Chapter Twenty Seven
PAIGE
It was cold outside in the forest, the frosty February air raising goosebumps along my arms and I rubbed my hands over my arms, staring out into the vast wilderness. Anticipation bubbled in my veins and I took a few steps forward, then smiled, and turned, heading back towards the folly. Skirting silently around the outside, I found a place that couldn’t be seen easily from the front of the clubhouse, or from the car park set further back in the trees. I smiled at my cleverness, sitting down in the shadows behind one of the columns, and leaning back against the cold wall as I waited for the Hunt to begin.
After what seemed like hours had passed, I heard a noise from the front of the folly. I crept forward to a place where an evergreen shrub had grown up next to the building, its long foliage concealing me as I peered through, watching the Reapers file out into the clearing. I crouched low, feeling the damp earth seep through my white trainers, the scent of pine and wet soil filling my nostrils.
Shadows moved. Figures shrouded in darkness, gliding between the trees like spectres. Reapers. They were leaving. I counted them as they disappeared into the darkness. Thirty-seven, just like Bast had said. The last three to leave, I guessed, were Hades and his DeathKnights. I was about to straighten up, when another Reaper darted out into the trees, a little way beyond the others. Hmm, thirty-eight Reapers. Maybe I had miscounted. I gave him a few minutes to get far enough away, then stood up and stretched.
I wandered around the folly, looking longingly at the doorway that led down into warmth, but I guessed that would be breaking the rules. I waited a little longer, until I could no longer hear snapping twigs or cursing, and then headed into the woods, choosing the direction I thought I’d seen Bast take. I crept forward, my steps quiet on the damp earth. The night wrapped around me like a shroud, and my eyes strained for any sign, any trace of where Bast had gone. I found a path and began to follow it.
A twig snapped under my foot and I froze, cursing my carelessness.
“Get it together, Paige,” I muttered. My pulse thrummed in my ears, louder than the sounds of the night.
Branches reached out like skeletal fingers, trying to ensnare me. I ducked, wove between them, my focus solely on the path ahead.
After a while, the path opened up into a clearing, where the ruins of another much older folly stood. The stone walls only reached to my height, the roof long since collapsed, and I picked my way carefully through the boulders, being careful not to trip.
“Where are you, Bast?” I breathed, scanning the darkness.
A figure shifted to my left, a darker patch against the dark with a grinning skull at its head. I spun around to run but I was too late. Strong arms wrapped around me, a hand slapped over my mouth. Panic surged, hot and wild.
“Shhh.” The voice was a rough whisper against my ear.
My mind screamed, but my body stilled. It was him. It had to be. He’d swore no one else would touch me, and Nate and Tristan had gone off in the opposite direction.
His grip was iron; his presence, a storm. Fear mingled with something else—a thrill that raced through my veins. Desire. This was reckless. Dangerous. And I couldn”t deny the dark allure that pulsed between us, even now, when every instinct told me to fight, to flee.
His hand slid down my body, cupping my breast, and I sighed, melting back against him. His touch was rough, demanding. He squeezed my breast, rubbing it hard, and it sent a hot wave of anticipation coursing through me. His other hand didn’t move, staying clamped over my mouth. He wanted to keep me quiet.
Reaching down, he pulled at my skirt, yanking it up, before sliding his hand between my legs. He grunted, pressing his hard cock against me from behind, and I whimpered as his fingers brushed lightly over my folds before dipping inside. I was already wet and ready, my body responding to this dark demand with an eagerness that frightened me. He was in a rush, shoving three fingers inside me, forcing me open for him. I cried out against his hand at the unexpected pain. I turned my head to look at him, and for a moment, I got a glimpse of blonde curls falling forward from under his hood. I relaxed a little. Tristan. He was being rougher with me than normal, but maybe he was just trying to be quick before the others showed up. I was more than fine with quick and dirty.
Pushing me forward, his hand still over my mouth, he guided me quickly to a lower part of the wall and pushed me down over it. His fingers pumped in and out of me, desperate and driven. I closed my eyes, feeling the cool night air on my exposed skin. I bit my lip, trying to stifle the noises that wanted to escape. There was a rustle behind me, some kind of wrapper. Was Tristan using a condom? He never had before. I felt his hard length pressing against my entrance. I tensed, preparing myself for the invasion.
