Play Prey For Me

Ever Night
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Play Prey For Me
Copyright © 2023 by Ever Night.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This novel is entirely a
work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the
work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living
or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Note that this is a dark romance novella. Not intended for sensitive readers
looking for safety and sweet moments where healthy love is expressed
between the characters. This is also NOT a paranormal story.

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 1.

Danielle

Dragging my sulky ass into the coffee shop, I remove my sunnies before
scanning the area. My friend Kayla turns around, her face immediately
turning overexcited in an attempt to cheer me up.

“Hey,” she says, pulling me in for a big hug and she smells of hairspray,
“I didn’t think you’d come.”

I shrug. “Nope, here I am, showered and did my makeup and everything.”

“Good for you,” she grins and I manage to muster up a smile back, before
the two of us link arms. “This place is kinda full,” she mutters and I nod
because this coffee shop is one of the most popular in town and always
crowded.
 “Over there,” I murmur, “that gentleman’s just leaving.”

We hurry to grab our lattes and then sit down in a booth in the corner. I
drag a sigh, pulling my scarf off, while dreading this little girly chat
because I so do not want to talk about this. Kayla on the other hand is
studying HR so she’s probably just dying to know everything.

Leaning forward, she puts her chin in her palm. “Go on then,” she urges.
“Spill the coffee beans.” She sniggers, “Get it? Pun intended.”

“Very funny,” I roll my eyes before pouring sweetener into the latte and it
messes up the foamy heart. “Well...they basically,” I drag a deep breath,
“decided to fire me.”

Kayla’s face turns horrified and she gasps in shock. “What!” she screams,
nearly spitting her drink out and a snotty woman next to us watches us with
disdain. “I thought they were just going to give you some time off.”

“They were at first but then they changed their mind,” I squirm, “guess I
deserved it.”

“Listen to me carefully,” Kayla growls as sympathy shines in her eyes,

“you did not deserve that.”
 “Come on...that was totally inappropriate behavior and I get why they did
it.” I avert my gaze in embarrassment, shrugging my shoulders. “They said
I scared the patients, the staff...”

“Oh please,” Kayla says with an eye roll, “you’re 5.3 and probably weigh
as much as my Chihuahua. Those idiots were just trying to make you feel
bad.”

“I was screaming at them,” I say with some difficulty and I get red in the
face just thinking about it.

“So, you got a little emotional...big deal,” Kayla tries but I shake my
head.

“More like a full blown temper tantrum. They called security on me.”

“Shit,” Kayla mutters, finally getting the gravitas, “but I’m telling you,
you didn’t deserve it. You care about people that’s all.”

“Apparently I care too much,” I mutter, taking a big sip of my drink

before gazing out the window.

It happened a week ago. I was doing my usual thing as a nurse when I

found out that Mr. Bigget, one of my favorite patients was going to be
released. The man was in no position to leave the hospital, way too sick and
way too frail and without family to look after him but the hospital claimed
he was totally fine.

In reality they were just trying to get rid of him because of the extra
workload he was putting on the staff. It infuriated me and so I tried
reasoning with them. They refused to listen and the way they just turned
their backs on Mr. Bigget made me see red. I screamed at them that they
were coldhearted monsters, along with a couple of curse words thrown in
here and there.

“I just hate negligence,” I mutter. “Can’t stand it.” I wring my hands.

“And I mean...we’re supposed to help people in need and they didn’t give a
rat’s ass about him.” Sinking back in my chair, I cross my arms. “But I
guess they’re just humans, they have bad days, they’re overworked...”

“Are you kidding me?” Kayla blurts. “You’re defending those people
after everything they did.” She shakes her head as if scolding me and I feel
myself blush. “That compassion of yours needs to be reined in every once
in a while.”

Letting out a humorless laugh, I murmur, “I wasn’t always like this.”

“What are you talking about?” Kayla asks, simultaneously throwing a

look at her phone and inwardly I sigh.
 “Nothing.”

She nods, giving me her full attention again. “So, what are you going to
do now? Are you checking out any new hospitals?”

Doing a little grimace, I murmur, “Actually, I’m thinking about going

private.”

“Wow, yeah you totally should,” she encourages, cheering me up a little

before I slump again.

“Only problem is that the ones who checked my boxes aren’t hiring until
weeks. I kinda need something now and preferably in the state in case
things don’t work out.”

“Got it,” Kayla murmurs. “Just stay positive and patient and things will
come around.”

“Fingers crossed, right?”

“Fingers crossed,” Kayla replies, crossing her fingers. The movement

causes her to spill some of her drink on the table and she lets out a curse,
before grabbing a stack of napkins. “Whoa, what is that?” she says, midst
her cleanup.

“What is what?” I say in alarm, thinking she just saw an ex or something

but she’s looking down at the table, at a newspaper that someone must’ve
left behind and she sticks it under my nose.

“Look at that,” she says in an excited tone, poking at it and I frown,

reading,

Private Nurse Wanted.

The ground seems to shake because this is too good to be true. “What are
the freaking odds!”

“It’s because we crossed our fingers,” Kay squeals. “Read it, dammit!”

I hurry to read and the ad says the patient wants a nurse as soon as
possible. He’s wheelchair bound and needs help with pretty much
everything. The salary’s not bad either and I feel myself wanting to scream
from how good this sounds.

“Kayla, I just think I hit the jackpot,” I murmur but she’s frowning.
 “Hmm,,,yeah, it does sound good but this man...this Hunter Baudelaire,”
she says with a snobbish snort, “he lives out in Blackwood Lane.”

“So?”

“Duh, Blackwood’s practically out there in the woods. It’s an hour away
from here.”

Shaking my head, I murmur, “I don’t mind.”

“You should...I mean that man’s not going to do anything,” she coughs,
“considering he’s in a wheelchair....”

“Loving the tact,” I say, with a raised brow and she finishes,

“But someone else could come around and then you’ll be all alone out
there with an old dude in a wheelchair!”

“Calm your tits,” I snort, “judging by the salary he’s paying I’m sure he
has the best security system ever.” I flash Kayla a smile, rubbing my hands
together. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

“You better be, bitch. You’re my bestie.”

 “Bitch, you’re my bestie too,” I reply and we hug across the table. When I
pull back there’s a grin on my face and my eyes land on the ad again.

Blackwood...Blackwood...

And it reminds me of an eerie nursery rhyme that was read to me as a

child.

Fear the black woods for you will see that a Huntsman is hunting for thee.
He hides in the dark, he wants your heart, so close your eyes, he’s behind
you, waiting to tear you apart.

A shiver crawls down my spine. I don’t know why I came to think about
that old verse and I flash Kayla a smile when she asks if I’m alright. “I’m
great,” I nod, drinking the last of my latte before looking out the window.

I’m ready for a new beginning.

****

I spoke to Mr. Baudelaire over e-mail and he kindly (or desperately) hired
me on the spot. Two days ago, I was in that coffee shop waiting for a
miracle and now I’m sitting on the train, on my way to the unknown. The
train bumps and grinds, passing greenery and I’m one of the few passengers
left.

Toying with the zipper on my luggage, I start feeling a little bit nervous.
I’ve never worked privately for someone and I’m worried Mr. Baudelaire
and I won’t get along. I’m usually pretty likable but old people can be
cranky and I’ve had patients complain about wanting someone more mature
and more “reliable”.

If I’m lucky, Mr. Baudelaire will be the kind, gentle and grandfatherly
type and maybe we’ll even be great friends in the end. You never know with
strangers. I grab my luggage, exiting the train and even the air’s fresher and
crisper around here. I draw lungful’s, feeling a sense of soothing calm wash
over me.

Whatever Kayla thinks about Blackwood, she obviously forgot to mention

how peaceful it is and it’s a nice change from the city. Walking up a path
edged with fluffy bushes, I end up by a tiny wooden gate that leads to an
enormous garden. I keep walking until I see the manor and it’s breathtaking
in its lavish grandeur. Built in stone it sits in front of a lake, that’s as smooth
as a mirror and I gasp in awe when a bird lands, dipping its wing into the
water before flying up to the sky.

This place already feels like a dream and now I’m happy I jumped to the
opportunity.
 I turn my face to the manor and it has so many windows I’d lose count
from counting them all. I can’t imagine having a big place like this all to
yourself, but maybe Mr. Baudelaire has a ton of family who like to come
over and visit. Smoothing my hair and taking a quick check in my little
mirror to make sure I don’t have anything on my face, I walk up the wide
staircase in a confident stride.

Shoulders back and chin up. I’m going to do my job so well, that old Mr.
Baudelaire won’t even know what hit him.

A crow caws in a tree from somewhere inside the forest, causing an

annoying shiver down my spine but I ignore it, knocking with the lion head
knob and the sound booms and dooms. Clasping my hands in front of me, I
wait patiently...and then I wait some more. I’m not late, or early. He’s
expecting me but when nobody opens up, I try entering on my own.

It’s unlocked and I feel a little uncomfortable but it doesn’t stop me from
stepping inside. My shoes echo on the polished floors and the interior’s
dark, a little bit musky due to its historical age but still glamorous somehow
with deep green walls, black leather furniture and gothic portraits of men
and women.

“Hello?” I call because I can’t keep on barging in all over the place. “Mr.
Baudelaire?”
 There’s no reply and I bite my lips. Come on...Sighing, I decide to move
along on my own and I walk down the wide hallway, sliding my hand over
a marble bust before ending up in what has to the sitting room. It’s gorgeous
just like everything else, with a pompous fireplace but I frown a little when
I see an empty wheelchair by the black, velvet curtains.

Where is this mysterious man anyway?

I need to find him but I’m distracted by the ceiling. Its cupola shaped,
glassed and you can see the sky, which means it must look amazing during
stormy nights or when rain gently falls upon it. And when the sun pierces
through it....wow, I bet it looks like rays of gold and my lashes flutter at the
thought...

“Danielle Dubrow I presume?” a voice says behind me and I flinch,

squealing and swiftly turn around, facing a man, sitting in the wheelchair.
He’s dressed in dark clothes and his unusual eyes seem to pierce straight
through me. His hair is as black as a raven, parted on the side and then
slicked back, making him look both exclusive and polished.

But those eyes are anything but polished, they’re heavily lashed and one
eye is a golden brown while the other is a deep blue. And they seem to be
on fire.
 “Y...yes,” I stutter, “the nurse Mr. Baudelaire hired.” I drag a deep breath,
putting my hand on my heart to relax. “But who are you?”

He raises his dark brows. “Your new boss it seems.”

“No, you’re not.” Shock hits me hard and deep. “M... Mr. Baudelaire is
supposed to be old, he’s supposed to be an old man.”

This man looks like he hasn’t even hit his thirties.

“Says who?” he replies with a cocky smile. He reaches a hand out. “It’s
nice meeting you, Danielle. Call me Hunter.”

I take his hand in mine, shaking it swiftly. “Call me Dani.” I pull my hand
back then drag it through my hair before looking at him in confusion.
“Hope you don’t mind me asking, but where did you come from? That
wheelchair was empty when I walked in.”

A smile flashes on his face, causing my knees to slightly buck and I don’t
know why I’m having such a strong reaction to him. He laughs, tossing his
head back as if I just said the funniest thing. “First time someone’s ever
been bold enough to let me know I’m camouflaging with the furniture.“ He
winks at me. “It happens when you’re stuck to this thing.”
 He gives the wheel a clap with his hand but I’m mortified.

“Hunter, I’m really embarrassed now and really sorry,” I murmur. I can’t
believe I missed him. Does a person need to hold a sign for me to notice
them? “I blame it on my fascination with your house.”

“It was entirely my fault, I should’ve made myself known when you
walked inside.”

“Why didn’t you?” I ask, genuinely curious why someone would keep
quiet. I mean why spy like that...why observe a stranger?

Something obscure flashes in his hypnotic eyes. “I was speechless.”

My brows rise in question because I don’t understand what he’s talking

about but then it dawns on me. We’re both young and Hunter’s....calling
him good looking is an understatement and even if he’s debilitated, he’s still
a man. And what a man...there’s an intensity about him, a seductive danger
that doesn’t match the condition he’s in.

Inwardly I drag a breath. This is not my style. I don’t get romantically

involved with my patients and I’m never unprofessional. “You were?” I
murmur.
 He nods, almost melancholically. “People rarely visit me.”

Oh okay, so that was why. I release a breath, realizing I was getting

worked up over nothing. Firing a soft smile, I flay out with my hands, “Well
at last now you have me,” I add with a nervous laugh.

“Indeed.” That special look in his eyes flashes again and if I didn’t know
better I’d say that’s the kind of look a hunter gets when the prey walks right
into his trap. “I do have you now.”

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 2.

Hunter

Look at what managed to find its way to me. She’s dressed in a red,
oversized coat and combat boots soiled with the mud she stepped in on her
way here. Her face is beautifully welcoming, the eyes grey enough to
remind me of my childhoods’ moors and she has a mass of dark ginger hair
that ringlet down her shoulders.

She’s slim, so incredibly small and it makes me want to protect her but I
can’t tell her that; she’d throw one look at the wheelchair and laugh. Or
maybe she wouldn’t, she seems far too sympathetic to ever laugh at the less
fortunate and now I want to reach out and touch her again, if only to hold
her hand.

