Perfect. This is the spark I was looking for.
I laugh, wiping away the spit with my thumb. “There she is. Not quite broken after all.”
My fingers tighten on her throat enough to see panic flash in her eyes before I release the pressure. Control—it’s always been about control. For her father, for Dominic, for me. We’re all the same, using different methods to achieve the same goal.
“You don’t have to say it,” I murmur against her ear. “Your cunt has already told me everything I need to know.”
I slide my hand between us where we’re joined, finding her slick and swollen. Her sharp intake of breath confirms what I already know—she hates us right now, but her body craves what we give her.
The feast continues. Hunters and prey engaged in their own displays of dominance and submission. But my focus narrows to Cora’s face, to the conflict raging behind those emerald eyes.
“The difference between your father and us,” I continue, establishing a slower, more deliberate rhythm, “is that we’ll never pretend to own you for your own good. We want you because we want you. No noble lies.”
I can feel Dominic and Ryder watching us. The atmosphere between the four of us has shifted. What started as a straightforward revenge plot has evolved into something deeper. My words aren’t strictly true. All of us want to keep her away from the monster we set out to hurt.
“We used you,” I acknowledge, seeing no point in denying the obvious. “But somewhere along the way, you became more than Mayor Pike’s daughter to us.”
Cora’s eyes narrow, tears streaming down her face. “You expect me to believe that? After this performance?”
I don’t soften my grip on her hips, keeping her firmly in place. Let her hate me—it’s easier than the alternative. Easier than admitting how quickly this carefully orchestrated revenge plot spiraled beyond our control.
“Believe what you want,” I reply. “But ask yourself this—if all we wanted was revenge against your father, why would we be discussing keeping you afterward?”
Her body still responds to my touch despite her rage, a fact that clearly frustrates her. This dichotomy fascinates me on a level I hadn’t anticipated.
“I see you, Cora,” I continue. “Not the Mayor’s perfect daughter. Not our revenge object. You.”
She tries to turn away again, but I hold her in place. Around us, the other hunters and prey continue their feast, oblivious to our private drama. Dominic and Ryder remain silent, watching the confrontation unfold.
“I see the marks your father left,” I add, tracing a finger over a faded bruise on her collarbone. “I see how you’ve been living in a cage your whole life.”
Her breathing hitches, and I can’t tell if it’s from pleasure or pain or some complex mixture of both.
“We may have started this to hurt him,” I admit, “but now we want to protect you from him.”
The laugh that escapes her is brittle. “Protect me? By humiliating me in front of dozens of people, including my own father?”
I don’t have a good answer for that. The lawyer in me wants to spin this, create a defense that sounds plausible, but for once, I find myself unwilling to manipulate. Something about Cora demands honesty, even when it’s ugly.
Enough talk. I’m done with justifications and excuses.
I grip Cora’s hips harder, my fingers digging into her soft flesh as I lift her slightly, adjusting her position on my cock.
“We’re done with the conversation portion of the evening,” I growl.
Her body jerks against me. My free hand slides between us, finding her clit with practiced precision. Despite everything, she’s still wet, still responsive.
“Look at you,” I hiss against her ear, setting a brutal pace with my hips. “Taking my cock like you were made for it.”
She whimpers, trying to turn her face away. I don’t allow it, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at me.
“You can hate us all you want,” I continue, circling her clit faster, “but your pussy knows exactly who owns it.”
I thrust harder, each movement deliberate and punishing. Around us, the feast continues, but my world has narrowed to Cora’s body clenching around mine, to the conflicted pleasure on her face.
“That’s it, take it like the good little slut you are.”
Her orgasm catches us both by surprise, her body convulsing around me as she comes with a choked cry. The sudden tightness pushes me over the edge, and I groan as I empty myself inside her, my fingers bruising her hips as I hold her firmly in place.
