“Oh god,” I whimpered a moment before an orgasm crashed into me like an angry wave. My insides strained in tension, pleasure rippling down to my toes and up to my ears.
“Fuck, Ava,” Caspian groaned, finally pushing his body on top of mine entirely, making my belly press harder into the ground. His erection pushed against me, trapped between our bodies, rubbing against my ass. His abnormally sharp teeth scratched at my neck. Blanketing bliss rolled over me as I felt a painful pinch where his mouth was.
It hurt. It hurt more than a small bite.
I cried out and tensed, the orgasm blending the sensations of pain and pleasure. Quickly Caspian buried his fingers inside me again, feeling me tighten from his surprising bite. A deep, rumbled groan rolled out of him. The tail end of my pleasure became violent and all-consuming. It brought me higher than I’d ever been before. I stretched my neck for him instead of recoiling like maybe I should.
I moaned as I relaxed. His fingers slipped out of me but then he tightly grabbed between my legs, holding my crotch as if he didn't want to let go. His mouth left my neck and the trickle of warm liquid slipped to my collarbone.
“It’s okay,” Caspian whispered, his lips pressing to the tender spot on my neck that he’d bitten. It was sore already, throbbing.
His hand slid out from my shorts and he settled beside me again, pulling me back into his chest and wrapping his arms around me tightly.
All the fear from before had bled out of me. I felt content, satisfied, and safe. My eyes felt heavy, my muscles relaxed.
I wasn’t sure what to say. Make a joke? Ask why he just did that? He squeezed me to him and it was almost too tight but I was too tired and satisfied to care. My neck hurt, his bite a sharp feeling but none of that felt concerning. It felt good. It felt like he’d wordlessly laid claim and I never realized how much I'd enjoy something like that.
I began to fall asleep. The combination of spent adrenaline, an orgasm, and the tail end of alcohol in my system made me suddenly exhausted. I didn’t even want to move my arms.
“You’re mine, Ava,” Caspian whispered into my ear. I was so tired I didn’t open my eyes, just furrowed my brow. The words were far off, slipping into my mind as I fell into the darkness of sleep.
9
Iwas dreaming. Shapes and colors were crisp and sensations felt sharp. I could even smell the soft scent of smoldering fires in the distance and feel the cool air of night on my skin. I couldn’t recall ever dreaming this lucidly before.
The soft patter of rain dripped on leaves and soaked into the black dirt but no rain touched me, even when I held my hands out and waited.
There were no sounds of animals or bugs. The moon was being choked by clouds in the sky. I didn’t feel any fear in the dream, just a detached calm.
I was standing in the exact spot where I thought I’d seen the shadow move. There was an empty space where the shadow had been as if something had been there but was now gone. I turned around to head back to camp but a cave was jutting up from the ground behind me, a gaping entrance beckoning me to come closer. Curiosity and lack of fear made my feet move forward.
I peered into thick darkness. The moon’s light couldn’t permeate it. A damp, cool air slithered out and I took a step in, seeing if my eyes might adjust.
Swiftly the darkness was all around me. The prickled sensation of being watched rolled over my back, making my hairs stand on end.
A sense of unease began to develop in my belly and I pressed my hand there, pushing my palm hard against the fluttering anxiety. The darkness in front of me felt vast and I imagined a giant cave, the ceiling a hundred feet above me, and its tunnels going deeper into the earth than any person had been.
Anything could be in a cave like this.
I wanted to leave. The urge hit me in the chest and I jerked around towards the entrance but there was just more blackness. I had gotten turned around, like falling into the water and not knowing which way was up or down.
I felt dizzy, my head bobbing on my shoulders. The anxiety grew, culminating.
Then two glowing red orbs appeared in the darkness. An insidious buzzing noise burrowed into my ears, making me sway on my feet. I knew the red orbs were eyes, a monster looking at me.
The noise grew louder, making me grind my teeth. Nausea roiled up and I began to feel chilled while sweat collected on my forehead and above my lip.
This thing didn’t feel like it should be in this world. It felt all wrong and it was looking atme. It didn’t blink, it didn’t move, but its presence pressed on my mind harder as if it was capable of seeing the very fabric of my mind and unraveling it.
I could sense its curiosity weighing on me. Its attention was almost too much to bear.
It shifted closer and I jerked away from it and spotted the exit. I ran from the cave and through the woods, hoping I was heading back to camp. Instead, the ground suddenly sloped downhill. I felt my feet come shooting out from under me as my butt hit the ground and I slid downhill. The trees ended and the New River was in front of me.
Violin music caught my attention. It was smooth and sensual, drawing me in.
“Caspian,” I said to myself. He was here playing his violin. It was the first instrument he ever played and the one he loved the most. My neck throbbed where he had bitten me and I felt myself clench between my thighs.
I stood up and moved towards the sound. Tree roots and a thin shore made me stumble along slowly as I followed the noise. The edges of the dream blurred the closer I got to the music, making me feel as if I were drugged.
