Chapter 12

Mateus bent down to plant a kiss on her belly. He repeated the action, showering her with kisses until Lilitha’s laughter filled the air.

He carefully slid her pants down, pressing his lips to her hip bones before moving lower.

A gasp escaped Lilitha as he kissed her clitoris.

His tail was moving at a faster pace now. He kissed her there again, then gently licked her, causing her to jump with a surprised snort.

He removed her shoes and pulled her pants off completely. He paused, his hands gliding over her body, his eyes filled with awe.

“You’re giving me that look again,” Lilitha pointed out.

“I can’t help it. You’re amazing.”

“~You’re~ amazing,” she countered.

Her gaze traveled from his horns to the tail swaying behind him, to his broad shoulders and his large, yet incredibly gentle hands.

She extended her arms. “Come here.”

A grin spread across Mateus’s face. He lowered his head as she reached for his horns, running her fingers over them.

A memory of Damon piercing a man’s chest flashed in her mind. How many had Mateus killed in the same way?

As she kissed his horns, Mateus shook his head with a low growl.

She started licking them, causing him to shiver. Lilitha laughed. His tail was writhing.

She released him. Mateus’s eyes were sparkling. His biceps and forearms were bulging with veins.

His muscles were taut as he held himself back.

Lilitha frowned. “Come closer. Get on top of me.”

“But the baby,” he protested. “I’m too heavy.”

“You won’t hurt it,” she assured him.

He shook his head in disagreement.

Lilitha touched his face. “Then lie on your back.”

He complied. The large Diablon looked up at her as she straddled him. She placed her hands on her hips.

“What should I do with you?” she mused.

Mateus placed his hands behind his head. “Whatever you want.”

His muscles were tense, his erection hard against his abdomen. Struck by a playful idea, Lilitha turned around and sat on his chest.

Mateus’s body shook with laughter as she took hold of his penis, treating it like a toy.

His laughter ceased as she leaned over to take him in her mouth. He placed a hand on her back as she tried to take all of him.

He tasted salty and hot, and smelled so much like him that it made her hips ache.

“Lilitha,” he gasped. He ran his hand down her spine, then pulled himself up to kiss her back.

She released him from her mouth, then took him in again, swirling her tongue around him. She almost choked when he touched her between her legs, sending a jolt of pleasure through her.

Lilitha laughed, pulling away. Mateus groaned as she reached over to massage his balls.

He reached under her again, sliding his finger along her slit. Lilitha gasped as he slid it inside her.

He slowly withdrew his finger and Lilitha turned around. Their eyes met. Mateus held her hips as she adjusted her position.

She took hold of his shaft and slowly lowered herself onto him, both of them watching as he disappeared inside her. Mateus tightened his grip on her hips, growling.

Lilitha looked up at the moonlit canopy as he filled her.

Once he was fully inside her, Lilitha began to move. Mateus licked his lips, grunting.

His eyes were bright. His abdominal muscles contracted and relaxed in rhythm with their lovemaking.

Lilitha grabbed his hands, straightening as he hardened even more inside her. Mateus gritted his teeth, then grabbed her breasts, squeezing hard as he shuddered inside her with a primal growl.

Lilitha continued to move, her eyes closed. Then Mateus thrust his hips, and she climaxed too.

They moved together, their bodies in sync. Lilitha took a deep breath.

Mateus dropped his hands to her hips and squeezed them. Lilitha sighed, then collapsed on top of him, breathless.

Mateus wrapped his arms around her.

Lilitha could have fallen asleep. She was about to when Mateus shifted beneath her.

He cradled her head in his large hands and kissed her.

“Can’t we just stay here?” Lilitha murmured.

“We can’t. There’s too much to do and I’m hungry.”

Lilitha sat up with a sigh. Mateus watched her, his eyes on her breasts as she brushed back her hair.

Lilitha got off him and they quickly dressed. Hand in hand, they returned to the others.

