Chapter 22 The forest breathes around me, alive with shadows and secrets. Blood still dries on my knuckles, mine and my brother's intermingled-violent proof of everything spoken and unspoken. The pain in my ribs is a dull, steady throb, anchoring me to this strange moment of clarity. Arson walks beside me, our steps finally in sync after five years of silence and betrayal. "She went this way," I say, tracking the faint disturbance in the underbrush. The rain has washed most of it away, but I don't need much. I've always been able to find her. Like something inside me is tethered to her-magnetic, primal, unwilling to let go. "Remember, she's pissed off and probably scared," Arson says. "She also doesn't know we've worked things out." I nod once, jaw tight, that same pull dragging me forward like a leash around my throat. "Nope, she thinks we're still trying to kill each other." "There's nothing to say we won't try to kill each other again in the future." Arson grins. He's right. Even if we've dealt with some of our issues, nothing says we won't collide again. If anything, it's likely. We both know there's no undoing the past. No erasing the years I spent believing my brother was dead. Years of suffocating guilt. Of rage so hollow it nearly consumed me. There's still a lot of bad blood and anger that we have to sort through, but there is one thing we can stand together on, and that's Lilian. I crouch low, fingers brushing a broken twig, sap still bleeding from the split. My voice drops. "This is fresh." Arson kneels beside me, eyes narrowing as he scans the ground. "Look." He points at a partial footprint pressed into the mud. The small, unmistakable outline of a shoe. My heart kicks inside my chest. Hard. She's out here. Alone. Vulnerable. My mind spirals out of control with all the possible what-ifs. What if she's hurt? What if she ran into an animal? What if someone else found her before we did? The panic builds into something jagged and hungry. It twists with urgency and obsession. Once I have her in my arms, it'll stop. I inhale sharply, and beneath the petrichor and damp earth, I catch the lingering scent of her shampoo. It's faint. "She's close by," I say, voice dropping to a growl that scrapes my throat raw. Deep inside my chest, something dark unfurls. It's possessive and brutal, this need to protect. It's not just desire I feel for Lilian but an instinct to claim her. To take and never let her fucking go. "I don't know if you feel the same, but I want you to know that I love her," I say aloud, the words hanging in the damp air between us. Arson's eyes meet mine, understanding passing between us. "So do I." I wait for the jealousy to sink in, but it never comes. There's nothing but truth hanging between us. We both love her-differently yet the same. "She's all that matters," I whisper, and he gives me a nod. "You can come out of your hiding spot, Lilian," I call out, my voice echoing through the trees. "We've stopped fighting," Arson adds from a short distance away. "And we'll always find you." It's not a threat, but a promise. We both spot her at the same time. She's sitting on a fallen log, her face in her hands. So she wasn't running. She was waiting. We step into the clearing, and I approach first. But when I reach out, she flinches away. "Don't touch me right now." Then her eyes snap up to mine, then catalog the cuts, bruises, all the harm we did to each other. "What the fuck?" I shrug. "We're brothers. We're going to fight." "You both could have killed each other. What the hell are you thinking?" Then she shakes her head hard. "No, what the hell am I thinking that you two could get over your issues for me? That somehow I could be more important than your hate? Hubris, I think they call it?" She stands and adjusts her pants. "I'm not doing this anymore. I warned you both if you couldn't at least be civil to each other that I would walk away, so that's what I'm doing." I slip in front of her, and almost as if he can read my mind, Arson boxes in her backward retreat. "You're not going anywhere. Please listen." Anger sparks in her blue eyes, and she shoves at my chest. I wince from the bruises already forming from Arson. "You do not get to tell me what to do after the shit you just pulled. I warned you..." A tear slips free as her voice breaks. "I warned both of you." I cup her cheek and pull her in tight. "Sweetheart. I'm sorry. We both are. We had to get that out of our systems, or we'd never be able to move forward. I promise we're going to do better, for you, for us." She scoffs and swipes hard at her cheeks, leaving smears of dirt. "Right. Until the next time you get into a disagreement. Then I'll be stuck in the middle all over again." Arson tugs her against his front, dropping a kiss to the side of her neck. "No. We won't. We will fight, that's a given. We have a lot of shit to sort through, and we're brothers. I can't promise you that we won't have problems, but I can tell you that we're done fighting against this, against what we both want. I love you. He loves you. On that we can agree." She lets out a long exhale, searching my face. "I want to believe you." I step into her, our bodies creating a cage we never want her to escape. "Let us prove it to you. Believe in us. Give us one more chance." She gulps hard, then lets her long lashes rest against her cheeks for a moment. When she finally opens her eyes again, her blue eyes shine, meeting mine. "Fine, but I'm not lying. I won't be a doormat for either of you." I meet Arson's eyes over her shoulder. "We don't want you to be a doormat. In fact, we prefer you