Khell'ar had chosen the garments, laying them out on the bed for me to find before leaving the cottage. It was just another sundress, dark blue with straps that tied at the shoulders, and a matching set of pink lace underwear and a bralette that he'd spread out with obvious attention. The bra would do next to nothing for support. Running through the woods with lace and underwire would be more uncomfortable than helpful, but I put it on dutifully all the same. He'd also left a pair of comfortable but thin flats at the foot of the bed. Not that I'd brought running shoes with me. Not that I was meant to be able to escape. 

On the dining table, I found a plate of light fare to eat and a quick note with instructions. Stay in the cottage until one-thirty. I wasn't sure what Khell was doing in the hour and change since he'd left. A costume change, maybe, I thought, grinning and remembering the funny red cape and deliciously short leather skirt he'd been wearing the first day.

The woods were quiet outside of the cottage—a little birdsong, a breeze rattling branches of leaves overhead, but peaceful. Was this cottage really so secluded? Were Khell'ar and I the only people for miles? Astraeya had promised there was more to this area than meets the eye, but for now, all I could be sure of was an endless expanse of trees and underbrush.

My chest burned before I realized I was holding my breath, searching the trees for Khell. Was I meant to just start running? I opened my lips to call for him and then shut them again. Be patient. Play the game. 

I stepped forward to peek around the corner of the cottage, when an iron grip suddenly snapped around my wrist where I held the doorknob. My heart crashed in my chest and I jumped, spinning to face the snarling face of…

Khell.

I caught my breath, uneven as it was, and for a moment I smiled, my heartbeat racing from fear into excitement. Khell'ar bared his teeth at me, tusks biting into his upper lip, and his brow furrowed, eyes almost entirely dark in the sunlight.

I opened my mouth to ask how he got back inside the cottage without me noticing, but he yanked on my arm, pulling me roughly to his chest so I had to crane my neck back to look at him.

"Where does this sweet little cunt think it's going?" Khell'ar growled, his free hand slapping down on my ass and gripping it roughly.

Back to bed with you, I thought cheerfully. But of course, that wasn't what we were meant to be doing.

"Let me go," I breathed, uncertain if I sounded nervous or simply aroused.