The Hunt

26. Rhett

26

Rhett

Ev began to stir on my shoulder. I carefully set her down on the ground, leaning her back against a moss-covered log. Then I rose to my feet and stood in front of her, guarding her like I had all those years ago, when we were just kids. When I thought I could protect her from everything.

Her eyes finally fluttered open, and I stooped to pull out a bottle of water. “Here,” I said, offering it to her. “You need to drink this. Then you need to eat something. It’ll help with the shock.”

Confusion flickered across her face as she took the bottle with trembling hands. “What… what happened back there?”

Her voice was raw, barely more than a whisper, but it cut through the quiet forest like a blade.

I leaned over to my pack to grab a protein bar for her. “One of your friends set off a smoke-veil trap.”

“Are they all dead?”

I dipped my chin in a curt nod. “Yes.”

She shuddered. “That man was huge. And that gas mask… I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so terrifying in my life,” she said, voice cracking. “I really thought I was going to die.”

“That’s Xavier Nilsson. Definitely not a guy you want to run into in a dark alley,” I said.

She gulped. “Won’t he be angry that you stole his kill right from under him?”

“No. He didn’t see either of us. All that smoke was in the way.”

“And if he did see us? What then?”

I lifted my shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “I would’ve had to kill him.”

“You’d really do that?” Ev’s eyes widened. “Kill one of your own… for me?”

“Yup.”

She stared at me for a long, silent moment, eyes flickering with confusion. Then she took a long gulp of water and accepted the protein bar. Once she’d finished eating, she lifted her gaze to meet mine again. “How long have you known, Rhett?” she asked in a low murmur.

“Known what?”

“That we knew each other when we were kids.”

I glanced at my watch. “About an hour.”

“Oh,” she said softly.

I rose to my feet and extended a hand. “Time to go.”

Ev didn’t get up right away. Instead, she kept looking up at me like she was trying to piece together a puzzle, brows furrowing. “Why?” she finally said. “Why did you save me?”

“Because I didn’t want to see you die,” I said, my tone clipped. “Not like that. Not by him. Not by anyone .”

“Just because we knew each other as kids?”

“No,” I muttered, rubbing my jaw. “But I think you already know that.”

Her eyes searched mine. “Tell me why, Rhett. Please.”

“Walk with me for a few minutes, and I’ll show you why.”

She swallowed audibly and rose to her feet, limbs still trembling. I grabbed her hand and motioned to the north. “This way.”

“Wait… won’t they see us on the cameras?” she asked, voice laced with panic. “Won’t you get in trouble for helping a player?”

“No. This is a dead zone.” I gestured to the dense trees around us, their branches weaving a canopy that shrouded us from prying eyes. “No cameras. We’re invisible here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. The island is too big to put cameras absolutely everywhere, so there’s a few places with no coverage. Mostly places that hardly get any traffic,” I said. “And even in zones that do have cameras, there’s narrow corridors in them that are basically blind spots. I use them to get around when I don’t want to be seen.”

Her brows rose. “You know all of the blind spots?”

“Yup. I’ve been studying this place for a long time. Know it like the back of my hand.”

Ev went quiet for another long moment as we slowly trudged through the underbrush. Then she cleared her throat. “That weird ritual we saw when we were kids—was it related to all of this?”

“Yeah. It was an initiation ritual for Wilders going into their senior year. I didn’t know it back then, but—”

“But then you ended up doing it yourself ten years later,” she said, cutting me off. “Just a few months ago, right? You helped to kill an innocent man to prove yourself worthy of The Wild Hunt?”

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s how it works. Except he wasn’t innocent.”

“How can you do it?” She paused and swept her hand around, gesturing to the woods. “How can you murder people for fun?”

A mirthless half-smile curved up my lips. “You really don’t have to listen to all the moralists who claim that killing is always wrong,” I said. “It’s not. Some people fucking deserve it.”

