Landon lifts another bite to my lips, his eyes never leaving mine. “Open,” he commands.
I comply, unable to disobey when he’s mastering my body so completely. The rich flavors burst across my tongue.
“Good girl,” he praises. “My perfect little butterfly.”
The world around me blurs at the edges. Mayor Pike’s outrage, the other hunters with their prey, the elegant feast setting—it all fades like background static as my focus narrows to the man behind me.
“Just us,” I breathe.
He offers another bite from his fork. The flavors barely register—my senses overwhelmed by the fullness inside me, the rhythm he sets without seeming to move. His eyes hold mine captive as surely as his body does.
“That’s right,” he murmurs. “Nothing else matters.”
A wall within me crumbles, resistance draining away like rain into a gutter.
Why am I fighting this?
The question floats through my mind as Landon adjusts our position, hitting a spot that makes my breath catch.
“I’m yours,” I breathe, and the strangest thing happens—saying the words aloud feels like relief. Like setting down a heavy burden I’ve carried too long.
My world contracts further until there’s only this—the exquisite pressure of him inside me, the brush of his lips against my neck, the food he places delicately in my mouth. The dual sensation of being filled and fed creates a strange harmony, satisfying needs I never knew were connected.
Another bite. Another thrust. My body responds to both with equal hunger.
“Good girl,” he praises, and warmth blooms in my chest at his approval.
I’ve stopped trying to make sense of this—of us. All that matters is the way he moves beneath me, the way he feeds me, the way my body yields to his dominion. I’m losing myself in this surrender, and the terrifying part is how right it feels.
24
LANDON
My little butterfly quivers, trying desperately to maintain composure while I thrust into her. Her resistance only heightens my pleasure—the way she bites her lip to stifle her moans, how her body tenses each time she approaches climax.
“That’s it,” I whisper against her ear as her inner walls clench around me for the third time. “Let go for me again.”
She shakes her head minutely, eyes darting around the table where the others are either eating or pleasuring themselves, but I feel the telltale tremors. I grip her hips tighter, guiding her movements while appearing calm to anyone observing.
“Everybody knows what’s happening between us,” I taunt.
Her breathing becomes ragged as I angle myself to hit that spot inside her that lights her up. When she comes, her entire body stiffens before melting against me, a small whimper escaping despite her best efforts to remain quiet.
I continue feeding her between her orgasms, noticing the way she struggles to chew and swallow. At the same time, I’m buried deep inside her.
Xavier’s voice suddenly cuts through the ambient noise. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening.The public portion of our celebration has concluded. What follows is a private ritual reserved only for those who participated directly in the Hunt,” Xavier continues. “We ask that you respect this tradition and allow us to proceed without observers.”
The other guests leave following a server out of the room.
Once they’ve left, X continues, “The traditional claiming period begins now. You have until dawn to decide if you wish to keep your prey for the full year, as outlined in our contracts.”
My blood rushes hot through my veins at the announcement. A full year with Sadie. I’ve known from the moment I first saw her file that a year would never be enough, but it’s a start.
“For those sharing prey,” Xavier’s gaze flicks meaningfully toward Cora Pike and her three captors, “you may choose to claim your prey together or individually. The decision is yours alone. Be mindful, however—if you choose to do it individually, it will afford each of you four months with her, culminating in twelve months.”
I watch as Dominic, Liam, and Ryder exchange glances, unspoken communication passing between them. Their coordination is impressive—three men moving as one unit around the mayor’s daughter. My attention lingers on them, not out of interest in Cora, but because I notice Sadie’s gaze fixed on the scene.
Very interesting.
