by Ramona Gray
The wolf howled again and leaped at the tagen.
* * *
The howling was loud and deafening. Reese sat up. Her head was ringing and she touched the back of her skull gingerly. She wasn’t surprised to see blood on the tips of her fingers. What was happening? Where –
There was more howling and she staggered to her feet, her eyes wide and frightened. She turned around to see Kane with his fur coated in blood, attacking the tagen. The tagen was bleeding from various bite wounds on his arms and torso. He roared with anger and delivered a heavy blow to the side of Kane’s body as the wolf sunk its teeth into his meaty thigh.
Kane howled with pain and danced away as the tagen stared in disbelief at the chunk of flesh missing from his leg. “You’ll pay for that, dog!”
Reese backed toward the mouth of the cave as the tagen picked up his large, wooden club and swung it at Kane. Reese screamed as the shifter ducked and then ran forward. He launched himself at the tagen, hitting him directly in the chest as he tried to sink his teeth into the tagen’s throat.
The tagen bellowed angrily. He dropped the club and wrapped his hands around Kane’s upper body. He twisted and slammed the shifter into the hard wall. Kane howled with pain but dug his thick back claws into the tagen’s abdomen and snapped viciously at the beast’s face.
The tagen screamed as blood poured from the deep gouges in his stomach. He slammed Kane against the wall repeatedly before wrapping his meaty hands around Kane’s neck and squeezing. The shifter twisted and squirmed as his eyes bulged from his head and his tongue hung limply from his mouth.
“Stupid dog!” The tagen hissed. “You should not have – “
“Hey! Big boy! I’ve got something for you!”
The tagen turned to see Reese standing directly behind him. Her entire body was shaking wildly and he had just enough time to register the iron pot in her hands before she threw the boiling water within it, on to his face and chest.
He shrieked with pain and dropped the shifter, clawing madly at his face and chest as large red blisters rose up on his skin. He screamed again, the skin tearing beneath his fingers as he staggered toward Reese. She scrambled backward toward the mouth of the cave as the tagen lurched forward. He opened his eyes and she gasped at the pain and horror within their black depths.
“I’ll kill you!” It roared and swiped at her. She ducked away from its reach as the beast drove her back further. She was on the ledge now and she risked a quick glance behind her. Her stomach dropped as she looked over the ledge into the darkness below. She was trapped and if she was lucky, the tagen would simply heave her off the side of the mountain and kill her quickly.
“Mine now, human,” the tagen moaned. His face and chest were covered in angry, red blisters and his one eye had been puffed shut by the blister that had risen on his eyelid.
He darted forward and Reese twisted to the right as sharp barking echoed through the cave. Kane slammed his body against the tagen’s. The tagen gave a bellow of fear as it teetered at the edge of the ledge. His large arms pin-wheeled madly, and his eye rolled to Reese in shock and surprise as he plunged over the side of the ledge into the darkness below.
Reese realized with horror that Kane’s momentum was carrying him over the ledge as well and she threw herself at the shifter. She landed on his back with a heavy thud, pinning his lower half to the ground as his front half dangled over the ledge. She dug her hands into his thick fur and scrambled backward, dragging the heavy shifter with her. When he was on solid ground she rolled to her back, staring upward at the rock above her as her heart thudded painfully in her chest and she gasped for breath.
Kane whined quietly and then shifted. He leaned over her, staring down anxiously at her face. “Human, are you all right?”
“I – yes,” she panted. “I’m fine.”
His hand stroked her hair and she reached up and patted his cheek with a hand that trembled badly. He kissed her softly on the mouth and then stood. He pulled her to her feet and led her into the cave and the pile of pelts. He made her sit down before running his hands over her body, feeling for broken bones.
“I’m okay,” she assured him. He took her hands and she winced. She had burned them on the iron pot and he frowned at the large blister on the palm of the right one. He stood and walked naked to the shelves. Blood was running down his side and Reese staggered to her feet and stood beside him.
