Page 6 of Collared

I wonder what they're thinking.

That makes my entire body come to a staggering halt, as if someone has slammed on an invisible brake, allowing me to stop and process for a moment. Because frankly…I push a hand through my messy fringe and wipe the strands from my damp forehead. I’m sweating, my body already overheated due to stimulation. Yet I force out a chuckle. It sounds throaty and a little strained, but it’s enough to make my muscles relax somewhat.

I need to get a grip on myself. Shake this tension off.

This whole chase is ridiculous, this whole show they’ve prepared. Their talk about France. Everything.

I stare at one of the rusty torches made into a beacon across the trail from me, the flicker of golden shadows doing absolutely nothing to kill this nagging feeling of trepidation, while I’m silently begging for my brain to finally kick in and tell me what to do.

I mean, I’m being chased in the forest of Monterrey Castle at night by a guy with a silver mask, a cloak and a fucking collar in his hands. That’s got to be a joke, right?

You signed an NDA, my little devil reminds me.

“During the Chase, you may be subjected to physical violence-with no lasting injuries-as well as being drugged, tied up or even used for the brother's sexual pleasure. You agreed to this.”

I did. Though I can’t believe I let myself be so distracted from absorbing the actual text. I was too busy being too fucking thrilled to having received their invitation in the first place. Too busy making family members, who left my world a long time ago, proud. And yet the mere thought of them is enough to sober me up a little, for my heart to fill with something close to love and loss, a heavy bundle that always seems to come hand in hand.

It’s a bundle that gives me wings.

Straightening myself, I tilt my gaze and look up at the stars. Whatever this is, I won’t give up right at the start.

If they want a chase? I’ll play.

And so I set an even pace, making sure to focus on my breathing this time as I follow the murky light further into the forest. It’s not easy to maneuver freely in my school uniform, but I’ll manage for the time being.

Besides, what is two hours?

One hundred and twenty minutes.

I’ll manage.

But what about… No. I swallow away the bitterness at the thought of all the things I apparently consented to.

Physical violence.

Use of drugs.

Use of sex.

Use of rope.

They didn’t mention anything about a collar. Fuck, now I think of that shiny choker again, that silver mask and those lips, curled up in mocking sneer. Who is that guy anyway? Is he someone I know?

The thought plants a seed in my mind. I can practically feel my brains curl around it as they flick through the pages of my time here at Saint-Laurent. I have never come across anyone like that in class, nor is he part of the football team. Surely I’d remember someone blessed with such beautifully curved lips, right?

“For fuck’s sake, focus,” I growl inwardly. “Think of home.”

Home. Not the dorm I share with Xavier and Clément, but home home. Paris, Mamie, my real life. The existence I have dedicated myself to for as long as I can remember. I love my city, it’s beauty and chaos, its cruelty and it’s dynamic. Paris is history, culture and tumult, love and sorrow, it’s my life.

The thought brings a slight smile to my cool cheeks, one that stays frozen the moment I hear someone let out a harsh cry. It’s a carnal sound, filled with panic. I barely have time to stand still and focus before a howl follows, the reply a cruel sound as it resonates through the forest, overflowing the air with a chill that wasn’t there before. The flutter of nerves is right back in the pit of my stomach, an aching tingle that won’t go away.

Where did that sound come from? Was it behind me? I spin on my heels and stare into the faintly lit woods, heart ruffling in my ribcage, breath leaving my nose in rapid puffs. There’s no one there.

What did the older man with the cane say at the end of his speech?

“Everything has been set up for our entertainment. And entertained we shall be .”

I touch the cool material of my phone in the pocket of my school jacket, then nearly jump when there’s a distinct rustle through the shrubs next to me. Fuck, I didn’t expect them to find me this fast. Still, I can’t move, I’m dumbstruck as I watch the plants bristle with an urgency that can only be made by a human. Everything happens so fast, and I know I should run, because I need to—

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