Chase

Syrena stayed inside for ages. I don’t know what they talked about, but I assumed she told them about her ordeal. From the cage all the way to me … and maybe even about being brother and sister. About their mother and the bond they share.

Of course, she’d need the time, and I fully respect that.

But I never expected her to come back to my car after everything was said and done.

It was humbling, to say the least. I didn’t even know how to respond, so instead, I drove off.

I already know what choice she made, and that’s all I’ll ever need.

She’s free to do what she wants. Anytime she wants to come back here, I’ll drive her myself. I won’t get in her way. And she knows that.

It’s silent as we drive back home.

I don’t have anything to say to her, and neither does she.

We don’t have to speak the words because we already know them by heart.

I’m smitten, and she’s lost to me …

We’re part of the same game, the same endless loop. She needs me, and I need her. And even though we once hated that very part of ourselves, we’ve come to live with it.

In fact, when I look at her, all I can do is smile.

I can honestly say I’m happier than I’ve ever been. Not because my life has gone so smoothly, but because even through all the bad shit, I still have her. Because no matter how wrong things get, she’s still here with me …

Out of her own free will.

I didn’t force her. Didn’t ask her. Didn’t make her follow me or come back home with me.

She came to me because she wanted to. Because it was her decision. Her choice … to fall for me.

This was never about me changing my ways or figuring out the truth about my own selfish needs. I always knew who I was, and I knew that nothing would ever change.

I was just hoping that I could … because who would ever love a monster like me?

But she does.

She loves me …

No ifs. No buts.

No shame. No hiding who I am.

She knows what she came back to and accepts it without question. She accepts me.

And ultimately … that’s all I’ll ever need.

* * *

Syrena

The car comes to a stop on the dirt road.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks.

I take a deep breath and roll down the windows, smelling that familiar scent of the red sand. The scorching sun heats my skin, but it feels warm. Inviting.

I turn toward Chase and say, “Absolutely.”

“I don’t want you to regret this,” he says.

I place a hand on his cheek and caress him. “I trust you.”

He places a hand on top of mine and sighs. Then he nods and takes the key from his pocket, unlocking the metal collar around my neck. When it drops to my legs, and as the fresh air brushes along my skin, I gasp.

And then I open the door and bolt out.

Into the nothing … in the middle of nowhere, where no one will ever find us.

Like a deer on the run, I go as fast as my legs will take me.

The hard breaths coming from my throat drive me into a frenzy. When I hear his rapid footsteps behind me, panic starts to shoot through my veins, making me run even faster.

Adrenaline pumps through my body as I skid through the dry sand, which whips up into my throat.

I cough as tears well up in my eyes, but I continue to run. I have no choice.

This is it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

The run of my life.

The final showdown.

And in the exact same place as before … the canyon.

This place is still unfamiliar to me, but my feet are much steadier than before, and simple rocks won’t bring me down. I’m not drugged, not weighed down by clothes, and not under the influence or whatever else that could hamper me.

This is how it should’ve been. How he desired it to go.

The ultimate game of the hunter and the prey.

And he’s right there, following behind me, ready to strike.

Fear creeps up into my bones, but I refuse to let it get to me. I refuse to give in to the emotions. They’ll only hold me back.

But the longer I run, the more my legs begin to wear out, the pain beginning to show in my movements. One misstep is all it takes and I’m on the ground.

“Got you …” he growls, grasping my legs.

I groan as I lift my head, but he’s quickly on top of me, preventing me from getting up from the ground.

Suddenly, a knife is pressed right near my throat.

“Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” he murmurs, his tongue dipping out to lick my neck.

I shiver. My heart palpitates as I hold my breath.

A sharp sting lingers on my skin, then a warm flow. Blood.

His lips cover the spot, sucking up the liquid.

He moans.

The blade drops to the ground.

I breathe out a sigh of relief, a smile forming on my lips.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

He pauses for a second, then whispers into my ear. “No … thank you for this pleasure.”

I bite my lip as he continues teasing me, his lips warming my skin as he showers me with luscious kisses.

I lift my head as he laps up the last drops of blood. His hand curls underneath my chin, pulling me up until his lips crash on mine and we’re lost in an eternal battle of lust once again.

As our mouths unlock for a quick breath, I mutter, “I love you.”

I don’t even have to think about it.

Don’t have to feel shame for the words that roll off my tongue.

Because they’re the truth … and that’s the only thing that matters.

Us.

A warm, soft smile meets my lips as his tongue briefly dips out as if to savor the words. “I love you too.”

And then he goes right back to completely ravaging me.

This is how it always goes. How it’s supposed to go. How I prefer it.

Him, loving me, taking me whenever he likes and however he sees fit.

Soon, his hands find their way to my thighs, parting them, invading my privacy. And I don’t mind it one bit. I love what he does, how possessive he is, how controlling he is. How hard it makes him when I try to resist.

The chase is what turns him on. What drives his very existence.

But this time, it was my choice, not his.

I asked him to do this. To replace the bad memories with good ones.

To give me his all.

And he does.

Every … single … inch.

* * *