she’s about to find that out.

Game over.

She’s limp in my arms, passed out cold, as I carry her back to the cabin. Not the worst reaction to seeing my beast form, I suppose. Could be worse. Just like my brothers, who each have their own spirit animal, mine is an elk.

She stirs, slowly coming around. Then thrashes, screaming and pounding my back with her fists, kicking at my chest, teeth snapping like a feral animal.

Adorable.

I bring her into the dungeon, where I place her on a table topped with fur for cushioning. The height is better for our size than any bed, easier to work with.

She continues to struggle, refusing to lie still as I attempt to bind her.

“Don’t make this harder on yourself,” I murmur, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

Disobedient, she bucks again, shouting profanities at me, but I tighten the straps at her wrists by the top corners of the table.

“You think this is bad?” I laugh, low and sharp like gravel in my throat. “Wait till you hear how he watched you. For months. Online. In person. Through those little hidden cameras he installed around your apartment.”

She freezes, staring at me with those big blue eyes..

“He had you caged in your own fucking home,” I continue, twisting the knife, just like she has done earlier—and I mean, literally .

“He took you in your sleep, Bunny. When you were inebriated. Unconscious. Vulnerable. He had his way with you while you missed him. While you wondered if dumping him was a mistake.”

She shakes her head, tears spilling down her cheeks, lips trembling. “No… no. I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t want to believe me because it hurts too much,” I whisper, leaning close, my breath hot against her ear.

“But tell me, Bunny… how else would I know things about you that no one else does? Like, the way you play with your pretty little pussy every night for bedtime to chase the nightmares away. Or how you moan his name breathlessly when you climax. Or how you love humping that stupid plush teddy bear he gave you.”

Her eyes widen in terror. She pulls at the restraints like she might tear her arms off trying to get away.

Good . It’s starting to click for her.

“Oh yeah. Freaky little thing you are,” I grin. “But now you’ve got a real teddy bear, right here. Doesn’t bouncing on Khalok’s cock feel so much better? You love the fur… teeth… claws. Don’t you, baby?”

“Let me go!” She jerks, afraid to face the reality. Afraid to admit it to herself. “Get me out of this hellhole!”

“When will you finally realize that there’s no way out?

” I bend low, nose brushing her hairline, inhaling her fear.

“We fed you. Took care of you. Fucked you senseless. And still, you tried to escape, you ungrateful little whore. Even with his skin, even with his voice in my throat… you discarded him. Just like you did before. How fucking cold-hearted can you be?”

She sobs, face twisted in guilt and shame.

I caress her cheek tenderly. “Your beautiful tears only make me want to ruin you that much more, Bunny.” Her breath hitches as I speak softer now, like I’m sharing a secret between lovers.

“He wanted this for you, you know. He wanted to taste revenge even after death. So I let him take the reins. And he had his fun. He lived out every sick, twisted fantasy. He’s at peace now. Content. Forever part of me.”

“You’re insane,” she whispers.

“Sure am. And so was he.” I grin. “See, he wasn’t just a sadist. He was diagnosed as a psychopath at age twelve. Imagine that!”

“You’re lying.”

“Why would I do that? He’s dead anyway. Has been for a while.”

“I don’t know!” Her mind is still in denial, trying to protect her from shattering. “Just to fuck with me maybe?”

“Sweetheart, fucking with you is just a bonus.” I laugh. “He was high-functioning, charming even. Everyone loved Ghost.” I tap my temple. “But now I’m in his head. Every thought. Every memory. And let me tell you—it’s fucking dark in here.”

She recoils. Her chest heaves, eyes blinking fast.

“Think about it, Bunny.” I tilt my head, my eyes never leaving hers.

“He was always a little off, wasn’t he? That edge in his voice.

The way he stared too long. That calculated composure.

Deep down, you knew that there was something wrong with him.

A void where feelings should be. No empathy.

