Page 54 of Hunting Harbor

A shiver runs down my spine.

"You knew me before I knew you," I say. Not a question.

"I've known you for a very long time, Harbor." He finally moves, taking one calculated step into the room, then another. I force myself to stand my ground, even as every cell in my body vibrates with the instinct to flee. Not from danger… but toward something I've secretly craved.

"All those times I felt like someone was watching me..." I swallow hard. "That was you."

He nods once, his eyes never leaving mine. "Always me."

I should be disgusted. I should be calling the police. I should be looking for a weapon. But my mind keeps returning to those pages in my journal, the ones where I'd written my most secret fantasies. The ones where I'd described in explicit detail what it might feel like to be hunted, caught, claimed. Had he read those too? Of course he had.

Kairo takes another step closer, and now he's near enough that I can smell him. Pine and earth and something that makes my head spin and my pussy ache. My heart hammers against my ribs so hard I'm certain he can hear it.

"Should I run?" I whisper, looking up at him as he watches me with intense curiosity.

He steps closer, his tall frame blocking the light from the doorway. His presence is overwhelming, consuming all the oxygen in the room. I have to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact with him.

"No," he says, his voice dropping an octave, sending another surge of heat through my body.

Something shifts in the air between us—a decision made, a line crossed. I've spent my whole life being careful, being appropriate, being what everyone expected of me. But here, in this cabin, with this man who's seen every broken, twisted piece of me and still wants me... here, I can finally be honest about what I truly want.

A slow smile spreads across my face, and I watch as Kairo's pupils dilate in response.

"I just want to run..." I say, my voice breathy in the silence, "knowing you will catch me."

His nostrils flare slightly, the only indication that my words have affected him. Then, his lips curl into a dangerous smile that makes my knees weak.

"Then run, baby, run." The words are a growl, low and promising.

For one suspended moment, we remain perfectly still, our eyes locked in silent communication. Everything that's happened between us, every touch, every confession, every dark desire, has led to this moment. This is who we really are. This is what we've both been waiting for.

I take a step backward, then another, maintaining eye contact with him. His body tenses, like a wolf preparing to spring. Theenergy between us is electric, charged with something beyond simple desire. This transcends normalcy. Ancient. This is the original dance between predator and prey, but with a twist that makes my blood sing—I want to be caught. I've always wanted to be caught.

"Give me a head start?"

Kairo inclines his head slightly, a magnanimous gesture from a predator confident in his ability to track me down no matter how far I run. "Three minutes," he says. "Then I'm coming for you."

I dart past time and toward the door, turning my body so I’m angled and can see him clearly, unwilling to turn away from him just yet. The folders and photographs lie scattered between us—physical evidence of his obsession with me. Evidence that should horrify me but instead makes me feel seen in a way I've never experienced before.

"What if I get away?" I challenge, one hand on the doorframe.

His laugh is dark and rich, sending shivers down my spine. "Remember what I said, Harbor? You won’t be living a life where I’m not in it."

The certainty in his voice makes my thighs clench together, a rush of heat pooling between them.

"Three minutes," I repeat, and then I turn and flee.

Behind me, I hear Kairo begin to count.

Epilogue

Harbor

Myfeethittheforest floor like a wild thing born to flee, breath tearing from my lungs in ragged gasps that echo in my own ears. I kick off my shoes three strides in, the soft moss and loamy soil better navigated by bare feet that can feel the earth's contours. Adrenaline floods my system, making everything sharper—the golden light filtering through pine needles, the scratch of branches against my skin, the thundering of my own heart as I plunge deeper into the woods. This isn't fear. This is fucking freedom.

I dart between the pines, their rough bark occasionally scraping my arms as I weave through the increasingly dense forest. The path that seemed so gentle and welcoming on my daily walks now feels wild and unpredictable. Roots rise from the ground like gnarled fingers seeking to trip me, but I dance over them, instinct guiding my steps as I push farther and farther away from the cabin.

Twilight is descending, the forest transforming around me. What was dappled gold becoming lavender and blue, shadows lengthening as the sky opens and the stars come out. The air grows cooler, sliding against my flushed skin as I run.

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