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Her mouth parts open as she darts her gaze between us. “What kind of game?” Her innocence takes over as she succumbs to what will happen.

“Do you still have your knife?” I ask her.

“Remy,” she breathes, her body trembling. I don’t think she realizes how turned on I get whenever she’s scared. “You said you weren’t going to hurt me.”

I wipe my dark hair from my eyes. “I lied, baby.”

Her eyes dart to Tommy, desperate for help. “Tommy?”

He gives her a vicious smile and shrugs. “Sorry, firefly, can’t help you on this one.”

She swallows hard, and goosebumps spread across every inch of her flesh.

I glance at Tommy. “What do you say, brother, let’s race for old times’ sake? The first one to catch her owns her body and soul.” It’s time to put an end to this feud. The laws of the Codex are clear: only one of us gets to sacrifice her, and before the sacrifice happens, we are to claim her. Tommy didn’t follow the rules the first time.

He grins at me, his muscles flexed, and he rolls his shoulders, pulling his hands through his wavy hair. “Bring it on, Vital. Challenge accepted.”

My lips peel back knowing push comes to shove, I can beat him. The raw energy radiating from the two of us causes confusion to flow over Didi’s features and she takes a step back. Time’s up.

“Better run, little lamb… Talia’s not here to protect you.”

DIDI

Remy and Tommy give me a head start, so I run into the woods as fast as I can, darting this way and that, not committing to any direction, only that I need to move.

Damn them both. I’m nothing but a prize in their lifelong battle for being the alpha male in town, and I have no time for it. This has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with their pride, and I refuse to give into them this way.

My vision is still blurred and my mind is hazy, but my adrenaline and anger have sobered me up. Everything is crystal clear as I run through the night—I was born to exist in the dark.

I’ve never seen them like this…so crazed, so vicious. It’s like they are both possessed, driven by a ferocious need they can’t control. They are out of their minds, high on power, fueled by lust, and I’m the focal point of their existence.

I find a small path that leads to a nearby creek—the same path that leads all the way into town. Tommy and Remy know it well, since this is where they train, which means it’s not where I should go if I want to get away from them.

Not that I really plan on escaping. They own me, and they know it, but I can make it hurt, too.

I can’t deny the pressure building between my legs as I run. The anticipation of them, taking me together. I foolishly believed they’d at least be gentle about it. But I see now I’ve pushed them much too far.

I pause, catching my breath, turning in every direction as the stars twinkle above. I have no idea what time it is, but it must be near morning.

“Firefly, where are you, baby?” Tommy’s deep, sexy voice floats through the trees.

The sound of his voice gives me pause as I pant out of breath. Like it’s not Tommy at all, but someone else—something else. He’s acting possessed, primal.

He calls out again, “I’ll be so soft with you, Didi. Let me be the one who catches you, baby.” It sounds like he’s behind me, but not far. “Let me finish what we started earlier.”

My stomach twinges. It’s silly really, being this scared of Tommy. Out of the two of them, he’s proved that he is the one capable of killing me. He buried Mama thinking it was me and did so with zero hesitation.

His family celebrated it…elevated him to their Order.

Despite that, a big part of me wants him to be the one who finds me. Tommy’s always been my happy place. He’d make me happy. I could give him my soul.

The problem is, Remy’s captured my heart, and I don’t see that ever changing.

I look around for my options since I can’t stay on this path for much longer. Tommy will find me…and I’m not ready to be found by either of them yet. They each need to work a little harder.

The brush in the woods is too gnarled, so the path is the only place I can go. I run forward until I find a tree I can hide behind. Holding my breath, it’s not long before footfalls bounce off the trees. A snap of a twig, and a second set of footsteps follows.

My mouth falls open. They are together.