Page 133 of Haunted

Knox’s laughter echoes from where he prepares Bianca, Vane murmurs something dark to Lia, andLandon traces patterns on Sadie’s exposed shoulders. Even Julian and Elliot are here together a year later.

“Time to begin,” Tyson announces, his voice carrying the same commanding presence I’ve witnessed at his carnival.

The horn sounds, and Xavier’s grip tightens on my hand.

“Ready to be hunted again, angel?”

I nod, my heart racing with anticipation rather than fear. This time, when I run, it’s not from terror but from desire. My bare feet slap against the cold stone as I sprint through the familiar maze, the black silk dress flowing behind me like tendrils of obsidian smoke dancing in my wake.

The passages that once felt like death traps now feel like foreplay. Every turn, every dead end, every hidden camera—they’re all part of our game now. Xavier’s footsteps echo behind me, deliberate and unhurried. He knows these walls better than anyone and knows exactly where I’ll end up.

But that’s the beauty of it. I want to be caught.

My lungs burn as I take a sharp left, remembering this path leads to the chamber where Vane first caught Lia. The memory makes me smile rather than cringe. We’re all different people now—willing participants in our own destruction and rebirth.

A glimpse of silver silk catches my eye as I round another corner. Cora’s laughter rings through the stone corridors, followed by three distinct male voices. Dominic’s sophisticated tones, Liam’s measured words,Ryder’s playful banter—they’ve found their rhythm together.

“Having fun, Mira?” Cora calls out as I pass their alcove. I catch a flash of her radiant smile and see how she moves between her three men like she belongs there—because she does.

“The best,” I call back, meaning every word.

A year ago, I would have been horrified to see my best friend fucked by three men seeking revenge against her father. Now I understand what I couldn’t then—sometimes being caught is exactly what we need.

Xavier’s presence grows stronger behind me. I can feel him closing the distance, his red mask a beacon in my peripheral vision. Every nerve ending comes alive with anticipation.

I take another turn, my breathing ragged now, not from fear but from want. The woman who entered this maze last October died here, replaced by someone who craves the darkness. Someone who found love in the most impossible place.

“Getting tired?” Xavier’s voice echoes off the walls, closer now.

I laugh, the sound echoing through the maze. “Never.”

Because running from Xavier isn’t about escape anymore. It’s about the inevitable moment when he catches me and reminds me exactly who I belong to.

The familiar sound of lapping water reaches my ears before I see the chamber. My heart pounds as recognition floods through me—the pool room. The placewhere Xavier first fucked me, where I surrendered everything I thought I was.

I pause at the entrance, my chest heaving from the chase. The ethereal LED lights dance beneath the dark water’s surface, casting the same hypnotic patterns that mesmerized me a year ago. But this time, there’s no fear. Only anticipation.

Xavier’s footsteps echo closer in the corridor behind me. He’s giving me time to choose, just like he did before. Run deeper into the maze or face what waits in the water.

A smile curves my lips as I step onto the cold marble tiles surrounding the pool’s edge. The black silk clings to my skin, and I can almost feel Xavier’s eyes on me as he approaches the chamber entrance.

“You remember,” his voice rumbles from the doorway, approval evident in those two words.

“How could I forget?” I turn to face him, my back to the water. “This is where you taught me who I really am.”

His red mask catches the underwater lights as he moves into the chamber with predatory grace. “And who are you, Mira?”

“Yours.” The word comes without hesitation, without shame. “Completely yours.”

I reach for the dress’s zipper, sliding it down slowly while Xavier watches. The silk pools at my feet, leaving me naked before him. Everything feels different now. Last time, I was trapped. Now, I’m choosing.

Giving him a teasing wink, I turn and dive cleanlyinto the dark water. The familiar sensation of weightlessness surrounds me as I swim toward the center of the pool.

The chains rise from the depths exactly as they did before, but this time, I don’t fight. I lift my arms willingly as the metal wraps around my wrists, pulling my arms above my head.

“Good girl,” Xavier’s voice carries across the water. “You know exactly where you belong.”

The restraints hold me positioned as he enters the pool, water rippling around his powerful form as he approaches. This time, there’s no struggle, no internal war between duty and desire.

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