EPILOGUE
RYDER
Ican’t stop grinning at the news headline on my phone: “Mayor William Pike Denied Bail, Awaits Trial on Multiple Charges.” The accompanying photo shows him being led away in handcuffs.
I look up from my phone to find Cora sitting quietly on the sectional, staring out the window at the city skyline. Despite our victory, there’s something subdued about her. I slide next to her, my hand finding hers.
“You okay, princess?” I ask, my thumb tracing circles on her palm.
She turns to me with a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, I am. It’s just... surreal. Twenty-three years of living under his control, and now he’s the one locked up.”
I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I know.” She shifts to face me, her expression brightening slightly. “I was thinking we should celebrate. Do something special.”
“Whatever you want,” I tell her. “Dom mentioned that new restaurant on the waterfront, or we could—”
“Actually,” she interrupts, her fingers trailing up my arm, “I was thinking about something else. Something we haven’t done yet.”
My brows furrow in confusion.
“We haven’t given you your fantasy yet,” she says softly. “The one in the woods.”
My body tenses immediately. Fuck. I remember the night I’d told them—drunk on post-sex endorphins—about wanting to be hunted through the forest by the three of them. How I’d described them tracking me down, capturing me, and taking their time dominating me completely.
I swallow hard, caught between embarrassment and arousal at the memory.
“Is that something you’re still up for?” Cora asks.
My pulse quickens. I hadn’t expected any of them to bring it up again, let alone suggest actually doing it. But fuck, the thought of them hunting me through the woods, the three people I love tracking me down like prey...
“Yeah,” I admit, my voice rougher than I intended. “I still want that.”
Cora’s lips curve into a smile that’s equal parts sweet and wicked. “Then it’s settled.”
Dom and Liam walk in just as she says that, both still in their suits, Dom loosening his tie while Liam sets his briefcase on the counter.
“What’s settled?” Dom asks, eyeing us with curiosity as he makes his way to the kitchen.
Cora turns, still holding my hand. “Ryder’s fantasy. The one about us hunting him in the woods. I think we should do it this weekend. We all need a break after everything with my father.”
Liam raises an eyebrow, and Christ, the look he gives me makes my stomach flip. “Is that right?” he says, moving closer. “Our boy wants to be chased down and caught?”
Dom’s expression shifts from neutral to intensely interested. “My cabin upstate would be perfect. No neighbors for miles.”
“Would you want us to wear masks?” Liam asks, his fingers brushing along my jaw. “Like in the Hunt?”
I nod, throat suddenly dry. “Yeah. Masks. Cora, too.” I look at her, something possessive flaring through me despite my submissive fantasy. “You can wear mine.”
“Safe word?” Cora asks.
I bite my lip. “Same as yours, makes it easy. Midnight.”
“Let’s head there now,” Dom says, his voice dropping to that commanding tone that makes my skin tingle. “It’s Friday afternoon. We can beat traffic if we leave within the hour.”
“Now?” My heart rate kicks up a notch. “Like, right now?”
Liam’s grin is wolfish as he loosens his tie completely. “What’s wrong, Ryder? Getting cold feet?”
“Fuck no,” I say, standing up from the couch. “Just didn’t expect it to happen so fast.”
“Why wait?” Cora slides her hand into mine. “We’ve earned this after everything with my father. And frankly, watching you squirm with anticipation is delicious.”
I’m already hard thinking about it—being hunted through the woods by them, captured, dominated. My mouth goes dry as Dom steps closer, his hand gripping the back of my neck.
“Pack light,” he instructs, his thumb pressing against my pulse point. “I doubt any of us will need much clothing this weekend.”
We scatter to our respective rooms, and I throw essentials into my duffel bag with trembling hands. Toothbrush, two changes of clothes, running shoes I can move fast in. I hesitate before adding lube—will they want me to bring supplies, or is that part of their planning?
Fuck it. I toss them in anyway.
When I step into the hallway, Liam is already waiting, scrolling through his phone. He glances up, those blue eyes seeing right through me.
“Nervous?” he asks softly.
“Excited,” I correct him, though it’s both. My stomach is a knot of anticipation, my skin electric with awareness.
Dom emerges from his room with a large, sleek, black travel case. When he catches me staring, he winks but offers no explanation. I sense it’s filled with things to make my fantasy all the more exciting, as he has a duffel bag too.
