Page 95 of The Hunt

The four of us hurried over to the hatch. Nathan yanked it open, and we all climbed down into the shelter.

The moment my feet hit the floor, my whole body sagged with relief. The underground space was small but solid, with sturdy walls and a low ceiling that gave it an almost cozy feel. There wasn’t any food, apart from what was left in my backpack, but there was plenty of water and, best of all, there was a small basin and toilet tucked into the corner in a cubicle.

My breath hitched when I saw the makeshift bathroom, and for the first time in hours, I felt a flicker of satisfaction. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d washed away the sweat and dirt; the last time I’d felt truly clean.

The others busied themselves with washing and drying off before eating the leftover rations I spread out on the floor for the four of us to share. I cleaned myself up last, ate a small packet of crackers, and curled up in the corner for a nap.

I knew I wouldn’t get much rest, given the way my mind was racing—cycling through every death I’d witnessed and every possible ambush that might be waiting for me next—but I knew I had to try anyway, or I simply wouldn’t have the energy to go on.

Somehow, I managed to get two whole hours of sleep, but then I was suddenly awake again, mind racing as crazily as ever. The others were all fast asleep on the floor, getting what was probably the first safe rest they’d had in the last two days.

I slipped on my shoes and crept quietly up the steps to the hatch, being careful not to rouse anyone. Seeing as I was wide awake now, I figured it was a good idea for me to check the weather outside and plan accordingly. If it was still stormy and pouring with rain, we were going to have a bad evening ahead of us.

When I pushed the hatch open and climbed out, the cold bit into me instantly. The rain had stopped, thankfully, but the island was now cloaked in a heavy fog, thick enough to obscure the nearest trees. Tendrils of it snaked through the forest, clinging to the ground like a ghostly blanket.

I stood there for a moment, rubbing my arms as I gazed out into the eerie stillness. The fog looked scary, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it could be useful. Sure, we wouldn’t be able to see hunters coming… but they wouldn’t be able to see us either.

A sudden pang of hunger gnawed at my stomach, and I let out a sigh as I remembered that I’d shared the last of my food with Nathan, Chiara, and Craig earlier. It was the right thing to do, because none of them had eaten in so long, but damn… I’d kill for another muesli bar right about now.

“Probably not the best choice of words for that thought process,” I muttered to myself under my breath as a mix of guilt and shame streaked through me.

I still couldn’t understand how or why I’d survived so long while the others around me dropped like flies. I was no survival expert, and I hadn’t even gotten a chance to practice before I arrived on the island, seeing as I never signed up for this damn game in the first place.

It was like I had a guardian angel watching over me… but I had no idea what a guardian angel was doing down here in the pits of hell.

I glanced toward the cabin on the other side of the clearing, half-shrouded in fog. I knew it was locked, but I figured there could be some supplies inside that we’d missed earlier. After all, we’d been so desperate to get out of the rain that none of us had thought of looking through the windows or checking for alternate ways in. We’d simply tried the door, freaked out upon finding it locked, and then bolted to the hatch.

Maybe a loose board or an unlocked window would give me a way in. My stomach growled again, urging me to try. Desperation could make even the most hopeless ideas seem worth a shot.

I slowly crept toward the small building, staying low just in case. The fog around me seemed to thicken with every step, chilling me to the bone, but I was grateful for it anyway, knowing it was keeping me hidden from any nearby hunters even though I was in the middle of a clearing.

Once I made it up to the front of the cabin, I quietly tried the closest window, grunting with irritation when I found it locked.Dammit.I scanned the wall beside it for any sign of an opening—a crack in the wood that I could widen, or a loose board—but there was nothing.

With a sigh, I headed over to the other side to check there instead.As I rounded the corner, I froze.

There, leaning against the cabin wall, his eyes locked on mine, was Rhett.

23

Everly

My pulse hammeredin my ears as I took a shaky step back. “You… you can’t be here,” I said, my voice trembling. “This is a safe zone.”

Rhett pushed off the wall and tilted his head, the faintest smirk curling his lips. “Wrong,” he said. His voice was low and smooth, laced with menace. “The safe zone is underground. Remember?”

Shit.He was right. In all my panic, I’d forgotten the cabin wasn’t part of it.

My breath caught in my throat and my legs nearly gave out beneath me. “Please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “Don’t hurt me.”

Rhett closed the distance between us in a swift, deliberate step and spun me around. Before I could react, my back hit the wall of the cabin, the wood cold against my already-damp clothes.

His hand shot out, gripping my shoulder, while the other brought a knife up to my throat. The sharp edge of the blade pressed against my skin, not hard enough to cut but enough to make my breath hitch.

“But you like it when I hurt you,” he said. His voice was low and menacing, eyes burning with predatory intensity. “Don’t you?”

I swallowed hard, averting my eyes.

With a swift motion, he moved the knife right under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Answer me, princess,” he growled.

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