Chapter 20

The man’s screams echoed through the forest. Damon, unbothered, unlocked his collar and dragged him by the ankle. His cries pierced the silence.

The other prisoners huddled together, their silent tears and shivers a stark contrast to the man’s loud desperation. They were all too aware of the monster in their midst.

Lilitha followed Damon, fighting the urge to cover her ears. “Can’t you just snap his neck or something?” she asked, her voice barely audible over the man’s screams.

“The fresher they are, the better,” Damon replied, his voice cold. “This is for you, Lila.”

The man was on his stomach, his hands clawing at the ground in a futile attempt to escape. His body was covered in cuts, blood smeared across his face and arms from the forest debris.

His screams turned into coughs and splutters, a welcome relief to Lilitha’s ears. The cave amplified even the smallest sounds, and she was nearing her breaking point.

Damon dragged the man into the cave and dropped him. He towered over the man, a devilish figure in the dim light.

“Get a bowl,” he instructed Lilitha. “Put it on the floor here.”

She complied, her movements robotic.

Lilitha watched as Damon knelt on the ground, pulling the man against him. It was a grotesque parody of an embrace.

Damon’s fingers dug into the man’s neck, and with a swift, brutal yank, he ripped out the man’s throat. The man gagged and choked, his body convulsing. His eyes rolled back into his head.

Damon held him over the bowl, letting the blood pour out.

The man’s movements slowed, his body jerking sporadically. Soon, he was still. The bowl was full, the man was gone.

Damon moved him aside, laying him on the cave floor. His mouth hung open, a gaping hole where his throat used to be. Lilitha watched as Damon prepared the rope.

“Do you want to take his clothes off?” Damon asked her.

Lilitha retrieved the knife and knelt beside the body. She cut away the clothes, her hands steady.

Once she was done, Damon tied the man’s ankles to the rope, then hoisted him off the floor. He made it look effortless, as if the man weighed nothing. As if he’d done it a hundred times before.

“Done,” he said, nodding at the bowl. “You better drink that before it spoils. It won’t last.”

“Share it with me,” she said.

They sat together, Lilitha adjusting her position to accommodate her growing belly.

“You first,” he told her.

Lilitha lifted the bowl. The contents shimmered in the dim light. The smell made her head spin.

She took four large gulps before lowering the bowl. Damon leaned in close.

“You dribbled some,” he said, licking it from her chin.

“Ew!” Lilitha exclaimed, shaking her head.

He laughed, taking the bowl from her. He drank, his eyes on the hanging body. “I like this,” he said. “This will be good. We can stay here for several months, which means a stable place for you and the baby. For you to rest. For it to grow. We are lucky.”

He handed the bowl back to Lilitha. She took another drink. “I wonder what you’re going to be like as a father,” she said.

“Me too,” he replied, his expression darkening. “It’ll be the first time.”

“Is it Mateus’s first time too?” she asked.

Damon nodded. “For all of us. Except Silus. His previous clan had a few babies.”

“So I could have brothers or sisters,” she mused.

“Perhaps,” he said.

A pang of sadness hit her. “He’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes. We’ll miss him.”

“It’s my fault,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

“Shut it, Lila,” he said, gesturing at the bowl. “Finish it.”

She was about to lift the bowl again when he stopped her. “Wait.”

“What?” she asked.

“You’re leaking,” he said.

“I’m what?” She followed his gaze to her chest. “Oh!”

Her tunic was wet over her breasts. She put down the bowl and lifted her tunic to wipe away the milk.

“Don’t,” Damon said.

He leaned over and Lilitha closed her eyes as he lapped it away himself, his tongue circling her nipples gently. He kissed them both, then smacked his lips.

“What’s it taste like?” she asked.

“Sweet,” he replied.

“You know, I thought that it might be blood,” she said.

Damon snorted. “Human.”

She punched him playfully in the arm. When she tried to punch him again, he caught her wrist and then he was over the top of her, bending her backward until she was lying flat upon the cave floor.

There, he ravaged her breasts again.

Lilitha laughed as she grabbed onto his horns. “Be careful. I need those!”

He became more gentle, tenderly sucking them, kissing them, nuzzling them with his cheeks. Then he laid his heavy head down upon them.

Lilitha combed her fingers through his long red hair. The body swayed from the ceiling. Fluid dripped from its gaping throat.

“I’m so glad I found you,” he said.

“Me too,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m thankful every day.”

She felt him smile.

They left the cave.

He was gentle and tender, his big hands soft around her throat as he rocked his hips against hers, careful to keep his weight away from her belly.

Then Carmella joined in, sneaking over like a phantom, kneeling by her side, leaning over to lick and suck her breasts like Damon had as he continued to thrust into Lilitha gently.

Carmella smoothed her hand over Lilitha’s belly as she changed from her breasts to her lips.

Then there was another figure, Mateus, so huge and hulking and yet so loving and gentle; his fingertips were like the breeze against her skin.

Damon pulled out to turn to Carmella, sliding into her backside, kissing down her spine as his eyes glittered into Lilitha’s.

The space he’d left behind was soon filled up by another, so large Lilitha had to arch her hips to accommodate him. In and out. He made her tongue tingle. He made her skin prickle.

His eyes were like two bright beacons gazing hungrily into hers. Lilitha couldn’t look away.

He pushed in deep and Lilitha cried out. Carmella cried out. Damon was growling. Mateus was snarling.

Lilitha looked over to see Carmella’s face screwed up in pleasure as Damon started pounding into her, hands tight around her hips, horned head raised to the canopy.

Lilitha could sense it in her own body. Carmella’s face was a mirror of her own feelings.

With a swift closing of her eyes, Lilitha arched her back, a low sound escaping her lips as the blood rushed to her hips, as something deep within her pulled back and then surged forward.

Suddenly, her body was pulling at Mateus’s length, her inner muscles clinging to him as if they were afraid to let go.

She was drenched inside, filled with his essence, hot and sticky and spilling over.

Some of it was already seeping out, trickling down her entrance and her inner thighs.

She could hear Mateus’s breath rushing in and out.

Damon’s panting was audible.

Carmella’s moans filled the air.

Then, Lilitha caught a whiff of it—the blend of Mateus, Damon, and Carmella’s love.

The scent of their clan.

Their sweat and heavy breaths.

The smell of their skin.

Soon, Mateus withdrew, and Damon was deep within her once more.

Keeping her warm.

Keeping her filled.

Keeping her safe.

He held her close, unmoving.

Then he was gone again and she found herself nuzzling Carmella’s breasts, drawing her nipples into her mouth.

From behind, she felt someone enter her, sliding in deep before pulling out again.

Touching.

Sensing.

Penetrating.

Tasting each other.

Holding each other.

She couldn’t see or hear anything.

She was reduced to the most basic of senses—smell and touch.

Someone’s length was in her mouth.

Someone’s hands were on her backside as they dipped their tongue in her groin.

They were gentle with her.

Almost too gentle.

Their hands roamed her belly and breasts.

It had been a while since they’d been together like this.

They needed to do it more often.

There was another small rupture deep within Lilitha as a skilled tongue danced over her clitoris.

Lilitha sucked down hard on the length in her mouth (Damon’s?).

There was a hard pulse, and a salty liquid slid down her throat.

Definitely Damon.

And then he was gone.

Drained, Lilitha collapsed onto her belly.

Someone—Carmella—rolled her over onto her back and lay down beside her, head resting on her breasts, hand on her belly.

Sunlight was filtering in through the leaves.

Grey and soft.

Another large body lay down on her other side.

Damon whispered her name.

Lilitha closed her eyes and then she was lost in her dreams.