Caged With the Beast

by Aline Ash

“I care about you too, Kon. This whole situation has been so surreal, and part of me thinks I’m still going to wake up in my bed at home to find this has all been one incredibly vivid dream,” I say. “But the truth of the matter is that I have come to care about you, Kon. More than I’ve cared about any man in my life before.”

  A small smile touches his lips, and he squeezes my hand gently in return. There doesn’t seem to be a lot more to say after we’ve both declared our feelings for one another, and I suddenly feel awkward as hell. The air between us is strained, filled with a strange tension, and the look on his face becomes inscrutable. I get the sense again that there is something going on with him. Something that doesn’t involve me but is troubling him anyway. I want to ask him about it but I don’t want to invade his bubble more than I have already.

  Instead, I turn back to my stitching. Kon telling me that he has feelings for me has made me happier than I’ve been in a long time. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder what the point is. We’re never getting out of this place, so it’s not like we can run off together somewhere. As I think more about it, my thoughts grow darker and more morose. I need to distract myself and banish the sadness that’s threatening to overwhelm me.

  “So Tara tells me that you’re a big deal back on Tabia. A chief or something?” I ask.

  He gives me a wry grin. “I used to be. But once the Gargolians conquered my world, being a chieftain no longer carried meaning,” he spits, and the bitterness is hard to miss. “My people have been enslaved. Some made it out and are now scattered among the stars. The Tabia I knew and loved is nothing more than a memory now.”

  “Tell me about how it used to be,” I say as I finish the stitches and apply a clean bandage to the wound. “I want to know about your world.”

  He smiles and begins to tell me about Tabia, going into great detail about its natural beauty. I am absorbed in his story, hanging on each and every word he says, falling in love with Tabia even though I know I’ll never actually lay eyes on it. And then he surprises me by drawing some comparisons to Earth and shows me both his world and mine through his eyes. It gives me a unique perspective on things about my own world that I usually take for granted.

  “I may have been learning about your world,” he says quietly. “I thought it was both a practical use of my time, and it also made me feel closer to you.”

  “A practical use of your time?”

  He nods. “Earth is so far away that the Gargolians had to design and build new ships and technologies to make it that far. That’s how committed to their breeding program they are,” he tells me. “And I was just thinking that one day, if we were to ever get out of here, that I would want to help you to return to your own world.”

  A small, sad smile creeps across my lips as I look at him. I’m oddly touched that he would go to the effort to learn about Earth and that he would even consider taking me back if we ever get out of here. It moves me so much that my vision blurs as my eyes fill with tears. The truth is, I am a little homesick. I miss a lot of things about my life back on Earth. But my life was lonely, honestly. Though I loved my job, I was unhappy most of the time. I didn’t have the sort of feelings I have toward Kon with anybody back home. Nobody stirred my heart and soul the way he does. And although there are things I desperately miss, now that I know he cares for me, that he did from the start, that he even risked his life to save me, leaving Kon to return to that lonely, unfulfilling life doesn’t sound as appealing.

  I see something in Kon’s eyes as he looks at me. I see a softness in them that wasn’t there before and something in his entire demeanor seems to shift. As I look deeply into his eyes, I see that the debate I saw raging behind them before is gone. He seems to be more at peace, like he’s made a decision and is at peace with it.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “I want you to know something,” he says, his voice firm. “I have been fighting myself on this harder than I’ve ever fought in the battles. But it’s clear to me that I’ve lost this fight and cannot deny it any longer. I owe you the truth.”

  “What is it, Kon?”

  “I love you, Marissa. I neither meant nor wanted to, but somewhere in all of this madness, I have fallen in love with you,” he says. “And I want you to know that I am going to be escaping—and you’re coming with me.”

  I shake my head, not sure that I heard him correctly. But there’s a stout resoluteness in his eyes that can’t be denied.

  “You…you’re escaping? How? When?”

  He holds his hand up to forestall my questions. “Do not worry about the plans, Marissa,” he says. “You just need to be ready to move when I tell you. You need to be ready to do exactly what I say without hesitation and without questions. You must trust me. You must obey me.”

