Page 8

Story: The Hunt

7

Everly

“I’m so sorry, Ev.” Tessa squeezed my hand, her teary, red-rimmed eyes wide and beseeching. “I will never, ever forgive myself for this shit.”

“You’ve already apologized a hundred times,” I said, giving her a watery half-smile. “It’s okay. You didn’t know the full story.”

“That’s no excuse, and it’s really not okay.” She shook her head. “I’m such an asshole. I should’ve believed you about Jake. He’s clearly a total fucking psychopath.”

I swallowed thickly and glanced at the university officials, campus police, and Havenport PD officers who were clustered on the other side of the dean’s office.

I turned back to Tessa. “You didn’t say anything about him to the police, did you?”

“No. Don’t worry.” She lifted a palm. “I know I’ve had trouble keeping my mouth shut in the past, but I promise I won’t breathe a single word about him to anyone. Not unless that Julia girl changes her mind.”

I sighed. “She won’t unless we get solid proof of what he did.”

“Yeah, I know. They told me what her deal is,” she said, glancing at Sloane and Bree. “Anyway, I think we should try to get something on him. I mean, we can’t just let him get away with terrorizing you like this.”

Sloane nodded. “I agree. I don’t know how exactly, but we need to prove to the world that he’s a total piece of shit.”

“I really wish we could,” I said glumly, shoulders sagging. “But I have no idea how. He’s never going to admit it on camera, or anything like that.”

“There has to be something we can do,” Bree muttered.

“I managed to get that horrible Holler post taken down, at least,” Sloane said. “I just hope they print the retraction soon.”

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Thanks so much.”

Tessa sighed heavily, her face still etched with guilt. “I know you’re sick of me saying sorry, but I’m going to keep saying it, okay?” she said. “I feel like such a bitch for jumping to conclusions over a stupid Holler post.”

“Tess. Seriously. I forgive you.” I gave her another small smile. “I’m just glad we’re friends again. I really need all the support I can get right now.”

“Excuse me, ladies.” The dean drew our attention to him as he stepped over to us. He offered me a conciliatory smile. “Ms. Marlowe, first and foremost, I wanted to offer my sincerest apologies about this evening’s incident. I want you to know we’re doing everything we can to investigate it and keep you safe in the future.”

Bree narrowed her eyes. “How, exactly?”

“As we speak, the Havenport PD forensic team is sweeping your dorm for evidence. Our security team is also investigating the breach that allowed someone to bypass the electronic lock on your door.” He briefly glanced at Tessa, then back to me. “You both confirmed in your statements that neither of you have had your keycards stolen or borrowed by anyone recently, correct?”

I nodded. “Mine was on me all day, and I’ve never lent it to anyone.”

“Same with me,” Tessa added.

“From now on, we’re increasing security measures at Ashcroft Hall, just in case. A security guard has been posted at the front door, and no one will be allowed past him without showing proof that they reside in the building.”

“That’s a relief,” Sloane murmured.

“Unless the person who broke into the dorm is a fellow Ashcroft resident,” Bree said, brows rising. “In which case he can still get in easily.”

Dean Hopewell dipped his chin in a curt nod. “That’s true, so we’ll be looking at all possible angles,” he said. “In fact, some officers are going door-to-door right now to interview your fellow residents, and they’ll also be conducting searches for the skull mask you described, along with the red paint that was used on the bathroom mirror.”

Just check Wilder House, I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth firmly shut. There was no point in accusing Jake. It would only make things worse for me here.

“Also,” Hopewell went on. “I wanted to tell you that we’ve made arrangements for new accommodation while the investigation is carried out.”

“What arrangements?” Tessa asked, frowning.

“There’s two empty single suites on the same floor as your current dorm. You can stay in them until your old dorm is ready for you again.”

“How long will that take?” I asked.

“The forensics team said they should be done by nine o’clock tonight, but the security team will probably need a few days to look into the breach and figure out exactly what happened with the lock on your door. So, for your own peace of mind, I would recommend you stay in the single rooms until we’ve ascertained that your dorm is completely safe for you to move back into.”

“So… three days?” Tessa asked, forehead wrinkling.

He nodded. “Probably around that, give or take a day. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. But you can return to your dorm after the forensics team is done tonight to pack whatever you need.”

“Have they found anything yet?” I asked, anxiously twisting my fingers on my lap. “Like hair or fingerprints?”

