She looks at her legs, still shaky from yesterday's pleasure. Tests her weight. Almost falls.
“I can't climb.”
“Then you'll crawl. Or accept being carried.”
“Those are my options? Crawl or surrender?”
“Everything is surrender eventually. The question is what you gain from it.”
More rain. Heavier now. In minutes it'll be a downpour.
She starts toward the entrance, each step deliberate. Her legs shake but hold. When the path requires climbing, she doesn't hesitate. Finds handholds. Pulls herself up despite muscles that must be screaming.
I follow close. Not helping but ready to catch her if she falls. She doesn't fall.
The rain becomes painful, driving horizontal. She makes a sound that might be pain or determination. Keeps climbing.
Ten feet from the entrance, her grip fails.
She starts to slide. I catch her waist, steady her. The contact sends lightning through both of us. Her body recognizes mine, presses back against me despite the danger.
“I can make it,” she gasps.
“I know.”
I release her. She climbs the last ten feet on pure will, dragging herself through the entrance just as the real storm hits.
I follow, turning sideways to fit through the narrow opening.
Inside, she collapses on the stone floor, gasping. Bleeding from scraped palms. Exhausted. But smiling.
“I made it.”
“You did.”
The storm howls outside. In here, the phosphorescent veins I've cultivated pulse with soft light. The thermal pool steams in the corner. Everything prepared for exactly this moment.
“How long have you been planning this?”
“Three years. Since my first failed hunt.”
She looks up at me. “Failed?”
“The female took one look at me and ran back through the portal. Didn't even last a day.”
“Why?”
“Too much predator. Not enough safety. Some females want gentle claiming. Soft words. Promises of protection.” I crouch beside her, still not touching. “I'm not built for gentle.”
“Good. Neither am I.”
Thunder shakes the cave. Outside, I can hear the water rising. The flood beginning.
“We need to seal the entrance.”
She tries to stand, fails. I help her up, and again the contact burns through us. She doesn't pull away.
Together we position the stone slab across the entrance. She can barely lift her end, but she tries. That matters more than strength.