“Have you worked as a private nurse for a man before?” I ask and a
lopsided smile crosses her face.
 “Does it have to be a man?” she snickers but I don’t care if she worked
for women. “But no, you...you’re my first.”

Her cheeks tint as if she said something inappropriate and I’m forced to
steer my thoughts away from the depraved path they want to take me.

Stealing a look around the room, she adds, “You’re not alone here are
you? I mean...your former nurse is still lurking around somewhere, right?”

“Actually he left just an hour ago so to answer your question...yes, you

and I are alone out here.”

Nodding as if she doesn’t have a problem with that, she goes down on her
haunches before me in an attempt to meet me on my level but I hate it. It’s
belittling even though I’m sure she doesn’t mean it like that as she watches
me with only the utmost respect.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to get a little bit of information before we
proceed.”

She’s trying to build rapport and I tell her to go ahead.

 “How long...,” she whispers, her voice feather soft, “how long have you
been in the wheelchair?”

“Years.” I clear my throat. “I was in an accident.”

She nods as if wanting me to continue but I don’t and she accepts it with
professional warmth.

“Not going to press you for any details, because that would be rude.” Her
eyes fill with concern. “What do the doctors say? Do they think you’ll ever
be able to walk again or is it looking bleak?”

“Bleak but doctors don’t know everything. Besides I do have some

mobility, I can stand up for short moments if I need to.”

“I’m liking the attitude,” she says with a smile, the kind of smile she
might give a kid and I get a burning wish to rise and loom over her, show
her who the man is. She gets up from her position on the floor, adding, “I
take it you still think I’m a good fit?”

“Can’t imagine anyone else.”

A flattered sheen shines in her eyes and a thrill rips down my spine. I’m
pleased that she’s flattered, especially since she probably thinks a man like
me has nothing to offer her and yet she’s still grateful for my opinion. I’m
pretty flattered myself though, liking the notion that I have some influence
over her.

“Then I should probably unpack my stuff,” she murmurs, “mind showing

me to my room?”

“I’d be happy too.”

“You’re so polite,” she says before pinching her lip, “Hey Hunter...there’s
something we should get clear on first.”

I nod, letting her know I’m listening and suddenly she’s straightening her
shoulders and jerking her chin as if she’s trying to make herself look more
authoritarian and I stifle a laugh.

“I’m a nurse first and foremost,” she says in a firm tone, “which means I
don’t want you to see me as your roommate, friend or...anything more than
that.”

“Don’t worry, Danielle, I know the drill. “ I smile at her. “And I would
never abuse my power.”
 She looks impressed, crossing her arms as if she didn’t expect that and I
purr,

“Anything else you’re worried about?”

“Um yeah...but that can wait for later,” she mutters, pulling a stressed
hand through her hair. “Shall we?”

“Follow me.” I roll over the floor and she follows along and I’m grateful
as hell that she’s not attempting to push me. “You room is up on the third
floor...,” I begin but she cuts me off.

“Okay thanks, which door?” She’s already shooting for the staircase like a
little fox that wants to run, run and I grind my jaw before forcing myself to
relax.

“I was just about to show you.”

Her eyes widen in surprise. “But how...” She watches me as if she’s

expecting me to tell her that I think I can fly.

“There’s an elevator.”

“Right.” She shakes her head. “Of course there is, how silly of me.”
 I let out a smooth laugh, brushing her off and we step inside the elevator.
It’s small and I can tell Danielle’s uncomfortable being this close to her new
patient. She won’t look at me, clasping her hands in front of her while
acting as if she’s on a funeral. I on the other hand more than enjoy being
this close to her.

Her perfume’s potent in a confined place like this and it makes my lids
shudder. I’ve never scented something so appealing and my mouth waters.
“How old are you, Danielle?”

“Twenty-four.”

“You look younger,” I rasp and her eyes widen as if I just told her to get
naked. “If I didn’t know, I’d mistake you for a seventeen year old.”

A pale smile crosses her lips. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“They say there’s a reason for that,” I add and she looks at me in
confusion. “They say that people are stuck in the age that was most
significant to them.”

Looking down, she shifts as if suddenly nervous. “Yeah, well nothing

significant happened to me when I was seventeen so...,” she says abruptly
before tuning impatient. “Are we there yet, or what?”
 I chuckle. “Sorry, I know it’s slow.”

When the elevator finally stops, she gets out before me and she seems
relieved but there’s a pink tint on her face that wasn’t there before and her
breaths are rapid. I pretend to not notice, rolling farther down the hall until I
come at a stop and open up the door.

Danielle, clasps a hand over her mouth, walking inside as if this is

museum of art. “Hunter, this is stunning.” She looks at me in awe. “I can’t
believe I’ll be staying here.”

“It’s all yours,” I rasp hoarsely. It’s the prettiest room in the house, too
feminine for me but for her it’s perfect. My eyes lower, watching the way
her hand strokes the duvet and a thirst bubbles up in my throat. “Danielle?”

“Yes?” She lets out a sigh. “And please I told you to call me Dani.”

“Dani doesn’t suit you,” I rasp and she frowns a little as if she’s not sure
how she feels about my refusal. “You said you were worried about
something else. What?”

“Oh um...,” she murmurs, turning red in the face and she looks out the
window while my eyes keep lingering on her back. “Not to make this
awkward, but do you have someone who comes around and helps with the
hygiene?”

“Thought that was your job.”

She starts stuttering, turning around and she’s more embarrassed about
this than I am and I interrupt her.

“Haven’t you dealt with these things before?”

“It’s not me I’m worried about, just thought you might prefer a man.”

A man over her? I think not. “I can handle most of it on my own but I
need help showering.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t want you to slip and hurt yourself,” she nods,
purposefully hiding the deep breath she takes afterward. “If there’s not
anything else I can do for you right now, then I’d like to get settled.”

“One more thing,” I say and she’s immediately on alert as if she’s willing
to do backflips and swing from the chandelier if I asked her to. “Why did
you choose to come to me? Why not work at a hospital?”
 “Too stressful,” she shrugs, looking embarrassed again. “Besides, I think
I’m pretty into this one on one thing. I like knowing that I can make a real
difference, help people in the way they need to be helped.”

“You like being needed?”

She nods and I’m annoyed by how easily I melt when she shows me this
self-sacrificial side of her.

“I’ll leave you to it and I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

“Okay but Hunter....,” she pinches her lip when I turn to her, “thanks for
giving me this opportunity. I’m sure there were a ton of other better
candidates.”

“There were but none of them have what you have.”

Squirming, she murmurs, “And what is it that you think I have?”

Boring my eyes into her I rasp, “Heart.”

Her face twists from emotions and she swiftly turns around, but I notice
that she just brushed a tear from her eye. I get out of the room to give her
some privacy, leaving it ajar and then roll down the hallway before I stop
myself. I care about others well-being, their privacy but there’s just
something about that girl that makes me want to throw those things out the
window.

Before I know it, I’m watching her through the small crack of the door
and she’s dancing around in the room, flicking her clothes off and my eyes
flare. She has the perfect tight little body and she’s wearing matching, lace
underwear.

For who? It can’t be me because she’s not the kind of girl that would
seduce a man in a wheelchair only to take his money but it doesn’t matter
why she wears them. What matters is that before she knows it, I’ll be
peeling that underwear off of her using my teeth.

Humming to herself, she shimmies her hips and I want to own her.

The need turns dark and overwhelming, forcing me to squeeze my eyes as

my body shudders. When her phone rings, I turn alarmed, especially when a
huge, loving smile crosses her face and a growl rumbles in my chest.

“Hey Kayla,” she purrs and I breathe out. “Yeah, I just got here and...It’s
great, like a dream come true and I kinda want to stay here forever now.”

How convenient, considering she’s going to but it’s still endearing that
she thinks she has a choice.
 “No, he’s really nice,” she continues breathlessly, “I’m surprised to be
honest and get this...,” she lowers her voice, “he’s our generation. Yeah,
he’s like not even six years older than me.”

The notion causes enthusiasm to spike her tone.

“What?” she says nervously. “I’m not excited, why would I be excited?
I’m here to do my job that’s all.” Sighing, she dives onto the bed and looks
up at the ceiling, dangling with her legs. “He’s not hot, he’s gorgeous...,”
she abruptly stops, “you know what, that was totally inappropriate of me.
Forget I said anything.”

Not inappropriate at all, I liked it and satisfaction stirs in my chest.

The chat continues for five minutes more and then it ends. I throw one
last look at her before she starts putting her clothes on. Averting my gaze, I
take the elevator down and drag a deep breath. The grandfather clock
chimes as I try sorting my thoughts, my ancestors looking down at me from
their portraits and wondering what I’m up to. They judge me and they
disapprove.

Would you look at that! Hunter Ambrose Baudelaire is being a bad, bad
boy.
 Fuck them. Though a part of me wonders myself what exactly I’m doing
but another doesn’t care. I raise my head as I hear her moving around and a
smile crosses my lips. I thought having her here would be tumultuous but in
a way it’s strangely peaceful.

Finally, after all these years...and all it took was for her to cross my
threshold.

Can’t let her go now. Good thing then, that I’m not going to but she
doesn’t know it and I won’t tell her. Some cards are best kept close to the
chest....close to the heart.

Especially when a heart breaks as easily as mine.

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 3.

Danielle

After finishing unpacking and changing into a cotton jumpsuit with long
sleeves, I go downstairs but now I can’t find Hunter again. That’s the only
problem with his house. It’s too big and I swear, five more people could live
here without me having to bump into them.

“Hunter?” I yell, feeling a flash of relief when he replies but the relief
quickly turns into a shudder. He has the calmest, richest voice I’ve ever
heard, tinged with an upper class accent that a random girl like me will
never attain and everything he says sounds like a poem.

With a voice like that he could put an entire army to sleep, pacify them
before they even raise their weapons and if tragedy hadn’t struck I have a
feeling he would’ve been a great general. I find him in the garden,
underneath the shade of an oak and this side of the house doesn’t face the
lake but the woods.
 They look deep from where I’m standing but I’m sure there are neighbors
just on the other side. Without thinking, I make my presence known by
putting my hand on Hunter’s shoulder but he jolts as if I startled him.

“Sorry,” I murmur, blushing like crazy now because I didn’t have to touch
him. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Please, don’t apologize,” he says with a grin that makes me weak, “I just
need to get used to having a woman in the house.”

I nod, sitting down on a swing that has fresh roses threaded on the handles
and the smell goes to my head. A smile crosses my face and I’m struck by
how dreamy Hunter must be deep down. “This is sweet,” I murmur, “most
men probably wouldn’t be caught dead putting flowers on a swing.”

Hunter clears his throat as if embarrassed. “Actually it’s the gardener who
does that.”

“Oh,” I say, a little disappointed now as my romantic bubble bursts.

“And that swing used to be my mothers. She told me never to take it

down, but to save it for my future wife.”
 He must be so annoyed I’m sitting in it and I make an attempt to rise.

“Don’t get up,” he says brusquely and I tense. “Feel free to use it
whenever you want.”

The way he says it makes me feel so welcomed, wanted and I instantly

relax. Unable to help myself, I glance at him below my lashes and he’s
perfect in the sunlight, sculpted even and his eyes on mine are velvety soft,
lazy almost. I go inappropriately hot at the thought of what he must be as a
lover.

Well...before the accident that is, I’m not even sure if....

Oh, shit! What am I doing?

“You’re blushing,” Hunter says, his lips curling. “What were you thinking
about?”

I squirm. I’d rather die than tell him. “Private thoughts are private for a
reason.” Flashing a smile, I clear my throat while furiously attempting to
calm down. I haven’t even spent a whole day with him and I’m already
acting like I’m in heat but I’ve never before been in the presence of a man
so...
 Sure of his own power.

To be honest, I don’t even understand it. If Hunter ever was physically

threatened he wouldn’t have a chance and yet he moves through the world
as if he’d burst into a mocking laughter in the face of danger.

“They don’t have to be,” Hunter rasps hoarsely, “rules are meant to be
broken.”

My brows rise and I shake my head. “There are always consequences,

though.”

Hunter nods. “For some but...not for everyone.”

The way he says it causes a shiver down my spine, almost as if something

or someone just sneaked up on me and I turn around, looking into the
woods. Daylight’s slowly dimming, making the trees look ominous and I
pinch my lip, murmuring,

“Are there any neighbors, back there?” I turn to Hunter. “Has to be,
right?”

“Back where?” he frowns.

 “The woods.”

A playful smile tugs at his lips. “I’m afraid not. It’s just you and me here
and not a neighbor for miles.”

When I flush, I shudder and he notices.

“Scared?”

“Sure...I’m terrified of grass and rocks and moss...,” I roll my eyes and he
laughs but the laughter is tight as if he doesn’t really like when I show
disdain. I secretly observe him, figuring he’s probably the kind of man who
likes fawning women but I’ve never been like that.

My mom gave me a hard time when I was a child. She wasn’t a bad
woman, she just had a very outdated view on childrearing but it taught me
to never let myself be cornered, or preyed upon.

In a way, mom did me a favor but I’ve always had this rebellious streak
deep down, where I’ve fantasized about ending up with a man that turns me
into a whimpering mess, just to spite my mother.

Not that it will ever happen and it’s probably for the best anyway.
 “Do you want to go closer?” Hunter rasps and when I raise my brows in
question, he clarifies. “Closer to the woods?”

“I’d love to,” I shrug casually and his eyes darken but his voice is kind.

