Page 129 of Mark & Don't Tell

“Yes,” I breathe as he brushes his knuckles over my nipples.

“She’s such a good omega.” Kai gently bites my neck before kissing the same spot. “Make them work for it, baby.” He releases me, and Vic steps back.

“Two minutes, bunny.” Lincoln watches me approach the door, pupils blown wide.

I hesitate at the threshold, peering into the night. The sandals I’m wearing aren’t practical for running through the forest. I slide out of them. The tile greets the pads of my feet with a cool kiss.

Linc stalks toward me, brushing his chest against my side as he leans down to growl, “Run,” in my ear.

The command slides over me, jolting me into action. My feet hit the concrete patio and then the grass beyond that. Humid air fills my lungs as I run into the trees, surprised to find well-maintained paths. It makes sense, given that this area is used as hunting grounds.

Strategically placed lights provide enough light that I don’t run straight into a tree, but for the most part, it’s too dark to make out more than vague shapes.

My heart slams against my ribs, pulse racing as I stick to a smoothed trail, heading deeper into the trees before stopping to scan my options. There are a few hunting blinds, but there are no deer to hunt. No. Those are for my predators.

Adrenaline zips through me, my breaths coming in soft pants, as I try to formulate a plan. Two minutes isn’t a lot of time, but that’s probably intentional. The less time to think and hide, the more likely my prey instincts will come out.

There’s a clearing directly ahead of me, surrounded by the thickest crop of trees. The hunting blind is out of the question. I don’t want to be cornered. A narrow path leads into the space crowded with trunks and bushes. Hoping there won’t be any creepy critters, I take a chance and head that way, my pulse roaring through my ears.

I find a wide trunk and tuck myself against it, thanking whoever maintains the property for clearing away most of the brush that might hide creatures I’m too terrified to think about. The possibility of what might be out here in the wild, in combination with my hunters, is enough to turn my blood cold with fright.

Sense of time is lost on me. I don’t have a watch, but I’m not going to fall for Vic’s trick again. I’ll maintain my hiding spot until they’re close enough to find me. Seconds tick by, punctuated by the hammering of my heart, and I try to steady my breathing, worried the guys will be able to hear me if I keep panting.

The buzz of summer insects is a steady serenade of what’s to come. Out here, there are fewer reminders of the real world. The playground at After Dark was fun, but this is next-level predatory-prey play. My hands tremble against the tree trunk, and I peer around it, squinting into the dark to try and catch sight of my men, but it’s no use. Not even the dim lamps hanging in the trees can help me find them.

There’s no advantage for me out here, other than the head start.

This is their game.

A soft snap comes from the path I left behind in favor of the narrow one. For the most part, there were no twigs covering the ground. The intentional snap of wood kicks my heart into overdrive.

I hold my breath and wait, listening for any sign of movement, but other than that sound a few seconds ago, there’s nothing that might indicate they’re closing in. It doesn’t help that my heart is beating so hard, I can hardly hear. I take the smallest sips of air, enough to keep me from passing out, and peer around the trunk again, shrieking when I find Linc’s face mere inches from mine.

“Gotcha,” he growls, lunging around the tree to grab me, but I stumble back, pivoting and racing down the narrow path and back to the main one. A wild burst of laughter chases after me. “You can run, but you can’t hide, bunny.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How did he get so close?

Endorphins flood through my body as I sprint along the winding path. Where’s Vic? He has to be somewhere close.

Over the thudding of my feet on the dirt, I hear swift movements closing in. I chance a glance to the side, spotting Vic running along the path next to mine. Fear spikes in my chest. Pumping my arms and legs harder, I surge faster down the path, pivoting at the last second before our trails collide and dashing down the one going the opposite direction of Vic’s trajectory.

He growls, and the sound skitters down my spine.

The hairs on the nape of my neck rise as he pursues me. I search for Linc but, unlike Vic, he’s not openly chasing me. I don’t know what’s worse, not knowing if I’m running straight toward one predator or fleeing from the other.

I’m gasping for air, definitely not used to this sort of cardio, but self-preservation kicks in and keeps me going. Honestly, I think I’m doing great. That is, until Vic’s fingers brush against my back.

“Fuck,” I gasp, pushing myself to go faster until another path crosses over the one I’m traveling down. I turn, nearly slipping from the abrupt change in direction, and run away from the snarling beta, who hadn’t anticipated my movements.

“Lincoln!” Vic calls for help.

Ha. I’m losing him. A tiny burst of delight floods through my system. I’m doing so well. Definitely redeeming myself from the last time he chased me. I have no idea where Linc is, but I’m quickly putting more distance between me and Vic, and it’s only a matter of time before I can hide?—

“There she is,” Linc says right as he jumps out from behind a tree and snatches me around the waist, pinning me to his naked torso. Somewhere between the time I ran into the trees and now, he stripped down to his boxers, and I’m not mad about it. He full-on growls in my ear as I thrash against him. Every time I buck and try to break his hold, his arms tighten around my body until I have no choice but to go completely still.

His heart is beating so hard, I can feel it almost exactly in time with mine.

“Did you catch something?” Vic appears in front of us. Like Linc, Vic is only wearing his boxers, the tattoos covering his torso barely visible in the dark of the forest. He smirks as I pant, chest heaving against Linc’s arms. “Mmm. What a pretty present you found for us.”

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