Chapter 40

Lilitha slumped against Mateus with a wince, gripping at her stomach. Mateus kissed her on the cheek.

“You must go eat, Lilitha,” Carmella said.

Lilitha closed her eyes. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.”

Lilitha shrugged.

Carmella’s voice snapped through the quiet like a whip. “If you don’t go eat, I’ll shove it down your Goddamn throat.”

Lilitha snapped open her eyes, pulling herself tall in Mateus’s arms. Carmella was glaring at her, her teeth bared, growling deep within her throat. Her tail was coiling and whipping behind her, the talon at the tip glinting sharply against the firelight. Lilitha looked at Silus, who was looking sad.

“Come on, Lilitha. We’ll get something for you,” Mateus said.

Lilitha pulled from his lap. He took her hand and they walked away through the trees.

“Why is ~she~ so angry now?” Lilitha said, looking over her shoulder. It seemed she was making everyone angry. “I haven’t seen her like that before.”

“She has her reasons. ~Good~ reasons.”

“What?”

But Mateus wouldn’t elaborate. His hand was big and warm around hers. She liked it. She liked it too much. Though she would like it much more if she had Damon on her other side. Her other hand felt cold and empty. It felt like forever since they’d been together. His voice came to her now: ~How I’ve wanted you. You have no idea.~ The tears pricked her eyes.

The ground cover turned from leaves to rocks as they made their way toward the cave. Lilitha dragged back on his hand.

“I don’t want to,” she said.

“You must.”

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Have you forgotten what happened the last time?” He bared his pointed teeth. “I don’t want to see you like that again.”

Remembering her blood-soaked hands, Lilitha shivered.

Mateus suddenly grinned. “If you won’t come willingly, then I’ll carry you.”

“Mateus!” she shrieked as he grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

Lilitha hung helplessly as he made his slow and languorous way between the larger rocks and boulders at the foot of the cave. The wind was always chilly so close to the cliff edge and the back of Lilitha’s neck puckered with goosebumps even beneath her cloak.

They entered the cave, his footsteps echoing against the walls. He lowered her to her feet. He touched her cheek with a smile then went over to the hanging corpses. Lilitha watched in a daze as he hauled down the one on the left. Its head and both its arms were gone, bloodied stumps in their place. Stretching the body out on the cave floor upon its belly, he braced one massive boot on its back, gripped a leg, and with a twist, a pop, and a grunt, tore it free.

“Come here.” He gestured her over. “Come sit with me.” He sat cross-legged against the wall, the leg resting beside him.

Lilitha stared at the clotted blood, at the shine of bone beneath the streamers of flesh. The smell was so thick she could almost taste it in her mouth.

“Lilitha,” he growled.

Woozy, she staggered over to him. Again, she went to sit beside him but he pulled her into his lap.

“You must learn, Lilitha. Here.” He placed the leg in her lap.

“Get it off me.” She raised her hands as she tried to jerk it off.

“Enough!” he snapped, and he said it with such authority that she cringed. “~Eat it.~”

“H-how?”

“Like you did the rabbit.” His voice softened. “Here, let me show you.” And he dug his fingers in and stripped free a chunk of flesh.

Lilitha swallowed. “Why do you eat it like this? Doesn’t it appall you?”

“What’s the difference? Meat is meat. You should ~know~ what you’re eating.” He held out the flesh to her. “Take it.”

Lilitha shook her head.

“Do it,” Mateus growled. “Or I’ll do exactly what Carmella threatened. No more games.”

Lilitha took it. It was warm and moist, fluid dripping onto her cloak. Closing her eyes, she lifted it to her mouth and bit deeply. Then she bit down again and again, her mouth and body taking over, her heart racing. She seemed to forget everything: the cave, Mateus, the bodies, everything except the need to fill her stomach and that powerful sensation in her throat that demanded more, more, MORE.

“Good,” Mateus murmured as she swallowed the last piece and began sucking at her fingers. He kissed the side of her neck. Lilitha turned her face and before she realized it, she was pecking him on the lips. Mateus nuzzled her throat. She turned in his lap and they held each other. As he rubbed her back, Lilitha pressed her face into the nape of his neck, feeling the effects of the meat pulsing through her system.

