5. Karolina
KAROLINA
Isprint away from Bones. The manicured grass is slightly springy beneath my sneakers, and the scent of woodland suffuses my senses. I can hear other “prey” running slightly behind me as we all make our way towards the trees.
The sun is fully setting behind the forest. Once I’m in, the shadows will conceal me.
And make a path harder to follow for me too.
I’m not at all familiar with this landscape, so I’ll have to be careful not to trip and fall. I’d rather not twist an ankle on this hunt. Very unsexy.
The vibrator torments me as I run, bumping against my g-spot in a throbbing rhythm. How does Bones know the perfect cadence to match my increasing heartbeat?
The man is a menace. Cruel. Devious.
And absolutely perfect.
I’ve never known a sweeter high than the one currently coursing through my veins, not even when I push myself to the limit on a long run.
Because this isn’t just any run. This is erotic. And dangerous in more ways than I’d like to admit.
We’re a perfect match.
I shake off the echo of Bones’ declaration. I don’t have to worry about emotional intimacy blossoming between us when he’s about to pin me in the dirt and ravage me. That will be a purely carnal act, and there’s no room for romance in our depravity.
I reach the tree line. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I don’t think my five minutes are up yet. I haven’t heard any indication that the hunters have been cued to start, and even the sounds of my fellow fleeing prey are falling behind my faster feet.
The shadows of the woods enfold me, and I’m forced to slow my pace to a jog.
My eyes strain to adjust, and it takes several precious seconds for the darkness around me to coalesce into midnight tree trunks that interrupt the navy-blue night.
I stick to the lighter spaces, dodging around the thickening trees.
Luckily, brambles don’t cling at my ankles, so I don’t have to worry about any minor injuries with my legs exposed by my knee-length dress.
The skirt swishes around me as I make my way deeper into the woods. The canopy above me is denser now, a dark cloud that blots out most of the rising moonlight.
A shotgun blasts far behind me, a sound that haunts my worst nightmares. True terror spikes through my chest, piercing my lungs so I can’t draw breath.
I stumble to a stop and clutch my hand over my racing heart.
It’s just the signal for the hunters, I reason.
The blast came from the direction of the gardens. No one is shooting blindly into the woods at night.
I close my eyes and draw in several deep breaths.
I’m not on the rotten estate where I was abused by my foster family. I’m not in that dilapidated stable.
Carter and Brandon aren’t here to threaten me.
They never will be.
“Safe,” I pant to myself. “I’m safe.”
Bones is only a shout away. I could call his name, and I know he’d come running straight to me.
I shake my head. I don’t need that kind of protection from him. I’m happy for him to keep the other hunters at bay, but I don’t need him to fight my own personal demons.
I can’t rely on him in that way. That’s not the nature of our relationship.
The vibrator increases its intensity, and it’s a merciful distraction. I take a moment to lean back against a tree and focus on sensory information to distract myself from my tangled thoughts.
The tree bark is rough against my shoulders. The woods smell damp and earthy. And the vibrations at my core keep my lust for Bones simmering.
I allow myself precious seconds stimulate my breasts until my nipples harden against the silk. I imagine his gloved hands on me, not my own. I think about how hot our time in the limo was, how he gagged me with arousal-coated fingers while he edged me.
My body hums for him, and my heartrate ticks up a notch—with desire, not fear.
A moan escapes me before I think better of it.
“Karolina…” He calls my name, distant but still far too close.
He’ll be able to see this damn collar glowing if he gets much closer. He might even hear the buzz of the vibrator. It’s going so fast now that it’s not exactly silent.
I consider removing it and leaving the toy for him to find by this tree. I could use it as a distraction to get farther away. I could also remove the red collar, but that might make me vulnerable to other hunters.
I decide against both courses of action and start running again.
I want to make Bones work for it, but I don’t truly want to evade him.
I’m desperate for the orgasm he’s denied me for far too long now. If I didn’t have my pride, I’d run straight to him and drop to my knees to beg for release.
I grit my teeth and increase my pace. I’m panting more from lust and the thrill of the hunt than from exertion. I could keep up this pace for hours, but I’m far more winded than usual.
