The Hunchback

by Regine Abel

  I nearly jumped out of my skin when the red light on the door’s digital lock turned green with a high-pitched beep, then slid open. Victus grinned his sharp teeth at me before waving me in. I realized then he had entered through one of the windows. Lucky for us, no experiment had been ongoing that might have required Frollo to put the room on lockdown, or seal it to prevent contamination, be it incoming or outgoing.

  Despite my curiosity, I didn’t waste time in examining the various paraphernalia he had laid about, although the place was very clean and orderly. Victus danced around a closed case. I opened it and found a scary looking syringe with five large vials that seemed to attach to the base of the syringe. Temperature-control lids also sat next to each of the vials. Closing the case, I picked it up and turned towards the imp.

  “Anything else?” I asked.

  He pointed at a cooling unit by one of the counters and indicated a small jar that I immediately recognized as a potent painkiller often used as anesthetic. I picked it up as well as sterile applicators, an antiseptic solution, and some gauze.

  Victus flying to the door confirmed we had everything. With him in the lead, we rushed back to Kwazeem’s cabin, relieved that the festivities were still in full swing. Despite the swelling deforming his features, the hopeful look on my man’s face when we reentered his room almost made me choke up again.

  “Hang in there, sweetie. I’m going to try to do this right,” I said.

  My hands shook a little as I began to clean his lower back with the antiseptic where the scars of former puncture wounds could be seen. When I applied the anesthetic, Kwazeem’s moan of relief filled my heart with both joy at helping my man and anger at Frollo for abandoning him to such torment just to make a point. The anesthetic didn’t fully relieve him of all pain, but it appeared to have numbed the main cause of his suffering.

  Assembling what resembled a giant spinal tap needle proved easy enough. Under the guidance of Victus, I didn’t attach a tube to the back of the syringe right away but waited until I had inserted the needle in Kwazeem’s back. Nothing ever terrified me more. What if I hit a nerve and permanently crippled him?

  However, the lump where Victus indicated for me to insert the needle only contained the fluid that had been torturing Kwazeem. As soon as I plugged the tube at the back of the needle, a silvery liquid pulsating with a constellation of stars poured into it. In the second it took me to barely manage to clamp down on my power trying to explode out of my chest again, Kwazeem’s body had stiffened from the pain I was causing him.

  In seconds, the first vial was filled. I detached it from the syringe, sealed it with the temperature-controlled cork, and then placed it back inside the case. As I began to fill the second vial, my head spun from staring at what I knew beyond any doubt to be Divine Light pouring out of my mate in liquid form. It called to me with a violence that made me dizzy. By the third vial, I was holding it with the costume’s cloak wrapped around my hand to dampen the intoxicating contact.

  With each vial I filled, tension drained from Kwazeem’s body and the lights glowing beneath his lumpy hump faded. However, even after using all five of the vials, I could see a bit more of the fluid remained. A sixth vial would have been required to fully rid him of what should have instead made him akin to a god.

  But even as I removed the needle, cleaned the wound, and bandaged it with some gauze, the pieces of the puzzle all started to fall into place. The anger I previously felt towards Frollo’s cruel punishment now turned into blind fury. But the time for reckoning would come soon enough. I closed the case and placed it on the dresser on the opposite side of the room.

  Settling back down on the bed, closer to Kwazeem’s head, I brushed his damp hair away from his face. My lips parted in shock at the sight of the swelling having already reduced by half and the purple bruising fading at record speed before my very eyes.

  “Thank you,” Kwazeem said in a weak voice. But the gratitude and the love in his silver eyes made me melt from the inside out.

  “Don’t mention it,” I said, suddenly feeling shy. “I wouldn’t have been much help without Victus,” I added, casting an affectionate glance towards the little imp. He chirped proudly, puffed his small, scaly chest, and spread out his wings. “But Lazarus helped, too, keeping watch and pouring his magic into you.”

  The second imp, who’d been looking a little forlorn for being left out, perked up at being acknowledged as well.

  “Are you hungry? Thirsty?” I asked.