“Feel better?” His eyes were glittering as he wiped away the blood from her cheeks.

Lilitha nodded.

“Maybe you should have more.”

“No.”

He glared at her but Lilitha looked away, her eyes gravitating toward the rest of the cave. She hadn’t really had a good look yet, always so focused on the bodies. She studied the piles of shields and armor and innumerable small, golden things amassed together. It was odd that so much wealth and property should mean so little to her now. Had she still been the miserable girl from Norfolk, she’d be thrilled.

“Can I—can I have a look around?”

“If you must.”

He released her and Lilitha staggered to her feet. She gripped onto Mateus’s horns for balance.

“Careful,” he grinned.

Lilitha heard Mateus eating as she went over for a closer look. “How did you—how did you get all this?”

“Accumulation over many years: arrogant knights, wayward travelers, the stupidly curious. Much of it comes from what we took recently.” She heard a snap as Mateus bit through bone with his massive jaws.

Her eyes alighted on a small, golden case. She looked over at Mateus, but he was busy with his leg. She snatched up the compass before he noticed, tucking it away into her cloak.

It didn’t take long for Mateus to finish and soon he stood. Taking her hand, he led her out of the cave. She was warm now and she removed her cloak. Mateus slung it over his shoulder for her. They stopped by a nearby creek and washed up, ribbons of red vanishing into the moonlit water.

While Lilitha kneeled over the edge, washing her face, Mateus kneeled behind her and slowly dragged up her tunic. Lilitha didn’t stop him as he pulled it off her. Burying his face into the back of her neck, he wrapped his arms around her.

He sighed. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” And Lilitha was startled by how easy it was to say.

“I’m so glad you’re here with us. I’m so glad we found you.”

Lilitha swallowed down the lump in her throat. “So am I.”

He smoothed his hands up her chest and gently grabbed onto her breasts, massaging them in his huge hands. Leaning back against him, she sighed. He kissed the side of her throat, kissed the corner of her jaw, her ear.

“Mateus?”

He kissed her shoulder. “Mmm?”

“Can I come with you the next time you—you go to those prisoners?”

“Anything you want.” He kissed her further along the shoulder. He reached her arm and began kissing down that too. When he reached her hand, he pressed his nose into her palm. Then he licked it.

Lilitha chuckled. He was purring as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to the ground onto her belly. He tugged off her pants, then began kissing her down the back. Grabbing her hips, he lifted up her ass.

Tenderly, he stroked her "tail," emitting a whine from the back of his throat. Then he leaned in to kiss it. Then he was kissing down along her crack. He pushed open her thighs and Lilitha lurched forward as he began nibbling between her legs. He lashed his tongue. Lilitha cried out, lurching again. Then he was licking her.

Panting, Lilitha closed her eyes, rocking back and forth, each stroke of his tongue sending heat blasting through her body from her toes to her head. Her hips were on fire. Then his fingers were there, followed by something more. Lilitha groaned, dropping onto her forearms as he slowly widened her with his shaft. Lilitha spread her hips further. She raised her rump higher. Mateus was growling quietly.

Once he was all the way in, he pulled her up against him. Then he was thrusting, slow and long. With one hand he fondled her breasts. The other he dropped to her cleft, stroking her gently. Lilitha leaned back into him as he nuzzled the nape of her neck. She gasped as he began sucking it.

He thrust more forcefully until Lilitha could feel the pounding of it through her whole body. He was growling more loudly, gasping hard into her ear. Lilitha thrust her hips along with him, reaching down to stroke his hand as he stroked her. He quickly swelled to a size she thought she couldn’t contain. One last hard thrust and he pushed deep inside her with a growl. He thrust again and again, moving his finger up and down along her cleft until she came too. It felt like her whole body was spasming.

Panting, she turned her face and they kissed. Mateus slipped out of her and they sagged to the ground into each other’s arms. He pulled her into his chest so her face was buried in his neck. She couldn’t get enough of his smell as he curled his big body around hers.

Lilitha breathed deeply.