“Why, oh no?” I ask, leaning into Jack.
Jack leans back into me. “The last time Killian wanted to play a game, someone died.”
I gulp, sitting up straight. “You’re joking, right?” I whisper into him.
“Wish I was.” Jack takes a swig of his drink and then tosses his cup into the fire. I watch as the flames burst higher, lost in my own thoughts. Someone died? These people are crazy. “It’s a shame,” Jack muses out loud, interrupting my thinking.
“What’s a shame?” I ask, looking straight into his eyes.
“That you’ve gained King’s attention.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “No, I haven’t.”
Jack’s eyes narrow, making me squirm in my seat. It’s a weird twitch for such kind eyes. “I’ve known him a long time, so trust me when I say, you’ve gained his attention.”
Killian’s voice comes back into the zone, pushing Jack’s ridiculous rambles to the side. I know I have, but it’s not for the reasons that people are implying.
“You’ll take a bandana and wrap it around your mouth.”
Kyrin starts going around, handing everyone a bandana. The white patterns burn into my brain, like a reminder of that one night so many years ago.
My eyes close, and I don’t open them until a rag is being waved against my face.
Kyrin is watching me closely. He kneels down to eye level, his eyes searching mine. “What’s the matter? Don’t like bandanas?” The corner of his mouth tick into a smirk, but his eyes remain passive.
I snatch it out of his grip, ignoring him. He stands and continues around the crowd.
“The game is simple.”
People scoff and shuffle in the distance.
Killian chuckles and then continues. “It is simple. Remember when you’d play hide-and-seek as a kid?” Killian wraps his bandana around his mouth and it’s then that I see his has a skull on it. My eyes find King, who is already watching me, his tied around his mouth, and, again, another skull. All four of The Brothers have skulls on theirs, but when I look around at the other guys and girls, theirs are normal. “Well, this is much like that, only you hide and we seek.”
“And?” Val answers, wrapping hers around her mouth. Finally, I take mine and tie it around my own.
“And what?” Killian raises an eyebrow.
“And what happens when you catch us?” Val places a hand on her slim hip.
“Guess you’ll have to see.” Killian winks at her.
Val’s back straightens.
Kyrin chuckles at her, shaking his head. “As easy as ever, Val.”
Val’s eyes snap to his. “Really? Because you’re wanting me to have another threesome?”
Kyrin’s smirk deepens. “No one invited you in. You walked your ass into our room because your clit throbbed for Travis.”
I’m lost, my head going back and forth between them. I lean into Jack. “Is Kyrin gay? I never would have pegged that.”
Jack’s head tilts back in laughter. “Naw. Not gay.”
“Bi?” I ask, studying Kyrin. I know he’s pretty, but his energy is also very dark.
“Nope again.” Jack chuckles, before correcting me when he sees how confused I am. “He doesn’t have a sexual preference, but he doesn’t identify himself as bi either. He hates labels. His motto is ‘he’ll fuck who he wants.’”
“Makes sense.” I drag my eyes away from Kyrin and watch as Killian continues to stare at me.
“You finished talking, Little Bird?”
I nod.
“You’ll get a two-minute head start. If you’re caught, it’s your seeker’s decision on what he wants to do with you. Will it be slave for the night? Will it be a dare? It’s up to the seeker.” Kingston stands from his chair, his eyes on me. They’re like laser beams shooting right through me. It makes me queasy and uneasy, but I can’t look away.
“Three, two, one…” Killian smirks. “Run, run, run…”
I pause, trapped in King’s trance. People are scrambling around me, running into the forest that backs up to the field, but I’m imprisoned.
Slowly, I watch as King’s mouth opens, before he mouths, “Run.”
Just like that, I spin around and zap toward the forest, my heart thundering in my chest. The adrenaline that spikes through my blood gives me a much-needed energy boost because my legs shoot forward through a clearing. I jump and dodge fallen tree branches. I run for a solid minute until I stop, expecting to see or hear someone. Anyone. There were so many people who are here hiding—where have they all gone?
I step backward, the leaves beneath my shoe crunching. Where the fuck is everyone?
I walk this time, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. The bright moonlight battles against the dead of the night, paving the way for me through the mass of fallen branches. I must walk for twenty minutes before I figure I should turn around and start heading back, only when I do, the forest caves around me like an endless maze, enveloping me in its natural form.