A rustle came from the trees, and snatches of voices. Tristan froze, then pulled away, releasing me. I pulled my dress back down and turned around, but he was already gone, leaving me decidedly unfulfilled.
I slipped out of the ruins, running away from the voices, but a figure appeared on the path in front of me, and I pulled up short. He looked down on me, even his mask was hard to make out in the dark night. I panted as he reached out and ran warm fingers down the side of my face.
“Persephone…” he said, his voice low and rough. Bast. “The night isn’t over yet. Run.”
I did, turning and diving into the trees, my heart racing. He waited for a few minutes, and then I could hear the thud of his boots as he began to chase me through the trees. The cold left me, as my blood flowed through my veins and I darted through the trees. Another figure appeared, another skull, grinning at me from the shadows and I veered away from him. Another two came out of the trees, and I dodged them, still hearing Bast’s heavy boots behind me.
My heart hammered in my chest, and I gasped for breath as I ran through the dark forest. The branches of trees whipped against my skin, leaves crunching under my feet as I pushed myself to run faster and faster. My pursuers were hot on my heels, their low growls echoing through the night air.
But despite the fear that coursed through me, there was another feeling pulsing in my veins – desire. The thought of being chased by him, of what he would do to me when he caught me, sent shivers of anticipation down my spine.
I couldn’t slow down though. That would ruin the game he wanted to play. He craved a challenge, and I was determined to give it to him.
My mind was distracted, even as I dodged and veered through the trees, and suddenly a dark void opened up in front of me and I skidded to a halt, grabbing onto a tree to stop me from pitching over the edge. What looked like a rather deep and rocky gorge lay before me, cutting off my escape. Footsteps came from behind me, and gasping for breath, I turned and ran along the top, moving further from the edge, but following along to find where it ended and I could get past.
Nate had put me through my paces over the last few months, but I was tiring now, and I knew I was getting slower. The heavy footsteps got closer and closer, and then he reached out and grabbed me. I struggled to get away, but he pulled me to the ground under him, forcing himself between my legs and pinning me down.
I gasped for breath, fighting to get up, but he pinned my hands to the ground, and ground his hips against me.
“Mine,” he growled. He took both of my wrists in one hand, and pulled off his mask. Bast’s dark eyes glittered down at me from the shadows, and his eyes trailed over my body, my breasts rising and falling rapidly as I fought to get my breath back. He bent down, capturing a nipple through the silk and sucked hard.
I moaned under him, my back arching. The knowledge he was chasing me, hunting me down had me already desperate for him. He let go of my hands, and shifted, dragging my dress up to my waist. His hands forced my legs apart and with a primal sound of triumph in his throat. His mouth found my pussy, devouring me like a starving man.
His hands gripped my thighs, holding me in place even as I squirmed beneath his mouth, and his tongue slid inside me. I cried out, arching off the ground, gasping for breath as my body convulsed under him. He slid one hand up my stomach, fingers finding a nipple and pinching brutally hard even as his tongue lashed against my clit.
“So fucking wet,” he murmured against me. “I want to lap it all up. I knew you’d love this. Dirty little whore.”
His lips fastened around my clit and I moaned, my hands sliding through his hair as I pulled him against me. He lapped at me relentlessly, tongue tracing wicked patterns across my sensitive flesh until I was panting and clawing at the ground. The delicious sensation of his tongue circling my clit was heightened by the danger of being found. I twisted beneath him, fingers gripping the fallen leaves beneath me as he alternated between gentle teasing and intense sucking. His hair brushed against my thighs as he quickened his pace, responding to my body”s reactions.
“My little slut just loves being eaten out, doesn”t she?” He growled, his voice low and dangerous, the vibrations causing me to shudder and pull him closer. I knew I was near, my body aching to release.
He drove me closer and closer to the edge, his tongue thrusting into me, mimicking what I knew would come next. I moaned and whimpered, my body writhing under his relentless assault as he continued to pleasure me.
“Come for me, Persephone.”
His words were like a trigger and I exploded beneath him, my mind going blank as waves of pleasure rolled over me.