“Tell the truth, Danielle.”

I freeze up. How did he know...”Alright, I d...don’t.”

He tilts his head to the side and watches me with both sympathy and
curiosity. “Why did you lie to me?”

Inwardly I’m so mortified that I feel my heart shrinking in my chest and

suddenly I just want to run back into the house, through the front door and
then past that tiny gate until I’m out in the real world again.

“Because I don’t want you to think of me as a quarry,” I whisper.

His eyes warm and there’s so much compassion shining in them that I
hold down a whimper. “If I thought that, I would’ve already sent you
away.” He drags a deep breath. “I can tell you don’t break easily, it’s what I
admire about you.”
 My cheeks burn and I want to hide my face in my hands. He can’t say
stuff like that. It’s not right and I want to scold him for it but the words
never leave my lips. They stay on my tongue and my eyes go to his.

“Come on now,” he smiles as if we’re old friends. “Let me introduce you

to the woods, can’t have you living here and being wary of your
surroundings.”

“You make it sound as if I’m scared and I’m not.”

“I wouldn’t judge you if you were. Fear is valuable.” Something warped

and dark tints his eyes. “It’s a shame most women today have forgotten that,
so eager to throw themselves into dangerous situation just to prove that they
can take it.” His jaw clenches, his eyes turning unblinking. “Shame indeed.”

“Hunter...,” I murmur, squirming and I’m surprised by the distant look in

his eyes and I have no idea why the conversation took a turn but then he
flinches.

A pacifying smile softens his tense face. “I can hold your hand if you
want, ease your way into it, we can go slow inch by inch...”

“That won’t be necessary.” And he seriously needs to stop flirting with

me before I start liking it a little too much. I rise, following Hunter across
the wide lawn and the closer we get, the more uncomfortable I become. It’s
astonishing how dense it is and I bet that once you’re in there you can
barely see the sky.

“That’s true, you can’t,” Hunter replies and I realize I said it out loud. He
shudders and I grow worried.

“Are you cold?” I say, “here, have my sweater.” I pull it over his lap and
he protests, his jaw clenching in annoyance but I shake my head. “If you get
sick it’ll be an inconvenience for the both of us.”

“I’m a grown man.”

“I still have to take care of you,” I murmur, “it’s what you pay me for,
remember?”

He grinds his teeth, deciding not to argue with me and nods his head at
the woods.

“When I was a child, my father would take me hunting in there.”

Curiosity perks up in me and considering what his name is, it’s pretty
fitting he used to like hunting. “Were you any good?”

“Never missed my target.”

 Sadness washes over me because he can’t do it anymore and suddenly I
feel a burning in my heart, an intense wish that one day he’ll be able to
walk again. “What did you enjoy the most?” I ask in a soft voice.

“The tracking,” he replies, “the close connection to the wild, the

connection I felt to my own nature...,” he trails off, adding in a lower tone,
“the kill.”

I gulp even though he’s just describing something normal that hunters
experience all over the world.

“Once, I walked into the woods and didn’t set my foot there again in
years.”

Sounds like something put him off...maybe even startled him. “Why, what
did you see?”

His mouth turns firm. “Animals being brutal.”

“What did they do...?”

“We should go back,” he interrupts, “think I’ve made you stand here for
long enough.”
 “I could stand here all the day. I told you, I’m not scared.”

He seems annoyed but doesn’t say anything and I walk into the house,
while he remains outside in the garden. I rummage through his drawers,
looking for medicine when I feel a draft along the back of my neck. It
causes the little hairs to stand and suddenly I feel as if I’ve been showered
by a bucket of ice water.

I turn around, rubbing my neck but there’s nobody there. Frowning, I

return to what I was doing and I open up a jar of pills to see how much
there’s left when cold, ruthless shivers crawl over me and I turn motionless.

There’s someone behind me, observing me, watching me. I jolt so hard, I
drop the jar and swiftly turn around. There’s nobody there but my heart’s
speeding as if a knife is held to my throat and then I hear footsteps. Without
thinking I lunge into the hallway, looking left and right when I hear them
again and I grab the banister.

“Hello,” I yell, up the staircase, “anyone there?”

When there’s no answer, I drag a ragged breath, looking toward the front
door and blood drains from my face.

It’s wide open.

 The lake’s glittering in the distance, the scenery calming and beautiful but
all I can pay attention to is the pulse racing in my veins. Gulping, I hurry
over to the door, looking outside for trespassers on Hunter’s grounds but I
don’t see anyone.

Still unnerved, I go back into the kitchen and save the spilled pills that
can be saved before walking out to Hunter again. His face is tilted up
toward the last rays of the sun and the sight of him makes me somewhat
calmer. At least he’s content and I hand him his pills. He frowns, taking
them between his fingers.

“Where’s my glass of water?”

Shit...”Oh, I forgot...,” that’s what jitteriness does to you, “I could go

back...”

“Its fine,” Hunter shrugs, swallowing them dry before looking at me.
“What took you so long?”

“Just couldn’t find them,” I murmur. Truth is though, that I don’t want to
tell him. If there really was an intruder...say a teenager wanting to mess
around, then I don’t want Hunter to get worried. He’s already in a
vulnerable position and I’m not here to cause more anxiety to my patient.
 Especially, since I can’t be sure somebody really was in the house.

I get goosebumps again when I remember that Hunter said there are no
neighbors for miles. Squirming, I blurt, “Do you believe in ghosts?”

When the corners of his mouth lift, I want to bite my tongue and pinch
myself for being so ridiculous.

“I believe in what I can touch, Danielle.” He reaches out, sliding his

knuckle down my arm and I’m so taken off guard by his touch that I forget
to protest. “See?” His eyes play when he looks at me. “It’s just you and
me.” The playfulness in his eyes turns daunting. “Alone.”

OceanofPDF.com
 4.

Hunter

We have dinner together but I don’t get a bite down. Mostly, I watch her
while shuffling the food on my plate around. She’s lit a couple of candles
because she thinks the dining’s room too dark otherwise. Bending forward,
she pushes her hair back each time she grabs a nibble.

She doesn’t have much of an appetite either and I don’t like that. I need
her strong. “Please eat more,” I urge, taking a sip of my water.

Her eyes go to mine and even though we’re at a distance, it suddenly feels
as if we’re only inches apart. “I can’t eat if you keep on staring at me.”

Putting my fork and knife back, I push my chair slightly back. “My
apologies.” Clasping my hands in front of me, I look up at the ceiling and
soon after Danielle lets out a snigger. “Are you eating?”
 “No.”

“Do it before I get a neck strain.”

Another soft laugh follows and then I hear her shoving the food into her
mouth, before she bites off some bread. “You know, nothing’s stopping you
from putting your head down.”

“If I do, I’ll stare at you and then you won’t eat and I happen to find
satisfying ones appetite incredibly important.”

Danielle stays silent for the moment. “Hunter...if this is an issue, I could
always eat in the kitchen.”

Grinding my jaw, I put my head back down, noticing that she’s finished.
“I forbid it.”

She leans back, staring at me in surprise. When she squirms, I force

myself to lighten up and fire a smile.

“That was meant to sound a lot less intense than it did.” Tossing my
napkin, on my plate, I add, “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” Leaving the
dining area, I take the elevator and roll into my room.
 It’s at a distance from Danielle’s. If anything happens, it’ll take her more
than a minute to get to me but I needed her to have that room. And not only
because it’s the prettiest bedroom in the house. Waiting by the window, I
look outside and my eyes linger on the woods.

A smirk pulls at my mouth, my pulse speeding up and a sense of both

calm and excitement washes over me. I have that girl right where I want her
and she doesn’t even suspect a thing. To her I’m just someone who needs
her and I do but not in the way she thinks. I can’t wait to let my fingers
slide down her skin, flick my tongue out and savor the way she tastes.

Having her here is quite the experience and she awakens all the senses. I
feel sensitive around her, on edge and as if I any minute now will crawl out
of my skin in an attempt to get to her. Delicious shivers erupt all over my
body when I see her reflection in the glass and I turn around.

“Hi,” she says awkwardly then flushes and drags her fingers along her
forehead as if scolding herself. “I’m ready if you are.”

“It’s late,” I nod and she wraps her arms across her chest.

“Do you prefer undressing in the chair or the bed?”

 “Bed ,“ I rasp, getting excited again when I catch that look in her eyes
that overflows with compassion and suddenly I just want to yank her to me.
I clench my fists, compelling myself to look away before rolling over to the
bed.

She pulls her sleeves up, giving a quick nod. “Don’t worry, I’ve done this
a ton of times before.”

I raise my brows.

“Why would I worry?”

Danielle shrugs. “A lot of men have problems with a woman lifting them.
They seem to think I’ll drop them or something.”

“I would never doubt your skills.” I tilt my head to the side. “But let’s
rewind to what you said about men...they must’ve been swarming around
you at the hospital you worked at.”

A smile crosses her face. “I did have one, proposing to me after waking
up from anesthesia.” She lets out a laugh, shaking her head but I have a
hard time understanding what’s so amusing.
 “Funny,” I grit. “That’s a cute, little story. Makes me all toasty on the
inside.”

More like, makes me want to kill myself.

“I know right, and honestly it was so adorable, I almost said...”

“Alright, that’s enough,” I snap and she tenses. I bite the inside of my
cheek, regretting barking at her but I can’t take it back and I don’t want to
hear any more about the “proposal.”

Swallowing, she nods. “Of course.” Walking over to me, she helps me
with the legs while I use my arms to get myself into bed and then I lay there
on my back. I’m hiding it well but I’m thrilled by how strong she is. She
doesn’t look like it but my pulse thumps when I think about how good her
stamina has to be.

Unable to help myself, I bite my lip and groan but Danielle immediately
looks at me in alarm.

“Are you in pain, tell me where it hurts?”

Everywhere. Especially in places, I can’t yet introduce her to.

 “I’m okay,” I mutter, pulling at my shirt and she gets the hint. Starting to
unbutton it, she licks her lips and gets a flash of admiration in her eyes.

“You’re so well dressed,” she murmurs, “Is this satin?”

“Silk.” Satin is for tramps.

“It’s so soft,” she whispers and I want to slide my hand up her thigh and
touch her between her legs. Feel her clench, watch her pant, see her squirm
and whine a little like a good girl would because she’s never done this
before. “Hunter, I can feel your eyes on me.”

I avert my gaze, choking down my somewhat sharp answer.

She slides my shirt down my shoulders, her eyes lingering around my

chest and abs area and there’s a sudden tremble in her hands.

“I work out,” I murmur and she glares.

“Didn’t ask.”

Shrugging, I add, “Just thought I caught you steal a look.”

 Her body tenses. “I didn’t steal anything. And I would never look at you
like that. You’re safe with me.”

To my reluctance, I feel a flare of amusement. “Safe?”

“I’m not here to prey on you,” she says with eyes that flare with
indignation and when I raise my brows, she flays out with her hands.
“Come on, we’ve all heard the stories; Rich, vulnerable men and young
women who use it to their advantage.” She drags a breath, her gaze
softening. “So like I said...safe.”

Tossing my shirt on the floor, she moves on to my belt and I can tell she’s
struggling to remain professional but she’s handling it well. Annoyingly
well and I want her to knock it off. I’d kill for her to yank my pants down
and get on top of me and I fist the sheets, feeling my veins strain.
Unzipping me, she pulls the pants down my legs before quickly dressing me
in my pajamas.

“Do you want an extra blanket?” she asks without looking at me. “The
nights must be cold.”

I tilt my head, watching her walk into the adjoining bathroom and throw
my clothes into the washing machine. She thinks I can’t see her but I still
register the deep breath she just took and a shaking moves through her
body, right before she walks out again.
 “Hm?” she asks but I shake my head.

“I get hot when I sleep. If anything I’d like for you to open the window.”

Nodding, Danielle opens up the window and a fresh breeze blows in,
tugging at the strands of her hair until they look like brushstrokes in the air.
“If that was all...?”

“Light those candles for me over there. I like to watch them flickering
before I fall asleep.”

“Need a bedtime story told to...?” she teases.

“Please...I find it comforting.”

Biting her lip, as if she can’t deny me comfort, she lights them up and
turns off the ceiling light. My heart clenches at the sight of her like this. I
like watching her in the dark, it makes her seem so fluid and my pulse races
as she walks over to me, my eyes zoning in on the way she moves and
there’s just something very fox like about her that gets that primal instinct
going.
 “Think we’re done here then,” she says, clapping her hands together, “I’ll
see you in the morning...”

“Stay.”

Her jaw slacks, her eyes looking at me as if I just suggested that she
crawls underneath the covers and tends to my cock. “I can’t. It would be
unethical.”

“You’re supposed to look after me.” I pet the bed. “Do your job.”

“I won’t do it, so it’s no use pressuring me.”

“I’m an insomniac.”

She seems surprised. “You didn’t mention that in the documents you sent
me.” She frowns. “Do you take medication for it?”

I shake my head and she bites her lip.

“Is it because of the pain? I could go and get your painkillers.”

“It’s because of the nightmares.”

 Looking at me for a moment, she swallows. “What kind of nightmares?”
She sits on the edge of bed and I feel a flash of triumph that I managed to
lure her in with a made up sob story.