fierce and sassy." A soft snort leaves her pert lips. "I don't know about that." "I do, and I have an idea. Arson probably knows this, but you don't." "What's that?" "The Mill holds a traditional hunt every year. It's like a glorified game of hide-and-seek. You get a small head start and get to use the woods to whatever advantage you can. Most of the time, a monetary value can be won, but you won't be winning anything but an orgasm." "Or five," Arson interjects. Her eyes go wide, her pupils dilating until the blue is almost all gone. "So if you catch me then..." I lean into her face and finish the sentence she can't seem to speak out loud. "We get to do whatever we want with you..." "Are you asking to chase me? Both of you? Together." "We sure are," Arson replies, nipping at her earlobe. I can't help the feral grin that spreads across my face. "The way I see it, right now, Arson has had you more than me, and he took what I wanted for myself. I'm still a bit salty over it, so I'm going to claim the only virgin hole left, your ass." "That is, unless I catch you first," Arson chimes in. "Which isn't going to happen," I growl, my gaze cutting to him before skirting back to Lilian. "So...you run...and we'll chase. Whoever captures you first gets the privilege." Her eyes narrow, and she licks her lips, her pulse fluttering hard in her neck. "And if neither of you catches me?" I shrug. "Then you can have anything you want. You can have us any way you want." Another gulp, and I can visibly see the arousal growing, her fingers flexing. "When should I run?" "How about now? We'll give you a five-minute start," I announce with a gentleness that doesn't match the tension and need coursing through my veins. She squeaks, throws Arson a grin, then rushes past me into the trees. Arson crosses his arms over his chest. "Is this a good idea? Is it safe?" "She'll be fine. The only people out here are us. It won't take long to find her, and I doubt she'll put up a fight. She wants this just as bad as we do." "Naughty little minx." Arson purses his lips, and I nod in agreement. We both want her, and this time, when we have her, it'll be together. After five minutes, we wander into the trees to hunt our little rabbit. Soon enough, I find myself breaking out into a run, the forest blurring around me as I search the area in front of me. My boots sink into the soft earth with each stride, my muscles burning as I push harder. There's a primalness to the pursuit that strips away civilization, leaving raw instinct in its place. Hunter and hunted. The ancient dance that's been encoded in our DNA for millions of years. "Split up," Arson calls, veering left. "Circle around." I nod, cutting right through a dense thicket of brush, thorns tearing at my sleeves. Blood wells from a dozen tiny cuts, but the pain only sharpens my focus. I vault over a fallen log, landing hard, the impact sending shock waves up my legs. I remain upright through the sheer determination and will to find my girl. A flash of color ahead catches my eye-a scrap of fabric snagged on a bramble. I snatch it up, recognizing the pattern from her shirt. She was meant for us, meant to be hunted and taken. I bring the cotton to my face, inhaling deeply, letting her essence fill my lungs. A sound-the snap of a twig, followed by a muffled curse, interrupts my thoughts. I smile and change direction, stalking toward the noise with predatory focus. The rain picks up again, fat drops hammering down through the canopy and onto us. "Why are you running?" I call out, enjoying the game now despite the urgency. "Isn't this what you wanted? Both of us. Together." There's a rustle to my left-she's changing direction, trying to throw me off. Smart, but futile. I'm too attuned to her now, too connected. I adjust my course accordingly, cutting diagonally through a stand of young pines. "There's nowhere for you to run. We aren't leaving these woods without you, and no obstacle or person will stop us from making you ours. Not even you." Arson's voice comes from somewhere to the east, completing our pincer movement. Her pace quickens, panic giving her a burst of speed. The sound of her footfalls grows louder, more careless. She's abandoned stealth for pure flight now, crashing through the underbrush like a wounded deer. "Liliannnn..." I call out, taunting. I want her to be frantic when I reach her. Just like that day outside my cell. I push harder, faster, my heart hammering against my bruised ribs. The distance between us shrinks with every pounding footstep. I break through a screen of ferns and pause, the air in my lungs evaporating the moment I catch sight of her. There she is-just twenty yards ahead, weaving between trees, her golden hair wild and tangled with leaves and twigs. The sight of her hits me like a physical blow. She's magnificent in her desperation, all instinct and survival and raw life. "Lilian," I shout, my voice breaking with emotion. "We've got you now!" She hesitates, half turning, and that moment of hesitation, of second-guessing herself, is all I need. I close the distance in three long strides, catching her arm and spinning her toward me. Her small frame crashes against my chest, and the impact catches me off balance. We tumble to the forest floor, leaves and moss cushioning us. I catch myself at the last minute and brace my arm against the ground to keep from crushing her with my weight. We're suspended in time-her beneath me, chest heaving, her blue eyes wide and sparkling, not with fear but a lingering excitement. Rain soaks us both, plastering her shirt to her skin, revealing every rapid