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Own. Breed. Break.

My teeth sink into his flesh again, just below his ear. He cries out in both pleasure and pain the moment my knot pops inside his body, locking him in place. And when I reach my release once more, I crush him to my chest as I pump him full, a single instinct drowning out all the others roaring in my head. The only one that matters.

Protect. Keep. Save.

Chapter

Twenty-One

Benji

Monster fucking is not for the weak.

The lust-fueled flame consuming my body lasts for days—at least, I think. Hard to tell when I never see the sun. But we fuck a lot.

Orion stays buried inside me the entire time, except after I pass out. Where he goes when I rest, I have no clue, nor do I know how he functions on no sleep. He’s usually back soon after I wake up, there to fill me with his cum and knot. Despite all the time I spend unconscious, it's exhausting.

My body aches in ways I've never felt before, and yet… I don't hate it. How could I when my monster is so quick to lick the pain away from everywhere? His teeth pierce my throat, then he laps at the blood. His cock practically splits me in half, then he drives me to orgasm afterward with his tongue in my ass, followed by another fuck session in the spring and meat on the fire. Soon after, it all starts up again.

This is insane, but I lose myself to the madness, anyway, because what exactly do I have to lose? My entire family is gone. Everyone probably thinks I'm dead. If I spend the rest of my days fucking this creature until I inevitably die, then at least I go out satisfied and filled with cum.

At least… That's what my hormone-flooded brain convinces me to think.

But it's not until I wake up again to an icy chill slapping my skin that I realize the all-consuming flames have finally left me.

My eyes fly open when a shiver stiffens my muscles. I'm still lying on top of the furs, naked, covered in a cold sweat. The firepit has gone out completely, leaving the cave in freezing darkness, and when I reach an arm behind me for Orion, I find the space empty. Only a faint glow from the spring illuminates the walls.

“Orion?” I croak, coughing through the dryness in my throat. Jesus, when was the last time I had any water? Days mean nothing down here, so probably… two, three fucks ago? God. Has this really been my life?

Crawling over to the spring, I cup my hands and bring the warm liquid to my lips. It goes down fine, as it's been doing this whole time, but fuck, what I wouldn't give for a shot of whiskey right now. Or a soda. Anything cold, really. Hot water and hot meat have been all I've consumed. How can Orion live like this?

That thought makes my chest tighten, because, well… He probably doesn't. I'm sure he drinks from whatever lakes or rivers run up on the mountain, and he consumes whatever he finds out there when the need strikes. Meanwhile, me…

What I wouldn't give for some fresh air. And clothes.

Shivering again, I wander back to the furs, some of them fresh after my monster replaced the ones we ruined. I guess he isn't a complete beast. Still, I think as I wrap one around my shoulders. A bed sounds delightful, with clean sheets, soft pillows, and actual blankets. I miss that shit.

It isn't long before Orion returns. His footsteps echo off the tunnel walls, and when his shadow fills the cave entrance, he pauses. “The fire.”

“Went out while you were g-gone,” I chatter, burrowing deeper into the covers. “Fuck, it's freezing in here.”

“Winter approaches,” he grumbles, tossing his choice of dead animal onto the ground before disappearing once more. When he comes back a short time later, he's got an arm full of logs, as if he keeps them close by.

I watch while he places the wood into the pit, and then uses his claws on a rock to spark the flame. Once it catches and the logs start to crackle, his golden eyes flick up to meet my gaze.

“Who taught you how to do stuff?” I ask, half my face covered by the fur. “Make a fire. Hunt. Your father teach you?”

He tilts his head, and a flush spreads on my neck at the sight of his horns. The things I did to them…

“No,” my monster answers quietly. “Mother. Are you ill?”

I shake my head. “Just cold. Kinda hungry.”

When he looks over at the animal carcass lying on the floor—fox, I think—a deep sigh leaves my nostrils. “Orion. I can't keep eating just meat.”

A confused crease forms between his brows. “Why not?”

“Because humans need other things to survive. Fruits, veggies. Nuts. String cheese.” Fuck, I miss cheese.