Drawn to Lust

The Predator's Game

"Valerian Dimitri"

She thought she was clever, but I could see through her. Bambi had no idea how transparent she was to me. Every glance, every careful step, every controlled breath—it was like watching prey trying to outsmart a hunter. Amusing, in a way. Pathetic, in another.

She had no idea the lengths I’d go to keep her.

From the moment she entered my world, I knew she would resist. I had expected it. I didn’t choose Bambi because she was docile or easy to control. I chose her because I saw the fire in her, even though she tried to hide it. That defiance beneath the surface—*that's* what fascinated me. What drew me in. It was always the ones who thought they could fight that ended up being the most satisfying to break.

But breaking Bambi wasn’t about making her suffer. Not entirely. It was about control, yes, but more than that—it was about ownership. She was mine, body and soul, whether she accepted it or not.

And now, I watched her play this little game, pretending to be the obedient wife, as if I didn’t know what was really going on behind those wide, defiant eyes. She was planning something. I could feel it. Every time she smiled too easily, or spoke too softly, I could sense it—that barely contained desperation.

The question was: when would she act? And how?

I would let her believe she had a chance. Let her feel that spark of hope flickering in her chest. It made the game more interesting. There was no thrill in controlling someone who gave up too easily. Bambi was the kind of woman who needed to learn her lessons the hard way, and I was more than happy to teach them.

As I returned home from the meeting that night, I found the mansion dark and quiet, save for the distant murmur of the staff preparing for tomorrow’s business. I always liked coming home at this hour. The world was still, and it gave me time to think. To watch.

The moment I stepped inside our bedroom, I saw her sitting on the edge of the bed, her back to me. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, loose and tangled from the day. She looked so small in that moment. Vulnerable. It was a lie, of course. Bambi was anything but weak. She just hadn’t realized it yet.

I moved silently, watching her reflection in the mirror. She was deep in thought, staring at the window as if it could offer her salvation. As if she could just run. She had tried before. Twice. She would try again soon.

“Thinking of running again?” I asked, my voice cutting through the silence.

She flinched, her shoulders tensing as if she hadn’t heard me enter. I could see her pulse quicken in the hollow of her throat, the way her hands clenched in her lap. She tried to hide it, but she couldn’t fool me. Not anymore.

“I wasn’t thinking of running,” she whispered, not turning to face me. “Just… thinking.”

I approached her slowly, savoring the way her body stiffened the closer I got. She could pretend all she wanted, but her fear betrayed her. She knew what I was capable of.

“If you lie to me, Bambi,” I said softly, standing just behind her now, “it’ll cost you more than you can imagine.”

She finally turned, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. Those eyes. Always so full of fight. I could see the anger simmering beneath her calm exterior, the way she held herself so tightly together, as if willing herself not to break.

“I’m not lying,” she said, her voice firmer now, but there was a tremor underneath it. “What’s the point in running when you’d just drag me back?”

I smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t flinch this time, but I could feel the tension in her muscles. “Exactly. So, I suggest you save your energy, sweetheart. You’re not going anywhere.”

She swallowed, her gaze never leaving mine. I could see the wheels turning in her head, see her weighing her options. She was trying to figure out what I knew. Whether I could sense her plans. She wouldn’t risk it tonight. Not yet.

I leaned closer, my lips brushing her ear. “But you already know that, don’t you? You’ve learned your lesson. Haven’t you?”

Her silence was telling. She didn’t agree, and she didn’t deny it either. Clever girl.

I let her go and stepped back, watching her relax slightly as I moved away. She was too easy to read. Every movement, every breath, was a giveaway. She was planning something. The question was, when would she make her move?

But that wasn’t the only thing on my mind. Nico had been hovering too close lately. Not physically—no, Nico was more subtle than that—but I could sense him orbiting around Bambi. I knew my brother well enough to see the signs. He had always been the sentimental one, the one with a soft spot for the strays I collected. And now, he was taking too much of an interest in my wife.

That wouldn’t do.

I would have to deal with him eventually. Remind him where his loyalties should lie. He was useful, sure, but not irreplaceable. No one was. If he thought he could undermine me, help Bambi in any way, I would break him just like I would break her.

She thought Nico could help her. I could see it in the way her eyes lingered on him when they were in the same room, in the careful way she spoke to him. She was testing him, just like she was testing me.

But she didn’t realize that this was my game. And no matter what she did, I would always win.

I turned away from her, moving toward the door. “Get some sleep,” I said without looking back. “You’ll need your strength.”

As I left the room, I couldn’t help but smile. Bambi thought she could outsmart me. She thought she could find a way out. But she had no idea what was coming. No idea how deep she was already in.

She would try to escape again. I knew that as surely as I knew my own name.

And when she did, I would be waiting.

The game was only just beginning.