His arms tighten around me. “I’m a jealous man. I’ll always think about the years you crushed on that fucker Landon.”
I reach a hand out and stroke his cheek. “You can have the rest of my years, Jeremy.”
He starts to spin me around when the sound of the door opening reaches my ears. Jeremy pushes me behind him and throws a thin blanket over my nakedness.
Scrambling, I wrap it around me as Jeremy stares at the hall.
“Who the fuck—” His words cut off when a petite woman comes inside with a smile on her face. “Mom!”
It’s his turn to cover himself with a bit of the blanket that I’m wrapped in.
“Who are you hiding from? I’m your mother,” she says with a soft smile, placing a takeout basket on the coffee table.
“What are you doing here?” he asks in a more composed voice after sharing the blanket with me.
“Checking in on you since you haven’t left the guest house in…two days. You’ve been barely eating the meals I’ve been sending you either.”
I wince and glare at Jeremy.
It’s been that long, and he made me lose track of time.
“The poor girl looks dehydrated.”
“I’ve been making her drink just fine.”
My cheeks heat, and I step on his foot, but I might as well not have touched him, considering the smile on his face.
Lia shakes her head. “Your father wants to see you. Get changed and come to the main house. We’ll have dinner together.”
“Okay. You leave first, Mom. We’ll catch up.”
“No. You’ll just continue locking up Cecily here. I’ll wait until you come down.”
He grunts after his mum ruins his plan to do just that, then we awkwardly stumble upstairs. We take a quick shower, and he stays in the bathroom to shave, but I throw on the first pair of jeans and top I come across and go ahead downstairs.
One, I don’t want to keep her waiting.
Two, I really don’t want her to think we’re fucking up there.
I find Lia tidying up the living room even though it’s kind of spotless. I’m thankful the actual fucking happened on the stairs earlier, so there’s no evidence of it on the sofa.
“Cecily, you’re here.” She beams at me. “How did you escape him?”
I touch my neck, my ear, and my hair. “I…um…”
“I’m kidding.” She grabs my hand and makes me sit down beside her on the sofa. “We haven’t talked much since you got here, for obvious reasons, but I wanted to thank you, Cecily.”
“For…what?”
“For seeing the man inside Jeremy, not the cold exterior he showcases to the world. It takes a brave soul to dig deeper and see him for what he truly is and not be repulsed by it.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to thank me. He dug inside me, too. He’s way more than what his reputation claims.”
“Right? He’s like his father. Only a select few see what he hides on the inside.” A nostalgic look covers her eyes. “He had a tough childhood, my angel, partly because I wasn’t always there for him, and I hate myself for that every day. I’m beyond grateful he grew up so well.”
“Please don’t hate yourself.” I stroke her hand. “Jeremy understands.”
A soft light covers her features. “He does?”
I nod frantically. “More than you’d ever know.”
She smiles again with a contagious joy that I can’t help but mirror.
“I know you’re new to this life, but I hope you’ll get used to it. God knows it took me years, but I got there, and I’ll help you adjust… That is, if you’d like, of course.”
“Yes, please. I’d be forever grateful.”
“We girls need to stick together. I’m so happy you and Jeremy chose each other.”
“Me, too.”
Jeremy appears at the top of the stairs and comes down, narrowing his eyes on us. “I heard my name. What were you talking about?”
“It’s our secret.” Lia winks at me, and I smile.
Then I hug Jeremy as the three of us go to have a family dinner with Adrian.
Looks like I found myself a new family.
And it’s all thanks to the man I love.
The beast I can’t live without.
EPILOGUE 2 — JEREMY
ONE MONTH LATER
Anew college year means one thing.
The initiation.
This semester, we’re doing it differently. It’s not about the hunt like the last one.
It’s not about who gets to strike as many participants as possible. No.
This year’s initiation theme is much more interesting.
What’s better than hunting? Hunting a specific target.
I came up with this plan, and Killian agreed right away because it gives him a chance to go after Glyndon.
Nikolai was all in for the fun. White, too.
The only reluctant one was Gareth, but we beat him four to one.
