#dark reader

Months later, the air at the party was thick with the scent of spilled bourbon and expensive perfume. You were navigating the crowd when a muffled, frustrated sound from a side hallway caught your attention.

Peeking around the corner, you saw him. Dean was pressed against the wall, a blonde girl practically climbing him, but the scene was far from the passionate encounter it should have been.

Instead, it was a comedy of errors. The blonde was hissing at him, her hands roaming over his chest with an impatient, aggressive energy that should have sent him over the edge. But Dean looked miserable. He was sweating, his face flushed with a mixture of booze and sheer, unadulterated frustration. He’d taken enough nicotine and honey packs to jumpstart a dead engine, yet he remained stubbornly, agonisingly soft.

"Seriously, Dean? Is that it?" the girl scoffed, pulling away with a look of pure disdain. She didn't wait for an answer, just smoothed her skirt and trotted off back into the party, leaving him slumped against the wall in the shadows.

He let out a ragged, pathetic groan, his hands trembling as he tried to massage himself, desperate to force a reaction. He’d taken quite literally everything the party had to offer — today marked your breakup anniversary in fact, not that he’d been keeping count. Anyways, tonight was the get lucky night. Unfortunately, his body was miles behind his mind’s decision.

And then, the Viagra finally hit his system with a sudden, heavy surge of blood that made his aching, heavy surge of blood that made his dick throb with violent intensity. It was a cruel irony; the medication was finally doing its job, forcing the blood into his veins, but his brain was still stuck in the void you had left behind. He was hard, but he was empty. He was aching, but he was unfulfilled.

His head lolled back to face the ceiling, a desperate, broken sound escaping his throat as he tried to find some semblance of relief. That was when his eyes drifted, scanning the hallway in a daze of frustration and lust, until they landed on you.

You were standing there, partially obscured by the shadows, watching the entire pathetic display with a dark, amused glint in your eyes. You didn't look heartbroken; you looked like a predator watching a wounded animal struggle in a trap of its own making.

As you began to turn, a slow, deliberate movement as if you were bored and ready to leave him to his misery, the air in the hallway seemed to vanish. You paused, glancing back over your shoulder with a slow grace. 

The moment your eyes met his, the conditioning you had so meticulously woven into his very marrow snapped into place. It wasn't the alcohol, and it wasn't the honey pack; it was the sheer, overwhelming presence of the only person who held the key to his pleasure. As he watched you, his cock was already straining under his jeans, a rigid, aching state that demanded release.

"God, fuck —" he choked out, the sound a ragged, broken thing that tore through the quiet of the hallway. He didn't even try to hide the tremor in his voice, the usual gravelly charm replaced by a raw, unrefined desperation. He reached out a hand, fingers twitching as if he could somehow grab the very air you were moving through.

"Wait," he gasped, his eyes wide and glazed, searching for yours with a frantic starvation. "Don't — don't just — " He cut himself off with a sharp, pained intake of breath as a fresh wave of arousal, fueled by both the chemicals and the sheer sight of you, pulsed through him. "Please. Just — look at me, please —"

It was a whimper, a total surrender. The man who had faced down the literal Devil was now reduced to a begging mess. He looked broken, his pride discarded on the dirty floor of a hallway he’d once thought he could navigate with ease. The heavy desperation in his eyes was enough to make you want to laugh or perhaps just watch him suffer a little longer. 

Dean shifted, his hips jerking forward involuntarily as the pressure in his groin became almost unbearable, a rigid, throbbing ache that demanded the very thing he’d once thought he could live without.

"I don't — it won't —" he stammered, his voice cracking as he gestured vaguely toward his lap, his face burning with a mix of lust and pure, humiliating shame. "It's just you. It's always fucking been you."

He was practically vibrating, his eyes locked onto yours as if you were the only source of oxygen in a room filled with smoke. 

You didn't move toward him.

Instead, you leaned back slightly, a small, mocking tilt to your head as you watched him struggle. The sight of him — the legendary Winchester, reduced to a trembling, half hard mess in a dim hallway was far more entertaining than any conversation in the main room.

"We're not together, Dean," you cooed, your voice dripping with a sweetness that was entirely devoid of actual comfort. It was the tone you used for a wounded puppy, or a particularly dim witted child.

The effect was instantaneous. A low whine tore from his throat, a sound so raw and uninhibited it would have mortified him had he any dignity left. He looked like he was physically reeling from the rejection, his hands clutching at the wall behind him for support as his knees buckled slightly.

He didn't know what was killing him more — the heavy, artificial surge of the Viagra forcing blood into a cock that felt like it was about to burst, the dizzying haze of the bourbon and nicotine, or the sudden, violent resurfacing of every suppressed feeling he’d tried to bury after you walked out. The ache of his cock was nothing compared to the hollow, starving sensation in his chest — a gap that only your specific, devastating presence could fill.

"There's plenty of other fish in the sea at this party," you added, your eyes dancing with a dark amusement. You gestured vaguely toward the muffled music and the laughter spilling out from the main room, where he could find a distraction.

Another whine, longer and more pathetic than the last, vibrated through his chest. He looked absolutely wrecked, his eyes searching yours for even a shred of mercy, but all he found was that amused glint.

He was a man on the brink of a physical and emotional breakdown — his body demanding a satisfaction that only you could provide — and you were standing there, treating his desperation like a mild curiosity.

"Please, sweetheart," he choked out, his voice cracking as he took a stumbling step toward you, his hands reaching out blindly. "Don't — don't do this. Don't be like this. It fucking hurts."

He wasn't just talking about his cock — though the Viagra was making the sensation nearly unbearable, a heavy, pulsing pressure that made every movement a struggle. He was talking about the way his entire soul seemed to be leaning toward you, desperate to bridge the distance between you and him.

Dean was a man who had survived hell, faced down demons, and stared down the apocalypse, yet here he was, reduced to a whimpering mess by the mere sight of you. The substances were doing their heavy lifting, forcing his cock into an aching state that demanded release, but his mind was a frantic, starving thing, clawing at the memory of your touch to make sense of the sudden, violent surge of arousal.

He let out a shuddering breath, his eyes never leaving yours, his hips twitching in a desperate, involuntary attempt to find friction against his denim. 

"Just — just a little," he pleaded, his voice dropping to a gravelly, humiliated whisper. "Anything. Just touch me — please, baby — it’s killing me."

"Go jack yourself off then," you said, rolling your eyes with a bored exhale.

You weren't just being difficult; you were being honest. You weren't enjoying the sight of him, not really, you were simply observing the wreckage of a man who had thought he could have his cake and eat it too.

But Dean couldn't do that. 

He couldn't just reach into his jeans and ‘solve’ the problem. Because for every single night since the breakup, every time he’d been alone in a motel room or a lonely bed, his hands had only ever worked if he was picturing you.

He had tried to move on with nameless girls and shallow flings, but his body had remained loyal to the ghost of your touch. He had conditioned himself to the point where his own hand felt like a stranger's, a pale imitation of the heat you used to provide. To touch himself was to realise, all over again, that he was starving. His brain was a frantic, looping reel of your scent, the curve of your waist, and the way you used to sound when you finally came.

The Viagra was forcing his cock into a rigid, punishing state, but without the mental trigger of you, it was just a heavy, throbbing ache that felt more like a curse than a pleasure.

He let out another whine, a low, raspy sound that seemed to vibrate from the very bottom of his lungs. He took a stumbling, desperate step closer, his eyes wide and bloodshot — looking less like a hunter and more like a man drowning in shallow water.

"I can't," he rasped, his voice breaking, thick with a raw need. He reached out, his fingers trembling as they hovered near your arm, not quite daring to touch you but desperate for any scrap of your warmth. 

"It doesn't — it doesn't work without you," he confessed, the words tumbling out in a broken, shameful rush. He was practically vibrating, his hips jerking in a desperate, involuntary attempt to find some kind of friction against the denim of his jeans, but it was useless.

He looked utterly undone, as he let out a long, shuddering breath that sounded suspiciously like a sob. The man who could stare down the devil without blinking, was currently being brought to his knees by a memory and a handful of pills.

Soon, the heat became too much, a rhythmic throb that seemed to radiate from his very bones. Dean’s legs finally gave out, his knees hitting the floor with a heavy, unceremonious thud right in front of you. He looked up from the ground, a broken man at your feet, his face flushed and eyes swimming with a desperate, starving lust.

You didn't reach down to comfort him.  Hell, you didn't even soften your expression. You simply stood there, looking down at him with a cool, detached enjoyment. The contrast was staggering; the person he’d known was all soft smiles, playful touches, and a warmth that made him feel like the center of the universe. Now, you were just a goddess looking down at a beggar.

"Please…" he choked out, his voice a wrecked, gravelly mess. "Just a little — just a fucking touch, baby. Anything. I'm dying here."

You let him suffer for a moment longer, savouring the way his breath hitched in anticipation of a mercy that wasn't coming. Then, you decided to test just how deep your conditioning had sunk. Instead of reaching down with your hands, you shifted your weight, pressing the sharp, narrow tip of your shoe directly against the straining length of his cock through his jeans.

Dean’s entire body jolted as if he’d been struck by lightning. His eyes snapped shut, his jaw grinding so hard you could almost hear his teeth creak. "Oh, fuck," he gasped, his head lurching back onto his shoulders.

The sensation was agonisingly perfect — a concentrated point of pressure that sent a violent jolt of electricity straight to his brain.

He didn't even think; he just reacted, his body acting on undiluted instinct. He gave a few tentative, desperate hip jerks against the pressure of your shoe, his breath coming in short, jagged hitches. The sensation was so intense, so specifically you, that it felt like his brain was short circuiting. 

"God, yes — right there — fuck me," he groaned, the sound vibrating deep in his chest. 

The hesitation vanished, replaced by a frantic need. He began to grind his hips against your boot with the uninhibited fervour of a mutt, his movements heavy and rhythmic. His hands flew to your thighs, his fingers digging into the fabric of your outfit, clutching you as if you were the only thing keeping him from spinning off the edge of the world.

He was a mess of friction and frantic, heavy breathing, his face buried partially against your thigh as he chased the sensation of your heel.

"Don't stop — please, please, please — don't fucking stop," he whimpered, the words muffled against your skin.

Dean was grinding so hard now, his hips snapping forward in a desperate assault on your shoe, his entire existence narrowed down to that single point of contact. The Viagra made every nerve ending scream, and the conditioning made every sensation feel like a divine benediction. 

He let out a long, guttural moan that turned into a strangled cry as he felt himself nearing the brink, his fingers bruising your thighs as he tried to pull you even closer, even tighter, as if he could merge his very soul with you once again. 

"You're fucking killing me," he gasped, a broken, delirious laugh hitching in his throat. "Just — just a little more. Please, baby, please."

He was losing it, completely unmoored by the friction of your heel and the overwhelming psychological weight of your presence. Every time you pressed down, every time you shifted that sharp point of pressure, he felt like he was being branded. He was grinding his pelvis against your shoe with a frantic, rhythmic desperation, his breath coming in hot, ragged sobs against your skin.

He didn't care who heard him in the hallway; he didn't care about the party or his pride or the fact that he was literally begging a person who he’d dumped for a scrap of attention.

His hands tightened on your thighs, his knuckles white, his fingers digging into your flesh as if he were trying to anchor himself to reality. His arousal fell into a heavy, punishing weight — at this rate, it was going to tear him apart from the inside out. 

He was a man possessed, driven by the terrifying realisation that he was no longer in control of his own pleasure — you were. Every frantic thrust of his hips, every guttural, broken moan that spilled from his lips, was a testament to the invisible leash you had wrapped around his soul. He was drowning in you, and as the pressure of your boot intensified, he could feel the world beginning to fracture, leaving nothing behind but the desperate, starving ache of a man who finally understood that he had never truly been free.

You didn't pull away. Instead, you leaned into the cruelty, pressing your heel even harder, grinding the sharp point into the center of his heat. You watched him with a predatory, half lidded gaze, enjoying the way his entire body shuddered under your command.

"Look at you," you purred, your voice a low, melodic taunt that cut through his delirium. "Where’s that cock asshole gone, Dean? Seems like he’s reduced to a dog begging for a scrap of attention from a person he thought he could just — leave behind."

"Fuck, fuck," Dean choked out, his eyes rolling back in his head. "You — you're so fucking mean — god, don't stop. Please, don't you dare stop."

He let out a strangle moan that was half sob, half growl. He was losing his mind, his forehead dropping to rest against your knee as he continued to thrust his pelvis upward, desperate to catch the friction of your heel. The humiliation of it should have been enough to make him pull away, but the conditioning was too strong — his body didn't care about his pride, it only cared about you. 

You, who held the key to its release.

"Is this what you wanted, Dean?" you asked, your voice a silky, mocking caress. You shifted your foot just a fraction, a tiny, excruciating movement that made him let out a sharp, high pitched gasp. "To be a pathetic little mess on the floor, begging for a shoe to finish you off?"

"Yes! God, yes!" he moaned in a hushed, desperate whisper, his fingers digging even deeper into your thighs, his knuckles turning white. "Anything — anything you want, just — please —"

He was grinding his pelvis against your shoe with a desperate pace with his breath coming in hot, ragged sobs against your skin.

"You're so fucking — beautiful," he gasped, the words stumbling out of him between heavy, guttural moans. He was completely unmoored, his eyes glazed and unfocused, staring at nothing as he chased the sensation of your heel. "Don't — don't pull away. If you pull away now, I'm gonna — I'm gonna die, baby. Please."

Just as the first violent, involuntary spasm of an orgasm began to ripple through his core you abruptly pulled your shoe back.

The sudden loss of friction was like a physical blow. Dean’s hips jerked upward, his entire body arching in a desperate, unfinished thrust, his mouth falling open in a silent whine. He froze there, suspended in a state of pained torture, his cock throbbing with a heavy, punishing heat that had nowhere to go.

"Wait... what? No! No!" he gasped, his voice cracking as he frantically reached for your leg, his hands trembling so hard he could scarcely be able to catch his breath. He looked up at you, his eyes wide and bloodshot, brimming with a humiliating desperation. The sudden void where your heel had been felt like a physical wound, leaving him hollow and aching in the most delicious way possible.

"Why — why'd you stop?" he whimpered, a pathetic, broken sound that tore from his throat. He was trembling violently now, his muscles twitching with the unspent energy of a climax that had been cruelly snatched away. "Please, baby —don't do this to me. Don't leave me like this. It's — it's fucking killing me."

You didn't give him an answer. You simply stood there, looking down at him with that same, terrifyingly calm amusement, watching him struggle to maintain his composure while his body betrayed him.

"You were doing so well, Dean," you teased, your voice a silky, mocking caress. "So rhythmic. So... obedient."

"Obedient? God, fuck —" he groaned, the word dissolving into a ragged, desperate sob. He slumped forward, his forehead thumping against your thigh as he fought to keep from collapsing entirely. The unspent arousal was a heavy, pulsing weight in his groin — a feverish ache that felt like it was burning him from the inside out.

Every nerve ending was screaming, tuned to a frequency that only you could satisfy, and the sudden absence of your shoe felt like a cruel, gaping void.

"Please," he begged, his voice dropping to a low, gravelly rasp that was thick with tears and lust. He reached up, his fingers weakly grasping at your outfit, pulling at you with a frantic, uncoordinated strength. "Don't leave me on the edge. Don't fucking do this to me. Just one more time — just let — ”

You didn't let him recover. You stepped back into his space, the sharp heel of your shoe finding that swollen, aching heat through his jeans once more. 

"Back to work, Dean," you commanded, your voice a cold, beautiful lash. "Show me how much you want it."

"Oh, fuck, yes — please," he groaned, his head snapping back as he immediately began to grind his pelvis against you.

Then again, he was so close, the unspent orgasm pulsing heavily in his balls, his breath coming in ragged, guttural sobs. "God, sweetheart, right there — don't stop — don't you fucking stop — "

And then, just as his back arched and his eyes rolled into his head, you yanked your foot away.

The sudden absence of pressure was a violent, psychological slap. Dean’s hips jerked upward, his body locking in an agonising spasm as his orgasm was cruelly intercepted. He let out a choked, strangled sound halfway between a roar and a sob as he hovered on the razor's edge of a release that was now being denied to him.

"No! Fuck!" he gasped, his eyes snapping open, wide and glazed with a hurried, animalistic realisation.

Dean stared up at you, his chest heaving, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated torment. He saw the mocking glint in your eyes, the way you were watching him struggle, and it finally clicked. This wasn't just a moment of passion; this was a game — and he was the toy.

"You're — you're fucking playing with me," he rasped, a desperate, broken laugh hitching in his throat, a sound of pure, delirious madness. "You're fucking torturing me — you're making me beg like a goddamn dog."

“Aren’t ya one?” You replied simply, cocking your head down at his haggard look.

But he didn't care. The moment you stepped back in, the sharp, punishing pressure of your boot crushing into his clothed cock, he was back to snapping forward with a violent, uncoordinated hunger. 

"Yes, fuck, yes — give it to me," he gravelly moaned.cHe was a man on the brink of a total mental collapse, his hands white knuckled as they gripped your thighs, pulling you into him as if he could force the friction to break him.

And then, just as he reached the orgasm — for the nth time — just as his breath hitched into a high, strangled whine and his hips began to spasm, you yanked your heel away again.

"No! Goddammit!" he yelled, the sound muffled by his own frantic, desperate gasps. He was losing it. He was actually losing his mind.

His hips kept thrusting at the empty air where you had just been, his body acting on a momentum that had no destination. He looked up at you, his face a mask of sweating, beautiful agony, his eyes pleading with a ferocity that was almost frightening.

"Please — sweetheart, please — just let me — just let me finish," he begged, his voice a broken, guttural wreck. He was trembling so violently he could barely stay upright, his hands sliding from your thighs to your waist, clutching at you with a strength born of pure, unadulterated desperation. "I'll do anything — anything you want. Just — don't fucking leave me hanging like this — s’too much, m’dying — "

You didn't even blink. You just stepped back in, the blunt shoe finding that swollen, aching centre of his cockhead once more, grinding deep into his denim.

"Again," you snapped at him. "Show me how much you want it, Dean."

And so you continued the routine again, goading the poor man to keep grinding his orgasm to the very exquisite edge, before merrily snatching it away from him. The way he clung onto you, begging with those pretty, wide eyes, it completely made you forget about the breakup — it was just an addicting thrill, one that you needed to see more of.

Dean was slumped forward, his forehead hitting your knees, his breath coming in frantic, sobbing hitches. He was hovering in a state of permanent, agonising suspension, his cock throbbing so violently against the denim it felt like it might actually burst.

"You're a fucking sadist," he wheezed, a delirious, broken laugh escaping his lips as he looked up at you through wet lashes.

He knew he was losing his mind, knew he was completely at your mercy, worst of all, he fucking loved it. He grabbed your hips, his fingers digging in with bruising force, his eyes burning with a desperate, primal hunger.

"You're gonna break me, darlin’," he choked out, his voice a desperate, ragged rasp. "You're gonna break me — you're gonna fucking love every second of it, ain’t ya?"

He didn't wait for your permission this time. He lunged forward, his face burying into the crook of your thigh, his breath hot and frantic against your skin. Dean was a starving animal, and you were the only thing that could satiate him. He began to grind his pelvis against your shoe again, his movements even more violent, even more unhinged than before. 

"Please, please," he groaned, the words dissolving into a series of broken, guttural sounds. "Just one more time — just let me hit the edge — let me feel you one more time before you kill me."