“Bast,” I gasped out, my body shuddering beneath him. My hips bucked under his onslaught and I cried out, caught in the exquisite torment. He didn”t give me any time to recover. He lapped at me, his tongue flicking over my clit faster and faster until I was writhing on the forest floor.
“Dirty whore,” he murmured against my pussy. “Give me more. I need more.”
His finger slid inside me, curling upwards and I arched my back, my voice crying out into the night, no longer caring if anyone heard. A second finger joined it, and I gasped.
“You”re so responsive,” he murmured, fingering me harder, his lips moving over my clit. “Is this what you need, Persephone? To be used like this? To be hunted, and pinned down by me?”
I nodded, whimpering under him.
“Such a bad little girl,” he muttered, nipping along the inside of my thigh with his teeth. His hand was relentless, fingers pumping in and out of me as my body tightened around him.
“Bast,” I moaned, desperately trying to push myself onto his fingers. He chuckled darkly and relented, thrusting his fingers into me faster and faster until I was crying out beneath him. My hands dug into the fallen leaves underneath us as I moved against him, chasing the climax that was slowly building within me.
His mouth moved up, capturing my clit between his lips as he flicked his tongue over it rapidly. The sudden sensation had me bucking underneath him, another wave of pleasure washing over me. I groaned, my head falling back against the ground as he continued to eat me out.
“F-fuck…” I gasped out, the tension ricocheting through me making it difficult to think or speak coherently. I felt like a puppet on strings, Bast pulling each one to make me dance for him. Unable to control myself, I writhed beneath him, my body reacting to his touch in ways that left me breathless.
“So wet for me, little slut being hunted by all these men turns you on, doesn’t it?”
“Yes!”
“Such a needy little cunt. You’ll take whatever I give you, won’t you?”
“Please, Bast, please…”
He sucked hard on my clit, pushing a third finger inside me. His fingers curled inside me, hitting that perfect spot and I fell apart. The noises I was making were obscene but I couldn’t stop them. Pleasure ripped through me as his tongue lapped up my release, and he groaned.
“I love the taste of you,” He growled, his voice muffled by my flesh. “I can”t get enough. I want to eat this pussy every damn day.”
“Bast,” I whimpered, collapsing back onto the ground as he finally pulled his head away. He knelt up between my legs, and slid his fingers out of me, licking them clean as he looked down at me, spent and gasping on the cold hard ground.
“Beautiful,” he said, his voice warm. “But now I’ve caught you, and now you have to pay the price of your escape, Persephone.”
He got to his feet, and helped me up. To my surprise, he slid his hands underneath me, lifting me in his arms as if I weighed nothing. Turning away from the ravine, he set off through the trees. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips and against his neck and he smiled down at me.
“You’re doing so well, Paige,” he said quietly. “This is the last trial, but I know you’ll make me proud. Just remember, this trial is about your complete submission to me.”
I nodded. “Where are we going?” I was tired, but my body was wired, and anticipation was building, running through my veins like the fizz of champagne.
“Not much further,” he said. “My Reapers steered you pretty well.”
I snuggled into his chest and closed my eyes, enjoying his warmth, until finally I felt him stop.
“Persephone has been found,” he said loudly, and there was a cheer. I opened my eyes and looked round, my heart jumping as I looked around the clearing.
Candles surrounded the space, throwing golden light up onto the surrounding trees making them look like columns. The Reapers stood in a circle, the candles lighting up their masks. A sea of skulls that all turned towards us as Bast moved into the circle. One stood head and shoulders above the others, and I knew it was Nate immediately, but I couldn’t pick Tristan out at all. Bast walked around the circle until they parted in front of a large tree. Bast set me gently on my feet, then cupped my face with his hands, his thumbs brushing over the filagree of my mask, and looked down at me.
“Persephone, you tried to run, and now you will be punished. Beg for my mercy, and I may be lenient.”
I bit my lip, looking up at him, remembering what he’d told me about submission. I stepped back, out of his hold and dropped to my knees in front of him, bowing my head.
“I beg for your mercy, Hades, Lord of the Underworld. I offer my complete surrender and submission to you.”
“I accept your surrender, Persephone. Now demonstrate your submission. Rise.”