  “I do trust you.”

  “Good. Then take heart. We’re getting out of this place,” he goes on. “And I will keep you safe until we’re ready to go. Just be ready.”

  The spark of hope in my breast is burning wildly out of control now. The idea that we’ll be escaping has rocked me to my very core, and I feel a lightness in my heart I haven’t felt since the Gargolians scooped me up in what feels like another lifetime.

  “Kon?

  His eyes are shining with the love he feels for me.

  “You did not ask me if I even want to come with you,” I say with a grin. “Or if I feel the same about you.”

  Kon looks surprised by my remark. I guess as an arrogant Tabiean cheftan he is used to obedience and to women falling for him.

  “Do you not?” he asks carefully with such a pleading expression on his face that it makes my heart nearly stop dead in its tracks inside of me.

  “I do,” I hurry to tell him. “I do love you, Kon. And there is no good reason for me to stay stuck in this shitshow if you aren’t going to be here.”

  His smile is small and subtle at first, but for the second time this evening, Kon surprises me when he leans down and kisses me. His kiss is so forceful it nearly steals my breath and I feel my head swimming.

  All of the darkness inside me ebbs and the purest form of joy and love come flooding in. And best of all, we’re getting out of here.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Kon

  The next day we spend together in our cell and I fell better every moment she is by my side. I know now that no matter what is about to come, I will never again force myself to choose between the good of my people and the love of my life. That is an unfair and impossible choice, as I need both.

  Seeing the smile on her face and feeling the passion in her kisses lets me see just how happy we can be together. Each time I lean into her kiss, her tongue dashing against mine, my jura stirs. This is what Marissa does to me.

  As I feel Marissa’s tongue filling my mouth and feel her hands sliding along my body, gripping my arms and pulling my hair, all I want is to feel pleasure. All I want is to give her pleasure. I want to explore every inch of her body with my hands and my tongue. I want to taste her, feel her, hear her as she climaxes, feel my jura deep within her as she pulses around me.

  Getting to my feet, I lift her up and set her down on the table and step forward as she parts her thighs for me. She grips my forearms as I drive my tongue into her mouth, feeling her breath warm and moist upon my skin. Marissa rakes her nails down my arms, sending tingles of pleasure marching up my skin as I kiss and bite her neck. She moans softly, grinding her warm, wet center against my rigid jura.

  I inhale deeply, a smile crossing my face as I breathe in the fragrance of her arousal. It is unlike anything I’ve smelled before, and it arouses all of my senses. It makes my jura harder, and my desire deeper. She raises her arms as I pull her tunic off of her and her pants follow quickly. I toss them away into a heap in the corner. Taking the seat again, I lean forward as Marissa drapes her legs over my shoulder. And the moment my tongue hits her pysa, she cries out.

  I bury my face deeper between her thighs, licking and lapping at her d
ripping wet pysa, and she shudders and gasps when I nip her swollen bud with my teeth. Marissa grabs the back of my head and pulls me deeper into her, grinding herself against my mouth at the same time.

  “Lick my cunt, Kon,” she demands in a breathless voice. “Harder. Faster.”

  She’s demanding. Forceful. I am used to being the one in control. The one giving orders and taking charge. But as Marissa bends me to her will, I find that I like a reversal in roles. My jura pulses and throbs as if it agrees. I do as she commands, plunging my tongue into her hard and deep, savoring her juices as she cries out for more, so I give it to her, relishing the sweet taste of her on my lips. As I slide my tongue into her pysa, I drive my finger into her usha at the same time.

  “Oh fuck,” she cries out.

  Yes, I know that is how she likes it.

  I pump my finger into her usha as I lap at her juices, nipping at her sensitive bud, her qyta. She writhes and squirms as I work her with my fingers and tongue, which drives my arousal even higher. I slip a second finger into her usha as I take her qyta into my mouth, sucking and nibbling on it. Marissa’s body tightens and she lets out a long, stuttering cry as she grips the back of my head harder, pushing me deeper into her. She trembles wildly, and as she climaxes, her screams echo around the stone chamber.