“You’re bleeding!” She stared in alarm at the large, deep gash on his ribs.
“It’s fine.” He dismissed it. “It’ll heal in a few hours.”
“Are you – what?” She gave him a look of confusion.
“It will heal quickly,” he said as he searched through the shelves. One of them held an assortment of glass jars and bottles and he scanned them quickly before grunting with satisfaction. He pulled a glass jar filled with a thick yellow fluid and unscrewed the lid. He sniffed it once and then dipped his hand into the jar and pulled out some of the mixture. It had the consistency of honey and he took Reese’s hands and applied the salve to the blistered palm. It took away the sting almost immediately and she stared at him questioningly.
“What is this?”
“A healing salve,” he grunted. He examined the swelling on her face where the tagen had hit her and applied the salve to her cheek. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“The back of my head is bleeding a bit.”
He turned her around and parted her thick wet hair. She winced when he touched the back of her head and he squeezed her arm reassuringly. “It is only a scrape. He applied a bit of salve to it and she didn’t object when he grabbed the hem of his wet shirt and pulled it from her body.
She stood shivering in her underwear as he applied more salve to the bruise on her back and then tugged her underwear down her legs. She stepped out of them and he left them on the floor as he picked up a pelt from the pile on the floor and wrapped it around her.
“Sit down, human.” He pushed her gently onto the pile of pelts and she sat cross-legged, shaking wildly as the adrenaline faded from her body. She watched numbly as Kane crossed to the shelves again and rooted among them. He returned with a leather water bag and a handful of dried meat.
“Drink.” He held the bag to her mouth and she drank a few mouthfuls of the cold water before he pulled it away. “Here, eat this.” He held a piece of the meat in front of her mouth and she pulled her head back.
“What is it?”
“Deer,” he said impatiently. “Eat it. It will help.”
She opened her mouth and took the piece of meat he offered. She chewed at it. It was tough but good and she swallowed it obediently before taking another drink of water from the bag that Kane held to her mouth.
“Eat some more.” He held another piece of meat in front of her and she shook her head.
“No, please. I can’t. Not right now, okay?” She pleaded softly.
Despite the heavy pelt, her lips were blue and she was shaking wildly. She stared at the opening of the cave and at the heavy rain that poured down, and felt hysteria bubbling up in her chest. She had come very close to dying and she gave a choked, gasping moan as Kane watched her carefully.
“I’m sorry,” she moaned again.
Without speaking he pulled a few of the pelts out from under her and unwrapped the pelt from her body. She whimpered when the cold air hit her naked body, and he pushed her down gently until she was lying on her side in the bed of pelts. He climbed in beside her, piled the pelts on top of them and gathered her against him. He tucked his arm under her and pushed her head down on to his chest. She wrapped her cold body around his warm one and clung to him as he rubbed her lower back.
“You’re all right, human. Go to sleep now,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “I’ll never be able to sleep.”
He didn’t reply. His large hand continued to rub her back and her side and he made a soft soothing noise in the back of his throat. The heat of his body and the pelts warmed her
quickly, and the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear was comforting. Her eyelids were suddenly incredibly heavy and she closed them, drifting into sleep as Kane held her tightly.
Chapter 8
When Kane woke, he was alone in the bed. He sat up and stared wildly around the cave. Reese was nowhere to be seen and he scrambled out of the pelts.
“Human! Where are you?” He shouted.
“Right here.” Reese came out of the tunnel from the back of the cave. She was wrapped in a pelt and carrying a wooden bucket in her hand. He watched as she walked to the edge of the rock ledge and emptied it over the side before holding the bucket in the rain to rinse it. She emptied it again and carried it back into the cave, setting it down at the entrance to the tunnel.
“I had to pee,” she said as her face coloured with embarrassment.
He walked to the edge of ledge. He urinated off the side of it and she rolled her eyes. “Show off,” she muttered as he turned around and grinned at her.