“So far, no prints apart from yours and Ms. Morgan’s have been found, but the team isn’t even close to being done yet, so I’m hoping they’ll locate something eventually,” he replied. He briefly hesitated, forehead creasing. “They did find an illegal ViperTech Taser, though.”

Tessa’s eyes widened in faux surprise. “That’s not ours!” she said, fervently shaking her head. “The crazy stalker guy must’ve left it when he ran out!”

“That’s what we assumed—that the assailant forgot it in his haste to escape,” Hopewell replied. His brows rose. “If it belonged to either of you, we’d have another problem on our hands.”

I swallowed thickly and nodded.

“I was also informed that the police noticed an electric kettle on your desk, Ms. Morgan,” Hopewell went on, looking at Tessa. “As you know, they aren’t permitted in the dorms, but given the distress you’ve both experienced due to this incident, along with the inconvenience of having to temporarily move, I’m willing to let it slide.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said, lowering her eyes. A pink flush was rapidly creeping up her neck.

“Once again, I’m deeply sorry this has happened,” Hopewell said. “And I want to reiterate that we are taking this very seriously. We won’t sweep it under the rug, and we certainly won’t allow it to happen again.”

I mustered up a half-smile. “Thank you.”

He cleared his throat and pulled two keycards out of his pocket. “Here’s your temporary room keys. Ms. Marlowe, you’re in 304, and Ms. Morgan, you’re next door in 306.”

Once he was gone, Bree looked at the clock and tilted her head slightly to one side. “He said you can’t go back to the dorm to pack your things until nine, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s only six-thirty now. Should we go back to The Cabin?” she asked. “I think we all need a drink. Especially you, Ev.”

I sighed. “I would, but I can’t. I need to go and sort out a new laptop as soon as possible.”

“Why?”

“I have about a million assignments due in the next few days, and the library computers are awful.”

“Oh god, I know, right?” Sloane said. “You’d think a university with a thirty-billion-dollar endowment could shell out for decent Wi-Fi and computers that don’t freeze and lose all your saved files every twenty minutes, but apparently not. I know because I made the mistake of using one for an essay last year.”

I rooted around in my purse until I found the small white business card the charity signup girl had given to me a few weeks ago. “I need to go to this finance center, too. If they’re even open this late.” I looked down at the card, scanning the text. “Oh, it’s open until eight. Thank god.”

“Why do you need to go there?” Bree asked.

“Because even the lowest-end laptop is at least five hundred dollars, and my bank balance is currently seventy-three dollars and sixty-six cents,” I replied glumly.

“Can you ask your parents for help?”

“Not an option, unfortunately.”

“Then let me pay for it,” Tessa said. “It’s the least I can do after what an asshole I was to you this morning.”

“That’s such a nice offer, Tess. But I can’t.”

Her eyes widened. “Why the hell not? I want to help!”

“I know, but my parents always told me: don’t mix friendship and money,” I said. “And honestly, I think they had a good point. It can make things awkward.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind.”

“I’m sure.”

She sighed. “Okay. But if you change your mind, just ask.”

Bree cut into the conversation, brows rising. “So… raincheck on The Cabin?”

I nodded. “Tomorrow night instead?”

“Done. And I’m paying for all your drinks.” Tessa lifted a palm. “I won’t take no for an answer on this one.”

After I said goodbye to the girls, I left the dean’s office and headed to my car, stomach churning as I replayed today’s incident in my mind’s eye. The masked man was haunting me, his image imprinted on my mind like a tattoo.

Every detail felt too vivid: the glint of his eyes behind the mask, the chilling stillness of his posture, the way he’d looked straight at me as if he’d been waiting for me all along.

I had no proof that it was Jake, but I knew it was him. It had to be. Who else would want to scare me away from Hollingsworth that badly?

I arrived at the finance center just before seven, and I was greeted by a bored-looking receptionist who barely even looked up from her phone when I walked in. “Do you have an appointment?” she asked.

I shook my head. “No, but I was hoping—”

“Oh, it’s you. Hi!”

I turned to the left to see the charity signup girl waving at me. When I caught her eye, she smiled and motioned behind her. “Come through, if you like.”

“She doesn’t have an appointment,” the receptionist said.

The girl waved her hand. “It’s fine, Maggie. We’re pretty dead tonight anyway,” she said, gesturing around the half-empty office. She looked back at me and smiled again. “You can come with me. I’m Nikki, by the way.”

“Everly,” I said, returning her smile.