  Marissa is breathing heavy, and when she sits up, there is an almost crazed light in her eye. Her smile wavers, but her entire body is flushed, and the scent of her drives me wild. I reach out for her, but Marissa slaps my hands away, giving me a feral grin. I watch as she slides off the table and looks down at me.

  “Take off your pants,” she orders. “Now.”

  “So you’re in charge now, are you?”

  She grins. “You will call me Mistress and do as I say. Take off your fucking pants.”

  Although my jura is so hard it’s almost painful, I remain seated in the chair, smiling at her. A fiendish smile crosses her face as she reaches out and grabs hold of my face, her fingers pressing hard into my cheeks. Looking deeply into my eyes, I see a glint of mischief, and she surprises me when she reaches up with her other hand and slaps me.

  “I told you to take off your pants,” she growls, her voice low and sultry.

  With a grin on my face, I stand up and slide my pants down, letting them pool at my feet. Marissa pushes me back down into the chair as she steps forward and straddles me. I reach up to grab hold of her hips, but she gives me another light slap on the face.

  “You don’t get to touch me until I say you can,” she says.

  “You really do like being in charge.”

  “Damn right, I do.”

  She lowers herself down, nestling the tip of my jura between her velvety folds. She reaches up and grips my shoulders, her fingers digging into my skin as she starts to slide herself down my staff. She gasps and moans as the ridges of my jura slide along the wet, slippery inner walls of her pysa. And when she has me sheathed fully inside her, she pauses. Her eyes roll into the back of her head, and she leans back, savoring the feeling of having me fill her up completely.

  “God, that feels good,” she moans.

  I slide my hands up her thighs, relishing the smoothness of her skin, but she slaps me again, a cruel little grin pulling a corner of her mouth upward.

  “I said no touching.”

  Amused, I withdraw my hands as Marissa starts to roll her hips, grinding herself against me as she rocks back and forth. A look of sheer rapture crosses her face as she slowly rises and falls, twitching as the ridges on my jura rub the inner walls of her pysa as she moves on top of me. It sends shockwaves of pleasure sweeping through me, making my skin tingle. But then she throws her head back, her screams so loud, I’m sure they can hear her back on Tabia as she climaxes again. Her body trembles and the muscles inside her pysa tighten around my jura, making the fit around me even snugger.

  Her face flushed and her breathing ragged, Marrisa leans forward and presses her forehead to mine. As she takes a moment to slow her heart, we stare deeply into each other’s eyes. And suddenly, things feel very different. Gone is the playfulness and the almost frenetic energy that filled the air a moment ago. And in its place is something powerful and overwhelming, stunning. As she slides up and down on my staff, her gaze locked onto mine, the connection between us is palpable and fills me with a sensation so intense, I feel as if my every nerve ending is on fire. The depth of the pleasure is something new, and this bond growing between us is a feeling I’ve never had before during mating.

  Our movements slow, becoming more deliberate and filled with the emotions we share between us. Our bodies move as one in a slow, steady rhythm that’s gentler and softer than I’m used to. Her movements are hypnotizing, and her scent is intoxicating. The sensitive ridges on my jura slide along the wet inner walls of her pysa, and a wave of ecstatic sensation dazes me. My body stiffens as she rolls her hips and I moan, knowing I’m not going to be able to hold back the inevitable much longer.

  Marissa smiles and starts to move faster, squeezing me with her inner muscles, and I groan low. I reach out for her again only to be rebuffed again. My frustration is growing deeper by the second. I need to feel her. Touch her. I need to pull her to me and feel her body, soft and yet firm, pressed to mine. But as she continues to ride me, gripping my shoulders even harder, I topple over the edge. My cock pulses and a growl escapes me as I burst inside her.

  She moans and rolls her head back, her body quivering as I am filling her with my seed. She clings to me, her nails digging into my skin, her eyes partially closed. I feel her working her inner muscles, squeezing my staff, milking every last drop of cum out of me. And we remain like that, our bodies as tightly connected as our hearts and our souls are becoming one.

  Marissa opens her eyes and starts to slide off my lap, a salacious grin on her face, when I reach out and grab her, pulling her back to me. I give her a smile.

