Page 16 of Split or Swallow

At his order, a chill went through her body. He was the one in charge—she shouldn’t have questioned him. And yet, Tem knew she held some power here. He wanted her to go deeper—he had said so himself. She would gladly give him what he wanted, as long as it was appreciated.

“Stand up straight,” Tem said. She wanted him to see it.

Caspen’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise. She wondered if he’d ever been given an order before. For a moment, she thought he might reprimand her. Then he stood up straight, and Tem knew she had him. So she went deeper, using both hands, pushing herself to the brink, no longer trying to delay the inevitable, teasing herself the way she wished he would tease her. Caspen stared at her hands between her legs, seeing the way her fingers moved in and out—steady as the tides—watching as she rubbed her most sensitive area with small, perfect circles.

He saw exactly how wet she was. He knew it was all for him.

Tem was close to finishing. But she tried desperately to draw it out, going slowly, wishing they would experience it together. She wanted Caspen to finish at the same time, to share this with him so they would be bonded beyond the constraints of student and teacher. She wanted to know that he breathed for her like she breathed for him.

Caspen was close too.

She could tell by the way he kept changing his pace at alternating intervals, slowing down whenever he looked at her for too long. Each time he did it he closed his eyes, and when he opened them it was like he saw her for the first time all over again, his hand continuing as if it had never stopped. His breath came in short bursts, his pulse beating erratically in his throat. They were approaching the edge together, building toward their imminent conclusion.

Finally, Tem couldn’t hold out any longer.

“Together?” she managed to say.

“No,” Caspen shook his head, his voice a shadow of a breath. “You first.”

Tem was so close she couldn’t protest. If that’s what he wanted, she would gladly give it to him. So she looked up at him, feeling the swell of inevitability grow, unable to resist the wave that was about to crest. It was the easiest thing in the world to surrender to Caspen, to show herself at her most vulnerable, to lower her walls just for him. She imagined the way he would feel—the way he would taste—what it would be like if he pushed her hands aside and let himself have her. Just the thought was enough to take her there.

Finally, Tem finished.

A second later Caspen finished too, releasing himself into his hand with a shuddering groan. He was breathing hard, just like she was. He bowed his head, the back of his neck glistening in the firelight. His shoulders shone with sweat, their sinew pulsing beneath his skin as he panted softly in the aftermath.

Tem couldn’t catch her breath. She felt an undeniable surge of power knowing she made him finish without laying a hand on him. She didn’t dare imagine what would happen when she could touch him.

Caspen raised his head to look at her.

Tem wished she could kiss him. Instead she held his gaze, trying to read his mind. What did he think of her? Was he pleased? Did this solidify their bond, or was she nothing but a stupid child to him, no different than the dozens of other girls who had come to his cave? Surely he wasn’t thinking the same thing as her—that she had never felt a connection with anyone like this, that they had something special, something significant.

Tem wanted to speak. But it seemed wrong, somehow, to put something so vast into words. Now that she knew what he could do in front of her, she needed to know what he could do inside of her. She would die if she never got the chance to be with him fully.

Caspen straightened, rolling his shoulders.

Tem straightened too, staring wondrously at the substance in his palm. The sheen of it caught the flickering light of the fire, and she found herself standing up, reaching for it without thinking.

Caspen jerked his hand away sharply.

“Oh. I’m sorry—” Tem stuttered, immediately embarrassed, “—I’ve just nev⁠er…seen that before.”

He tilted his head, looking at her with a thoughtful expression.

“It is similar to yours,” he held his hand back out slowly. “You may look, if you wish.”

She nodded gratefully, leaning forward.

His cum was something between a liquid and a solid, thick and shiny, a handful of liquified pearls.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“Then it is like you.”

The words were a breath. She barely heard them. But he had said them, and Tem knew she would never forget the first time a man had called her beautiful.

Tem’s throat tightened. Was it possible he wasn’t as ambivalent as she thought? Was it possible he desired her the way she desired him? In the warm afterglow of what they had just shared, anything seemed possible. Tem wondered if he would have done the same thing with Vera. Had she bonded with her basilisk in a similar way? Or had she merely undressed and stood there, like Tem was originally meant to do?

They stared at each other for an eternity, the truth of the moment registering in both of them. Then Caspen cupped his hands together, holding his pearls in his palms. For some reason, Tem knew to remain silent as he closed his eyes, furrowing his brow and bowing his head. She felt a sudden rush of air, and the fire dimmed completely, going out in a single whoosh. A moment later, it flared back to life. In the light, Tem saw there was an object in Caspen’s hands. He held it out to her.