Hunter and Prey Ch. 06: Reckless

"No need to thank me; I know your manners are atrocious. Perhaps someone will teach you a few choice lessons at the hunt tonight," he adds, clearly baiting me for a reaction.

My anger cranks up to full steam; I'm reasonably sure he can hear my teeth grinding from where he's standing.

A screen turns on suddenly, bathing the room in dim light and I finally notice a few loose chairs arrayed around the room. My S leisurely strolls off to a centre seat in front of the screen and picks up a remote and starts flicking through channels. No, not channels, live security footage of the Lodge.

I can't help but look in morbid fascination as he flips through scenes of people chatting, bathing, swimming, and fucking.

My face is burning as I splutter in outrage, "You... watch everyone... I... what the fuck!"

He completely ignores my outraged comment and continues to surf through options. "Ahh, here we are," he stops on a naked couple kissing and cuddling in one of the massage rooms. Their moans are getting more breathless.

I frown at the ass of the man on screen before I shake myself and storm off to the exit door. I'm not fucking playing his game. I grab the door handle and push.

Nothing happens.

I shove harder and rattle the door helplessly a few times until Mr S interrupts innocently, "Oh did I forget to mention, there's a ten minute cooling off period before the outer door opens. We call it Colin's Folly. It drives most of us insane... but today, well, I think I might enjoy the viewing options."

My back is turned to the screen in protest of this invasion of privacy. And yet... and yet knowing I'm part of something private, hidden, alongside hearing everything in surround-sound is doing unspeakable things to me right now. I start trembling as I realise ten minutes can be a very long time when you're horny and trying to hide it from someone else.

"Oh come now, stop being such a prude," he chides. I cross my arms in defiance and continue to stand in sullen silence staring at the cracked paint on the back of the door, watching the light change the shadows as the images move on the screen.

The moans and banging get more enthusiastic in pace until a female voice groans in happy satisfaction. A chill runs through my body; I know that voice.

"Oh Bear, you're insatiable," Jess whispers breathlessly before giggling.

"Would it make you feel better to know that all members know the main Lodge has cameras?" I jump as I realise Mr S's voice is closer. But I can't focus on him as Ryan' voice streams out of the speaker:

"I love you... missed you so much this weekend. Here, let me show you how much."

Jess moans and her happy voice murmurs back, "I love you too," and the sound of kissing, wet slapping and moaning again fills the room.

I spin around to stare at the screen and confirm what my ears tell me. My face is burning at having a front row seat to this simple, intimate moment. The love in their voices, in their touch, is undeniable. I've never felt more awkward and alone; it feels like there is a hand around my heart and it's squeezing until I can't breathe.

I catch a glimpse of Mr S out of the corner of my eye: he's standing stiffly watching them. For a crazy moment it feels as if we are both in pain, but I can tell it's not the same. I see him pull himself together and start to turn back towards me, his mantle of confidence firmly back in place. Another puzzle piece about this man that I file away to chew over later.

I see his satisfied smile at catching me watching the screen so I childishly stalk off to another part of the room, pretending that I was looking in that direction all along. I'm still struggling to pull myself out of my confusing emotional free fall.

Goddamn, pride is a fragile thing.

Mr S follows me, misreading my expression, and clearly unfazed by Jess's talented vocals drowning out all sounds in the room.

"Come now, Kitten, there's no point denying you want to watch," Mr S teases, although there's a tight edge to this voice; sounds like he wants a fight as much as I do.

He continues conversationally, "It's an honour to be featured in our viewing rooms. Take this couple for example, they're one of our regulars. They love knowing people could be watching and jacking off to them behind closed doors. Don't you want to pull up a chair and enjoy yourself..."

A part of me is relieved Mr S is here to distract me from my pain, and to be the focus for my frustration at the world right now. I spin around to give him a piece of my mind but he's closer than I realise and he catches me off guard. He steps in really close, his breath hot on my face as he whispers into my ear, "... or do you only prefer it when others watch you?"

I blink up at him stupidly as he continues, "What do you think about when you play with yourself when you think no one is watching? Your legs wide open, begging for it."

His physical presence is overwhelming and I find myself stepping back for air, but he doesn't let me escape. Like a sordid dance, he matches me step for step until my back hits a wall. My breath catches in my throat as his green-eyes savour every panicked breath.

"Let me guess," he continues in mock seduction, "Do you dream of a handsome stranger's hands wrapping around you as they fuck you while you're in that beautiful swimming pool or...(meaningful pause)...in the middle of a wildflower field as you lay there playing with yourself. Do you dream of someone enjoying a quiet hike seeing you and deciding to make you beg for mercy as you cum, time and time again, until you can't take being used anymore."

His hand moves to lightly wrap around my throat, his thumb caressing the skin, feeling for my ragged pulse. "You should be careful of regularly taunting people like that; someone may hunt you down one day and take you up on those fantasies."

He steps back with a smug smile on his face as I stare up at him trembling. His words play through my head... "wildflower field"... and then the sickening realisation hits me as I remember hearing mocking laughter in the forest that day. That's why his laugh gets under my skin; I remember it.

The puzzle starts falling into place: being watched in the forest; Colin's random mention of his business partner before talking me into being the Fox; our 'accidental' encounter at the pool. Has... has he orchestrated all of this? I can only stare up at him in horror; my mouth an 'O' of shock.

"Yes. Oh yes, I am going to enjoy the hunt. See you around Kitten; let's see if your survival instinct improves by this evening," he adds sardonically before sauntering off, and casually pushing open the exit door as if it were never locked in the first place.

I am spitting mad right now and I run after him. I want to scream something witty back at him that will put him in his place but all that comes to my lips is: "I'm not a fucking KITTEN!!"

People walking past turn around to look at me weirdly and he doesn't even twitch, although I can swear I hear his signature mocking laughter as he walks away.

I go for a VERY long walk to cool off before heading back to our cabin to get ready for our final evening of fun. One mysterious asshole isn't going to ruin this for me; he might have orchestrated this, but I'm fucking going to enjoy it.

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As always thanks also goes to theMasterBaiter for editing, cajoling, and developing the characters. Any errors spotted along the way are wholly mine and my insatiable desire to tinker with things that are not broken.