A/N: Since there was such a long wait between chapter five and six, I thought I'd give you guys chapter seven a little early. Enjoy!

Beauty and the Brute: Chapter Seven

59.

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As the seconds began to tick down, Cato wildly searched his surroundings. All twenty-four of the tributes were standing on metal circles, situated in a ring that surrounded the Cornucopia. Make one wrong move before the gong sounded, and their legs would be blown. They were on a large path of land, a plain of hard-packed dirt. The Cornucopia stood 200 meters away, give or take a few meters. Cato knew could reach it in less than 25 seconds and kill a few of the weaker tributes on the way.

His eyes found Clove, who was keenly facing the direction of the Cornucopia. Being small and fast, she would reach it first. Her goal was to get to the knives and pick off as many tributes as possible before the bloodbath ended.

Glimmer was a few spaces away from Clove, looking impatient as she watched the numbers tick down. Her district partner, Marvel, was standing dangerously near the edge of his plate. He didn't seem to be concentrating on anything, his eyes remaining on the blue sky as the start of the Games drew near. Hopefully, the two of them would get their fair share of kills during bloodbath.

Peeta, who had secretly made a pact with Clove to be a part of the careers during the final day of training, stared intently at Katniss. His eyes sent her a clear message to stay away from the battle at the Cornucopia. Cato knew this should've angered him, especially since Peeta was supposed to be earning their approval, but the thought of fire girl battling it out with Clove at the Cornucopia sickened him.

His attention turned back to the clock as it reached the final countdown.

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The gong rang out through the arena and suddenly, everything was in motion. It was like they had been on pause for the last minute and someone had finally pushed the play button. Cato sprang into action, ringing the neck of a faceless tribute as he pounded towards the Cornucopia.

The second he reached the horn-shaped structure, a knife was in his hand. With it came a flooding sense of confidence and comfort. He could conquer the world with his knife in hand. Cato had chopped down another tribute within moments of collecting the weapon.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her. She was sprinting towards an orange backpack that another tribute had spotted as well. The other tribute, a boy from District 9, reached the pack the same time as Katniss did. They collided into each other and began to grapple over it. The boy outsized Katniss and had the advantage.

Instinctively, Cato chucked his knife at the boy's neck. It pierced it through the side, causing blood to gush from the artery and splatter Katniss' face with blood. She was frozen momentarily with shock, giving Clove time to advance on her with a knife aimed at her chest. Clove never missed, and Katniss would be dead within seconds. The thought sent Cato into unanticipated panic.

"Clove!" he cried out desperately, causing his district partner to momentarily turn away from her prey. It was just enough time for Katniss to break towards the woods. She was gone by the time the knife left Clove's hand.

Clove turned on Cato with furious eyes. She charged at him, shoving his chest and causing him to stumble back, despite his size, "What the fuck, Cato!" she screamed, "That was my kill!"

He grabbed her scrawny shoulders and flung her backwards. She landed on the grass with a loud thud. "Wrong," he growled, towering over her small form, "We discussed this. Fire girl is my kill!"

Clove laughed hysterically in his face, disbelief dancing through her eyes, "We both know you're not going to kill her, Cato! I saw your eyes-I saw them! You want her."

"Want who?"

Glimmer had chosen the wrong time to join the conversation. She was breathing heavily, a silver bow gripped tightly in her sweaty palm. Her gaze darted between the two Careers, "Who are you talking about?"

"No one, just forget about it." said Cato, shooting a determined glare at Clove.

"Yeah, no one," she agreed sarcastically in a haughty tone.

By the time night fell over the arena, Katniss had secured herself a tree to sleep safely on. She was high above the ground and shrouded by branches, so if any of the Careers were to come by her hiding place on their hunt, they would most likely pass her by. Though she was unsure of how wary she should be of the careers. Cato was supposed to be the most monstrous of the Careers, and yet he had stopped Clove from killing her back at the Cornucopia. It didn't make sense. Maybe he had further use of her…

She shuddered off the unsettling through and leaned her head back against the tree. After the faces of the eleven fallen tributes flashed in the sky, Katniss dosed off into a light sleep.

"Well look what I found-" the snide, purr of Cato's voice yanked her abruptly from her dreams.

She jumped in alarm as she realized his face was only centimeters from hers. He was standing on the branch just below her, leaning the majority of his weight against the center of the tree. A breathy gasp emitted from her throat as he held a sharp blade to the exposed flesh of her stomach, where her shirt had ridden up in her sleep. The blade was cool against her skin and she had to bite back a groan at the faintly pleasant feeling.

"Miss me?" her pursuer asked in a ridiculing voice as he brushed a tendril of dark hair from her face.

"I've gotten by," she replied, yanking her face away from his groping fingers, "Obviously, you've missed me."

"Don't fool yourself," he chuckled darkly, putting enough pressure on the blade for it to cut into her stomach.

She hissed at the sting, clamping her teeth down on her lip to not give him the pleasure of hearing her scream. "Is that all you've got?" she taunted him.

"Ah, ah,ah," he clicked his tongue at her authoritatively, "You don't get to speak. You have to do what I say, or else-" he waved the blade threateningly toward her to make a point.

Fighting the urge to yell obscenities at the instigator of her torture, Katniss nodded mutely.

Cato's sinister smirk widened and he cupped her chin firmly with his free hand, "Good girl."

With a flick of his wrist, he cut the rope that tied her securely to the branch. It fell, discarded to the forest floor. Holding the blade to her neck, he scooped her up in his free arm and descended the tree.

"We're going to have so much fun, you and I," he whispered provokingly in her ear.

There was an undertone to his words that Katniss didn't like. She began to search her surroundings for means of escape. There was nothing but trees and dirt as far as the eye could see. No one else was around to hear her cries. Then again, who would come to her rescue anyways? The point of the games was for tributes to die. People were hoping for her death and apparently, Cato was about to give them quite a show.

He jumped from the last branch of the tree, landing adroitly on the earthen floor. His clutch on Katniss loosened and she tightened her muscles, preparing to give one last fight. As she moved to spring from his arms, Cato threw aside his blade.

Katniss paused mid pounce, eyes wide with bewilderment, "What are you doing-"

Before the question even left her lips, he had pinned her against the trunk of the tree. He held both of her wrists sturdily above her head in his bulky grasp, restraining further movement.

"Remember what I said, love?" he purred in her ear as he began to place kisses down the side of her neck, "You have to do what I say."

"Stop it," she said, but it sounded weak. He continued to suck on the sensitive skin of her neck, gripping her waist with his free hand.

Her head lolled back as she gave into her pleasure, her body arching away from the tree and pressing into Cato's. His hand traveled up her shirt and cupped her breast, massaging it with expert fingers.

"What was that?" he exhaled huskily between kisses, "You want me to stop?"

"Don't stop," she breathed.

Snap!

Katniss was awoken by the sound of breaking branches, with Cato's name still on the tip of her tongue. Her hand was resting a few inches below the hem of her pants, rubbing circles over the sensitive spot between her legs. She was filled with horror as realization struck her. She wanted him, badly. The Girl on Fire wanted the Brute.

"The Capitol will eat this one up," she muttered to herself as the agonized cries of a female tribute reached her ears. There was boisterous laughter echoing from the girl's torturers and Katniss instantly recognized Cato's voice. "A real charmer," she added sardonically, hating herself for the feelings she now harbored for the ruthless Career.