Page 26 of Hunted By Them

My voice wavered, the question tearing free from a part of me I had kept hidden until they touched it.

“Yes.”

The Buck kissed me with the same possessiveness that he had the first night and every time after. He gathered me close and pressed his body up against mine.

“Anyone who says otherwise is a fool, but if anyone other than us touches you again…I’ll cut their fucking hands off,” he growled in my ear before kissing me again.

I moaned, the sound matching how I felt inside…wrecked and needy. I hadn’t realized how tired I was of my life until that hike changed everything. Despite being kept in the dark, there had been clarity. I had taken the time to reflect and search my soul for what made me happy. What I found was that I was clinging to dreams not my own. I had a boyfriend who pretended to know me, and a job that, despite how hard I worked, I secretly hated.

It was all a lie. My life had been nothing but one large, perfectly crafted lie. It was so good, in fact, that I hadn’t even realized it until…them.

Despite the insanity of my situation, one thing had become very clear…I wanted out of my life. I wanted to build something for myself. I wanted to be happy, and not just accept what was handed to me. I wanted and deserved to feel special, and that was never going to happen with Connor. And…I was done being bullied by a woman who was supposed to be in my corner. I loved my mother, but I was done letting her drag me down.

It was time for a change. Whoever emerged from this cave when they released me would not be Sage Harlow.

Day Five: Perhaps

The air was warmer when I rolled over and yawned. It was afternoon. That was the only time of day when heat permeated the cave.

“You’re awake. Did you rest well?”

Caribou’s soft, sultry voice felt like something warm blanketing me.

“I did.”

My arms were stretched above me, the cuffs chafing slightly as I shifted. The blindfold had slipped a little against my lashes, but I didn’t dare move it. I knew better.

Fingers trailed down my thigh, teasing, circling. He had the kindest touch. I’d giggled to myself one evening when I thought about how Caribou was a little too soft at times and wished he would be rougher. While Elk was all coarse hands and harsh words, and sometimes I wished he were softer. Buck…he was just right. I felt like I’d been dropped into the middle of the most erotic version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

“Would you like some fresh berries and cream,” he asked, helping me to sit up. “We made the cream ourselves a few minutes ago.”

I froze, wondering if he meant what I thought he meant. I nodded, and a spoon touched my lips. I opened and found a sweet strawberry, a few blueberries, and yes…their come.

Day Six - Possibly

I didn’t remember falling asleep. One moment, I was gasping in the warm pool, my body being pressed to new limits, and the next, I woke to the chill of stone and the sound of coyotes outside. Night.

My whole body ached, my thighs were sore, and my lips were swollen from their mouths. And still, the hunger twisted in me. I reached for Buck, only to find the space beside me where he normally slept empty. Fear sliced through me. I grabbed the fur blanket and clutched it to my chest as I sat up.

A voice filtered in from the dark. “You wake so easy now. As if your body waits for us, even in dreams,” Buck whispered. I tracked his movements as he walked over and sat down with me. His fingers traced my jaw. “I needed to tend to the fire. It was burning low.”

“Oh…okay.”

“You looked scared, were you?”

Turning away, I nodded my head.

“I thought you’d left me here tied to the wall.”

His hand slowly wrapped around my throat and tugged me closer to him. My heart reacted immediately, pounding harder.

“Do you really think I’d do that?”

I licked my lips. “I…”

Now that he’d asked the question, I didn’t.

Was it stupid?