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“Kuzar!” I cried, my voice filled with passion and surrender. He growled in response, his body tensing as he reached his climax.
He collapsed on top of me, his weight crushing me, but I didn’t mind. I lay there, spent and satisfied, as he slowly withdrew from me. He rolled to his side, pulling me close, and I nestled in the crook of his arm, feeling protected for the first time since I arrived in this strange and hostile world.
Despite the rough and primal nature of our union, I couldn’t deny that I experienced something profound with Kuzar. It was a connection that transcended language and culture, a raw and primal instinct that bound us together.
Lying in Kuzar’s arms, the terrifying reality of my situation sank in. I was no longer a poor girl from a forgotten human settlement; I was the mate of a gargoyle warlord, a creature from a world so different from my own. The weight of my new existence pressed down on me like a physical force, suffocating me with its enormity.
He held me close, his body warm and solid against mine. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the slow, powerful beating of his heart joined with mine. It was a strange comfort, coming from the creature who just took me with such raw, primal force.
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the echoes of our lovemaking. The sounds of our ragged breaths, the guttural growls escaped Kuzar’s throat, the soft whimpers slipped from my lips. It was an experience both exhilarating and terrifying, a clash of two worlds that should never have intersected.
Stories of monsters, creatures that preyed on humans, creatures that were heartless shaped my upbringing. But Kuzar was different. He was strong, yes, and powerful, but he was also gentle and kind. He showed me a side of himself I never expected, a side that made me question everything I thought I knew about his kind.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him. His face was inches from mine, his eyes deep set and piercing. I couldn’t read his expression, but there was something in his gaze that made my heart pound. Desire? Affection? Or perhaps just curiosity?
I reached up and touched his face, tracing the sharp lines of his cheekbones and the smooth curve of his lips. He turned his head slightly, his eyes following the movement of my hand. Our strange connection turned into a bond I couldn’t explain.
“Evie.” His voice rumbled through his chest. The sound of my name coming from his lips sent a shiver down my spine.
I didn’t know what to say. I had so many questions, and so many fears, but I couldn’t find the words to voice them.
He understood my hesitation and pulled me closer, his wings wrapping around me like a protective shield. “Sleep now, Evie,” he murmured. “We have much to discuss in the morning.”
I nodded, too exhausted to resist. My eyes closed as I drifted into a fitful sleep, haunted by the echoes of our lovemaking and the terrifying reality of my new existence.
Kuzar was gone by the time I opened my eyes again. I lay in the massive bed alone, the furs still warm from his body. The realization of his absence hit me like a physical blow, and I sat up, my heart pounding.
I got out of bed and walked to the entrance of the cave. The sun was shining brightly outside, casting long shadows across the canyon. I hesitated for a moment, then stepped out into the open air.
The world around me was breathtaking. The canyon walls rose like sheer cliffs, their surfaces covered in intricate carvings and strange symbols. Caves and tunnels crisscrossed the rock face, creating a labyrinthine network that seemed to stretch on forever.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the crisp, clean air. I could hear running water somewhere nearby, and the calls of strange birds echoed through the canyon.
I realized then that I was free to explore. Kuzar was gone, but he left me alone. I could go anywhere I wanted and do anything I wanted.
But where would I go? What would I do?
I had no answers, but a strange sense of liberation empowered me. No longer was I a prisoner in my home, no longer bound by the expectations of my parents or my community. I was free to make my own choices, to forge my path in this strange and hostile world.
I turned and looked back at Kuzar’s cave. It was my home now. But it was also a cage, a gilded prison, that would keep me trapped forever.
I knew then what I wanted to do. I needed to escape.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kuzar
Evie tossed items about in the cavern, her actions as frenzied as the beating of startled bird wings. Sunlight poured onto the scene like molten gold as she laid out a weird assortment of items: some rags, paper, and peculiar implements—all foreign and jarring in my home.
Returning from the war council in the central cave, I crept in quietly from my stone passageway. The shadowed area hid me long enough to observe Evie’s actions. She shrieked, startled, eyes flicking to me wide like a hunted prey when she saw me.
“Kuzar! You startled me!”
Evie retreated to a corner like a wounded animal, tearing up, a hand coming up to her mouth.
I lifted a placating palm, painfully aware of the weight of fear my presence carried for her. Her eyes darted constantly over me, and her inhaled breaths were shallow and quick—she thought I might harm her. I suppressed a sigh.
“Don’t worry. I won’t... hurt you.”