He was a man possessed, his hips thrusting into your heel so desperately with his hands bruising your thighs as he chased the friction. He was so close, the unspent load pulsing heavily in his cock, his breath coming in ragged, guttural sobs. "God, right there — m’fuck —"

The mighty Dean Winchester was gone. In his place was a weeping, broken mess of a man, collapsed on the floor at your feet. The sheer, unadulterated frustration of the edging had finally snapped his composure. He wasn't just groaning anymore; he was actually crying, thick, hot tears of pure, agonising lust spilling down his flushed cheeks.

He reached up with one trembling hand, wiping a stray tear away with the back of his knuckles, looking up at you with eyes that were completely shattered. The bravado, the "playboy" mask, the hunter's grit — it had all been stripped away, leaving nothing but a raw, pulsing nerve.

"Please, baby — I’ll be so good," he whimpered, his voice no longer a gravelly roar but a sweet, pathetic plea. The sound was so vulnerable it would have been embarrassing if the situation wasn't so deliciously dominant. “Hurts so bad — I’ll be so good f’you, please.”

He let out a broken, hitching sob, his forehead dropping back against your knee as he trembled. The unspent tension in his groin was so intense it felt like a physical ache, a heavy, throbbing pressure that made every breath a struggle. He was a man pushed past his limit, his body a frantic, twitching mess of unfulfilled desire.

You watched him, feeling a surge of dark, delicious power. He was so beautifully undone, so utterly dependent on your whim. You didn't say a word; you just let the silence stretch, letting him sit in his own misery, before you slowly, deliberately, slid your heel back into place.

Dean was beyond words. He was past begging; he was simply vibrating, a raw nerve of unspent climax and weeping desperation. His hips were twitching in pathetic, involuntary jerks against your shoe, his cock feeling like it was about to physically split open from the pressure.

His eyes — those green eyes that used to burn with protective fire, that used to look at you with such fierce, unyielding love were now wide, wet, and glassy. They were the eyes of a wounded animal, pupils blown wide, staring up at you with a pathetic hope that you would finally show mercy.

His mouth — that pretty mouth that used to whisper promises whispered against your skin in the dark — was now just babbling incoherent, wet pleas for salvation. 

Instead of giving him the release he was screaming for, you reached down. Your fingers tangled roughly into his hair, yanking his head back to expose his throat. You forced him to meet your gaze, holding him there while he trembled violently beneath your grip. You stared down into those beautiful, shattered doe eyes that once held nothing but devotion for you and saw only the raw, naked terror of a man who had been completely broken.

"Pathetic," you murmured, your voice devoid of any heat or mercy.

The moment he thought you might finally relent, you shoved his head away with contemptuous force. The sudden rejection made him gasp, his forehead nearly hitting the floor as he slumped forward, still twitching from the aborted climax.

"I'm bored now, go take a fucking cold shower, Dean."

You turned on your heel without waiting for a response, your movements casual and dismissive, as if you hadn't just systematically dismantled a human being's psyche. 

Behind you, Dean let out a sound that wasn't even human — a strangled, wet splutter of pure horror. "A shower? A shower?" he choked out, his voice cracking violently. "You can't — you can't fucking leave me like this! Baby, please!"

He tried to crawl after you, his knees scraping against the floor, but his body was too far gone, too paralysed by the overwhelming ache in his groin. 

He knew better than anyone that a cold shower wouldn't touch the inferno you'd ignited inside him. A shower couldn't wash away the psychological torment, the raw, pulsing need that had become his entire world.

You were leaving him stranded on a cliffside with no way down, forced to stare at the abyss of your indifference while his own body screamed for a release you had cruelly denied.

Some lucky night he’s having.

$ tag @twentytomidnight @i-gotta-go-so-much-bigger @hisokamywaifu @sb-bitch @lj-to-lz @feralzombae

$ join taglist

The sun rose gold this morning, spilling across the fields like honey. You were already up, already working, already smiling.

You always smiled.

The hens clucked softly in the coop as you lifted the latch and greeted them with your usual chirp. They clucked back, feathers rustling as they hopped down from their roosts, and you gathered the eggs with practiced ease, cradling each one in your palm like it was made of spun glass. The pigs oinked next. You scratched the largest behind the ears, whispered that she was beautiful, and she leaned into you with a low sigh, as if she understood.

The mule got a kiss between the eyes. The cows got songs while you milked them, soft and sweet. Even the barn cats wound around your ankles, purring like little motors as you moved through your morning.

You were kind to everything that deserved it.

You wiped the sweat from your brow and squinted toward the horizon. The sky was starting to bake. Late summer meant everything stank a little more than usual, especially out by the edge of the swamp. Still, you didn’t mind the heat. You never had. You liked how it clung to you. How it made the hem of your dress stick to your thighs and curl damply around your calves. Made you feel alive.

You didn’t wear shoes. Hadn’t in years.

Your parents used to fuss over that.

They used to fuss over a lot of things.

You don’t miss them.

They left you the farm when they died, and that was the only generous thing they ever did. Even then, it wasn’t intentional. You could still hear your mama’s voice echoing through the walls sometimes—don’t embarrass us, girl, keep that mouth shut—but it always faded after a while. You only heard it when you were bored, mostly.

And you weren’t bored now.

Not with so much work to be done.

Not with Josephine waiting.

By mid-afternoon, the sun was a white eye hanging over your head, blinking slow and mean. The trees near the swamp shimmered in the haze as you made your way down the winding path, your fingers brushing the wildflowers like old friends. Crickets buzzed. Cicadas whined. Something distant cracked, like old wood splitting in two.

Josephine was there before you called her.

She rose from the muck like a shadow come to life—thirty feet from snout to tail, with jaws wide enough to snap a door clean off its hinges. Her scales caught the light like polished stone, and her yellow eyes blinked lazily as she drifted closer.

“Hi, pretty girl,” you called, crouching at the edge of the water.

She huffed through her nostrils. That was her way of saying hello.

You loved her. More than most people. Josephine had never asked you to be quiet. Had never told you to sit with your legs closed. Had never tried to put a hand up your dress or call you a whore behind your back like the boys in town used to.

Josephine only asked to be fed.

And you were good at feeding her.

You spotted it before you stepped into the shallows—a pale, water-bloated arm, half-covered in mud and dragging a trail of flies behind it. The hand was curled like it had something left to say. You grinned.

“Oh,” you said brightly. “You left your snack out.”

You stooped, grabbed the wrist, and flung the whole thing like a softball. Josephine moved with a speed that always startled you, even after all these years. Her jaws snapped around the arm midair—CRUNCH—and you clapped, delighted.

“Good girl!” you squealed.

Josephine sank back beneath the surface, tail dragging behind like a thick rope, and you sat at the bank a moment longer, kicking your feet in the mud. The hem of your dress was soaked and stained brown, but you didn’t mind. You liked the feeling.

You leaned back on your elbows and closed your eyes, letting the sun roast your face.

That one had been a banker, you thought. Loud, red-faced, soft around the middle. Called you girl in that disrespectful tone. Tried to push you into the corn with his belt already undone. Didn’t make it more than four steps before the axe caught him in the neck.

White men were always your favorite.

So easy.

So sure you’d let them do whatever they wanted.

They never saw it coming.

You hummed to yourself, a little tune your mama used to hum when she thought no one could hear her, and traced patterns into the mud beside you with one lazy finger. You imagined Josephine still chewing beneath the surface, teeth rending bone, her heart content for now.

You were content, too.

The farm was quiet. The animals were fed. The sun was high. The bones were buried deep. You had more meat hung in the cellar than you’d need for the month. Maybe longer. And Josephine never went hungry. Not anymore.

But still.

Still.

It felt like something was missing.

Not anything practical—no, you’d taken care of that. You had grain. You had milk. You had a pretty new dress for church, even if you hadn’t stepped inside that building since your mama’s funeral.

You just wanted—

You didn’t know.

It could get lonely on the farm, sometimes.

Not all the time. Not really. You had plenty of company, after all—the hens always had something to say, the cows were sweet as could be, and Josephine had the best listening ears in the whole world, even if her answers came in huffs and gurgles.

And you were great conversation, too.

Sharp. Funny. Endlessly clever.

You smiled at the thought. “Thank you,” you murmured, nodding to no one and to yourself all at once. “That’s very kind.”

The compliment warmed your chest like a fresh cup of coffee. You deserved it.

You lay back a little farther on the bank, mud squishing under your shoulder blades, and stared up through the trees. A dragonfly buzzed past your ear, wings catching light in flashes of green and copper. Somewhere far off, a bird cried, high and sweet.

You sighed.

Not unhappy. Just… tired, maybe.

The sun had made everything drowsy. The world felt soft around the edges, like a photograph that had been left too long in the window.

Your stomach growled. Loudly.

You blinked.

“Oh,” you said, rubbing your belly. “I forgot to eat.”

It happened more than you liked to admit. You’d get caught up in chores, in talking, in thinking, and suddenly the day would be half-gone without a crumb in your mouth. But that was alright. You had plenty in the kitchen. You always made sure of that.

You pushed yourself upright, brushing bits of grass and dirt from your arms. The bank was still damp, and the hem of your dress clung to your calves, streaked with muck. You’d track it into the house. You always did.

Didn’t matter. You’d mop later.

You headed back up the path, slower now, your bare feet slapping softly against the packed earth. The breeze tugged at your dress, gentle and forgiving. Something skittered through the underbrush just ahead—a rabbit, maybe. Or a squirrel. You didn’t flinch.

You were thinking about dinner.

About buttery mashed potatoes and gravy. A pork chop seared crisp on the outside, soft in the middle. Maybe greens, too. With just the right splash of vinegar to make them perfect.

Your mouth watered.

You liked to cook.

To take pieces of things and make something whole again. Something warm. Something that filled the air with smell and made your chest feel steady and full.

It felt better than destruction.

Sometimes.

The house creaked as you stepped inside, cool and dim after the weight of the sun. You swept through the living room, humming to yourself, dragging your fingers along the wood-paneled walls like you were greeting old friends.

The kitchen welcomed you like it always did.

And you smiled as you got to work.

Night had fallen. Deep, still, and wide.

You lay in bed with your arms folded over your chest, lips pursed in an unflattering frown as you stared at the ceiling fan lazily pushing warm air in circles. The damn thing squeaked. Always had. You’d meant to fix it back in spring, but then came the planting, then the harvest, then the killing—and well, you couldn’t be expected to remember everything.

You huffed.

“Insomnia,” the doctor said. Like that helped. Like some pretty little word could make it less annoying.

You’d taken his pills exactly twice. Didn’t like the way they made your thoughts run together like yolk on the floor. Didn’t like the stillness, either. If something bad came—and it always did—you needed your full mind. Your full self.

Still, it didn’t make it any easier when the nights dragged long and wide, every tick of the wall clock another tooth in your skin. You curled your knees toward your chest. Shifted. Unfolded. Shifted again.

Then came the sound. Low and sputtering. Faint at first, like a wounded thing crawling toward your porch.

Your brows lifted.

You threw the covers back with theatrical flair, pushed yourself to your feet, and crossed the room in three easy steps.

You kept the lamp on. You always kept the lamp on. It made it easier.

You peeked through the lace curtain, careful not to press your face too close. There, at the edge of the property, a car had rolled to a half-dead stop. Engine hissing. Lights dimming. And out of the driver’s side, a man stepped into the humid dark.

You tilted your head.

Even from a distance, even through the heavy blur of night, you could see he was white. Dressed too nice for a road like yours—like he belonged in one of those new department store ads in town with slicked-back hair and tailored trousers. His shoes were shiny. His coat too clean.

And furious.

He kicked the wheel once, shouted something you couldn’t quite make out, then turned—and saw the light in your bedroom window.

You smiled. And just as always, you slipped away from the glass.

Light drew them in. Like moths to a flame.

You padded quietly down the stairs, steps careful and practiced. You didn’t rush. No, you never rushed.

By the time you reached the mirror in the hall, you could hear the footsteps. Soft crunching of gravel, the porch creaking under weight that wasn’t yours.

Then, the knock. Gentle. Too gentle for a man so freshly angry.

You licked your lips and tucked a loose curl behind your ear. Your dress was thin cotton, not exactly flattering, but it framed your waist well enough. A dab of rose balm to your lips. You leaned in toward the mirror, tapping your cheek lightly with two fingers.

“Lovely,” you murmured. “Just lovely.”

The doorknob was cool in your hand. You turned it slowly. Opened it wide.

And there he was.

Light-skinned, but not pallid—warm-toned, even in the dark. Brown hair slicked back neat, not a strand out of place. His suit was a shade of blue just a whisper off from navy—expensive looking, though it didn’t quite fit his frame right. The jacket sagged a little at the shoulders, a size too big maybe, but his posture made up for it. He stood like a soldier. Or a preacher. Like a man used to being listened to.

Except tonight, he looked nervous.

"Evenin’, miss," he said, voice warm and rolling. Soft-spoken, too. "I sure do hate to bother ya, and I’m awful sorry for knockin’ so late, but my car went and gave up on me just a little ways back. I was wonderin’—would it be alright if I parked here for the night? Just sleep in it till I can get someone out come mornin’?"

His voice was honey. Not cloying. Just sweet enough to make you lean in.

You blinked slowly, drinking him in.

The faintest stubble dusted his chin. A gold chain sat modestly around his neck, almost hidden by the collar of his dress shirt. His canines were sharp. Not like a monster’s. Just sharp enough to notice. His eyes were dark blue, but there was something red behind them—something faint. Barely there. Like fire hidden under the coals.

And handsome. God, he was handsome. The kind of handsome you could’ve written sonnets about, if you’d ever been one for poetry.

You wondered how long it would take to carve the terror into his pretty face. If he’d cry when the knife found its mark, or if he’d try to hide it—swallow his sobs like a man with something worth dying for. If he’d still speak to you sweetly while he bled out, voice warm and shaking, trying to charm you even as the color drained from his cheeks.

You wondered what his breath would sound like, ragged and shallow, when it started to fail him. If it would hitch in that soft chest of his, little by little, until there was nothing left but wet rattling.

You thought about how his pupils might bloom wide as the pain caught up to him. How that slicked-back hair would cling damp to his temples when he sweated through his fear.

You wondered if he’d beg.

“Miss?”

You blinked again, caught staring.

His smile had softened with confusion, eyes squinting as he tilted his head politely.

You smiled right back.

“Out in that heat?” you asked with a lilt. “What kind of host would I be if I let you sleep in your car?”

He raised his hands, sheepish. "Now, I ain’t tryin’ to impose—"

“But you already knocked,” you said sweetly. “So I’d say the imposition’s already happened, wouldn’t you?”

That flustered him.

You liked that.

He glanced down at his shoes, sheepish, brushing a hand over his wrist. “I… suppose that’s fair. Still. Wouldn’t feel right acceptin’ too much kindness. Not from a good woman like yerself.”

Your smile widened.

“Kindness is for guests, sir,” you said. “And I only ever show it to people who come through my door.”

He hesitated.

But you didn’t.

You stepped aside.

“Come in,” you said, low and warm. “I’ve got an extra room made up. You’ll be comfortable.”

And he stepped in. So easily.

And you made sure to lock the door behind him.

The sound of the latch sliding into place was a familiar one. A good one.

You turned around with your hands clasped sweetly behind your back. "Are you hungry?"

He blinked. Took a second longer than he probably meant to. His eyes flicked toward the kitchen, then back to you. “Oh, no, ma’am. I wouldn’t want t’—”

“I made too much supper,” you interrupted, stepping around him lightly, your bare feet pattering on the wooden floor like you’d forgotten all about him already. “Three-course mistake. I do that sometimes. Don’t know what gets into me. But it’s lucky you stopped by! Really, you’ll be saving me from leftovers.”

“I don’t wanna put ya out, now,” he said as he followed a few hesitant steps behind. “Y’already been too kind.”

Your head cocked just a little. The smile didn’t leave your face.

And right on cue—his stomach growled.

It was soft, but loud enough to make him grimace and drop his gaze, almost sheepish. You didn’t laugh. You just turned on your heel, delighted.

“Go on and sit,” you said, already reaching for the stovetop. “I don’t let anyone go hungry in my home.”

The table was small—meant for two, even though it had rarely been set for more than one. The seats were padded with worn floral cushions, the kind your mama once swore made a guest stay longer. You liked that idea.

He stood awkwardly near it, still not quite sitting.

“Y’live out here alone?” he asked, trying to sound casual. “Big place like this?”

You hummed as you pulled out a plate and filled it generously, trying your best to give the warmest servings. “Sure do. My mama and daddy left it to me.”

He finally sat, stiff-backed. “They don’t help ya run it?”

“They passed,” you said cheerfully, spooning an extra heap of beans onto the plate. “Not too long ago.”

His brow creased just slightly. “I’m sorry t’hear that.”

“I’m not!” You said it like it was nothing. And to you, it was. You smiled a little to yourself. “They weren’t the kind of people who liked to share. Especially not space. Or dreams.”

He didn’t answer that.

You turned toward him—plate in hand—setting it in front of him like a prize. “I love having people over,” you said, clasping your hands together. “It gets awfully quiet on this farm with just me and the chickens and the cows and the sky. I talk to myself so much I start giving myself compliments.”

You laughed a little and leaned in, voice low and gleeful. “And I always say thank you.”

He offered a weak chuckle of his own. “Yer… real spirited, miss.”

“Isn’t that just the nicest thing to say,” you beamed, walking back to the drawer for silverware.

He rubbed at the back of his neck. “What do ya grow out here?”

“Oh, the usual,” you called. “Corn, sweet potatoes, berries, peppers, whatever wants to grow.”

“Ya take care of all that yourself?”

“Mhm.” You pulled the drawer open and clattered around until you found a clean set of polished silver.

The moment you walked back and set them down beside his plate, he jerked slightly.

His fingers curled away. His jaw tightened.

“Ah—” he winced, shifting in his seat. “I don’t s’pose ya have… steel? Or… aluminum, maybe?”

You paused. Looked down at the utensils. Then back up at him. The smile didn’t slip, but your eyes narrowed just a touch.

You turned away again without asking any questions.

“Picky eater?” you teased as you rifled through the odds-and-ends drawer under the flour bins. “You allergic to silver?”

“Somethin’ like that,” he muttered.

You found an old aluminum set and wiped it clean with a hand towel before setting it gently beside his plate.

“There,” you said. “Don’t say I never did nothin’ for you.”

He smiled again, but you noticed he didn’t meet your eyes this time. Still, he picked up the fork.

And ate.

He was careful about it. Polite, but with little hesitation. He chewed thoughtfully. Deliberately. Like he wanted to make sure he got every taste before swallowing. You watched his jaw shift, the little twitch of his throat as he swallowed. The slight tremble in his hand where he held the fork.

You leaned your elbows on the table, chin in your palms, watching.

He noticed. He tried not to. But you saw the glance. The way his spine straightened, the way he looked everywhere but at you.

“So,” you said brightly, “what’s your name, stranger?”

He chewed slower. Took his time before answering.

“Remmick,” he said finally.

You mouthed it to yourself. Softly. Like a little treat.

“What kind of name is that?”

“Family name,” he added, like he was used to the question. “And yers?”

You leaned in just a little closer. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me where you’re headed.”

He hesitated. Fork paused halfway to his mouth.

“North Carolina,” he said, slow. “Got people up there. Was hopin’ to visit a few.”