“They’re all the same,” I lie because I don’t have nightmares. I dream of
nothing. My nights are as black and suffocating as the woods. “I see the
back of a woman and I know instinctively she’s the love of my life. I reach
out for her, longing for her but I can’t move, I can’t get to her, I can’t...” I
trail off, biting my knuckles as if I’ve said too much and Danielle drags a
breath before she whispers,

“The love of your life will come to you.”

She doesn’t even know how right she is. Willingly or unwillingly, she will
be mine.

“I’ll stay for a little while, just until you fall asleep,” she murmurs,
crawling into bed with me and I stop breathing. She doesn’t get underneath
the covers, stiff as a doll but I shouldn’t complain. At least she’s close
enough for me to touch her.

“You’re a kind girl, Danielle,” I rasp. “Have you always been this devoted
to others?”
 “Yes,” she smiles but her eyes are miles away. “I’ve always been there for
others when they need me.”

Liar. The little fox is lying and I want to wrap my hands around her
throat, just to feel her pulse thrash. She’s deceptive, eager to believe in her
own lies. “Aren’t you quite the angel,” I murmur.

She tenses, lowering her eyes and doesn’t either confirm nor deny. A draft
blows in from the window, causing her scent to hit me in the face and I
clench my fist as my eyes shudder.

“Do you like playing, Danielle?” I rasp.

“The piano?” Danielle says hoarsely. “I saw one downstairs but I don’t.”

“No, not the piano.” I force down a chuckle. “I’m talking about games...”
My eyes go to hers and I gently take a strand of her locks between my
fingers, pulling them to my face and inhale when she jolts, bolting out of
bed. Stabbing her fingers through her hair, she stands in the middle of the
room, shaking her head at me.

“That should not have happened.”

 Irritation flares in me but I push it down. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”
I reach my hand out, holding the palm out in invitation but she watches it as
if I’m offering poison. “Don’t turn this into something it doesn’t have to
be.”

Biting her lip, she takes a step back. “Hunter, this isn’t what I’m here for.”
She lowers he voice. “Please, don’t make me regret this.”

“Don’t push me away, Danielle.” My heart starts pounding. “I want you.”

My voice lowers, turning into a desperate growl when she backs even
farther, “Fuck me.”

Just don’t fuck me over.

Horror crosses her face, her knees bucking and she croaks, “I’ll pretend
you didn’t say that.” She runs out of the room and I slam a fist into the
headboard. Anger and need rages in me, my jaw clenching so hard it makes
my temples hurt. If I could I’d go after her and drag her back in here.

Leaning back, I force myself to calm down. There’s time.

But it’s running out.

OceanofPDF.com
 5.

Danielle

After leaving Hunter last night, all I could think about is that I don’t know
how to handle this. I’ve never had a patient come on to me before, not that
strongly at least and the worst part is that it tears me apart to say no.

I have no idea how I managed to pull away when all I wanted was to bury
my face in his throat and let him take me for a ride. It’s insane that I’m even
thinking it and I take my time, hoping that he hasn’t woken up yet. I spend
about five minutes brushing my teeth, slowly putting my clothes and then I
do braids all over my head until I look like some mythological huntress but
it’s a good distraction. I’m on my last braid when Hunter yells my name.

“Danielle!”
 Jolting, I bite my lip, looking down the hallway as if it’s about to burst
into flames but it’s not like I can ignore him. When he calls again, I choke
down a cry before deciding to take it like a big girl and go look for him.

I find him in the “gym,” working his upper body using weights and sweat
streams down his chest, his face strained and he’s only wearing a tank top
and a pair of sweatpants. My stomach recoils when I think about how
difficult it must’ve been for him to put them on.

He could’ve just asked me but was probably too embarrassed and I feel a
flash of guilt. I’m supposed to tend to his every need and yet here I am,
already failing. He glances at me from the corner of his eye and doesn’t say
anything.

No good morning and his usual well-behaved smiles aren’t there. Today
he seems to be all about aggression and I feel a nervous stirring in my body.
Forcing myself to not look at his bulging triceps, I look around instead and
this room is too perfect to be a gym.

It’s romantic, in an almost secretive way with arched windows so high

that putting up curtains would be a waste and the floor is so shiny, I can see
my own reflections. All four walls are painted, portraying dancing couples
that swirl around and it’s so well done it feels like next time I blink, they’ll
come alive.
 “This used to be a ballroom in the past,” Hunter rasps, “The lavish parties
lasted for days and sometimes I never thought they’d end.” He nods at the
corner. “They would have live music playing there, alcohol would overflow,
and there were games in the woods...,” hissing between his teeth, he adds,
“I still remember the excess.”

Crossing my arms, I smile a little. “I can almost imagine you as a boy,

standing in the doorway and spying on them way past your bedtime.”

Hunter stops with the reps. “I didn’t have a bedtime, my parents didn’t
believe in that. And I didn’t need to spy, I partied with them.”

An abrupt laugh escapes me. “That’s absurd, you were a kid. What were
you doing at an adult party?”

He winks at me. “Drinking. Once when I was seven, I got so drunk I

passed out and was sick for days later.”

My stomach recoils. What kind of a depraved upbringing did he have?

Can’t say mine was perfect but it wasn’t anything close to that. What
disturbs me the most though, is how relaxed Hunter is about it, he seems to
think it was perfectly normal.

“That doesn’t sound like a healthy childhood.”

 Chuckling, Hunter shrugs. “You’re probably right.” He reaches for his
towel but gives me a stern glance when I try to help. Breathing raggedly he
adds, “I could use a shower.”

I swallow and judging by the sheen on his skin, he really does need one
and yet I blurt, “You should have breakfast first.”

“Danielle...”

“Hunter,” I say firmly, “you can’t take your meds on an empty stomach.”
Without a word, I grab a hold of the wheelchair and roll him into the
hallway. He doesn’t protest but I can tell he’s not happy by the tense
muscles on his face. I ignore him, not yet feeling comfortable by taking care
of him while he’s naked, especially not after what he said yesterday.

To buy some time, I decide to put him out in the garden while I prepare
the food in the kitchen. I don’t feel anyone watching me and I don’t hear
any footsteps, now thinking it probably was nothing and yesterday I did ask
Hunter about the door. He said it’s pretty delicate and sometimes when a
harsh wind blows it can open it up.

Stopping with the teacups and bowl of oatmeal, I drag a breath. But it
wasn’t windy yesterday, was it?
 A wave of unease washes over me and I shrug it off, making sure that
Hunter’s fed and I sit on the swing while he eats and then I hand him his
pills. Since they’re in a jar, he won’t notice that one’s missing but I just had
to take one because my head’s throbbing and there hasn’t been any time to
go to the pharmacy.

“There’s a town nearby, right?” I ask but Hunter shakes his head.

“It’s half an hour away by car.”

Wow, that’s way too far.

Hunter takes a sip of his tea before slowly putting his cup down. “Is there
anything special that you need? I’m stocked up on most things.”

I shake my head, now fully realizing just how barren we are and yesterday
when I tried calling Kayla, the connection didn’t work. My eyes go to the
woods and suddenly I get this urge to shelter Hunter from any danger if it
would come to it. Most men are capable of taking care of themselves as
well as other women but Hunter will have to rely on me for that.

Not that I think anything bad will happen. We’re safe here. I turn my back
to the woods, noticing that Hunter has finished and I clean up. Once I’m
done, I can’t stall anymore. We head up to the bathroom and I’m relieved to
see there’s anti-skid material on the floor and that there’s enough room for
the both of us in the huge shower stall.

A shower chair is already in place and without looking at Hunter, I

murmur, “You can start taking your shirt off.” I turn on the water, giving it
some time to heat up. Shaking droplets off my fingers, I look around but
can’t seem to find what I’m looking for. “Are there any gloves?”

I turn to Hunter and there’s a displeased look on his face. “I’m afraid
you’ll have to touch me without them.”

Heat burns underneath the skin on my face but I nod, swiftly helping
Hunter remove his clothes. When it’s time for his boxers, I pull them down
so fast that when my knuckles brush across his skin, Hunter gets an erection
from the friction.

It leaves me numb, and for a moment I just keep still.

He shamelessly searches my eyes but I make an effort to not let it show

on my face what I’m thinking. I pinch my lip, clasping him under his arms
and let him know I’m about to lift him. He helps out by grabbing the chair
with his hands, holding up the weight of his upper body and I make sure his
legs follow along.
 “Danielle...,” he rasps, his gaze still intense on me and I feel a shiver
down my spine but brush it off.

“Is the water okay?”

“Fine,” he grits between his teeth as if that wasn’t the reaction he was
going for and I reach for his luxurious shampoo once he’s sufficiently
soaked. Squeezing some of the liquid into my palm, I start scrubbing his
hair and a smell of minty herbs infuses the moist air. It goes straight to my
head and my hands slow down, the tips of my fingertips sliding in leisurely
circles when Hunter suddenly lets out a pant.

“That feels so fucking good.”

Tensing, I panic a little and start scrubbing again, treating him as if I’m
polishing a floor but he doesn’t say anything not even when his head starts
yanking left and right. I’m relieved when I’m done, anxiously asking, “Do
you use conditioner?”

He lets out a soft snort. “No.”

I nod reaching for his bar soap and suds it up between my fingers. It
smells just as delightful as his shampoo and inwardly I moan when I slide
my hands over his big shoulders. His muscles ripple under my touch,
causing my whole body to shiver and this is starting to feel dangerous. I’ve
never had something so powerful and yet so docile underneath my
fingertips and I’ve never felt my lips ache.

But ache they do and a reckless part of me wants his mouth underneath
mine, however crazy that is. Moving my hands down his pecs, I grow
nervous when I catch the rapid beating of his heart. It beats as if he’s
running, or maybe chasing something.

Damn, that thing is close to jumping out of his chest.

“Hunter, calm down...,” I whisper but he just grinds his teeth in response
as if he’s trying his best. Sliding my palms down his abs, I move to his
back, thankful that he’ll be able to wash his privates on his own. “I’m just
g...going to do this quickly ...,” I stutter when he growls.

“Do it then.” He squeezes his eyes. “Get it over with.”

Anxiety gets the best of me and I swirl the suds all around his back before
rinsing, not even noticing how far I’m leaning over Hunter. I don’t notice
until I feel his tongue licking the side of my throat.

I gasp when he suddenly fists my hair and slams my lips against his. My
eyes flare, shock exploding in me and I pant when he thrusts his tongue
between my lips. Squirming, I try to get loose but he won’t let go until I
forcefully yank my head back.
 “Stop this,” I plead and more anxiety flares in me when I notice he’s put
my hand on his shaft. “Let go of my hand.”

“Hush...,” he hisses, “just let me feel that soft palm...” With his hand on
top of mine, he starts jerking himself off, his chest heaving from his breaths
while I fidget and I don’t know whether to burst into tears or into flames.

“Let me go,” I whine again when his eyes bore into mine.

“Why do you have to deny me?” he groans. “Please, let me have this.”

He sounds as if he’s suffering and his need almost cuts me in half. It

would feel almost cruel to reject him now. “Oh Hunter...,” I whimper, using
the movements he likes on my own now and his eyes shudder, a smile
flashing on his face as if this is too good to be true.

“Aw fuck,” he curses, “fuck yes, that’s what I need. You take such good
care of me, Danielle.”

His groans turns guttural and I pump him harder, feeling the hair on the
back of my neck stand when he slides a hand up my thigh, underneath my
dress and underwear and suddenly he’s plunged a finger inside. The
intrusion overwhelms me and I rock forward, feeling a flash of panic when
thinking Hunter will topple, but the chair is too steady.
 “Hunter, that doesn’t feel good,” I whimper and his breaths turn
uncontrolled.

“It will once you’re used to it,” he moans, “the pain won’t last long.”

I don’t trust him, squirming and wriggling but then the resistance seems to
fade and something builds up inside of me, slow at first but it grows fast. I
blabber something incoherent, turning red in the face and it feels as if I’m
about to blow when Hunter grabs my hips, turns me around and I cry out in
surprise when I feel the tip against my center.

“Hunter no...”

“I can make you want it,” he says in a dark voice and my eyes flare in
surprise when he puts his fingers in my mouth, wetting them before rubbing
my clit and stunned tears prick my eyes at my body’s immediate reaction.
Something snaps in me, my blood boiling with need and suddenly I crave
him so much that it feels as if I’ll break if he would ever deny me what I’m
denying him.

“This is wrong...,” I whimper, protesting while simultaneously sliding

down on him all on my own and he lets out a triumphant growl that makes
my heart vibrate. He doesn’t waste any time, using his hands on my hips to
work my body the way he wants it, up and down, my slick heat stroking his
arousal in rough strokes that drive me toward the edge. When I rock on him
on my own, he showers praise over me.

“Danielle, yes...,” he moans, “don’t stop.”

The realization of what we’re doing hits me like a ton of bricks and I let
out a yelp, abruptly pulling myself back and he lets out a terrifying, violent
sound. “Don’t leave me,” he growls, reaching for me but I’ve already
stumbled away from him. “Get back here!”

I throw a frantic glance over my shoulder, before bumping into the sink
then a laundry basket until I’m finally out in the hallway. I’m so dizzy, my
head swims and I can barely catch a breath. My adrenaline runs wilder than
my nervous system can handle and I let out a whimper. I never should’ve let
him do that.