No remorse. That’s why you asked him not to come on Valentine’s, isn’t that right?

You ran because he didn’t make you feel safe enough to stay. ”

“I—” Her voice breaks as she sobs.

“Aw, baby. You weren’t scared of loving him. You were scared of him .”

She kicks. Wild. Desperate. Useless .

I drag her fully onto the table and finish strapping her ankles down. Tight. Bruising. Satisfying.

“So you’ve been pretending to be him for weeks now? Was the documentary your idea?”

“No. That was him.” I snort. “But he wanted to do this on his own, so he came alone. Wandering through these woods like a daredevil with his little camera and a stupid mask on until he got lost. And he stumbled right into our home.”

Her lips part, and I watch the realization settle in like rot in fresh meat.

“That’s when we killed him. And when we kill…

we don’t just eat the flesh. We devour the spirit, whether it’s human or animal.

We become everything they were and more.

We can even wear them. And the longer it lasts, the better we mimic.

It’s impossible to tell the difference after a while.

” I drag my finger along my jawline. “And living in his skin? In this obsession with you? It’s exhilarating.

All this rage, all this desire… I knew I had to bring you here.

” I spread my arms, showing around the room.

“So I prepared all of this for you . The documentary was a perfect bait. I wanted your little friends too, so my brothers could feast on everyone you love.”

Her mouth falls open. “No…”

“Oh yes. They’re all part of us now. Their memories. Their love for you… and the hatred. Their filthy little dreams about you. It all feeds the hunger.”

“You’re not them!” she screams, more trying to convince herself. “Not him!”

“You’re right.” I grin, slow and cold. “Thank you for the reminder.” Then I grip her throat with one hand, fingers pressing into her pulse.

“You might have been special to him. And to your dead friends. But to me?” I squeeze harder.

“You’re nothing .” My hold tightens until she can’t breathe, until she twitches, until her eyes roll to the back of her head and she blacks out.

“You need to control your emotions better,” Doruun says, chuckling low, as he steps into the room.

The others follow behind him.

“It’s getting dark. Everything is set,” Zhyra says, tossing me a robe.

When Bunny’s eyes flutter open, she immediately gasps, squirming beneath the leather bindings. Still strapped to the table, right where I left her. Naked. Open. Helpless.

The sun’s already set, and the candles flicker low, shadows dancing across the walls.

We’re standing around her, my brothers and I, dressed in robes.

Just dark silhouettes in candlelight, but underneath the large, loose hoods, we’re wearing the faces she used to know.

It’s theatrical as fuck, and it works. The fear slams into her all at once.

I can smell it. Taste it. But something even sweeter blooms there—her arousal.

Her body is confused, already trained to respond.

Kendra’s the first to step forward. She moves slowly, but just off enough to make it wrong, like a puppet with slack strings. Then she reaches up and slips off her hood.

Bunny’s breath punches out of her, eyes wide, wet, locked on the face of her dead best friend.

Kendra doesn’t wait. “You know what sucked the most?” she spits out, crawling onto the table, her hands sliding over Bunny’s trembling skin.

“Living in your fucking shadow.” Her voice twists, dark with jealousy and something raw, bitter.

“You got everything—attention, love, the spotlight. Every room we walked into, I was ‘Bunny’s friend,’ just the accessory.

No one saw me.” Her words crawl under Bunny’s skin, sharper than any blade. “ You didn’t see me.”

“Ple-please,” Bunny whimpers with tears streaming down her face.

“I always wanted to do this.” Kendra leans down, her lips crushing Bunny’s in a deep, hungry kiss. Her tongue snakes into Bunny’s mouth, claiming, exploring every inch, like she’s tasting old revenge.

Bunny moans into her, maybe it’s a plea, but her body arches despite herself.

I yank Kendra’s robe off, wanting a better look at their naked bodies, skin on skin. She grinds her hips, pussy rubbing wet and slick against Bunny’s with slow, delicious pressure.