Chapter 23 Dominic
DOMINIC
Cora feels impossibly light in my lap, her body slumped against my chest. After the feast ends, I’m thankful that this is almost over, even if I don’t want to be parted from Cora for twenty-four hours.
The weight of what we’ve done presses down on me with every shallow breath she takes.
Her father’s face when he saw her—saw us—keeps flashing through my mind. The perfect revenge.
So why does victory taste so fucking bitter?
I adjust her, trying to make her more comfortable without disturbing her. Her skin is cool to the touch despite the room’s warmth. I reach for a velvet throw draped over a nearby chair and wrap it around her shoulders.
Across the ceremonial chamber, the Dexter twins stand with their prey—a slender woman with dark hair who looks equal parts terrified and fascinated by the brothers flanking her.
Ace’s calculating gaze sweeps the room while Cyrus grins wickedly beside him, his hand possessively gripping the woman’s hip.
Their matching black and yellow masks hang from their belts now that the feast has concluded.
The Dexter twins finish claiming their prey on the platform and help her off. She looks exhausted, like Cora, but those two are far more fucked in the head than we are. It means it’s our turn now.
Cora stirs in my arms, her eyes fluttering open briefly before closing again. Each time she looks at me now, I see the betrayal fresh in her gaze.
I glance at Liam and Ryder, finding my own conflict mirrored in their expressions. We’ve won our revenge against Pike, but the cost feels steeper than I anticipated.
With a decision crystallizing in my mind, I gather Cora more securely in my arms and stand. Her head lolls against my shoulder, too tired to even lift it.
“Dominic Vega, Liam Hayes, and Ryder Caldwell,” I announce formally, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my chest. “We claim Cora Pike for the full year term. Together.”
Xavier raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. It’s unusual but not unprecedented for multiple hunters to share a claim.
Looking down at Cora’s exhausted form, I know we need to go easy on her. We’ve put her through enough.
I lead the way toward the raised dais at the center of the chamber.
“It’s time,” I tell Ryder and Liam. My voice sounds distant to my own ears, all business despite the weight of Cora in my arms.
Cora’s breathing quickens. Her eyes open fully now, panic flashing across her features as she realizes what comes next.
“We have to claim you publicly,” I explain, setting her down gently on her feet. “It’s the final ritual.”
Her shoulders slump. “Just get it over with.”
I turn to Ryder. “Sit on the dais. She’ll ride you, facing you.”
Ryder nods and positions himself as instructed, his back against the ceremonial pillar. His eyes never leave Cora’s face, searching for something—forgiveness, perhaps.
“Liam, you’ll take her mouth.”
Liam moves to Cora’s side, his hand ghosting over her shoulder, not quite touching. The hesitation is uncharacteristic for him.
I reach for the ornate bottle of oil resting on the edge of the platform. The claiming oil is scented with jasmine and something darker. I pour a generous amount into my palm.
“I’ll prepare you,” I tell Cora quietly, kneeling behind her. “You’ve been through a lot. I’ll go slow.”
She doesn’t acknowledge me, but doesn’t resist as Ryder gently guides her onto his lap, her legs straddling him. His hands settle at her waist, steadying her as he enters her. A small gasp escapes her lips.
I work the oil between my fingers, warming it before I touch her. When I finally press against her ass, I’m careful. Each circle of my fingertips is deliberate, applying gentle pressure without pushing forward.
“Breathe,” I murmur, watching as Liam positions himself by Cora’s head.
I add more oil, working my finger slowly inside Cora, feeling her tense and then gradually relax as I prepare her body to take me.
Cora’s body trembles between us, her skin flushed despite everything that’s happened.
The orgy room has emptied of spectators—only hunters and their claimed prey remain for this final ritual.
The air feels heavy with sweat and desire, illuminated by flickering candles that cast dancing shadows across bare skin.
“You’re doing so well,” I murmur, continuing to work my fingers inside her, stretching her carefully. Unlike the rough claiming rituals I’ve witnessed from other hunters tonight, we’re taking our time. After what we put her through at the feast, she deserves gentleness.
Cora’s eyes flutter closed as she rocks on Ryder’s lap, her body accepting him. Liam stands before her, his cock sliding between her lips as she takes him in her mouth. His fingers tangle gently in her hair, gently guiding.
