18

Asher

Present

The next hour passes in a blur. At this point, I’ve stopped counting challenges.

I’ve kept my distance from Blair, letting her fend for herself. I can’t figure out if I want to see her crash and burn, or if I want her to make it through so I can somehow purge her from my system.

The announcer’s voice crackles through the speakers, sharp and clear as ever, and the crowd still roars with every word. I’m bruised, bloody, riding the rush of it all. Blair, though—she’s barely holding on. She’s scraped up, hair tangled, gripping her own arms like she’s holding herself together.

Part of me really fucking wants to see her snap.

I can’t help myself. I move closer. “You ready to sit this one out, princess?”

Her gaze meets mine, fierce but fragile, her hands trembling slightly. I lean in, close enough that she can feel my breath against her skin. “Or are you actually planning to stick around for the grand finale?”

Blair squares her shoulders. She’s teetering on the edge. One push, and she’ll fall.

The announcer’s voice echoes over the speakers. “Welcome to the next challenge. Cerebrum . This is a challenge of the mind. We challenge you to control your fear. We dare you to make it through the snake pit.”

The crowd erupts, their wild cheers echoing off the walls. Blair’s face drains of color, her eyes wide with horror.

I can’t hold back a laugh. “Your lucky day, Blair.”

This girl is fucking terrified of snakes. When we used to hang out back in the hills of LA, she used to freak out when little grass snakes used to slither by us through the dirt. She’d practically jump into my arms like a cartoon character seeing a mouse.

We’re led to the other corner of the warehouse and a spotlight snaps on, illuminating the pit in front of us—a shallow, rectangular enclosure swarming with a tangled mass of serpents, their pale green scales gleaming under the harsh lights. At the center of the pit, on a wide pedestal, rests a single metal key. Across from it is a metal door, the only way out. The sides of the pit are too high and too slick to climb; the key is our only shot.

The announcer’s voice rings out again, carrying over the buzz of the crowd. “Your task is simple. In pairs, retrieve the key and unlock the door to freedom.”

A pair drops down before us: Tate and Ivan. Two muscular heavyset fuckers from the underground fighting scene, whose strength has been carrying them through the night. But I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.

Tate lands first, heavy and ungraceful, immediately alerting the snakes around him. Ivan drops beside him, moving slower, more calculated. Blair’s eyes are glued to them, her face twisted in horror.

“Getting nervous?” I ask her.

She doesn’t answer, doesn’t even look at me. She’s too busy watching as Tate steps forward, inching toward the key. The snakes seem to be watching him, motionless for a moment, waiting.

Until one rears its head and strikes.

There’s a quick flash of fangs, and Tate’s scream fills the air. The snake’s jaws clamp onto his wrist, and he flails wildly, trying to shake it off, but it’s too late. His body convulses, his legs giving out as the venom does its work. Ivan curses and bolts for the key, ignoring his the other man’s gasps as he grabs it and sprints to unlock the door. Tate collapses, foam bubbling at his lips as his body falls limp.

The crowd’s electric, loving every second of it. The guards step in, dragging Tate’s lifeless body out of the pit.

I exhale. This isn’t going to be easy. But I’m already buzzing with adrenaline.

And then… it’s our turn.

I drop down first, feeling the jolt as my feet hit the concrete. Blair lightly lands beside me, her breathing shallow, eyes fixed on the writhing, spiraling mass in front of us. She’s doing everything she can to keep herself from running.

I nod at her. “We’ll scare them if we move too fast. Distribute your weight, and don’t make any sudden moves. You stick to the left, and I’ll grab the key when we’re close. Got it?”

She nods, her face pale, her whole body stiff with fear. Slowly, she inches forward, her steps hesitant as she places her feet between gaps in the coils.

I begin to move, my eyes trained on the pedestal, but a sound from Blair stops me.

“Asher!” she whispers.

I turn to see her frozen against the wall, a snake slowly winding its way around her ankle, its length coiling tighter with each second. Her lips part in a small, terrified sound as she tries to shake it off, but she’s paralyzed with fear.

The sight is mesmerizing. She’s helpless, desperate, looking at me like I’m her only chance.

“Asher,” she breathes. “It’s… it’s on me.”

I pause, savoring the fear in her eyes. I can’t help but enjoy the way she’s reduced to this terrified, vulnerable version of herself.

“I know,” I say.

“Get it off me,” she whispers.

Slowly, I step toward her, taking my time. There’s a dark urge inside me, telling me to let her feel every second of it.

I don’t want Blair to die. In fact, I want her to live, just so I can make her realize who she belongs to. But I’m still sliced up with what she did to me, the way she threw me away and disappeared like a ghost when she was bored of me.

For that, I want her to pay.

I slowly reach out, my fingertips brushing the skin of her thigh near where the snake is wrapped, tightening around her. The neon green looks so pretty against her skin. One wrong move and we both get bit. Her body stiffens, bucks upward slightly.

Maybe I am crazy. But when life and death hangs in the balance, this is a drug like no other.

Fuck. I can feel my cock already hard in my jeans, just looking at her so helpless and desperate in front of me. Her cherry-pink lips part wide in fear.

“You want me to help you, Blair?” I murmur.

“Yes,” she sobs.

“You didn’t ask very nicely.”

“Fine. Please. Please, Asher, just fucking help me.”

I grin. Fucking . I’ve never heard that word from her lips before, I don’t think. Not until today.

A few hours ago, I fucked her outside the warehouse. But I’m ready to go again. After being obsessed with Blair for this long, I’m not going to run out of stamina on the night I actually get to have her. I can’t resist this.

And this time, everyone’s watching.

The sound of hissing fills my ears. I move my hand away from where the snake clings to her, and bring my forefinger to her panties, nudging them aside. Her slit is fucking soaked. I knew it. I always knew that fear thrilled her, and I always suspected it turned her on, too. Back as a sixteen-year-old, I didn’t know what to do with that information. But now at twenty-one, it turns me on like crazy.

“Beg for it, baby.”

She shakes her head.

“Why not? Because you hate me, sugar?”

She stammers wordlessly.

I lean down to whisper in her ear. “I know you like the fear. I know it makes you wet. So what could be better than this?”

“Y-you’re a psycho. Just help me.”

But despite her words, she softly moans, and suddenly I see pure, lust-filled red .

“They say the crowd loves us, Blair. How about we give them a show?”