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T he van comes to a sudden stop, jerking me forward against the strong arms that have held me in place for what feels like an eternity. My heart is pounding, my mind racing with a mix of fear and anticipation. The bag over my head is suffocating, the darkness pressing in on me from all sides. I can’t see anything, can’t predict what’s going to happen next, and that uncertainty is both terrifying and exhilarating.

The door slides open, and cold air rushes in, sending a shiver down my spine. Hands grip me roughly, dragging me out of the van. I stumble, trying to find my footing as they haul me out onto uneven ground. I can hear the crunch of leaves beneath my feet, the rustling of trees in the wind, and I know, even before they pull the bag off my head, that we’re in the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly, the bag is yanked off, and I blink against the dim light of the moon filtering through the canopy of trees above. The mask I was wearing is gone too, leaving me bare and exposed to the cold night air. I look around, trying to take in my surroundings, but all I can see are endless trees, the darkness of the forest closing in around us.

I turn to face them, my breath catching in my throat as I take in the three men standing before me. Blade, Raven, and Shadow—all of them masked, their eyes gleaming with a dangerous excitement that sends a fresh wave of adrenaline coursing through me. There’s no comfort in the familiarity of their presence, only the chilling realization that I’m truly at their mercy.

They stand in a loose semicircle around me, their silence heavy with intent. My heart races as I try to process what’s happening, but before I can even form a thought, Blade’s voice cuts through the quiet night.

“Run,” he says, his tone low and commanding, a single word that holds so much weight.

I stare at him, unsure if I’ve heard him correctly. Run? From them? There’s a moment of hesitation, a flicker of disbelief, but then I hear the low growls and see the intensity in their eyes, the anticipation of the chase. This is part of the game—part of the fantasy I signed up for.

“Run, Red,” Raven adds, his voice laced with dark amusement. “Or do you want to see what happens if we catch you standing still?”

A shiver runs down my spine, and I know they’re not bluffing. This is real. They want me to run—to be the prey they hunt through the woods. My breath catches in my throat, and I take a step back, the instinct to flee kicking in even as my mind struggles to catch up.

“I’d start running if I were you,” Shadow taunts, his voice smooth and predatory. “We’re giving you a head start. Use it.”

Blade leans down to hover his face mere inches from mine, his voice low. “Run little Red, the big bad wolf is coming for you.”

For a split second, I’m frozen, caught between the fear of what might happen if I stay and the thrill of what might happen if I run. But then, something inside me snaps, and I turn on my heel, bolting into the dark forest without a second thought.

The cold air whips against my skin as I push through the underbrush, my heart pounding in my chest. The adrenaline surges through me, a mix of terror and exhilaration driving me forward. I can hear them behind me, their footsteps pounding against the ground, closing in fast. But I can’t stop, can’t let them catch me—not yet.

Every breath burns in my lungs, every muscle in my body screaming at me to keep going, to outrun them, to escape. But deep down, I know this is what I wanted—the chase, the thrill of being hunted. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, and it’s even more intense, more real than I ever imagined.

I can’t stay hidden forever, and part of me doesn’t want to. The thrill is in the chase, but what comes after… that’s what I crave.