rise and fall of her chest. Using my hands, I bracket her shoulders, pinning her to the ground. "Look at what I caught." I pant, triumph surging through me like lightning. "A little rabbit." She bucks against me, refusing to surrender. Her knee comes up, nearly connecting with my groin before I shift my weight to block her. The struggle is intoxicating-her strength, her defiance, even knowing it's futile. "Shhh," I murmur, using one hand to brush wet hair from her face. "It's time for me to claim my prize." I pin her wrists above her head with one hand, using the other to trace the delicate line of her jaw, feeling her pulse hammering beneath my fingertips. "That's what you want, isn't it?" I question, lowering my face until we're sharing breath. "For me to claim your ass, while my brother fucks your pussy?" She struggles against my hold, but it's nothing more than an act. I can see her nipples poking through the fabric of her wet shirt. "Shhh, you don't have to fight it anymore. You don't have to worry about us fighting over you anymore. We want the same thing: you, and we aren't willing to risk losing you again." I whisper fiercely. "You're ours, and we're yours. Both of us." She relaxes against me, and I hear Arson approach, his deliberate footsteps announcing his presence. He appears at the edge of my vision, bruised and bloodied from our earlier fight, but his eyes are clear and focused on her. His chest heaves from both the run and at the way she looks so delicious and dirty for us. "Looks like you're the winner," Arson says softly. "But that's fine because while you claim her ass, I'll worship her pussy." "Say it," I demand, needing to hear it from her lips. "No more running," she breathes. "I'm both of yours." Fuck yes, she is. I lower my mouth to hers, claiming what's mine, what's ours, as the forest bears silent witness to what was always meant to be. She tastes of rain and fear and ours. I drink her in, savoring the moment when resistance melts into acceptance. Arching against me, she's no longer fighting but seeking, demanding. Even though I don't want to, I break the kiss, pulling back just enough to see her face. Her eyes are dark, pupils blown wide with adrenaline and desire. The chase has awakened something in her, too-something wild and hungry that matches the beast inside me. The tension between us crackles like electricity before a storm. Years of separation, of longing, of broken pieces trying to fit back together. None of us is the same person we were before. We're all scarred, all haunted, all hungry for something we can't name. Reaching for her hand, one I'm still pinning above her head, Arson laces his fingers through hers with deliberate slowness. The sight of it-his scarred knuckles against her pale skin-sends a jolt of possessiveness through me that's immediately tempered by how right and complete this moment feels. "The three of us," I say, releasing her other wrist at last. "That's how it was always supposed to be." She sits up slowly, forcing me to shift back onto my knees. The forest floor has left impressions on her skin-dirt, leaves, the texture of moss. She looks wild, untamed, like a creature born of the woods themselves. I reach for her face, cupping her cheek with a hand that's still trembling slightly from exertion and something deeper. "It only feels like this because you never thought you would get both of us to agree. You never thought we would give it all up so we could both have a piece of you. Some things are worth more than the need for revenge or blood." The rain has slowed to a gentle patter, filtering through the canopy in dappled patterns that play across her skin. For a moment, none of us move, suspended as we are in this fragile new reality we're creating. "You two are insane." She shakes her head. "Absolutely fucking insane." Arson grins, that familiar reckless smile I'd thought I'd never see again. "Never claimed otherwise." I feel my own lips curving in response. "You knew what you were getting into." "Did I?" she challenges, but there's warmth beneath the words now. "Did any of us?" I lean in closer, my breath mingling with hers. "No. But this is our life, messy, bloody, full of pain and love." Her eyes search mine, seeking truth and certainty. I let her see it all-the hunger, the need, the love that's consumed me for longer than I care to admit. Arson's hand slides up her arm and over her shoulder to cup the back of her neck. A gesture of comfort, of claiming. "We want you," he murmurs. "Both of us together." She shivers under his touch, under the intensity of our combined focus. I can feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the heat emanating from her rain-soaked skin. "Say it again," I demand softly. "Who do you belong to?" Her lips part, tongue darting out to wet them. I track the movement, transfixed. "You," she breathes. "Both of you." Satisfaction rumbles in my chest, primal and deep. I lower my head, brushing my lips across her jawline, tasting salt and rainwater. She tilts her head back, offering me her throat in a gesture of surrender that makes my blood sing. Arson's mouth finds hers then, claiming her with a ferocity that steals my breath. I watch as she yields to him, her hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer. A low growl escapes me, part warning, part approval. He breaks the kiss, breathing hard, eyes dark with desire. "Share," he rasps, the single word heavy with meaning. I nod, leaning in to take his place. Her lips are swollen, tender from his onslaught, and I gentle my approach, savoring the soft glide of her mouth against