Page 81 of The Prey
She jerks against me and freezes, her wrist still caught in my grasp.
Is she finally giving up? Then, like her fight or flight has been activated, she moves with precision, twisting her wrist hard, forcing me to lose my grip. The knife knicks my suit jacket, and all I can do is shake my head. Fucking hell, I thought she was done destroying my clothing.
I don't have enough time to grab her again, and like the bunny she’s dressed as she scampers off into the woods. Adrenaline races in my veins, awakening needs and desires I'd spent the last couple of days burying.
My instincts beg me to give in, to chase her down and claim her, but if I do that, it’s over. She will be mine whether she wants it or not, and that baby inside her will be mine, as well.
Her body, her soul, her life. All fucking mine.
It's not a choice but a need. A bone-deep ache I can't reject. I have no other choice. I can’t let her go. The possibility that someone else might find her and claim her makes me murderous.. I strip off my jacket, hanging it on a low tree branch, and tuck the flashlight into my pants pocket.
Then I start to walk, my steps slow but without hesitation. I know this property and have been playing this game since I was a teenager. She can’t escape me. Not at my own game. I watch curiously as she cuts a path through the trees.
She's fast, faster than I thought she'd be, I'll give her that.
Desire ripples through me, bringing with it heat. I tug the tie I’m wearing loose, letting it hang limply around my neck. I choose not to toss it as it might come in handy later. Depending upon how squirmy she is. I cut around the trees, going left to see if I can cut her off if I move quickly enough. The sheath of my favorite knife rubs against my ankle, reminding me that it’s there.
Something hot and molten fills my veins, igniting things I've been suppressing. It's as if my world shifts on its axis like I've been waiting for this very moment, this one perfect second, to come back to myself.
Of course it would be my Ely who brings me home.
“You can’t hide from me, Ely. I know these woods like the back of my hand.” I taunt.
Leaning into those feelings, I finally race after her, closing the distance between us. She hasn't looked back once, and it only takes a minute to catch her around the waist, lifting her off her feet and taking her down to the cold-packed earth.
There's a soft bed of leaves beneath us, but I know she'll be aching from the hit tomorrow. Being that she’s pregnant, I can’t risk hurting her out here, or at all, so while I want to unleash myself on her, I remind myself that I must maintain control and be gentle. Something I have no experience being.
“Look what I caught, a little rabbit.”
She, on the other hand, doesn’t think she has to be gentle, and swipes at me with the knife. I roughly lever my weight off her, pressing my hips into hers and anchoring her arms to the forest floor.
“Mmm, she's got teeth. But so do I.” The words come out in a low groan as I lean in and run the rubber mouth of the fox mask down her neck.
She whimpers. Trembles under me, the feeling entering my own body. I stare down at her face, taking note of her pinched features, the way her eyes are squeezed shut, like she’s trying to crawl inside herself. Wait. The realization of it all slams into me like a brick wall. This isn't a game to her. She's truly fucking terrified.
I slowly raise the mask up to rest on top of my head and lower my face near hers. “Ely, look at me.”
She shakes her head hard, and I spot the streak of tears as they slide down the apples of her cheeks. There’s a smudge of dirt on her pretty pointed chin.
“Ely,” I whisper. “You're safe. Always safe. I'm not going to hurt you. Open your eyes and see. I've taken off the mask.”
Her body shudders against me once more, and it's not in pleasure. Fucking hell. How did I not see how far down the rabbit hole she'd gone? Trapped in a memory, triggered by the chase.
“Ely, Ely, Ely...” I continue saying her name, hoping to bring her back.
It takes a minute and more patience than I ever thought I’d be capable of possessing, but slowly, the panic recedes, and she cracks one eye open to look up at me. The only way to describe the look in her eyes is relief. Complete relief.
“Seb...Sebastian?” Her voice cracks, ending on a sob.
“Yes.” I nod, searching her eyes for sanity. “It's me. You're okay.”
She blinks her eyes open, her gaze darting around the quiet forest before coming back to my face. “You...you did this? You had them kidnap me?” I don’t miss the way her voice rises, ringing with panic.
“No, I didn't have them kidnap you. I didn’t know you were out here.” All I can do is shake my head. Fucking Christ. I should’ve known something like this would happen. Why would I ever think she signed up or willingly joined the event? “It was probably fucking Lee.”
She nods once, then again. “Yes, he… he dressed me in this…whatever it is…and Drew. He was…he brought me out here.” Her lips tremble as she speaks, but at least she is here, her mind present, with me.
I’m a little surprised that Drew was involved, being that Elyse and Bel are friends, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll deal with them assholes later. Right now, my concern is Elyse.