Chapter 9 Landon
LANDON
The monitors glow in the darkness of the control room, each one displaying a different area of the labyrinth.
But my eyes stay fixed on just one screen—Sadie, standing alone, working out which way to go next, nervously fidgeting with her mask.
One minute and fifty-eight seconds until we’re released.
“She’s pretty,” a voice says from behind me. “Smart choice.”
I don’t turn around. I know it’s Cyrus Dexter, one of the twin brothers who’ve participated in the Hunt for the past three years. They never come alone—always hunt as a pair, always share their prey.
“She’s mine,” I say. “Find someone else.”
Cyrus laughs, the sound sharp in the quiet room. “That’s not how the Hunt works, Blackwood. Fair game until someone claims her.”
His brother Ace appears at his side, studying the screen with calculating eyes. Unlike his more volatile twin, Ace rarely speaks. When he does, it’s usually after he’s already figured out ten moves ahead.
“The hacker,” Ace says quietly. “Interesting profile. Systematic mind. Likely she’ll respond well to dominance.”
My fingers curl into fists at my sides. They’ve researched her. Just like I have. The countdown on the main screen reads one minute, thirty seconds.
“Stay away from her,” I say, turning to face them now. The warning in my voice is clear.
The twins exchange a look I can’t decipher. Their matching masks—black with yellow accents—hide most of their expressions, but I see the challenge in their eyes.
“Rules state the first hunter to catch a prey gets exclusive rights,” Ace reminds me.
“I know the fucking rules,” I hiss.
I’ve never thought about breaking them before. With Monica, with any of the others—it was just a game. But Sadie is different. Just imagining either Dexter twin touching her makes darkness surge—violent, uncontrollable—inside me.
The countdown hits one minute. The other hunters are taking their positions, excitement building in the room. I need to focus, plan my route through the labyrinth based on where I think Sadie will go.
But all I can think about is what I’ll do if one of them reaches her first. The rules of the Hunt would be meaningless then. I’ve killed men for less important reasons than Sadie Reynolds.
The countdown hits zero. A deep, resonant chime echoes through the control room as the main screen flashes red.
“Gentlemen.” Xavier’s voice fills the space. My oldest brother, always with the theatrics. “The Hunt has officially begun. Your prey awaits in the maze. You have seventy-two hours. May the best hunters claim their prize.”
The doors slide open with a hydraulic hiss. I don’t hesitate—not with the Dexter twins eyeing Sadie’s monitor. I bolt through the entrance before anyone else moves, my footsteps echoing against the polished concrete floor.
Behind me, I hear cursing and the sound of bodies jostling for position. The twins are fast, but I have one advantage they don’t: I’ve memorized every inch of this maze, and I know exactly where the cameras tracked Sadie’s last position.
Left at the first junction. Straight past two corridors. Right at the red lighting. The path unfolds in my mind as I run, my breathing steady despite the pace. The mask feels tight against my face, but it’s a familiar discomfort now.
“Going somewhere, Blackwood?” Ace’s voice carries from a parallel corridor. Fuck. They’ve split up to cover more ground.
I pick up speed, ignoring the burn in my lungs. The thought of either twin getting their hands on Sadie makes my vision blur with rage. They don’t understand her like I do. They haven’t watched her. Haven’t learned her patterns, her preferences, her fears.
I reach a four-way intersection and pause, listening. The labyrinth is designed to distort sound, but I’ve learned its tricks. Faint footsteps to the east—too heavy to be Sadie’s. A rustle of fabric from the north corridor. And from the west... nothing. Too quiet.
That’s where she is. The surveillance showed her heading west from her entry point, seeking the shadows where the red lights don’t quite reach. Smart girl. But not smart enough to hide from me.
I dart west, moving silently now. She’s close. I can feel it in the quickening of my pulse, the tightening in my chest. The twins might be hunting her, but they don’t know what I know.
Sadie Reynolds is mine. And I’m going to find her first.
I freeze mid-step as a high-pitched scream echoes through the labyrinth, bouncing off the walls from somewhere to my right. Not Sadie’s voice. I know her scream—I’ve studied recordings of her watching horror movies in her apartment.
“Well, well. What do we have here?” Ace’s smooth voice carries through the corridors.
My watch vibrates. I tap the screen to activate the security feed, one of the privileges of being a Blackwood.
The small display shows Ace and Cyrus cornering a woman against one of the red-lit walls.
Dark hair, graceful posture—Keira Valentino.