  “Water, please.”

  “Right away,” I said, scurrying to the kitchen.

  It took me a moment to find the glasses, and I ended up pouring myself one as well. I returned to the room to find Kwazeem sitting up, looking groggy as he tried to strip out of his remaining clothes.

  “Let me help you,” I exclaimed, fighting the urge to scold him for making so much effort, so soon.

  “Don’t worry,” Kwazeem said, although he didn’t reject my assistance. “I’m used to managing on my own after a drain. But thank you. I appreciate your help.”

  He removed everything but his form-fitting black underwear. I tried not to stare at the impressive bulge at his crotch. If it was this big when he wasn’t aroused, how massive would it be once erect? But now wasn’t the time to entertain naughty thoughts.

  Kwazeem sat at the edge of the bed, looking on the verge of complete exhaustion. I handed him the glass of water which he gulped down in the time it took me to take only a couple of sips from mine. Without hesitation, I extended my glass towards him. He hesitated before accepting it with a sheepish smile. I chuckled when he guzzled it down just as quickly as the previous one.

  “Do you want more?” I asked, ready to go refill both glasses.

  “No, Mera,” Kwazeem said in a soft voice. “I only want to rest for a while, and to hold you close while I do, if you would allow it.”

  Without hesitation, I kicked off my sandals, waved my hand in front of the glowstone to turn it off, and then joined my man in bed. Kwazeem made me lie down on my back and, placing a possessive arm over my midsection, kissed my lips before resting his head on my shoulder. The imps settled at the foot of the bed while I gently caressed my man’s hair. Only after his breathing became regular did I also succumb to the lure of the dream world.

  Chapter 11

  Kwazeem

  I awoke to soft warmth and the delectable scent of my woman. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t still dreaming, and then the peaceful beating of Esmeralda’s heart slightly picked up. Her hand, caressing my back, hesitated for half a beat before resuming its slow tidal movement.

  Not my back, my hump.

  I stiffened at the realization, my insecurities coming back with a vengeance. Having no doubt sensed my reaction, my woman slipped her left hand into my hair, gently scraping my scalp with her nails before pressing her lips at the top of my head.

  She has seen my hump last night, drained it of the poison killing me, and still decided to lie with me.

  In how many more ways did I expect her to keep proving she didn’t care about my deformity? Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head resting on her shoulder to lock gazes with her. Whatever I might have feared immediately vanished as I drowned in the green sea of her eyes, and the infinite tenderness burning within.

  “My mate,” I whispered.

  She smiled and cast a swift glance at my lips. I didn’t resist the implied invitation. I pressed my lips against hers, and Esmeralda’s embrace immediately tightened around me. Timid at first, our kiss deepened, and then our tongues mingled. A hot flame lit up in the pit of my belly as I climbed on top of my woman. She didn’t balk, spreading her legs instead for me to settle between them.

  Breaking the kiss, my mouth roamed along her jawline, down her neck, stopping only long enough to suck on her pulse there. The link between us awakened, attempting to form again. But no sooner had it reared its head than I felt Esmeralda shut it down on her end. I hated that we couldn’t form a proper bond.
And yet, if that was the only way we could be together, I would accept it.

  Esmeralda’s hands feverishly explored my body, and her throaty sighs as my own caressed hers with increasing boldness quickly distracted me from such somber thoughts. When my palm slipped under the short skirt of her sarong dress, I interrupted the kisses I’d been sprinkling over her chest to look up at her. My mate’s green eyes, darkened with desire, locked with mine.

  No words were needed between us for her to understand my unspoken question.

  She responded as silently by reaching for the knot at the back of her neck which kept the sarong wrapped around her body. My mouth went dry when, once she’d untied it, Esmeralda merely tugged on the silky, black fabric, and it obediently parted. A bolt of lust exploded in my nether region at the sight of her flawless, golden skin and her bare, perky breasts whose darker nipples stood erect, begging for my attention.