mine. She sighs into the kiss, her body melting against me, trusting in a way she hasn't allowed herself to be in years. My hands roam her curves, relearning dips and hollows that have haunted my dreams. She arches into my touch, a soft moan escaping her as my thumb grazes the underside of her breast. Arson's hands join mine, his touch rougher, more demanding. He palms her hip, fingers digging into soft flesh as he pulls her back against his chest. She gasps at the contact, at the evidence of his arousal pressing insistently against her. "You belong to us," Arson growls against her ear, his breath hot and soaked in hunger. "And we're going to claim every inch of you." He nips her earlobe-not hard, but sharp enough to make her flinch. To make her gasp. "Together." Her breath shudders. She's trembling. From the cold. From the rain. From us. "Together?" she whispers, like the word might ruin her. I catch her chin between my fingers and tilt her face to mine. "Yes. Together," I murmur, dark and sure. "You're going to take us both. One in your tight little cunt. One in your ass. You're going to feel us everywhere-stretching you wide, claiming what's ours." Her lips part, but no words come out. Arson strokes her throat with the backs of his fingers. "Look at her," he breathes, voice wrapped in quiet reverence. "We've just gotten started, and she's already trembling and soaked." I shift behind her, pressing my chest to her back. She stiffens-then shudders as my hands find her hips and drag her against me. "How many times have you thought of this very moment?" I whisper. "Picturing us taking you at the same time, fucking you in unison." She sucks in a ragged breath, and I'm not sure if it's needy or shame-filled. "There's no reason to hide what you want, not anymore," Arson says gently, brushing her wet hair behind her ear. "We're going to make all of your filthy fucking dreams come true, baby." "Because we already know how dirty you are," I growl, dragging her soaked shirt over her head. Her bare skin gleams in the rain, flushed and sensitive, nipples tight. Arson cups her face and kisses her-soft at first, teasing her lips open with his tongue. When she moans, he deepens it, claiming her mouth while I work my hands down her body. My palms slide over her breasts, down her ribs, then between her legs, where her soaked panties stick to her like a second skin. I drag them down slowly, baring her inch by inch. She gasps as the rain hits her thighs, cool air on flushed flesh. "Fuck, Lil," I murmur. "You're dripping like a faucet." "So perfect, and so fucking wet for us," Arson whispers, dragging kisses along her jaw. I slip two fingers knuckle deep inside her wet cunt. The sound her body makes as she clenches around my fingers is music to my ears. I've waited what seems like an eternity to be able to touch her, to have a moment like this with her. "You were made for us." I pant, curling my fingers inside her. "Weren't you?" "Yes," she gasps. "God-yes." "Good girl," Arson praises. "Look at you. Falling apart already." Her knees wobble as I pump my fingers slow and deep, dragging slick sounds from her core. Arson's mouth finds her breasts, kissing and sucking, tugging at her nipples with his teeth until she cries out. His gaze meets mine over her head, eyes glittering with shared euphoria. A look of perfect understanding passes between us. This is how it was always meant to be. The three of us, together, bound by a love that defies definition. "You're going to be such a pretty mess by the time we sink inside you." She arches into my touch, silently begging for more. I oblige, dipping my fingers into slick heat, then back behind to her tight little asshole. She tenses but then relaxes under Arson's ministrations. We work in tandem, our movements synchronized by an unspoken understanding. Push and pull, give and take, a dance as old as time itself. She's the instrument and we're the musicians, coaxing forth a symphony of sighs and moans that echoes through the hushed forest. I stretch her slowly, spreading, widening, as Arson does the same to her pussy. Yes. I need this. I want to claim the last piece of innocence she has left. She trembles as I work a second finger inside her ass, her body resisting for a moment before yielding to the stretch. Arson keeps her distracted with deep, drugging kisses, his tongue mimicking the thrusts of his fingers buried knuckle deep in her slick heat. "Please," she gasps, the word muffled against his mouth. "I need..." I reach up, twist her thick blond hair in my fist, and pull her head back while I fuck her asshole, gently. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. "Say it," I whisper, lips brushing her throat. "Tell us how bad you want it." "Please-need you both-need to be filled." "Where?" I press. "My pussy," she whimpers. "And... my ass." "Use your words, sweetheart," Arson adds. "I want your cocks," she cries. "I want to be split open. Stretched. Used." Arson strokes her cheek with aching tenderness. "That's our girl." I press a kiss to her lower back, whispering, "Now we give you exactly what you asked for." A moment later, I withdraw my fingers slowly, relishing her whine of protest at the loss. But it's only a momentary reprieve. I position myself at her tight rear entrance, the head of my cock nudging against the slick pucker. Arson mirrors my movements, the thick length of him pressing insistently at her dripping slit. We pause there, poised on the brink, savoring the anticipation. "Ours," Arson rasps, the word heavy with possession. "Forever." "Yours," she agrees breathlessly. "Always."