“Give her space,” I say, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Cora’s had enough for one day.”
I place my hand lightly on the small of her back, careful not to press too hard. “Come on. I’ll show you your room.”
Her shoulders relax marginally at this—the promise of a door she can close and a space that’s hers alone.
“You’re giving me my own room?” The question comes out small, uncertain.
“Of course.” I guide her down the hallway, away from Liam’s penetrating stare and Ryder’s curious eyes. “Everyone has their own space here. It’s a six-bedroom penthouse.”
We pass Liam’s door, already marked by a sleek leather briefcase propped against the wall outside. Further down is Ryder’s, identifiable by the jacket slung haphazardly over the doorknob.
I stop at the third door on the right. “This one’s yours. My room is at the end of the hall. You won’t be disturbed unless you want to be.”
I push the door open to reveal a spacious bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. The walls are a soft cream, the bedding simple but luxurious. Nothing too imposing or personal—a blank canvas for her.
I watch her admire the room, her fingers ghosting over the Egyptian cotton duvet. A small wrinkle forms between her brows as she notices the en-suite bathroom, the walk-in closet.
“You need to eat something,” I say. It’s been a grueling few days—the 72-hour Hunt, the claiming ceremony, even with the mandatory 24-hour rest period afterward. I know she’s had takeout during that time, considering the containers littering hercoffee table, but she still looks exhausted. “Ryder’s allegedly a decent cook.”
She doesn’t answer immediately, keeps her back to me, shoulders rigid beneath her blouse.
“You can join us at the table, or I can bring something here. Your choice.”
The silence stretches between us, loaded with everything unsaid. The humiliation at the feast. Her father’s face. The ways I’ve pushed her boundaries already today. I find myself holding my breath, waiting for her answer.
Finally, Cora turns. The wounded expression from earlier has been replaced by something harder, more determined. She straightens her spine, lifts her chin, and meets my gaze directly.
“I’ll eat with you.”
Four simple words. My cock hardens instantly despite having taken her roughly just hours ago. Her defiance always seems to have that effect on me.
She’s choosing to face all three of us together rather than hiding away. Not because she’s forgiven us, but because Cora Pike doesn’t cower.
“Good,” I manage. “Give me five minutes to shower and change.”
I need the cold water. Need to regain my control before joining the others. Because the way she’s looking at me now, like she could either kill me or fuck me and hasn’t quite decided which, is testing every ounce of my restraint.
I march out of her bedroom and head toward mine. Closing the adjoining bathroom door behind me, Istrip off my clothes, dropping them carelessly on the marble floor. The shower starts with a touch to the digital panel, water instantly cascading from the rainfall showerhead. Steam fills the glass enclosure as I step inside, letting the scalding water pound against my tense muscles.
My cock is still hard, has been since the moment Cora looked at me with that defiant stare. I close my eyes, wrapping my hand around my length, stroking slowly as I picture her beneath me—her back arching, mouth open in a silent scream.
But as the water runs down my body, my mind betrays me, shifting to Ryder’s cocky smile. This Hunt was the first time I’d fucked a man. I’d never thought about it before, never wanted to. Yet I can’t stop remembering how it felt to fuck Liam’s ass.
“Fuck,” I growl, my hand moving faster.
I imagine Cora watching us, directing us like she did during that final night of the Hunt. “I want to see you touch each other,” she’d whisper, eyes dark with desire as she lounges naked on my bed. In my mind, I sink to my knees in front of Liam, taking him in my mouth while Ryder strokes himself behind me.
My breath catches, cock throbbing in my palm. This isn’t me. I don’t submit. I don’t take orders. I’m the one in control.
Yet the image morphs, and suddenly Ryder is behind me, his hands gripping my hips as I thrust into Cora. The taboo thought of him entering me while I’m inside her sends a jolt of electricity down my spine. My hand moves faster, precum mixing with the shower spray.
“Goddammit,” I hiss, bracing myself against the shower wall with my free hand, water streaming down my face as the fantasy overtakes me—Cora’s tight heat around my cock, Ryder filling me from behind, Liam’s taste on my tongue.
I come with violent intensity, my entire body shuddering as rope after rope of cum hits the glass wall, washing away with the water. My legs nearly buckle as the aftershocks roll through me.
I dry off quickly, pulling on fresh clothes and trying to push away the confusing thoughts that ambushed me in the shower.
What the fuck was that? The Hunt is one thing—a contained environment where normal rules don’t apply. But this is my home, my life. I don’t find men attractive. I never have.
