Page 50

“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck.” I limp as fast as my body will allow, one hand dragging along the wall to keep myself upright. Every breath burns, each step sending fire lancing through my thigh. Jagged rocks tear at my palms.

The tunnels twist sharply up ahead, and I don't know where I'm going. But I don't care. All I know is I just have to get away despite something in my bones tethering me to him.

Loose gravel rolls under my feet the further I get, nearly pitching me face-first onto the ground. I catch myself against the wall with a pained grunt, then stagger onward, my fingers trailing along damp rock in a desperate attempt to keep my bearings.

Behind me… I hear nothing. No footsteps, no growls. Just the sound of my own ragged breathing. The deafening silence has me stopping in my tracks anxiously.

“Orion?” I call out before immediately cursing myself. “Fuck. Shut up.”

What am I doing? He just roared like he was ready to rip me apart. Hadn't he? So why the hell am I hoping that he'll catch me?

And why am I still painfully hard?

Another cramp knots through my stomach hard enough to steal my breath. I double over, pressing a forearm against the wall until it passes as sweat drips from my chin onto the cave floor. Christ, something is wrong with me. Really wrong.

The fever has only gotten worse. Every inch of my skin feels overheated despite the mountain's chill, and the air tastes sickly sweet. My pulse pounds so violently I can feel it in my cock. More of that slick substance drips down my legs, which would be embarrassing if I were in my right mind. Which I'm not. I can't be, because all my thoughts seem focused on hoping my monster follows the trail of my scent.

And I seem to get my wish.

A loud crash erupts from behind, causing me to stumble. When I risk one terrified glance over my shoulder, I see Orion halted at the end of the tunnel, illuminated by mineral veins glowing through the stone.

His claws are buried deep in the walls on either side, shoulder muscles trembling from holding himself in place. Another growl rips free, more commanding than any I've heard, and the force of it almost blasts out my eardrums.

Somewhere up above, a cacophony of screeches has me whipping my head toward the tunnel ceiling, where a black cloud descends in an instant. I barely have enough time to dive for the ground and cover my head before a colony of bats consumes me.

The rush of air tears at my hair as hundreds of them pour through the tunnel in a frantic wave. Tiny claws scrape against stone, leathery wings clipping the walls hard enough to send loose pebbles raining down around me. I squeeze my eyes shut and bury my face into the dirt, hoping, praying that none of them are hungry enough to bite.

Their shrill squeals continue for several endless seconds before the swarm finally thins. A few stragglers dart past, disappearing toward the surface, and then silence crashes down just as suddenly as the bats had arrived.

My breath comes out in ragged gasps. Slowly, I lift my head to check the area for any danger when another wave of Orion’s scent envelops me like a blanket.

I whip my gaze over my shoulder to find him standing above me, broad chest heaving viciously. Those golden eyes reflect in the dark, zeroed in on where I currently lay with my chest pressed into the ground and my ass up in the air.

Something suddenly clicks, like a lock sliding out of place. The next cramp that coils in my stomach makes my hole clench, sending more slick rolling down my thighs. Orion sniffs the air and growls low, sending a shiver down my spine.

All logic takes a backseat. My vision narrows, focusing only on that huge knot swelling at the base of his shaft. Against my better judgment, I widen my stance and lift my hips, damn-near trembling with need.

I don't know what the fuck is happening here, but all I know is if he doesn't get inside me, I'll die.

Orion seems to understand.

Leaning over, my monster places his palms on either side of my face. Heat from his body warms my back, and when his cock brushes over my waiting hole, I almost come undone. A desperate sound leaves my throat.

“Please. Orion, please.”

That's all it takes.

Sharp claws dig into the dirt before a rumble vibrates his chest. I feel his breath brush over the back of my neck like a question, and I answer in kind, tilting my head to expose my throat; my most vulnerable spot. He huffs, nose brushing over my ear in a gentle caress, almost like an apology for what's about to come.

But I'm not afraid. Fuck knows I should be, but nothing has ever felt more right in my entire life than this very moment.

At my gesture of submission, Orion lets out an approving hum as he shifts above me. Soft fur slides against my slick, sensitive crease. The sheer difference in size between us settles over me once his weight presses into my back, and for a split second, doubt pierces through the lust-crazed heat I seem to have found myself in.

He's… he's huge. What the hell am I thinking? There's no way he'll fit inside of me; I'm going to literally be split in half. There is no physical way this is possible.

Oh god, I'm going to die. He's going to fuck me to death.

“Wait, don't—” I try to shout, but it's too late.