The twins flank her like predators who’ve found particularly interesting prey.
“Look at you,” Cyrus purrs, his hand tracing the line of her jaw. “A little bird who flew right into our path.”
Keira doesn’t cower. Interesting. Most women would be terrified facing both Dexter twins at once.
“I’m not your prey,” she says, chin raised defiantly.
Ace laughs, the sound soft but dangerous. “Everyone in this labyrinth is prey, darling. The only question is which hunter claims you.”
I watch as they exchange looks over her head. That silent twin communication I’ve witnessed before. They’ve decided to pursue her together—their preferred method. Which means...
A slow smile spreads across my face behind my mask. They’re distracted. Diverted. The pressure to race through the maze for Sadie has evaporated.
I tap my watch again, switching to Sadie’s location. She’s moving cautiously through the western corridor. Still alone. Still unclaimed.
Perfect.
I exhale, recalculating my approach. There’s no need to rush now. I can take my time, savor each moment of the Hunt. Let her feel the building tension of being stalked, let her imagination torment her with possibilities.
The chase is always better when drawn out. By the time I finally corner her, Sadie will be primed for my touch, desperate for release from the psychological pressure.
I turn away from the direction of the twins and their new fixation. Let them have Keira. I have more sophisticated prey to hunt, and now I can do it properly.
I stalk through the western corridor, my footsteps whisper-quiet against the polished floor. The red emergency lights cast long shadows perfect for concealment. Ahead, Sadie moves cautiously, one hand trailing along the wall to guide herself.
Every few steps, she glances over her shoulder, sensing my presence without seeing me. Her instincts are good. Not good enough, but impressive nonetheless.
I slide deeper into the shadow when she turns again, pressing my back against the cool concrete. Her breathing hitches—a barely audible catch that my trained ears detect even at this distance. She knows someone’s there. Knows she’s being hunted.
Good.
I want her mind racing with possibilities of what will happen when I finally step from the darkness and claim her. The anticipation is half the pleasure.
Sadie quickens her pace, taking a left turn at the intersection ahead. I count to five before following, maintaining distance.
When she reaches the blue-lit corridor, her posture changes. She thinks she’s safer here, with better visibility. Another miscalculation that makes me smile behind my mask. She doesn’t understand that the Hunt isn’t about hiding—it’s about submission.
She glances back again, eyes narrowed behind her porcelain mask. For a moment, I think she’s spotted me, but her gaze passes over my position without recognition. Still, her body language speaks volumes—shoulders tight, hands clenched.
“Sadie.” I keep my voice low, letting it echo slightly through the corridor. “I see you.”
The effect is immediate. She freezes mid-step, head snapping toward the sound. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, fear stealing her breath.
“Did you think you could hide from me?” I continue, still concealed in shadow.
I step forward enough for the blue light to catch the edge of my white mask. Enough for her to know I’m here, not just a voice in the darkness.
Her fear is tangible; I can almost taste it in the air. My cock hardens instantly as her breathing quickens, those little gasps of terror feeding a darkness within me.
“I’ve been inside your apartment,” I say, circling closer but remaining partially hidden. “Inside your computer. Inside your head. Did you think I wouldn’t get inside you, too?”
The blue light catches the tears forming in her eyes. Perfect. The moisture makes them glitter like precious stones. I want to collect those tears, preserve them as trophies alongside the videos I’ve compiled of her most vulnerable moments.
“Your fear is beautiful,” I whisper. “It makes me hard. Makes me want to hurt you to see what sounds you’ll make.”
She backs away, her shoulders hitting the wall behind her. Trapped. The realization crosses her face—a flicker of panic that sends electric pleasure coursing through my veins.
“Run,” I suggest. “I’ll give you a ten-second head start. I’ll enjoy the chase almost as much as I’ll enjoy breaking you.”
The rational part of my brain—the part my brothers still believe rules me—acknowledges this isn’t normal. Healthy men don’t get erections from terror in a woman’s eyes. They don’t fantasize about collecting screams like rare artifacts.
But I stopped pretending to be healthy long ago.
“Eight seconds now, Sadie,” I continue, reaching down to adjust myself through my pants. “I’m counting. Seven... six...”
She bolts, her footsteps echoing down the corridor. The sound of prey in flight. My smile stretches wider beneath my mask, teeth bared in a feral grin. The pressure builds in my chest—that familiar, wonderful tightness that comes before I let the monster out to play.
“Ready or not,” I whisper to the empty corridor. “Here I come.”