“What time do you think it is?” She squinted at the sky but with the rain and the dark clouds, it was impossible to tell what time of the day it was.
He shrugged. “Late.”
She crouched beside the fire. It had gone out while they slept and she poked at it with a stick. “Do you know how to start a fire?” She was shivering lightly with the cold and she bunched the pelt around her as she sifted through the ashes.
He shook his head. “No.”
He was lying. He could start a fire but he didn’t want a fire to keep her warm. He wanted her to depend on him for warmth, to be forced to lie with him in that nest of pelts while he explored every inch of her naked body and brought her pleasure.
She sighed loudly. “I don’t either. Serves me right for getting kicked out of Girl Guides.”
“Girl Guides?” He raised his eyebrow at her.
She shook her head. “Never mind.”
She walked back into the cave and examined the shelves as Kane moved behind her.
“How do you feel, human?”
“Fine.” She turned and smiled weakly at him. “Much better, in fact.”
He picked up her hand and examined the blister on it. It was nearly healed and she smiled again. “I don’t know what’s in that healing salve but I could make a fortune selling it in my world.”
He frowned at her and she blushed as she realized her mistake. “I mean - this world?”
He didn’t reply and she hurried on. “Is your side okay?”
He nodded. “Aye. It’s healed completely.”
“How is that possible?” She asked.
He shrugged. “Shifters heal quickly.”
“Oh.” She glanced around nervously. “How long until the rains stop?”
“Days, maybe weeks.”
“Do you think Adina and the others found shelter?”
He nodded. “Aye, I told them where the shelter was before I came after you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for coming after me and – and risking your life to save mine. I really appreciate it.”
He nodded and stepped closer. He was still naked and she was acutely aware of the way his cock was hardening. She glanced down at it, a trickle of nervousness running down her spine at the size of it, and licked her lips.
He groaned at the sight of her tongue and she cleared her throat. “So, um what do we do now?”
He brushed his thumb along her mouth and then probed at the seam of it. “Open your mouth, human.”
She shook her head and he cupped the back of her neck, holding her head still as he pushed at her lips again with his thumb. “Open your mouth.”
She moaned softly and parted her lips. He pushed his thumb into her mouth and rested it against her tongue. “Suck.”
She sucked on his thumb and his eyes darkened at the way her lips pursed around him. He made her keep sucking for a few minutes, rubbing his thumb against her tongue before he pulled it free.
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her to the pelts.
“What – what are we doing?” She whispered.
“You’re going to show your appreciation to me for saving your life.” He smiled at her.
“I – what? I said thank you!” She replied indignantly.
“Aye, and a very sweet thank you it was,” he replied as he pulled her onto the pile of pelts.
“Take this off.” He tugged at the top of the pelt she had wrapped around her naked body.
“I’ll be too cold,” she replied.
“Not for long.” He grinned at her and tugged again on it. “Take it off, human.”
She swallowed and let the pelt drop to the floor, her eyes closing with embarrassment as he scanned her up and down.
“So lovely,” he whispered. Her eyes popped open with surprise when she felt his hands on her shoulders.
He pushed lightly. “On your knees, human. Show me your gratefulness.”
She sank to her knees in the soft pelts and stared wide-eyed at his cock. It had hardened fully and he was stroking it lightly with one hand as his other hand cupped the back of her neck and pulled her toward the wide head of his cock.
“Go on, girl. Show me,” he whispered.
Reese stared at his cock. Her pussy was so wet she could feel moisture dripping down her thighs and her nipples were hard as glass. He had barely touched her and she was close to coming.
Get up! Her mind screamed at her. Get up and slap the arrogant shifter in the face. Just because he saved your life doesn’t mean you have to give him a blowjob! Get off your knees for God’s sake!
That was very true, she decided. She didn’t have to suck his cock. Of course, he had saved her life and she really was grateful to him. What was the harm in showing him how grateful? He would definitely like it and if her throbbing pussy was any indication she would like it as well.