Putting a trembling hand between my legs, I gasp at the sight of a bit of

blood and I bite my lip. Innocence gone just like that...I’m not sure how
long I stay out in the hallway but probably a couple of minutes. Once I’ve
gotten myself under control, I walk back inside.

Hunter’s still under the shower, the water running over his shoulders and
his black hair is plastered over his forehead. He refuses to look at me as if
he’s pissed. When I murmur his name, he jerks his head, watching me with
eyes so dark they almost look hollow in his handsome face.
 We didn’t finish. I took away his toy too soon and now he’s mad.

Shivering, I walk over to him, turning off the water and then I make an
attempt to towel dry him but he yanks the towel out of my hands and does it
himself in rough strokes. His jaw is so clenched it looks painful and I can
tell he has some sharp reprimand on his tongue but he’s not the one who
deserves to be angry.

He’s the one who crossed a line and I should be mad at him.

And I am. Taking his clean, ironed clothes, I put them on him and he
doesn’t say a thing. He obediently lifts his arms when I tell him to and once
he’s done, he rolls out of the bathroom, goes straight into his bedroom and
slams the door.

The whole hallway seems to shake from his outburst and I’m so frustrated
with both myself and him. He kept pushing but I allowed it. I easily could
have overpowered him but instead I let him go through with it because I
couldn’t force myself to stop.

It was a mistake.

And we’re both paying for it now. He desperately needs my care and it
makes me anxious that he’s putting a distance between us. What if
something happens to him? Taking a deep breath, I walk over to his door
and lightly knock.

“What do you want?”

His voice is cold as ice, giving me goosebumps and I murmur, “Talk to

you, once you’re ready to come out.”

“I’ll be there,” he replies, clearing his throat. “I just need to be alone right
now.”

But I don’t leave. I stay a little while to make sure he’s alright when I hear
grunts. At first I panic, about to burst through the door, thinking he hurt
himself when I realize it’s not those kinds of grunts. Is he...? I go hot again,
my body crying out for him, my hand sliding up my thigh to touch myself
where he did when I jolt and run away.

****

Hunter

I come down fifteen minutes later, my masculine energy drained but at least
I’m calmer. I still see red though when I find her in the sitting room with
her face tilted up at the ceiling. She seems so serene and there she
is...admiring the fucking ceiling instead of me.

Feeling another flash of annoyance, I clear my throat and she whips

around, causing her dress to flare.

“Hunter,” she pants, her hand flying to her throat as if she thinks I’ll bite
it.

And I just might, if she lets me.

She pops down on the couch, pulling her dress down over her knees as if
it’ll make me want her less. Good luck, little fox. There’s nothing she can
do that will make me reject her, she could be the most malevolent woman
on the planet and I’d still want her.

That’s how deep the need goes, deeper than the roots of the trees and
nothing, not frost, nor fire can cause its destruction.

“We need to talk,” she adds, “about what happened upstairs.”

She makes it sound as if we murdered someone. We didn’t do anything

wrong in my eyes but she’s ridden with guilt.
 “You’re a beautiful woman,” I rasp as a matter of fact, “it’s hard to control
myself around you.”

“Do it anyway. Or else I’m leaving.”

I feel like laughing. Rude of her to throw that in my face.

Raising a brow, I purr, “Is that a threat?”

Worry flares in her eyes. “Hunter, I don’t want to do this.” She rubs her
forehead in confusion, “I care about you, I really do but I’ve never been in a
situation like this before. What happened...” She trails off, sharply looking
away and turns red.

“What happened was natural,” I remind her, “and I’ll do what I did to you
again.”

She twitches. “Don’t talk like that.” She shakes her head. “I knew this
was a bad idea from the moment I saw you.”

“Why?”

Her chest rises when she inhales. “Because I could tell you wanted me. I
should’ve turned you down, it would’ve been the right thing to do but...”
 “But what?”

“There’s just something about the way you look at me...,” she whispers,
her eyes twisting from shame.

My heart nearly punches out of my ribcage. I hold my hand out for her.
“Come here. If that’s how you feel then you can’t expect me to keep my
distance.”

Her eyes flash with anxiety. “You didn’t keep your distance even before
you know how I felt. You just coerced me, practically forced me...”

“I could coerce you again.”

She tenses, a tremble moving through her body and she glances at my
wheelchair. “I don’t think you can.”

I let out a dark laugh and she twitches.

“Why are you laughing? I’m the one in control here.”

 My eyes narrow. “Then why so scared of me?” I raise my brows. “Like
you said you have all the power, you do whatever you want to me and it’ll
be our little secret.”

Temptation crosses her face but then her lower lip quivers. “This is
getting out of hand, maybe its best if I just leave.”

We look at each other in a measuring silence, before I growl in warning,

“Do not dare.”

Gasping, she goes for the door when I block her, rolling the wheels until
she’s up against the wall. “You can’t corner me,” she pants as I look up at
her. “Get out of the way, Hunter.”

I refuse. “If you leave me then you will wound me. Is that what you want,
Danielle? Leave me worse than you found me?”

“This is wrong. You’re getting too emotionally involved and I’m not the
one for you.”

“That’s not up to you to decide,” I rasp but stop myself when her eyes
flare, “if I crossed a line with you upstairs...”

“You did. You definitely did.”

 Nodding, I lower my head. “You don’t have to have dinner with me
tonight. If you want space then I’ll respect that just don’t shun me.” I reach
out, lightly holding her hand to show her how harmless I am. “If you leave,
then I’ll be helpless out here. I won’t be able to find a new nurse that fast.” I
squeeze her hand. “You’re all I’ve got.”

She bites her lip. “Now you’re giving me a bad conscience...,” she winces
when my grip hardens, “ouch, that hurts.”

I abruptly let go and she massages her hand.

“Let’s just keep things professional between us from now on,” she
murmurs. “Do you think you can do that?"

Unlikely.

“Can you?” I ask instead.

“I’ll try,” she whispers.

OceanofPDF.com
 6.

Danielle

Once I’ve put Hunter to bed, I walk into my room and close the door. That
was rough. Rejecting him feels like eliminating the thorns on a rose one by
one. You think it’ll hurt less in the end but instead you just bleed in the
process.

Wincing, I pull my dress over my head and put on my nightgown. I grab

the glass of water I have on the nightstand, taking a couple of gulps and
wonder why my head is still pounding. It’s been like that all day and Hunter
has some serious painkillers so I don’t know why his stupid pills aren’t
working on me.

Halfway to exhaustion, I pull the covers aside and crawl into the cold bed.
The branches from the tree outside knock on my window and suddenly I
find it eerie instead of peaceful as I did last night. I turn to the side, hugging
my pillow and I think of Hunter.
 My time here is already turning into a disaster and I don’t know how I’ll
be able to see my face in the mirror from now on. I allowed my vulnerable
patient to take my virginity and in my mind, I should be blacklisted forever
from now on but maybe it was inevitable. The pull was too strong between
us and I’ve never experienced anything like it.

It feels as if he’s the kind of man, I’d be drawn to even in my dreams.

He’s slowly starting to haunt me, his need for me etching itself deep into
my heart and suddenly it feels as if he’s in the room. Standing in the corner
and watching me, as if he’s waiting for something he can’t speak of, only
whisper.

When that feeling becomes stronger, I lift my head just in case and scan
the room but obviously it’s empty. And it’s not as if Hunter even has the
ability to sneak up on me. I roll over to my back, sensing a dip in my
stomach when I feel exposed again and goosebumps break out on my arms.
There are no eyes on me in the dark and yet I can’t shake off the feeling that
there are.

Growing a little uneasy, I switch on the lamp on my bedside table, letting

it stay lit for now and I stare up at the ceiling. The light should make that
strange feeling go away but it stays with me until I get a lump in my throat
and can’t fall asleep.

How can I be so convinced that I’m being watched...?

 I freeze when I see something, up there, right above me...my limbs go
numb at the sight of the hole. It’s well camouflaged, would’ve gone
unnoticed if I hadn’t been so on edge and I remain motionless, wondering if
I’m really seeing it right. I sit up, staring at it when I catch a movement and
I almost let out a scream.

There’s someone there!

I stand up on the bed to get a better look when I hear running footsteps
above me. They’re...they’re moving toward the hall. They’re going to hurt
Hunter! I bolt out of bed without thinking, running out and then I stand
there, praying whoever it is will be caught off guard that I’ve seen him and
leave us alone.

But then the footsteps stop. The manor is suddenly as silent as if it’s
holding its breath and I swallow. If there really was someone up there, how
did they get there...? Thinking fast, I race downstairs, yanking out a meat
knife from the kitchen drawer before racing upstairs again. I sneak down
the hallway, keeping my eyes at the ceiling and they land on a string.

I pull at it, fearing a rat will fall on my face or even worse, a murderer
will lunge at me but there’s nothing, just a smell of musk as I take down a
small, wooden ladder.
 My pulse struggles to stay calm as I walk up the steps and I’m happy I
brought a weapon but all I see are boxes and nobody’s lurking behind them.
The attic’s surprisingly small and there’s nothing out of the ordinary up
here.

I take a quick peek into one of the boxes, my brows rising for a moment
when I notice a beautiful gown in black and silver. There are several more
underneath it and I’m reminded of the outlandish parties, Hunter told me
about. Jerking myself to refocus, I scan the floor, looking for the hole and
when I find it, I go down to my knees.

Glimpsing through the little circle, I whimper when I notice it really does
give a good view of my bed. Whoever was up here would’ve seen
everything, seen me undressing, seen me naked and I clasp my hand over
my mouth in horror.

There’s someone else here but where did they go? I heard them running
but I was waiting for them out in the hallway. I should’ve caught them.
There’s no way they could’ve passed me, without me seeing them. Unless
they waited and got out when I was down in the kitchen but I don’t think...

My thought process trails off, coming to a full stop and now I’m blanking
so hard it feels as if I’m about to pass out again. What is that? It’s hidden
behind the boxes and I never would’ve caught it if it had been closed
properly.
 A small door.

Leading where? I raise my knife, ready to defend myself as I make my

way down and it’s so dark I can barely see where I’m going. It’s some kind
of a secret pathway and it’s so narrow that it can’t be used as a spare room.
With my arms stretched in front of me, I worry I’ll bump into something or
someone and I feel a wave of cold sweat wash over me.

I gasp when I knock into something, panic holding me in its grip for a
moment when I realize it’s just a wall. This must be the end of the passage
and there has to be an opening somewhere. I search for it with my hands
until I find a small knob and I suddenly I’m standing in Hunter’s bedroom.

His window’s open, his door closed and he’s sleeping in his bed with his
face turned away. The duvet is up to his chin, his wheelchair resting in the
corner and I feel as if I’m about to die as I walk over to his over bed. What
if the intruder hurt him?

Trembling and choking down a whimper, I pull the cover aside, expecting
to find Hunter soiled in blood but he’s unharmed. He’s peaceful, blissfully
unaware of what’s going on and I walk over to his door, looking through the
keyhole but when I catch no movement, I lock it.

The click makes me feel somewhat calmer but this is still one of the
scariest things I’ve ever experienced. Sneaking over to Hunter’s bed, I look
down on him, not knowing whether to wake him up or not but I don’t want
to terrify him. He’s so much weaker than I am.

Defenseless in a way that I’m not and it’s up to me to defend him.

I twitch when his head suddenly turns to me, his eyes flaring and then he
gulps. “What are you doing with that knife, Danielle?”

Forgot I was holding it and I put it on the bedside table before throwing
my arms around him. “Oh Hunter,” I whisper, unable to hold this to myself
anymore and I squeeze him tighter. “I’m so scared.”

“Don’t be, I’m here,” he comforts, sliding a hand down my back but
what’s he going to do? Hunter’s not a strong, dangerous man and a new
wave of fear hits me when I realize how vulnerable we are. “Tell me what’s
wrong”

I slowly pull away, keeping my face a couple of inches from his and put
my finger to my mouth. “You have to be quiet. We’re not alone, there’s
someone in the house.”

Hunter tenses, attempting to sit up and I help him. “What are you talking
about?”
 Clenching my fists, I start swaying back and forth to soothe my nerves. “I
was in bed when I saw this hole in the ceiling,” I gasp. “Someone was
spying on me and then I heard running footsteps but nobody came out into
the hallway and I wondered why but then I found the secret pathway up in
the attic and...”

Cutting my speech short, I point at Hunter’s door. “The intruder went

through your room and walked out. That’s how they escaped.” I wince,
wrapping my arms around me. “Did you hear anything, feel anyone walking
here, did you get the shivers...”

“Been sleeping like the dead the whole time.”

I swallow. “Hunter, someone’s in your house and I don’t know what to

do.” I frantically look around, my eyes landing on the bedside table. “I need
to use your phone.”

“Danielle, I don’t think...,” Hunter begins but I brush him off.

Nothing happens. I dial 911 several times but I can’t get a connection and
I feel like screaming. Flaying out with my hands, I almost throw the phone
at the wall when I notice that Hunter is eerily calm and I tense.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” I whisper and empathy shines on his
face.
 “I’m sorry but no. This manor is hundreds of years old. It makes strange
sounds during the night, always has.” He rubs a hand down his tired face. “I
should’ve warned you, and then maybe you wouldn’t have been so
petrified.”

I shake my head. “You can’t dismiss this. What about the hole, the attic,
the passage...”

“The hole I have no idea about but I doubt it was put there on purpose.
And the passage was my father’s idea. My parents used it to get to the attic
whenever they wanted full privacy.”

