Lennox caught the way Hunter’s gaze softened.“That’s because you’re ours,” Hunter said simply.“Out here, in the city, anywhere—you’re safe with us.”
Something changed in her expression—something deeper than desire.She stepped closer, her fingers tracing the lines of Lennox’s chest before reaching for Hunter’s hand.“Then show me,” she whispered.
Hunter pulled her in first, kissing her slow and deep, his other hand finding her waist.Lennox moved behind her, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.She sighed, caught between them again, and when Hunter lowered her gently to the moss-covered ground, the scent of pine and earth wrapped around them.
They took their time this time—no urgency, just connection.Hunter kissed her as Lennox explored her with slow, teasing touches.The air was cool, but her skin burned under their hands.She arched when Lennox slid a hand between her thighs, and Hunter swallowed her moan with his mouth.Everything about her felt like home.
When Lennox entered her, Hunter knelt up so she could take him in her mouth, his hand on her cheek, grounding her.Every movement was unhurried, filled with reverence.She had to work not to lose herself in the feeling of Lennox making love to her, so she could love on Hunter the way he deserved.The rhythm built slowly until all three were gasping, trembling, the forest echoing with their cries.
When it was over, they stayed tangled together, the sunlight dappled across their skin.Brielle rested her head against Lennox’s chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns across Hunter’s stomach.
“This place,” she whispered.“I get why you love it.”
Lennox kissed her hair.“Good.Because it’s yours now, too.”
Hunter nodded in agreement.“Ours.”
And for a long, peaceful moment, the only sounds were their breaths, the rustle of leaves, and the slow return of the forest to silence.
****
Caleb sat in the dimlight of the motel room, the city noise a dull hum beyond the cracked window.His fingers tapped against the table, the rhythm steady, methodical.Everything was falling into place.
He’d been patient, watching from the shadows while she rebuilt her life.She thought she’d escaped him—thought her magic made her untouchable.But Caleb had learned more since she’d gone, about her power, about the kind of blood she carried.The sort of blood that could open doors, bridge worlds, if properly ...persuaded.
A slow smile curled at his lips as he pictured her—the way she used to look at him with those fierce eyes before defiance gave way to fear.He remembered the taste of her tears, the tremor in her voice when she whispered his name.
“You were made for me, Brielle,” he murmured, running a hand through his hair.“And soon, you’ll remember that.”
He leaned back in the chair, staring at the knife on the table.Its silver edge caught the light, reflecting the gleam in his eyes.He dragged his thumb along the blade until a bead of blood welled up, smiling as it dripped onto the scarred wood.Pain sharpened his focus, grounding him in his obsession.
Every part of his plan hinged on her.Her blood.Her magic.Her submission.He needed her to unlock what the Council could not—to make him powerful enough to never crawl again.The thought of bending her will, of feeling her fight and then break, sent heat coursing through him.
Caleb closed his eyes, the fantasy rising unbidden.He imagined her cornered, her magic flaring wild and bright, until he crushed it with a single command.He imagined her breath catching, her body trembling, her voice breaking on his name—not with love, but surrender.
His breath quickened, his hand drifting lower as the vision consumed him.Each thought of her pain, her helplessness, fed the fever in his blood.His groan was rough, primal, when it broke free.
When it was done, he sat motionless, sweat cooling on his skin.The sound of the city crept back in—the rumble of traffic, a distant siren.He wiped his hand on his shirt, slow and deliberate, before cleaning the blade and setting it beside a notebook filled with sketches and symbols.
Caleb leaned forward, whispering to the knife as if it could hear him.“I’m coming for you, Brielle.You’ll bleed for me.And when it’s done, your power will belong to me.”
Then he smiled again—small, precise, and full of promise—and began to plan his next move.