This isn't real

Chloe leaned back against the pillows, the room thick with tension. Hunter settled beside her, his fingers brushing hers. “Chloe,” he started, hesitating. “I can’t focus. I’m starving.”

She stayed quiet.

The air felt heavy, like everyone was holding their breath. Hunger wasn’t something they talked about, not until now. The crowd watched the screen.

She turned to him, her voice steady. “One of us has to keep it together, right?” Her hand grazed the faint scar on his face. “Hunter, no matter what happens, I hope you get what you’re after.”

Her eyes closed as his lips barely touched hers. Then he bit down, just enough to draw blood, before pulling back, confusion clouding his expression.

“Hunter?” she murmured, opening her eyes.

“What are you?” he mumbled, fighting the urge to go further. Instead, he kissed her again, deeper this time. She leaned into it, her hand resting lightly on his chest.

When they finally broke apart, he held her close, inhaling the faint scent of her skin.

“Feel better?” she asked, her tone soft.

“Yeah,” he replied with a shaky laugh, his fingers tracing her pale cheek. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Oh, I am,” she admitted. “But I’m trying to keep it in check.”

He kissed her again, slowly and deliberate, her touch lingering on him.

The doorbell rang, sharp and sudden. They exchanged a look. He took her hand, and together they walked down the long hallway, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the silence.

Hunter gripped her hand tightly, feeling the faint tremble in her fingers. Vampires moved in swiftly, dragging the girls away. Chloe’s fingers brushed him for a moment before she was yanked out of reach. He clenched his jaw, stifling the urge to shout at Callum, who stood there with that infuriating smirk.

“Alright, listen up,” Callum announced, pacing like a ringmaster. “Six cemeteries. One night. Find your mate. Escape, get help, or, hell, I don’t know, do nothing and die. Your choice. You’ll be escorted to your starting point. Pick a cemetery, any cemetery. Your mate is in a mausoleum, buried alive. Well, technically dead. But you get the point. Find her, because of the horrors she’s facing? Yeah, they’re her worst nightmares that come to life. Literally.” He chuckled, the sound dripping with malice. Hunter felt a cold knot twist in his gut.

“Place your bets!” Callum called out, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Hunter glanced at the map. He pointed to the farthest cemetery, his decision quick and deliberate. A vampire grabbed him roughly, shoving him into the back of a darkened car. The door slammed shut, leaving him in silence.

The screens flickered to life, casting an eerie blue light on the crowd gathered, their faces illuminated with anticipation and excitement. The six screens showed different views of the cemeteries: each one bathed in moonlight and shadows. The crowd, with their eager expressions and betting on their phones, watched as the contestants were shoved into the darkened cars.

In her coffin, Chloe's eyes flew open, walls closing around her. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing shallow breaths through constricted lungs.

Jasmine lay still, thinking she might survive this, claustrophobia wasn't her demon. Then something cold slid across her stomach. A black snake writhed beside her in a narrow space, and her scream echoed inside the sealed box.

Dana shifted sideways, whispering, "Just temporary, just temporary," like a mantra. When darkness suddenly enveloped her, her composure shattered into a piercing shriek.

Hunter concentrated, knowing scent was his only guide. "Focus," "Find her before it's too late." The memory of her lips against his lingered as the car jerked to a stop.

A vampire hauled him out, shoving him through the cemetery gates. Hunter sprinted forward, nostrils flaring for any trace of her. The grounds stretched endlessly, but he remembered Callum's words and veered toward the cluster of mausoleums in the distance.

Elsewhere, Olivia had already fainted mid-scream. Ebony trembled violently against the wall of the coffin. And Samantha, composed until now, thrashed wildly as earthworms rained down upon her face.

Hunter was certain she wasn’t there. He bolted back to the car, barking at the driver to head to the next cemetery. An hour passed, his mind stuck on Chloe. What kind of nightmare was she trapped in? His chest tightened as he scanned the cemetery grounds, zeroing in on the mausoleums. He took off running.

Meanwhile, Chloe forced herself to breathe steadily, eyes shut tight. She focused on the memory of Hunter’s kiss, real, deliberate, nothing like the clumsy pecks she’d known before. She clung to that, replaying it in her mind. His face flashed behind her closed lids, and then the light in the coffin flickered out. Panic surged. “This isn’t real,” her voice trembling. “You’re already dead. Nothing can hurt you.” She raised her voice, defiant. “You won’t break me, Callum!” Then, almost instinctively, she began to sing, an old tune, something her grandmother used to hum. The crowd, watching the screens, started cheering for her. Someone tossed in cash, and just like that, the light flickered back on.

Her beautiful face was back onto the screen, wide-eyed but determined. Arran smiled.

“Brother,” Callum said, raising an eyebrow, “didn’t expect that.”

“I like her,” Arran replied, leaning back. “I’m rooting for her.”

Callum chuckled. “You do realize this is about love, right? If she falls for him…”

“Love?” Arran cut in, waving a hand. “I’ve got eternity for that. This? This is just fun.”

Callum laughed, clearly loving his twisted games.

Meanwhile, Jasmine’s breathing slowed as the snake coiled around her neck. The casket lid creaked open, and Damon hauled her out, wrapping her in a tight hug. Her body shook like a leaf. The crowd erupted in cheers.

Hunter caught her scent, subtle but unmistakable. He followed it straight to the mausoleum, wrenching open a casket to find Chloe inside, her terrified eyes locking onto his. He pulled her out, hands moving quickly to check her over. His lips met her briefly before he buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply.

Arran watched a smirk playing on his lips. “Amour…”

The others were still searching. Hunter and Chloe were brought back, sitting together as they watched the screens. His arm stayed tight around her, her head resting on his shoulder.

“What did you face?” Hunter asked quietly.

“Claustrophobia. Darkness,”

He cursed under his breath. “Glad I got a taste of you. Your scent led me straight there.”

Marcus stumbled upon Samantha first, then Kaden managed to dig up Dana. The clock was ticking, and Brian was tearing through the last cemetery, frantic. Ebony whispered prayers under her breath, her voice trembling. Callum let out a booming laugh.

“No gods are going to save you, sweetheart,” almost pitying. Time was up. They were hauled back.

Chloe buried her face into Hunter’s chest as the vampires descended on the couple in a frenzy. “Stay strong, Chloe,” he murmured into her ear, his arms locking around her tight.