Epilogue
Ainsley
Seven months later
“ Y ou could have put a little more thought into your costume,” I chastise Cain as we walk into the Halloween fair.
It’s been a year since the first time he claimed me as his. With his black skull mask covering his face and the black shirt he’s wearing, he looks exactly the same as the first time I met him.
“And what exactly are you supposed to be?” he asks as he looks me up and down through the eyes in his mask.
It’s the first time he’s asked me that question since I walked into the living room after I finished getting ready. He’s been begging me for weeks to tell him, even trying to coax it out of me after each mind blowing orgasm, but I stayed strong and kept my secret.
The black leather corset I’m wearing pushes my boobs up farther than they’ve ever been, but keeps the lower part of my abdomen revealed. Right above the waistband of the tiny matching leather skirt I’m wearing, written in sharpie, are the words, “The Monster’s Lair” with an arrow pointing down. I put my arms behind my back, letting the cuffs around my wrists magnetically attach, and look at Cain with big doe eyes.
“I’m yours,” I answer him.
I know, I know, I’ve never been the type to pick a sexy costume for Halloween. I much prefer something scary, but I just couldn’t pass it up this year. Tonight has too much in store for us, though Cain doesn’t know that yet.
Cain growls as he grabs my arm and pulls me behind one of the buildings to give us some privacy. He lifts the mask from his head so I can see his reaction to me. As he pushes me back into the building, leaving my arms attached at the cuffs behind my back, he looks like a starving man. His eyes roam over me, just as they did before I insisted we needed to leave, and I feel my own reaction to his heated gaze as my thighs try to rub themselves together.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t take you home and fuck you, little one,” he commands as he clenches his jaw, trying to keep himself under control.
I move myself away from the wall far enough that I can pull the cuffs apart. Once they’re free, I raise a hand to his face and gently trace a line down his cheek.
“Because I have a surprise for you, and if you take me home right now, you won’t get it,” I tell him honestly. Once my finger reaches his jaw, I trace a line over to his chin and then grab it in my hand. I pull him in until his lips are close enough to mine that they’ll feel the words as I speak them, and I hear him groan when I don’t pull him in further. “Now be a good boy and take me to the haunted houses.”
As I go to push him away from me, Cain growls and grabs the back of my neck, pulling me in until our lips crash together. Our kiss is hungry and passionate, like we haven’t seen each other in weeks, even though we live together.
He releases my neck and grabs my thighs, hoisting me up until my legs are wrapped around his waist with my back still pressed against the wall.
“Cain,” I pant, trying to make it sound like a warning. “There are people right around the corner.”
My words contradict my actions as I reach down to his pants and unbutton them, pulling his straining cock out so he can line it up at my entrance.
“What’s the matter, little one?” he asks. He pulls my bottom lip between his teeth as his cock teases me, not quite entering me yet. “You thought you could dress like this, not wear any panties, and the monster wouldn’t enter his lair?”
As the words fall from his mouth, he thrusts into me so hard my ass knocks against the wall, making my teeth rattle. Cain wraps a hand around my mouth to keep me from crying out. If anyone finds us back here like this, there’s no question that we’ll get kicked out.
He fucks me with long, savage thrusts, looking for a quick release for both of us so we can go back to the fair without needing to tear each other’s clothes off in front of other people.
“Come on, baby, I need you to come for me,” he pants as he works himself inside of me, clearly holding back his own orgasm.
I scream into his hand as I explode around him, not needing much more than some dirty words to finish me. I’ve been dying for his touch all day anyway, and it doesn’t take much to get me off these days.
Cain follows quickly behind me, grunting as he pours himself inside of me. When he’s still, both of us sated, he removes his hand from my mouth and lets me breathe a little easier.
“Now your costume is complete. You didn’t think you could be mine without my cum dripping down your thighs, did you, little succubus?”
He lowers me back to the ground, standing me back on shaky legs. While I pull my skirt down as far as it’ll go, trying to hide the evidence of what we just did, Cain zips himself back into his pants that now have a visible wet spot on them.
“Now, where to first?”
I look into his eyes, a smile spreading on my cheeks as I remember the excitement I felt during last year’s festival. Meanwhile, my friends dreaded this part.
None of them are here today. They all graduated in the Spring and moved away for work, even Ethan. I’m the only one left, patiently waiting to graduate in two months, and then I’ll finally be done.
I already live with Cain full time. Jonah drives me to and from classes every day, and still shadows me around campus despite my biggest threat being gone. According to Cain, a life with him isn’t without danger, and he won’t risk losing me.
“Haunted houses,” I answer Cain when I pull myself out of my thoughts.
Cain holds my hand and watches as each haunted house makes me giddy. He doesn’t quite understand my excitement at being scared, but that’s okay. I’m having enough fun for both of us.