Ev opened her mouth, presumably to protest, but then she clamped it shut again, brows furrowing at the same time. “I guess that’s actually true,” she muttered. “If I ever manage to get my hands on the guy who brought me here, I won’t think twice about killing him.”

My smile widened slightly. She was going to love my surprise.

“While we’re on the subject of deserving death… you know those three that died in the smoke back there?” I said, cocking a brow.

“Yes. How could I forget?”

I lay a hand on her shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, they weren’t good people. They definitely deserved it.”

Ev sighed and shook her head. “Honestly… that doesn’t make me feel any better. But thanks for trying.”

I smiled thinly. “It’s okay. I have something else that’ll make you feel a whole lot better.”

“What?”

“You’ll see.” I pointed to the right. “This way.”

We trudged in silence for the next few minutes. When we arrived at the edge of a clearing, Ev stopped in her tracks, eyeing the cabin on the edge. “Wait… I know this place. That’s where we—” She stopped abruptly and cleared her throat. “This is where the underground safe zone is. Or was, before it closed.”

“That’s right.”

“Why did you bring me back here?”

“Be patient. I promise it’ll be worth it.” I gestured to the right again. “We have to go around the clearing. It’s got cameras in and around it. But if we go that way, we can avoid them.”

I led her around to the far side of the cabin, keeping a steady hand on her elbow. She didn’t resist, but I could feel the tension radiating off her in waves. When we turned the corner, her footsteps faltered, and she let out a sharp gasp.

JJ was exactly where I left him earlier—slumped against the wall, wrists bound behind his back, gagged with a strip of cloth I’d torn from his shirt. When he caught sight of us, he straightened, his eyes narrowing on me in a mix of fury and panic.

“What the hell?” Ev whispered. She looked up at me, wide-eyed, like she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. “You got Jake ?”

“I know him as JJ,” I said. “Jake Kelly is my best friend. I always thought you were talking about him.”

Ev nodded slowly as understanding dawned on her. “The wrong guy,” she murmured.

“Yeah. I’m a fucking idiot.”

“So… you believe me now?”

“Yes,” I said gruffly. “I should’ve always believed you.”

“How did you figure it out?”

I ran her through everything that had happened over the last hour. As I spoke, Ev’s expression went from shock to fury, then to something softer, almost vulnerable. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I was honestly starting to wonder if I was losing my mind.”

“No.” I steeled my jaw and looked at JJ. “It was him all along. He wanted you dead.”

“Fucking asshole,” she muttered, glaring at him. Her eyes snapped back to me. “Are you going to kill him now?”

“No. You’re going to kill him.” I reached into my jacket and pulled out my hunting knife. “After what he’s put you through, you deserve the chance.”

She stared at the blade, eyes wide. “Oh.”

“If you can’t handle it, that’s okay. I can do it for you.”

“No.” Ev took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and took the knife. “I can do it.”

“All right.” I crouched to rip the gag out of JJ’s mouth. “Any last words, asshole? Maybe an apology?”

“Evvy, please,” he gasped out, panicked eyes focusing on her. “Rhett is fucking crazy! I don’t know what he told you, but—”

She cut him off with a swift kick to the guts. He fell to his side, spluttering.

“Good girl,” I said, watching with a smirk.

“Everly… please,” JJ ground out, wincing from the pain. “Don’t kill me.”

“Why wouldn’t I kill you, Jake?” Ev said, voice rising an octave. “After everything you did to me! And Julia, too!”

“If you kill me, you’ll never know the truth. Neither of you will ever know.”

“Rhett already told me the truth,” Ev said, rolling her eyes. “He told me everything , you sick fuck.”

“No, I mean… about The Wild Hunt. It’s not what you think.”

Ev looked at me, forehead creasing. “What the hell is he talking about?”

“No idea,” I said with a shrug. “He vaguely alluded to some stuff earlier, but he’s probably just talking shit to try and save himself.”

“I’m not lying!” JJ said, eyes bulging. “You know who my father is!”

