The Journey North

They were managing to keep their bellies full. It wasn’t the same as the feasts they’d had back in Esteria, but it was enough. Lilitha never felt the gnaw of hunger, and Silus was plump and content.

Silus was becoming more expressive, making all sorts of sounds. Damon was showing more interest in him, letting him sit on his lap, even letting him gnaw on his finger or a real bone.

“Cautious, Damon. He could choke,” Carmella warned, her voice laced with worry.

“He won’t choke. He’s a Diablon,” Damon replied, his laughter echoing in the air.

Silus was drooling as he gummed the bone, his gaze fixed on Damon’s horns in the dimming light. When Damon pulled the bone away, Silus reached out, trying to grab his hand.

Mateus was lounging nearby, his head resting in Carmella’s lap, watching the scene unfold. Lilitha stood up, knife in hand, and began to cut another piece of meat from the body on the ground.

The body bore a deep wound in the chest, a testament to Damon’s lethal tail strike. His eyes were vacant, staring up at the leaves above. His mouth hung open, revealing a scruffy neck and ragged clothes.

He was a mess. Lilitha felt a surge of anger and sorrow as she thought of her father. She closed her eyes, sat back down, and began to eat, leaning over her lap as the man’s blood trickled down her arm.

Damon’s laughter filled the air as Silus started blowing bubbles. He playfully popped them with his fingers. Lilitha watched them, using the tender moment to push away the painful memories.

“You’re both good at this father thing,” Lilitha commented.

Damon flashed a grin at her. “Where’s the next one?”

Lilitha nearly choked on her food. “Fuck you, Damon.”

His laughter echoed in the air as Silus watched him, his black eyes fixated on Damon’s horns. Silus was opening and closing his fists, and Damon leaned in, letting Silus grasp one of his fingers. Silus kicked his legs in delight, cooing.

They ate as much as they could, then cut up the rest, packing the meat into baskets that Damon carried on his back. Mateus took care of their other belongings. Carmella held Silus, and Lilitha carried the remaining items.

She was tired of the constant walking. She missed the familiarity of a home, knowing the lay of the land, the water, the trees, and the wildlife. Everything was starting to look unfamiliar.

As they moved further north, the weather was getting colder, and the trees were becoming sparse. She didn’t like it.

They paused near a fishing village, the scent of human life heavy in the air. From their vantage point, they could see the village nestled below, the forest ending on a hill that overlooked the settlement.

“Good,” Mateus commented. “Large.”

“We could make this work,” Damon agreed, looking at Lilitha. “What do you think? Want to make this our home?”

Lilitha was playing with her necklace, the moonlight reflecting off the water. The water was so still, the moon seemed to be gazing at its own reflection.

“I hope so.”

It turned out to be the perfect place. Food was plentiful, and the villagers didn’t bother locking their doors. Nestled in a valley, they had been spared from danger, threats, and violence.

No predators, Diablons, barbarians, or wild animals had bothered the settlement. Until now.

Still, Mateus and Damon were careful, choosing their victims wisely, usually the old, the sick, or the destitute they found on the streets. People who wouldn’t be missed. Like Mainstry.

The memory of Mandalay suddenly came to Lilitha. She looked down at her blood-stained hands. She hadn’t thought about him for weeks. Then she thought of Clara. The memory hit her like a punch in the chest.

She washed her hands in a bowl of water, then cleaned the blood off her chest. How was she still so messy despite all her practice?

“Is it just me, or do these humans taste different?” Carmella asked, chewing thoughtfully.

“I think it’s all the fish,” Mateus suggested.

“Seawater in their blood,” Damon agreed.

“I like fish,” Carmella said.

“They’re a lot bigger here too. They obviously eat well,” Damon observed.

“Are they easy to kill?” Lilitha asked.

“Humans are always easy to kill,” Damon dismissed. “We’re so close to their settlement we’ll take one at a time. Safer that way I think.”

“And there’s a busy road leading into it that we can use. Lots of merchants buying their fish,” Mateus added.

Lilitha strained to listen. She thought she’d only been imagining the distant rumble of wagons, the noise traveling easily on the cool sea air.

Once Lilitha had finished cleaning up, she put on her cloak and sat in Damon’s lap. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head as she snuggled into him.

“So we’re going to stay,” she said with a sigh, looking at their intertwined hands.

Damon squeezed her. “For now. If we’re lucky, we can build up the myth again. Live the way we lived before.”

The memory of her father hung in the air between them, unspoken. The group fell into a quiet sadness. Lilitha fought back a wave of grief, always lurking just beneath the surface.