  “It’s my turn, Mistress” I tell her.

  Cupping her usha in my hands, I pick her up as I stand, then set her down on the table, my jura still stiffer than steel and buried deep inside of her. I lay her back on the table and brace myself on my arms so that I’m staring down into her face. I start to move my hips, slowly moving myself inside her. A stuttering gasp bursts from her throat as her entire body twitches.

  There is part of me that wants to pound myself into her, to mate like a proper Tabiean and take her every way I want. But another part of me wants to take my time with her. It wants to savor her body. Relish every moment we have together, because the truth is, I don’t know how many more moments we’ll have. If everything with our escape goes wrong, that could be it for us. Our time will be spent.

  But as I move within her, feel her flesh beneath my hands and feel the way she writhes beneath me, I can’t help but shudder. As I look into her eyes and feel the powerful explosion of emotion that she sets off in me, I start to think about a future that includes Marissa. I have a vision of us mating beneath the tall trees of the forest around our village, or in the waters of our ocean.

  As she grips my forearms and squeezes me with her inner muscles again, I feel swept away on a current of that emotion. Swallowed up by my feelings for her. They’re both frightening and exhilarating at the same time, and it’s such a new sensation for me that I don’t know what to do with them. But when I look down and see that smile of hers, the one that lights me up inside, it makes me push away all the other thoughts, focusing instead on the here and now. With her. Because this right here, this moment is all that’s guaranteed to us.

  I pull her up to me, and our mouths crash together, and I slide my tongue past her lips, probing her mouth with my own. She clings to me tightly as I keep driving myself into her, reveling in the sensations she brings me. I feel currents of electricity flowing from my jura to the top of my head and all the way back down through my body again.

  I thrust myself into her as deep as I can, savoring the slick, tight feeling of her pysa, and hold myself there. Marissa’s
eyes grow wide, and she starts to shake wildly, her body almost out of control as she thrashes about on the table. I hold her down as her climax seems to have hit her out of nowhere, and she cries out.

  “Oh God,” she sputters. “Oh, yes, so good.”

  I give her a moment to gather herself. Her breathing is ragged, and she’s flushed. I can tell by the look in her eye that she’s wearing down. Happy and satisfied, but starting to lose steam. But as her orgasm starts to fade, she sits up, a wicked smile on her face.

  “It’s your turn,” she says, and pushes me backward.

  She slides off the table and turns around, planting her hands on the surface, giving me a perfect view of her exquisite usha. Marissa looks over her shoulder at me and with her cheeks flushed, her hair wildly askew, and a gleam of genuine affection for me in her eyes, she’s the most beautiful as I’ve ever seen her. She looks ethereal to me. A goddess made flesh.

  “It’s your turn to come, Kon,” she gasps. “Take me how you want me.”

  She’s offering herself to me, free and unrestrained. The idea makes me stiffer than steel. I want her badly. Unlike I’ve wanted anybody in my life. Her pysa is so warm and so tight, the idea of filling her with my seed sparks a primal desire in me. Unable to control it any longer, I drop to my knees behind her and grip the soft flesh of her usha, spreading her open. I slide my tongue along the wet, swollen folds of her pysa, and she gasps. I plunge my tongue into her tight, wet hole again, the scent and taste of her driving me out of my mind.

  Her fragrance makes my head swim with desire and I inhale deeply. Getting to my feet, I slide my hands up her back and latch onto her shoulders, pulling her backward as I slide my jura deep into her tight pysa, closing my eyes as I revel in the tight, slickness of her body. Still gripping her shoulders, I start to move inside her, piercing her molten core with my rigid staff. We move together in unison, our bodies in perfect sync with one another.

  The physical sensations sweeping over me are as overwhelming as the emotional ones. Being this close and this connected to her, our bodies, minds, and hearts, all moving as one, makes me feel a joy that’s been uncommon in my life. It gives my spirit a lightness and freedom I seldom get to enjoy. Marissa turns and looks at me over her shoulder as I thrust myself into her. Her full, red lips are slightly parted, her face is flushed, and the look of desire is so pure and so intense, it nearly steals the breath from me.