Chapter 24 Landon
LANDON
My little butterfly quivers, trying desperately to maintain composure while I thrust into her. Her resistance only heightens my pleasure—the way she bites her lip to stifle her moans, how her body tenses each time she approaches climax.
“That’s it,” I whisper against her ear as her inner walls clench around me for the third time. “Let go for me again.”
She shakes her head minutely, eyes darting around the table where the others are either eating or pleasuring themselves, but I feel the telltale tremors. I grip her hips tighter, guiding her movements while appearing calm to anyone observing.
“Everybody knows what’s happening between us,” I taunt.
Her breathing becomes ragged as I angle myself to hit that spot inside her that lights her up. When she comes, her entire body stiffens before melting against me, a small whimper escaping despite her best efforts to remain quiet.
I continue feeding her between her orgasms, noticing the way she struggles to chew and swallow. At the same time, I’m buried deep inside her.
Xavier’s voice suddenly cuts through the ambient noise.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening. The public portion of our celebration has concluded. What follows is a private ritual reserved only for those who participated directly in the Hunt,” Xavier continues.
“We ask that you respect this tradition and allow us to proceed without observers.”
The other guests leave following a server out of the room.
Once they’ve left, X continues, “The traditional claiming period begins now. You have until dawn to decide if you wish to keep your prey for the full year, as outlined in our contracts.”
My blood rushes hot through my veins at the announcement. A full year with Sadie. I’ve known from the moment I first saw her file that a year would never be enough, but it’s a start.
“For those sharing prey,” Xavier’s gaze flicks meaningfully toward Cora Pike and her three captors, “you may choose to claim your prey together or individually. The decision is yours alone. Be mindful, however—if you choose to do it individually, it will afford each of you four months with her, culminating in twelve months.”
I watch as Dominic, Liam, and Ryder exchange glances, unspoken communication passing between them.
Their coordination is impressive—three men moving as one unit around the mayor’s daughter.
My attention lingers on them, not out of interest in Cora, but because I notice Sadie’s gaze fixed on the scene.
Very interesting.
I lean down, my lips brushing against Sadie’s ear. “Captivated by them, little butterfly? I didn’t take you for a voyeur.”
Her quick intake of breath tells me everything I need to know. I can see her mind working and analyzing her own physiological response, trying to rationalize the heat flooding her body at the sight of Cora surrounded by her hunters.
I trace my fingertips along Sadie’s spine as she trembles on my lap, still impaled on my cock. Her inner walls continue to pulse around me, milking every last drop I’ve pumped into her throughout the feast. The knowledge that my seed is marking her from the inside feeds the dark beast within.
“Such a good girl,” I murmur against her ear, giving a subtle upward thrust that makes her gasp. “Sitting here so pretty while you’re filled with my cum.”
She squirms, trying to maintain her composure as Xavier continues to address the room. I slide my hand around to her stomach, pressing gently.
“I wonder how many times I’ve marked you during the feast? Two? Three? I’ve lost count.” I nip at her earlobe, feeling her clench around me again.
A server approaches our table and bows. “The women are requested to follow me to prepare for the claiming ceremony.”
I see Elliot rise from his seat across the room, his face impassive as always. He’ll accompany them as hunter turned prey.
“That’s your cue,” I whisper, lifting Sadie. I feel my release sliding out of her as I withdraw, coating her thighs. “But don’t clean up. I want you to feel me dripping down your legs while they prepare you.”
Her cheeks flush crimson as I help her to her feet. She wobbles, her legs unsteady after hours on my lap.
“Go,” I command, giving her ass a light smack. “The orgy room awaits us for the claiming.”
Sadie’s eyes widen, concern flashing across her face.
The look is unmistakable—apprehension about being claimed for an entire year.
I deliberately ignore her expression, turning away as if I hadn’t noticed.
Her concerns are irrelevant. The Hollow’s Hunt merely formalized what I already knew from the moment I first set eyes on her.
I’ve never claimed prey for the full year before. Never found one worthy of keeping beyond the obligatory week of pleasure. Most women bore me quickly—their minds too simple, their bodies too eager to please, their spirits too easily broken.
Monica was different, though not in the way Sadie is.
I didn’t formally claim Monica beyond the initial week, but I couldn’t let her go.
Her resistance fascinated me—her stubborn refusal to fully submit.
I became obsessed with breaking her, not from connection but from curiosity.
How much pressure could she take before cracking?
What method would finally shatter her will?
Unfortunately, Xavier stepped in then, relocating her to some distant location where she could rebuild her life away from me, and I never learned the answer.
