He nods, then gives me a quick wave before fully turning away, cutting me off. Part of me wants to chase after him, but as much as I can’t afford the fine for not showing up, I also can’t afford the fine if I’m late.
My car is waiting for me—a looming thing on the curb, ready to take me to the appointment that might break me. My fingers shake as I open the back door and settle into the seat, and dread fills my veins as we begin the slow drive over to the clinic.
It’s all I can do not to throw up on my shoes as I make my way inside.
It looks exactly like the last time I was here for an appointment. The cum zombies are standing near the door in their usual lines, and the parking lot is empty save for whoever’s there for their appointment.
The receptionist at the desk gives me a bored look when I approach, dropping her phone with a heavy sigh as she asks for my name.
“Dante Barducci. Listen, I’m not feeling?—”
“You can go right through,” she says, cutting me off. “Room five.”
Fuck. I close my eyes for a long second, then turn and head through the door. It gives a loud click just before I reach for the handle. I’ve been doing this long enough, I know the drill.
Room five is cool but not cold, and the chair is waiting for me. The gown is on the table in the plastic bag, and as I pick it up, I hear the faint sound of the portal being used. It’s just down the hall from where this room is, and a strange sensation moves up my spine.
I’ve thought about what it would be like, of course. I’ve always wondered what Erethar is like. I’ve always wondered if humans would ever be allowed to travel there freely. I thought maybe once the Vyastil established trust with the humans, we’d be invited.
Now, after seeing what happened with Everest, Rathyn, and Cielo, I very much doubt that will happen. And maybe that’s a good thing.
Knowing what they’re capable of doing to an innocent monster like Cielo makes me not want to go there. If Cielo were allowed to return, I’d tag along. I want to see his village. His family. Where he grew up. The places and things that bring him comfort.
But I wouldn’t go on my own, and I do not want to do the monsters who hurt him any favors.
Bowing my head, I strip down, then ease myself into the chair. It’s cold, and my stomach gives a lurch as I prepare myself for what’s going to happen.
Fuck, how am I going to let another Vyastil touch me? How am I going to let one drink my cum when Cielo is taking my scraps?
It feels like cheating.
No. It feels like something worse.
Fuck it. No. I’m not doing this.
I’m about to jump up and run, my mind whirling with how I can mortgage the shop for any fines accrued. But just then, the little buzzer sounds and the straps clamp down on my wrists and ankles.
Panic hits me like a freight train, and my breath starts heaving in my chest. Fuck, fuck, fuck, I can’t do this.
Not to myself. Not to Cielo.
I want him and only him.
“Help,” I whisper. It’s not enough. No one is going to hear that. I’m going to have to tell the Vyastil to his face that I can’t let him touch me, and fuck knows how that’s going to go.
The door opens, and I tense, preparing myself for the worst, when I glance over, and I don’t see blue skin or a long tail. No. Isee a tired-looking nurse with her hair in a long braid down her back, wearing scrubs that have piglets all over them.
“Dante…” She’s squinting at her tablet, “Barducci?” She murders the pronunciation, but it doesn’t matter.
“That’s…that’s me. What’s going on?”
“Your session has been cancelled.”
I don’t believe her. Not even when she taps her tablet screen and the bonds unclasp. My feet fall to the floor, my legs wobbling as I blink at her.
“Do you need assistance?” she asks blandly.
I blink again, then force my tongue to move. “No. But, uh…why…?”