“Are you ready for me?” I ask, adding more oil to my fingers.
She makes a small sound around Liam’s cock—not quite affirmation, not quite protest. I meet Ryder’s eyes over her shoulder. He gives me a slight nod, his hands steady on her hips.
“I’ll go slow,” I promise, positioning myself behind her.
I press against her entrance, feeling the resistance. The claiming oil makes my skin tingle as I push forward with exquisite care. Cora tenses, her back arching slightly, and I freeze.
“Breathe,” Ryder whispers to her, stroking her cheek. “Just breathe, baby.”
She inhales deeply through her nose, and as she exhales, I feel her body yield. I slide inside her inch by inch, feeling Ryder’s cock separated from mine by the thinnest barrier inside her body.
The sensation is overwhelming—tight heat enveloping me while I feel Ryder’s hardness pulsing. I grip Cora’s hips, steadying myself as much as her.
“Fuck,” I breathe, my forehead dropping to her shoulder as I seat myself fully inside her.
We begin to move together—a synchronized rhythm we’ve never practiced but somehow know instinctively. Liam’s pace matches ours, his breathing growing heavier as Cora takes him deeper.
In this moment, the claiming isn’t about possession or revenge. It’s about connection—a bridge between the four of us that none of us expected to build.
Cora starts moving with unexpected vigor, her body rolling between us in a rhythm that steals my breath. The resigned submission from moments ago vanishes, replaced by something hungry and desperate. Her hands grip Ryder’s shoulders for leverage as she drives herself down harder onto both of us.
“Fuck yes,” I growl. “Take us deeper.”
She moans around Liam’s cock, the vibration making him curse. His fingers tighten in her hair as she pulls back enough to speak.
“Harder,” she demands. “I want it harder.”
The command sends a surge of heat through my veins. I thrust forward, driving deeper inside her. The feeling of Ryder’s cock sliding against mine inside her tight heat nearly breaks my control.
“You like being filled by all of us, don’t you?” Liam pants, guiding himself back between her lips. “Such a greedy slut.”
Ryder’s hips snap upward, matching my pace. “God, you feel so fucking good around us.”
Cora whimpers, her body trembling as we find a punishing rhythm. She’s taking control even while being filled—a contradiction that drives me wild. Her inner muscles clench around us, drawing us deeper.
“That’s it,” I hiss, feeling pressure building at the base of my spine. “Take everything we give you. Gonna fill this perfect ass with cum,” I promise, my voice hoarse with need.
I feel her body tensing, the telltale tremors of her approaching climax rippling through her. Ryder groans, his movements becoming erratic.
“I’m close,” he warns, his fingers digging into Cora’s thighs.
Liam pulls back just enough to growl, “Swallow every fucking drop,” before pushing back into her mouth.
The sight of her stretched around all three of us sends me over the edge.
I bury myself to the hilt as my release tears through me, flooding her in hot pulses.
Ryder follows instantly, his cock jerking against mine.
Cora’s muffled cry vibrates around Liam as her orgasm hits, her body clenching violently around both Ryder and me.
Liam curses, his body going rigid as he finishes, his hand cradling the back of Cora’s head almost tenderly despite the filthy words still flowing from his lips.
As we remain joined, my breath gradually steadies. Something fundamental has shifted between us.
I catch Liam’s eye over Cora’s shoulder. The calculating coldness that normally resides there has softened. Even he feels it—this unexpected connection forged in the darkness of our worst intentions.
Ryder’s hand covers mine on Cora’s hip, his thumb tracing small circles on my skin. The casual intimacy between us men is as surprising as our feelings for her. Before the Hunt, we were acquaintances united by common grievances. Now we’re bound by something deeper.
My gaze drops to the bruises on Cora’s body—some from us, some from her father. We thought we were rescuing her from one monster while becoming monsters ourselves. The irony twists in my chest like a knife.
Her hair falls across my arm, silken and damp with sweat. I resist the urge to brush it back, to show tenderness after what we’ve done to her. Do I even have the right?
The ritual claiming is complete. She belongs to the three of us now, at least according to Purgatory’s rules. But the truth weighs heavily on my chest; we belong to her just as much.
The three of us surround her completely, our bodies forming a cage of flesh. Yet I’ve never felt less in control. We claimed her, but somehow, she’s claimed pieces of us, too.