Then I hear twigs snap beneath a heavy footfall behind me, and I can’t hold in a sharp gasp.
His low laugh threads through the trees to caress my skin.
How did he get so close without me hearing him? I expected him to stumble and crash through the brush like a wild beast. But he’s a careful predator, far more cunning and dangerous than I gave him credit for.
I take off again, barely dodging thick tree trunks and branches as I scramble to put distance between us.
It’s gone quiet behind me. I can’t hear him at all over the sound of my own sawing breaths and the buzz of the vibrator.
I take a precious moment to glance over my shoulder, and I slam into something warm and solid.
Strong arms close around me. I shriek and kick out, but I immediately recognize the low, cocky laugh.
He caught me. Somehow, he actually ran past me to block my path.
It should be impossible for such a big man to be that fast and that quiet.
My mind blanks in disbelief, and he takes advantage of my moment of weakness.
He spins me easily, and his gloved hand clamps over my mouth as his body folds around mine.
He doesn’t shove me to the ground, but the takedown is swift and strong.
In the space of a few racing heartbeats, he has me tucked beneath him.
My breasts press into the damp earth, and his bulk at my back keeps me nearly immobile.
My fingers scrabble uselessly in the dirt, and I thrash. His hand tightens on my face, smothering my impotent scream.
“Calm down, kitten. Don’t injure yourself.” His words are meant to comfort, but the mocking lilt to his voice betrays his dark amusement at my predicament.
I scream louder, a muffled curse at him. I try to get purchase on my knees to push to my feet, but his corded thighs pin the backs of my legs.
“So disobedient.” He tuts. “You’re a wild little thing, aren’t you? Don’t worry. I’ll tame you.”
Two thick fingers hook through the collar at my nape, drawing it tight around my neck. I can only draw shallow sips of oxygen through my constricted throat.
My next outraged scream is a garbled whine. I clutch at the ground, and dirt presses around my fingernails.
I’m reduced to a purely animal state, struggling between my instinct for flight and the primal warning that I should submit to the more powerful predator at my back.
I become keenly aware of the persistent vibration against my g-spot, and I groan into his hand. Violent desire rushes through my body, intense enough to make me shake in his restraining hold.
“Should I let you breathe?” The taunt is hot on my neck. “Or are you going to scream again?”
A soft, wordless plea is trapped behind my forcibly closed lips.
“That’s better,” he approves. “The next time you scream, the only word I want to hear is my name. I want everyone on this estate to know who’s mastered you. You’re mine, Karolina.”
A thrill of alarm tingles down my spine at his rough possessiveness. It’s not the first time he’s said it, but this is real now. We’re not on a remote video call.
He interprets my stillness as submission, and he releases the collar.
I draw in a desperate breath through my nose, and the heady rush of fresh oxygen makes my mind float for a few euphoric seconds.
While I’m limp with the hit of bliss, he flips me onto my back.
He looms over me, little more than a dark red skull leering at me. With his black clothing covering the rest of his body, the macabre mask is all I can see other than the darker shadow of his muscular form. He blots out everything else, commanding my full attention.
My pale pink dress practically glows in contrast to his leather gloves as he fists the delicate material in both hands. With one jerk of his powerful arms, the silk tears.
Cool night air washes over my heated flesh, and my nipples tighten. My back arches, offering my breasts to him. I’m mindless with lust, reduced to his helpless prey.
“Pinch those pretty pink nipples,” he growls. “Show me how you like to torment yourself for me.”
Hot lines of pleasure sizzle from my breasts to my clit when I obey, the little hit of self-inflicted pain making me even hotter for him. My inner muscles flutter around the vibe, and my eyes roll back at the rush of ecstasy that sweeps through me.
“Eyes on me,” he demands. “I want to see them shine with your tears when you ache from coming more times than you can count. Are you close?”
“Yes,” I breathe. “Please…”
He lets out a satisfied hum. “Begging for my permission? I didn’t even have to command you to do that.”
“I know what you like.” I try and fail to sound flippant.
He grasps my ponytail and tugs my head back sharply. Little pinpricks tingle along my scalp and dance all the way down my back to reach my throbbing core.
