My tongue has a mind of its own, and that catches his attention. He reaches for my mouth and offers me his fingers to suck on. I do it with zeal. It’s such a turn-on for the both of us. I bite his thumb as I come hard. Stars explode behind my eyelids with the force of my orgasm. Griffin growls and follows me seconds later, shooting semen from his two cocks. It covers my belly and chest.
Fuck yes… I could die now, and I would be happy.
Griffin rests his head over my shoulder for a moment, our heartbeats in sync. I don’t want to let him go.
At some point, he stands up and comes back with a wet towel to clean us up. I refuse to open my eyes. I don’t want to leave his bed.
But he doesn’t ask me to leave. Once he has cleaned us, he comes back to bed and spoons me from behind.
I fall asleep with his hand over my heart.
12
Jude.
“The first major success in DNA science was the resurrection of the wooly mammoth in 2027. We edited the DNA of the Asian elephant with the one found in the frozen bones of the extinct creature. The public was thrilled to see those beauties from another time walk the earth once again. We put them in Siberia, and they thrived. From then on, we had the subventions to continue our research. I was a young scientist back then, and the world felt like my giant playground. We brought back other animals in the years that followed. Like the Tasmanian tiger and the smilodon—commonly known as the sabertooth. So when the Rise happened years later, it was too easy to turn gene-editing science toward humans. The only hard part, really, was to collect the DNA samples from the titans.”
Audio transcription of an interview with Dr. Nolan Max, a scientist who worked on the Revival Project, 2047.
After traveling for five days through the wastelands, we finally reach the ocean. Beet stays among the houses of a small town that was called Cannon Beach, now in ruins, to avoid rust on hersensitive parts. I run to the shore through the overgrown pathways. There is a giant rock standing in the shallows, bigger than theBeetle. It must have been here long before mankind. The sea slowly eroded it over time, transforming it into a fascinating landmark.
Griffin appears at my side.
“Look at that!” I shout, full of glee, pointing at the rock formation.
“I knew you would like it,” he says.
“You chose this place for me?”
He nods. “I’ve come this way many times before. These parts are quiet, and I come here to fish.”
“Fish?” I ask.
“I’ll get my things and show you.” He walks back to theBeetle.
I take a deep breath of fresh and salty air. I’ve only seen the ocean once before, when I was nine and on the run with my mom. She wanted to stay, but an unlucky happenstance forced us to escape through the wastelands. I take my shoes off and bury my toes in the wet sand.
This all feels like a dream. The sun is getting lower over the ocean, and the water shines like a million jewels. I have a feeling that the sunset will be stunning.
Griffin comes back five minutes later with a large bag over his shoulder and a strange gun.
“It’s a pneumatic speargun,” he explains to me. “It shoots a tethered spear underwater to catch fish.”
I handle the speargun with care.
“You’ll dive?” I ask.
He nods. “I’m a good swimmer.”
He removes his clothes and wears only swim shorts. His horns and scales are on display. It’s a rare occurrence outside of theBeetle. He really trusts that there is no one but us around here. I don’t need to ask why he’s not putting on a wet suit. I know he never gets cold.
He carries the speargun, a floating box, and his fins into the water. We leave behind the bag and my shoes.
“Do you want to swim a little before I go fishing?” he asks.
I shake my head. I’m fascinated and yet terrified by the ocean. Night is falling soon. There is something nightmarish about the dark waters. Especially now that real monsters hide in the depths.
He acknowledges my silent answer with a tilt of his head. I wonder if he’s ever scared of anything.