I followed her through the maze of cubicles, the fluorescent lights casting a harsh glow over the muted colors of the office. Papers were strewn across desks, and the faint hum of computers filled the quiet space.

We stepped into a cubicle at the end of the corridor, and she gestured for me to sit down, her gaze warm but appraising. "So," she said, settling into a chair across from me. "What brings you here tonight?"

“I wanted to ask about those small loans you told me about. My laptop broke today, and I really need to buy a new one.”

“Oh, no,” she said, brows dipping in a sympathetic frown. “Are you sure it’s not fixable? Sometimes all you need to do is turn it off and on again.”

“I wish I could do that, but it’s totally shattered,” I said, shaking my head.

“Oh, damn. Did you drop it?”

I sighed. “No, someone broke into my dorm and smashed it.”

“ What ?” Nikki looked horrified. “Please tell me you called the cops.”

I nodded. “The university called them for me. They’re doing forensics on the room right now.”

“They don’t expect you to go back and sleep there tonight, do they?” she said, eyes saucer-wide.

“No, they’re actually handling it really well. They’ve organized another temporary dorm for me, and they’ve upped security around the building too.”

“Oh, that’s really good. I’m glad they’re taking it seriously.” Nikki paused and pursed her lips, head slowly shaking. “One of my friends went to Salamence for her degree, and she ended up with a crazy stalker from one of the frats there. The college officials didn’t take her complaints seriously, and when it escalated, guess what? She was asked to leave for causing too much trouble.”

“Ugh, really?”

She nodded somberly. “Sometimes college admins really suck. But I’m glad Hollingsworth is taking your case seriously,” she said. “Anyway, I should really stop yapping about this stuff and explain all our different loans to you, shouldn’t I?”

I smiled. “That would be great.”

She ran through the terms and conditions of the most appropriate loan for me and explained that the center was partnered with a bank that could do instant transfers to any other bank, meaning the money would be in my account the second she authorized the loan.

“Before we get started on the paperwork, do you have any questions?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Only one.” I hesitated. “Sorry if this seems rude, but this place almost seems too good to be true. How is it possible that the interest rates are so low and the repayment terms are so good?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not rude. We get asked that all the time,” she said, casually waving a hand. “Truthfully… this place barely turns a profit. That’s why they have to hire broke students like me to work here.” She paused, lips stretching in a sardonic grin. “Anyway, the owner is a rich philanthropist. He saw how people were being preyed on by other lenders, and he decided to do something about it.”

“Well, it’s a total lifesaver. I’m really glad I bumped into you a few weeks ago.”

Nikki smiled and reached for a black tablet on the other side of her desk. “If you’re happy to proceed, I’ll need you to fill out some information on this. I’ll also need to see some ID.”

“Sure.” I fished my license out of my purse. “Is this enough?”

“Yup, that’s perfect. Thanks.” She took it from me, glancing at her computer screen. “I’ll start on my end of things while you fill that out. Let me know if there’s any issues.”

I quietly filled out everything on the tablet. When I scrolled down to the end of the form, I hesitated and looked up. “I’m not quite sure what to do here. It says it needs a signature, but I can’t do that on a tablet. Do I just type my full name again?”

“Oh! Sorry, I should’ve told you.” Nikki leaned over and pointed to a small, illuminated square on the bottom of the tablet. “If you put your index finger right there, it’ll record a digital signature for you.”

“Oh, right.” I pressed on the square, and a green tick popped up on the screen to let me know I’d successfully signed the form.

“It’s a security thing we had to implement a few years ago,” Nikki explained. “We had a problem with people trying to apply for loans under other people’s names. Fraud, essentially. And it’s very easy to fake someone’s signature, which makes it harder for the investigators to prove anything after the fact. So we still get proper ink signatures on the physical copies of the paperwork, but the fingerprint thing is an added layer of security. Because you can’t fake that, right?”

I nodded. “Right.”

“Here’s your license back.” She pushed it over to me and turned back to her monitor. “Let me just print the physical copies. After you’ve signed them, I’ll authorize the payment.”

“Great. Thanks.”

A printer whirred nearby, and Nikki collated the documents before stapling them and presenting them to me. “You can sign them both on page six,” she said, handing me a pen. “Then you can keep a copy for yourself. We keep the other one here for our records.”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded as I scribbled my signature on the last page of each copy. Then I smiled and handed the pen back. “Done.”