“You married?”

He looked up sharply. “No, ma’am.”

“Ever been?”

“No, ma’am.”

You grinned. “That’s a shame. You seem real sweet.”

He shifted again.

You could practically smell the nerves now.

You liked that. Liked the way he was trying to be so composed, so gentlemanly, so proper. You could see the effort in every movement. And you could see it fraying at the edges already.

So easy to pick apart. So easy to slip a knife into.

You clapped your hands together once. “I knew tonight was gonna be special,” you said brightly, watching him squirm under your gaze. “Josephine said so.”

Remmick blinked. “Who?”

You pointed out the window toward the woods and the swamp beyond.

“My gator,” you said, smiling wide. “She don’t say much. But she’s always right.”

You laughed at his face.

And Remmick—Remmick managed a tense chuckle, lips twitching. But his eyes never quite left yours. Like he was waiting for something. Like he was trying to decide if he should be afraid.

And maybe he was.

You saw it. Just a flicker in his eyes when you rose from your chair and reached toward his plate. A blink-long flinch, quick and tight, gone as fast as it came—but not fast enough.

You took the plate gently, like you hadn’t noticed.

He cleared his throat and forced a smile, sheepish. “Thank ya kindly,” he said, nodding toward the cleaned-off plate in your hands. “That was… real good. Better than good, actually.”

“Why, thank you,” you said, your own smile rising soft and sweet. “Means a lot, comin’ from a stranger.”

You turned to the sink, rinsed the plate with the same care you did everything, and set it in the basin with a little hum. The house creaked around you, like it always did when the wind moved through. But the windows were still. The world outside had fallen quiet.

When you turned back to face him, Remmick was standing awkwardly now, thumb hooked on the strap of his suspenders, other hand tucked into the pocket of those neat blue slacks that didn’t quite match the dusty world around him.

“Let me show you to your room,” you said brightly, already moving toward the hallway.

He followed, slower this time, his steps measured.

You opened the door near the end of the corridor and flipped on the light.

It was perfect.

The linens were fresh, crisp and white with just a hint of lavender from the sachets you kept in the wardrobe. The floor was swept clean, the dresser dusted. The mattress was new. Or, at least, new enough. You’d turned it twice and flipped it once. Couldn’t have the stains showing through.

The air inside smelled faintly of bleach and pine. Clean. Comforting.

Nothing of the man who’d bled out there just a few weeks ago.

Remmick stood in the doorway for a beat too long, eyes taking in every edge. Not suspicious, exactly. Just… cautious. Like he couldn’t tell if it was too polished.

Then he stepped inside.

His eyes landed on the doorknob.

“Where’s the lock?” he asked, brow furrowed as he pointed toward the little brass handle and the empty round hole where the latch should’ve been.

You tilted your head and smiled. “Broke,” you said, voice light. “Years ago.”

A pause. Just long enough.

But he nodded, like he believed it. Or like he wanted to.

“Well,” he said, sitting gently down on the edge of the bed. “This is more’n generous, miss. I… I appreciate it, truly.”

His hands rested on his knees. The posture of a man not used to being taken care of.

You stood just inside the doorway, one hand on the frame, watching him settle in like you’d already begun carving out the memory. Or carving him open. What was the difference, really?

“Anything else you need?” you asked.

He looked up a little too quick. “No, ma’am. I’m— I’m alright. Ya’ve already done too much for me.”

You nodded slowly, lingering.

Then you let your voice soften again. “Well… if anything comes up, I’ll be right down the hall.”

He didn’t answer right away, just nodded and offered you another one of those hesitant, grateful smiles. The kind that looked like it didn’t get worn often.

“Goodnight, Remmick,” you said, voice curling sweet around the name.

“Goodnight, miss.”

You slipped from the room and pulled the door gently shut behind you.

You woke to the sound of metal grinding metal. And not gently.

It was still dark out—barely a stitch of light crawling past the horizon—but some dumb son of a bitch was out there raising hell like it was noon. You sat up in bed, heart hammering in your chest not from fear, but from irritation. The kind that sank deep behind your ribs and lit up like a match.

You knew who it was before you even pulled the curtain back.

There he was. Remmick. Fiddling under the hood of his car, brow pinched, jaw tight, making more noise than a dying horse.

Your lip twitched. He had the gall to sneak out? To wrench around in your yard like you hadn’t just fed him, sheltered him, welcomed him into your home like the good woman you were?

You were on your feet before the thought could settle.

Downstairs, bare feet quick and light against the old pine boards, you reached under the loose floorboard behind the coat rack. The click of the latch released with a familiar little song in your bones. Out came a wrench. Heavy, clean. Well-oiled. Meant for more than fixing. You held it for a moment, just feeling the weight.

Then, with a breath, you checked yourself in the mirror near the door. Smoothed your hair. Tugged your nightgown tighter at the collar. Pressed your lips together and pulled them into something pleasant. Not too wide. Not too stiff.

“You are lookin’ lovely,” you murmured. And then you thanked yourself for the compliment.

You always were polite.

The wrench was tucked behind your back by the time you opened the front door with a little too much force. Let it swing wide and hit the side of the house with a crack.

“Mornin’!” you called, raising one hand in a wave. “Aren’t you just the busiest bee this side of the county.”

He jumped. Actually jumped. That did something warm and golden to your insides.

“Oh! Mornin’, miss,” he called back, voice rising nervously. “Ain’t mean to wake ya. Just figured I’d get a jump on the car ‘fore it got too hot out.”

For just a second. Just long enough. You saw it—panic. That tight jolt behind the eyes. The flash of guilt, of being caught. But it vanished quick, replaced with that practiced easygoing smile you were beginning to suspect he wore like armor.

You stepped down the porch stairs one by one, each heel clicking like a metronome. The wrench stayed tucked behind you, swinging with the rhythm of your walk.

“Oh, that’s so considerate,” you said sweetly. “But you really shoulda let me know. I’d’ve made you some coffee. Or somethin’ to eat.”

He smiled again—too tight—and shrugged. “Didn’t wanna be a bother. Figured I’d get it goin’ and be outta yer hair ‘fore ya even noticed.”

You stopped a few feet from him. Tilted your head.

“Were you plannin’ to leave without sayin’ goodbye?” you asked lightly, voice still honeyed but with an unintentional tilt to it.

His smile faltered. “No, ma’am.”

Too quick.

You tilted your head. “Hmm.”

For a second—just a second—you pictured it. The arc of the wrench. The sick sound it’d make when it met bone. The way his body would slump forward against the car, eyes wide and confused, blood warm on the bumper.

You’d done it before. A dozen times.

Men like him always thought they could come and go. Thought kindness was something they were owed. And when they didn’t get what they wanted—when they got scared—they ran.

You didn’t like runners.

But not this time.

You blinked, and the vision passed. Instead, you smiled wider and stepped close enough to catch a whiff of whatever he’d used to wash—something woody, a little metallic. Something just shy of real clean.

“No need to rush,” you said sweetly. “Ain’t every day I get such fine company out here.”

Then you reached out and looped your arm through his. Smooth as butter.

He stiffened. You felt it. But he didn’t pull away. Didn’t dare.

“Come on,” you chirped. “I’ll give you the grand tour. Least I can do after all your troubles.”

“I really don’t wanna trouble ya more’n I already have—”

“Oh, hush,” you said with a light squeeze to his arm. “I insist.”

He looked down at where your hand sat so neat against his wrist. His mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again. But he said nothing.

You started walking, guiding him gently past the house, through the tall grass that had gone gold at the tips from the summer sun. The breeze was picking up now. The sky was glowing pink.

Remmick kept pace, though you could feel the tension radiating off him. The animals watched you from their pens as you passed. The cows shifted in their stalls. The chickens rustled on their roosts. You weren’t stopping for them. They knew better than to make noise when you were working. They knew who fed them.

But that didn't make for much of a tour, did it?

He kept stealing glances at you. You could feel it. That unsure curiosity. The way he watched the side of your face like he was afraid to look full on.

You didn’t mind.

His shoes scuffed along the dry path as you pulled him past the crop fields and beyond the thickets that edged the far back of your property. You could already smell the swamp—mossy, ripe, alive. Like it breathed.

He slowed as the trees thinned, eyes narrowing toward the glint of green water ahead. The dock stretched out in old, uneven planks, all grayed with time and slick with morning dew.

You tugged him to the edge.

“I wanna show you somethin’,” you said, voice bright.

He hesitated, boots stalling just before the first board. “What’s out there?”

You turned back and smiled. “My girl.”

He blinked. “What?”

You stepped up first, the dock creaking beneath your feet. Remmick followed, slower than before. Eyes darting. Shoulders stiff.

When you reached the end, you cupped your hands to your mouth and whistled. Loud. Sharp. Like you’d done since you were a child.

The swamp rippled. The trees hushed. And then—movement.

Water churning. Reeds splitting.

Remmick stumbled back a step, already starting to speak—“What the hell—” when Josephine rose from the shallows like something summoned. Massive, dark, ancient. Her long jaw split open in a low hiss of greeting, amber eyes blinking in that lazy, knowing way.

“God almighty!” He yelped, stumbling so hard he nearly toppled off the dock.

You caught his arm just in time.

“Careful now,” you said sweetly. “Don’t wanna lose you just yet.”

His heart thudded like a drum under your palm. You kept your grip tight as he teetered, then yanked him back with a cheerful laugh.

He stared at you, pale and breathless.

“She don’t bite,” you lied with a grin.

He glanced toward Josephine, who’d half-submerged again, only her eyes and snout visible above the waterline. She let out a low rumble, almost like a purr.

“I—I’m sorry,” he stammered, still breathless. “What is that?”

“That’s Josephine,” you said proudly, kneeling at the dock’s edge to run your fingers through the water. “Been mine since I was little. Raised her myself. I know I mentioned her.”

“Ya—ya raised a gator?”

“She’s family,” you said. “Ain’t that right, girl?”

Josephine blinked once. Slowly.

Remmick still looked like he was trying to decide whether to bolt or vomit.

You stood again and turned toward him, offering your hand as if the two of them were being properly introduced.

“Josephine, this is Remmick.”

Then, with a wicked little twist to your wrist, you gave his hand a shake. A purposeful one. A mean one.

He lost his footing again—just a bit—but it was enough to send him swaying, toes curling for balance as the drop behind him yawned wide and dark.

Your grip steadied him at the last second.

The way his eyes went wide, lips parting in a breathless, helpless little gasp—it made a heat bloom low in your belly.

You couldn’t help yourself.

You giggled.

He blinked at you, dazed. Shaken.

You held his pretty little face between your palms. Warm, smooth skin. Clean-shaven. A sharpness to the jaw you admired. His mouth, parted in something like confusion. Or maybe pleading. You couldn’t quite tell.

His eyes—those dark, stormy blue ones—had that red gleam again. Subtle. Fleeting.

He didn’t say a word. Couldn’t, maybe.

And you knew, with a strange and perfect certainty, that you were going to keep him.

He was it.

The audience. The company. The man who’d sit across the table from you, day after day, and pretend not to be afraid even when you knew better. Even when you saw it in his eyes.

You wanted that. You wanted him.

“I think you’re gonna stay a while,” you whispered, thumbs brushing his cheekbones. “Don’t you?”

He didn’t answer. Didn’t move. Not even a nod.

His breath came quick, nostrils flaring, hands clenched at his sides.

Oh, it made you dizzy.

You pulled back slightly, just enough to tilt your head and admire the view. Still close enough to feel his heartbeat through his shirt.

So much had happened already.

You thought about the night before. How he’d stood there on your porch, looking like a lamb lost in the woods. How you’d almost slammed the door on his neck and fed him to Josephine right then and there.

You thought about the kitchen, the way his eyes darted to the utensils, how he winced at the silver. How easy it would’ve been to follow that flinch with a knife under the ribs. Slice clean. Deep.

You thought about the way he’d slept—so still. So silent. You’d stood at the edge of his room for a long time. Watching. Breathing with him. Just one pillow pressed over his face and he wouldn’t have made a sound.

And this morning? The car? You could’ve crushed his throat while he was bent under the hood. Let him gurgle into the oil pan.

And now. Now he was here.

Your fingers itched.

But instead of hurting him—

You smiled. Because he was still trembling, and he didn’t even know why.

Yet.

“You’ve got the prettiest eyes...” you murmured, running your fingers through one side of his hair.

He swallowed.

You didn’t give him time to answer.

“Let’s get you somethin’ sweet,” you said suddenly, spinning away with a skip in your step. “I bake too, you know. You want peach or apple?”

His breath caught. “Uh—whichever’s fine, I—I’m not picky.”

You turned back to look at him over your shoulder, bathed in morning haze, and winked.

“Oh, Remmick.”

You almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

You were going to ruin him.

You took his car apart that same night.

He’d begged you not to. Hands trembling, voice low but desperate. He didn’t scream—Remmick didn’t do much screaming, not even then. But you still remembered the sound his voice made when it cracked. The way he said your name like it meant something.

You’d just smiled. Crouched down in your dress and pinned-up hair and unbuttoned collar, fingers slick with engine grease, wrench clutched tight in your fist.

And piece by piece, you’d taken apart his only way out.

He stood there the whole time, fists clenched, jaw set. At one point he tried to stop you—reached out, just barely, like he might grab your wrist—but the glare you gave him made his hand drop. And then it was done. A gutted carcass of a car left to rot at the edge of your fields, tires rolled into the barn, battery sunk at the bottom of the swamp.

The next morning, he asked if you’d help him call a tow.

And you told him he wasn’t leaving.

He stopped asking after that.

The first body he saw you drag was two nights later. A man with too many rings on his fingers and not enough brains in his head, who’d thought he could “have a taste” before paying for eggs. You stabbed him in the neck with the edge of a broken shovel.

Remmick had walked in as you were sawing off the feet. You looked up, breathless and smiling, drenched in red, and asked him to bring you the tarp.

He didn’t move at first. Just stared.

And then turned and walked out.

You found him on the porch ten minutes later, staring out at the cornfields like they might lift up and take him away.

But they didn’t.

So the next time, when the meat truck driver with the twitchy mustache came looking for more than pork, you let him watch from the doorway. You made sure he saw the man’s eyes roll back. The way his body twitched. The way you licked your fingers clean.

You asked if he wanted a bite.

He said nothing.

But a few hours later, when you left the heart on the barn table, you returned to find they’d been eaten.

He never mentioned it. Neither did you.

Eventually, you replaced the brass knobs with silver ones. Polished until they shone like moonlight. You didn’t bother pretending it was decorative. You wanted him to feel it. To remember. If he ever got the bright idea to leave again, you wanted the first thing he touched to bite back.

He tried sneaking out twice more after that. Once through a window on the top floor, and once during a storm when he thought you were asleep.

Both times you caught him.

The second time, he flinched like he thought you might actually hurt him.

You didn’t.

You just stood in the doorway, hair soaked, nightgown clinging to your skin, and whispered, “Aren’t you tired yet?”

And that time, for once, he answered honestly.

“Yeah.”

After that, things changed.

Not all at once. Not overnight.

But slowly.

At first, he refused to touch you. Wouldn’t meet your eyes. Would sleep curled up on the far edge of the bed with his back turned and his arms tight around himself, like maybe if he stayed small enough, he’d disappear.

You didn’t push.

You just waited.

He folded eventually. They always did.

The first time he kissed you back, it was barely more than a flicker. A slow lean in, a tilt of his chin, a clumsy meeting of lips.

You’d felt him tremble.

You’d loved it.

He told you once, maybe a month in, that he still hated you.

You smiled and kissed his jaw.

“Don’t matter,” you said. “You’re here.”

And that was the truth of it.

He was here.

He fed now. Always after you were done dismembering, always with a grimace like he was swallowing bile instead of blood. But he fed. And he held you after. Hands warm and calloused on your back, mouth soft against your neck. Like he couldn’t bear to be alone in those moments. Like the only thing worse than touching you was not.

You cooked every night. He sat at the table, sometimes talking, sometimes just listening. You’d watch his hands curl around the chipped ceramic mugs like he was still trying to remember what they were for.

And in bed—well.

He stopped sleeping with his back to you. Started pulling you in instead. Kisses before sleep, lazy and familiar. Limbs tangled in the sheets. Sometimes he’d trace your scars in the dark. Sometimes he’d ask about them. You’d always tell the truth. That you gave as good as you got. That the world didn’t give kindness easy to girls who looked like you.

He understood that. Maybe more than he wanted to admit.

There were fights. Of course there were.

He’d snap. You’d scream. He’d accuse. You’d threaten. Sometimes it ended with him storming off to the barn, fangs out, chest heaving. Other times it ended with you crying on the kitchen floor while he wiped whispered your name like an apology.

But he always came back.

And you never asked for more than that.

Now it was fall.

The corn had gone brittle and gold. The apples were heavy on the trees. The air snapped cold at night, and Remmick wore one of your father’s old coats, sleeves too big buttons half-missing.

You still killed.

And he still fed.

And sometimes, when the silence between you got too thick, you’d rest your head on his chest and he’d murmur things you didn’t understand in some tongue you couldn’t name.

You never asked what it meant.

Didn’t need to.

He was yours now.

And you were so good at keeping things.

You made pancakes that morning. Thick and golden, stacked high with butter sliding slow down the sides, pooling where syrup had already soaked through. Eggs sizzling in bacon grease. Coffee dark enough to chew. The kitchen smelled like warmth, like spice, like something that should’ve belonged to a family and not just the two of you.

You hummed while you cooked, flitting from stove to counter in your house slippers and a nightgown far too thin for autumn, not that you cared. You liked the way Remmick’s eyes always tried not to follow you, like he was doing you a favor by pretending not to want.

“The chickens are still laying good,” you said cheerfully, plating everything up. “Might be the best season they’ve had in years. That big red one—you know the one—she’s been peckin’ at the fence again. I swear she’s gonna fight a fox one day and win.” You giggled to yourself, setting his plate in front of him. He didn’t meet your eyes.

“And Josephine’s doin’ so good. Belly full and happy, just like she oughta be. Did you see the way she rolled over yesterday? Like a puppy dog.” You laughed again, loud and delighted, sipping your own coffee while Remmick finally cut into the stack of pancakes like they might bleed if he took the knife to them too hard.

“She’s got that look about her, you know,” you said. “Satisfied. Like she knows she’s loved.”

Remmick winced.

You saw it, even if he tried to hide it behind a mug. You leaned in across the table, smiling slow. “She is loved, of course. I always take care of what’s mine.”

He didn’t respond. Just nodded, jaw working behind a thin smile. Took another sip of coffee. Said, “We oughta check those fences ‘round the southern field, too. Some of them posts were leanin’ last week.”

You blinked. That wasn’t the answer you wanted.

You tilted your head, syrupy sweetness still dripping from your voice. “Did you hear me, sugar?”

He nodded again, a little tighter this time. “I did.”

“Then why’re you talkin’ about fences?”

“I just—figured we had work to do is all. Y’been sayin’ the corn needed turnin’ and the pigs—”

“Why are you changin’ the subject?” you asked, flatly this time. No sing-song. No hum.

His mouth opened. Then closed. You stared.

“Was just… wasn’t meanin’ nothin’ by it,” he said finally. “Ain’t think ya wanted me commentin’ on Josephine like that.”

“Well I do want you commentin’,” you said. “I like to know what you’re thinkin’. It ain’t fair to shut me up in my own kitchen, Remmick.”

