Page 7 of The Hunt: Emerald

Perhaps the other three girls feel the same way, but I have no intention of being a victim. I came for the prize. For the victory. For freedom on my own damn terms.

The carriage jerks again, wheels grinding against rough earth. I place my palms on my thighs, steadying my breath.

No one speaks. We’re all thinking the same thing, in our own ways: The Hunt is coming.

My mother’s words drift through the back of my mind, sharp as ever.You run, and fight. Never let an Alpha catch you.

She’s probably turning over in her grave right now at what I’m about to do, but I can’t change shit now. I made my choice the moment I signed up for The Hunt. I’m not here to be broken.I’m here to win.

The carriage lurches hard and stops. Silence crashes, thick and absolute. I see the others glance at one another, eyes widened in wait.

BANG.

The lock snaps, and the iron door slams open with a shriek. Blinding daylight floods the box, making me squint, but I refuse to flinch.

A massive figure stands in the doorway… a death reaper, concealed head to toe in a black cloak and mask. Its presence hits like a wall… powerful, sharp-edged, laced with command. The smell of rotten decaying flesh pours into the box, making me want to gag, coiling around us.UGH…I wrinkle my nose, cupping it, unable to help it, just like the others.

“Out,”its voice pierces the ears like nails on a chalk board and before I can blink, me and about ten other Omegas are snatched from the carriage by the neck, not leaving us room to say or do shit.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! I’M NOT READY!

The death reaper quickly uses its hands to try and shove the Lust pill that’s a tiny circular red pill with a simple L carved on it in my mouth. When I try to avoid its smoky grip, smoke goes up my nose, cutting off my breathing, forcing my mouth open and it shoves it directly into my mouth.

I try to spit it out, but it covers my nose and mouth with its smoky hands, leaving me no choice but to swallow the damn thing. It lands at the very bottom of my belly like a fucking hot piece of coal and IINSTANTLYlight on fire.

“AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! FUUUCKKKK, IIIIIITTTTTTT BURNNNSSSS!!!” I scream at the top of my lungs in sheer fucking agony, heat spilling from me everywhere.

Delirious, I kick my legs, feeling like I’m going to die as the thing turns my face left and right, seemingly inspecting me. In my haze, I’m somehow able to land a kick. The being is lighter than I expect, almost as if it’s a pile of bones. It drops me and staggers back, and in its confusion, I see the other Omegas still in the box watching, some with fear and tears in their eyes, but the other three… it’s as if their eyes convey a single word of encouragement…Fight!

I gasp for air, fire lighting in my belly as the death reaper staggers up, cocks its head to the side, and lets out an eerie laughat me and the others as we squirm on the ground, clutching our burning bellies before the reaper dematerializes.Shit! What’s happening?!

“H… h…” I can’t speak because my insides clamp together, fiending for something. My throat is parched even though there is drool pooling from my mouth. My pussy walls constrict like a boa, gripping at air, crippling me.

“UGNNNN! FUCKKKK UGNNNN!” I punch at the ground, panting, drool leaking from my mouth and wetness pooling in my center. I cough, peering up where I hazily see the box’s door shut and start to cart off.Shit! Shit!I think to myself as I crawl after it.What is this fire burning in me?!

I glance over to the others… I count nine other Omegas, even though my head is spinning.Fuck!My heart pounds and my stomach cramps up as if begging for something, and I know all too fucking well what it wants,but I’ll be damned if I give it anything!

I try to stand and run, hot liquid pouring from my center, and I hear the signal to the start of the Hunt.

BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!The horn is loud, head-splittingly tumultuous as it rolls through the forest, making me wither in pain.Ahhhhh shiittttt!

When it ends, the iron collars onour necks let out distinctive

Click

After that, the chains on our hands fall to the ground.

Clink

I pant, thanking the Source, but I groan when multiple grating howls and roars that shake my core follow, nearly knocking me off my feet from the sheer hunger radiating from them.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“AAAAAWWWOOOOOOO!”

Deep, nasty, horrible growls come from the woods, and I shake my head.Fuck! It’s started?!

My heart, no, my entire body pulses with a need I never knew I could feel, but I pant, locking my knees, swaying and looking from left to right, back and forth, delirious. When I hear rustling from a distance and loud, savage steps pounding into the dirt. My foggy brain is barely functioning, but I get it working enough to know I need to run.I need to get the fuck up out ofhere…

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