“Great. All the terms are right there in your copy, but we’ll email you the information anyway, just in case,” Nikki replied. “And of course, if you have any questions or concerns, you can call or email us. Or just drop by the office. I’m always happy to help out a fellow Hollingsworth girl.”

“Actually, I do have one more question,” I said. “Do you know any tech stores around here that are open right now? The sooner I get my new computer, the better.”

“Hmm.” She twisted her lips in quiet contemplation. Then her face brightened. “Oh, I think NexTek is open until nine. It’s not far from here, and they’ve usually got decent deals on stuff. Maybe try there?”

“Will do. Thanks so much.”

Nikki was right—NexTek was open until nine, so I had plenty of time to browse and find a laptop that was cheap yet still functional and light enough to carry around to my classes if necessary.

Once I was done, I headed back to campus and parked in the closest spot I could get to Ashcroft Hall. It was a well-lit area, so I usually felt safe there, even at night, but my heart sank when I spotted Rhett and Jake standing by a fountain only a few yards away from the parking lot. They were hanging out with some tall blond guy I recognized as yet another Wilder, and all three of them were looking right at me.

Instinctively, I reached into my jacket pocket, and my stomach lurched. Shit. I’d totally forgotten that the police confiscated my Taser earlier.

I gulped and took a few tentative steps forward, praying the three guys wouldn’t say or do anything. I felt naked without the Taser; totally weak and defenseless. If the guys wanted to hurt me, I wouldn’t be able to fight back. I wouldn’t even stand a chance.

As I passed them, I felt their eyes on me, the weight of their gazes making my skin crawl. My breath hitched. I kept my head down, trying not to show any sign of fear, but the slight tremble in my steps betrayed me.

My stomach tightened further when I noticed the guys moving slightly, their attention never wavering. Rhett's sharp eyes locked on me, like a predator studying its prey. Jake and the other blond guy stood still, but the look in their eyes told me they were waiting for something. A signal from Rhett, probably. He’d always seemed like the one in charge of everything.

I almost stumbled when I misjudged my next step, but I forced my body to keep moving. When I finally reached Ashcroft Hall, I breathed an enormous sigh of relief, almost tempted to hug the security guard at the door as he demanded to see my ID.

Once he’d confirmed I was a resident, he gave me a tight smile and waved me past.

I pushed the door open and quickly glanced over my shoulder, the burning question of whether the Wilders had followed me gnawing at my insides.

Jake and the other guy had already turned away, their attention moving on to something else. But Rhett… he was still staring at me.

His eyes were cold, and his lips were pressed into a tight, unforgiving line. He didn’t look away. Didn’t even blink. It felt like he was daring me to do something.

I held his stare for a few more seconds before I looked away, heart pounding in my chest. I hated how much it unsettled me that he hadn’t moved or turned away like the others. What was he thinking when he looked at me like that? Did he just hate me like everyone else, or was he planning something on behalf of Jake?

Heart still hammering, I headed to the third floor to see if the police had finished in my dorm yet. It was only half past eight, so I didn’t like my chances, and upon my arrival they confirmed that they needed a little more time.

I didn’t mind too much. On the one hand, I was eager to grab my stuff to take to my new dorm, but on the other hand, I was glad the police and university officials were being thorough.

If they could somehow prove it was Jake behind the break-in, the tide would start to turn on him without me needing to throw a single accusation his way. Then he wouldn’t be able to claim that his ‘bitter ex was trying to ruin his life’ or whatever bullshit he’d likely come up with if I openly spoke out against him.

While I waited, I sat cross-legged on the hallway floor and set up my new laptop. Once it was ready, I opened a search engine and typed in ‘The Wild Hunt’, pulse racing with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. After my unsettling experience a few minutes ago, Rhett and the other Wilders were still on my mind, lingering like a dark cloud.

The first search result involved mythology.

The Wild Hunt is a widespread mythological theme found in various European cultures, often associated with ghostly or supernatural hunts led by a powerful figure, usually a god, king, or mythical leader.

In the mythology, a group of hunters ride through the sky or across the land in pursuit of prey, usually accompanied by wolves or dogs.

The Wild Hunt is commonly seen as an omen of disaster, death, or war, and those who witness it are often believed to be marked for misfortune. It is described as a chaotic, terrifying spectacle, with ghostly riders, howling winds, and the sound of galloping hooves.

In some versions of the myth, the Wild Hunt can be seen as a type of punishment, where souls are forced to ride in the hunt forever, or it might be a symbolic transition between life and death. The hunters themselves might include figures from various realms, such as spirits of the dead, faeries, or even mortals who have been cursed.

