Page 70 of Eat. Prey. Love.
Her eyes brim with tears, not from sadness but the overwhelming warmth of being cherished. “I can’t even...” Her voice breaks, and she gestures for the bottle of scotch. Taking a hearty swig, she steadies herself before looking up at Felix, who now holds center stage.
Felix presents her with a box, its contents hidden within the dark leather confines. When Dolly opens it, the sight of the black leather collar studded with diamonds draws a collective intake of breath. At its center dangles a claw, pristine and menacing—one that has clearly been removed and treated, then blinged out.
It’s that fucking alpha wolf’s claw Fitz took with his finger the night he ripped the fucker’shead off.
“I pilfered it from your jar. Sorry, not sorry,” Felix explains with a grin that matches Dolly’s wickedly arched eyebrow.
“Looks like someone has their big boy pants on tonight,Sir,” Dolly teases, her voice sultry with promise.
Fitz laughs, stepping up beside Felix. “Not just him.” He presents another, smaller collar, this one masculine and bearing a lock with two keys. With a mischievous bob of his eyebrows, he extends it towards Chess, eliciting a round of chuckles from the group.
“Thought you’d appreciate the leash that goes with it,” Fitz says, winking at Chess, whose cheeks flame with a blush that could rival the setting sun.
“Fitz, for fuck’s sake…” Chess protests, but it’s no use; his embarrassment only adds fuel to their merriment.
Dolly delves deeper into the box, her hands exploring the treasures Fitz has packed. An array of adult toys, each more elaborate than the last, and a selection of lubes that promise a night of untamed pleasures. An impish laugh escapes her as she lifts a particularly audacious item, holding it aloft.
“Planning on keeping me entertained all night?” she asks, her gaze flitting between us as we look at her adoringly. “I can definitely get behind that, boys.”
I walk over to her, tilting my head. “Are you ready for the rest of the surprise,ma petite?”
“Definitely.”
Dolly’s arms encircle me in a tight embrace, her warmth seeping into my stone-cool skin. She plants a soft kiss on my cheek, murmuring words of gratitude that hum through my core like the sweetest melody. She flutters to each of us, like a vibrant butterfly gracing flowers with her presence, her laughter mingling with the night air.
“Thank you, all of you,” she beams, eyes glistening with unshed tears that are a testament to the joy we’ve etched onto her heart tonight.
She finally turns to face me again, her gaze expectant and filled with curiosity. The corner of my mouth twitches upward into aknowing smirk. “There’s one more gift,” I say, my voice as deep and resonant as the forest around us. “And this one is for all of us.”
Dolly cocks her head, her rainbow hair catching the moonlight in a prismatic dance. “What is it?” she asks, excitement lacing her tone.
I stand taller, wings flexing behind me as I lock eyes with her. “You will shift,” I declare, anticipation curling within me at the thought of the game ahead. “Then weallwill hunt you through these woods.”
Her eyes widen, a spark igniting within them—a blend of thrill and surprise. “All of you?”
“Every time one of us catches you,” I continue, the smirk solidifying into a grin of raw, exhilarating challenge, “we get to decide our prize.”
Dolly’s lips part slightly, as if tasting the promise of the chase on her tongue. Her expression flickers, then settles into a fierce resolve that mirrors the wild spirit I’ve always admired in her. A shiver of excitement travels down my spine, the promise of the hunt enlivening every inch of my being.
“Game on,” she whispers, her voice a sultry siren call that beckons us to the adventure that awaits.
This is going to be a very long and delicious night.
Run Rabbit Run
“Go!”Renard’s gravelly voice shatters the stillness of the night, and I’m off like a shot, my heart hammering with exhilarating fear and desire. The woods become a blur as I dash through the underbrush, the cool night air whipping against my skin. My rainbow hair is a wild cascade around my shoulders until I yank it back, securing it with the elastic I’ve kept tucked in my pocket for this very moment.
Always be prepared like a good Pred Scout, that’s my motto.
As I run, I don’t dare look back, but I feel the heavy beats of Rennie’s onyx wings and the rush of Aubrey’s fierybreath as they take to the skies in half-shifted form. The thought sends a delicious shiver down my spine. They’ve done this with me before, I know how they work, what their path will be as they work together to track me. That gives me an edge from above, but this time, I have more than just my huge winged preds looking for me—I have the ground kitties as well.
I imagine Fitz and Felix’s powerful tiger bodies slipping between the shadows while Chess’s cheetah swiftness will help him close in on me—each movement calculated, each sense heightened in their animalistic forms. The three of them were raised on an island soaked in blood and they’ve probably had to hunt victims together before. I don’t know because I haven’t asked, not wanting to force them to re-live their trauma at the hands of their father anymore than I want to re-live mine. But now I wish I had, given that they are probably a dynamite team moving through the brush as one ambush waiting to scent me.
The soaked crotch of my capris giving them all a nice, strong smell to follow isn’t doing me any favors, either.
Panting, I press my back against a thick tree trunk and listen. The forest is alive with nocturnal symphonies, but beneath that, I search for the distinct sounds of pursuit—the crack of a twig, the rustle of leaves, or the soft pad of paws against the earth. I tune into the bunny inside me, letting her prey instincts sharpen my hearing. The distant flap of wings sends a thrill through me, but it’s too small to be either of my aerial mates.
I have to be clever, as much as my body thrums with the need to be caught, claimed, and ravished by them. I move again, quieter now, ears twitching at every sound, eyes scanning the dancing shadows. The woods are a playground, and I’m the coveted prize—a prize that craves the chase, the suspense of the hunt. But winning, for now, means staying one step ahead, being the elusive target that drives them wild with anticipation.