But with Sadie... everything is different. My obsession isn’t about breaking her but possessing her—mind, body, and that brilliant analytical brain that first drew me in. The care I’ve developed for her surprises me. I want to own her, yes, but I also want to watch her flourish under my authority.
I catch Xavier’s knowing look from across the room. Perhaps he’s remembering Monica, too. But Sadie isn’t Monica. My intentions are nothing like before.
We all stand and gather in the orgy room. There isn’t a single remnant of the earlier debauchery that took place in the chamber. The linens, pillows, and accessories have been replaced with fresh ones. The scent of sweat and sex—gone.
I adjust my white mask, making sure it sits perfectly against my face while we wait for the women to return from their preparations.
Vane stalks around the room like a caged animal, his green mask in place. He pauses near me, cocking his head to one side.
“Well, look at you,” he says, voice dripping with mockery. “I’ve never seen you be so fucking tame with a woman before.”
I ignore him, focusing instead on checking the restraints built into the central dais where I’ll claim Sadie.
“Seriously, brother,” Vane continues, unwilling to let it go. “Where’s all the blood? You’re usually painting the walls red by now.”
My jaw clenches tight enough to crack teeth.
He’s right, of course. The women I’ve hunted before have always left wearing my marks—serious bite wounds, knife wounds, bruises that bloomed like violets across their skin.
I’ve always taken pleasure in drawing blood, in watching it bead across flesh I’ve claimed.
“Did she domesticate you already? Turn the monster into a house pet?” Vane prods, circling me now. “I had my prey suspended from the ceiling for hours. What did you do with yours? Read her bedtime stories?”
“Fuck off,” I growl.
His observation unsettles me because it’s true.
With Sadie, the urge to mark her violently didn’t surface.
I’ve left bruises, yes, and bites, but nothing like the damage I typically inflict.
My usual desire to see crimson rivulets streaming down pale skin simply didn’t manifest. Instead, I wanted to consume her in other ways—to possess her mind as thoroughly as her body.
Knox chuckles from where he’s lounging on a nearby chaise. “Leave him alone, Vane. Maybe he’s evolving.”
“Or devolving,” Vane counters.
I turn away from them both, unwilling to examine this change too closely. Evolution or weakness—either possibility disturbs me.
I clench my fists at my sides, restraining the impulse to grab Vane by the throat.
My brothers have always known exactly which buttons to push, and right now, he’s pressing all of them.
The rage builds inside me like a pressure cooker, threatening to explode in a display of violence that would leave even Vane reconsidering his taunts.
“What’s wrong, Landon?” Vane continues. “Did your little butterfly rub off on you? Turn the big bad wolf into a—”
“Enough.” Xavier’s voice cuts through the room like a blade. He steps between us, his red mask hiding his mouth but not the authority in his tone. “Both of you, shut the fuck up.”
Vane bristles, never one to back down easily. “I’m just making observations, X. Our brother seems to have lost his edge.”
Xavier turns to face Vane fully, his posture shifting subtly. “I said enough. The ceremony begins in ten minutes. Save your energy for your prey instead of trying to provoke our brother.”
“But—”
“Did I stutter?” Xavier’s voice drops an octave, the tone he reserves for when his orders are non-negotiable. “Back off, Vane.”
To my surprise, Xavier then positions himself in front of me, a subtle but clear signal to our brothers. He’s taking my side, creating a barrier between me and Vane’s provocations.
“Landon handles his prey his way,” Xavier states. “As we all do. That’s the point of the Hunt.”
What surprises me most is that Xavier seems to understand exactly what’s happening inside me—the violence I’m barely containing, the storm brewing beneath my skin. It’s as if he can sense the murderous impulses flowing through my veins, the dark urges that Vane’s taunting has stirred to life.
Knox wisely retreats further into his corner, recognizing the dangerous tension building in the room. Vane holds Xavier’s gaze for several seconds before backing away with a dismissive shrug.
“Whatever you say, X. Just trying to have some fun.”
I watch Vane retreat, my hands balled into fists so tight my nails cut half-moons into my palms. The pain keeps me grounded when what I really want is to wrap my fingers around his throat and squeeze until the light fades from his eyes.
This isn’t the first time I’ve wanted to kill one of my brothers, but I sure as hell feel close to snapping. Vane’s taunts cut deeper than usual—perhaps because he’s touched on a truth I’m not ready to face.
Tonight, the violence churning inside me feels less disciplined than usual. The careful compartmentalization I’ve maintained my entire life is breaking down. I attribute this disruption to Sadie—her presence in my mind has altered a fundamental part of me.
I take a deep breath, uncurling my fingers. Not here. Not now. The Hunt has rules, and killing my brother would certainly violate them. Besides, what truly matters is still ahead—the claiming ceremony and Sadie.