Page 76 of The Hunt

A hunter was moving toward the cabin from the same direction that Nikki and I had just come from. He must’ve been right behind us all along. Either he hadn’t spotted us before now, or he had and felt like toying with us, like a cat playing with its food to scare it stiff before it finally moved in for the kill.

He wore full camouflage—dark green, brown, and black—and he was tall and broad-shouldered, body packed with muscle. But it was his mask that really caught my attention. Black with silver details; a menacing skull design that covered his face completely.

As he approached the blue line at the edge of the safe zone, he stopped short. Clearly, and very surprisingly, the hunters actually respected the rules despite their total psychopathy. Or at least this one did.

I kept staring at him, heart racing as a jolt of recognition hit me.

The logical part of my mind knew that I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, not with the mask covering his face. But from the way he carried himself, the way his muscles tensed as he surveyed the area, and the way his presence seemed to make the air hum with undeniable tension… I was certain anyway.

It was Rhett.

17

Rhett

I leanedagainst a tree at the edge of the clearing, far enough to stay hidden in the shadows but close enough to see the cabin. My pulse was pounding, but it wasn’t from exertion. It was the thrill. The anticipation.

I’d missed Everly again. Just by a minute this time.

On purpose, of course.

I sucked in a deep breath, tilting my head back to let the cool air settle over my overheated skin. Every part of me was buzzing, the kind of rush I hadn’t felt in years. The thrill of the hunt was addictive enough… but this? This was something else entirely.

I could’ve caught Everly already. Twice today, I’d had her in my sights, close enough to call out, to make her look back and see me standing there. I could still picture her wide, frightened eyes, that delicious blend of defiance and fear flickering in them. But I’d let her go both times, holding back when I could’ve acted, because this wasn’t just a hunt for me. It was a game I wanted to savor.

I crouched, pretending to adjust the laces on my boots as my eyes swept the clearing beyond the safe zone border. The girls’ trail was obvious, even from here. They’d been careless as theyrushed for the safety of the cabin, leaving broken branches and disturbed leaves behind.

I ran a gloved hand over the dirt near the safe zone border, erasing the imprints with a casual sweep. Then I stood, glancing over my shoulder to ensure no one else was watching me.

I’d already checked this spot for one of the countless cameras rigged up in trees and other various places, and I knew I was standing in one of many ‘dead zones’ where nothing was visible on the monitors. But still… I had to be sure.

Once I was certain no one was watching me, I crouched and wiped away another sneaker print on the edge of the safe zone. I’d been doing this all day, covering the girls’ tracks whenever I came across them.

Earlier, one of the other hunters had stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as they studied the disturbed ground near a cluster of trees. I’d stepped in, feigning disinterest, and kicked a patch of leaves over the evidence.

“Nothing here,” I’d said, my tone clipped as I pointed westward. “It was just a deer. Saw it run away a second ago, right through there.”

The guy had grunted, shrugged, and moved on, not suspecting for a second that I was sabotaging him. Not suspecting that Everly and her little friend were lying flat on their bellies behind a shrub only ten yards away. But it was a close call. Too close.

Not as close as the incident with the fucking beach snipers, though. I was next to those four guys, pretending to partake, when in reality I was watching them carefully to ensure none of them aimed at Everly. One of them tried, and I ‘accidentally’ jostled him, blaming a fictitious gust of wind that had blown into my face. His bullet went wide, and Everly dashed into the forest with the other girl, safe for the time being. My fellow hunter waspissed, but he knew this was my first year in the Hunt, so he begrudgingly accepted my bullshit apology.

I flexed my fingers, my gaze narrowing as I scanned the cabin’s interior through the closest window. I could see Everly tipping her head back to down a bottle of water. She looked exhausted, scared… and goddamn gorgeous.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched her, one hand rubbing at my jawline. I knew I couldn’t keep protecting her forever. Not without raising suspicion. But the thought of someone else catching her, of someone else claiming what was mine…

My jaw clenched.Not happening.

She had no idea yet, but this entire game had shifted from its original premise the second I discovered she was in it. Every move she made, every decision, every step she took—I’d be there, just out of sight, watching her. Guiding her too, in my own way.

The thought brought a smirk to my lips as I stepped back into the shadows of the tree line. The others would probably kill me if they knew what I was doing, but they weren’t going to find out. I would stay one step ahead for as long as it remained possible, letting them waste their time chasing Everly—along with every other contestant—while I knew all along that they could never have her.

She was mine.

I glanced at my watch, the digital screen flickering to life with a faint blue glow. A quick tap pulled up the rankings. I was in first place, tied with an older society member named James Parker. Three kills each.

My jaw tightened as I mentally cataloged my kills, their faces and crimes flashing through my mind like a twisted slideshow.

The first had been a pedophile—some disgusting bastard who ran a site trafficking explicit images of kids. I’d taken theshot without a second thought, the rush of satisfaction lasting far longer than it probably should have.

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