“Full privacy for what?”

“Adult games,” Hunter says with an embarrassed smile and my cheeks

heat.

What kind of a family did he grow up in?

Licking my lips, I add, “I don’t believe you. I know what I heard.”

Hunter seems annoyed and he drags a deep breath. “Why would anyone
be creeping around here? And who?”
 “I don’t know but....,” I trail off when it dawns on me and I go ice cold. I
point at Hunter. “Your former nurse. He never left, he’s still in the house...”
I clasp a hand over my mouth. “That’s it, that has to be it.”

“What would his reasons be?” Hunter says with a raised brow and I think
frantically.

“Maybe he’s trying to take your money, or kill you, or...there could be a
dozen of reasons.”

“Sounds farfetched and your imagination is running wild because you’re

tired.” He pulls out an extra pillow behind his back and puts it beside him.
“Lay down next to me, you need to rest.”

“What I need is to protect you,” I protest, crawling up at the end of bed

and I sit there facing the door, prepared to be on guard the whole night.
“We’re dealing with a maniac.”

I feel Hunter’s eyes bore into the back of my neck. His gaze burns but I
keep my own fixed on the door.

I’m not letting anything happen to him and I’ll do anything to keep the
both of us safe.
OceanofPDF.com
 7.

Hunter

She’s angelic when she sleeps and my heart flutters in my chest. I care
about her more than I thought I would and it makes me second guess things
and suddenly I want to be nothing but good to her. Tender and gentle so that
she never distrusts me.

I press my lips against hers and her eyes flare in surprise. She blinks,
looking around in the room and at the light streaming from the windows. “I
fell asleep,” she says in a voice filled with guilt before swallowing. “What
time is it?”

“Five.”

“In the m...morning?”

 “In the afternoon.”

Springing out of bed, she gives me an accusatory stare. “You should’ve

woken me up.” She stabs her fingers through her hair. “Did you hear
anyone, did someone try coming in...?”

“Silent as the grave.”

Danielle stops fidgeting, digging her teeth into her lower lip before a flash
of concern flashes on her face. “I should get you out,” she hurries to put my
clothes on while she still remains in her nightgown, “You have a bigger
chance surviving in the wheelchair than staying in bed.”

“Danielle, nobody’s after us,” I say patiently but she hisses,

“Stop denying our reality. I know you’re afraid but lying to yourself is not
helping!”

I hide a diabolical smirk when she pushes me into the wheelchair and I
reach for a couple of strands of her hair, twirling them meditatively between
my fingers while she grabs for my phone again. She tries calling but the
signal’s not working and she blurts,
 “I hate this freaking place! Once this nightmare’s over, I’m never coming
back here.”

Ice enters my soul, warping my mind and I feel like screaming. She did
not just fucking say that. “That’s not nice. I’d take that back if I were you.”

She’s too busy looking out the keyhole to pay any attention to me and I
grow annoyed. “We should leave the room,” I rasp and she whirls around,
looking at me with shocked eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here until I’m sure there’s
nobody out there.”

Gritting my teeth, I reply, “You will come with me now and I’ll protect
you if anything happens.”

Her face falls. “I’m not saying this to be demeaning but you can’t protect
me.” She shakes her head. “How could you.” Her next words are full of
pity. “I mean...look at you.”

My patience drains and I have enough. Rolling over to the door, I unlock
it and enter the hallway while Danielle croaks behind me.

“Hunter, no...,” she pleads, “please, come back here...”

 I ignore her and it doesn’t take long until she follows. She stays close to
the wall, holding the knife tightly to her chest while looking at me with
wide eyes, her body so tense it seems like it’ll snap any second now. When
I try to calm her by stroking a hand down her back, she jerks and brushes it
off as if she needs to be on alert.

She’s close to panicking when we enter the elevator and she mutters
something about how crazy I am and that I’m risking both our lives. Once
on the bottom floor, she checks the closets and storage rooms, holding her
knife lifted just in case and I watch her closely.

Well, well...it’s fascinating how intent she is on helping me now, her

whole body brimming with a need to protect me, to care for me no matter
what and that painful hardness in my heart softens. Maybe she really is
different this time around. Years have passed, she has grown and she’s
matured. And right now she’s doing everything in her power to save me
from an invisible enemy.

“I appreciate this,” I rasp, feeling a rare flash of happiness and the seams
holding me together slowly start to snap, one by one and if she keeps this
up they’ll all be gone and I can be who I want to be, a man on his knees
before her, worshipping her and craving her more than I crave life itself. I
want to fall apart in her arms by dusk and when dawn comes, I want to be
rebuilt in those same arms.
 Deep down, I don’t want to punish her.

Deep down all I want is to love and have that love returned.

I’m not the man I pretend to be. I pretend to have it all under control, to
be larger than life with my fine name and my fine manor but in the end, I’m
just a man who wants to give himself fully and completely to the object of
his obsession.

“And I don’t take it for granted, my beloved angel.”

“What are you talking about?” Danielle hisses in a stressed voice as she
looks up the staircase and then out the window.

“You,” I say huskily, rolling the wheelchair across the floor so that I can
be closer to her. “You’re being so kind to me, compassionate...,” I take her
hand, softly sprinkling it with kisses, “this is making me feel nothing but
love for you.”

Danielle’s crestfallen. “Hunter, you can’t mean that. You barely even
know me.”

Looking up at her, I ignore the slight sting I feel from her words. “But I
do love you, though I don’t want you to feel pressured to give the same in
return. I can wait. I am patient. And I don’t want to force things between
us.”

She worms her hand out of my grip, shaking her head. “This isn’t the
time. There’s a madman on the loose and I have to focus.”

“There’s no madman,” I sigh.

Other than the one sitting in front of her, though that can be debatable.

“Stop fighting me on this, I know what I heard.” She winces and horror
flares in her eyes as if she’s come to a realization. “I don’t want to do this.”

I tense. “Do what?”

Glancing at the front door, she murmurs, “I have to run and get help. The
phone’s not working, we don’t have another choice and I’m not sleeping in
this house until the cops have checked every inch.”

“You need to calm down...,” I urge impatiently but she ignores me.

“Don’t you understand?” She clasps my shoulders. “We’re not safe.” She
turns for the door, stabbing her feet into her boots and wraps her jacket
around her shoulders. “I’ll run as fast as I can. Hang on tightly to that knife,
keep your back against a wall and if the intruder comes at you, don’t
hesitate...”

She throws me one last glance and I fill with fury. “I’m so sorry, I can’t
take you with me...”

“Danielle, stop this right now,” I grit between my teeth, rubbing my

forehead in anger, “You’re ruining everything.”

She stops with her hand on her knob and she must’ve detected something
in my voice because she slowly turns her face to me, her eyes less trustful
now as if she’s beginning to figure me out. There’s no blatant confidence in
her anymore but wariness.

“You were doing so well, showing me how that you do care whether I live
or die but then you just had to go and try to run out on me.” I gravely shake
my head, boring my eyes into hers. “I’m disappointed. I had such high
hopes for you.”

“Hunter, what is this?” she stutters, “why are you talking to me like that,
why are you looking at me that way...?”

I tilt my head to the side. “I know what happened seven years ago one
night in September.”
 Her jaw slacks, her face paling. “You can’t know that. Nobody’s supposed
to know t...that.”

But I do know. I was there. The roads were flooded from rain and I had a
hard time seeing what was ahead, when all of the sudden a car slammed
into me. I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, my body burst through the window and
I landed on the hood before finally rolling down on the concrete.

I lay motionless on the ground, hearing a scream in the distance. Moments

later someone ran over to me and then a face looked down at me. It was the
loveliest face I had ever seen and it brought me comfort even in a moment
of pain. Her brows were drawn over her worried eyes, her lips open in a
silent scream and I wanted to smile because I had found the girl, I one day
knew would be mine.

And she had come to save me, to watch over me in my moment of

distress. A word crossed my lips. “Angel.” I reached up to touch her, cupped
her cheek as a way to tell her not to be afraid, let her know that I was going
to be alright and would always take care of her when she flinched as if I had
hit her. Fear shun in her eyes before she brushed me off and then...

She ran away.

The girl left me alone in the rain, on that cold, hard concrete while my
heart began beating slower and slower the farther away from me she got. I
wouldn’t have survived that night if I hadn’t felt an overwhelming urge to
one day track her down and make her pay for what she’d done.

Then everything changed when she walked into my house. The moment
our eyes met, all I wanted to do was weep, hold her to me and bury myself
in her and tell her how much I had missed her and that I can’t live without
her. And she surprised me by not being the forsaking girl I thought she was.

In her I saw kindness, compassion and it was the very thing I’d pined for
all these years, but then she had to go and threaten to leave in order to “get
help” and now all the fury is back with a vengeance. I don’t trust her and I
know that if she leaves, she won’t ever come back.

“You were the other driver,” she whispers and her body shakes. “But
how...your face was so scarred?”

“It’s a wonder what reconstructive surgery can do.”

She flinches. “You knew who I was all along, but I don’t understand
how...”

“I wanted you to see that ad,” I interrupt. “I placed the newspaper there on
purpose and left right when you and your friend walked inside. I kept my
back to you and you never saw my face, but I stayed outside, watching you
and I knew you were going to say yes.”
 I shudder, still remembering the feeling that washed over me. I could
barely handle it, my emotions running so high I didn’t breathe for minutes. I
was finally going to have her, my plan was working and it felt like a miracle
considering it had taken me such a long time to track her down. For a while,
I had just watched her, learning her dislikes and likes and then an
opportunity came up.

An informant at the hospital where she worked, told me she’d gotten fired
and when I found out she wanted to go private, I saw my chance. The whole
thing went seamlessly and she fell right into my trap.

“I have you where I want you,” I rasp. “You’re mine.”

“You can’t do this,” she says, shaking her head. “I won’t let you trick me
like this, this is insane...,” she stabs her fingers through her hair. “You are
insane.”

“You left me to die, you owe me your heart for your crime...” She left me
to die without her by my side. “If you wanted to run that badly, then you
should’ve killed me on the spot. Even that would’ve been better than
watching you abandon me.”

A tear slides down her face and she hangs with her head. “Oh Hunter, you
don’t understand. I didn’t want to leave you but I’d just had a fight with my
mom and when the accident happened, all I could think about was that I
would lose her love...”

“And what about me, why couldn’t you have thought about me?”

“I’ve thought about you every day,” she sobs, “I even became a nurse
because I felt so guilty.” She brushes snot off with her sleeve, shaking her
head. “What happened hurt me too.”

“Did it?” I mock. “Did it hurt so bad it left you with scars invisible to the
eye?” I snort. All my scars were on the outside but the deepest wound
remained on the inside.

She turns ghostly white. “Hunter, I’m trying to tell you I’m s...sorry.”

“Spare me your excuses and I’ll spare you in return,” I reach out, flicking
my fingers, “Take my hand, tell me you won’t ever desert me again and that
you will always be by my side.” I smile at her. “That’s all you have to do
and everything’s forgiven.”

Shivering, she slowly shakes her head. “I can’t do that, and you can’t
force me.”

I stare at her. “If you run, I will make you scream.”

 She jolts as if I just shoved her into the wall. “I’d like to see you try!” she
cries in fear, running over to me, pushing the wheelchair and it topples. I
fall to the side and bellow in agony, wrapping my arms around my legs
while she pants in shock over what she just did.

“Ah,,,fuck, the pain,” I roar, squirming while she backs with a hand
clasped over her mouth. “What have you done? I can’t stand this fucking
pain!”

“I’m so s...sorry,” she stutters as tears stream down her face and I glance
at her from the corner of my eye. “I had t...to.”

A laughter escapes me and she gasps.

“You’re not sorry,” I grit, “but you will be once I catch you.” Pushing off
the floor, I rise to my full height and she lets out a terrified whimper.

“Run.”

OceanofPDF.com
 8.

Hunter

“Ah-ah,” I say when she throws herself at the entrance, yanking at the knob.
“Wrong door.”

She tries a couple of more times until she realizes it’s useless, then whips
around. Eyes flaring, she lets out a cry, running past me and she whimpers
when my gaze tracks her as if she’s scared I’ll reach out and snatch her. But
I do no such thing. Instead, I open up a drawer and light up some tobacco
before following her to the back of the house.

I stand on the porch as she runs across the garden and up to the woods. A
smile plays around my lips as the excitement makes me high. “I’ll give you
a head start, little fox,” I call because I’m feeling generous and she lets out
a yelp, stumbling and throwing a horrified glance over her shoulder before
disappearing into the woods.
 The need to just go after her causes my body to jolt forward but I force
myself to stay, wrapping my hand around the banister as all my muscles
tense. I can’t wait to catch my prey, I’m going to have so much fun with her
that just the thought causes the hair on my nape to stand. Dragging my last
smoke, I toss the cigarette to the side and then its game on.

Adrenaline pumps in my body as I run, my senses on high alert and then

the smell of the woods hits me in the face, branches scraping my arms and
side of my thighs. I scan the area, searching for movement and I hope she
chose to run instead of hide.

More of a challenge that way.

Bending down, I brush the ground, searching for her footsteps and find
them almost immediately. I’m not in a rush, don’t’ want to spoil the
excitement and half the thrill is coming after her, knowing she’s trying to
get away from me but that she can’t.

