Page 105 of Ensnared

Chapter25

Eden

Survivaltip #267

Ifyou’re hunting big game,

make sure you don’t get gored.

Theforest vibrates with life.Sundapples the thick undergrowth as it twitches with scurrying animals.Birdstrill to one another, darting from branch to branch.Spottinga particularly dry patch of leaves,Icorrect whereI’mabout to place my foot and silently thankBeaufor thinking to bring me supple leather boots among the multitude of lingerie.They’resoft and silent and offer me far more protection than my last pair of shoes.Mypoor foot has only just recovered from treading on that stone.

Ishouldn’t be out here at all, really.IknowIshouldn’t.Butdespite all the quite reasonable conversationsI’vehad with myself this morning,Istill find myself trackingDomandBeauthrough the woods while they make their way to the broken cameras.Dom’smain argument against me coming today was thatIcouldn’t keep up.AllI’mdoing is proving them wrong.

Right?

It’stoo late to turn back now, anyway.It’sbeen hours, after all.Imay not be a gun-toting hard-ass with buns of steel, butIam a useful person.I’lltrack them to the cameras, surprise them with my apparently shocking ability to keep myself alive for a few hours in the forest, impress them with my stealth, and then help them to fix the cameras.

Orwatch them fix them.

Tobe fair,Ireally can’t help with repairing wildlife cameras.

Ican’t delude myself entirely... this will probably end very badly for me.Eitherone of them could snap me like aKitKat—and gobble me up just as fast too.

Butafter they get over being pissed, maybe they’ll be impressed?

Maybe?

Oh, their stupid muscles and stupid smiles and stupid kisses are making me stupid.I’mgoing to be in so much trouble.

Forthe third time in as many minutes,Istudy the ground.Thetrees.Itisn’t easy.They’veleft far less trace than most game.Still, they’re two large men, and no skill in the world can completely disguise the impressions of their boots.Smallleaves have been crushed with a heel here, a slide of dirt there.Makinga decision,Ipush on to follow a few bent twigs.

MaybeIshouldn’t be testing them so much.It’sonly been two weeks, after all, andDomdid make some major concessions last night.Iprobably should have waited, followed the agreed pace.

Butthe truth is, they terrify me.

I’mscared to death thatI’mgoing to wake up one morning and all of that independenceI’veworked so hard for, all of that self-worth, will just vanish in a cloud of mindless orgasms.Thatthey’ll tell me whatIwant to hear, andI’llstart nodding along likeIalways do and just find myself the pampered princess they’ve been treating me as.

Ineed more than that.

Idon’t want to be defined by whoIam to them—Idid that with my husband and that was a disaster.Ineed to be an equal.Free.Ineed to be defined by whoIwant to be.

AndIwant to be like this.Freeand wild and brave and settled in the forest.It’sso good to be back out among the trees.

I’vebeen following them since dawn, and the sun is high in the sky now.Pastnoon, certainly.SurelyLuckyhas found my note by now—Ileft it in the kitchen, and he never stays out of there for more than a few hours.Evenafter my little white lies to the three of them, that will clear things up.Ihope they aren’t too worriedI’mgone.

AndIreallyhope they don’t come after me.

Abruptly, a rough, masculine voice snaps an order ahead of me.It’sfar enough through the thick brush thatIcan’t make out what he said, butIknow it’sDom.Satisfactionand pure nerves crash through my veins, andItake a deep breath to settle myself.

Ishould call out,Iknow.Letthem knowI’mhere.Butthe hunt is almost... thrilling.Iwonder just how closeIcan get beforeI’mdiscovered.WhyI’mcraving that look of shock onDom’sface,Ihave no idea, butIwant it badly.Iwant that smug confidencegone.

Slowly, and as carefully asIcan manage,Iease my way through the trees, slipping behind anything that will hide me asImove forward.

Keeplow, stay steady, and watch your damn feet,Eden.

Ina few minutes,Ican hear them.They’renot making much noise, but definitely more than me.Afew minutes after that,Icatch glimpses of them through the trees.They’rewearing theirArmyuniforms, to my surprise, andIcan only see them because they’re moving so purposefully.

“This... it... fine...”

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