This couldn’t be happening. Calliope Masters knew she and Jaxson Crease didn’t have the best start to their mating. At the age of eighteen when the pack declared they were mates, they rejected one another. She was a human, he was a wolf. He made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want her.
They were now trapped within The Hunt. A mystery realm that forced mates to confront their need for one another head on. Jaxson didn’t go to the Elder. He knew Calliope was his mate, and the truth was, he wanted her. When they were kids, they were inseparable. His own fear was what pushed them apart. He didn’t care that she was human. He had loved Calliope all of his life.
Now, within the rules of The Hunt, they had to fight to survive. They were about to face obstacles and challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Pushed to the breaking point.
Only there is something interesting about The Hunt. It is not the same for all couples. It changes as if it has a life of its own. And there is something so very similar about this one. But what could it be?
Will Jaxson and Calliope find one another and come to terms with their mated connection? Or, will they give up, and never see their pack or life again? The only way to get out of The Hunt is to be mated.
“Hey, hey, it’s fine,” he said, reaching for her. Jaxson tried to steady her on her feet.
“It’s fine,” she said, looking far from fine.
And then, he cupped her face, staring into her eyes. They were slightly glazed. Her forehead was covered in perspiration. They were not ready for this, but he also couldn’t handle her being passed out from heat exhaustion, not that he would have a problem carrying her.
This could either go really well, or really bad, and without question, he closed the distance between them and kissed her. At first, it was just the meeting of their lips, joined together, and then that changed. The kiss deepened.
His hands were at her shoulders, hoping to steady her, and then, as if by their own accord, he sunk one into her hair, holding the back of her head. The other went down toward her hip, and he pulled her in closer. He heard her soft, subtle moan, and he swallowed it down, not wanting to stop. Calliope didn’t push him away, but the more he kissed her, the more he felt the temperature inside the place start to cool off.
Time passed and he didn’t want to pull away, but he had a feeling he needed to. Kissing her one final time, he looked into her face and stopped the kiss. He didn’t stop holding her. He needed to have his hands on her body.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
“Thank you,” Calliope said.
“If it gets hotter, I’ll keep kissing you.”
She laughed. “Do you think that is why they made it so hot?”
“I don’t know. How are you feeling?”
“Sticky. Like I need a bath.”
And then, as if by magic, they heard it. Calliope frowned, Jaxson took hold of her hand, and they moved around the corner. There was a waterfall, but from where they stood, it did not look too deep.
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“I guess they work hard to make it as romantic as can be,” he said.
“It looks so good,” Calliope said. “Do you think we should take advantage?”
“Yeah, I do.” He let go of her hand and pushed his jeans right off his body. He kept his boxer briefs on and started to make his way toward the edge of the water.
Before he went any further, he looked back to find Calliope removing her jeans and vest top. The last time they had been this naked, they had been kids. That seemed like a lifetime ago, and maybe part of an alternate universe. It didn’t seem like it was them.
He watched her, unable to look away. Not wanting to look anywhere else but at her. She wore a padded bra and panties.
“You look nice,” he said. The words just kind of blurted out of his mouth. She looked up and then smiled.
“You don’t have to just say it.”
“I’m not just saying it, I mean it.” Now he felt embarrassed. “Uh, so, yeah, that’s what I was thinking.” And then, with her getting closer to him, he stepped beneath the spray of the waterfall. It didn’t take her long to join him.
She was so close and he could smell her. Calliope always smelled like vanilla to him, which was one of his favorite scents. He loved vanilla—vanilla cupcakes, vanilla frosting, vanilla ice cream. If it had vanilla, he was sold.
He couldn’t help but be drawn to her. She looked so beautiful.
Jaxson watched as she tilted her head back and enjoyed the spray of the water. She let out a moan, and this was different from the one he heard a few short moments ago.
Her lips had been perfect. Kissing her was better than he ever imagined it would be. Every single part of her was perfection.
She opened her eyes, looked over at him, and smiled. “You’re watching me.”
“I can’t look away.”
This made her chuckle. She stepped toward him. “And why not?”
“I have no idea.” He took a step toward her, and Calliope tilted her head back. “But I want to kiss you again.”
He watched as she licked her lips, and it wasn’t fair to keep teasing him.
“Then kiss me,” she said.
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