Page 95 of Stolen By the Alpha Hunter
I stay inside, tangled with her as we fall to our sides, my knot still snug and swollen, keeping everything where it belongs. Her legs hook around mine, her breathing slow and steady now.
I bury my face in her hair, peppering kisses along her shoulder, down her spine, my hand resting over the soft swell ofher belly. Not because I think it’ll happen. Not because I believe it’s possible.
But because maybe, just maybe, it is.
Maybe this is what survival looks like.
Not just escape.
Not just defiance.
But love.
“I never thought I’d want this,” I whisper against her skin. “A mate. A life. A future.”
She doesn’t speak…just lets out this low purr of pleasure, snuggling closer. I stroke my hand down to her cunt again—gentle now, reverent—drawing slow circles that make her shiver.
“We’ll be careful,” I murmur. “We’ll wait. But if you still want this when we’re free…”
Her hand covers mine.
“I’ll always want it,” she says softly. “I’ll always want you.”
And just like that, the whole world fades away.
There’s only us now.
Only here.
Only this.
And for the first time since we landed on the Rig, I let myself believe we’ll survive it.
Because hope is dangerous…but it’s what’s going to get us through this.
22
PEACHES
We refine our act.
We perform for Gideon and Abel like we’re on a stage, two unwilling players trapped in a twisted script. I keep my gaze lowered, my collar tight. I flinch when Javi raises his voice. I let them think he’s broken me.
I pretend he hurts me.
I pretend he’s my enemy.
I pretend I despise him.
And Javi—he plays his part just as well. His voice is gruff when they’re listening, his orders sharp. He touches me with calculated roughness when we’re being watched, enough to look real without ever crossing into harm. There’s always something just beneath the surface, though—something only I can feel. The glances that linger a second too long. The way his hand shakes when he has to tug my chain. The way his body curls around mine at night, like a shield.
I follow the rules. I keep my head down. I stay on a leash like a good, obedient mate.
And I wait for my family to come and rescue us.
Two whole weeks pass like that.
Fourteen endless days of silence and scrutiny.