As we reach the end of the last haunted house, Cain pulls me close and whispers in my ear. “Run. If I catch you, you’re mine.”
He releases my hand as I turn my back to him and sprint from the house. I head straight for the one place I’ve been looking forward to all night: the corn maze.
As I rush through the maze, thoroughly getting myself lost, I can’t help the laughter that bubbles out of me. Things are so different than they were last year. Last time I was here, I was terrified of the monster that refused to leave me alone and threatened to kidnap me. I thought Ethan provided me the only protection I needed.
This year? The monster that haunted me has captured me twice, but now I’m with him because there’s no other option for me. He’s my whole world, and I’m his. We’re here together, making the chase a game instead of a horror show.
“Caught you,” comes a deep voice as an arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back into a hard chest. “Now you’re mine.”
I laugh as I kick and struggle in his arms, trying to escape so I can keep running. “Am I? Last time I checked, you still weren’t successful in fully claiming me.”
I’m teasing him, knowing how irritated he is with this subject. He’s asked me to marry him every single day since I woke up from having a bullet pulled out of my stomach. Sometimes I lead him on and let him think I’ll finally say yes, but I never have. It’s never been the right time… until now.
“Because you won’t say yes, even though we both know you’ll give in one day,” he growls in my ear.
“Have you asked today?”
He laughs as he sets me on my feet, but keeps his arm wrapped around my waist. His chin rests on my shoulder as he sighs and says, “Marry me, little one.”
As I try turning in his arms, he loosens his grip so I can face him and wrap my arms around his neck. After pecking him on the lips, I give him the most serious look I can muster and say, “That wasn’t asking, Cain.”
He must see something in my eyes. His brow furrows, not understanding why I didn’t just say no, and untangles himself from my arm. After he takes a step back, he pulls out the little box he’s carried with him every single day for almost eight months.
I watch as Cain drops to one knee and holds the box open for me to see the ring specially designed for me.
“Ainsley, baby, we’ve been through a lot together over the last year. I’ve loved you and I’ve lost you, more times than I care to admit, but I’m never going to lose you again. You’re mine for eternity, just as I am yours. I’ll be your lover, your best friend, and your knight in shining armor if you’ll have me. Will you marry me, little one?”
Holding out my left hand for him to finally place the ring on, I can’t contain the smile that transforms my face.
“Yes!” I squeal.
Cain looks at me with disbelief, not believing what his ears just heard. After leading him on for so long, why would he think I would say yes now? But as he looks between my outstretched hand and the tears forming in my eyes, realization dawns on his face, and he stands up. He grabs my face between both hands and pulls me in until our lips crash together.
We melt into each other, celebrating our private little moment.
“You mean it?” he asks after reluctantly pulling away. “You’ll marry me? Be Mrs. Ainsley Ryker?”
I have to admit, the name I’ll claim once we’re married has a nice ring to it. I nod my head as I hold out my hand again, and this time, Cain pulls the ring from the box and slips it onto my finger.
Between kisses, we laugh together as we try to wrap our heads around finally being engaged. It feels like such a small step, especially since we’re so much more to each other, but it’s a step that those around us will understand. Carving our names into each other, on the other hand, was not a step that people would understand.
“Was that my surprise?” Cain asks, disbelief still coloring his voice. He pulls my hand off his cheek and inspects the ring, watching as the black diamond twinkles from the lights surrounding the maze.
Pulling my hand from his grip, I take a step back so he can see me. My hand now heavy with my engagement ring lands on my abdomen, just below my wrists, and slowly trails down until it stops over the words I wrote in sharpie. Once my hand stops, it cups the belly that hasn’t started growing yet as I look down at it lovingly.
With a radiant smile, I look up to Cain to see his reaction. He’s standing in front of me, looking down at my hand resting on my stomach with a furrowed brow. I can see him lost in his thoughts, trying to decide if I’m telling him what he thinks I’m telling him.
“Cain,” I call to him, but his eyes remain on my flat stomach. “Cain.”
His eyes snap up, a question he’s not ready to ask already formed in them.
“There’s a little monster in there,” I tell him with an encouraging smile.
His mouth opens, forming multiple questions that never come out. As an answer, I grab his hand and pull it toward me so I can replace my own with his on my stomach.
“We’re pregnant?” he finally asks as his eyes focus back on my stomach, his gaze turning soft and loving as he lets himself believe.
“We’re pregnant,” I confirm. He pulls me back into him, wrapping me in a tight hug as we both laugh with the joy we’re feeling.
“You know I’m taking you home now, right?”
I laugh at him and nod my head against his shoulder, not wanting anything else. Going home and going to bed with my fiancé sounds perfect.