  I didn’t resist. My tongue licked her areola in slow circles before I sucked in the hard little bud. My woman’s back arched, pressing her breast against my hungry mouth, and her fingers fisted my hair to keep me in place. Flicking away the panel of her sarong that still clung to Esmeralda’s body, I wrapped a possessive arm around her back, holding her to me. My free hand caressed her other breast, tweaking its nipple, and then slid down her waist and over the rounded curve of her bum.

  Since Esmeralda landed on Eden, every night and every waking hour I’d fantasized of holding her like this, my mouth and hands ravishing her, and hers all over me. Never would I have imagined the incommensurable softness of her skin or her delectable sweet and salty taste on my tongue. In fact, never would I have believed one such as me could earn the favors of any woman, least of all this embodiment of feminine perfection.

  Heart pounding with need and a sense of trepidation, I hooked my fingers around the waist of her slip and slowly slid it down, giving her a chance to resist. But she lifted her behind instead to ease my task. My cock further stiffened in response and began to throb with anticipation.

  Seeming as impatient as I, Esmeralda kicked off her thong once I had it down to her ankles. With a determination I hadn’t expected, my mate’s hands reached for my shorts and yanked them down. Because of my height and her shorter arm reach, she didn’t get them down too far. Frustrated to break physical contact with my woman for even a second, I kneeled to rid myself of the annoying garment. But Esmeralda didn’t wait for me to finish, sitting up to draw my face to hers and resume kissing me.

  Falling back down, she pulled me with her while I scrambled to kick off my own underwear.

  “Make me yours,” she whispered against my lips, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen by my kisses.

  My blood rushed to my groin, and the surge of lust that exploded in the pit of my stomach almost had me ram myself inside my mate in one powerful thrust. Reining myself in never felt as miserable as in this instant. I crushed her lips with a passionate kiss, slipping a hand between us to touch her sex. Wet, warm, and inviting, I inserted a couple of fingers within, dipping in and out of her while my thumb rubbed her clitoris.

  “Yes,” she moaned, the raspy sound of her voice making me insane with desire.

  I should be preparing her more to receive me, but I didn’t trust myself to remain in control much longer. However, my girth wouldn’t penetrate such a tight sheath with ease.

  “Forgive me,” I whispered, as I placed the tip of my shaft against her opening.

  Esmeralda tensed slightly, her breath catching in her throat as I began to push myself in with shallow thrusts. Eyes locked with my mate, a connection almost magical formed between us. It wasn’t the power link that had caused me so much pain and pleasure, but something spiritual. The way she looked at me, with so much tenderness, almost adoration, turned me upside down.

  Despite my impatience to be fully one with her, my protective instincts towards my mate made it far easier to control my urges than expected. With infinite care, I breached her hymen and continued my shallow movements until she’d taken all of me.

  “You are so beautiful, my mate,” I said, covering her face with soft kisses while giving her time to adjust to me. “You are everything to me, Mera. Everything.”

  “I am yours, Kwazeem,” she said, gripping my hair with both hands. “I knew you were the one from the first time I saw you. Even a god couldn’t take me away from you. There can never be another but you for me.”

  “My love,” I said, overwhelmed with emotion.

  Crushing her lips with a kiss in which I poured all the love she inspired in me, I began to pump in and out of her. Our moans mingled as the most exquisite pleasure turned my blood to liquid fire with each stroke. My claws dug into the mattress as I struggled to control my pace through the endless waves of bliss crashing over me. Esmeralda was so warm, so tight, squeezing my cock from all sides. Her hands clawing at my scales, her blissful sighs spurring me on, I wanted to pound into her like the wild beast that had awakened inside me.

  When she began to meet me thrust for thrust, I gradually accelerated the pace, until both of us gave in to our passion with reckless abandon. The slapping sound of our flesh colliding filled the room, accompanied by the creaking of my bed, our blissful moans, and barely intelligible words of love. The burning feel of Esmeralda’s skin against my own rivaled the inferno raging inside of me. As my woman began to crest, her slender body shook beneath me. She suddenly seized, her back arching violently over the bed. Her nails digging viciously into my back, my mate cried out my name as she climaxed.