The rules are simple. All participants need to run, but only we know who the targets are. Sadly for them, there will be no winners and no new admissions to the club, but the participants don’t know that.
Then again, we never did initiations to have new members. It was a mere showcase of power.
Aside from our designated X, we don’t have to eliminate the others unless we want to. Nikolai and White certainly will.
I won’t.
I came up with this whole game so I can hunt her.
My target.
My prey.
My steps are inaudible as I stalk her from behind the bushes. My Cecily is wearing a denim dress and tennis shoes today. Her silver hair is gathered in a ponytail, and her white mask is strapped tightly around her face.
She knows she’s my prey.
She’s walking carefully, like any prey would.
But what she doesn’t know is that no matter how careful she is, she’ll fall straight into my trap.
I mirror her movements and she pauses, probably having sensed me. She’s become so good at that lately. So fucking perfect at taking my depravity and enjoying it.
She even asks for it now, like a good little girl.
My cock hardens as I stalk behind her. I can see the exact moment she feels me on her.
Her scent, water lilies and damnation, floods my nostrils.
I’m so close to touching her, but she darts out of reach, and usually, I’d let her run. I’d play with her, give her hope, only to snatch it, but I’m too hungry for her today.
Too impatient.
I grab her by the back of the neck, and she squeals when I all but lift her off the ground and push her front against the tree.
Cecily tries to fight me, scratching and clawing. Her struggles intensify when she stares back at my mask, but it’s useless.
I yank her dress up to her waist and groan when I find her naked underneath. My fingers slide over her slick heat, and my groan turns into a feral grunt. “I love it when you’re wet for me.”
She bucks against my hand, but I’m not in the mood for foreplay. After a few savage strokes, I pull out my hard cock and thrust into her cunt from behind. My groin hits the pillowy soft skin of her ass and I grab her by the hip to keep her in place.
Cecily moans, goes on her tiptoes, and slaps both her palms on the tree for balance. I pull away her mask so I can see her features and how she looks at me.
How her breathing falls in synch with my thrusts. How her lips part the more I own her.
So I go deeper, fucking her harder, hitting her sweet spot until she’s bouncing off my cock.
“Say my name,” I order when I feel her close and remove my mask, throwing it on the ground.
“Jeremy,” she moans as she milks my cock and comes undone around me. “Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I become a madman as I pull out, spit on her back hole, and drive into her ass. The sound of her shriek of pleasure does me in.
Everything about her does.
I fuck her like I’m indeed dying, and she’s my only cure. I fuck her like I can’t live without her anymore.
“You make me an animal for you, Cecily.”
“I’m animal for you, too.”
“I’m a feral beast when it comes to you.”
“That’s okay.” She grabs my hand that’s on her jaw and kisses it like she can’t stop touching me. “You’re my beast.”
That’s enough to make me come inside her the longest I ever have, with spurts of my cum covering her inner thighs and messing up her dress.
I’ll need to miss the initiation ceremony or at least be late, because I need to take her again. Properly this time and slower like she likes it.
She winces when I pull out of her, and I steady her as I turn her to face me.
“Fuck. Did I hurt you?” I watch her face.
She snorts. “A bit late for that, don’t you think?”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Cecily. Not that type of pain, at least.”
“I’m fine.” She throws up a dismissive hand. “Besides, I love it when you hurt me.”
I gather her in my arms and kiss the top of her head, her cheeks, her eyes, and I finish with a slow kiss on her lips.
When I finally pull away, she sighs contentedly. “Have I told you how much I love your care after the roughness? It makes all the difference.”
“It does, huh?”
“It’s how I know you love me.” She leans against me. “Thank you for helping me in my self-recovery journey.”
“You helped with mine, too.” I kiss the top of her head. “I never liked to keep anyone close because I loathed and dreaded the idea of being left behind. But I’d fall for you over and over again if I had the chance for a redo.”
“Oh, Jeremy.” She strokes my jaw. “I’m lucky to have you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’m the one who’s lucky to have you, Lisichka.”
One day, and I mean soon, I’m going to make this woman my wife. My partner.
My everything.
She’ll be my always, and I’ll be hers.
Forever.
THE END