A rush of adrenaline went through her. “Everything?”

“Definitely.”

“I’m not—”I don’t know if I want to do this. “Not athletic.”

He tugged on her hair. “Excellent. I won’t have to exert myself to get all three shots in first.”

Her eyes widened. All three. She’d never had anal sex. Ever.

He walked a few steps and said without looking back, “Be naked before I return, or you’ll enter the game with my handprint on your ass.”

Uh-uh. She hurriedly stripped, shivering as she stuffed her clothes in a sack. The sun had disappeared behind the trees, leaving the world in a shadowy, semitwilight state. The air held a snowy mountain bite. She pulled on the rubber-soled booties to cushion her feet.

To her right, people had started finger-painting. One Domme made circles around her submissive’s cock. Another Dom was putting cat whisker stripes on a woman’s face.

A hard hand gripped Abby’s arm, and Xavier drew her close to the bowls of paint. After a second of consideration, he chose a bright blue. “Don’t move, little fluff,” he said. “I’m going to give myself something to aim at.” He painted a circle around the outside of her left breast.

Her mouth dropped open. “You’re going to shoot at me there?”

“Only with the blue pistol.” A yellow circle followed, then another blue. He finished by painting yellow on her areola. After he painted her other breast, he smiled. “Perfect bull’s-eye targets, don’t you think?”

Her nipples had tightened to aching points just from the mere touch of his wet finger. Even worse, she was damp already from thinking about…what might happen after the battle. “You’re a sick man,” she muttered.

His eyes lit with laughter. “Turn around.” He painted a target on her bottom, yellow alternating with blue. As the sunlight dimmed further, the circles started to glow.

“One more.” He ran his blue-coated finger across her lower stomach, down her upper left thigh to the right leg, and back to her stomach. A circle around her groin. “Spread your legs.”

No way. No painting on my…crotch.

A stinging smack hit her thigh, and she jumped.

“That wasn’t a request, pet.”

A quiver built in her stomach as she opened her legs. She felt odd, like an object or animal. Smaller. But excited as her choices fell away. He wouldn’t let her sit on the sidelines as she usually did. He’d force her to participate fully.

He drew a circle from the top of her mound to the creases between her thighs and pussy. “Good. Stay in that position so it dries without smearing.”

After washing his hands in the bucket provided, he returned and eyed her with satisfaction. “That gives me a few nice targets.”

DeVries’s laugh rolled out. “Much more fun than the range.”

Abby’s brows drew together. “You know how to shoot?”

Xavier’s small smile was worrisome.

“We go to Simon’s range every week,” deVries said.

“Oh, lovely.” There went her chance at a foot rub. She sighed and muttered, “Nos morituri te salutanti.”

DeVries scowled. “If you’re cursing me, little girl, do it in English.”

“It’s what gladiators said before they got slaughtered in the Roman area,” Xavier said. “We who are about to die salute you.”

“In that case, you have exactly the right mind-set,” deVries said.

As deVries walked away, Xavier went down on one knee in front of Abby’s open legs.

“What are you doing?”

“The air’s getting cold. I’m going to make sure you stay warm.” He grasped her thigh, holding her still. His other hand slid between the folds of her pussy.

“Xavier, no!”

He chuckled and pushed a finger up inside her, and she squeaked at the shock of his ruthless entry. He’d slid in so easily that he must have noticed… Her face heated.

“Yes, it’s obvious you’re excited, pet. I’m pleased.” His hand tightened on her thigh in warning when she tried to move away, but with his finger inside her, she was well anchored. His thumb made slow circles around her clit, occasionally brushing right over the top, and her excitement rose.

“Stop,” she hissed at him as her knees started to wobble.

“Don’t worry. They’ll fire the starting pistol before you come.” His thumb pressed harder. “Probably.”

The pressure in her center started to build and—

The gun fired, startling her. As Xavier released her and rose to his feet, Virgil announced, “Bottoms, you have a two-minute head start before the pistol sounds for the Tops. Run!”

Run? With my breasts bouncing and—

Xavier smacked her bottom, and she jolted forward, then kept going. Ahead of her the other bottoms ran, their bright, glowing patterns bounding like a herd of multicolored zebras. Abby veered onto the far right trail, and the scent of pine rose around her as the shadowy forest surrounded her.

The trail was wide and flat with narrower paths branching to small open areas. She slowed and entered one. A rope guarded one side, preventing access to a wooden deer silhouette several yards away. The clearings must be the firing ranges for the black-powder guys. Maybe she could hide? No, being punished by everyone sounded ghastly.

Under a tree, blankets had been piled in a heap. Her heart gave a hard thud as she realized they were for use after the battle. Oh. My. The Tops weren’t planning to collect their prizes in the privacy of a bedroom. She swallowed hard.

Then her eyes narrowed as she stared at the quilts. Virgil hadn’t mentioned anything about being sneaky. Yes! Even as she ran forward and grabbed a blanket, the sound of the pistol split the air.

“We’re at war. Tops, defend your territory or suffer defeat,” Virgil yelled.

As shouts, whistles, and a rebel yell sounded, Abby wrapped herself in a light quilt and checked her body. Not one glowing paint strip showed. Ha! I’m going to win, Xavier. As she turned to leave the clearing, she noticed a smaller path leading to the next firing range. If there were more shortcuts, they’d be far safer than using the big trail.

Heavy footsteps pounded through the forest. A scream sounded and a shout of jubilation. “Your mouth is mine!”

More shouts, shrieks, scrambling sounds. A chill ran up Abby’s spine. It sounded like a war zone. Do not go on the trail.