I draw pleasure from ambushing her and my pulse begins to race at the
thought of her rapid breaths, her heart pumping, her lower lip quivering and
she’ll be so afraid but then I’ll comfort her. I’ll embrace her and let her
know I can be gentle. A good hunter never tortures his prey.

Only a little.
 And most of it she’ll enjoy anyway.

The pace I keep is the same a trekker would have and I brush branches
and bushes aside, scanning the place for a sign of my little fox. I can
imagine that her mind is struggling to make sense of this now, probably
wondering why I can’t be the hero.

But, the thing is that I am the hero. Bad things have happened in these
woods, I’ve witnessed them with my own eyes and it’s nothing I would ever
do to Danielle. I could’ve been so much worse than I am but I’m
not...because I love her.

I casually look around, waiting for a little snap of a twig but Danielle’s
better than I thought. It thrills me how worthy she is, how well she plays
even if it’s her first time and it makes me proud of her. My heart swells in
my chest as I take long strides across the moss.

It feels good that I don’t have to pretend anymore, now she knows who I
am and she knows I’m not some needy man that she needs to “protect.” I’m
the one doing the protecting around here.

Looking up at the sky, I notice it’s getting dark and my lips curl. It’s
harder to hunt in the dark and easier for the prey to camouflage. I sharpen
my eyes, wondering if I should’ve set up traps for her, a small net to catch
her in but that would’ve been deceitful and I like to play fair.
 Like all hunters, I’m cunning but some things are just plain bad-manners
and too amoral even for me. It’s more civil to just give her a chance, boost
her confidence a little instead of just tear her down and dominate her. This
is a dance between us, a feral one and a dance she didn’t agree to but that
only makes it even sweeter.

Going down on my haunches, I brush the earth again, noting the footsteps
have stopped. Hmm....that’s interesting. She’s trying to throw me off the
trail, trying to be clever and if she was here I’d be stroking her cheek,
telling her I enjoy the effort.

But she’s still a novice, sloppy too and I’m quickly back in the game. I
pass a small pond and I wonder if she’s thirsty. I can almost imagine her
leaning over and taking a couple of panicky gulps from her palm, while
fearing I could be coming up right behind her.

I frown, wondering if she really would drink from the pond. I hope not,
that water’s filthy and she could get an infection. Worry warps around me
before I shrug it off. My little fox wouldn’t be so stupid, she knows what’s
good for her and what’s bad.

That’s why she came to me, delivered herself to me like a pound of fresh
flesh and I lick my lips. Fear tastes delicious and I can’t wait to lick it off
her skin, trace it in between her legs and feel it explode on my tongue.

Mmm...
 I’m hungry now and I feel a flash of impatience and a need to hurry this
game up. More than twenty minutes have already passed and the woods are
large. By now she should be somewhere halfway toward the cliffs. It’s the
only thing waiting behind the woods.

She might try to jump into the cold sea to get away from me and my fists
clench. If she tries, I’ll jump right in after her. The need to track her down
and claim my prize, is stronger than anything and I hear my father’s voice
echo in my head.

“A woman will leave you unless you chase her. You must claim her, make
her yours and never let her forgot who owns her.”

I won’t let her forget. Ever.

“Oh, little fox...,” I call out over the forest. “I’m coming for you.”

The hunter is going in for the kill.

****
Danielle

I can’t believe this is happening. It feels as if I’ve been tossed into a

nightmare and it doesn’t matter how many times I pinch myself, I still can’t
wake up. I’m not sure for how long I’ve been running, maybe about half an
hour or so and my legs are shaking, my throat burning and I’m getting dizzy
by how everything looks the same.

For all I know, I could be running in circles. He gave me a head start but
he did it just to toy with me. We both know, I’ll never make it out of here
without him catching me. I saw the look in his eyes when he told me to run,
the thirst, the depravity dripping off of him and worst of all is that the
expression was mixed with something else...

Love.

That made it even more terrifying. Hunter really thinks he loves me and
this is his twisted way of making sure I never leave him, his way of
coercing my heart to beat for him but it will never do that. It can’t beat for a
man who doesn’t have a heart of his own.

A violent wind marches through the woods, causing the tree crowns ripple
and then I hear his voice calling out for me, letting me know he’s coming
and I panic. There’s so much hunger in that warning of his and I let out a
choked scream, jumping over moss covered rocks and wince when branches
scratch my arms. I’m sweating, feeling as if I’m about to burn up and my
oxygen’s running out. I stop for a moment, putting my hands on my knees
and take a couple of deep breaths.
 “Ouww,” I whimper, rubbing my chest in circles when my lungs start
feeling too big for my ribcage.

I can’t keep running for much longer but the only other choice is to let
him catch me. My jaw clenches. I can’t give up, I’m not easy prey, I won’t
let him turn me into some plaything in some depraved game I never wanted
to play. Looking down, I watch my shoes move in a blur.

How much longer?

Sometime, I’m going to have to stop and then he’ll track me down when I
lay they vulnerable and exhausted and I wince at the thought. I ignore the
tiredness and I keep going. Even if I collapse, it’s still better than letting
him use me.

He tricked me, persuaded me to fall right into his snare and like a
defenseless animal, I let it happen. This is what he planned all along, made
me trust a kind but fragile man in a wheelchair, made me develop feelings
for him and then he yanked the rug right under me.

He’s not fragile at all, or helpless or in need of any care. It was an act all
along, implanted to make me trust him and let my guard down. And let my
guard down I did. I felt safe with that man, thought he was the kind to warn
me of predators but he’s a predator himself.
 I squint, trying to see in the dark as I run and I curse these woods for their
density and prickliness, my skin feeling raw and I ache all over. Keeping up
the pace, I stop as if I’ve hit a well when a scent of the sea reaches me.
Gulping, I lean against a tree to take a breath. If I keep on running this way,
I’ll reach the sea and then what?

Fear grips me when I wonder if there’s cliff on the other side. What if
Hunter corners me and pushes me toward the edge? It sounds dangerous
and my knees begin to shake. I’m not willing to risk it and I look back at
where I came from.

Going back is maybe even a bigger risk but right now it feels safer.
Jumping over a huge rock, I hide behind it while gathering some sharp
sticks and I wrap leaves around them, attempting to create a provisory
dagger. Looking down at the pathetic excuse for a weapon, I lick my lips.

At least it’s better than nothing.

Peeking up over the rock, I make sure the coast is clear before I start
going back the same way I came from. This time I don’t run but take it little
by little, hiding behind the trees as I go and pay attention to any movement.
It seems to take forever, the snail pace only heightening the feeling of
danger but at least it’s giving my legs a chance to recover and I feel some of
my strength returning.
 I’m going to get out of here in one piece, I won’t let him play with me
until I’m just as twisted as he is. I’m going to get out of these woods and
then I’ll never come back. That huntsman in the nursery rhyme...he won’t
ever tear me apart and he will never ever have my heart.

I clench my fists, slowing down even more and then I cower. My heart
thumps when I can see glimpses of the manor in between the trees. The
moon shines above it, highlighting the path and all I need to do now is run
as fast I can, circle the house until I’m on the other side, run past the lake
and then I’ll be out the gate.

Freedom.

I dash but jolt when a figure jumps down from a tree right in front of me
and I let out a scream, falling on my ass on the ground. Hunter transforms
before me, larger than life and with a sneer on his face and a frenzied look
in his eyes.

My fingers trace the grass, searching for the weapon I dropped and when I
find it, I point it at him. “Stay away from me!” I cry.

He tilts his head to the side as if contemplating before turning it upright

again. “I’ve felt trapped since the first time I saw you.” He smirks. “Now
you’ll know how it feels.”

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 9.

Danielle

“You’re mine to claim,” he purrs, lunging at me and he’s enormous. Taller

than he ever seemed in that wheelchair and he has to be at least 6.5 and my
body recoils from him as I hit the weapon upright. It digs into his side, just
below his ribs and he lets out a bellow before yanking it right out of my
hands and he carelessly tosses it to the side as if it’s a piece of junk.

I didn’t even cause him to bleed and I’m defenseless now, left to his
mercy and I whip around to all fours and start crawling away from him. Dirt
digs into my fingernails, sharp grass cutting my knees up and I let out a cry
when he wraps a hand around my ankle and pulls me right back.

“Hunter, please!” I scream, pleading to his better nature but it’s not with
him right now. The huntsman is before me and he won’t spare me. He
reaches for me, using his hands and legs to keep me in a hold that stops me
from kicking. My body twists, my cheeks flaming from fear as I look up
into his eerie eyes.

His lips are pulled over his teeth and he’s breathing raggedly.
Triumphantly. He’s so pleased that I can taste it. It coats my skin, until all I
can feel and smell is him and it plays tricks on my mind, making me feel as
if there’s nothing beyond Hunter.

The harder I cling to him the gentler he will be.

I refuse, letting out a cry, clawing at him but all I manage to do is rip his
shirt apart but it brings me some comfort that my nails at least left a mark
on his chest.

“Mmm, do it again, little fox.” His eyes flash with arrogance. “I’ll wear
your marks with pride.”

Struggling underneath him, I try kicking him in the crotch but he just
brushes my leg away and laughs. The laugh makes me whimper and hearing
it in a dark forest such as this one, only adds to the alarm.

“You don’t have to do this,” I try. “You can fight it, you’re better than
this.”
 He bares his teeth and they flash white in the dark. “I am who I am and
you will adore me despite of it.” Groaning, he puts his body on top of mine,
letting me feel all of his strength and all of his power and my mind goes
blank. The forest starts spinning, the trees above my head moving
tumultuously and even the wind seems to whisper his name. Everything
seems to work in his favor, cheering his conquering on and applauding his
claiming.

Hunter will be the only man you will ever know.

I don’t know where the notion comes from but it comes from a deep place
inside of me. Fate doesn’t want anybody else but him for me. If she did she
wouldn’t have made me cross paths with a man who would rather set the
world on fire and watch it burn than let me go.

Pinning my hands above my head, he uses his other hand to undo the
buttons going all the way down my nightgown and I whimper when the two
halves land on either side of my body. He stares at me as if something just
snapped in his head.

“Too good for me,” he rasps under his breath, as if talking to himself. For
a moment he seems to feel guilty before deciding, “But you’re mine
nonetheless.”
 He slides his palm over my curves, causing me to pant and then I see
stars. I stutter his name, feeling as if I’m about to enter another dimension.
This man is ruthless, he’d rather grind himself down to the bones than lose
me. I horrify myself by going soft when he plunges two fingers into me and
kisses my breasts. He molds them under his starving mouth before kissing
my lips, his tongue thrusting without waiting for acceptance and I moan.
Every cell in my body begins to respond, betraying me, wanting to serve
him instead of me and it feels as if my mind is breaking.

I roll my hips against him, wincing when he groans in satisfaction but

ease involuntarily when his fingers go deeper than I thought possible and
my lids grow heavy. He thrusts harder and harder and I blink up at him,
noticing he’s not wearing clothes anymore and I don’t know when he lost
them.

His body is even more magnificent than usual, his feral nature causing his
muscles to ripple and I have a feeling that if he keeps touching me the way
he does, I’ll go crazy. I was one girl when I ran from him and I’m another
one, now that he’s caught me.

“It’s not fair,” I whine as tears spurt from my eyes, He shouldn’t be able
to make me feel like this after everything that he’s done.

“You want it harder,” he pants and my eyes flare. “Come on my fingers

and when you do, I want you to scream my name.”
 “Never!” I grind my jaw, keeping my lips tight but then he does a curling
motion and my body snaps so hard, that my throat arches and I stop
breathing. “Hunter!” I scream.

“Hunter!”

****

Hunter

Her screams rain over me and they wash away the past, the blockage over
my heart crack and I feel it shatter in my chest, the sharp pieces hurting me
until I feel as if I’m about to go blue in the face. I heave, dragging fast
breaths while she twists underneath me. The pulse pounding in my temples
increases and she must’ve seen something in my eyes because she tries
wriggling away from me again but I don’t allow it.

Clamping my hands down on her thighs, I pull them apart and lick my
lips. Her scent envelopes me, making me want to weep when I think she
could’ve gotten away. Twice.

“Twice you’ve tried getting away from me,” I growl and she trembles,
“what you have between your legs belongs to me. It’s not yours to do with
as you please.” Using my fingers to gain more access, I lick my tongue up
her seam. “Mine.”
 The word causes her to shudder, her thighs clamping on either side of my
head and she lets out a dark sound. Whether it’s me she craves or her body’s
reaction to me is unclear but I’m too preoccupied with my meal to care.

The more she twitches and squeaks, the more crazed I get and this is what
she does to me. She peels off the civilized mask and takes me in my true
nature. I belong to her as much as she belongs to me. This is a loving
exchange and a ritual done to ensure she’s never farther away from me than
my own heart and my thoughts grow obsessive, dangerous...I can’t ever
lose her.

Cupping myself, I drag my cock up and down her entrance, watching the
look in her eyes turn from frantic to needy and eager. When I smirk, she
looks away, grinding her jaw as if she hates me and it makes me angry.
Clasping her chin, I bring her face back where I want it and force a kiss on
her mouth that leaves her squirming before she bursts into tears. I lick them
off her cheeks and she whimpers, surprising me until my heart nearly
explodes into the ether when she trails her lips to find mine again.

