“Brandon!” Ava shouted and I looked over at her, clarity coming over me a little.What was I doing?I pulled back. Mothman was looking at me with narrowed eyes, apprehension clear in his expression.
“Control yourself,” he signed.
“I’m trying,” I said through my teeth. Where was the fucking platter of food? I’d just tried to attack Caspian. Something was wrong with me. Very, very wrong. I shot to the door and began banging on it, using every ounce of energy I had.
“Bring me meat!” I yelled in anger but nothing happened. I pressed the skull’s flat front to the door and tried to control my breathing. The scent of smoke and dirt filled my nostrils and I looked over at the source—Mothman, his cage closest to the door.
He was deteriorating faster than the others. He was too big for his cage and clearly not made to last in these sorts of conditions.
He didn’t smell as enticing as Ava or as savory as Caspian. He was something foreign and unfamiliar that my taste buds wouldn’t understand.
Meat was meat though.
A growl came from my throat as I stepped towards his cage. He peered at me like I was an idiot, completely unconcerned. My knees thumped when they met the floor next to him. I shoved my hands through his cage.
“Brandon!” Ava called but it sounded like it was coming through water. Mothman still didn’t move, just sighed in annoyance as my fingers pushed into the fur at his neck. I started to revel in the victory of a catch, moving my hands to his coat and jerking him closer. His hands came up, catching himself before his face pressed into the bars.
Finally, he had enough.
“Don’t even think about it, punk,” boomed deeply in my head and scratched at my brain. His voice sounded demonic in depth and it felt like he was spearing needles into my head. I yelled, falling on my ass, and backpedaling before grabbing my skull head. My fingers felt wet. I pulled them from my ears and saw blood on the tips.
“Brandon!” Ava called and I began to crawl towards her like a dog with its tail between its legs, eyeing Mothman warily as he snorted at my pathetic scamper to get away from him.
“You little lying bastard,” Caspian was going off again, cursing me and promising violence as I returned to my spot beside Ava’s cage. “It was like this the whole time, wasn’t it? You were after her from the start,” he snapped.
“Cas, stop,” Ava sighed.
“Yeah sure, the whole time,” I said, rolling my eyes. “That was the real plan. Steal her right from under you. Oh wait, you had another theory in the caves. So what is it Cas, am I after her or slobbering over you? Guess it could be both,” I sighed. He was fucking ridiculous and I didn’t feel bad riling up the monster when it was in a cage. It was a good distraction from the gnawing hunger in my gut.
“Don’t touch her again,” he snapped. Rage boiled up inside me.
“You aren’t her fucking keeper andshetouched me. There’s something between us, okay? Trauma bonding or some shit, I don’t know but it's there. We both feel it and if she wants to pursue that it's her decision. You can’t control her.”
“I’m not controlling her!” He yelled. “I’d never… “ he trailed off, looking concerned. “Ava,” he finally called to her.
“I love you, Caspian,” she said. “That’s never changing.”
“Buthim?” He asked, his voice dripping with disdain. Caspian winced then shot a glare at Mothman. “Stay out of it.”
“What’s he saying?” Ava asked. Caspian sighed and leaned back in the cage, resting his arms on his knees.
“He said I’m a ridiculous cunt.”
“He did not!” Ava said with a sudden burst of laughter. Caspian shook his head.
“Of course, he said that. I’m sure he only shows you what he wants to though.Oh Ava, I used to be a god. Oh Ava, I’m a magical faerie princess, please touch my cock.” He winced and shot a glare at Mothman, who looked offended. It quickly became silent, our mingled breaths loud.
“I like Brandon,” Ava said suddenly. I swallowed thickly, my heart thudding in my chest. Could I handle the responsibility of being with Ava? I could barely handle anything right now. The conversation was cut short when a knock came at the door. My mouth watered. I was trained like Pavlov’s dogs for that knock. Quickly, I scrambled over on my hands and knees to the hatch on the door.
“Hurry up,” I seethed, waiting for a platter to be pushed through the closed opening.
“We’ve run out, Brandon,” Ben’s voice came through the door. “You’ll have to wait until morning.”
“You fucking liar!” I yelled, jumping up and banging my fist against the door. “You said be good and I get fed.” Rage and shame combined into an ugly feeling inside me. I was going to beat in Ben’s face with my bare fists the next time I saw him.
“We’re out—”
“I don’t believe you,” I seethed. I wouldn’t just dent his face in, I’d eat him. Take fat bites out of his legs.