I did, keeping my head bowed. My heart raced as he paused for effect.
“Turn and face the Reapers.”
I did, lifting my head as I stared at the masked men surrounding me. Bast stepped up behind me, and in one move, tore my dress down the front, letting the silky white fabric flutter softly to the ground. The Reapers roared with approval as I stood naked before them, exposed and vulnerable. I could feel their eyes burning into my skin as they drank in every inch of my body.
“Persephone,” said Bast from behind me. “Turn and place your hands on the tree above your head.”
I took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face him. With shaking hands, I reached up, setting my palms together against the rough trunk. The Reapers were silent now as they waited for what would come next.
Bast moved closer, his presence a dark force pressing against my back. I felt a sudden rush of cold as his body barely brushed against mine, sending chills up my spine. His hand brushed my hair away from my neck, leaving it bare. He leaned in closer, and I could feel his breath whispering across my skin.
“Persephone,” he murmured, his voice low and laced with danger. “You’ll be punished for your disobedience. For daring to escape. Twenty lashes. Spread your legs.”
I swallowed hard, but did as he said. A ripple of excitement swept through the Reapers watching. Their eyes were on me, waiting, watching, hungry for what was about to happen. I could feel the heat of their gazes as much as the cool night air brushing against my bare skin.
The first strike of the flogger came without warning, sharp and quick across my exposed backside. A gasp sprang from my lips, half pain and half pleasure. I heard Bast take a breath behind me before another lash fell, harsher this time. And then again, the crack of leather against skin, the surge of pain quickly followed by the bloom of strange pleasure. Bast”s whip was unyielding, showing no mercy.
“Such a good girl,” he whispered after the fifth strike. “Taking your punishment so well.”
The crowd roared with approval around us as each lash fell upon my bare back. The sound was deafening but it was drowned out by the rushing in my ears. I could feel myself getting wetter with each lash, a sensation that confused and excited me all at once.
Bast moved closer, pulling my hair to one side as he leaned in to murmur into my ear.
“Your skin looks so pretty with these marks. I bet Nate is hard as hell watching you.” I moaned as he ran the handle of the whip down my spine, making me shiver. “I can see your wetness glistening on your thighs, Paige. Does this turn you on? Being displayed for all to see?”
I nodded, and he stepped away again, bringing the whip down over my back. I cried out in pain, my fingers digging into the bark of the tree. The pain was intense, but the anticipation was worse. Each lash brought stinging agony, swiftly replaced by a blossoming pleasure, a sweet release that made my knees weak and my core ache with want. My body was reacting in ways I could barely comprehend - my arousal evident to all who watched.
Each crack of the whip was met with cheers of approval from the crowd, their excitement feeding into my own. I could barely hear anything over the rush of blood in my ears, but then all my senses heightened. The pungent scent of burning candles mixed with the earthy smell of the forest filled my nostrils. I became acutely aware of every rustle in the leaves, every whisper in the wind. Despite the pain, or maybe because of it, I felt alive.
His whip fell again and again - sharp, merciless strikes that sent shocks of lightning through my body.
I had lost count, my thoughts swirling in a mix of intense pain and pleasure. The final lash hit harder than all the others and I screamed as white-hot pain seared through me. By the time he landed the last lash on my skin, I was gasping for breath and shaking with pent up desire. My head spun as I leaned against the tree for support. My body felt like jelly but I had never felt more alive. I could sense Bast”s presence behind me as he ran the handle down the stinging skin of my back.
“Look at you,” he whispered against my ear. “So beautiful with those stripes upon your back.” The handle continued down between my ass cheeks and I gasped as Bast pushed the handle inside me.
My body arched into the tree at the sudden breach, my head falling back onto Bast’s shoulder. His other hand came around to splay across my stomach, holding me in place as he moved the handle of the whip in and out of me. Each movement sent fresh waves of pleasure through me, merging with the pain that was still echoing through my body. He kept his movements slow and deliberate, stretching me open further with each thrust.
“Fuck that’s hot,” muttered one of the Reapers, a voice I didn’t recognise.
“She’s so fucking wet,” said another.
