Page 13 of Fall

Before I can think further, Val shows me that he absolutely can. His lips brush against mine, teasing me as he tastes every desperate grab for air that he can from me. He nips at my lower lip and tugs on it with a low growl, his fingers still so fucking tight. Suddenly he releases the pressure on my throat, though he doesn’t remove his hands, and I finally manage to suck in much needed oxygen as I sag against the tree.

I don’t see it coming when Val takes advantage of my somewhat relaxed stance. Maybe I should’ve, and my oxygen deprived brain just isn’t noticing everything it should in this state. One hand leaves my throat, gripping my jaw, and he yanks my face up toward him before crushing his lips to mine.

A low growl leaves him, vibrating against my tongue, and when I answer with a soft whine, he eats it up with pleasure. Belatedly, I realize I’m still gripping his wrists, so my arms are nearly crushed between us with how hard Val is pressed against me, keeping me in place.

Keeping metrapped.

“I could devour you happily. Every part of you, until there’s nothing left but bones.” His voice is soft against my ear, but the words send a full body tremble through me that possibly isn’t just from the terror. Though I’m definitely terrified by that statement, and it makes me wonder if Val is a fucking cannibal or just royally fucked up.

“But I don’t want to kill you,” he goes on, still ignoring the dig of my nails into his wrists. “If I kill you, then this is all over. You won’t get to beours, and I won’t have every opportunityto remind you of how much I want you whenever I want, and whenever you need.”

“Y-you’ve sort of ruined that,” I gasp against his lips. Val pulls away to look at me quizzically, and I bite down on my lip as my head spins, still a little off from the oxygen deprivation. “If I get away from you two, Ineverwant to see you again.” I try to put as much commitment into the words as I can, and I hold his gaze as I throw the words at Val.

But he just looks at me, the questioning look becoming amusement as he twists his hand away from one of mine. “Is that what you think will happen, Noa? You think you can so easily escape the consequences of your actions? Princess, you’ve been ours from the moment you showed up at our Haunt instead of Grim Descent and refused to leave. Oh, we tried and tried to make you get the message. We really did.”

He pauses to turn my hand over in his, finding the scrapes and cuts from rocks and bark. “I didn’t take you for being clumsy.” There’s disapproval in his voice, like I injured myself on purpose.

“It’s dark! I don’t know these woods!” I gasp indignantly. “And by the way?” I flex my fingers, though he doesn’t let go. “Why didn’t you tell me about the trail cameras before I agreed to this?”

Slowly, expectantly, Valentin turns his gaze up to mine to gaze at me balefully. It takes me a few moments to realize why, and it makes me feel sostupidabout all of this.

“Because it was on purpose,” I murmur, answering my own question. Val takes his phone out of his pocket and shines the light at my palm, revealing the smeared stains of blood and raw spots to his eye. None of it is serious, and I curl my fingers against my palm just to deny him what I can. “You wanted me to do this, didn’t you?” Jerking away from his grip as he puts the phone back into his pocket, I shove against Val’s chest as hard asI can when my eye catches the shape of something tucked into his pocket. “You wanted me to pick this option. For me to run from you so you could chase me.You lied to me!”

“Lied is a strong word. You didn’t ask me anything about what might be out here. I thought you would. You’re sosmart, Noa,” Val praises as he leans in again to cradle my face in his hands. “You’re so good at escaping, at finding a way out. I thought for sure you’d do something I didn’t expect.”

“Something you don’t expect?” I drop my fingers from his wrists, holding my hands at my sides. My fingers are numb with cold and my hand aches from my falls, but I’m not done. I’m certainly not beaten, and most importantly, I am no one’sprey. “I can give it my best shot, though.”

Without warning I lunge forward so our bodies are pressed together with his forearms awkwardly pinned to my shoulders. My left hand goes out to find his pocket, and when he realizes what I’m doing, he snarls and yanks away from me.

But he’s not quick enough. I manage to palm the knife just as he jerks back, and when he reaches down to check for it, a self-satisfied grin curls over my lips. “What do you think?” I ask, pulling the small hunting knife out of its sheath and holding it out between us. I toss the leather case back to him, and to my surprise, he catches it even in the dim moonlight. “Was this unexpected enough?”

“You’ll hurt yourself, princess,” Val warns me slowly with his hands up and fingers splayed. But he doesn’t try to step toward me. He just waits, and I wish I could see his expression more clearly to figure out if he’s serious, amused, or afraid.

Though I definitely doubt he’s anywhere near terrified of me. Even with a knife.

“You mean I’ll hurtyou,” I correct as I sidestep the tree trunk with my heart pounding loudly in my ears. “I have no intentionsof hurting myself, trust me. I’ve put way too much work into getting away from you for two damn nights in a row.”

When he opens his mouth to reply, I decide to do something he hopefully really won’t expect. I whirl around and stumble into a run, not caring about what’s on the ground and hoping that somehow, by some miracle, I don’t trip over something.

I make it all of five steps before Kieran steps out from behind a large tree and effortlessly catches my hand that’s holding the knife. He drags me to him, ignoring my howl of protest, and twists me so I can’t stab him as I kick at his legs in an attempt to get him off of me.

“I’m done chasing for the night, Val,” he informs the other man. “Stop letting her take your knives. Andyou”—he looks down at me, disapproval heavy on his face and in the twist of his lips as he frowns—“don’t be a child. Running with a knife out here in the dark is a very quick way to impale yourself when you fall. It’s irresponsible.” Before I can stop him, he wrestles the knife away from me, then shoves me staggering backwards.

Right into Val’s grip that encircles my waist and shoulders.

“I’m going to reset some of the cameras that were off,” Kieran remarks casually. “So you can have your fun with yourprey.” He looks over me as he says it. “But I did just as much as you, so when I get back, she’s mine.”

“You’ll have to ask nicely,” Val snaps, baring his teeth in a feral expression of possessiveness.

Kieran just fixes him witha look, refusing to justify the taunt with an answer. Then he slides the blade into the back of his jeans while pinning me with his glare. “You won’t like testing me like you do him. It’s mine now, and it’ll stay mine. Besides…”—he tilts his head, a humorless smirk on his face—“I don’t think you’ll have enough time to come up with a plan to get away from him and get the knife from me. You’ll be too busy withhim.” Henods at Val, then without another word, he pivots with his phone out and walks away from us and into the woods.

“You’re awful,” I hiss, when he’s out of sight. “You’re literally—” Val spins me around mid-sentence, prompting me to gasp reflexively. But before I can stop him, I’m once again pinned to the tree by my throat. “Stop!” I shriek, frustrated and terrified and ignoring how my body reminds me we’ve discovered a new kink.

But now is certainly not the time for awkward realizations about myself, no matter how hot Val is or how hot my blood in my veins is as it roars in my ears.

“Stop?” he parrots, leaning in close to me so our bodies are pressed together. “You chose this. You knew the consequences of not outrunning us. Poorthing,” he purrs. “My poor, feral princess. Besides, I did you a favor by ending your escape.” He grabs the front of my hoodie and twists to pull me onto my tiptoes, his face illuminated by moonlight so I can see his smirk.

“Why’s that?” I demand, my hands grabbing at his wrist.

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