Page 29 of Hunted

I shudder at his words, a mix of fear and unwanted desire coursing through me. He pauses, his eyes searching mine.

"Do you want to play with me, Zara?" he asks, his voice low and seductive. "Hunter and prey?"

Part of me wants to run and get as far away from this dangerous man as possible. But another part that craves his touch, his domination, is intrigued.

"I..." My voice trails off as I struggle to find the words.

He lifts me off the bed, my body bare and exposed, and carries me into the hunting room. It still gives me the creeps.

"I'm not sure about this..." I start, my voice trembling.

He silences me with a fierce look, setting me down on the floor. My legs feel unsteady as he turns to the wall, selecting a mask and a knife. My breath catches in my throat.

"We’ll play hunter and prey," he declares, his eyes gleaming. "You’ll run, and I’ll chase. When I catch you..." His gaze travels down my body, and I shiver. "We will mate."

I swallow hard, my mind racing. Part of me wants to flee this madness and return to the normalcy of home, but another part craves Aksel's touch as if it’s the oxygen I need to breathe.

"Okay," I whisper.

A predatory gleam ignites in his gray-blue eyes. "Good girl." He puts on the mask, and suddenly, it feels like the air shifts—as if I'm no longer in the room with the same man.

"Run, little bird," Aksel growls, his voice muffled by the mask. "The hunt has begun."

I take a deep breath, then turn and dart away through the cabin, my shoes slapping against the wooden floor. Adrenaline surges through me as I flee, the hunting room fading behind me.

I burst out of the cabin door, the cool air hitting my bare skin like a slap, but I barely register it because of the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The dark forest engulfs me as I dash away from the cabin.

My feet pound against the damp earth, twigs and rocks threatening to trip me. The trees loom over me, their shadows stretching long and ominous in the dim light filtering through the canopy.

I can sense Aksel behind me, stalking me like the predator he is. The crunch of his boots against the forest floor makes me shudder.

I veer off the path, my heart hammering in my chest as I weave between the trees. Branches whip at my face, leaving stinging scratches, but I don't slow. I can't let him catch me.

The anticipation builds, a heady mixture of fear and arousal. I risk a glance over my shoulder and immediately regret it. Aksel is closer than I thought, his powerful form cutting through the trees like a force of nature. The mask conceals his face, rendering him a faceless, unstoppable pursuer.

A root catches my foot, and I stumble, gasping as I throw out my hands to break my fall. The damp leaves and soil stick my palms as I scramble back to my feet, my chest heaving.

Aksel's boots appear in my peripheral vision, and I whirl, backpedaling away from him. He advances slowly, deliberately, the knife gleaming in his hand.

"You can't outrun me," he growls, his voice muffled by the mask.

I back away until my shoulders hit the rough bark of a tree trunk. Trapped. Aksel closes the distance between us, the mask mere inches from my face.

“It’s over,” he murmurs, and then his hands are on me, consuming me with searing, possessive touches.

His eyes are wild and hungry, peering at me through the holes in his mask as he grabs my hips and drags me into a nearby clearing. I stumble, falling onto my back, and before I can catch my breath, he's on top of me, his body aligning with mine.

There's no gentleness in his touch, only raw, animalistic need. He enters me in one swift thrust, filling me so completely that I gasp. Then he begins to move, his hips snapping as he drives into me over and over.

It's savage and primal, nothing like our first time. There's no tenderness at all. This is pure, unrestrained passion.

I arch my back, matching his rhythm, my hands digging into his muscular shoulders. The sensation is intense and overwhelming. I can feel him everywhere, claiming me and marking me as his own.

The world narrows to the feeling of him moving within me, the sound of our harsh breathing and grunts of pleasure filling the forest. I'm dimly aware of the rough ground beneath me and the cool air on my skin, but all I register is him.

His pace quickens, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. I sense his control slipping, the raw power of his body taking over as he gives in to his most primal urges.

Our gazes lock, his eyes burning into mine. I can see the desire, the possession, the need to claim me shining in their depths. He surges into me even harder, his hips slamming against mine with enough force to hurt.

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