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Instantly, I mourn the loss.

All I can do is swallow. Loudly. This is so awkward.

My underwear is slid back into place, my dress lowered.

“Seven minutes went fast,” I comment while I wait for him to unhook me from the tree.

Except he’s not doing that. He’s not doing anything.

“Hello? Are you gonna free me?”

No answer comes. Only the sounds of nature.

And voices.

Tilting my head to the side, I drag it down my arm, lifting my blindfold up.

It takes a couple seconds for my eyes to adjust, but when they do, I see I’m alone again.

What…

While everyone is heading back to the beach, I’m still stuck here.

Why would he leave me tied up like this?

Up on my tiptoes, I elongate my body, reaching as high as I can to unhook the belt from the nub myself. Right as I get it, I hear, “Kota?”

Eighmey. Of course she’d be here. Her and her new veneers.

“What the hell, girl? What did your Hunter do to you?”

What did he do to me? He affected me.

“Apparently he didn’t want me to know who he was.” It’s the only reason I can come up with.

After removing the belt from my wrists, I roll them out.

“Sometimes it’s better that way. I’ve had perfectly good orgasms ruined by finding out who gave them to me.”

I consider that. What if it wasn’t Khaos? Would it be better not knowing?

I think so. It was perfect the way it was. Finding out the Hunter wasn’t the one I envisioned would taint the memory and that’s all we’re supposed to leave with, right?

“It was all consensual?” she asks.

“Oh, yeah. I just wish he would’ve untied me before he left.”

“Your Hunter must’ve been a freak. I’ve never been tied up during one of these. You don’t have any idea who it was?”

“None.” I shake my head before adding a shrug for good measure.

“You have his belt.”

I look down at it in my hold.

“We should go around to each guy and make them show us their waistbands. Anyone not wearing a belt has to put this one on. We can find out who it was Cinderella-style.”

“It’s mine,” I lie.