I blushed at their words, but I didn”t move, my palms still flat against the tree as Bast continued to violate me before the eager crowd. I was a plaything, an object of desire, my pain and their pleasure. And I couldn’t help the thrill that ran through me at their twisted admiration. The rawness of the moment, the thrill of being exposed, was addictive. Every nerve in my body was on fire, hyper aware of every single sensation. Bast”s hot breath against my ear, his strong grip on my body... all of it served to heighten my arousal. The cheers and catcalls from the Reapers watching only added to the thrill.
His hand slid down from my stomach and dipped between my thighs, his fingers finding my clit. I moaned as he played with me, his touch skilful and sure. He knew exactly where and how to tease me, to make me squirm with need. His fingers found my sensitive nub, rubbing it in small circles that matched the rhythm of his thrusts.
My pussy clenched around the handle of the whip as an orgasm began to build within me, and I whimpered.
“Cry out for them, Persephone,” Bast growled, his voice grating against my earlobe. “Show them how much you love this.”
My breath hitched as my climax neared, the coil in my belly tightening. I jerked in his hold and moaned loudly as his pace quickened, fucking me harder with the whip.
“Hell, yes, fuck that pussy!” called a voice behind me.
“Harder, fuck her harder,” called another.
I moaned, feeling my pussy grow wetter as their shouts became more suggestive.
Their vulgar commands only fuelled my own arousal. I bit my lip to hold back a cry of pleasure as Bast’s fingers worked my clit, his movements expertly teasing out the mounting orgasm within me. The whip moved faster inside me, matching the rhythm of his fingertips. Heat pooled at my core, and I knew I was dancing on the edge.
“Beg for it,” Bast whispered in my ear and a shiver ran down my spine.
I moaned louder, not caring who heard or what they thought. “Please, Bast…”
“Louder!” He demanded, his voice steady despite the frenzy he was creating within me. “Show them how much you like being fucked by me.”
“Please!” I cried out, louder this time. My whole body was shaking with need now. The coil within me tightened even more, wound to a near unbearable tension. I was teetering on the edge, so close that I could almost taste the sweet release just beyond my reach.
“Scream for them, Persephone,” Bast commanded.
I shattered. The coil snapped, sending waves of intense pleasure crashing through me. A scream ripped from my throat as my world exploded into a series of bright colours and sensations too overwhelming to put into words. My body jerked uncontrollably as I clenched around the whip handle, wave after wave of pleasure radiating from my core. Bast held me up, his arm secured around my waist as I collapsed back against him.
Jeers and whistles echoed around the grove as the rest of the Reapers applauded, their voices a cacophony of excited laughter and vulgar compliments. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath, my body still trembling with aftershocks.
Bast pulled out the whip handle slowly, causing me to gasp at the sudden emptiness, turning me around to face him. I leaned against the tree, shaking as Bast leaned in close to kiss me.
His mouth on mine was a brand, searing and unyielding. He tasted like brandy and something darker, more dangerous. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were burning with desire.
“You look stunning,” he murmured, his gaze raking over me appreciatively.
Underneath any other circumstance I would have been mortified at being so exposed, but right now I felt invincible.
Bast turned away from me then to address the others. “Persephone has shown us her strength tonight,” he announced. “She took her punishment and she has earned her place as Queen of the Underworld.”
A cheer erupted through the crowd, and one of the Reapers came forward, carrying something. Bast tugged me up till I was standing, though my legs still shook, and the Reaper held up a sheer black gown.
“Turn,” he ordered and I felt warm at the sound of Tristan’s voice. I did as he said, letting him slip the sleeves up my arms, and then turning back so he could do up the ties on the front. The fabric was soft and silky, and covered more than the white dress had with a dark lace pattern that swirled through it. Tristan moved away, and Bast stepped in front of me. In his hands lay a twisted black crown with crystal and rubies set in it. He lifted it up and placed it on my head gently, before stepping to my side and taking my hand.
“Hail, Persephone. Queen of the Underworld,” he announced.
“Hail to the Queen,” came the shout around the circle and I watched in amazement as every man there dropped to his knees, bowing his head. I looked at Bast in confusion, but he simply smiled, and knelt in front of me, looking up at me. Pride shone from his eyes and my breath caught in my throat.
“Hail, Persephone,” he said with a smile.