44. Ava
AVA
A few weeks later, out on our country estate, with the smell of the salt and pines in the air, the officiant pronounced us husband and wife just as the sky was turning golden.
“I love you more,” Ty whispered as he leaned down and kissed me.
His lips moving against mine, soft but firm, our first kiss as husband and wife, it felt like the entire world stilled for that moment.
My heart raced, my breath hitched, and for a moment, it felt as though the sheer magnitude of my love might consume me entirely, leaving nothing but the unrelenting ache of feeling something so vast, so infinite.
When we finally pulled apart, his expression was a beautiful storm of emotion. Pride, love, disbelief—it was all there, etched into the lines of his handsome face.
And his blue eyes—those eyes I’d fallen in love with before I even realized they were his —were glistening.
Something had changed in Ty the moment I chose him, something I never expected. The mask he so often wore, that cold, calculating exterior that had kept him alive all these years, began to crumble.
Slowly, the Ty beneath—the one who loved deeply, fiercely, possessively, who built me a home with my every youthful wish, who cherished me with every fiber of his being—was emerging.
Lisa sniffled audibly behind me, breaking the moment.
I turned to see her dabbing at her eyes with the hem of her peach bridesmaid dress.
“Don’t start, bish,” I whispered with a laugh, but my own voice wavered.
Lisa’s tears turned into a sob, and she lightly punched my shoulder. “You heartless bish!”
We both burst into tears—happy, uncontrollable tears.
Only one shadow marred the perfection of the day as I glanced over Ty’s shoulder to where no one stood.
The ache in my heart was sudden and sharp, but before it could overwhelm me, a whisper of leather and spice brushed past on the breeze.
I looked toward the edge of the pines and thought, for just a moment, I saw a figure—tall and shadowy—standing among the trees.
That night, I woke with a start, my skin prickling as though I were being watched.
My heart skipped a beat, the stillness of our bedroom in the house Ty built for me pressing down on me like a heavy blanket .
Ty wasn’t beside me. The empty space in the bed, the faint warmth still lingering where he had been, made the feeling worse.
“Mhaor?” I called softly, my voice cutting through the silence as I slipped out of bed.
The cool air kissed my skin, raising goosebumps against the thin slip I wore. The shadows of the room felt too heavy, too alive, and as I turned, my breath caught.
Red writing streaked across the mirror. The words were sharp, deliberate.
“Ready or not…”
My stomach twisted, a mix of dread and anticipation curling low in my belly.
Before I could process, a crash shattered the silence.
I jumped, my heart slamming into my ribs as my head whipped toward the sound.
It came from downstairs.
I rushed out of the bedroom, feet padding quickly over the cold wooden floor.
I gripped the banister tightly as I crept down the stairs, my fingers brushing against the worn wood as I strained to hear anything—any sound, any movement.
But the house was silent. Too silent.
My pulse thundered in my ears as I reached the base of the stairs, the faint creak of the back door swinging open and slamming against the frame sending a chill down my spine.
The door swayed on its hinges, the night breeze pushing it back and forth. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to move toward it, to close it.
My eyes flicked around the living room as I passed, the furniture sitting in eerie stillness, their silhouettes strange and unfamiliar in the dim light. The clock on the mantel ticked faintly, each second stretching longer than it should.
Every instinct screamed at me to turn around, to go back upstairs and lock myself in the bedroom. But I couldn’t. The unease gnawed at me, demanding answers, driving me forward.
Just as I reached for the door handle, I heard it.
A voice behind me, low and taunting.
“Run…”
I froze for a split second, every nerve in my body on high alert.
And then I ran.
The cool night air hit me as I burst through the door and into the yard, making my nipples harden. My bare feet pounded against the damp earth, and I cast a quick glance over my shoulder.
He was coming for me.
My warden and my stalker, his tall broad frame cloaked in shadow, the glint of moonlight catching the half skeleton mask covering his face.
His icy eyes locked on mine, and the dark thrill in them mirrored the surge of adrenaline coursing through me.
My fear and excitement tangled together in a dizzying rush. I sprinted toward the pine forest, my breath coming fast and sharp, heat rushing into my core.
The tall trees loomed ahead, their silhouettes stark against the night sky, a haven and a trap all at once.
The sound of his footfalls grew louder behind me, each one steady and deliberate, like a predator toying with its prey .
I pushed myself harder, the pounding of my heart urging me forward, a manic giggle trapped in my chest.
The forest enveloped me, the air smelling like pine and damp earth. The ground was uneven, twigs snapping beneath my feet as I darted between the trees.
But no matter how fast I ran, he was faster.
I felt his presence just behind me, the air shifting as he closed the gap. The thrill of the chase still hummed in my veins, but now it was mixed with need—dark and dangerous, intoxicating, and impossible to deny.
And then—impact.
Ty tackled me to the ground, his weight pinning me as we tumbled through the underbrush.
He pinned me to the ground underneath him and a gasp tore from my lips, and for a moment, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart and the rough sound of his breathing.
He loomed over me, his intense eyes over the skeleton mask crinkling with dark hunger as he wrapped his hand around my throat and squeezed, stopping me from screaming for help.
Even if I could scream, Ty purchased so much land around our house that no one would hear me anyway.
I was here alone with him and helpless.
He used his knees to kick out my legs, exposing me for him, my slip riding up around my waist.
As I struggled for air, clawing at his hand, he calmly unzipped his black pants with his free hand and pulled out his hard, thick cock.
Only then did he loosen his grip on my throat.
I sucked in air .
He tore my panties off me and stuffed them into my mouth.
He thrust his cock into me, splitting me open, my scream cut off by his hand clamping down over my mouth, my tongue coated in my musky wetness from my panties.
He fucked me as I thrashed underneath him, hips bucking for more as I tried to fight him off, leaves and sticks scraping my back and bare ass.
Because our childhood pastime had become our favorite fucked-up game.
Dots sparkled in front of my eyes as I fought for air, as my orgasm crashed over me. He let out a feral growl as he slammed into me, filling me with his cum.
And with the promise of our future babies. I didn’t have my implant in anymore, after all.
I sagged into the dirt, chest heaving as his hand slipped from my mouth, pulling my panties out, and he rested his forehead on mine.
“I love you more, hummingbird,” he whispered from behind his mask.
“I love you, mhaor,” I whispered back.