Leon ate it up. He devoured her pussy as she flooded his face and mouth with her honeyed release, groaning in satisfaction as he felt her lose herself in the expert motions of his cunnilingus. She tasted so sweet to him, and he suckled her folds and clit even as she climaxed, his strong grasp keeping her hind quarters in place as he guided her through that explosive peak.
It was only after she’d crested and fallen to such incredible sensitivity that she struggled against him that he began to ease up on her.
Her shoes dug into the table, trying to pull herself away, her body worn and defeated, deflated against the intensity of her emotions. It was something breathtaking and terrifying and amazing all at once. It was fear and bliss, torment and ecstasy combined, and she didn’t know, for a moment, how she could ever recover.
It was then he stood, and in the haze of her post-orgasmic confusion he lifted her up completely. With such ease he carried her off, and before she knew it she was reclined back onto something soft, and he was pressed against her. The world of their bunker came back into view as he pulled away the blinding mask and he kissed her cheek so affectionately as he wrapped both arms about her. “You did so well. So very, very well,” he crooned approvingly.
She curled into him like a child, the way she had so many nights before, frightened by the strange sounds and the unknown causes. She feared the worst of what was out there, and only with him did she feel safe. His strong arms crushing her against his stony flesh, she whimpered and sobbed, feeling so raw and exposed and tender in ways she’d not thought possible.
“You said I wasn’t good,” she said with that sad quiver to her voice.
He kissed her, firmly and repeatedly, rubbing his hands over her body as he crushed her in against his hard chest. “Was just dirty talk, hun,” he reassured the troubled woman. “You did so well,” and he stroked her thigh and cheek, “even when you didn’t listen you were such a good wife you made me happy. That’s how good you are.”
“Really?” she asked, her big, blue eyes so wide with wonder and hope, as if he’d so simply dismissed her deepest fears in one swoop. He didn’t even need her to tell him what was wrong. He just knew. She’d never felt such a deep connection with someone before, and it was a strange reminder of the hazy, meaningless life she’d left behind. Not even God had been able to soothe her as well as this tall, broad, strange man.
With a wide smile he kissed her directly on the lips, their mouths flavoured in each other’s loins and not bothering him in the least. “You’re amazin’. You managed to hold out so long, honey. And even when you gave in and disobeyed,” he licked his lips and grinned, “I liked it. But I couldn’t very well let that go entirely, could I?” he remarked with a jovial grin that spread across his broad face before he kissed her again. “And you earned your reward in the end.”
Her thumb brushed against that full, smiling mouth and she was in awe of him. Of their relationship. She didn’t know him well, not so well as her parents knew one another, but she’d lived in a house of arguments and shouting for all her life. That wasn’t happiness, or bliss, and for a fleeting moment she wondered if her parents were happier in heaven. If they had stayed together through the end of the world.
Before it had a chance to make her sad, though, her mouth was back against his, passion and need filling her youthful figure, even if she was spent and dazed and her body felt like her nerves were all teased to erection.
With a husky groan he squeezed her so tight, crushing her breasts to him as he returned her kiss, mingling the flavour of his salty seed with her tangy cunt, and loving it. Loving her. For despite the surreal nature of their hideaway at the end of the world, he’d grown so very fond of her, and he kissed her back with such depth and intensity to show her that.
The conflict raged within her, and truthfully, it intensified what she felt for him. The turmoil about her religion, her family, the abandonment by the other survivors and the lack of friends or relationships throughout her young life just made this slice of happiness so much sweeter.
She just wanted the world to stop imploding and not interrupt their lives any longer.
It wouldn’t, of course, but for one night he held her close and comforted her. His mind was already turned to other things, and the needs they faced, but he wanted to give her a final moment of special togetherness.
It wasn’t even with any falseness that, when their long kiss finally broke, and he gazed into her wide, round eyes, he said, “My sweet, sweet Cassidy. I couldn’t have dreamt up a better wife for the end of times,” he swallowed, his face so soft and emotional, “I love you, Cass.”
She couldn’t help it that her eyes watered, and that she moved in closer to him just to hide the fact that they were burning with tears. It was too much, and her mouth danced across his shoulder so lovingly for such a long time before she swallowed back that thick dryness in her throat.
“We’re going to leave, aren’t we?” she whimpered sadly into his broad torso.
Leon shushed her softly, stroking his hand over her curly red hair. “Hush now sweetie,” he crooned so softly, “there ain't nothin’ to worry about. I don’t know that... you don’t know that, not yet.” He kissed her, “This is just about you and me, right now. My beautiful lil’ bride.”
“I love you too,” she whimpered so softly, her words barely audible though the tender brush of her breath across his skin was so warm. She shivered into him and the stark terror of losing this moment made her more passionate, needier for him, and her mouth found his again, working against his lips and tongue with that newfound skill.
They held each other, Leon’s thick strong arms a constant force of pressure pushing them together as they made out long into the night. They were never disturbed by another terrifying quake or grating sound of metal being clawed at.
Just as Leon both feared and hoped for.
9
There had been no quakes through the night to wake them. No terrifying metallic shrieks. Instead it was with natural wakefulness, starting the new day with love making and tenderness.
