Page 26 of The Teddy Bear's Prize

Ten. Eleven. Twelve.I jolt as I hear the front door slam, whipping my head towards the large archway leading into the living room, his shadows cutting through the flickering light from the television screen.

Seventeen. Eighteen.I push off of the frame, my bare feet slipping against the tile floor as I run towards the door leading out into the hall.Twenty. Twenty-one.I round the corner and rush into my bedroom, dipping into the large walk-in closet on the right, pressing my back against the corner just behind the clothes. I slide down and tuck my legs against my chest.

Thirty.

FOURTEEN

Mia

Tobias humsan unfamiliar melody above the noise of the riotous storm, so I know exactly where he is. The sound is almost soothing enough to dull the ache between my thighs. The anticipation is a creature all its own, clawing against my skin, begging me to strip free of these soaking wet clothes.

His steps continue, heavy with intent, following my path into the kitchen, each footfall louder than the last. I can hear his sneakers squeaking as he turns on the tile leading towards the hall. He’s getting closer and closer.

Keeping my back flat on the wall, I look out into the bedroom, my eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light streaming through the curtains from the house next door. Shadows wade in, slithering across the floor on their own, blindly seeking their prey. Tobias’ checkered sneakers follow soon after, just a few feet short of the closet’s threshold. I am so close that I don’t need to turn my head to see them.

I clasp a hand over my mouth to stifle my whimper; the sound lost in his steady tune.

Tobias shuffles his feet, turning and walking away, his song fading with every step. I lean forward, watching him disappear into the bathroom, his steps loud against the tile.

This is my chance to escape, to put distance between us.

I push up onto my feet, watching for Tobias’ shadow in the light of the bathroom, then turn towards the hallway.

The humming stops and I only make it two steps before strong arms wrap around my middle, lifting me up and flattening me against his chest like I weigh nothing at all.

“There you are, my little doe,” Tobias growls in my ear, the cool wood edge of the hockey mask pressing against my neck as he breathes me in.

My little doe.The phrase echoes in my thoughts on a loop, a warm blush spreading across my chest.His.I want it to be true. I have never wanted anything so badly in my life.

“What is the safe word?’ He asks.

"Olive," I murmur, arching my back into him.

“Good girl.”

A flustered giggle dies in my throat as he carries me back into the bedroom and tosses me onto the bed.

I roll over, bracing myself on my forearms, and Tobias catches my ankle with an iron grip.

“You thought you could get away from me,” he lifts the mask off with one hand and tosses it aside, his red eyes glowing in the faint moonlight. A crown of jagged shadows that resemble antlers, sit atop his head, his dark hair tousled and wild from the rain.

Tobias exhales a ragged breath, his eyes rake down mybody as a lupine grin stretches across his face, revealing the tips of his sharp teeth.

“Fuck,” I gasp.

“You are so beautiful,” he tilts his head.

He lets go of my leg, his hand going to the back of his collar. With one swift movement, he pulls off his shirt and tosses it aside. I follow his hand down to his jeans as he undoes the first button, one handed and drags the zipper down. Stepping out of his jeans, he crawls onto the bed in his dark navy boxer briefs, the outline of his cock pressing against his leg.

I move back towards the headboard in time with his advances.

A growl escapes through his clenched teeth. He fists the waistband of my black shorts in his hand, tugging me down closer to him.

I yelp as my back hits the mattress, and he furrows his brows, his predatory gaze slipping. If I blinked, I would have missed it.

He yanks my shorts down over my hips and across my thighs, tossing them onto the floor while shadow tendrils slip beneath my damp shirt, until it bunches above my breasts. He pulls it the rest of the way over my head, leaving me beneath him in my red bralette and black panties, my legs splayed wide between his hips.

Tobias stops, looking for something.

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