“Come for me, sweet kitten.”
I shatter on a scream, and he’s not even touching my most sensitive areas. There’s only his fist in my hair and my own cruel pinch on my nipples. After the edging with the vibrator, that’s enough to push me over the edge.
Abruptly, he shoves my skirt up to expose me more thoroughly.
“You forgot to say my name. Try again.”
Stinging pain blooms on my clit. He spanked my pussy.
I should be indignant, but it feels amazing. Two more sharp swats, and I’m coming again.
“Bones!” My shriek rings out through the forest.
“Better,” he approves. “But I want more. I’m not nearly finished with you.”
Thick fingers tangle in my panties, and the delicate lace rips away as though it’s paper.
My hips lift toward his hand, but he denies me direct contact. Instead, he tucks my ruined underwear into his pocket—a trophy for him to keep.
Raw desire rolls through me, making my legs shake. The eroticism of the purely possessive act sends me to the peak again, and I obediently moan his name when I finish for a third time.
He grabs my wrists and pins them into the dirt with one strong hand. His other replaces my hold on my breasts, pinching and tugging at my nipples. Even though I know my own body better than he does, the cruel sensation of his gloved fingers is hotter than anything I’ve ever experienced.
I whimper his name as I ride the waves of pleasure that crash over me again and again.
With the vibrator relentlessly stimulating me, I can’t stop coming.
It goes on and on; I didn’t know it was possible to experience such a prolonged orgasm.
My thighs quake, and I jerk against his restraining hold.
My entire body is so sensitive that even the gentle night breeze on my bare chest is an unbearable contrast to the heat of his touch.
I’m babbling his name, begging for mercy. For more. For him.
He releases my breasts, but it’s not a reprieve. My torment has barely begun, and I’m already a dirty, writhing mess.
His hand dips lower, and I scream at the first brush of his thumb over my hypersensitive clit. He takes time to toy with me, learning the exact rhythm and pressure to make me shatter for him. Hot tears stream down my temples to wet my hair: a vicious, cathartic release.
When I can barely take any more, he finally relents. He swirls his glove through my wet arousal.
“Bones,” I whisper in ragged protest.
His desire-slicked finger presses against my asshole.
“You belong to me,” he says with the weight of an oath. “All of you. Relax for me, Karolina. Let me claim you.”
I’m too lost to feel more than a flicker of fear over his feverish declaration.
“Yes,” I moan. “I want you. Make me yours.”
This is a familiar game we play, even if it’s never felt more visceral than it does in this moment. I slip into it easily, without thinking through the implications.
He releases a feral sound, but his touch is achingly gentle as he slowly circles my tight bud. Forbidden pleasure I’ve never known before sparkles through me, and my body relaxes. The tip of his finger penetrates me, drawing a shocked gasp from my chest.
All I can do is tremble and repeat his name over and over again in a litany as he slowly slides inside me. With the vibrator in my pussy, I’m unbearably full, completely overwhelmed by him.
His thumb returns to my clit, and I sob at the painful pleasure. I come apart again. The orgasm is almost brutal in its intensity, ravaging my body and my psyche until nothing exists except Bones and the transcendent ecstasy he’s wringing from my helpless body.
My vision goes black, and I melt into the ground.
The world is warm and dark. A strange animal keening sounds through my hazy mind when he gently tugs the vibrator free. My pussy is sore and throbbing, and it’s the sweetest discomfort I’ve ever experienced.
I languish in it, sinking deeper into the warm darkness that enfolds me.
Or maybe it’s his strong, black-clad arms that embrace me.
He’s murmuring my name. Leather strokes my tear-slicked cheeks.
“Look at me, kitten,” he urges. “Open your eyes for me.”
I obey, and then I’m staring up into the crimson skull. It’s a comforting sight, and I wrap my arms around his shoulders to pull him closer. All I want is to be close to my masked man—the only man who’s ever touched me like this.
He’s fulfilled my deepest fantasy, and I’ve never felt safer than I do in this moment.
Until he shatters that safety when he says, “Fuck, do you know how goddamn badly I need to kiss you right now?”