Page 69 of Rise from the Ashes

Wren giggles and shoots him a glance. “I don’t think that’s why Reese brought us here.”

“She’s right. No murder is on the menu tonight. In fact, there is only one thing on tonight’s menu.” When I say that, I can’t help but study the way Wren bites her bottom lip and tries to hide behind her hair. Even now, in the dark, she’s blushing.

We get out, though Logan is the slowest in doing so. It’s still warm, which is what I wanted for my first hunt, and since it’s been so dry lately, we shouldn’t run into any random patches of mud or slippery, half-decomposed leaves on the ground.

Walking to the trunk, I open it and reach for the lone bag. I unzip it and pull out my mask. Logan stands on my left, while Wren is on my right. The moonlight above us is mainly blocked out by the tree canopy, but our eyes have since adjusted to the darkness, so I know they see the mask in my hand. However, Wren is the only one who knows what that mask means.

Seems like forever ago I donned it at that party and first gave her a taste of my inner demon and his hunger.

“A mask?” Logan questions. “What the fuck is this? Can someone please fucking tell me what we’re doing out here in the middle of nowhere on a Friday night when we could be in bed—” When he says in bed, he doesn’t mean sleeping. Oh, no, he means fucking, but in a much more comfortable space.

The fucking will come, although it might not be as comfortable as he’s used to.

“Don’t worry,” I say, setting my mask aside as I reach back into the bag and pull something else out. “I got one for you, too.” A second mask, much like mine, only it’s new, never been used. I turn towards Logan and offer it to him.

He stares at it for a good, long while. I don’t think he knows what me offering him the mask means, both in a literal sense and a figurative one. Firstly, he doesn’t yet know we’re here to hunt Wren. Secondly, I would never offer this mask to anyone off the streets. It’s a token, in a way. We’ve been in a truce for so long, but the mask takes things one step further.

We’re the same when it comes to Wren. We’re as good as brothers.

Logan is slow in taking it. “Uh, thanks? Sorry, I didn’t bring any presents for you, man.” A second passes before he adds,“Can someone please tell me what we’re doing out here and why we have masks? Do you have one, too?” The last question is spoken to Wren, who’s too busy giving me a knowing look.

Well, at least Wren gets it.

“Wren doesn’t have a mask,” I answer for her. “The only ones wearing masks will be you and me.”

“Okay, but you still didn’t answer the why.”

I look to Wren. “Care to explain what we’re doing here tonight? You must have some idea.”

She leans around me and says, “You and Reese are going to wear those masks and chase me in the woods. I hope I’m going to have a head-start, seeing as how I’ve never done anything like this before.” That’s spoken to me.

“Of course you’ll have a head-start,” I say, the exact same time Logan asks, “Why the fuck are we going to chase you?”

This one I answer: “For the thrill. The love of the hunt. It’s like a maze with no walls… and, of course, whoever catches her gets to have her first.” You’d have to be blind to not notice the way Logan perks up at that last part. He might not be too excited about being in the woods, but he’ll never turn down a chance to fuck Wren.

“Tonight,” I say, “is about letting the animal we keep chained inside ourselves out. Surely you can appreciate that, Logan. Every once in a while our inner animal needs to have some stress relief.”

“Huh.” Logan glances down at the mask in his hand, and then at Wren. “And you’re really up for this?”

Wren nods, and I say, “I think you’ll find Wren likes the dark side more than she’ll ever admit out loud. Now—” I grab my mask and shut the trunk, and then I slip the mask on my face. When I continue speaking, my voice comes out muffled. “—put that mask on so we can start the countdown.”

Logan doesn’t say another word, but he doesn’t have to. He slowly puts the mask on, and just like that, we are officially brothers. Hell, maybe even closer than that. I never gave my other brothers a mask like mine, never shared anything like this with them before.

I turn toward Wren. “Well? Start running. Your five-minute head-start begins now.”

The breath she lets out is a shaky one, and yet she doesn’t let that trembling breath stop her from turning away from us and darting away as fast as her legs could take her, deeper into the woods. Soon enough, she’s out of our sight.

“May the best man win,” I tell Logan.

I can imagine the smirk beneath his mask as he says, “Don’t worry, I totally fucking will.”

A muffled chuckle escapes me. Oh, yes, this is going to be fun. Who knew the only thing better than a hunt would be a hunt with a little competition?

This might be our first hunt together, but it won’t be our last. Wren is ours, and no matter who wins tonight, there will always be time for another round. Apart, we were all floundering through this thing called life, but together?

Together we rise.