He’snotcoming.It’sclear as day, yet the realization still burns me to my core. I don’t want to be here. I didn’t want to come in the first place, but the idea of having Wolfe here with me, by my side, encouraged me. For the first time, I was excited about a big public event. Now, I just want to go home.
As I look around the great room of Shiloh and Logan’s sprawling cabin home, I cringe and sink further against the wall.It’s packed. I had no idea Shiloh even knew this many people. There have to be at least two hundred people here tonight. Everyone is wearing their best costumes and enjoying the holiday with friends and family. The front and back doors are open, allowing partygoers to spill out onto the decks and lawn, which are also done up for the event.
I have to admit, it’s incredible. Shiloh really does know how to throw a party. The lights are dimmed low, allowing a purple and green glow from the string lights to bounce off the fog filling the air. Spooky music plays through the surround sound system, both inside and out. There are fires going in every one of their many firepits and stone fireplaces, with real cauldrons perched overtop.
Somehow, she hung battery-operated candlesticks from the vaulted ceiling, making it feel like the great hall at Hogwarts. The food and drinks are over the top and in keeping with the theme. Suffice it to say; she fucking nailed it. I may not like the fact that I can barely move without being jostled about like a marble in a Pinball machine, but I can admit that my bestie did a fantastic job.
I force myself to step away from the punch bowl, where I’d resigned myself to wait for him. I said I’d give Wolfe ten more minutes forty minutes ago, and he’s still not here, so I guess it’s time to move on.In more ways than one. I ignore how my eyes burn at the thought as I push through the crowd, seeking out Shiloh to say my goodbyes. I need to go home; I can’t be here anymore.
My heart has cried out for him all week. Every text and call that went unanswered created another crack in my heart. At first, I was worried I’d upset him. Then, I was worried something terrible had happened, but after five days of nothing but silence, I just felt—sad.
I’ve tried to talk myself off the ledge. Tried to be rational and consider all the possibilities, but it just doesn’t add up. Wolfe has been stalking me for who knows how long. He has no boundaries. He’s possessive and obsessive over me, yet somehow, hestillwalked away. That knowledge fucks with a girl’s mind.
And heart.
I step into the backyard and scan the horde of people but come up empty. My brows furrow. Where the Hell is she? Maybe I missed her inside? Or maybe she’s out front? Shit, I don’t want to have to push through the insanity inside again.
Groaning, I make my way down the few steps of the deck and decide to take the long way around their house to avoid everyone. My legs are freezing from the cold, and not for the first time; I regret my outfit. In a moment of inspiration and giddy excitement, I decided to dress up as a killer clown. An ode to the man who has consumed my mind for the better part of three months. I knew Wolfe would get a kick out of it as much as it would turn him on—if only he were here to see it.
I picked out a simple, tight black bodysuit with long sleeves. A black leather jacket that looks like his. I’m wearing the same Doc’s he wore that night in the cemetery. My hair is down and crimped from my braids. The only difference is I decided to paint my face instead of wearing a mask. I figured it would be symbolic. I don’t want plastic or boundaries between us. I want everything that we are on display for one another. I want him to know me. The real me. And I want the same thing in return.
Who lies behind Wolfe’s mask, and why does he feel the need to hide from me? Doesn’t he know I would love him no matter what? Doesn’t he know I already do?
Shit.The tears I’ve been trying so hard to keep under wraps finally spill over with the realization that I’ll probably never be able to tell him.
As I walk through the cold, foggy field and make my way to the front yard, I try not to think about all the experiences I shared with Wolfe and how there won’t be anymore. I may have more experience than he does with kink play, but I still gave him a few of my firsts.
Even with all the experimenting Oscar and I did over our time together, I never trulygavemyself to him. I trusted him and surrendered to him, but it wasn’t until the night in the cemetery with Wolfe that I discovered what true submission is. There, in the dirt, I gave myself to him wholly and completely. I handed over full control and allowed him to use me in whatever ways he wanted. It was as freeing as it was powerful. The feeling was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. That was, until the night in my bedroom when he tied me up.
The last time I saw him.
My body is still healing from that night, but every time I see the small cuts lining my skin, or the bruising around my throat, I smile, remembering the way he dominated my body. He took as much as he gave and then some. That night, I came so many times I blacked out. It was the closest thing to a religious experience that I’ve ever been party to. Wolfe and I connected that night in a way I didn’t know was possible. We became one.
“Fuck,” I choke out, wiping my steadily flowing tears from my cheeks and likely smearing paint everywhere. The sound of people laughing and drinking fills the air as I come around the corner, rounding their large property.
The three-story house blocks out the lights from the front and back yards, swathing me in a darkness that has my skin crawling. I pick up my pace as the feeling of being watched sets in for the first time in a week. My head swivels side to side as excitement and nerves fill me.He’s here.I can’t help but smile into the darkness as my heart begins to beat wildly in my chest. I may be upset with him, but I missed him more than I care to admit.
I knew he’d come. I knew he wouldn’t leave me.
Speaking out into the darkness, I call out, “I knew you’d co—” My words get cut off as a meaty hand wraps around my mouth and nose from behind. My eyes widen, and I suck in a sharp breath. A second arm clenches my gut, restraining me and tugging me into a tall, hard body.
Adrenaline courses through me so rapidly my immediate reaction is to freeze, but then, I remember, he likes the fight. Wolfe squeezes me harder, hauling me off my feet as he marches toward the heavy covering of trees that surround the Huxley property. The same trees someone chased me in all those months ago before I’d met him. My arms are tucked tightly against my sides, but I keep fighting. I try to pull them free, so I can give into the need to claw at the hand, preventing me from breathing. My lungs burn with every muffled scream and cry for help.
He grunts at how I flail and thrash but remains silent as he carries me into the woods. I focus on everything around me, knowing how important the facts are for the game. Which direction do I run? How much of a head start will he give me? Does he want me to fight or hide?
The questions begin to slow with my breathing as he continues to deprive me of oxygen. He’s never done this before, never been this aggressive and extreme right off the bat. Normally, he would say something, taunt me, praise me, call me a name and then kiss my neck. This feels different. I know it does. He’s different.
Something registers in my brain, but as my eyes begin to close and my breathing stutters in my chest, I lose the fight against the sudden wave of exhaustion. I fight it with everything I have, forcing my eyes open one more time. The last thing I notice before passing out is a fancy sports car parked in the woods.
But Wolfe has a motorcycle.
My eyes feel heavy and weighted, as though I took the sleeping pills. Did I? I blink and blink again as I try to figure out what the fuck happened. Something under me thumps, sending me rolling to my side. I try to press onto my back, but I can’t. My hands won’t work. Everything is dark. So dark. I suck in a sharp breath, and my lungsburn. I open my mouth, but my lips are stuck together.
What? Where am I? Everything is so hazy, and my brain feels…mushy. Am I drunk? Did I get roofied?
Something thuds and I roll to my side again, hitting my forehead on hard metal. And then, reality sinks in, and the fog clears. I was abducted from Shiloh’s backyard by Wolfe. He came for me, and then…he made another one of my fantasies come true.
I try to open my mouth and realize it’s duct-taped shut. My hands are bound in front of my body, with a rope, from the feel of it. I test my legs, finding them free from the bindings. I smile beneath the tape. He wants me to run. He wants to chase me, hunt me, and then, god willing, fuck me. My pussy flutters as if in agreement.