I looked back at Ev, whose face was still etched with confusion. “His dad’s the top dog in the society,” I explained. “That’s what he means.”

“I know things! Things you should know!” JJ shouted before Ev could reply. “Let me live, and I’ll tell you.”

“Why don’t you tell us first, and then we’ll decide if we’re going to let you live,” Ev said, voice dripping with condescension.

“No.” JJ swallowed hard. “I’m not stupid. You’ll just kill me straight afterwards.”

“Okay.” I shrugged again and gestured to the knife. “Do it now. He’s not going to tell us any—”

“Wait!” JJ shrieked. I’d never heard such a pathetic sound coming from him, even when he pissed himself earlier. “I’ll tell you what I know! But please… just promise me you’ll think about letting me go, okay? I can be helpful to you. I can make sure you get off the island alive.”

“Sure, we’ll consider it,” Ev said, glancing over at me. The hard determination in her eyes told me she’d already made up her mind—no mercy.

“Yeah,” I said, suppressing a smile. “We’ll definitely consider it. But this information better be worth it.”

JJ gulped again. “This game… it’s not what you think,” he began. “People die here, but—”

Ev laughed and threw up her hands, cutting him off. “Oh my god, really ?” she said in an acid tone. “ That’s your big reveal? That people die here?”

“Yeah, that’s not exactly news, man,” I said, lifting a scornful brow.

JJ stared up at me. “Just listen to me,” he said in a hollow voice. “The society isn’t what you think. Neither is this game. The players don’t know what they’re signing up for, and the hunters don’t really know either. That’s what I meant.”

I frowned. “What?”

“The players don’t know what they’re signing up for,” he repeated. “The recruiters tell them it’s just a game with no risks, except for a few bruises and scratches. None of them have any idea what they’re really in for when they get here.”

“Bullshit.” I snorted. “They know exactly what they’re getting into.”

“Rhett…” Ev looked over at me, head slowly shaking. “He’s not lying about that. Did you really not know?”

I stared at her, heart hammering. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The other players I met here… they all thought they’d signed up to play a fun survival game and potentially win a ton of money,” she said. “All of them expected to go home to their families afterwards. Not a single one of them knew this was a real hunt.”

“See?” JJ said. “The Patriarchs lie, man. They lie to everyone. ”

“Why would anyone ever agree to be hunted to death?” Ev added, still staring at me.

“Because they aren’t regular people,” I said, eyes narrowing. “Group 1 are all death-row prisoners. They choose between the Hunt—which risks their life but also gives them a chance at freedom—and being executed in a shitty max-security prison. It’s not a hard choice for most of them. And Group 2… they’re all terminally ill. So they’re already dying. They just want a chance to go out in glory after winning the prize money for their families. And Group 3—”

JJ cut me off. “None of them know the truth about it, man. I swear.”

“That’s fucking bullshit,” I muttered. “They know. ”

“Nope. They don’t know shit.”

“He’s telling the truth, Rhett,” Ev added softly. “I assumed you knew. I thought all the hunters knew.”

My head was spinning, and my stomach was starting to churn violently. I swallowed thickly. “No, that can’t be right. It doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s true,” JJ insisted. “I swear.”

I slowly shook my head. “If the players are never told about the true nature of the Hunt, then what the fuck is the point in making them sign all those liability waivers?” I asked. “We can see their signatures on their profiles, so we know they’re agreeing to it. Or at least they’re agreeing to something. So why make them do that if whatever they’re agreeing to isn’t even real? It’s just a pointless fucking waste of time.”

“It’s not pointless, because it’s not really waiver forms they’re signing,” JJ said. “That’s just what the Patriarchs want you to believe.”

“What the fuck are they signing, then?”

“The players are told that they have to sign ironclad non-disclosure agreements to protect the integrity of the game. But really, it’s just a trick to keep them from telling their friends and family anything about it . That way, when they suddenly leave one day and never come home… their friends and family think they just went missing. No one knows where they really ended up. And no one has any way of connecting them to The Wild Hunt.”