Sneaking toward the next shooting area, she spotted Logan in an orange dungeon monitor’s vest. He grinned at her blanket-swathed form, touched his brow in a mock salute, and returned to the main trail.

She let out the breath she’d been holding. He wouldn’t give her away.

Another clearing. She paused.

A submissive was trying to hide behind a tree, but her glowing white collar was like a beacon. With a start Abby recognized Lindsey. She started to step forward—

A stream of glittering liquid hit Lindsey between the breasts, and she let out a shocked scream.

Low and rough, deVries’s voice came from the shadows near the firing point. “I’ll be looking for you afterward, little girl. In case you can’t tell, that was the brown.”

Swearing under her breath, Lindsey scrambled back onto the trail, and her white collar disappeared.

DeVries strolled across the clearing, slowing long enough to glance at Abby and say, “If Xavier catches you with that blanket, you won’t sit down for a week.” The Enforcer’s shadowy form moved away in total silence.

Abby realized she was shaking uncontrollably, her heart hammering. This wasn’t a healthy sport at all. She really did feel hunted. Like prey.

Would Xavier be mad? Her chin came up. Too bad. She’d just make sure he didn’t catch her. But to her dismay, the far side of the clearing lacked another shortcut.

Trying to be as silent as deVries, she moved onto the main trail. The paint designs of the bottoms stood out vividly; the Doms were dim shapes moving through the trees.

Well, if a Top didn’t get close enough to see her wrapped up, he wouldn’t know she was a bottom. Be bold. Act as if you belong here.

She stalked forward and barely dodged out of the way of a racing pair. The Domme swore as her shot missed.

Abby kept going. She turned one corner.

As she stepped around another, her blanket was ripped out of her hands. She yelped and spun.

“I’m not sure if that’s cheating or incredibly smart, but it’s over now.” Xavier gripped her chin and kissed her firmly. “You know, you’re so fair-skinned, you glow even without paint.” He stepped back, and liquid splattered on her right breast.

Shot. He’d shot her.

“That was the blue pistol. Next is the brown.”

“Di te perdant,” she swore and heard him laugh. She dashed away, back muscles taut, tensed in anticipation of another spray of liquid.

She couldn’t hear if he followed. As her pulse roared in her ears, she stepped behind a tree and tried to catch her breath. More screams. A man cursing. A smack of flesh and a yelp. Maybe someone else had found the blankets.

Behind Abby, lights appeared, one by one, swinging high above the trail. Someone must have hung glow sticks in the trees and now was bending them to make them light.

Virgil must be preparing to end the war. Time to go. She sure didn’t want to get punished for being late. She stepped onto the trail, started to run, and got hit with a full stream of paint right on her bottom. Cold, cold liquid trickled down the backs of her thighs.

“That one was brown.” Xavier’s deep voice came out of the shadows. “Run, pet.”

Growling under her breath, she darted away, trying to support her bouncing breasts. Brown. Anal sex. Her behind felt as if it were puckering in protest.

She passed two exhausted submissives and a Dom who almost shot her in reflex, before taking refuge completely off the trail. The debris on the forest floor dug into her feet despite the thin-soled shoes. An unseen branch scraped her leg painfully. Two shadowy forms went by, and from the height of one, she had a feeling it was Xavier. She was now behind him. Perfect.

Through the scant underbrush, she advanced toward the lighted clearing. Most of the nearby balls had been tossed into the wading pool or lay around it. She needed a way to get a ball without getting killed. Maybe if she approached from the other side?

Xavier had only shot her twice. Knowing him, he’d have to try for a third. I can do it.

She winced as branches tugged on her hair and scratched her arms, and perversely the small amount of pain made her even more aroused and wet. She might feel like prey, but her body wanted exactly what Xavier intended, and everything seemed to tantalize her senses. Even pain.

Slowly she worked her way around the tree line to the far side. Staying hidden and using a stick, she maneuvered a ball close enough to pick it up. A soccer ball. Honestly, who thought up this idiotic game?

As she held the cold plastic to her chest, the blue paint on her breasts smeared it. That color meant oral sex. She’d never been fond of giving blowjobs. Yet the thought of taking Xavier’s cock in her mouth, knowing he’d not let her move away, how he’d make her take it deeper, was just plain hot. Feeling her pussy getting swollen and slick, she rolled her eyes. If this continued, she’d be running bowlegged.

A stage filled the far side of the huge clearing, and the calculating Doms had put the wading pool in the center of the area. She had to get closer. Very, very quickly.

Taking a firm grip on the ball, she charged across the open space, zigzagging in the proper soldierly manner. Nothing happened. Fixing her gaze on the goal, she increased her speed…and spotted Xavier off to one side, a pistol in each hand, like an old-fashioned gunslinger.

She zagged. Zigged.

Red hit her crotch. No! Almost there. She raised the ball to throw.

Black splashed onto her left breast.

THE SURGE OF triumph was fascinating, and Xavier grinned as Abby stopped dead, staring at the black dripping down her breast onto her stomach.

“Very colorful, Xavier,” Logan called from the stage where a mixture of Tops and bottoms were standing. “Looks like you’ll enjoy your win.”

He planned to. Xavier crossed to his little submissive and curled his fingers around her soft upper arm. Although she glared at him, he felt a tremor run through her at his touch. Anxious and excited. Perfect.

Virgil greeted him as he led her up the stairs. “To keep the prisoners from escaping while the battle concludes, we have a variety of immobilization devices,” he said. “Use how many you think best. Once she’s restrained, clean the paint off her—otherwise you’ll both glow in the dark.”