Page 76 of Stalked

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening.”

I feel Lia's muscles tense as consciousness returns to her. Her breathing pattern changes, and I can practically feel her mind racing as she realizes where she is and what's happening. My hand tightens around her waist, keeping her firmly in place.

“The public portion of our celebration has concluded,” Xavier continues, standing at the head of the table in his red mask. The fucker looks like royalty addressing his subjects.“What follows is a private ritual reserved only for those who participated directly in the Hunt.”

Lia's eyes flutter open, confusion evident in their amber depths as she twists slightly to look at me. I offer her a smile, enjoying the flush that spreads across her cheeks as she realizes she's been asleep—impaled on me—in a room full of Ravenwood's elite.

“We ask that you respect this tradition and allow us to proceed without observers,” Xavier finishes.

The crowd begins to move reluctantly, following a server toward the exit.

“What's happening?” Lia’s voice is husky from sleep.

I tighten my grip on her hip, keeping her firmly seated on my cock as she tries to shift.

“Now comes the claiming,” I explain. “You'll be taken to prepare. They'll dress you in green to match my mask. Each prey will wear the color of their hunter's mask,” I continue. “Then there's a ceremony where I formally decide whether to claim you for the contracted year.”

Lia's breath catches. “And will you? Claim me?’

My laugh is dark, possessive. “Wildflower, I'm claiming you for the rest of your fucking life.” I tighten my grip on her, making sure she feels every inch of me still inside her. “No running this time. I'm not giving you up after a year, or ten, or twenty.”

“You can't be serious,” she whispers.

“I've never been more serious about anything.” I twist her on my lap so she’s facing me, my cock still inside her, and cup her face, forcing her to maintain eye contact. “I've loved you since we were eighteen, Lia. That never stopped. Not when you left without saying goodbye. Not during the fifteen years you stayed away from me. Not when you were fucking other men in New York, thinking I didn't know.”

Her pulse quickens under my fingertips.

“I wasn't staying away from you,” she protests weakly.

“Weren't you?” I trace the line of her throat. “You've been running since the night of prom. But it ends now. Tonight.”

The vulnerability in her eyes nearly undoes me. After fifteen years of obsession, planning, and waiting, she's finally here—where she's always belonged.

“You've loved me since high school?” she asks, voice barely audible.

“Every fucking day since we met.” I press my forehead against hers.

Before she can respond, I lift her off my cock and then settle her so she's facing me on my lap. My hands frame her face, holding her firmly against me as I pull away enough to reach up and yank my green skull mask down, letting it hang loose around my neck.

“What are you doing?” she whispers, eyes wide. “I thought the masks were supposed to stay on during the feast.”

“Fuck the rules.” I press my forehead against hers, letting her see my face fully. “I'm done hiding. I'm done with the games.”

Xavier shoots me a glare from across the room, but I couldn't care less. Let them all see. Let everyone in this room know exactly how I feel about Lia.

“You're breaking tradition,” she murmurs, but her fingers trace my exposed jawline with something like wonder.

“You're worth breaking every rule for.” I capture her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I've never had a girlfriend, you know. Not a real one.”

Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “In fifteen years?”

“Bodies to satisfy the physical need, nothing more.” I hold her gaze, needing her to understand. “How could I commit to anyone when my heart has belonged to you since we met in high school?”

She swallows hard, vulnerability flickering in her eyes. “Vane...”

“I orchestrated everything.”

Her body tenses against mine. “What?”