Page 32 of Moon Bound

“Then get in here and start earning it,” I tut, dragging him back inside and pushing a bottle of shower gel into his hands. Chuckling, Jaxon obeys. He obeys me for hours, massaging the length of my body, fondling my breasts, and kissing me passionately until I deem him fully forgiven.

Chapter20

Chase

Cracking my neck side to side, I stretch and bounce on my sneakers. The four of us are standing in front of the rear gymnasium doors, trying not to fidget. The entire population of the castle has squeezed into the training space this morning, going against our usual sleep pattern to attend.

Dressed in baggy gym wear, I share looks with my brothers and Carrick, the buttmunch at the far end of the starting line. He ignores us, a brute of cropped dark hair, bulging muscles, and ignoble intentions. He doesn’t stand a chance of winning this final round. The fact that the king has allowed myself, Torsten, and Jaxon, to participate shows Carrick can’t be trusted to take over the kingdom. His presence is merely a checkbox exercise, but the moon knows one of us three will be walking away victorious.

Lorcan decided to be present for this final event in his twisted trials. I reckon that has more to do with the fact we were escorted from Aspen’s suite, and she’s been given top-of-the-range security for the past week to keep us away. It’s funny how the tables have turned, from her only being trusted under our protection to now stealing glances at the audience just to see her. But I understand – we took more than should have been on offer. The critical thing to remember, and what I argued with Lorcan until he slammed the door in my face, is that it was ‘on offer.’ Aspen may hide behind her attitude, but she’s fallen for each of us, and I won’t hear any different.

Vampires grumble at our backs, uncomfortable with the sun sitting above the UV-protected dome. Their eyes are not used to the brightness like the soldiers. State-of-the-art gym equipment has been moved into a different part of the castle to allow room for the extra bodies, considering none of us are exactly small. Even the females have been huddled in the corner, barely separated by a red rope. Mirrors span the opposite wall, reflecting the light I’ve become accustomed to. We train in here every day prior to sunset, more so within the past week. Exercise is my go-to. It’s the only time I don’t feel so contained, like an animal stuck in a cage.

Only now, that’s exactly how I feel. Especially with a fully suited Lorcan on his fucking velvet throne, which he insisted on having carried in, just to take up extra precious space for the others to squeeze around. A pretentious move from a male we all know is slipping. Murmurs pass between those standing behind him, impatiently waiting for the game to begin. They’re not the only ones.

“A reminder of the rules,” Nealon unravels a scroll as if he couldn’t have memorized them beforehand. “In preparation for today's event, a flag has been hidden deep within the forest inside the protective wall. One single rose has been placed alongside as a favor to the princess. Both must be retrieved and returned in order to be named the victor,” Nealon nods, wrapping the scroll neatly. “And all is to be completed during daylight hours.”

I groan, edging a step back from the double doors barring me from burning to death. A large digital clock placed at the top of the rock-climbing wall shows we have less than a minute left to prepare. Deep breaths Chase, you’ve got this. All I have to do is run at my absolute top speed, literally smell the roses, retrieve the flag and get back before all of my skin has melted from my bones. Simple.

The clock ticks down to zero, and a claxon vibrates through the entire vampire territory. One side of the automatic doors opens remotely from a control panel at the back of the gym, the warmth of outside slamming into me like a boulder. I wouldn’t have heard the collective intake of breath over the ringing in my ears if it hadn’t been made by every single being in the room, quickly followed by the shuffle of feet trying to get as far from the door as possible. This is it. One mini step forward, and I’d be surrendering myself to my execution.

“Wait, don’t do this!” Aspen suddenly cries through the murmuring crowd. The following grunts sound like a struggle, but I can’t let myself hang around to see. Aspen’s a tough girl, she can take care of herself. The others hesitate, but I’m not waiting a second longer for the line of sunlight on the floor to get any closer to my sneakers, my skin already beginning to sizzle just from the heat.

Shooting forward first, I am completely unprepared for the pain which instantly assaults me. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before, the sun directly overhead, leaving me with nowhere to hide. The full, unhindered brightness blinds me as I squint against the assault searing its way through my retinas. Covering my eyes with my hand, I push my legs at top speed, jumping a hurdle I know is there from memory and racing for the cover of the forest ahead.

I’m under the lush green canopy within seconds, although it provides little relief. The sun’s rays pierce through the gaps in the branches, turning the forest into a laser field rather than the serene woodland I was expecting. I don’t waste time trying to dodge the spears of light, my skin bubbling and blistering already.

I keep moving, blurring around trunks, concentrating on my senses as best I can. The smell of burning flesh is overpowering, and a blister pop next to my right ear. Wetness trickling down my shoulder in a thick river of pus gives little reassurance that I’m going to survive this.

Without slowing, I rely on my instincts to guide me through the forest, my sight beginning to fail me. I crash into a trunk, agony slicing through my torso as hysteria sets in. My mind drifts from my pointless existence to marveling at the blurred colors of a fox I shoot past. Skidding to a stop, I’m stunned by the vibrance of its fur coat. Never have I seen anything quite like it, even if my vision is fuzzy. A twig snapping nearby causes him to scatter away, my competitor closing in.