“I wasn’t—” he tried, but you cut him off with a smile sharp enough to bleed on.

“I tell you everythin’, don’t I? My thoughts, my dreams, the way I see the world. You know all about me. So it only seems fair you give a little too.”

He looked back down at his plate.

You stood, slow, and circled the table. “Or maybe,” you said, quieter now, closer, “you just don’t like the way I talk. That it?”

“That’s not it,” he said quickly, looking up—finally.

You put a hand on his shoulder. “You think I talk too much?”

“No, I—”

“Think I’m too much?”

“No, darlin’, I don’t—please—”

Your fingers tightened. “You think I’m crazy?”

His silence said enough.

You tsked, sweet again. “You wouldn’t still be here if I was.”

He didn’t say anything.

You leaned in. Nose to his temple. Lips just behind his ear. “Would you?”

He exhaled shakily, fork clinking against the plate.

You knew that sound. You loved that sound. Because no matter what he said, no matter what words left that pretty mouth of his, his body always told the truth. He hadn’t run. Not really. Not in weeks. Not since the night you caught him watching you strip down to wash the blood from your skin and he hadn’t looked away even once.

You pulled back, patted his shoulder like it was all a game, and moved back to your seat.

“I just don’t like feelin’ like a bore,” you said lightly, sipping your coffee again. “Or worse. Like an embarrassment.”

“Yer not,” he murmured.

You smiled, but didn’t thank him. You didn’t need his pity.

You watched him eat in silence for a while. He never looked up. Never wiped the syrup off his chin. Never once reached across the table for your hand like he sometimes did in the quiet hours of night.

You hated that.

You cleared your throat. “Josephine is happy, you know,” you said again, voice brighter now. “I know she is. She’s a good girl.”

Remmick just nodded, mouthing an agreeance.

You narrowed your eyes. “You really don’t think so?”

“I said she’s a good girl.”

“You didn’t mean it.”

He looked at you again, and something mean flickered behind his expression. Something annoyed. But still, he gave you a thin smile, syrup-slicked and hollow. “She’s real lucky,” he said.

“Yeah,” you replied, voice steely. “She is.”

And you let the tension hang there. Let the air get tight. Let the silence cling.

And then—abruptly—you stood. Chair scraping against the floorboards, his plate in hand, walking toward the sink like your body was pulling you away before your mouth could say something stupid. Something dangerous.

You rinsed the syrup off the ceramic in one motion, hands steady, water hot, steam climbing. The sound of the faucet filled the space behind you where Remmick sat, stiff and unmoving.

You stared down into the drain like it could quiet your mind.

He was trying to upset you on purpose. That much was clear now. He wanted a fight. Wanted the cold shoulder. The punishment. Maybe he thought if he pushed hard enough, made himself unbearable enough, you'd let him go. That you'd get bored. Give him an out.

You smiled, tight and sour.

Cute of him to think he could manipulate you.

You braced the plate against the edge of the sink. Just a little pressure. Just a test. Wouldn’t take much. A tap, really. Crack the porcelain, snap a piece off, drag it clean across that throat of his. Watch the life pour out of him in ribbons. Let Josephine have her fill and then some.

Your hands began to tremble. With excitement. With want.

You drew a breath. Let it settle.

Then you turned, eyes wide and sunny. “Since you’re so concerned about chores,” you chirped, drying your hands on a towel, “I think you can handle ‘em yourself today.”

His head lifted. “What?”

“You heard me,” you said, breezy and bright. “You wanna keep fussin’ about the south field and the leanin’ posts and all the other nonsense? Be my guest.” You walked back to the table, hands on your hips, gaze flickering down his body just for the fun of it. “I think you’ll look real nice swingin’ that axe.”

He started to argue. You could see it—the beginning of a protest rising in his throat. But something stopped him. Maybe it was the way your fingers tapped the table edge. Maybe it was the way you didn’t blink. Maybe it was the thought that you weren’t asking.

He sighed. Long. Heavy. “Fine.”

You beamed. Then followed him out the front door.

The clouds hung low like an omen. Gray and slick, heavy with promise, just shy of rain. Wind pushed through the fields in slow rolls, rustling the corn, sending the trees creaking and moaning. The animals were restless.

And you were gleaming.

You watched from the porch as Remmick hoisted the feed sacks into the wheelbarrow, his muscles shifting beneath the sleeves of his shirt. It had once been his Sunday best—sky blue, pressed and tailored—but now it hung looser across his frame, stained at the collar and fraying at the wrists.

You’d done that to him.

You’d made him work.

You’d made him stay.

“You look so handsome when you lift heavy things,” you called out, voice sing-song, arms crossed as you leaned on the porch rail.

He ignored you.

You grinned wider. “You know I’d climb you like a tree if you’d just say the word.”

He stopped at the gate, stiffened, then kept walking.

You giggled.

The wheelbarrow wobbled down the gravel path toward the pig pens. You trailed behind him like a shadow, arms swinging, breath light.

“You could at least thank me,” you said sweetly.

“For what?” he asked, without turning.

“For lettin’ you earn your keep.”

He muttered something under his breath, probably a curse.

You leaned your head to the side. “Say that louder, sugar.”

He set the feed down hard, enough to make the pigs squeal.

“I said—” he began, turning to you.

But whatever heat he meant to throw fizzled quick under your stare. Because you weren’t angry. You weren’t pouting.

You looked delighted.

You looked hungry.

And something about that scared him more than your rage ever had.

“Keep talkin’ to me like that,” you said, stepping closer, “and I might not let you come to bed tonight.”

“I didn’t—” he ran a hand through his hair. “I ain’t tryin’ to be disrespectful, alright?”

You reached out, brushed dirt from his shoulder. “I know.”

He flinched.

You laughed.

The rest of the day passed like a fever.

You didn’t lift a finger. Didn’t offer to help with the crops or the troughs or the compost. You just watched. Sat with your legs swinging from the porch or tucked beneath you on the fence rails, humming and calling out compliments like a proud wife.

“Look at you,” you purred when he rolled up his sleeves to clean the chicken coop. “Sweatin’ for me.”

He scowled.

You leaned in. “Don’t act like you don’t like it.”

His ears turned pink.

You nearly moaned with satisfaction. “Oh,” you sighed, hand to your chest. “You blush so pretty. I could eat you alive.”

He stood up too quickly, knocking his head on the coop’s frame. You howled with laughter.

He groaned, rubbing his scalp. “Christ, woman—”

You sauntered closer. Still laughing. Still beaming. Still thinking about the way his neck had flexed earlier while he hauled that feed. Still thinking about how tightly that belt clung to his hips.

“You alright, sugar?” you asked, voice dipped in faux-concern.

He grumbled something about being fine.

You just laughed again and kissed his cheek, ignoring the way he stiffened when you got too close. “Atta boy,” you whispered.

You turned your face to the clouds, the wind rushing through your nightgown, lifting it just enough for him to see the curve of your thigh.

And you saw it. The way his eyes flinched and darted away. The way his chest rose sharper. The way he hated this. Hated what you were doing to him. Hated that he couldn’t stop it.

You grinned to yourself, already fantasizing about that blush of his creeping lower, lower, until it spilled down his stomach and between his legs.

You could definitely get used to this.

“Don’t stop now,” you called sweetly, slipping back up to the porch and stretching across the swing like a satisfied cat. “Still plenty of daylight left.”

Remmick wiped his brow, biting down whatever curse sat on his tongue.

And went back to work.

That night, the house was quiet.

You lay in bed, arms tucked under your head, staring up at the ceiling as the soft splashes of water drifted from the bathroom down the hall. Remmick was in there, washing the day from his skin, muscles you’d watched flex all afternoon gliding beneath soapy hands.

You’d considered joining him.

More than a few times.

Considered waltzing in without a word, without permission, maybe still wearing your dusty day-dress—or nothing at all—and pressing yourself up behind him, palms flat against that broad back. Sliding your hands down his slick sides, hearing his breath catch in that way it always did when you got too close too fast.

You’d imagined biting his shoulder just to watch him flinch. Imagined how the soap would go sliding down the drain pink-tinged from his skin.

But you’d let him have his little win tonight. You’d taken the bath first. Given him the illusion of privacy he clung to so desperately.

You weren’t cruel, after all.

Well. Not always.

The nightgown you’d chosen was white, soft as river mist, and sheer enough to make an honest man sin. The thin fabric clung to your breasts, your stomach, the dip of your hips—and went nearly transparent where it fell between your thighs.

Remmick hated it.

Or, rather, he tried to pretend he did.

He always pretended not to look. Always tried to keep his eyes polite and his hands to himself. But somehow those hands always ended up wandering. A palm skating over your ribs. Fingers brushing your throat. A thumb pressing softly to your lips as though he could tug the words right out of you.

Tonight, you intended to make him work for it.

You sprawled across the bed, legs crossed, the nightgown bunched high on your hips. Waiting.

When he finally came out of the bathroom, steam rolling past him into the hallway, he froze.

He stood there in nothing but a towel, hair still wet, water dripping down the hard line of his chest. He looked half a wild thing—eyes wide and uncertain, mouth parted as if he’d forgotten how to speak.

Your lips curled into a slow, wicked smile.

“Somethin’ wrong, sugar?” you asked, voice like honey.

He blinked hard, as though trying to reset his brain. “N-no. Just… just gettin’ dressed.”

“Mm-hm.” You trailed your fingertips down your own stomach, slow and deliberate. “Don’t let me stop ya.”

He forced himself to move, crossing to the dresser, trying so hard to keep his eyes on the drawer pulls instead of the stretch of your thighs. You watched his throat work as he swallowed, watched the muscles in his arms twitch when you shifted on the mattress, making the gown slip another inch higher.

He pulled on a pair of loose cotton pants. No shirt. Not yet.

He tried to climb into bed.

You stopped him with your foot.

Pressed it lightly against his bare chest, right over his heart, so he couldn’t swing his legs onto the mattress.

He stilled, glancing down at your foot, then back up at your face. “Darlin’…”

“You grumbled all day,” you started, cocking your head to the side. “Got on my nerves somethin’ fierce.”

He flushed. “I… I ain’t mean nothin’ by it—”

You smiled, far too sharply.

“So you can sleep on the floor tonight.”

“I ain’t sleepin’ on no damn—”

You dug your heel in deep, enough to make him wince. “Come again?”

He kept his mouth shut.

“You wanna sleep beside me, sugar, you’re gonna have to earn it back.”

“Darlin’…” he breathed. “Please…”

“Earn it.”

He lowered himself to his knees, hands sliding up your calf, pressing reverent kisses to your ankle.

“Start there,” you murmured, voice gone breathy. “Make it up to me.”

He did.

He kissed his way up your shin, warm lips brushing your skin so softly you wanted to scream. He paused at your knee, pressing his forehead to it, breath shaking. Then he moved higher, mouth finding the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, sucking gently enough to leave a shiver behind.

He skipped over the slick heat between your legs entirely.

Coward.

You decided not to scold him. Not yet. Let him think he could get away with it.

He climbed higher, pressing soft kisses to your stomach, your ribs. His mouth lingered at the curve of your breast, hovering for a long moment before he finally took a nipple between his lips, sucking slow and careful. His fangs scraped lightly against the peak, just enough to make your breath catch.

You let out a low sound, fingers sinking into his hair.

He flicked his tongue over the sensitive bud, then drew back to kiss your other breast, open-mouthed and damp, leaving little trails of saliva cooling on your skin.

“Remmick…” you breathed, tugging him higher.

He obeyed, rising over you, chest brushing yours as he caught your lips.

You let him kiss you first. Let him keep it sweet. Chaste.

But then you seized it.

You tilted your head, lips parting wide, tongue diving past his as your teeth scraped his lower lip. The kiss turned messy and consuming, your moans vibrating into his mouth as you devoured him, letting the drool he’d been fighting so hard to swallow spill out, slicking your chin, your chest, his mouth shiny and wet.

You pulled back with a soft pop of suction, lightly tapping his cheek with your fingertips.

“Forgot somethin’, sugar.”

He blinked at you, panting, lips slick and parted. “Wh-what…?”

Like he didn’t know.

You raised your brows expectantly.

A flush crept up his throat as he ducked his head, shuffling back down your body.

Then his tongue pressed flat against your folds in one long, devastating stroke, licking from your entrance all the way to your clit, your thighs falling wider.

You let your head lull back, smiling knowingly.

Now he was earning it.

Remmick’s tongue pressed in again, this time slower, deliberate. He licked you in long, languid strokes, as though savoring each new slick taste, letting your wetness coat his tongue before pulling back just enough to breathe.

You felt his breath stutter against your cunt, hot and shaky, a tiny tremor in the wet heat of his mouth.

“Mmm… s-sweet… s’so… sweet…” he mumbled, half to himself, eyes fluttering closed as he flicked his tongue over your clit in soft, teasing circles.

A laugh bubbled out of you, high and breathless.

“Listen to you,” you gasped, voice shivering as he laved another stroke through your folds. “God, look at you. All that big man act, and here you are… drooling for my pussy.”

He let out a muffled, broken sound, as if your words cracked him deeper open. His lips sealed around your clit and sucked gently, sending lightning shooting up your spine.

“Oh fuck— Remmick—”

He groaned into you, the vibration rippling through your cunt. And something shifted then—some thin line of control snapping tight and then giving way.

Suddenly he wasn’t slow anymore.

He dove in with reckless hunger, tongue plunging into your entrance, twisting and writhing as if he were trying to bury himself inside you. His big hands gripped your thighs, squeezing bruises into the soft flesh as he pulled you open wider, forcing you to take every filthy lick.

Wet, wet sounds filled the room—obscene slurps and slick, messy laps. Your own moans rang out sharp, trembling, each one higher than the last as your hips bucked against his face.

“Fuck—fuck, Remmick—don’t stop—”

But he wasn’t listening anymore.

His fangs grazed you, just shy of biting, scraping along your swollen lips and making your breath catch in a ragged cry. He growled low in his throat, and you felt his tongue working frantically, plunging deep and withdrawing to flick over your clit with quick, feverish laps.

Drool spilled from his mouth, mingling with your slick until it coated his chin, dripping down the insides of your thighs.

“God damn,” you choked out, half laughing, half moaning as you fisted your hands in his hair. “You hear yourself? The noises you’re makin’? You sound pathetic.”

He lifted his head barely an inch, eyes wild, pupils blown crimson. His lips were glistening, shiny with your wetness, and a thread of drool hung from his lower lip as he panted.

“C-can’t help it… y’smell… s’sweet… s-so fuckin’ good—wanna live here—” His voice broke as he stuttered forward, burying his face between your legs again.

He moaned shamelessly, loud and aching, as his tongue fucked into you faster, deeper, almost frantic. Each thrust of it sent jolts of pleasure rocketing through your belly, your thighs quivering around his head.

Your own laughter turned ragged, punctuated by sharp, gasping cries.

“Ohhh, Remmick—shit—y’gonna come just from eatin’ me out, huh? That how easy you fall apart?”

He whimpered into your cunt, hips rolling uselessly against the bed as if he were trying to rut the air. The needy, broken sounds poured out of him, half-words and trembling moans, all muffled into the heat of your cunt.

“Please… need… m-make ya come—lemme—need t’—fuck, fuck—”

You threw your head back, eyes rolling, your laughter dissolving into a long, helpless moan as he sucked your clit between his lips, flicking it rapidly with the tip of his tongue until your whole body seized.

Your hands twisted in his hair, pulling him closer, grinding yourself against his mouth with reckless abandon.

“Shit—shit—Remmick—oh God—”

His fangs grazed you again, and that tiny brush of sharpness tipped you over the edge.

Pleasure crashed through you in a blinding wave, your hips jerking wildly as you cried out, your voice echoing around the room.

Remmick just held you there, moaning into you, tongue still lapping as if he’d never get enough, chasing every last drop you gave him.

And as you came down, trembling, breathless, a grin split your lips.

Remmick was still kneeling there, shoulders heaving, his face a disaster.

His mouth, chin, and neck glistened, dripping with slick and spit, globs of it slowly sliding down his throat. His lips were parted around shallow, panting breaths, eyes shimmering wet in the lamplight.

“D-darlin’…” His voice broke, hoarse and shaking as he licked at the mess still streaking his lips. “C-can I… please… get in bed now? My… my knees’re hurtin’ somethin’ awful…”

You tilted your head slowly to one side, pressing a finger to your chin in a big, exaggerated gesture of contemplation.

“Hmmm…” you said, dragging it out as you fluttered your lashes at him. “No.”

He blinked, stunned, a pitiful whimper catching in his throat. “Wh… why not…?”

“Took you long enough, ain’t it?” You swept your nightgown down over your thighs, smoothing the fabric, then shot him a look as sharp as broken glass. “I’m exhausted now. I could’ve run the entire farm twice while you were trying to figure out how to use your tongue.”

His face crumpled, an embarrassed flush crawling up his neck. “I—I was tryin’ so hard—”

“Try harder next time,” you said sweetly.

And with a sudden snap of your leg, you kicked him in the chest. Not viciously—but just enough force to knock him back so he landed flat on the floor with a little oof, arms splayed out like a ragdoll.

“Goodnight, sugar,” you chirped, already turning your back on him.

You were up before the sun, apron tied snug around your waist, hair pinned back in curls, humming to yourself as you cracked the eggs and watched the whites sizzle in the pan. “Sun ain’t even had her coffee yet,” you whispered to the stove, eyes bright. “Lazy thing.”

You swayed from side to side as you moved, bare feet brushing the floorboards, the hem of your dress dancing over your ankles. The smell of butter filled the air, thick and golden, pooling around fried potatoes and fresh sausage, two links for you and four for Remmick.

You liked watching him eat. Liked how quiet he got when his mouth was full. Liked how he always chewed so neatly, so polite. You glanced over at the second plate and sighed dreamily.

“What a night,” you said aloud, to no one in particular. “What a night.”

You weren’t sore—not exactly. But you could still feel the ghost of his mouth between your legs, the way he’d whimpered like a dog, like a man starved. “Poor thing,” you cooed to the skillet. “Workin’ so hard just to sleep beside me.”

You flipped the eggs. Behind you, the house creaked. You didn’t flinch. Just smiled, humming a little louder as you reached for the biscuits you’d baked an hour earlier. They were still warm in the basket, soft and flaky, slathered in melted butter and clover honey. You licked your finger clean as you set them out, plate after plate until the table looked like it belonged in a painting—except better, because it was yours.

Remmick was still upstairs. Still sleeping, probably. You wondered if he was dreaming.

And then, just as you laid the final fork down—a scream.

Loud. Wet. Ragged.

You beamed. Clapped your hands once, delighted. “Oh! There he is!” You wiped your palms on your apron and flounced toward the table, adjusting a napkin, fixing the syrup pitcher so the handle faced just right. Another scream—this one more guttural, panicked, echoing down the staircase. You could hear him stumbling against the walls.

He made it to the first landing with a thud. Then again at the bottom of the stairs, thumping into the hallway like he’d tripped over his own feet—or maybe just from the pure shock of it.

You leaned over the plates and breathed in deep. “Smells like love,” you sighed, and then turned just as—

“Darlin’—!”

Remmick burst through the kitchen doorway, rattling the frame so intensely you thought it’d crack. His chest was heaving, shirtless, still damp with sleep, pants barely pulled up right. His hands were shaking. His eyes were glassy and rimmed with red. And wrapped tight around his throat—smoking faintly with every frantic tug—was the collar. Thick. Tight. Silver.

