“To Mothman?” I asked, swallowing. He wasaskingme to be close to Mothman. He pulled his mouth from my ear. His hand slid into my hair, holding the back of my head. His jaw was tight and his eyes were burning.
“Yes,” he said quickly before his lips bruised mine, long slow languid kisses that felt desperate with passion. “Keep him close,” he whispered before kissing me more. I clung to him, my fingers gripping his sides, my neck bent so I could return his kisses.
Caspian pulled back and looked down at me. His mouth cracked open in reverence as he observed my wet lips.
“Mothman needs to be there to keep me in check. It goes against my nature to do this but my love can destroy, Ava. It can drown you.” It shocked me what he said. I had no clue how to feel about it. I slipped my hands around the back of his neck, burying my fingers in his hair. He pressed his forehead to mine.
“How could you ever think these things?” I asked. He’d never once shown anything to me but kindness, support, and comfort. Caspian pulled back and looked down at me.
“Because of what I am. I’m trying to be honest but please don’t leave me,” he said quickly, fear flashing in his eyes.
“I’m not going to leave you, Caspian.” He nodded but looked unsure.
“I can tell you like him. Keep him close. Okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, my emotions feeling like a knotted mess of yarn; a ball all tangled up with no hope of being unraveled and understood. His hand moved up my back and then I felt his fingers brushing the bite mark he left on my neck. As always it brought to mind other things. Things that made me feel suddenly wet between my legs.
“Okay,” he repeated, his lips pressing to my temple, his thumb brushing the bite mark. His other hand slid forward, across my belly. His fingers brushed the edge of my shorts. I clung to him, feeling confused about what he’d revealed.
His hand slid into the front of my shorts, dipping between my thighs with obvious intent. The talons were gone, just the blunt calloused fingers of a musician. I sucked in a sharp breath as I felt his fingers brush over my wet pussy. He made a deep sound of pleasure before slipping his fingers inside me and hooking them. His thumb pressed to my clit, the solid pressure of it was a tease that had me squirming for more friction.
“We have to go,” I said, swallowing as I looked up at him. He cast a look back where the others were while his thumb began to rub against me. “Cas,” I whined under my breath. He turned back to me suddenly, pressing his mouth to mine, swallowing a whimper as he rubbed me faster.
“Please,” he begged me. “I need this.” His tongue plunged into my mouth, eating my sounds as I ground against his fingers. I needed this too—needed to know we were still okay. I pulled away from his mouth and he buried his face in my neck, sucking on the bite mark.
I leaned my head back, resting it on the cave wall. That’s when I saw him. My mouth popped open in shock as I saw Mothman leaning against the wall, watching us. He was just a dark figure with glowing eyes. A trail of smoke trailed from a glowing ember in his mouth.
Getting caught didn’t bother Mothman at all. His eyes trailed down, looking pointedly at Caspian’s hands moving inside my shorts. I gasped as pleasure rolled up inside me. Mothman watched me squirm from the sensation of Caspian’s fingers rubbing inside me, his thumb massaging my clit. I moaned, cresting suddenly, an orgasm rolling up from between my legs and splashing over my body.
Caspian groaned loudly as if my pleasure were his own. His teeth feathered over his bite as I tightened around his fingers.
“That’s it, Ava,” he murmured against me. He kept pressing and plunging, pulling as much pleasure from me that he could until I finally felt limp. His face was human again when he pulled back to look at me; the rockstar that charmed people far too easily.
His hooded eyes sparkled with confidence and pleasure. Dark, wavy hair fell half in his face, framing his handsomeness with a messy sensuality only he could pull off in these conditions.
I expelled a slow breath, happy to see the confident and flirty Caspian I was used to.
“I’ll go with Brandon. She’ll go with you,” he said while still looking at me with his charming smile. I realized he was talking to Mothman—that he knew he had been standing there watching. Caspian noticed my surprise and smiled wider before pulling us from the wall.
Caspian hesitated a moment before he began to walk away. Mothman’s hand shot out, gripping Caspian’s wrist as he passed him. He jerked the hand up and his feelers bowed down, brushing against his fingers—the ones that had been inside me. Mothmans’ eyes closed and he shuddered in delight before Caspian jerked out of his grip.
“Don’t touch me,” he snapped, stomping off in agitation. Mothman’s body shook in silent laughter.
4
Mothman pulled a hand crank flashlight from his duster and wound it up before we went any further down our tunnel. He handed it to me when it was shining brightly. Caspian’s words rolled around in my head as we started to walk. At some point, though, they just sort of lost their meaning as I grew more tired and my thoughts felt fuzzy.
I pressed the back of my hand to my head and Mothman was suddenly there, his long fingers draping over my shoulder in a gentle but firm grip, encouraging me to stop. I realized he must have been giving me space before, sensing something bothered me after Caspian’s talk. It had been the longest Mothman had gone without touching me.
How long had we been walking? Had it already been the allotted time? I hadn’t paid attention.
Mothman took the light from my hand as it flickered, cranking it back up for me. He was so tall, his face back to a mysterious shadowy thing with red glowing eyes because of the meager light. What was he? Where was he from?
“Is Mothman your name?” I asked. He looked up at me and tilted his head. “Mothman is what people call you. But is it your name?” He stopped cranking and seemed surprised by my question. Had no one ever asked him his name? He went back to cranking, finishing the job until the light was strong. He handed the flashlight to me and then retrieved his journal and pen.
I looked up at his face again. The black fluff with two red eyes and two very expressive feathery feelers swaying atop his head. The feelers leaned forward as if seeking me out with a mind of their own. They were long, maybe two feet, and could curl up shorter if he wanted them to.
The splinter wasn’t hurting too bad right now but when I pointed the flashlight on it I nearly gasped. Black veins were now spreading up my wrist, reaching towards my chest. I could almost see them moving, as if they were long thin worms under my skin, squirming towards my heart. It was moving faster now as if Caspian had unintentionally helped it along.