Then little Silus made a gurgling sound, followed by a loud fart. They all burst into laughter.

Lilitha slept in Damon’s arms that day, naked, his satisfied penis pressed against her backside. It had taken three times before his erection had finally subsided—and Lilitha was exhausted.

Carmella was snuggled against Mateus’s large body, their breathing in sync, Mateus’s dark lashes resting on his cheeks. Little Silus lay in a bundle near the embers of their dying fire.

All was quiet.

The next evening, Damon left to find another victim. Mateus was sitting between Lilitha and Carmella as they waited, his horns gleaming in the firelight. His thigh was pressed against Lilitha’s as he leaned back against a tree, his penis resting flaccid (for a change) in his lap.

He closed his eyes and started to doze off. Silus was cooing happily in Carmella’s arms.

Lilitha raised an eyebrow, her nose twitching slightly. Amid the smoky air and Mateus’s distinct scent, she detected something else. It was faint, yet somehow it managed to stand out.

She glanced at Carmella and Silus, but they seemed oblivious. Carmella was busy nuzzling Silus’s cheek.

Lilitha sniffed the air again. Was it her imagination, or was the scent growing stronger? It was a powerful, heated aroma that sent her pulse racing.

Suddenly, Carmella looked up, her nose twitching in the air. Their eyes met over Mateus’s reclining form.

“What’s that smell?” Lilitha whispered, her voice barely audible.

Carmella’s face was filled with alarm. She nudged Mateus. “Wake up.”

“What’s going on?” Lilitha asked again, her heart pounding in her chest.

Carmella didn’t answer. Her nose was still in the air.

Lilitha shook Mateus’s shoulder. “Wake up,” she urged.

He stirred, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. “What’s happening?”

“We’re not alone, Mateus,” Carmella said, her voice filled with worry.

“Huh?” He looked at them, confusion etched on his face. He sniffed the air, and his eyes widened. He quickly got to his feet.

“What’s going on?” Lilitha asked, her voice filled with fear.

“It’s another alpha,” Carmella said, her voice barely a whisper. “And he’s getting closer.”

“Another alpha? Like Damon and Mateus?” Lilitha asked, her voice filled with confusion.

Carmella rolled her eyes. “Who else could it be?”

“But what does that mean?” Lilitha asked, her voice filled with fear.

“Stay close,” Mateus warned, his tail lashing behind him, his fists clenched. He kept sniffing the air, his eyes darting around.

“I don’t understand. Should we be worried? He’s one of us. Maybe he just needs help,” Lilitha said, trying to make sense of the situation.

Mateus gave her a puzzled look.

Carmella snorted. “Honestly, Lilitha.”

“Well, excuse me for not knowing much about the Diablon community!” Lilitha retorted.

“Quiet,” Mateus snapped. “How long before Damon returns?”

“I don’t know. It’ll be a while,” Carmella replied.

“Shit.” Mateus’s tail was lashing wildly now.

Lilitha sniffed the air again. The scent was so strong, almost as potent as Mateus’s. Her heart pounded in her chest, her skin prickling with fear.

“He’s so close.”

“He’s crossed into our territory,” Carmella said, her face pale. She looked at Silus, then pulled him close to her chest as she stood up. She cradled his head as if she was afraid she might lose him.

“Stay behind me,” Mateus instructed. “No matter what happens, stay close.” His eyes were darting between the trees.

“What’s happening? What does this mean?” Lilitha asked, panic setting in. “Tell me!”

“He’s an alpha, Lilitha! What do alphas do? He can smell us. You and me. He wants us for his own,” Carmella explained.

“But we’re taken,” Lilitha said, her voice filled with confusion.

Carmella snorted again. Then she gasped, clutching Silus even tighter.

“Is Silus in danger?” Lilitha asked. “Will he hurt Silus?”

Carmella locked eyes with Lilitha. Lilitha’s heart was racing. Mateus froze. The new scent was overwhelming, filling the clearing like a fog.

They all turned as they heard the crunch of footsteps. A shadow moved between the trees. Lilitha thought she saw the glint of a horn among the leaves. More footsteps. They sounded heavy. Really heavy.

Lilitha held her breath. Mateus stood in front of her, his muscles tense, his tail coiling and uncoiling, catching the moonlight.

Lilitha tried to calm herself. Mateus had proven himself capable of protecting them time and time again.

A shape moved in the trees. Heavy footsteps. Then the figure emerged from the shadows. Lilitha’s heart sank as she stared in disbelief at the intruder who had just stepped into view.