His fingers trembled as he tried to yank at the buckle again, hissing when his skin touched the metal. You watched it burn him. Watched him keep going anyway.

He caught himself before he spoke, swallowing his curses, his breath, all of it down deep. Then he plastered on the sweetest expression he could muster and stepped forward, voice cracking with the effort to stay gentle. “D-darlin’,” he said, “what… what’s on m’neck?”

You tilted your head, blinking at him with wide-eyed fondness. Then giggled. “Oh, Remmick,” you whispered, sweeping forward and throwing your arms around him before he could back away. “Good mornin’, sugar!” You kissed his cheek, lips brushing sweat. He flinched. Hard. But you didn’t let go. You nuzzled into his neck, ignoring the acrid scent of silver against skin. “Ain’t you just the handsomest thing?”

He opened his mouth again, but you beat him to it. “I found it last night,” you explained, not even looking up. “Rummagin’ through the cellar after you fell asleep. Belonged to one of the old hounds my daddy used to keep. Can’t for the life of me remember his name. Wasn’t a very nice dog anyhow. Died real sudden. Think he got into the swamp.” You giggled at that. “But it was good silver. Can’t just let good silver go to waste.”

Remmick’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “Did you…” he started, voice barely there, “…did you put it on me while I was sleepin’?”

You turned, eyes bright as dew. “I sure did,” you said, like it was the most romantic thing in the world.

He went quiet. You returned to your chair and sat, folding your napkin in your lap. “You wouldn’t’ve let me if you were awake,” you added with a little shrug. “So I gave you the berries. Just a few. The ones that make your head all foggy and slow. Little bit of that’ll knock out a bull!”

His face paled. Remmick stayed where he was, breathing hard, the faintest whimper leaking from between his teeth as he tried and failed again to pry at the collar. You could see the skin starting to welt, to bubble faintly at the edges, little angry red patches spiderwebbing across his throat. But he was too scared to yell. Too scared to scare you. He knew better.

You placed a hand on your hip and gestured to the table. “Now,” you said sweetly, “I made you breakfast. Sit.”

He didn’t move. So you stepped toward him again, slowly, and took his hand. “It’s alright,” you whispered, leading him gently. “Ain’t nothin’ to cry about, sugar. I think it suits you.”

He let you seat him. You slid his plate in front of him and kissed the top of his head. The collar hissed. You smiled. Then rested your elbows on the table, cupping your cheeks as you stared across at Remmick like he was the center of the whole world.

He hadn’t touched the food yet. Still trying to remember how to move with a burning collar around his throat. Still calculating how much pain each twitch of his head would cost him. But finally—finally—he lifted the aluminum fork with a trembling hand and sliced off the edge of a runny egg. He didn’t look up. Not once.

You leaned in closer, breath quickening as he tilted his head the tiniest bit, wincing when the silver sizzled against his neck. Oh, it sang for you. Right before he could slip the bite between his lips—

“STOP!”

He froze. His whole body jerked with it—shoulders stiff, fork halfway to his mouth, eyes going wide like a deer in headlights.

You gasped and slapped your palms on the table with a dramatic squeal, chair skidding back as you stood. “Don’t move a muscle,” you warned, grinning ear to ear. “Almost forgot your surprise!”

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. Frankly, you didn’t care what he would’ve said. You were already turning toward the cabinet. The tall one in the corner, one that neither of you really checked, which made it perfect. You opened it slow, savoring the creak of the hinges, fingers trailing along the bottom shelf like you were picking out fine china.

And then, from behind a bundle of dried herbs and spices—you pulled it out. Thick. Black. Shiny with oil. The leash.

Remmick didn’t make a sound, but when you turned around with it held high, his jaw dropped. Fully. Wide open, like he’d just seen a ghost. You cackled. “Oh, sugar,” you chirped, skipping back over to the table. “You should see your face!”

He blinked at you, stiff as a corpse. You laid the leash down on the table between the plates, smoothing the leather flat with one hand. It looked so good there. You couldn’t stop grinning. “I been meanin’ to fish this thing out for ages,” you said brightly, dangling it just a tad before putting it back down. “Didn’t even know if I still had it! My mama used to use it on that ugly dog. He hated it, poor thing. Choked himself half to death the first time she snapped it on.”

You beamed, as though recalling a fond memory. Remmick swallowed hard. Maybe it was spit. Maybe it was bile. Either way, it looked like it hurt.

“You excited?” you asked sweetly, batting your lashes at him.

His lips trembled. “Y… yeah,” he croaked, voice thin as paper.

You clapped, delighted. “Oh good! I was hopin’ you’d say that! We can take it for a lil’ test run after breakfast. Maybe do a walk ‘round the coop! Or down to the swamp, say hi to Josephine.” You leaned closer and dropped your voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “She’s gonna lose her mind.”

You dug into your food with a happy hum, cutting into your sausage and letting the juices soak the edge of your biscuit. Every bite melted on your tongue. You moaned, licking the honey from your fingers.

Remmick hadn’t moved. He just stared at his plate like it might bite him. You noticed. You didn’t mind. You gave him a look, head cocked, still chewing. “You’re eatin’ slow today.”

He blinked, startled. “I—I’m just tryin’ to savor it,” he offered, voice small. “It’s real good.”

You narrowed your eyes, fork mid-air. Then shrugged and giggled. “You’re so sweet to me, sugar. Always got such nice things to say when I cook.”

He smiled. Or something like it.

You jabbed a sausage link and made it dance on your fork, humming to yourself as you watched him cut another bite of egg. He moved like his limbs didn’t belong to him. Like every inch of him was fighting something inside. You loved it. It made your heart sing.

“Y’know…” you said thoughtfully, propping your chin on your hand. “I was thinkin’ last night. Right before I went to bed.”

He didn’t answer. Just kept chewing, slow and silent.

“I was thinkin’,” you went on, “that we oughta build a little shed out by the swamp. A real one. With a roof and a table and some hooks. Somethin’ sturdy.”

He looked up at that. Not all the way. Just a flicker of his gaze toward your face. You smiled back. “We could butcher ‘em out there. Hang ‘em up by the heels and drain ‘em before Josephine gets to ‘em.” You tapped your fork twice against your chin. “Bet you’d like that. Give you somethin’ to do with all that muscle. Show me how strong you are...”

Remmick’s mouth was a grim line. His fork had stopped moving. But he didn’t say no. Didn’t say anything at all.

You decided to let him be quiet today. Let him have this last calm before the leash clicked into place. Before the whole day rolled out yellow and warm at your feet. So you just hummed. And you watched him eat. Each bite slower than the last. Slower than anyone had any business chewing.

You kept your smile. Kept your tone light and your hands folded in your lap. You even hummed a little tune to distract yourself. But inside? Your nerves buzzed like hornets in a jar. He was dragging it. Just to spite you. Just to stretch out the moments before the inevitable. Bite after agonizing bite, chewing each mouthful like it might be his last—like the eggs might dissolve into a final miracle if he just waited long enough.

You tapped your fingers against the table once. Twice. Took a sip of coffee you didn’t want. Licked your lips and told yourself it was fine. That you were being patient. Kind, even. You hadn’t lost your temper yet. Proud of yourself for that, really.

But when he reached those last few bites—those very last crumbs of sausage and flecks of yolk smeared against his fork—you stood. Calm. Still smiling. And held out your hand.

Remmick paused mid-bite. His whole body tensed. But he didn’t argue. Didn’t whine or flinch or try to buy himself another minute. He just dropped his gaze, brought the fork to his mouth, and swallowed the last bit of sausage.

You snatched the plate from his hands the second he did. Light, sure. But quick. Sharp enough to make his shoulders jolt. You didn’t even rinse it. Didn’t pretend to care. Just tossed it into the sink with a clatter and turned back to him, your grin returning in full force.

Then you dropped. Right onto his lap. The chair creaked beneath the weight of you both, but you didn’t give it a second thought. You wiggled happily, thighs spread wide, grinding slow over the hard line of him through his pants. You felt the way he stiffened. Heard the way he sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.

And oh, how it delighted you.

Your fingers found the leash next—where it still lay coiled neat on the table. And you clipped it on. The snap of the clasp echoed like a gunshot. A soft hiss came from the collar, that same old burn—but not nearly as loud this time. Like the silver was running out of fresh skin to char.

Remmick whimpered low in his throat, flinching under you, and you took your sweet time drinking him in. Blisters had risen now, red and mean, dotting the edges of the band like broken pearls. But what interested you more were the strange deep marks traveling out in tendrils—like veins. Darker than blood, winding up his throat and slipping just beneath the skin of his collarbone. Like the silver was trying to root in him.

You pressed your thumb just beneath the burn, watching the skin give way, soft and hot to the touch. He twitched. And your stomach fluttered.

He looked... God, he looked beautiful. Absolutely wrecked. Exhausted. Skin flushed, lips parted, eyes glassy with pain. Like something you’d starved for.

You wrapped the leash twice around your wrist, tugging it just tight enough to make him blink. And then you kissed him. Open-mouthed. Wet. Devouring.

He made a wounded sound when your tongue slipped past his lips—like he didn’t mean to let it happen, but couldn’t stop himself. Like the leash did more than just keep him close. It made him obedient.

Your free hand cupped his jaw, thumb dragging along the sticky corner of his mouth, smearing spit from your kiss across his cheek as you leaned in harder, grinding again. You felt him twitch beneath you—felt the conflict thrashing in his hips. Part of him wanted to run. Part of him didn’t.

The leather between your wrist and his neck tugged softly as you shifted, and you giggled when his tongue jolted in your mouth—like a shock had gone through him.

You pulled back just enough to see his face. “Didn’t think I’d see you so flustered again,” you whispered, brushing your nose against his. “Thought you’d left all that self-respect between my thighs, sugar.”

His eyes darted over your face, sweat trickling down his temple. “I—I ain’t…” he started, but the words tangled and died before they found their way free.

You ran a hand through his damp hair. Then tugged the leash again. A sharp snap of silver tension, and he gasped, hips bucking up involuntarily beneath you.

You grinned. Leaned close again. “Y’know what I think?” you murmured, dragging your lips along the side of his face. “I think you like bein’ kept.”

“N-no…”

You pressed a kiss to the curve of his jaw. “Sure you don’t.”

You rocked again in his lap, slow and deliberate, dragging yourself over the bulge in his pants, feeling it throb beneath the weight of you. His hands gripped the sides of the chair like he was begging himself not to touch you.

You giggled and pulled his face to yours, nipping lightly at his lower lip. “Such a good boy,” you cooed. “Such a pretty, pretty thing.”

His breath hitched again, and you felt his thighs tremble beneath you.

And then—there it was. You saw it in the slow, uncertain twitch of his fingers. The way they unfurled one by one from the wooden frame of the chair, creeping up, hesitant, toward the soft give of your thighs.

You waited—let them rise just enough to ghost along the edge of your hips. Then you stood. Abrupt. Purposeful. Yanked the leash as you went and forced him to stumble up with you, nearly toppling the chair backward in his scramble to keep his footing.

You giggled, all teeth and joy when you caught the way his hips jerked forward with the movement—when you saw the thick, unforgiving bulge at the front of his pants.

“Well, look at that,” you cooed, head tilting sweetly as your fingers moved down to brush against it. He hissed softly through his teeth, already trembling again.

“There’ll be plenty of time for that later,” you promised with a wink. “But right now? I wanna test this little thing out.”

You gave it another playful tug, not hard enough to hurt, but just enough to make the collar snap taut against his skin again—just enough to watch the muscle jump in his throat as the silver hissed and sizzled fresh against his blisters.

He whimpered, eyes fluttering. But he didn’t speak. You wondered if it hurt for him to.

You turned on your heel and started toward the back door, your steps bouncing with glee, purposefully walking faster than usual—just to see if he could keep up. The leash stayed tight between you. His bare feet padded across the kitchen floor behind you in uneven, scrambling little bursts.

You didn’t look back. Not when the screen door groaned open. Not when you stepped out onto the porch.

The sun was already high, baking the roof tiles, bleached white and brutal overhead. But the trees lining the path to the barn were generous with their shade today, long-limbed and swaying, dappled light painting the dirt trail below.

You turned just enough to flash Remmick a grin over your shoulder. “You better keep up,” you chirped. “Wouldn’t want your pretty skin boilin’ off, would we?”

He didn’t answer. Just gave a tight little nod and braced himself as you set off—speedwalking now, steps quick and light, kicking up little clouds of dust as you went.

The leash tugged and bounced between you with every footfall, and more than once, you felt the tension snap sharp—followed by the soft, unsteady scuffle of Remmick nearly tripping behind you.

He never fell.

But oh, how close he came.

Each stumble sounded like a prayer, a bite-back whimper, a half-muttered “fuck” caught on the wind. And still, he followed. Always followed.

You beamed as you reached the wide barn doors and pushed them open with a loud creak, the hinges singing like they hadn’t been oiled in years. You stepped into the cool dark and let the leash slacken in your hand, uncoiling it from your wrist so it dangled freely now, just barely held in your grip.

Remmick panted behind you, cheeks flushed, sweat glistening at his hairline, and you turned to him like a proud hostess. “Well,” you said brightly, “get to work, sugar.”

His brow furrowed. “Work…?”

You gestured at the far wall, where rusted tools lined the hooks—shovels, axes, hammers, nails in glass jars, coils of wire and thick rolls of canvas tarp. All coated in a thin shimmer of grime. A few had darker stains. One of them still had a little chunk of something clinging to the handle.

“You sayin’ work like we didn’t already talk about this?” you asked, voice rising into a high, mock-wounded whine.

His brows pinched together, eyes flicking uncertainly toward the tools again.

You frowned, winding the leash tight—far tighter than you had earlier that morning—around your forearm, tugging him forward with little jerks as you took slow, deliberate steps deeper into the barn. He stumbled after you, hands lifted like he meant to soothe you.

“Wait—darlin’, I—I didn’t mean—please, I wasn’t forgettin’ on purpose, I just—I got distracted is all—”

“You forgot about our project, Remmick,” you said with a pout so heavy it almost cracked your face in half. “The shed, remember? Down by the swamp? We talked about it just this morning. You said it was a fine idea.”

You knew he hadn’t said a word in agreement, but he certainly wasn’t going to try and fight you on it.

“I—I know, I know,” he said quickly, nodding. “I swear I did—I just—my mind’s not been right since I woke up with this—this—thing—’round my neck—”

You yanked the leash hard, and he choked on the last word, the collar going taut again.

The sound it made was less of a sizzle now and more of a whimper, like the silver had grown tired of burning and instead burrowed itself down deep, content to throb inside his skin.

You gave him a sharp look—one that shut him right up.

“Start gathering,” you said, so flatly you surprised yourself. “Lumber’s in the corner. Nails’re on the shelf. You’ll need the hammer, the shovel, and probably one of those little saws too. Unless you wanna build it with your teeth, sugar.”

He didn’t argue. Just nodded once. And moved toward the tools.

You flounced back against the nearest hay bale and perched yourself there, crossing your legs with a lazy hum. And watched.

Hefting the heavier tools made his arms strain, muscles twitching in his bare chest—and only then did you remember he still hadn’t put a shirt on. The sun slipped through the slats in the walls in thin, golden stripes, but Remmick kept shifting to avoid them, ducking just slightly out of reach each time they threatened to graze his skin.

Every time he bent down to pick something up, you caught yourself biting your lip.

He really was pretty.

Especially with that chain trailing from his neck.

And oh, those marks.

Crawling further now. Right below his jaw, down toward his chest, some even skimming his chin in those vein-like streaks. Blooming like angry vines.

You tugged the leash.

He flinched.

Another tug. He stumbled.

You laughed.

He looked back, eyes wide with something soft and wounded—but didn’t say a word. Just nodded once more, gripped one of the thick wooden planks in both hands, and hoisted it up onto his shoulder.

“Mm-mm… grab two more while you’re at it, sugar,” you called sweetly. “And don’t forget the hammer! Crooked walls would make me so upset…”

He obeyed.

And you tugged again—just to watch the way his hands trembled, the way he jerked forward, like he was yours to puppet.

Which, of course, he was.

And you couldn’t wait to make him prove it.

You waited hours for the sun to get its selfish little behind out the sky. Too bright, too bold, too hot. She always liked to steal attention. You told her so—out loud, a few times, while watching from the kitchen window, arms crossed over your chest and leash wound in your hand like a ribbon of patience. But she finally tucked herself away. Which meant it was time to get to work.

Remmick had been building like a man possessed. Quiet, focused, bare chest and back damp with sweat, mouth going slack with every heavy breath. And oh, hadn’t he been good. All those planks cut to size, the posts dug straight, the frame already nailed tight. The walls were nearly done now, with only one side open to the swamp for your little friend to come and go as she pleased.

You sat in the grass nearby, knees hugged to your chest, cheek resting lazily on one arm as you watched the leash swing and tug with every movement of his neck. He was sweating. He was filthy. He looked beautiful.

“Take a break,” you chirped suddenly.

He hesitated—just for a moment—then set the hammer down, brushing his palms against his pants. “Don’t gotta tell me twice,” he said, and that smile—oh, that smile—blossomed out slow and real, his first honest one all day. No twitch behind the eyes. No edge of panic in his voice.

You beamed. He took a seat beside you, still too far, but you let it slide. For now.

You reached into the basket you’d brought and started pouring lemonade into a glass. Then paused. Thought better of it. With a bright hum, you pushed the whole pitcher into his lap.

“There you go, sugar. You earned it.”

He didn’t even hesitate—just lifted the pitcher and drank straight from it, throat bobbing with every deep swallow, jaw flexing as he gulped it down like water in the desert. You watched. You stared. Your own mouth went dry.

“I love watchin’ you drink,” you said dreamily, scooting closer until your bare shoulder touched his. “Like watchin’ a big ol’ dog at a water bowl.”

He choked on the last gulp, coughing softly. You patted his back, grinning, then plucked a sandwich from the basket—turkey, thick and cold with a generous smear of butter and two slices of tomato—and unwrapped it slowly.

Remmick turned his head, brows lifting.

“Oh, no,” you said, wiggling your fingers. “This one’s on me.”

And with that, you plucked off a corner of the sandwich and held it up to his mouth.

He hesitated. But not long. He opened, lips parting slow—and you didn’t just feed him.

You slipped your fingers into his mouth, slow and deliberate, feeling the soft heat of his tongue as he closed around them. Then deeper. Just a bit. Letting your fingertips slide past his tongue and press lightly against the back of his throat.

He didn’t gag.

Didn’t flinch.

Just held your gaze.

Steady. Obedient. Unblinking.

Slowly, you began to pull back, your fingers grazing the sharp points of his fangs on the way out—light, teasing, just enough to feel them graze your tips. A long string of spit followed, stretching wet and shimmering from his lips to your knuckles.

You lifted your hand, tongue darting out to catch the drool with a pleased little hum.

“There’s my good boy,” you murmured, feeding him another piece. “Makin’ up for bein’ so sour yesterday, aren’t you? Bein’ sweet now. Bein’ real sweet.”

He chewed and swallowed, his eyes flicking sideways, all that confidence sapped in an instance.

“Yer takin’ care of me,” he said softly. “It’s… real kind of ya.”

“Kind,” you echoed, like the word was candy on your tongue. “You think I’m kind.”

Another piece. Another bite. His lips brushed your fingertips this time.

You smiled. Wider. Licked your teeth.