There are no friendships out here. I’m suffering and dying, all in name of taking Aspen as a mate. I thought I could give this win to Jaxon, relying on him to repay the favor, but some things changed. As a point of pride, I want her to look upon me as her champion after a week of pining from a distance.

Slapping myself across the face, I inhale deeply and will myself to focus. That’s the pain talking. My body has officially entered fight or flight mode, to the point that I can’t remember what I’m even looking for. I lean briefly against a large oak tree, soaking in the shade as I take a few deep breaths. After a few gulps of air that I curse for not being some sort of balm to my skin, the faintest, sweetest scent reaches me. Much like…a rose! My feet start to move before my mind can catch up. Sharply turning left, I narrowly avoid another thick trunk as the scent grows more potent. Small stones along the dirt path barely react to the swift movements of my feet. A rumbling waterfall calls to me, my body begging to feel the soothing liquid, but there’s no time.

All I can do is keep moving.

My skin is taunt, becoming an irritating combination of itchy and don’t-you-dare-touch-me. I fly to a stop at the water’s edge, almost falling in as confusion rakes through me. The scent here is strong yet fleeting until I turn my attention to the waterfall across the pool of glistening water. If I dive in, I know in my heart I won’t resurface. I’ll take the easy out, hiding within the icy cold water until sunset. And if I do that, I might as well move to shifter camp and declare myself a pack whore.

Rounding the water bank, I dive through the waterfall, hoping there isn’t a solid wall of rock to greet me on the other side. The relief of cold water dousing my skin and the darkness of the cave behind it makes me whimper, like a dog who’s finally had his cone removed and can lick its mangled manhood.

Beneath my sneakers, a bed of colored rose petals, ranging from the deepest red to the palest pinks, is just barely visible as my eyes begin to adapt to the darkness I’m accustomed to. At the back of the cave, a blood-red flag is hanging from a groove within the rock.

Clever little spot they’ve found here, using the powerful speed of cascading water outside to cover most of the flowery scent while giving us a small amount of time to recover.

Rolling my wrists, I refrain from looking at the damage lining my body, already knowing it’s not a sight I’ll be able to forget. My thoughts turn to my brothers, wondering where they are and what state they’re in. I had the sixth sense that someone else was close, surely, they’d have arrived by now. Treading carefully over the petals, an idea sparks to life. I’ll wait here, giving the three of us a chance to feed on each other, recover and return, all holding the flag. Three victors. Three mates, as if our hybrid princess deserves any less.

A body crashes through the water, rolling across the cave floor. The pervasive scent of crimson-streaked, raw, boiling flesh and bursting boils causes me to cringe. Covering my nose with the back of my hand, I brave a second look at the aggravated cysts spreading across his face, using his tattoos to identify him. I kneel, careful not to touch the Vamp before me.

“Carrick, are you”- a fist connects with my jaw so fast, I didn’t anticipate it. His pale brown eyes begin to glow as he snarls at me, throwing his shoulder into mine with a roar of anguish and lunging for the flag. Recovering quickly, I catch his ankle, digging my nails into his bubbled skin and yanking him backward. Carrick crashes into the floor, yelling in pain as I shoot up and pick the flag from the stone holding it. Stuffing the material into my pants, I boot him in the ribs and leave him on the floor, wheezing. He’ll be fine, he has enough shade to wait out the day whilst healing.

I, however, will not be waiting around for him to keep trying to steal this stupid piece of fabric from me all day. Scooping up two handfuls of rose petals, I fill my shorts pockets and, with a quick bounce of my heels to gear myself up for another round out in the open, I jump through the waterfall.

Maybe this time…nope, it’s not any easier the second time around. I take the shortest route back to the castle, jumping over fallen branches and boulders as I go. The pain is unbearable, my teeth gritting as a tear escapes the corner of my eye. Sizzling as the salty liquid slides down my cheek, a hint of steam temporarily fogs my vision. I bet that scars permanently, damn it.

Pumping my arms faster and legs harder, I’m almost at the forest's edge when a groan catches my ear. I don’t slow as I turn my head to the side and see a body slumped against a large, mossy tree trunk. His features aren’t visible beneath the oozing yellow of his flesh. A rancid scent of burning flesh assaults my nostrils a second later. I don’t even think about what I’m doing as my legs turn towards him, and I bend low, heaving Torsten over my protesting shoulder, and keep moving. He’s a heavy fucker like the rest of us, and my back is screaming in protest. But leaving him behind was never an option.

“Come on, big guy. Let’s get you back home,” I mumble incoherently. Far,farin the future, I’m going to make it my mission to remind Torst how I saved his ass like a saucy fireman every time I see him. I just need him to hold on for a few more seconds while I get us across the last leg of this death trap and back into the safety of the shadows.

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