I blinked, trying to process what I’d just heard, but the words wouldn’t settle. They just swirled in my mind, jagged and raw, like shards of broken glass.

All this time, I’d thought the players—the prey—had signed up for this, knowing exactly what they were walking into. They wanted the money, the adrenaline, the chance at freedom, and they were willing to risk their lives for it.

But that wasn’t true. They didn’t know their lives were at stake. None of them knew.

“How do they explain the prisoners disappearing?” Ev asked, frowning. “They can’t just go missing like regular people.”

“It’s covered up as prison suicide,” JJ said. “Happens all the time, so people aren’t surprised to hear it.”

Ev muttered something under her breath. Then her gaze flicked over to me. “What’s Group 3?” she asked sharply. “You never finished telling me.”

Before I could reply, JJ spoke up again. “That’s actually another thing I have to tell you,” he said. “The Patriarchs lie to everyone about Group 3 as well.”

“How so?” I asked, eyes narrowing.

He focused on Ev. “We’re told they’re people who’ve done terrible things that The Wild Hunt has become aware of through various means. They’re offered a chance to sign up for the game, choosing between possible death and having their awful secrets exposed to the world. Most choose the game.”

“That’s why you asked me what I did to wind up here,” Ev said, looking over at me. “Right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded stiffly. “What’s the truth, JJ?”

“Some of them are actually bad people who’ve been caught doing bad shit. So it’s not all lies. But most…” He paused for a beat, slowly shaking his head. “Most are just people with crippling debts. They’re told they can sign up for the game for a chance to win millions, so they can pay those debts off. But they aren’t told that it’s a real hunt. Like I said, none of the players are ever told the truth.”

I scrubbed a hand over my face as my pulse thundered in my ears, drowning out every sound except the hammering of my own heartbeat.

Everything I thought I knew about the Hunt—the society, the rules, the reason we all played this game—was shifting under me like quicksand, dragging me down. What the fuck had I been a part of all this time? Who had I killed? People who genuinely deserved death, or innocents?

“Why?” I managed to grind out. “Why do they do it?”

“Because there aren’t that many death-row prisoners and terminally ill people out there, so they need to bump up the numbers somehow,” JJ said. “It’s no fun to only have a few players in a Hunt, is it? We need a lot of prey to go after to make it fun and worthwhile.”

“But why the fuck do they trick us into participating?” I asked. “Why not just be honest from the start and find hunters who are actually willing to kill anyone with no remorse?”

“Because the Patriarchs know the vast majority of people aren’t total psychopaths, and that includes the Wilders. Most of them are like you —even after all their training, they only want to kill people they perceive as deserving of death, or people who are already on death’s door anyway. So… the Patriarchs lie. They pretend Group 3 is filled with the dregs of humanity. That way no one feels bad about hunting them down and fucking them up like total savages.”

“But why ?” Ev said in a shrill voice. “Why do the Patriarchs even run this horrible game in the first place? Especially if they know most of the players are innocent people.”

“Think about it,” JJ replied. “What does everything come down to at the end of the day?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. I already hinted at it when I told you how they convince most of the Group 3 players to sign up.”

Ev’s frown deepened. “Money?”

“Yup. Money and power.” JJ winced as he pushed himself up slightly. “The Wilders are told that they’re the only ones who get to watch and bet on the Hunt while all the surveillance footage from the island streams on our server. If they’re not participating as hunters that year, I mean. But it’s not true. Others watch too.”

“Who?”

“A ton of online weirdos who pay for access on the dark web, and then pay even more to place bets on the hunters and prey as the game goes on. Of course, all that money gives the Patriarchs a hell of a lot more clout in the world, because we all know money equals power.” JJ’s gaze swiveled back to me. “You’ve already made them $20 million on those bets during this game, Rhett . And you, Everly… you’re making a lot for them too. You’re a real underdog story. People thought you’d be the first one to get taken out, but fuck … it’s like you’ve had a guardian angel on your side.”