When the sandwich was nearly gone, you dropped the last piece into his palm and watched as he finished it, your eyes locked on his mouth, your hands twitching in your lap. You didn’t say anything. You just stared. Until he looked up. And then you pounced.

You pushed him backward, fingers splayed over his chest, and climbed on top of him in one fluid motion, your knees pressing into the grass on either side of his hips.

He made a soft, startled sound—but didn’t fight. Didn’t move. Just blinked up at you, pink creeping up his throat.

You folded your arms on his chest and rested your chin atop them, gazing down at him, rocking just slightly where you sat.

“Have I been mean to you?” you asked, voice pitched soft. “’Cause I’ve been thinkin’ about it… and I worry I’ve been mean.”

He went tense beneath you. A full-body kind of still.

“No,” he said too fast. Too sharp. Then softened it. “No, darlin’. Y— y’ain’t been mean.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Are you sure?”

His bottom lip trembled. He bit it. But he nodded.

You grinned. Bright as the evening stars.

Then leaned down and peppered his face in kisses. Soft ones. Wet ones. One on the nose, one on the cheek, one at the corner of his mouth. His lashes fluttered with each press.

“My sweet boy,” you whispered. “My sunshine. My angel pie. My beautiful lil’ farmhand. Lettin’ me feed you, lettin’ me sit on you like this. Letting me love you.”

He made a sound—barely audible—but it buzzed against your lips as you kissed his jaw.

You sat up, straddling him, hands resting lightly on his ribs. Then he stiffened, suddenly.

Huff.

You blinked. Turned your head.

A slow grin split your face.

There she was, Josephine!

Her big eyes and broad snout breaking the swamp’s glassy surface, nostrils flaring.

“Well, well, well,” you cooed, tilting your head. “You want in on our picnic, baby girl?”

Josephine huffed again.

Remmick—still pinned beneath you—stared at her with wide, horrified eyes.

You turned back to him and leaned down close, nose brushing his.

“She likes watchin’,” you whispered. “Likes seein’ you be good for me.”

He swallowed, hard.

You gasped like he’d confessed to a crime and slammed both palms flat against his chest. “You ain’t even pet her yet!”

The thud from your hands knocked the wind out of him—he let out a stunned little grunt, halfway between a hiccup and a groan, like someone’d punched him in the ribs. His eyes blinked wide.

“I—I didn’t—didn’t know I was supposed to…” he stammered, breath catching as your hands stayed firm on his sternum.

“Remmick,” you said, voice low and grave as you leaned in close. “That girl has loved you from the moment she laid eyes on you. She welcomed you into her home—my home—and you haven’t even given her a single pat on the head?”

He opened his mouth. Closed it. Tried again. “I—I don’t… I mean, she’s a gator, darlin’—”

“Oh, hush.” You were already on your feet, brushing dirt off your thighs, your smile bright as ever. The leash gave a soft tug as you wrapped it tighter around your fist. Remmick’s body stiffened.

“C’mon,” you said, sing-song. “On your feet, sugar.”

He sat up slowly, like his bones ached. “Darlin’, I dunno if that’s such a good—”

You gave the leash another gentle yank. Not mean, not yet. But the message was clear. “Now, Remmick.”

He stood without another word.

You led him by the collar all the way to the edge of the dock, your pace just a little too fast to be casual. When you got there you flopped belly-first against the old, sun-warmed wood, your feet kicked up behind you. The water lapped quietly beneath the boards.

You patted the dock beside you. “Get down here.”

He hesitated—but not for long. Soon he was lying stomach-down beside you, arms tense at his sides, chest rising and falling with slow, measured breaths. Like he was trying very hard to keep calm.

You reached out toward the water like you’d done it a thousand times before, fingers splayed wide, wrist loose. And from the murk below, Josephine rose. Just her snout and those big sleepy eyes, surfacing slow and steady, her nostrils flaring once in greeting. Her wide head pressed against your palm, and you scratched under her chin, down her neck, nails dragging over the thick hide. She made that low, slow, rolling sound again—somewhere between a growl and a purr.

“There she is,” you cooed, rubbing her head with both hands now. “There’s my good girl. My beautiful, scaly angel. God, you missed me, didn’t you, baby? You missed mama. You missed your treats.”

Remmick lay frozen beside you, not breathing. Not blinking. You could feel the tension in him, like a little live wire strung tight at the edge of the dock.

You pulled your hands back slowly and smiled at him. “Your turn.”

He looked at you like you’d asked him to saw off a finger. “I—I don’t think I should—”

You rolled your eyes, and your tone took on that extra sugary sweet edge it always did right before something snapped. “Remmick. She knows if you’re scared. She feels it. She’s an empath, remember?”

His mouth opened. “I—since when is—gators ain’t empath—”

“She’ll bite your damn hand clean off if you hesitate,” you added with a nod. “But no pressure.”

He gulped. And, with a hand that shook like a leaf, he reached out.

Josephine let him touch her—but just barely. He managed to graze a few fingers along her head, and for a moment she stayed put. Then she huffed through her nose and sank back down into the water, gone in a blink.

You sighed, fond. “She don’t like nervous men.”

“I—I wasn’t tryin’ to be—” he tried.

“Shhh,” you sounded, digging through the basket behind you. “She still loves you.”

You pulled out a turkey sandwich and leaned forward, tossing it into the water. “There you go, sweet pea,” you called, watching it land with a plop. “Just a snack, alright? I’ll get you a full meal soon. Promise.”

Josephine’s head rose again briefly. Then disappeared, sandwich and all.

You turned back to Remmick, your face practically glowing. “Ain’t she just the sweetest?”

He gave the water a long, slow look. His voice, when it came, was high and hoarse: “Y-yeah. Real sweet.”

Remmick’s breath had evened out, but yours hadn’t. You were too wrapped up in how soft his hair felt against your fingers, how his body melted so easily into yours tonight—like he was made to lay right here, head on your chest, arms circled around your waist, every inch of him lax and humming from the day’s work.

You’d let him clean you earlier. Run that sweet, reverent mouth of his between your legs while the bathwater turned lukewarm. He’d made dinner after, too, so gentle when he set the plate down in your lap and fed you the bits he noticed you liked most. He’d been perfect. So good you’d even considered taking the collar off.

The thought had risen up, a quiet little whisper in your brain, as you looked down at him just now—curled up against you like a dog freshly dried and warmed by the fire. For a moment, you’d imagined slipping your fingers under the clasp, lifting the chain from his neck, kissing the spot beneath. You’d even smiled at the idea.

But then you laughed. Out loud.

The sound made him twitch a little, like he’d heard it from underwater. You stroked his hair to soothe him, the warmth of his breath on your skin making it so hard to believe he’d ever been anything but soft. Silly thought. You weren’t taking the collar off. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Maybe never.

Your eyes had just begun to flutter shut when it came—a sharp pop from beyond the trees. Like a firecracker. Then the low hiss of rubber gasping its last breath. You blinked, cocked your head. Another few seconds passed. And then, right there through the window: the silhouette of a young man coming up the drive. White. Frazzled. Bag slung over one shoulder and both arms waving as he called out toward the house.

“Oh!” you squealed, lips already curving with glee. “Remmick!”

You cradled his cheeks and kissed his mouth, giddy as you shoved his face further into your chest.

“Remmick, wake up—we’re gonna do this one together, you and me!”

He grunted softly, blinking up at you, mind still foggy from almost-sleep. You didn’t wait for him to catch up. You practically threw the blankets back and hopped out of bed, breathless with excitement as your feet hit the floor. He sat up slowly, still dazed, brows furrowed like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

“Someone’s here?” he mumbled.

“Mhm! On foot. Tire popped, I bet. Looks all helpless.” You giggled, digging into the back of your wardrobe. “I was wonderin’ how long it’d be before another one of ‘em showed up uninvited.”

He stood stiffly, the creak of bed springs behind you betraying his hesitation. You fished around the top shelf until your fingers brushed cool leather.

“Here it is!” you said, spinning around with the muzzle in your hands like a prize you’d won at the fair.

The blood drained from Remmick’s face. You practically skipped back to him, grinning from ear to ear.

“No, no—wait, wait,” he said quickly, stepping back. “I can behave. I—”

But you didn’t give him a chance to finish. You mounted him right there, legs wrapping tight around his waist as he stumbled back onto the edge of the bed, catching himself with both arms behind him. You clutched the muzzle between your teeth just long enough to use both hands to grab his face.

“You’re not in trouble, silly,” you whispered sweetly. “I’m proud of you.”

He didn’t move. You reached behind his head and clipped the muzzle into place, firm but not too tight. His jaw flexed slightly under the leather straps, but he didn’t fight it. He just closed his eyes for a moment like he always did when he wanted to pretend he wasn’t here.

“You’re my best helper, you know that?” you chirped, patting his cheek once it was secured. “But I don’t want you gettin’ any ideas before I’ve had my fun. Or gettin’ too hungry. You remember what happened last time.”

He blinked. You beamed, smoothed your hands down his chest, then slid off his lap and stood tall.

“I’ll be quick,” you promised, brushing down your nightgown and walking to the mirror, tilting your head back and forth. “They always say you should look your best for company.”

He didn’t answer, of course. Not with the muzzle on.

You could feel his eyes on your back as you grabbed a light shawl and wrapped it around your shoulders, humming quietly while you fixed your hair with your fingers. You heard him shift on the bed, a quiet creak of wood beneath his feet, the sway of the leash still hanging from his collar. You turned and offered him your hand.

He took it.

You led him downstairs with a big smile, reaching the door just as the knock came—a hesitant, almost embarrassed little tap. You looked back at Remmick once more, just to drink him in.

There he stood, framed by the moonlight pouring through the window. Eyes dark and still and tired, lips hidden behind the black leather muzzle. Leashed. Collared. Silent. Perfect.

You turned the knob.

And opened the door with a smile.

The moment your eyes landed on his, you felt your blood start to sing. Long blonde hair, pale and tangled in front of his forehead like he’d been running his hands through it. Blue eyes, too soft and mellow for someone his age. No older than twenty, if that. His cheeks were flushed with exertion, and he’d clearly been moving fast, his white button-down stuck to his chest with sweat, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, shoes caked in dry mud.

He started speaking before he’d even fully reached the porch. “I’m real sorry to bother y’all—tire blew out back on the main road, and I ain’t got a spare or no way to patch it, so I figured—”

Then he looked up.

You watched his mouth falter mid-sentence, eyebrows pulling together in a way that made your jaw twitch.

His gaze fell on you first. Your nightgown. Your bare feet. The smile that hadn’t dimmed even once. He squinted. Tilted his head just slightly. Looking you up and down like you didn’t make sense, like you didn’t belong here. You could see the words forming behind his teeth. Wondering whose house this was. Wondering if you were the maid or the mistress. You knew that look. You’d spent your whole life learning it.

But you smiled wider. Steadier. Tilted your head right back.

And then his eyes shifted. To Remmick. And oh, how they stuck.

The young man blinked. Once. Twice. His shoulders went taut, and his jaw clenched hard enough to crack. He didn’t even try to hide it—the long stare, the bewildered skim of his gaze over the leather muzzle stretched tight over Remmick’s face, the silver collar buckled low on his neck, the black leash clutched loose in your hand. Remmick didn’t say a word. Just stood behind you, silent and stone still.

The man's face rippled with something—confusion, disgust, maybe even fear—but he buried it fast. Took one full step back and cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at either of you.

“Y’all wouldn’t happen to have a spare tire layin’ around, would ya?” he asked quickly, voice breaking just slightly at the edges. “Don’t mean to impose. I’ll be on my way soon as I can.”

Your smile didn’t budge. “Sure we do,” you said sweetly. “It’s a little ways out back, but we’ll show you where it is.”

He nodded fast, grateful. “Thank ya. I really appreciate it.”

But you didn’t move. Not yet.

Because your mind was still ticking, loud and red and quick, on the ways you could end him. You pictured him bent over and gagging on the floor, his hands flying to his neck, eyes wide and wet as blood slipped through his fingers and soaked his shirt. You saw his head cracked open on a tree stump, the edge of your axe buried deep between those golden locks. You imagined peeling him apart slow, piece by piece, just to see how long it would take before his throat gave out.

He’d scream pretty. You knew it.

And if you let Remmick off the leash? If you took off that muzzle and gave him just ten minutes?

There wouldn’t even be blood left to mop up.

You stood there and stared, jaw slack with quiet delight, until the silence stretched too long.

A hand brushed yours gently. Large. Cold.

You blinked.

Remmick, still behind you, tilted his head down, muzzle twitching slightly as he nudged your arm. His palm hovered near, careful not to touch too much. Just a reminder. You’d been still too long.

“Oh,” you said suddenly, breath hitching with a laugh.

The man blinked. Nervous now.

You squeezed Remmick’s hand once as a little thank-you, then turned your grin back on the stranger like nothing had happened at all.

“Well, come on then, sugar,” you said brightly. “Let’s get you fixed up.”

And without another glance back, you stepped off the porch into the night, leash taut in your hand.

You took your sweet time with the walk to the shed. The man walked a few paces ahead, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. Remmick trailed close behind—head down, footsteps silent, muzzle already dark with spit.

It felt like walking a pig to slaughter. The thought made you smile.

“You from around here?” you asked casually, raising your voice just enough for the man to hear.

He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. “Nah. I’m from up near Tunica. Just passin’ through.”

“Tunica,” you echoed, lips puckering in mock thought. “Ain’t that where the river bends all funny?”

He nodded, smiling faintly. “That’s the one.”

You hummed like you cared, hand swaying gently at your side. “And what brings you out this way?”

The man rubbed the back of his neck, shoulders slumping a bit. “I was comin’ back from a work trip. Construction job got cut short. Figured I’d surprise my boy by gettin’ home early.”

You cocked your head, grin sharp behind your teeth. “Oh, that’s sweet. Little one?”

He smiled a little wider. “Yeah. Just turned seven.”

“Even more reason for you to get back on the road quick,” you said, voice light as air. “Can’t have him thinkin’ Daddy disappeared.”

He chuckled politely, missing your tone entirely.

“You got a wife?” you asked, sing-songing it this time.

He looked back again and nodded. “Sure do.”

“Good,” you said brightly. “Means your son’ll still have someone to watch over him.”

Remmick inhaled sharply behind you.

It wasn’t loud. Not to anyone else. But you heard it. Felt it, even—the tight recoil of breath through that muzzle, the slight yank of the leash in your hand from where he’d jerked forward. You didn’t slow down. Didn’t look back.

The man turned to you fully now, brow furrowing. “…What’s that supposed to mean?”

You barked out a laugh so loud it echoed off the trees.

“Oh honey, nothin’!” you said, voice too high. “Meant it’s good someone’s there watchin’ him while you’re gone, that’s all! My brain just runnin’ ahead a bit, that’s all. Don’t mind me!”

The man forced an uneasy grin.

You rounded the final bend and reached the shed, looking even sturdier than how Remmick and you had left it earlier that day.

You gestured with a lazy wave. “Tires’re in the back. Light’s back there too.”

He blinked. “You don’t got a switch up front?”

“Nope,” you lied. “It’s one of them pull-chains. Back right corner.”

He hesitated, just a beat too long. Then stepped inside, head low, hands outstretched to feel along the wall.

You waited until his back was turned. Then reached out and undid the first strap of Remmick’s muzzle.

Click.

The second strap came undone slower. Your fingers lingered.

Click.

The muzzle dropped loose, hanging heavy from the bottom strap until you slid it off entirely. And there he was.

Mouth slick and twitching. Fangs fully bared. Saliva dripped down his chin in thick globs, smacking softly against his chest. His breathing was ragged now—barely controlled. Eyes blown wide, flashing red at the pupils, neck pulsing like a wild animal held too long by the throat.

You lowered your voice to a murmur. “Wait.”

His claws were already showing—both hands curled and trembling, fingers warped to talons, nails long and glinting in the moonlight. His arms flexed like they were begging to be loosed.

“I said wait,” you whispered again. “Let him find the light first.”

Remmick swallowed hard. He nodded once.

Inside the shed, you heard the young man shuffling farther in. “Can’t see a damn thing in here,” he muttered. “Y’all sure it’s in the back?”

You didn’t answer. You just watched the muscles twitch in Remmick’s jaw, the way his tongue darted out to wet his fangs. His hands clenched, unclenched. That breathy whine he let out—barely audible, like pain. He was holding himself back, just for you. Only for you.

A soft click. Then a low buzz. The lightbulb flickered once, then caught—glowing dim yellow in the far corner. The man turned toward it.

And Remmick moved.

It was a blur, really. A shadow that passed before it could be registered in the mind. He was on the man before you could blink—one claw buried in his shoulder, the other raking down his chest with a wet, splitting sound that sent a shock through the air. The man staggered, howling, shoes skidding on the wood floor slick with the evening’s humidity and his own blood. But the scream barely made it past his lips before Remmick’s teeth found his throat. Not deep enough to end it. Just a warning. Just enough to make him scream again.

Remmick didn’t kill him outright. Not this time. He made sure to stretch it out.

You stepped further into the shed, the door groaning shut behind you as your shadow fell over the two bodies. Your arms were crossed loose beneath your chest, the smile on your face softening into something dreamy and mean. Tender, even. Like you were watching a man recite poetry rather than slowly dismembering a living thing.

You crouched next to them. “Good boy,” you whispered. “So good for me.”

He didn’t look up, but you could see the satisfied tremor run down his back, his jaw twitching against the metal cage of his own control. You knew you wouldn’t need the muzzle. Not anymore. Not when he knew how much you liked to watch.

You’d taught him so well.

The man was still alive, writhing now—his pale lashes fluttering, chest heaving in broken spasms as he tried to speak around the ruined meat of his throat. It came out a gurgle.

Remmick had his claws hooked through his ribs, peeling back his shirt and skin like a page. The cartilage popped wetly. Something deep inside gave a muffled snap.

You cocked your head, breath catching, and let out a delighted little sound.

“Oh, that was a good one,” you said. “Do it again.”

His lips peeled back in a snarl—blood dripping from his chin, his fangs a mess of crimson and sinew. His glassy eyes snapped to yours, searching your face for every little flicker of praise. You didn’t even have to ask again.

He slid his claws deeper, dragging them downward with a slow, deliberate tug that sent shudders through what was left of the man. He jerked once. Twice. His legs kicked and went still.

Another rib snapped. Another noise from you—soft, breathless, touched with something like laughter.

You moved closer. The floor was red beneath your feet. The metallic smell filled your head, and you couldn’t help but to stick your tongue out, just to see if the air tasted how it smelled. It didn’t, to your disappointment.

You leaned into the man’s face this time, watching his eyes struggle to focus on you through the blur of blood and salt and panic.

“I was right, you know,” you cooed, brushing his hair back from his face, careful not to get blood on your dress. “About your wife. Your son. They’ll be just fine.”

His lips moved, but nothing came out.

Behind you, Remmick let out a moan—feral and needy, full of blood and longing. He’d sunk his teeth into the man’s stomach now, peeling muscle away from bone, his tongue lapping over the exposed cavity like a man possessed.

You turned slightly to watch him, resting your chin on your palm.

“You’re showin’ off,” you teased, voice sweet. “Tryna impress me, sugar?”

He made a sound that might’ve been a laugh, muffled by a mouthful of lung. You could see the shake of his hands—those gorgeous claws twitching, begging for more. His chest rose and fell with frantic rhythm. Still hungry. Always hungry.