Lilitha hid slightly behind Mateus as the others looked at them. Damon was absent, which made her relax.

Silus smiled at her and Lilitha grimaced in return, remembering their last encounter. He patted the spot next to him and Lilitha joined him.

He was clean like the others, except for his hands which were stained with blood. He looked exhausted.

“I’m sorry,” she told him.

“Don’t be. It’s been an emotional time for all of us.”

“Has it?” Lilitha wondered. She was the only one who seemed upset.

She cleared her throat.

“How do you feel about it now?” he asked.

“I’m getting through it. Sometimes I can handle it. Sometimes I can’t. I don’t know what’s going on. I guess I’m just crazy.”

She touched his blood-stained hands. “What have you been doing?”

“Collecting the dead, of course,” Carmella answered for him, scraping something from under her nails. She looked tired too.

Everyone had been working while she had been upset and foolish. Lilitha bit her lip. There were so many things she wanted to say to them all. ~Thank you for helping me. Thank you for protecting me. For your patience. I’m sorry. I’m weak and useless. I’m such an idiot.~

Mateus stood up to leave.

“Where are you going?” Lilitha asked.

“To help Damon.”

“With the—with the bodies?”

He nodded.

Lilitha hesitated, then stood. “Let me help. I haven’t—I haven’t done anything.” She felt a rush of shame. She hadn’t been useful at all. If it weren’t for the baby, she would be completely pointless.

“It’s all right. You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do! Please. Let me do ~something~.”

They began their journey toward the ridge. The scent of blood was thick in the air, enveloping her senses from all sides.

The sound of someone hard at work reached her ears—clearly Damon—with his grunts, heavy thuds, and frustrated growls. Lilitha took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.

As they neared, he looked up, freezing at the sight of her. His tail, once swaying, now lashed out in agitation. He held a man’s head in his hands, in the process of ripping it from the neck.

The sight of the man’s exposed trachea bone made her stomach churn.

His eyes were rolled back, revealing only the whites. Half his body was missing, his abdomen ending in a gruesome display of entrails.

The sight made Lilitha feel a strange mix of nausea and hunger.

Damon returned to his task, paying them no mind. Lilitha watched as he picked up the long knife lying next to him, severing the head completely.

He tossed it into a pile with several others, continuing to ignore her as he dragged over the next body.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked Mateus, deciding to give Damon the same cold shoulder he was giving her.

He gestured toward a pile of limbs and empty baskets. Next to them was a covered bucket of tamarron.

“Right,” Lilitha responded.

The first thing she did was remove her clothes, aware of the mess she was about to make. She lacked the finesse of the others.

She pulled over her first body, beginning her work. The body was thin, and it took effort to separate the flesh from the bone.

The flesh she managed to cut away went into one basket. The organs went into another.

The bones were discarded into a barrel by the ridge wall. Every so often, Lilitha would find herself stealing a piece of flesh almost subconsciously.

Chop. Rip. Pull.

Then she would roll the flesh in tamarron and seal another basket.

Soon, she was immersed in the rhythm of the task, blood coating her arms up to her elbows. She chewed on bits of flesh that weren’t worth saving, just to keep her mouth busy.

Her muscles began to ache, but it was a satisfying pain. It made her feel stronger. It made her feel valuable and productive in a way she hadn’t felt before.

She was becoming skilled. As she stripped away skin and tendon and twisted bone.

There were so many men. So many Champions. Old and young. Small and large.

Dead eyes staring up at her. Lifeless hands reaching out into the void. Jaws agape in silent screams.

Some even had their final expressions etched onto their faces: shock, horror, disbelief.

Her backside ached from the hard, rocky ground. She was thirsty and drenched in sweat, but she pressed on.

She was almost starting to find pleasure in the task. Lilitha was in the middle of cutting away some muscular flesh from a large thigh bone when a hand gripped her shoulder.

She looked up to find Damon towering over her.

“I think that’s enough now,” he said to her.