I pushed forward, running beside her as we came into a meadow. I lunged at her, making her topple over. She went down and I leapt over top of her. Her hair spread out in the grass and wildflowers. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes were large as she looked at me standing over top of her on all fours. In the dark pools of her eyes, I could see the reflection of antlers and darkness.
“Brandon,” she panted, fisting the grass beneath her. I pushed my face close, sniffing her hair. I ran my tongue up her neck, making her gasp. She was so small and soft. So easy to eat. I moved my arm up and slid a claw into her breasts, cutting into the fabric before tearing it down her body until her belly was exposed.
So soft.
My tongue slid over her stomach, tasting her skin. Ava was shaking, fingers still gripping the grass like it could save her from the beast. She smelled so good and I was going to savor her.
I could hear Caspian crashing through the trees, coming closer.
Ava took a shuddering breath, squeezing her eyes shut. She spread her legs and unclenched the grass. Her arms shook as she reached out toward my face. I growled in a warning and watched as her throat bobbed in fear.
She spread her legs wider. The scent of her warm sex filled my head, making me dizzy with need. She was making it worse, so much worse. Her fingers brushed my face, soft fingertips on the hard bone.
Caspian flew through the treeline and zeroed in on us, racing over to me. His body smashed into the side of mine, knocking me off Ava.
13
Caspian slammed into Brandon. Despite Brandon being at least twice his size, the sheer force of the hit knocked him over. They rolled away from me in the long grass. I heard the ferocious sounds of growls and hisses, of pain-filled grunts and flesh meeting flesh.
My eyes darted in the long grass, trying to make them out as I sat in the dirt. I saw flashes of blue skin and black fur, blurring together in a whirlwind and I knew this wasn’t the practically ritualized fight like they had before—a punch here, a threat there. This was brutal and monstrous, tooth and talon not bothering to hold back.
This wasn’t Brandon and Caspian, it was a nokken and a beast attempting to spill each other’s blood until the other could no longer stand.
“Stop!” I cried, trying desperately to see what damage they’d already done to one another but they moved so fast. My fingers dug into the grass, trying to curtain them apart frantically to see the fight. Caspian leapt on Brandon’s back, his arms going around his throat tightly. Then Brandon bucked him off. Brandon’s blue eyes darted to me and then Caspian was on him again.
Makwa was still in my head, still whispering his desires to have Brandon.
“Let me leash him. He’s a beast that needs a seasoned hand to control it,” Makwa hissed in my ear. I could see what he wanted to do, break Brandon down. “He knows he can’t control himself anymore, look how he barely defends.” I could see what he meant. He was massive and strong yet not putting up a good fight, letting Caspian punch and claw at him over and over when he could have avoided the blows.
“Caspian will take him down. At night, when I can come out, I’ll break him,” Makwa said. I ground my teeth, furious to hear him talk about doing such a thing to him. “Brandon’s gone, Ava. He’s only the beast now.”
“No,” I said, climbing to my feet. Back at the cabin, he’d gotten better when I touched him. I wasn’t sure why or how but it must have been connected to my magic. To the same thing that called out to ghosts and monsters.
Makwa scoffed at my plan but I felt in my gut it was right.
“Don’t be a fool. You’ll get yourself killed,” Makwa ground out in anger.
“I know you’re worried—”
“I am,”he admitted easily.“I can’t protect you if you open your legs for something that wants to dine on your flesh. He wants to eat that pussy and I do mean literally. He's too far gone now, so don't tempt fate.”
Despite the fear in my body and seeing the hunger in Brandon’s eyes, I had to do this. I had to at leasttrybecause Brandon couldn’t live like this. I had to help him if it was at all possible. Even if it was dangerous. I wouldn’t sit by and watch Caspian tear him to shreds. I wouldn’t let Makwa wrap a metaphorical collar around his throat and turn him into nothing more than a servile attack dog.
“Stop!” I shouted, scrambling over to them. I wasn’t dumb enough to fling myself into the fray. They’d kill me purely by accident. They were going to rip each other apart. Brandon pressed a paw to Caspian’s chest and roared in his face. Caspian made a powerful hiss back, his face rage, his teeth all on display. Their blood was smeared over each other.
They were both terrifying battle companions. I didn’t know how to stop them, they weren’t listening to me.
Caspian tried to slip on Brandon’s back and wrap his arms around his neck again. Brandon bucked like a wild horse and Caspian flew through the sky, sailing farther than before.
I ran to Caspian and flung myself down on him before he could get up. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face into his body, squeezing.
“Get off, Ava,” he pleaded, grabbing my face with his hands.
“No.”
“Ava… Brandon’s gone.”
“No, he’s fucking not,” I snapped, startling him with the venom. “And you’re going to help me bring him back.” By then Brandon was already stalking over quietly, his antlers tall above the grass.