Ev looked over at me. “You’re right,” she said, voice scarcely above a whisper. “I have.”

My hands curled into fists, nails digging into my palms until the pain cut through the chaos in my head. Fury flared, hot and unrelenting, but it wasn’t solely aimed at JJ—it was aimed at them. The Patriarchs. The ones who’d designed this sick, twisted system. And maybe at myself for being too fucking ignorant to see it.

“Do all of them know?” I asked in a low voice. “Every single Patriarch?”

“Yes, Rhett, your father knows,” JJ said in a taunting tone, cocking his head. “That was the question you really wanted to ask, wasn’t it?”

Fuck.

My father could be a prick sometimes, but I never would’ve thought he was capable of something like this. Never thought he’d be able to lie and hide so much from me after all the shit our family had endured over the years.

“You can’t even do anything about it,” JJ went on. A smug note had appeared in his voice. “I told you earlier; you’re in deep. Especially with such a high body count. So even if you go running to the FBI, or whoever, you’re going down just like everyone else in the society.”

“Don’t be a cunt, Jake,” Ev spat out. “You’re already in enough trouble, don’t you think? Do you really want to piss us off even more?”

The mocking expression vanished from JJ’s face. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I was just saying.”

“Who else knows the truth?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I wanted a mental list of people I needed to confront apart from my father and Peter Jennings.

JJ averted his eyes. “What makes you think anyone else knows?”

Ev kicked him in the ribs again. “Obviously, your dad told you ,” she said hotly. “So it stands to reason that other non-Patriarchs might’ve been trusted with the big, bad secret too.”

“Okay… fine. You’re right,” JJ mumbled, grimacing. “The recruiters who work for us know the whole story too. But they have their own reasons to stay silent about it, so there’s no concern about any of them trying to tell the world.”

“Who are the recruiters?”

“I’ve told you guys enough. No more information until I’m free,” he said, squirming in his spot. “That’s the new deal.”

I took a deep breath, my jaw clenching. “You know what? I think you’re right,” I said, voice edged with barely-restrained rage. “You’ve told us enough. We can figure out the rest between us.”

Ev nodded. “I agree.”

“Does that mean you’re going to let me go?” JJ asked, staring up at her with wide, beseeching eyes.

She crouched to his level, plump lips curving in a sweet smile. “Yes, I’m letting you go,” she said in a saccharine tone. “In a manner of speaking.”

Relief flooded his face, and his shoulders sagged. “I knew you’d do the right thing, Evvy,” he murmured.

“I’m going to show you the exact same sympathy and kindness you showed me when you signed me up for this game,” Ev went on. In her right hand, she lifted the knife, waving it mockingly in his face. “The same sympathy and kindness you showed to Julia.”

JJ’s eyes filled with terror all over again. “Wait… I thought you said you were letting me go!”

“I said in a manner of speaking ,” Ev replied, nostrils flaring. “Let me make it clearer, seeing as you’re such a fucking idiot. I’m letting you go from my life. Letting you go from your own life, too. Got it now?”

“Good girl,” I murmured, lips spreading in a smirk.

“Ev, no!” JJ shrieked, thrashing in his spot. “You can’t do this!”

“Why?” she replied, brows rising. “You were going to kill me if you got me alone out here, weren’t you? Or at least let someone else kill me.”

“No, baby. I’d never hurt you. I just wanted to scare some sense into you, that’s all,” JJ said in a wheedling tone. His eyes never left the knife in Ev’s hand. “Why do you think you’ve survived out here for so long? I’ve been helping you!”

I snorted, and Ev laughed drily.

“It was Rhett. He’s been tracking me and keeping me safe this whole time,” she said. “I know that now. And I also know what a monster you are.”

“Please!” JJ’s voice cracked as she lifted the knife. “Don’t do this! I can’t die like this!”

Ev arched a brow. “Don’t you have anything else to say to me right now?”