Reese! What are you thinking? Don’t even -
She leaned forward and took the head of his cock into her mouth, effectively silencing her inner voice, as he groaned loudly and his hand tightened in her hair.
“Good girl,” he said. “Look at me, human.”
She lifted her gaze to his face as she took more of his cock into her mouth.
“That’s my good girl.” He smiled at her. “Keep those beautiful eyes on my face while you suck my cock.”
He stroked her hair back from her face as she sucked hard on his cock. Her tongue ran along the thick vein on the underside and he moaned with pleasure. Her lips widened around his width as she struggled to take him deeper into her.
Reese stared up at Kane as he continued to stroke her hair. She wrapped her fingers around the base of his cock and squeezed as her mouth slid back and forth over his large cock. It was so big she could barely breathe, but the string of compliments spilling from his mouth and the way his eyes glittered as she sucked made her eager to continue. She circled her tongue around the head of his cock before sucking hard on it. He moaned and thrust his hips into her mouth, cupping the back of her head to keep it steady.
“Keep looking at me, human,” he whispered. She stared up at him as she pumped the base of his cock with her hand, tightening her fingers around his erection as he thrust back and forth into her mouth.
“God, human. You are so good at this,” he moaned. His cock was swelling in her mouth and she sucked eagerly. She wanted to taste him on her tongue. She wanted to know what it was like to feel him coming in her mouth, and she increased the pressure of her mouth and hand.
He groaned and then abruptly pulled away from her. She pitched forward on to her hands, gasping in surprise as he stepped around her and pulled apart her thighs. He knelt between them and she twisted her head around to stare at him.
“Kane, why did you – ohh!” She squealed with pleasure when his large hand cupped her pussy and his fingers rubbed her clit. She squirmed on his hand, pressing herself down on to it as he stroked her clit firmly.
“Oh! Oh my God!” She shouted before climaxing har
d all over his hand. Her legs weak and her body trembling wildly, she started to collapse on the soft pelts. Kane grabbed her hips and hauled her upward.
“On your hands and knees, girl,” he growled.
She moaned when she felt his cock pressing between her legs. Suddenly nervous, she looked behind her. “Kane, you said you would be gentle.”
He nodded and rubbed her ass reassuringly. “I will be. Just relax, human.”
“Do you promise?” She whispered as his cock probed at her opening.
“I promise,” he said soothingly. He rubbed her ass again. “Spread your legs for me, human.”
She swallowed and spread her legs. He moaned appreciatively and held her hips tightly as he eased the head of his cock into her tight opening. She made a soft cry of nervousness, and he leaned over her and licked between her shoulder blades as his hand reached beneath her and cupped her breast. He pulled on her nipple and she arched her back and pushed her ass against him. His cock slid further into her and she cried out with pleasure as he stretched her tight walls.
He groaned and his fingers dug into her hips as he paused and waited. “Are you all right, girl?”
“Yes,” she moaned. “Please, Kane.”
Slowly he pushed into her, stretching and easing her open. Her pussy fit around his cock like a smooth, warm glove and he groaned again when she pushed back against him.
“It feels so good, Kane,” she whispered.
He stroked her ass in reply and she wiggled against him. He inhaled harshly and pushed fully into her. She stiffened and cried out with shock.
“Have I hurt you?” He rasped out.
She shook her head. “No, it feels good. I swear it, Kane.”
He moved tentatively in her and she arched her back again and reached back to hold his wrist. He plunged in and out of her, his cock moving in long, languid strokes, as she moaned and panted with pleasure.
She was so tight, so wet, that Kane could feel his cock swelling after only a few minutes. He thrust faster, his hand tightening on her breast as she met him stroke for stroke. When he was close to coming, he released her breast and reached between her legs. He pressed his fingers between her wet lips and stroked her swollen clit roughly. She screamed, the sound echoing in the cave, and came wildly. He cried out when her pussy tightened with excruciating pleasure around his cock. Grunting loudly, he plunged in and out until he came hard, sending his warm seed deep within her.