  I shouted as her inner walls clamped down on my cock, trying to wrest my own orgasm out of me. Despite my excruciating need to fill my mate with my seed, I couldn’t stop riding her. As her sex continued to contract and spasm around my shaft, I abandoned any semblance of control I still possessed and unleashed my passion with something akin to fury. I pounded into her with near savagery, wanting to wreck her, to brand her, to possess all of her down to her very soul. Esmeralda writhed beneath me, chanting my name in an endless litany interspersed with strangled cries that drove me even more insane.

  Beneath it all, her power reawakened, hungrily seeking the one dormant within me. Her Divine Light poured inside of me like liquid ecstasy as our link reformed, shattering the last of my restraint. Throwing my head back, I roared my release, and my essence erupted out of me in a searing flow of pleasure, filling my mate. Pain surged at the base of my spine, but I ignored it as I continued to rock in and out of my woman, spilling every drop of my seed.

  I gorged on her Divine Light with an insatiable hunger, fueling the power that had lurked within the darkest depths of me. It burned like a living sun, turning my blood to a sea of lava and setting my body ablaze. But even as the pain grew, my power—my lover’s power now mine—seemed to burn it right away, pushing me to leech even more from her.

  Infused with god-like power coursing through my veins, time and space lost all meaning. My cock hardened again as I continued to plow into the trembling, delicate body beneath me—into the source of infinite ecstasy that had robbed me of coherent thoughts.

  I would ravage and consume her, destroy and devour her… All that she is, the Light that burned so bright within her would be mine.

  The distant chirping of one of my imps drew me out of my slumber. I felt refreshed, rejuvenated, my body tingling with an excess of energy. I opened my eyes to the mesmerizing sight of my mate’s naked form curled against me. She looked good enough to eat with her golden skin contrasting so beautifully against my bluish-grey complexion. I ran a possessive hand down her back, and then rested my palm against the provocative curve of her bum. Blood rushed to my groin as my insatiable hunger for her reawakened.

  For a moment, I considered waking her to once more claim what was mine and mine alone. The memory of her moans in my ears, of her burning body writhing beneath my sensual assault, of the tight grip of her sex stroking my cock as I pounded into her.

  Enough!

  It took all my willpower to s
ettle for a chaste kiss on her temple before pulling away from her. My shaft stood painfully erect as I gazed at the perfection sleeping trustingly in my bed. I had been relentlessly greedy in my lust last night and feared it would be a long time before my endless appetite abated where she was concerned. I would have to be careful not to drive her away with my excessive needs.

  Despite the peaceful way she slept, I could feel Esmeralda’s weariness. How could she not be exhausted? Beyond me keeping her awake through most of the night in a frenzied sex marathon, my woman had singlehandedly filled the Well of Power in a Festival of Light that would go down as the most remarkable in history. She needed rest. Thankfully, Frollo was absent until the morrow, and everyone else was probably passed out in a drunken stupor from last night’s revelries. Therefore, my mate could sleep in my bed to her heart’s content with no one looking for her.

  A dip in the river would have been nice but, as I tended to linger in the water swimming against the stream to loosen any stiffening in my back, I chose to take a shower instead. After checking that my woman still slept, I quickly dressed and went to pick a single white sarnokia, a dusty blue, long-petaled flower, with iridescent pistils that made the cup of the flower look as if a galaxy swirled within. Extremely hard to grow, they were the ultimate gift from a lover to his soulmate. After placing it in a vase on the nightstand, I kissed my goddess’ lips before heading out with my bow.

  Victus and Lazarus rushed to my side the minute I stepped out of the house, chirping happily and multiplying the congratulations and kind words at having bonded with my mate. I thanked them in turn for their discretion exiting the room when things had started to heat between us last night. It suddenly struck me that soon, both my little friends would leave my side to seek their own mates. Although imps rarely formed couples other than to reproduce and didn’t raise their own offspring—who happened to be self-sufficient from birth—there were no guarantees my companions wouldn’t choose to remain with their species.