You could always tell when he hit that point—when the blood wasn’t enough, when the meat beneath his tongue stopped satisfying and the ache between his legs outgrew the one in his belly. He was panting now, eyes locked on yours like he was starved for something you hadn’t fed him yet. His mouth twitched around the torn-open cavity of the man’s stomach, strings of gore catching on his fangs. His chest heaved. His claws flexed like they didn’t know what else to grab. And then he whimpered. That soft little sound he always made when the hunger shifted south.

You smiled back. Slow, loose-limbed and syrup-sweet. “Aw, sugar,” you cooed, stepping over what was left of the man on the floor. “Poor thing got all worked up, didn’t he? All full on blood and nowhere to put it?” His lips parted under the mess, his tongue flicking out slow and clumsy. He tried to nod, but his head lolled a bit to the side, too overwhelmed already to keep still. You reached out and cupped his chin, tilting his mouth up toward you. His cheeks were glazed in spit and gore, his breath hot against your palm. His eyes had gone wet and wide—unblinking. Pitiful.

“Look at you,” you whispered. “Such a filthy little thing.” He whined again, louder this time, and the sound vibrated all the way up your arm. “Down.” He dropped like a sack of bones. Not even a second’s hesitation. Muzzle gone, collar tight, blood still drying in patches across his jaw—and he went down like it was the only thing he knew how to do.

“Good boy,” you crooned, pushing your nightgown up past your hips as you stepped over to straddle his lap. “You want me to make it better?” His hands gripped the backs of your thighs, claws twitching, trembling with restraint. You laughed softly and cupped his face again—gentler now. You leaned in close, close enough to feel the heat of him thrumming like a furnace between your legs. He was already hard, already leaking, rutting helplessly up into the air like he couldn’t stand not being inside something.

“Aw, sugar,” you breathed against his lips, voice full of mock-pity. “You didn’t think I was gonna let you fuck me after all that mess, did you?” He blinked fast. Swallowed hard. His claws curled tighter into your skin. “Look at yourself,” you said, dragging your thumb across his bottom lip. “You’re drippin’. You’re disgustin’. You killed him like a pig and now you think you get a reward?” He nodded, frantic. “Mm. Maybe. But you’re gonna work for it.” You leaned in and drooled into his open mouth.

He moaned like you’d fed him salvation. Your saliva dripped down his throat, thick and warm. He swallowed it like he meant it—like it was communion, like it was blood. His eyes rolled back a little, lashes fluttering. One of his hands slid from your thigh to your hip, clinging like a lifeline.

“There we go,” you purred. “There’s my good boy.”

You sank down to your knees in front of him, dragging your mouth over the curve of his throat, lapping at the gore still caked beneath his jaw. He whimpered. Bucked once. The leash in your hand tugged taut when he tried to move too fast.

“Ah-ah,” you warned, mouth brushing his ear. “Be patient.” He was already crying. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, thick and trembling. He sniffled once, just the barest hint of it, but it made your cunt clench anyway. You reached between your legs and wrapped your fingers around the base of his cock, already leaking through the fabric of his pants, dark and wet where the cloth clung tight.

“I’ll let you have it,” you whispered. “But you gotta make me come first. Think you can do that, Remmick?” He nodded violently. “You sure?” You dragged your thumb up the length of him, just light enough to tease. “You’re not gonna get greedy like last time, are you?” He whimpered again, eyes red and glistening.

You smiled. Leaned in. Bit his neck hard enough to draw fresh blood. Then you shoved him down onto his back and mounted his face. The sounds he made weren’t human. You don’t think they ever had been. He tongued you like a starving thing, like your cunt was the last source of freshwater in the whole Delta. His nose bumped your clit again and again, sloppy and desperate, until your thighs were shaking and your fingers were wound in his hair hard enough to hurt.

And all the while he moaned, shamelessly so. You ground down harder, slick soaking his face, his cheeks, his collar. You swore you saw his eyes cross when you spat again, let it drip right down into the mess between his lips. He sucked it in like breath as his hips bucked uselessly into the air, trembling beneath you.

His mouth was a mess—slick and starving, tongue working like it was trying to dig something out of you, like he thought if he licked deep enough he’d find god. But it wasn’t his tongue that made your breath catch like that, wasn’t his moaning or the obscene noises spilling up from between your legs. It was the fangs. You’d felt them graze you before—barely, just teasing little pricks of pressure when he got sloppy or hungry or careless. But now he was deliberate. Letting them drag sharp and slow along the tender seam of you, edged enough to sting, not enough to break skin. Not yet. They slipped over your folds, parted you with reverent care. Cool against the heat of your cunt. Maddening.

And then—goddamn him—he grabbed your hips. Both hands. Clawed fingers curling tight around your waist, holding you there, anchoring you like he thought he was in charge. Like you needed help to fuck his face. You felt the dig of his claws, not breaking skin, but close. Too close.

Any other time, that’d earn him a slap hard enough to ring in his ears. You’d drag him by the leash and make him beg for forgiveness, make him cry while you jerked him off just enough to feel it, then left him dripping and untouched on the floor. But not now. Not when your whole body was locking up, thighs trembling, belly tight and aching, the pleasure pulsing low and vicious between your hips like something with teeth. Not when his mouth was this good.

Your orgasm hit like a thunderclap—sharp and brutal and fucking filthy. It tore through you like lightning, blooming behind your eyes, down your spine, in your belly, all molten and obscene. Your vision went white. Your thighs clenched tight around his head, grinding down hard enough to bruise, smearing slick across his face and into his mouth as you rode out every last trembling second.

You moaned loud and mean, head tossed back, throat bare and aching with the sound of it. His fangs pressed firmer, dragged once more across your clit—deliberate, slow, cruel—and your whole body seized, another gush of come soaking his chin. It was too much. Too good. Too fast. He didn’t stop. Wouldn’t stop. Not even when your hips bucked to the side or your breath hitched high and painful like your lungs forgot how to work. He licked you through it, mouth open and greedy, drool and spit and slick all smeared together in a wet, glistening mess.

You seized the leash and yanked it with every ounce of strength you had, jerking his head back so fast it made his whole body flinch.

“I knew you’d get selfish,” you snapped, voice low, hot, vibrating with fury and lust. “I knew it. Couldn’t just behave. Had to grab me like you fuckin’ own me. Like you ain’t mine.”

His eyes rolled back for half a second like the leash alone could make him come.

You had already started to lift your hips when he finally came to. “No—no, no, no,” Remmick choked out, voice hoarse and shredded.

You stared down at him with disdain curling in your gut and heat pooling thick between your legs. But you didn’t stop him. Not when he pushed you back to the floor with a desperation so raw it made your cunt ache. Not when he climbed on top of you like a man possessed, already fumbling with the buckle of his belt like he thought he’d die if he didn’t fuck you right this second.

“I’m sorry—I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean it, please—please—I’ll be good, I swear—” His belt clattered to the floor. Buttons popped. He shoved his pants down far enough to free himself, cock flushed and slick and trembling with need. He was panting now, a sob catching in his throat as he lined himself up and pushed in.

You didn’t stop him. You watched him. Watched his face crumple with pleasure and relief the moment his cock sank into you, the moment he was back where he belonged. His mouth fell open in a silent moan, shoulders shuddering as he bottomed out, your cunt sucking him in like it had been waiting just for this.

“I’m sorry,” he choked, burying his face into your neck, into your mouth, anywhere you’d let him go. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—please don’t take it away—I need it, I need ya—” His tongue pushed through your lips like he was trying to crawl inside you completely, hot and sloppy, tasting of blood and tears and spit. He rutted into you hard, fast, helpless, sobbing into your lips as his hips snapped against yours with a punishing rhythm.

You groaned into his mouth, not from the force of it—but from how ruined he was. He was crying—no, sobbing—again, tears falling with every thrust.

“Look at you,” you said between kisses, teeth grazing his lip as he thrust deeper. “On top but never in charge. You’ll always be mine.”

“I know, I know—I know—I’m yours—I belong to ya—don’t send me away—don’t take it back—” You dragged your fingernails down his chest hard enough to make him hiss, then gripped his hips and dug your heels into the backs of his thighs, pulling him in deeper, harder.

“You want forgiveness?” you whispered against his ear.

He nodded, trembling.

“Then fuck me like you mean it, sugar.”

And oh, how he tried. Tried to rut into you like he could dig his way into your womb, tried to kiss you like his soul depended on it. He sobbed your name like prayer, like apology, like the only thing left inside him worth saying.

And when he came—God, when he came—it was like something broke loose inside him. Like all that hunger, all that grief, all that cracked and clattering need had finally found the smallest hole to spill through. His whole body went taut, muscles locking like he’d been struck by lightning, and then he howled. Loud and guttural and torn straight from the pit of his belly, as his cock twitched hard inside you and spilled deep. Thick. Endless. You felt it flood your cunt with a heat that made your back arch, made your thighs quake, made you clutch at his hair just to feel something hold you steady.

Remmick sobbed as he kept grinding into you, every pulse of his cock another desperate little claim, another pathetic apology that soaked the inside of you with seed. You wrapped your legs tighter around him, locking him in place.

“You stay right here.”

He whimpered again, collapsing fully into you, face buried against your throat, arms trembling as he tried to stay up on all fours but couldn’t. Couldn’t even hold himself up after the way he came. His hips twitched every time you clenched around him, milking the last thick spurts of come from him.

He moaned into your neck. Tried to thrust again. Failed. His cock twitched, spent and going soft, and his breath hitched like he might cry again.

“I didn’t mean to be bad,” he whispered, barely audible. “I was scared y’wouldn’t let me… I just wanted—just wanted to stay inside, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry—”

You turned his face to look at you. “You did bad,” you said, smiling. “But you made up for it.”

You kissed him—deep, wet, slow.

He melted. Boneless in your arms, body trembling, chest still hitching with the weight of what he’d given you. You kissed him again, sweet and slow, and tasted the remnants of his fear and relief on your tongue. And when you pulled back—just far enough to see the shape of his face, flushed and glistening—he said it. Soft. Raw. Almost ashamed of how much he meant it.

“I love ya,” he paused, then raised his voice. “I love ya so much it hurts. I—God, I’d die for ya, I’d kill for ya, I’d crawl in the dirt and stay there if ya asked. I can’t—” He shook, breath catching again. “—can’t be without ya. Don’t want t’ be.”

You just smiled.

“I know, sugar,” you said sweetly.

And without ceremony—without breaking that smile—you reached down and slipped the muzzle back over his face.

Click.

You gave his cheek a little pat, then rolled your hips just once—for the sole purpose of hearing him moan again, deep and pathetic behind the muzzle. His cock gave a feeble twitch inside you, and you laughed, light as dew.

He helped you get up. Still trembling, still leaking, still raw—you stood. His hands obeyed yours when you pointed to the corpse, and together you dragged what was left of the man across the yard. His body left streaks in the dirt. Pinkish-red. Bits of viscera caught on rocks and roots. You didn’t bother covering it up.

The moonlight was sharp tonight, painting the trees silver and casting your shadows long behind you. He followed without complaint, his leash slack between you, muzzle in place. Silent and obedient.

Beneath the water, still as stone, was Josephine. Her long body rippled once beneath the surface.

You gave her a low whistle.

She came.

All muscle and patience, her jaw parting with the faintest creak as you laid the man at the edge of the swamp. His head lolled sideways, hair matted with blood, one eye still open.

You sighed, almost wistfully. Then crouched down beside him, lips puckered in a kiss that never touched flesh. “Bon appétit, baby girl.”

Josephine surged forward with a pleased sound—more purr than growl—and you watched, grinning, as her jaws snapped wide and slammed shut over the man’s torso. The crunch echoed deep, wet and final.

Remmick sat beside you, still panting through his muzzle. You didn’t speak. Just leaned your head against his shoulder and watched your girl feed—limbs torn clean, guts strung out like ribbons, skull crushed between rows of ancient teeth. It took less than a minute for her to finish, and when she slipped back beneath the dark water with a satisfied grunt, the surface stilled as if nothing had happened at all.

You stayed there a while longer. Let the stillness settle over you like silk. Let your fingers toy with the leather strap of his leash. Let your pulse slow and even, heartbeat thumping with a rhythm made only for you.

Because you’d won. He was yours now. All yours. And the world, stupid little thing that it was, would keep spinning, none the wiser to what you were building out here. What you'd tamed. What you'd fed.

You rose at last, and he followed, crawling dutifully at your side.

The swamp swallowed the rest.

He thought he was clever, slick, unseen, but he couldn't have been more obvious if he tried. You'd clocked him immediately after that first meeting, waiting outside of your work in a large black car that screamed 'Hey I'm a big tough guy with unlimited money!'.

You almost laughed out loud as you walked away from the coffee shop you'd met at just days earlier, hearing the engine rumble to life and crawl along behind you at a distance, until it settled in front of your small detached home.

You made a show of it of course, deliberately stripping off in front of open curtains, but keeping your back to the window, teasing him with the possibility of a peak but never giving it to him.

During the weeks that followed you made sure to give him what he wanted, guiding him to your favourite places, deliberately ordering your favourite foods, shopping in your favourite stores so he could get to know you.

You wondered when he'd be brave enough to speak to you again, instead of sticking to the shadows.

Soon enough gifts began to show up on your doorstep. Expensive items that showed his wealth, wrapped in exquisite paper and soft bows. You played the part, pretending to be distraught at the idea of having a stalker. Even calling the police for good measure, knowing that he was outside watching, waiting.

What Lloyd didn't know, was that when the curtains were drawn you laid back on your bed, fingers deep in your cunt as you came to the thought of him. To the image of that delectable mustache covered in your cream while his eyes were dilated and dark.

It was no surprise to you when he showed up at the coffee shop one morning soon after, smirking at you with wide blue eyes as he raked over your figure and ordered a black coffee to go.

"I need a name." You'd said with a smile, as you tapped on the register.

"A name?" He repeated cautiously.

"For the order." You giggled and his lips had tugged up into the most gorgeous grin at the sound of your laughter, making you internally preen.

"Oh of course." He grinned, "It's Hansen, Lloyd Hansen, Sugar."

"Sugar?" You queried with a raised brow.

To which he'd simply replied, "Well if you know what to call me I gotta call you somethin'." As if he didn't already know your full legal name, where you lived, your shift patterns and your life history to this point. He thought you were so oblivious, it was kind of cute.

That name alone led you to be able to do a deep dive on the web, finding out everything you could while you made your plans to make him yours. He had money, that was obvious, connections and was definitely stronger than you, all things you carefully considered and planned for. Because one thing you knew for certain, was that he had a plan for you and you'd be damned if he got the upper hand and was the one in control.

When everything was ready, you'd made sure to divert him one evening as he followed you home in the dark. You took a different route, stepping into a dark alley you'd scoped out weeks ago and you smiled widely when you heard his car stop, the door opening and closing as he jumped from his vehicle to stalk you down the darkened pathway.

Issue 1 Solved - His car was now abandoned in the middle of nowhere, not on your usual route home. Assuming he had people that knew about you and Lloyds obsession anyway.

You dipped behind a corner, before his shadow crept into the entrance of the alley, listening to his mumbles as he trailed after you, or thought he had.

"Where the hell you goin' sugar?"

"God job I'm here to protect you, poor baby could get jumped down here."

You pressed your palm to your face to stiffle your laughter before pulling out the sedative from your back pocket, slowly and quietly releasing the cap.

He got further into the alley, his figure now shrouded in darkness as it swept past you, still mumbling, still thinking he had the upper hand.

You tiptoed behind him, raising the needle and pressing it into his muscular neck with advanced accuracy.

"Mother fuck...." He groaned before dropping to the floor in front of your feet.

Issue 2 Solved - Get the big muscly man down so he can't fight back.

You skipped down the alley a few feet, humming happily before collecting a wheelchair you'd had stashed behind the dumpster. Your friend Jake owed you a favour or two and you couldn't risk Lloyd figuring out what was going on. That favour came in handy twice on that night.

After stamping on his phone and tossing it away, you heaved and huffed as you struggled to pull his body from the floor, finally dropping him into the chair as his head lolled backwards, arms dangling uselessly by the wheels.

You quickly tucked them over his lap, not wanting your precious boy to get hurt, before pushing his limp form to the other end of the alley where Jake had left a car for you, keys tucked under the front wheel.

He was placed carefully in the trunk, along with the now folded chair before being closed away from prying eyes for the journey home.

After finally arriving back, you had carefully dragged him into the house and down the basement stairs, accidentally hitting his head a few times on the way down, before placing him on his new bed, cuffing his hands to a hook installed in the wall and tying his legs together.

Issue 3 Solved - Get the bulk of a man home and into the basement restrained.

All you had to do now was wait, wait for him to wake up so you could bask in your victory.

A few hours later, while you pottered around upstairs, you heard the first yell come through your phone. You'd been keeping an eye on him to see when he woke up and you couldn't help but laugh when you focused your attention on the live feed, watching your big tough man thrashing against his restraints and screaming into the room.

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"Let me go you fuckin' asshole!"

"When I find out who you are I'm gonna ruin you.'

"Show yourself you fuckin' pussy!"

"Silly baby." You giggled to yourself, "You need more sleep Mr grump."

You clicked a button on the screen, releasing some sleeping gas into the room and you watched as Lloyds thrashing got weaker, his yells became slurred and his eyes finally closed, dropping him back into a deep sleep. 

You tried to get a few hours sleep yourself, tossing and turning with excitement at everything that was to come. You almost caved and went down to see him, but stopped yourself, knowing Lloyd would need a good nights sleep. 

In the early hours of the morning, you finally gave up, huffing air through your lips and rubbing your palms over your thighs before you rose from your bed and made your way to the bathroom. 

You brushed your teeth and then your hair, pinched your cheeks to give them some colour and slid into a deep red, silk night gown that Lloyd had gifted you weeks earlier, before twirling in front of the mirror with a wide smile and a happy squeal. 

Your panties were slipped off and kicked to the side with your foot before you made your way to your kitchen with a skip in your step. 

You quickly prepared a glass of water and a bowl of fruit for your man and began the descent into the basement, pressing your thumb to the sensor lock to let yourself in the room.

Lloyd was still asleep, on his back in the middle of the large bed you'd provided for him, snoring softly, so you crossed the space and placed his breakfast on the nearby table before carefully sitting on the bed, angling your body so you could appreciate Lloyd's sleeping form.

You couldn't stop yourself from reaching out and running your hands over his black turtle neck covered torso, feeling his muscles twitch under your palm. You gently pushed the bottom of the shirt up to just under his nipples, smiling at the light dusting of hair scattered down the middle of his abdomen and marveling at the deep v that disappeared beneath his beige slacks. 

Your fingers dipped under the waistband of his pants, stilling when Lloyd let out a soft moan in his sleep, clearly enjoying your touch. You giggled and flattened your palm over the apex of his pants, sliding it down and over his crotch until you felt his cock twitch under your hand through his clothes. 

Lloyd groaned louder, hips bucking up into your palm as you began rubbing him through the material, cock growing harder and thicker with each passing moment until it was trying to burst from his trousers. 

Wetness was pooling between your thighs, almost dripping onto the bed from just the feel of him alone and your resolve snapped, you couldn't wait anymore. 

You climbed on all fours over his legs, slipping your fingers into the waistband of his pants and underwear and pulling them down to his knees, licking your lips as his thick, hard cock bobbed out of its confines, the tip red and weeping from the small touch alone, begging for you. 