“I’m sorry, okay! I’m fucking sorry!” Snot ran from JJ’s nose as he blubbered, mixing with the blood on his face. “I swear, I never wanted this to happen!”

“And yet you made damn sure it happened,” she replied, voice dripping with fury. “But hey, thanks for finally apologizing.”

“I really mean it. Please, baby…”

Ev’s jaw clenched. “I don’t accept your apology, Jake. Goodbye.”

With that, she drove the knife into his abdomen.

Her lack of experience was clear, the blade catching on bone with a faint scraping sound. JJ’s agonized scream was cut short as the air rushed out of his lungs, and a look of utter shock replaced his terror. Clearly, he’d never believed that Ev was capable of such violence, even at the very last second. Not until the knife pierced his flesh.

“Please,” he choked out. “S-stop. I’m… s-sorry.”

Ev’s hand shook, the knife wobbling in his flesh as she tried to force it deeper. It didn’t give, so she pulled it out with a grunt, face contorting in a mask of frustration.

“For fuck’s sake,” she muttered. Her chest was rising and falling in heaving breaths, eyes locked on the spot where the blade trembled over his stomach. I could see it in her expression—the hesitation overtaking her determination, creeping into her fury.

“Ev,” I said, stepping closer. “Don’t let him throw you off with his bullshit apologies. He wasn’t sorry until he got caught.”

Her wide eyes darted to me, flickering with something between panic and resolve. “I—I can’t…”

“You can,” I said firmly, crouching down beside her. “Remember what he did to you. What he was going to do to you if he got you alone.”

“No, I just meant… I physically can’t,” she said, grimacing. “I want to, but it’s harder than I thought. My hands are so shaky, and I think I hit a rib or something. It just… it wouldn’t go in properly.”

“I’ll help you.” My hands covered hers on the hilt, steadying the tremors. “Do you want it to be quick? Or do you want him to suffer?”

She swallowed thickly. “I…”

As she faltered, I leaned in to kiss her neck. “Don't be ashamed of your desires, baby,” I murmured. “It’s okay if you want him to hurt. All you have to do is say it.”

She took a deep breath and lifted her chin. “I want it to hurt,” she said. “I want him to feel all the pain he’s inflicted on me and others.”

JJ’s choked protests reached a fever pitch, words stumbling over themselves in frantic pleas, but I blocked them out. Ev’s lips parted, her breathing shallow and erratic as I guided her hands.

“If you aim right there ,” I muttered, letting the tip of the blade rest on a precise spot. “It’ll go through his diaphragm. A quick, clean cut through that, along with the liver, will cause a pneumothorax. He won’t be able to breathe properly after that, so he’ll be gasping for air while he bleeds out from the liver wound. It’ll hurt like a motherfucker, too.”

It was a messy way to go, but JJ didn’t deserve an easy death.

Ev steeled her jaw and nodded. “I’m ready.”

With my hand guiding hers, she pushed forward, the blade slicing through flesh and muscle this time. “Good girl,” I murmured against her ear. “That’s perfect.”

A gurgling sound escaped JJ's throat as the knife slid deeper, and a fresh spray of blood splattered across Ev’s face. Her breath hitched, a strangled grunt of effort escaping her lips, but she didn't pull back, her fingers tightening on the handle beneath mine. We moved together, a morbid choreography of vengeance, until the blade was buried to the hilt.

JJ’s strangled cries echoed through the cold, foggy air, along with his wheezing, gasping attempts to draw breath. Ev watched him silently, face etched with fury, until his eyes turned glassy and his body finally went limp.

A heavy silence fell after that. I felt Ev trembling, the adrenaline beginning to wear off.

I waited for her to release the handle, then slowly withdrew my hand, my eyes never leaving her face as she rose to her feet. It was a mess of crimson; blood splattered all over it. It was all over her hands and shirt too, even streaked along her neck where she must’ve wiped her hand without thinking. Every single piece of her radiated chaos, raw and unfiltered.

She’d never looked so fucking beautiful.