As they made their way through breakfast though, Leon let her know what she’d feared all night. “I’m gonna scout outside. An hour, maybe more. But depending on how it goes,” he shrugged as he tied up his boots, “I need you to be ready to go when I get back. Just in case,” he instructed.
“Over there,” he gestured to his bag, “I grabbed some clothes for you to travel in. They ain’t pretty, but they’ll do you better than your skirt and stockings.” His boots tied tight, he smiled down at her, reaching out and toying with her curls, “Everything’s gonna be fine.”
It didn’t feel fine. Her big eyes were staring at him, that lower lip trembling.
“Don’t get hurt,” she said, and that heartbreaking love was in her voice. She didn’t want him to go, but she already knew not to argue with him. He was in control, and she understood and appreciated it.
Leaning down, Leon kissed her forehead, her cheek then her lips. “For you?” he husked, “I’ll play it extra careful.” A wide, warm smile filled his smooth, handsome face as he continued to rub along her pretty curls and neck.
Her eyes were already watering and she had to look away, her hands gripping him so tightly as she pulled him in for a hug, “I’ll be ready when you get back,” she reassured him. Her voice was cracking, though, and it was easy to tell she was trying to be strong for him. He needed her to be strong, to be able to run with him, and she was willing to try for him.
It was easy to get lost in his embrace, those strong arms so firm and crushing. The sweet way he kissed her and murmured to her that everything would be okay, making it sound just that simple. When at last he broke the embrace and took his gun up, he said, “Pack the things on that list I made,” and she knew the one, “pack ‘em in tight and well, like I taught you. The stuff we’ll need soonest or in an emergency on top.” It was needless by this point; he’d run her through such things so many times over the past week. He enjoyed
teaching her as much as she enjoyed learning from him.
As he went to the airlock of the bunker, he turned and blew her a kiss after doing up his jacket. “Be back soon sweetie,” he said with the casualness of a man heading to a day at the office.
She could only watch through the visor to the next room, but as the outside door swung open and light glinted off the metal, she could see it. The protrusions in the steel. Long furrows dug through inches of metal from the outside. The wolves of the new world.
She hated it, but it didn’t matter. He told her what to do, and she was going to do it. Her hands moved of their own volition as she packed and she was grateful for the busy work. It helped to keep her mind off of how worried she was, but still her stomach was knotted and her heart was heavy. She wasn’t prepared for the dangers of what was out there, and it terrified her.
It was easy to convince herself that she was safe—that he’d keep her safe—when they were living a life that somewhat resembled what she knew.
The world outside, however...
10
“We have to get out of the city,” Leon had told her, and she didn’t understand why that was so necessary. Not at first.
Weeks of wandering through the ruins of what was once a bustling metropolis had made it abundantly clear why.
Cassidy wasn’t made for long, arduous journeys. Her parents had pushed her to excel, but not at sports. They had in mind for her a life in their circles of high society, marriage and a cushy job behind a desk, if not simply being a kept woman for some wealthy husband.
Instead, she got climbing over rubble, trying to rein in her terror as they stumbled upon corpses of fellow people in various stages of rot, decay or devour.
The first time she came across such a gruesome corpse, Leon had comforted her, held her a while. But after that, he explained to her firmly: They couldn’t afford to cry and linger in the open anymore.
She had to get tough. She had to push down all her fear, or she would die. And with him at her side, it was a little bit easier to keep it all inside. But her body ached, her heart was shattered into a million pieces, and her mind... she simply prayed for her mind to quiet those disturbing and terrified thoughts.
She felt dizzy already from the tears she’d cried, and how they’d dehydrated her body. So much of the above world was contaminated, and Leon was very cautious about where they got their water from, and all the complicated steps he took before letting her drink it.
They slept wherever they could at night, the journey out of the city taking far too long. It was amazing what the destruction of streets and buildings could do to travel time. The former campus alone had taken over a day to get out of, Leon carefully leading the way by winding up around piles of rubble, trying to avoid exposing them as he would lift and carry her as needed.
Sometimes they found a home or place that wasn’t in complete ruin and made a semi-safe spot to rest. But safety was something Cassidy lost all memory of. They almost never had time for intimacy of any sort, Leon always keeping a watch at any door, window or torn-open-wall to keep her safe, or at least serve as a distraction should something stumble upon him slumbering.
“So where are we going?” she’d asked him during one relatively safe period, where they’d found a mostly intact apartment and camped out for a night.
“A guy I know from the service had a rich family just north of town,” Leon explained. “I was there once. Big ass place, huge. Every comfort. And best of all?” he said, dark eyes wide as he ate his cold beans with her. “They were a bit paranoid, well… for good reason it seems. Tons of food stocked up. Guns too, not that those’ll do us a ton of good. And a backup generator, with enough fuel to last ages. He was right proud of it, showed me it all, since we used to talk about stuff like surviving a nuclear war and shit.”
“Won’t they be using it though? Will they have room for us?” Cassidy asked as she ate her own meal hurriedly as he spoke. Her muscles ached from all the walking and climbing, and she found herself hungrier than she’d ever known during the long journey.
