For about an hour, they ate and relaxed. Then they were taken back into the moment as Declan tossed his empty coffee cup in the basket, addressing Kate firmly. "How are your feelings toward the hounds and hares game, Mistress Kate"? Kate drummed her nails on her coffee cup, crossing her legs before she answered with a smirk. "Gosh... I haven't even thought about that game in years... I guess, all the running makes sense". Mark stopped messaging Jack's shoulders to ask curiously. "I'm not familiar with it. Is it... bad"? Kate scoffed happily, replying proudly. "No. Far from it. It's an old game that Masters used to play with the Subs. Hell, it is how a lot of Subs found their Masters". Declan raised a hand to stop her, waving over Trevor and Ben with his other hand. When they drew close enough, Declan told them clearly. "A Master knows his Submissive better than anyone. Reading his movements and his actions closely. Be observant and find a way to get the upper hand". 

Declan pointed to Ben and Jack, gesturing for them to move away from Mark and Trevor. Once they were separated, Declan pointed to Kate. Kate slowly rose to her feet, telling Jack and Ben with a playfully cunning smile. "In this game, the Masters are the hounds and you are the hares. Your job is to avoid being pinned down. If a hound pins you... You are his to toy with. So, avoid getting captured. The only way the hares can win over the hounds is if you can manage to avoid the hounds for an entire hour. You can work as a team or separately. You can only stay in this room, but how you avoid them is up to you". Declan turned Mark and Trevor to face the wall, while Kate added in excitedly. "As tradition, the hares get a two minute head start. Use it wisely, because the hounds will not show you mercy".

Kate raised her arm and looked to Declan. Declan clicked a watch around his neck and Kate waved them to go. Jack hesitated, trying to think of a good place. Ben bolted toward the obstacle course and spring boarded off a ramp to swing up on top of the monkey bars. Jack shook his head a bit envious. He made that look effortless... but he didn't dare to get up that high. Dashing for the tunnels, Jack quickly made his way through and dived into the ball pit. A load whistle rang out a few seconds later and Jack held his breath. He couldn't hear Trevor and Mark moving around. The only thing he could hear was Declan shouting out. "To know how your Sub thinks is half the battle won. Think about what you know about them". Jack swallowed nervously, listening to sudden footsteps. He wasn't sure who it was. He tried to remain as still as he could, even as something landed in the ball pit. He wasn't going to move, until he knew he had too.

He listened to the balls rustle and thought about trying to make a break for it. The sound was drawing closer. A hand grazed over Jack's stomach, causing Jack to act instantly. Thrashing quickly to the edge of the pit. Jack lifted himself out of the ball pit, when a hand touched his back. Jack bolted to his feet, glancing back into the ball pit. To his surprise, he didn't see anyone. Had they climbed out already? Dived in deeper? Fear crept into his heart. Had he blown his position for nothing? Had it been Ben who jumped in? Jack moved to the edge, thinking about jumping back in, when a shadow caught his attention. Looking up, he saw Ben quickly walking across the bars to drop across the roof of the high ball pit diving platform. It only confirmed that who he felt in the ball pit wasn't Ben. Jack turned quickly to run, just as Mark burst from the ball pit to grab him.

Mark had been reaching for the leather straps across his chest, but the shock caused Jack to fall back out of his reach in time. Jack rolled onto his feet and bolted for the tunnels with Mark leaping out to chase him. Jack barely had time to think about anything except running. Heading up the first ramp he found. The course was easy for this one. Jumping from one padded stump to the next, Jack made it across and headed for the slide. Climbing up the tube as quickly as he could, Jack froze at top. Trevor hadn't noticed him. Trevor was climbing up on top of the slide to cross onto the monkey bars. His eyes were on Ben. Jack waited until he moved, before racing out and toward the rock climbing wall. He had planned to climb it and jump down onto the trampolines on the other side. However, the moment he started to climb, Mark was at his back.

Mark grabbed his arm, but Jack clung to the wall trying to keep himself from being pulled off. He had to act fast or be removed. So, he focused on climbing as fast as he could. Having to shove Mark in the chest with his foot to get him away. Mark lost his balance, falling back across the mat and Jack seized the moment to rapidly climb up the wall. He was almost to the top, when Mark quickly climbed up the wall after him. Jack hated feeling pressured, but he was so close. Then Mark did something crazy. Mark jumped up to snatch his waist. Mark's arm didn't get around his waist, but the force and Mark's weight threw him off. Mark fell down across the mat as Jack's feet and fingers slipped from the holdings. Falling back across the mat with a loud 'thud', Mark rolled onto all fours over him. Jack cursed breathless, waiting to be pinned, but Mark didn't. He just braced himself over him, asking in a light sincere voice. "You ok"?