The Wild Hunt has evolved over time, becoming entwined with seasonal festivals, particularly those that deal with themes of death, rebirth, and the passage of time, and it remains a powerful image in folklore, literature, and modern pop culture.

“Huh,” I muttered to myself, wondering why the Wilders had decided to co-opt this particular piece of ancient mythology.

I wanted to believe that Tessa was right, and the society was simply filled with deer hunters, but a more cynical part of me knew that wasn’t true. Not when they had members like Jake. Bree’s theory was probably closer to the truth.

I heard they run some sort of sex club where they hunt down women and fuck their brains out, she’d said.

If her theory was accurate, I had to wonder how many of those women were giving consent. Or if any of them were consenting at all.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to dispel the dark images suddenly flooding my mind, but the eerie thoughts lingered anyway.

“Ms. Marlowe?”

I looked up to see a friendly-faced forensic technician looking down at me. She smiled. “We’re all finished. You can come in and pack your things now.”

“Oh. Thanks.” I rose to my feet. “Did you find anything?”

“A few prints that couldn’t be matched to you or your roommate, and a few fibers that we’re taking in for testing. The dean will let you know the findings.”

Tessa arrived a few minutes later, and we talked as we packed our stuff.

“It really sucks that they took your Taser,” she said, shaking her head as she looked at the spot on the shelf where it used to sit, tucked behind a thesaurus.

“Hey, at least you got to keep your kettle. Maybe next time I can throw boiling water on the guy.”

She snorted with amusement, and then her face hardened. “I really hope there isn’t a next time,” she said. “This one was bad enough. I feel responsible, too.”

“Why?”

“Because I wasn’t here. I spent most of the day sulking at the mall after the fight we had.” She lifted a hand to cut me off as I opened my mouth. “The fight that was totally my fault. I know, trust me.”

“I wasn’t going to say that. I was just going to say it’s not your fault,” I replied. “Jake—or whoever he sent to do his dirty work—would’ve done this shit no matter what. Even if you were here all day and night, they would’ve just waited for another day when neither of us were in.”

“I guess so.” Tessa sighed heavily. Then her nose wrinkled. “I really can’t get over the police taking your Taser. It would be so useful for you to have right now.”

“Well, at least I didn’t get in trouble for it after that amazing act you put on. Have you considered going to Juilliard?”

A glimmer of amusement appeared in Tessa’s eyes, and she lifted her chin, one hand fluttering at her chest. “Dean Hopewell!” she said, mimicking her earlier indignation. “How could you ever think that two sweet, innocent, young girls like us could have an illegal weapon in our possession?”

I laughed, and it felt damn good to do it after the awful day I’d endured. The weight of the tension seemed to lift with each giggle, and for a moment, I forgot about the gnawing worry in the back of my mind.

By nine-thirty, I was mostly settled in my new dorm, and exhaustion was taking hold, physical fatigue mixing with the emotional rollercoaster I’d been on all day. I turned the light off and sank into my new bed.

As I waited for sleep to claim me, I thought about Rhett, unable to shake the earlier encounter from my mind. When I thought back to the bonfire party on Friday, his words started echoing loudly in my head.

Are you sure we haven’t met before?

The question replayed over and over, each repetition gnawing at something deep inside me. He was right. I felt it now too—the strange sense that somehow, in some way, we were connected. But how? Jake had never introduced me to his friends when we spent our summers together. A huge red flag, I now realized.

So where could Rhett and I have met before?

I tried to push the question aside, focusing on the exhaustion that weighed heavily on my limbs. My eyelids fluttered, my thoughts blurring into hazy fragments, and just as I started to drift off, a fleeting image of a dark forest came to me like a distant echo.

It disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, and I snapped wide awake as the remnants of the image slipped through my fingers like smoke. I racked my brains, but I couldn’t pull it back. It felt like a piece of me had been lost somewhere. No matter how hard I tried to grasp it, it was just… gone.

I forced myself to focus on something else, and I finally drifted off again. My very last thought before I fell asleep was that I might actually have a peaceful rest tonight… until a strange sound jolted me awake again.

My breath caught in my throat as I blinked, struggling to focus on the dim, blurry room around me. I tried to sit up, but a firm weight was keeping me down.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, a gasp tore from my throat, my heart hammering wildly in my chest.

A man—his face obscured by a black balaclava—was on top of me.