Cora is the last to join us, her overnight bag slung over her shoulder. She’s changed into jeans and a light sweater, perfect for the woods.
“Ready?” Dom asks, keys already in hand.
We load into his Range Rover, bags in the back, anticipation thick in the air between us.
As we pull away from the penthouse, the city falling behind us, I can’t help but think I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.
The drive to Dom’s cabin takes just under two hours, winding through increasingly remote roads until we pull up to a stunning modern structure nestled among towering pines.
Despite my growing arousal, we spend the afternoon like any normal weekend getaway—unpacking, exploring the cabin, Liam and Cora preparing dinner while Dom builds a fire.
But the undercurrent of anticipation never leaves. Every time any of our eyes meet across the room, I see the predatory glint that tells me they’re ready to chase me.
As darkness falls, we finish the last of our wine on the back deck. The forest stretches endlessly behind the cabin, a sea of shadows and moonlit trees. My heart hammers against my ribs, cock already half-hard just thinking about what’s coming.
Cora sets her glass down with purpose. “I think it’s time,” she says, her voice sending a shiver down my spine.
Dom nods, disappearing into the cabin before returning with the three masks. In his other hand is a flashlight.
“Ten minutes,” Liam explains, checking his watch. “That’s your head start. The rules are simple—you run, we hunt.”
“And when we catch you...” Dom trails off, his meaning clear from the way his eyes darken.
I swallow hard, my mouth dry. “And if I evade you all night?”
Cora laughs, slipping on my mask. “Then you don’t get what you really want, do you?”
She’s right. As much as I want the chase, what I truly crave is the capture—being tracked down and claimed by the three people I love most.
Dom hands me the flashlight. “Ten minutes start now.”
I don’t hesitate. Adrenaline already surging, I bolt into the tree line, the beam of light bouncing wildly as I navigate between trunks and over fallen branches. The forest floor is soft beneath my sneakers, years of pine needles cushioning my steps.
My breath comes in excited gasps as I push deeper into the woods, deliberately leaving occasional signs—a broken twig here, a footprint there. I want them to find me, but not too easily.
God, I’m so turned on I can barely think straight. My cock strains against my pants with each step, the thrill of being prey to them making me dizzy with desire.
My phone vibrates in my pocket—the ten-minute alarm. My head start is over.
They’re coming.
I pause behind a massive oak, heart hammering as I silence the alert. The forest feels different now that I’m being hunted. Every shadow stretches like a predator; every rustle of leaves makes me flinch.
Fuck. My cock throbs painfully.
I click off the flashlight, relying instead on patches of moonlight filtering through the canopy. Moving deeper into the woods, I keep my footfalls as silent as possible, pausing occasionally to listen for pursuit. The night air fills my lungs—crisp, pine-scented, and charged with anticipation.
Time stretches oddly when you’re being hunted.
What feels like hours is probably just minutes.
I check my phone—twenty-five minutes since they started tracking me.
I’ve made it this far. Part of me wants to keep running forever, prolonging this exquisite tension.
The other part aches to be caught, pinned down, and claimed.
I duck under a low-hanging branch, angling toward what looks like a small clearing ahead.
Then I hear it—the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping somewhere to my left.
I freeze, every muscle tense, ears straining to catch any hint of movement. Nothing for several heartbeats, then:
“I can smell your cologne, Ryder.” Dom’s voice cuts through the darkness. He sounds closer than I expected.
“Thirty minutes of chase is impressive,” he continues, his voice moving, circling. “But we’re going to catch you soon enough. And when we do...” A pause, heavy with promise. “We’re going to absolutely destroy you.”
My breath catches. My cock leaks in my pants.
I press my back against a tree, heart hammering as Dom’s words echo through the darkened forest. My fingertips dig into rough bark, anchoring me as desire threatens to overwhelm my senses.
“Oh, sweet boy,” Cora’s voice drifts through the darkness from a different direction. “When we find you, we’re going to tie you up so tight you won’t be able to move. Just helpless for us.”
Fuck. I bite my lip to keep from moaning aloud, giving away my position.
“We’ve got rope,” she continues. “And leather restraints. We’re going to bind your wrists above your head to a tree, spread your legs wide open, and take our time with you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, my breathing ragged. Precum leaks, soaking through my underwear as I picture exactly what she’s describing. The thought of being completely restrained, at their mercy, exposed and vulnerable while the three of them take their pleasure—it’s almost too much.