Page 52 of Things Get Dark
How did I get myself into this mess? Why did I have to be the curious hare? Why did I let the wolf-man lure me into his trap? And why is my body reacting with desire to his touch instead of trying to get away?
The other masked figures settle down into chairs, making themselves comfortable, and the wolf-man leans over me. He still wears his mask, the eye holes allowing me to see his glittering black eyes.
“Now, now,” he murmurs, his voice amused. “No need to be shy. This is your big night. Hare’s on the menu, and we’re all famished and ready for a taste.”
Before I can answer, he kisses me, his lips hot against mine, his tongue probing deep into my mouth. I shudder beneath him, my whole body responding to his kiss, my mind spinning with desire as my fear takes a backseat.
The air around us becomes charged, and I sense, rather than see, our audience leaning forward in anticipation.
“I thought you said the others were joining us,” I whisper, my breath hot against his lips.
“Oh, they are,” he replies with a chuckle. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t get in on the action first, does it? I caught you in my trap, little hare, so I earned the first taste.”
I shudder as his hand slides smoothly over my body, his fingers dipping below my shirt, caressing my skin. “Yes,” I whisper, trying to ignore the desire rising in my stomach. “That makes sense.”
His lips curl into a smile against my skin, and his teeth graze across my neck. “Good girl,” he murmurs darkly.
His teeth sink into my flesh, hard and fast, and my whole body convulses with the pleasure of that single, simple act. As he sucks at my neck, that same sharp pain comes again, but thistime, it’s more intense, more amazing, and I push my shoulders back, wanting more, wanting it all.
It’s not enough for the wolf-man, however. His teeth sink in again, and this time, I swear I feel them against my collarbone. I moan with pleasure as his tongue laps against my skin, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly.
“Yes,” I whisper, again and again. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
I’m panting by the time he moves away from my neck, my body convulsing with pleasure, my mind spinning with the intensity of it. The wolf-man straightens, his eyes glittering with amusement as he looks down on me.
“You look delicious, little hare,” he purrs, his voice low and dangerous. “I’m so hungry, I could eat you up.”
His words make my stomach clench tightly, and my desire for him rises in my chest. There’s something so primal about his actions, so animalistic, and his promise to eat me up sends a wave of scorching heat racing through my body like wildfire.
But just as I’m about to give in to my urges, to press myself up against him and beg him to do just that, a pair of hands grab him from behind and yank him off me.
I blink in shock and try to figure out what’s going on when I’m pulled to my feet. Gasping at the suddenness of it, I’m shoved forward, almost falling to the ground, but I’m saved when I’m caught up in the waiting arms of another masked man. He wears a goshawk mask, adorned with real feathers and he’s dressed the same as the wolf-man, bare chested and wielding a knife, which he uses to make short work of removing my clothes. The material floats to the ground in tattered ribbons until I’m naked before him, his gaze heating at the sight of me.
The other masked figures have arisen and surrounded me. They’re almost identical in their attire, but they’re unarmed and each wears a different mask. A fox. A coyote. An owl. And thewolf-man. Five in total with the goshawk, who drops the knife to the floor and steps towards me.
I hold my breath in anticipation of what comes next.
The masked figures behind me circle around, moving in closer, preparing to pounce. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do when the goshawk takes a step towards me, closing off any escape route. The coyote, owl, and fox close in on me, and I’m trapped between them with my back to a wall. The wolf-man stands in front of me, his eyes locked on mine, a wicked smile playing across his lips.
“Now, how should we do this?” he asks, his voice low and dangerous. “Should we just take turns, or should we let the little hare have a choice?”
“Please,” I whisper, my body shaking with a need I refuse to identify at his suggestion oftaking turns.
It’s like they know my deepest darkest desires. Like they’ve seen my dreams and know my very fantasies.
There’s no stopping them.
The goshawk takes another step towards me, and against my better judgement, I push myself back against the wall.
The owl also takes a step towards me, then another, his gaze pinning me to the spot. “Well, little hare,” he murmurs, his voice haunting and low. “If you want us to stop, all you have to do is say the magic word.”
“Please,” I whisper, my eyes locked on his, feeling like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. But I can’t bring myself to saystopbecause I know I wouldn’t mean it. I don’twantthem to stop. Instead, I’m begging them to make good on their dark promises.
The owl shakes his head slowly. “I can’t,” he says simply. “I won’t until you get it right.”
I try to scramble away from him, but there’s nowhere to go. I'm trapped. Helpless. There’s nothing I can do to stop them. I’mat the mercy of their whims. And I’ve never been so turned on in all my life.
The coyote’s smiling mouth is inches from mine, peeking out from the bottom of his mask and taunting me. His hot breath tickles my face as he teases me by staying just out of reach. The fox’s hands slide up my legs making them tremble under his rough caress, but he doesn’t touch me where I need it most. The goshawk’s lips are on my neck, sucking and nipping but I crave the pain of a stronger bite. And the wolf-man’s dark eyes shine with a hunger I’ve never seen before as he watches the others take me in their hands.