A joy I’ve never felt hits me hard and I feel like weeping. I kiss her
however she wants me to, letting her choose the pace and the pressure. I
groan in delirium when she threads her caring fingers through my hair,
coddling me almost as if needing to soothe my frenzy but when she realizes
what she’s doing, she lets out an angry moan and tugs at my hair until my
head snaps back.
 “Ah, Danielle, that’s it,” I groan, clasping her hips, “I’ll let you fuck me
as much as I do it to you.” I plunge inside of her and her whole body reacts
to the loving act by turning feverish, goosebumps prickling her arms and
her eyes roll back in her head.

She pants and stutters my name as I plunge deeper and the feel of her is so
intense, penetrating a part of me that’s been impenetrable until now. A part
that blooms for her, wants to embrace her until she thinks we’re the same.

“My Danielle,” I growl, hitting her harder. “Only mine.” We lock eyes
and she’s a hot, little mess underneath me with twigs in her hair and swollen
lips and nipples that shine red from my sucking. Our bodies have turned
slick and I give her one lustful thrust one after the other, until her whole
body jolts from the shock.

“H...Hunter let me get on top,” she pleads, “please let me try.”

Just to indulge her, I roll over to my back and pull her on top of me. She
rocks back and forth, her hands on my chest, close to my throat and she
moans, her big breasts seeming to swell even more right before my eyes
and I grab them in my hands, squeezing and playing with them when her
eyes wander...
 They leave me and roam up and then to the side, in between trees...almost
as if she’s contemplating something.

“What are you looking at?” I snap suspiciously, giving her breasts a
possessive squeeze and she cries out. I thrust upward, causing her to pant
and I put her on all fours, making sure she can’t go anywhere. The look in
her eyes goes from hopeful to disillusioned.

“B...but you said you’d let me fuck you,” she whimpers, mistaking me for
someone with morals, “you said...”

“Did I?” I rasp, lifting a brow and she nods.

“Yes.”

“I lied.”

I drag her back and forth down my cock, causing her to explode once
from the motion but I’m not done yet and sweat runs down my spine. She
turns her face to the side, her swollen mouth parting, her eyes turning
glassy. I wrench her down again and again, slanting my lips over hers and
groan at the spurts of wetness drenching me between her legs.
 She mewls but she’s not surprised at her body’s reaction to me. She knew
this would happen and maybe that’s what she was afraid of. Deep down she
knows who she belongs to and my lips curl. I want to praise her for being so
good for me. She drives me wild with the way that she is and the pace turns
so hard and fast, she can’t catch a breath.

“Hunter, go slower!” she cries, trying to hold on.

“Shut up and take it!”

Gasping, she groans when her head hangs but I don’t let her get away,
gripping her throat and pull her to me. “You will love me for who I am,” I
growl, “every minute of the day for the rest of your life and if you ever
reject me, or turn your lips away from me in a way that makes me think you
don’t want me, I’ll do this to you, Danielle.”

I thrust aggressively until her teeth clap.

“I’ll hunt you down and fuck you until you can’t walk.”

Her eyes round and she cries out, protesting when I silence her cries with
my lips. “What do you want from me?” she whimpers.
 “Isn’t it obvious?” Putting my mouth against her ear, I whisper, “I want to
eat you alive.”

She creams my name, convulsing underneath me and I cry out, keeping

the pace up until I ejaculate and when I pull back, she looks at me with
dazed eyes. Opening her mouth, she tries to say something but then she
gives up and passes out.

I groan, nuzzling her throat and hold her to me while wondering how it’s
possible to love someone as much as I love her. The deed is done. She’s
been claimed and I own her now.

Forever.

OceanofPDF.com
 10.

Danielle

I come to my senses with a soft twitch, my head flopping to the side and
there’s a dull ache in my body. Everything hurts but in the fog I’m in, I
realize we’re no longer in the woods.

An exquisite gown covers my body, auburn colored with black and white
details. My limbs aren’t coated in dirt anymore, but I’m clean as if I’ve
been washed. I’m sitting at the end of the dining room table and there’s
something soft right underneath me. It takes me a while to understand I’m
sitting in someone’s lap and I lick my lips. “H...hunter?”

“Finally, you’re awake,” he rasps, his warm breath tickling my ear and I
tense when he licks the side of my throat as if I’m a delicacy and he can’t
waste a single crumb. He clasps my hips, greedily rocking me against him
and my eyes flare when I feel that he’s hard.
 “I’m sorry,” he whispers, “I’m being rude and selfish. I should give you a
moment to take a breath, to properly wake up but I can’t seem to get enough
of you.” He stills for a moment, just nuzzling the back of my neck while I
clutch the table in horror, wondering what he’ll do next.

“You’re all I’ve ever wanted.” He threads his fingers through my hair and
his words are so gentle, calming and I crave this side of him. It causes my
whole body to arch and now that I’ve experienced his abrasiveness, his
comfort is like the first rays of sun on a misty morning. I look up at the
ceiling, at the chandelier, letting him kiss me until my mind swims, heat
licking across my chest. He has lit black candles and I watch them flicker in
front of me as he twists me from the inside out.

The man is a destroyer, a hunter but he has caught his prey and there’s
nothing I can do.

You want to be caught.

Inwardly I shake my head.

Admit it!

No, I don’t!
 Oh, but you do...

I should fight back but a part of me has given up and when a wave of
tangled emotions washes over me, I can’t do anything but kiss him back and
whisper his name under my breath. My lower lip quivers, when he gets up,
leaving me seated and he tucks his shirt back into his pants before
smoothing his hair.

“Thirsty?” he asks with a raised brow. “I’ve popped open a bottle of

quality, vintage wine to celebrate the occasion.”

“I refuse to celebrate what you did to me,” I say heatedly and in my head
my voice sounds aggressive and just as monstrous as he is but in reality it’s
a lot more delicate. I’d like to get up but I’m sore between my legs and I
have a feeling that if I stood, I would just collapse right on the carpet.

He ignores me, handing me a glass anyway. “It’ll soothe your nerves.

Drink, you’ve been through a lot, little fox.”

I lick my lips, tempted to just knock the glass right out of his hand and
give escape another chance but I know I’ll never make it. He’s too strong,
too fast, too cunning. Staring into his eyes, I yank the glass to me and gulp
and gulp.
 “More,” I rasp, brushing my mouth with the back of my hand.

Hunter raises a condescending brow at my unladylike behavior but fills it

up once more. He goes down on his haunches while I’m busy drinking and
he strokes my knee as if this is his attempt to appease me and show me he
can be harmless.

“My love for you has never been stronger than it was tonight.” He drags a
trembling breath. “You have impressed me beyond words, the way you
struggled to not let me catch you was everything I could’ve hoped for.” He
brushes his knuckles down my cheek. “You’re a magnificent prey.”

“I don’t want to be your prey,” I say angrily. “I want nothing to do with

you!” I gasp when he harshly clasps my chin and pulls his eyes to mine.

“I’m a very loving and passionate man, Danielle,” he growls, “but I

expect my passion to be returned. Talk to me like that again and I’ll do
more than just make love to you under the moonlight.”

He calls that making love? Then what would fucking be like according to
him? Murder?

“What’s with the look of horror?” he mutters as if I just hurt his feelings,
“You can’t imagine how much it stings seeing it in your eyes.”
 There’s genuine hurt on his face as if I’m the one behaving badly and I
squirm on my seat, glancing at the doorway when he rises. Looking down at
me with displeasure, he curls his upper lip over his teeth. “Don’t look at the
door. I’m not letting you go.”

I sharply avert my gaze, fidgeting. “You can’t keep me with you forever.”

“But you’re mine,” he grits between his teeth. “I won’t survive without
you. I bleed like a wounded animal without you.” His lips thin and he looks
away as if thinking of something painful and for a moment I gulp, feeling
his pain as if it’s my own. “Being forced to live without you was the hardest
thing I’ve ever done.”

He strokes my cheek.

“The accident nearly ruined me,” he whispers, lowering his face as if he’s
nothing but a wounded hero deep down, “it took years to recover, to
become mobile again but I refused to give up. Knowing you were out there
was the only thing that kept me going. Whenever I wanted to cave, I
thought of my little fox and how much she was going to need me in a world
full of men who could hurt her.”

He clasps my face gently. “Danielle, what I do to you is my privilege

only. If anyone else had tried even half of it, I would’ve killed them with
my bare hands and torn their organs out before feeding them to wild
beasts.”

“I wish I could be yours, I really wish I could,” I softly cry, adding with a
whisper, “but I can’t. You’re twisted.”

Something dark and lovely warps his eyes. “I’m not twisted,” he
whispers, trailing a finger down my thigh, “twisted would be to chop your
legs off to make sure you never run again.”

Terror flames in me when our eyes meet and a hand comes down when I
open my mouth and scream.

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 Epilogue

Hunter-One year later

“I can’t move,” Danielle groans, with a frozen look on her face,

“Hunter...help me out.”

“Don’t blame me.” Chuckling, I look down at her. “You brought this upon
yourself.” I stroke her temple and her eyes flare, the frozen expression
turning sultry and lush.

“All I did was ask if you were hungry.”

“Exactly. And remind me again why I’d help you leave my bed?”

She swallows before a smile crosses her face. “You’re shameless.”

Glancing at me from the corner of her eye, she slides out of bed but her
knees buck immediately. She glares at me when I chuckle again, propping
my head up on my bicep and she wraps a robe around her naked body.

“And you have no manners,” she adds, sitting down by the little desk in
my bedroom and takes out cards and an old fashioned pen containing
burgundy ink. “Treating your wife as if she’s a plaything.”

I frown, feeling a flare of worry and I rub a hand down my face. “I think I
treat you better than that.”

Danielle glances at me over her shoulder. “Oh, I was just teasing. And
you do, you treat me like a prized jewel.”

That’s more like it. A sense of ease washes over me and I breathe out, my
formerly tense muscles now relaxed and it feels good getting her view on
things. I try my hardest to please her, keep her happy because when she’s
satisfied, I’m satisfied. I once told her that deep down I’m a most loving
man but she didn’t believe me.

Now she does.

Not to say that everything went smoothly after the night I introduced her
to the hunt, but eventually she understood I would never hurt her. I just
wanted her so bad, I couldn’t hold back. The only way for her to ever be
free of me would be if she killed me, grabbed a knife and stabbed it into the
very same heart she’d break.

My gaze slowly goes to her and I watch her back. Her head’s bent over
the desk, her hand flying over the paper and there’s no tension in her body.
She watches me with adoration in her eyes whenever they land on me and
she never twitches or recoils when I touch her. There’s love in this house
and it warms the rooms and casts a certain light over any dark corners.

With Danielle, I finally have everything I ever wanted. A home. A real

one and we haven’t talked about children yet but one day we might have
them. We’ll see and it’s up to Danielle anyway and not me. I’m fine where
we are.

“What are you so busy writing?” I ask after a while in an annoyed tone
because her attention’s been undivided for longer than I like.

“The invites for your birthday,” she murmurs then winces, “I forgot to
send them on time, so I need to hurry up.” Her voice turns worried and she
licks the envelope. “Do you think people still will come?”

My depraved friends enjoy hunting, just as much as their equally

depraved parents did. Nobody rejects an invitation to this residence, unless
they’re bores.
 “Don’t worry. There’s nothing my friends love more than hunting.”

Danielle visibly tenses and her voice is overly soft when she speaks.
“There will be hunting?”

“Always.”

She turns to me. “But...we’ve never played with other people.”

“It’s roughly the same.” I grin. “Only that there’s more moaning echoing
through the woods.”

An interested spark shimmers in Danielle’s eyes but then she bites her lip.
“What if someone sees us?”

“If someone sees you naked, I’ll kill them,” I shrug, getting up from the
bed and I prowl toward her. Her eyes are fixed below my hips and I wrap
my arms around her. “Baudelaire’s are the most dangerous when fucking.” I
kiss the top of her head. “And the other men know that.”

Scooping her up, I toss her back on the bed and she throws a fretful
glance at the invites but forgets all about it when I get on top of her. Her
eyes glimmer with memories when she looks up at me and she murmurs,
“Hunter, do you know what date it is?”
 I nod. “Precisely a year since you came to me.”

“Time flies when I’m with you,” she smiles, stroking my face. “If you’d
told me I’d say that to you one day, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“I can be loveable,” I whisper and her smiles widens as she wriggles

underneath me.

“You certainly can.”

“Was I really that bad to you back then?”

“You tricked me,” she replies, not cutting any corners. “But I understand
who you are now and you were right. I really do owe you a heart.”

“Do you love me then?”

I hold my breath because I can’t know for sure but she puts my hand on
top of her chest. “Do you feel that?” she says earnestly. “It gets like that
whenever I’m around you, whenever I think of you...it has never learned
and never will learn to do that for anyone else.”
 My lips curl as I feel the frantic beat underneath my palm. It’s frenzied as
if her heart too is prey and running. She’s in love. In the end, the huntsman
caught her heart.

And it tore him apart.

The End

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Thank you for reading!! Stay tuned for the next Ever Night book. The Shed
is coming out soon.

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Question? What do you think Hunter saw in the woods as a child that
startled him so much? Turn the page to find out the answer...

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He witnessed the murder of Lady Huntington-Graves, executed by Lord
Huntington-Graves. Their son Nathanos has his own book. If you liked this
story, you might enjoy Tender Psycho.

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