Jack thought about it for a moment. The mats were so soft that falling from the height he had hadn't been too bad. Shaking his head, he told Mark with a chuckle. "I'm good". Without wasting anymore time than that, Jack scrambled out from under Mark and tried to bolt. Mark snatched his ankle, yanking him out flat across the mat as he pulled him back, chuckling out. "Good". Jack did his best to twist from Mark's grip, but Mark's grip was tightening on him like iron. Pinning his legs down in sections as he moved up over him. Ben jumped off the roof for a bar to swing onto before dismounting to the ground. Trevor cursed and dived into the ball pit, determined to catch him. Ben ran over to grab Jack's hands, pulling him out from under Mark. Together they bolted for next obstacle and Jack gawked at Ben. Ben picked up enough speed to run across one slanted side wall, then the next, before leaping to grab a set of rings to swing across like monkey bars.

Jack froze up. He could possibly do the wall run... but not the transition from walls to the rings. Ben had to be a ninja warrior in his past life. Mark tried to grab his arm, but he managed to duck and bolted toward someplace else. Running up to a springboard, Jack used it to jump up on top of a padded wall. Grabbing the rope at the top, he turned to give Mark a smug kiss before swinging across to the next platform. He was feeling good about himself. Jack waited on the platform to see Mark jump up onto the wall... but he wasn't. What was taking Mark so long. Jack clung to the rope, starting to glance around. Ben was crossing a bridge of moving metal discs over a pool, when Jack saw Trevor walk around the edge. Trevor looked calm and confidant, raising a large water gun to shot at Ben as he crossed. Jack chuckled, noticing how bad of a shot Trevor was.

Trevor had missed Ben and sprayed the disc ahead of Ben. The idea took a second for Jack to comprehend. By that point, it was too late. Ben relied on his momentum to cross the disc bridge... However, with the platform wet... Ben's momentum was his undoing. Slipping on the disc, Ben toppled into the pool. Jack expected Trevor to dive in after him. Instead, Trevor patiently waited to see where Ben would surface. Ben surfaced on the far edge, starting to climb out. Trevor dropped the gun and bolted as fast as he could around the pool. Jack was amazed by Trevor's speed. Even as Ben tried to run away, Trevor gained on him fast with nothing to slow him down. Ben ran to a wall, attempting to climb it, but Trevor slammed into him. Tackling Ben to the floor, where they wrestled for a short while, before Ben... gave up.

Ben panted heavily, smiling up at Trevor. Trevor looked amazed with the out come. Jack had to admit himself. He didn't expect Ben to let Trevor win. Jack felt the padded platform shift and swallowed. He had stayed in one place too long. Mark had found another way up. Jack's grip tightened on the rope as he glanced over his shoulder. Mark stood close by with a smug smile, asking him sweetly. "What are you going to do next, Jack"? Jack shrugged, innocently replying. "I'll think of something". Without another word, Jack tried to swing back across to the wall he had come from. Only to be stopped short and left to hang helplessly over a small pool of ice water. Mark had his foot on the end of the rope. Jack bit his lip, pleading out with his best puppy eyes. "Mark... Don't do this. You love me". Mark walked along the rope, slowly approaching him.

Jack let out a fowl curse. He couldn't get back up on the platform without Mark's help and he didn't want to drop down into the ice water. He was stuck. Mark kneeled down, extending out a hand as he told Jack lovingly. "I do love you, Jackaboy. Now let me help you". Jack hesitantly reached out for Mark's hand. He trusted Mark. His fingers slid over Mark's warm wrist, taking a hold of him. Jack confidently released the rope and regretted it. Jack's weight jerked Mark enough that his foot slipped off the rope he was kneeling on and they both went over into the ice water. Jack crawled out of the water as fast as he could, his whole body shaking as he shouted out. "OH FUCK, THAT IS COLD"! Mark climbed out, shaking a little as he leaned over Jack's back to say lovingly. "At least, I didn't let go... Right"? Jack shared a laugh with him, snuggling up into what was left of Mark's body heat, before chattering out. "You dumbass...".

Mark wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders, chuckling warmly against his ear. The sound of Mark's laugh made Jack's body shiver for another reason. He loved knowing that Mark was happy. From somewhere close by, Kate told them all proudly. "Nicely done, hares. The lesson you can take from this it that sometimes you've got to loose to win. In this lifestyle, the only way to win is to have fun. If you focus to much on winning than neither you, or your Master will enjoy the moments in between. Very well done". Jack grinned, snuggling deep into Mark's embrace.  Jack wasn't even fazed by Declan telling Mark and Trevor confidently.  "Now let's see what you can do now that you have caught your prey".  To Be Continued...