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Inside the net, Noa shifts, causing the whole thing to swing. “To be fair,” Noa says from behind me, “I thought the shed was safe.”

“I told you about the net,” Cipher says, with a shake of his head.

“I didn’t know it was going to be for tonight. I thought it was to catch intruders.” Noa moves again, and the whole net swings like a rotisserie. “I would very much like to get down now.”

Cipher smirks. “In a minute.”

He fastens the rope around the hook on the wall and pulls out a stool to sit on, then folds his arms.

Cave hasn’t taken his eyes off me the entire time.

“You wanted to give her a taste. She ran and didn’t scream, so I think that still counts,” Noa says.

“A taste of what, exactly? Because I feel like there should have been a conversation before this.”

“There was going to be,” Cipher says. “But you ran before we could have it. Which is why we need to have you secured so you can’t escape this time.”

“Cave picked me up and carried me,” I protest.

The net shifts, and I manage to get turned around enough that I am facing forward rather than sideways. Cave has moved from the doorway and is leaning against the far wall. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flower. Noa follows my eyeline and stills behind me.

“Fine, tell me what I was supposed to know before running then,” I say to the men.

Cipher unfolds his arms and rests his hands on his knees. “The chases are consensual.”

“Nixie told me that part.”

“She told you the version she tells everyone. What she didn’t tell you is that for some people, it doesn’t end with being caught. For some people, the night keeps going.”

I glance down at him and Cave, then it hits me. “Things go further.”

Cipher nods. It’s then that I remember the story Kayla told me about her guys, and my eyes widen. “All three of you?”

“Yes,” Noa whispers from behind me.

“All of you at the same time?”

My pulse races as panic soars. I just met them. That is a lot of dicks at once; I would be like a stuffed pig on a spit.

Noa laughs, and I realize maybe I spoke aloud. “It doesn’t have to be at the same time, Valli. That can be a logistics conversation for another time,” he reassures me.

“Noa,” Cipher warns.

“What? I’m being honest with her. If she wants to be a pig on a spit for us, I am more than happy to accommodate her wishes.”

“It doesn’t have to be any of that,” Cipher explains to me. “Not the sex, not with all of us, or any of us. Tonight was supposed to be a trial run. We wanted to see how comfortable you are here, if the chase felt right for us and for you. We don’t normally do them, and honestly, we didn’t know how Cave would react. This is all based on you and how you feel.”

So I consider it all for a moment. I loved running and being chased—only by Cave. With the other guy it was too real, as he actually wanted to hurt me. And I’ve been in the cornfield at night and Cave was fine; so far he has done nothing to scare me.

“What if I don’t want the chases to be all this is?” I ask.

Cipher nods. “Then we talk. You need to sign contracts, we need to know your limits, and we won’t touch you until we know what they are.”

“And what about Cave? Nixie tried to warn me about him.”

Cipher looks over at Cave, and once he nods, Cipher clears his throat. “He has a tendency to become territorial when he decides something is his. Over the cornfield, me, and even Noa.”

“What, me? Really? Oh, I feel so loved. I figured he just put up with me,” Noa pipes in.