Leon shook his head, his broad-jawed face lighting up with a smile.
“Here’s the kicker. They helped hook me up with the job I was going to start, and I was there to begin my new career by filling in for his older brother. Y’see,” he explained, excitement edging into his voice, “they were all out for some fancy out of town family get together. The whole estate locked up, nobody on hand when this went down. They gave their servants the time off, since it was only supposed to be for a week. It’ll be all ours.”
Cassidy felt hope rise up in her, a warm feeling that she owed to Leon and Leon alone.
“That’s where I was planning on going when I stumbled upon you. My little miracle wife,” he said, reaching over and squeezing her knee through her thick, tattered trousers.
But a dark pit sat in Cassidy’s stomach. And she couldn’t let it go, even though she sorely wanted to. After all, they’d seen nothing but ruins since leaving the bunker.
“But what if it’s not standing anymore?” she asked.
11
Getting out of the city itself proved a daunting task, and with time Cassidy had gleaned from Leon that it wouldn’t be as easy as just leaving the city core and seeing the manor right before them.
“It’s a ways away outside of town. There’s another little suburb between us and it, then just the woods. That should be easier than all this, at least,” he said with an encouraging smile.
He made it all sound so simple to her.
The reality was very different.
Cassidy never thought she’d get used to the hard, tiring treks through the ruins of the city. The way her legs ached, how the simple act of walking down a block became fraught with the dancers of broken concrete tearing at her clothes, and the ruined metal of both cars and skyscrapers always jutting out in odd places.
The first time she got cut, she was shocked at how easily a piece of steel could shred her clothes and lance her skin. After that, she grew more careful. Luckily it was a wound in her arm, not her legs, and she could keep going once Leon dutifully attended to the wound, bandaging it up, giving her a warm kiss in the seemingly empty city.
She swore she’d never be careless again and let that happen. But there were worries that were worth throwing such cautions to the wind over.
Leon was always so quiet and cautious, and she began to take it for granted, until one day, as night approached, she heard something.
It was the sound of some rubble shifting around, which had become so common on their journey. However, this came from a distance and felt… off, right away.
Whereas Cassidy looked around, towards the apparent source, Leon immediately tensed and leapt to action.
Without a word, he ran to Cassidy and grabbed her.
“What ar—” she began, but he put a hand over her mouth as he let her meager bag drop.
Cassidy was in a panic and looked to her little satchel. It didn’t contain much, Leon carried all the heavy stuff, but still she was loathe to let go of anything.
She regretted looking back every day thereafter.
While she never got a clear look at it, what she saw was clearly not a wolf. Not a person. Not anything of this world or the next that she’d ever envisioned. Even in the darkest nights, when she conjured up ideas of what demons might look like... they seemed cuddly in comparison to what rose before her eyes. She lacked an ability to describe it, yet her memory would forever betray her in its ability to conjure that blurred glance back up.
She screamed into Leon’s palm, but he picked her up and with all many dozens of pounds of supplies on his back, managed to run for all he was worth, into a nearby sewage drain. It was far deeper than they had assumed, however, and together they slid down and down.
When Leon hit a pipe that jutted from it, he lost his hold on Cassidy and instead they fell separately. Cassidy stopped herself from screaming as she had to watch out for herself, but bracing herself for
impact at the bottom and avoiding the more ominous debris there was a challenge.
For once, her tiny little body proved beneficial, and she managed to slide into a little clear spot, splashing into some cold, murky water no more than an inch deep. But as she rose up, she lost sight of Leon, and only felt the ominous tingling at the back of her neck.
She let go of all wits and reason, and just ran. Her slender little legs pumping as she dashed towards the big open sewer line, which had been bashed open by the crash of a large transport truck out of town. The sound of claws tearing at concrete came from behind her as she moved as quickly as she could.
She’d caught a brief glimpse of it, and she understood now why Leon couldn’t really describe it to her. It was indescribable. It wasn’t of this world, so how could it be? She knew that suddenly. And she knew she had to get away from it. Everything depended on that.
She made it into the sewage tunnel, desperately scurrying, scuffing her shoes, objects tearing at her travel clothes. She couldn’t see any more once she was in that dark hole, but she just kept running, unconcerned of what disgusting things she might stumble on in that fetid tunnel. Of what jagged objects might tear her open. None of it could be worse than what she’d seen.
The only hesitation, the only other thought that eked into her brain was: what if Leon doesn’t make it?
12
Cassidy ran until she was so exhausted she stumbled to a halt. The sewage tunnels weren’t all dark thankfully, with gaps torn open above by the rending of the city. Whatever Cerberus beast of hell it was that chased her, it gave up, was unable to fit through the opening, or found more interesting game long before.
Panting for breath, exhausting, starving, thirsty, with nothing on her to eat or drink anymore, she lay in a heap.
Night was falling, and she fretted: even if Leon survived, would he be able to find her in the dark like this? But even then, she had no more tears to cry, no more screams to produce. Something in her snapped, and she remained quiet and still, knowing that no matter what happened in the future, seeing that demonic, otherworldly beast... she was changed forever.
Bound as the World Burns Page 9