You reached out and took it in your fist, stroking it a few times before shifting on your knees until you were hovering over his core. When you swiped it across your folds you let out a soft moan, already weak as his velvety head pressed to your core. 

You pushed yourself down slowly, eyes rolling and pussy pulsing around his length from the glorious stretch, while Lloyd gasped and thrust his hips upwards. When you finally settled, clit pressed to his tuft of hair and cock buried so deep you could feel him in your stomach, you took a moment, inhaling a deep breath before you slowly lifted your hips, starting a steady rhythm as you began slowly fucking yourself of his cock. 

Lloyd groaned beneath you, head shaking back and forth and long eyelashes fluttering as he began to come around.

"What the fuck?" He grunted as his eyes slowly opened, wrists gently tugging at his cuffs while he took in what was happening. 

His gaze landed on your body, confusion lacing his brow as he took in the night gown with a subtle recognition, before his eyes narrowed on your breasts, bouncing in front of him as you continued grinding and bouncing on his cock.

You watched his face go through the motions, between confusion and lust, before his nose wrinkled and he let out an angry growl, dragging his eyes up to finally meet those of his captor. 

They looked at yours, narrowed and dark, before they immediately softened at the sight of your face, your mouth hanging agape as you moaned above him.

"Sugar?" He grunted, tugging against the restraints once more.

"Morning baby." You grinned, placing your palms onto his torso so you could support yourself, while you began fucking your cunt harder and faster onto Lloyds cock. He let out a loud moan, muscles rippling along his arms as he tried to pull them down, whether to grab your hips or strangle you to death he didn't know, all he knew was that he needed you beneath his palms.

"What's going on sugar?" He grunted, "What have you done?"

You grinned widely, pussy fluttering around him as you worked yourself closer and closer to your release. 

"Explanations later baby." You panted, "Fucking first."

"Oh fuck." Lloyd groaned, head dropping back against the pillow, eyes locked on the way your pussy was swallowing his cock with every grind of your hips.

"Untie me." He growled, "I want my hands on you, right fuckin' now."

"No can do baby." You smirked, "Can't trust you yet."

"Fuck you feel so good." He moaned, "Knew you'd feel good, please let me touch you sugar, please, I'm beggin' here."

"Next time baby I promise." You breathed, "Just relax, let me make us both come."

"Fuck." He growled, "You're in so much trouble."

"You're not in charge right now baby." You giggled, making him groan as you slapped your core against his groin.

You could feel your orgasm approaching, your stomach tightened and your body flooded with heat from your impending release. 

"You close baby?" You moaned, fingertips digging into his taught muscle as you tried to hold your orgasm back, to wait for him.

"So close sugar, gonna fill you up." He groaned softly. 

You doubled down, grinding against him faster and faster, watching as he groaned and grunted, eyes rolling and cock twitching until he let out a loud moan and you finally allowed yourself your release, pussy clamping down on his cock as he filled you with his cum. 

Your hips stilled, breath coming out in ragged pants as you came down from the high, grin tugging at your lips from the best orgasm you'd ever experienced in your life, weeks of waiting and planning leading to this. 

Lloyd's chest rose and fell harshly beneath your palms, cock softening inside you as he came down from his own release. 

You carefully rose off of him, revelling in the wet flush of cum that dripped down your thighs as you lifted your leg over him. 

You pattered your way to the attached bathroom, relieving your bladder and cleaning yourself up before returning to the main room while Lloyd watched you with narrowed eyes, softened wet cock sticking against his thigh.

"What the fuck are you playin' at Sugar? He growled angrily.

"What?" You smirked back at him as you crossed the space, perching on the bed next to him, "Like you weren't gonna do the exact same thing."

"That's not the point." He sneered, "Now you're gonna let me go, or you won't like what I do when I get my hands on you."

"Oh baby." You sighed, reaching out to place your hand on his jaw, thumb brushing over his thick mustache, "I'm more than happy to come home with you, to be your little Sugar."

"So untie me." He grunted through gritted teeth.

"I will baby I promise." You smiled softly, "But first we're gonna figure all this out, because I'm not gonna be some little basement wife and I can't let you go until I'm sure you won't just try to turn the tables on me, until I'm sure you see me as an equal."

"You're fucking insane." He hissed.

"Takes one to know one my love." You grinned.

You leaned down, placing a kiss to his snarling face, giggling against his lips when he sighed and gave in, kissing you back hungrily, tongue pushing it's way into your mouth to finally taste you while he let out a satisfied groan.

You pulled back with a smile, patting him on the chest, "Come on now big boy." You teased, "Calm down and have some breakfast, let your Sugar take care of you."

Everything tag - @late-to-the-party-81

@the-wandering-wonder @rnurse-kole @chemtrails-club @marvelgurl

You tried, you fucking tried.

Besides your sigh, the only noise occupying the space of your European master bedroom being the fresh morning air coming in waves, twirling your curtains. Birds singing every now and then.

Cameron continued dressing himself as if you weren’t standing next to him. He’d sneak a few peeks at you through the mirror but he mainly focused on getting himself ready for work at the office.

The sight of your arms raised to fix your hair into a ponytail slowly caught the CEO’s attention.

He said nothing, he just watched you. Your silk pajama cami shirt raised with every overhead work of your hands to form your hair into a proper ponytail, softly exposing the reality that plummeted Cameron Cade’s heart.

Time rounded your belly with every passing day. You were about five and a half months along now according to your new doctor here in Venice.

Your body began forming the inevitable linea nigra— that vertical line up and down your belly button just a shade darker than your complexion.

This was real, there was no going back.

Not to mention the thick glisten that reflected off of your hand every now and then.

He didn’t know why it shined so bright this morning but it was enough to get his attention, especially when you ran your hands through your hair.

Cameron didn’t know why you wore a ring. Or rather, he didn’t understand why. He didn’t have plans to be engaged to you.. nor did he want to.

The private life of having jetted off to Venice provided you and Cameron with a sense of normalcy than what you were used to in California.

There wasn’t a need to keep up your appearances for the public. The people here in Venice didn’t need to know that you and Cameron were “engaged”.

The man stopped trying to figure you out a long time ago.

The drop of your shirt snapped Cameron from his trance, only when he looked at your stomach again, you were still pregnant. It wasn’t a dream.

“I, um, just wanted to let you know that I’ll probably run some errands today while you’re gone but I’ll clean up. I know you’re about to leave but I cooked breakfast. Can I make you something quick or take with you to work?”

You met his greenish hazels with a pleading look in your own.

You wanted to do something for him, Cameron wasn’t himself and you hated it. He hardly spoke, barely ate. He was so checked out, it broke your heart.

These days with your pregnancy, you seemed to crave Cameron a lot more than you usually did. You were told that was typical with your hormones.

You cuddled up to him more in bed, touched him more, you just had to be around him.

The sex was slow since the move to Venice and what your body allowed being pregnant. Sometimes Cameron wasn’t for it.. most times, he just couldn’t deny hovering over your needy body and stuffing you full of him.. fucking you deep into your Wyoming mattress sized bed.

It was easy to get lost into you and immerse into a reality that told the man that you were really his and this love was real.

Even when he didn’t know how he felt about you.

One of the many times being now.

“I’m not hungry, Kay” He murmured, finally tying his tie. He opted to walk clean past you and out of the bathroom but you stopped him with a gentle grasp on his bicep, he glanced down at you.

“Please, baby”

You and Cameron stared at each other for a charged couple of seconds.

“Please” you practically begged, still gripping his arm.

The more he peered into the stupid, cute, pathetic look in your eyes, the more he wished things worked out differently. The more he glanced down at the fucking rock on your hand, he wished your bond was real.

He wondered if he’d ever grow to love you authentically instead of feeling like if he didn’t, you’d kill him and actually finish the job.

But you were so pretty… and fucking pregnant..

Cameron sighed, “I’ll eat tonight”

To you, that was a win. You nodded.

Leaning in, you kissed the corner of his lips and smiled sweetly at him.

“I love you”

When Cameron didn’t say it back, you swallowed back a lump in your throat, forcing yourself to understand.

“I’ll see you tonight, don’t wait up”

.

“Girl, you did not let me fly all this way privately for me to find out you’re engaged!”

On the days where Cameron worked and left you at home, you chose not to sit around being depressed.

That wasn’t Kaymore Lake. Not prior to becoming pregnant and not currently being pregnant.

Thankfully, you had Brandi Webb to thank for that. Having you two sat down in a private dining area at one of her favorite spots, she sat beaming across from you.

“I mean, I knew you were carrying but engaged? Kaymore, this is amazing! How does it feel?”

You glanced down at the rock, it glimmered under the warm Venice sun. You sighed, dropping your shoulders.

“Well.. I’ll get back to you on that when it actually feels real”

Brandi took a beat as she studied your face, your body language.

“What does that mean, Kaymore?”

“It means that he hasn’t actually proposed to me, Brandi. There are moments where wearing this does feel real and my life with him feels real. I’m rich, I have a home, I live abroad, I’m pregnant, I have a fiancé”

You held up your left hand.

“But then I think about how true that is.. and if I’m even being real with myself, you know? Does he really love me? Does he actually care? Does he enough to make this real so I can stop living a lie?”

Tears welled in your eyes with the more you spoke and surely enough, they gently cascaded down your cheeks.

The sight broke Brandi Webb’s heart. She leaned over the table with the napkin and dabbed at your wet cheeks, patting under your eyes. Muttering for you not to cry.

“It’s always one step forward and ten steps backwards. I just want to be loved, Brandi. I want him to love me but something is always happening”

Brandi fully moved to sit next to you and fully engulfed you into a sisterly hug, her scrawny arms hugging you similar to how your mother would.

Brandi was four years older than you but she truly took you under her wing like a mother. You grew to love it even in the face of moments where you hated it.

She gave you one last squeeze before pulling back and cupping your face.

“Don’t get to sobbing out here, it’s not good for the baby and you are too pretty for that”

You playfully rolled your eyes and giggled.

“Now while I can empathize with your desire for love and the yearning for it, I feel I need to remind you that you are further along than a lot of people out here asking for what you are. Tell me those things you have, list them”

“Money, a home, a baby, and a fiancé”

“Everything every girl wants in life. Now the circumstances surrounding all of those things might not be picture perfect but who’s taking the goddamn picture?”

Brandi gave you a cocky look, awaiting for your agreement.

“You have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself. No more press, no more public scrutiny, no more Sadie Daniels, nothing. As for the man at home, what was the last piece of advice I gave you about him that had you moving?”

You didn’t have to give it much thought at all.

“Make him see you”

“Uh huh”

“But how?”

All Brandi Webb could do was give you another smile. This time it was borderline comforting and unsettling.

.

“How was work?” You muttered from Cameron’s side at the dinner table.

He stared at his plate, forking around at the salmon and vegetables before deciding on a piece of broccoli and eating it.

“Work was fine”

You nodded, also taking a bite out of your food and chewing. The air had the potential to grow uncomfortable, you opted to continue the conversation.

“Brandi came to visit me today, she took me for lunch. She’s really excited about the baby”

It was his turn to nod, staying silent.

“Are you excited?” You tried to meet Cameron’s eye but it stayed on his plate, “about anything?”

When he shrugged, you couldn’t help but to let out a sigh. You didn’t mean for it to be as loud or dramatic.

“What do you want me to say, Kaymore?” Cameron leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. Finally looking at you at least.

“Something, Cameron, anything! Make me feel like I’m not talking to myself, please?”

“So you want me to pretend like everything is okay? Will that make you feel better, Kay?”

“Don’t talk to me like that—“

“No, answer me. Is that what you want me to do? To pretend like our relationship isn’t built on lies and deception? Like I almost didn’t die because of it? Because of you?”

You blanched at the man before you, “you’re blaming me for that? Like I wanted to just kill you out of the blue? I can admit that I went overboard but are you forgetting the role you played? Because you did exactly that— You played me, Cameron!”

Cameron closed his mouth and averted his eyes to the wall in front of him, he clenched his jaw.

“You knew that I chose not to date and why I didn’t open my heart up and you still hurt me, so I’m sorry for wanting to make you hurt the way you hurt me. I’m sorry that I’ve chosen to forgive you, I’m sorry that I want to move on, I’m sorry that I want to start over with you even when you want nothing to do with me—“

The sound of your sobs filled the dining room. Shaky cries, heaving breaths, sniffles.

Cameron Cade felt his own body betray him, he glanced over at you with tears in his own eyes, a soften in his heart. You were wiping at your red face.

“I’m sorry that I’m pregnant, I’m sorry for Sadie, I’m sorry for that— I’m just sorry, Cam! I’m so sorry!”

The man had seen and heard enough. He moved his chair next to yours and immediately brought your body into his hold. One hand caressing your back, the other massaging your hair.

“I-I’m sorry—“

“Shh” Cameron muttered, “it’s okay, just breathe for me, it’s okay—“

“No, it’s not—“

“It is because I say it is”

“But you hate me and I’m trying to fix it—“

Cameron pulled back and stared deeply into your eyes, both of you looked at each other.

Your eyes were more red rimmed and burning than his, his greenish hazels wore a soft pink tint.

“I never said I hated you, Kaymore. I just.. I just wanted some time to keep processing everything. I had to keep working out my feelings about you.. about us. I just didn’t know what to do and I still don’t.. but I don’t hate you”

That made you feel a bit better.

“But you don’t love me either, Cameron and that’s all I want.. I just want to be loved, I want to be loved by you, I want to feel loved by you.. but I’ve caused all of this damage to you and us.. I just want to know how to fix it”

Your hands slithered up and held onto his wrists, gazing intently into his eyes.

Neither of you said anything for a moment and for the first time in a while, Cameron Cade felt like he could finally see you for you.

The real Kaymore Lake beneath the riches, beneath the short temper, beneath the many layers you hid behind.

Leaning in, he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. Not once, not twice, not even thrice. Just a couple of times for you to lose count and slowly relax into the man.

“All you have to do is be here and as long as we’re trying to be better for each other—“

One of his hands dropped down to your satin nightgown clothed pregnant belly that protruded through the material.

“And better them, that’s all of the fixing that can be done”

He rested his forehead on top of yours, you could make out his steady breathing.

“I’m sorry too” he began, “I realized I never said it.. my ego and my pride made it so I never planned to do so either. I just got caught up in wanting to have fun and thinking I could do whatever I wanted.. not thinkin’ about anybody but myself”

Cameron pulled back and kissed your lips again.

“You didn’t deserve that, Kaymore, and I’m so sorry”

You reached up and cupped his face, swiping a single tear that slid from his eye. You could feel the regret steaming off the man before you.

With one more kiss, you eased yourself into Cameron’s lap and wrapped your arms around his neck, squeezing him tight. His arms folded around your waist.

“I love you, Cam”

This time when Cameron didn’t say it back, you didn’t feel a ways about it.

This was the most clarity you had from him since you two got involved with each other. You knew where his heart and mind was and he knew where yours was.

You were his and he was yours. Even if he didn’t verbally say it.

.

If time was what Cameron Cade needed, it was time you gave him. And time might’ve been the best thing for your relationship.

Cameron finally felt lighter. He smiled more, he greeted you every morning and night, he was less timid.

He felt more comfortable hugging and kissing you, even pulling your body closer in the middle of the night to cuddle should he have felt less of your body heat.

Maybe not the arrogant and cocky man you met in the beginning, but he was getting there. You loved it nonetheless.

He actually seemed to remember that you were pregnant and began paying attention. You’d catch him every so often staring at your belly, even going out of his way to reach out and caress a random spot on your stomach.

“What do you think we’re having?” He’d ask you randomly one day during a lunch outing.

You’d had enough of your food and wanted to be close to him, opting to scoot yourself in his chair and relax against him, your back to his chest. Like magnets, his hands found your belly.

“What would you want?” You replied back. He shrugged.

“What do I look more like? A dad with a daughter or a dad with a son?”

The thought made your heart flutter.

“As long as you’re in their lives, it doesn’t matter much to me”

You didn’t know where the lot of Cameron’s switch came from but you didn’t question it.

Much like tonight, the tall man still stood tall even while he kneeled before you with a leather box in hand.

“I love you, Kaymore Lake. Through the uniqueness of our journey, I’ve realized that I was always meant to find my way back to you. Besides the blessing you’re creating, you’re the only one I’ve got in my life and I wouldn’t change that for the world. Will you marry me?”

Dressed in the best suit from his business, Cameron Cade wore a plastered smile while hope twinkled in his eye. Your hair was straightened out, your body hugged in a dress that had you feeling your best.

A small crowd gathered and erupted when you happily said—

“Yes!”

Sliding out the ring you’d been parading, Cameron slid on a freshly cut, heavyset rock on to fill the void. It dazzled with ease under the Venice night sky.

He held onto your waist when you kissed his lips in both pure bliss and gratitude.

“I love you” Cameron murmured, “I’ll always keep you safe”

A promise?

You’d found yourself waddling back towards the restaurant as the last few patrons were exiting, you had to use the restroom.

With your advancing pregnancy, your bladder ached all the time.

The restrooms were empty when you entered and remained that way when you exited and approached the sink to wash your hands.

Just as you were reaching for the door handle to leave, the door pushed opened. Except it wasn’t another woman coming in.. it was a man… and it wasn’t Cameron Cade on the other side.

His dark eyes locked on yours and darkened.

“Oh, Miss Lake.. so this is where you’ve been hiding..”

You felt your heart sink, all of your nerves beginning to stimulate.

“Do I know you?”

The man smirked, “In due time but all you need to know is I’m coming to collect a debt. You left a family very broken back in the states over the murder of their baby girl..”

Sadie Daniels.

The man fully walked inside of the bathroom, steadily approaching you. You didn’t miss that he locked the door behind him. One step forward, you took a step back until your back hit a wall.

You gulped, “You have the wrong person, trust me, I did not get involved in that. I’ve completely uprooted my life and started over, okay? I am very pregnant so if you’ll excuse me, my husband is waiting for me—“

“The same man you killed her for? I’m sorry, Miss Lake, I cannot let you leave.. not without confirmation that you’re as dead as Sadie Daniels, it’s what her family wants— needs actually”

When the man full on approached you, you screamed. You’d left Cameron in the car but you cried out for him anyway.

The man took you by the throat with both hands and squeezed, pressing your body against the wall. There was no remorse in his eyes even as he began lifting you up, you tried you swat his hands off of you.

Tears welled in your eyes but the lack of air is what had them blurry. You just barely caught sight of the bathroom door being tackled open, the piece of wood damn near coming off of its hinges.

“Kaymore!”

You hardly heard him. The man, in a panic, dropped you. You caught yourself on your hands, weight baring on your side just perfect enough to see the show in front of you.

Cameron Cade was on a roll.

The poor man wasn’t being spared at all. Cameron continued to punch, his head snapping left and right, his nose bloodied and decorating Cameron’s knuckles.

“Baby, who the fuck is this?!” Cameron loudly called out to you, he roughly grabbed the man up by the shirt, “who the fuck are you, nigga, and why are you attacking my wife?!”

The man shot Cameron a bloody smile. “Sadie Daniels sent me.. her family wants revenge and I am here to serve it”

You could see the panic in Cameron’s eyes from where you were sitting. The nervous gears going off in his head replaying that sick memory that was part of the reason he jetted to Venice in the first place.

He didn’t need to do it but it was your favorite thing to see.

You watched him brandish a knife from his back pocket. Cameron’s chest heaved as he glanced over at you, he had a look in his eye almost like he was looking for your approval.

You nodded. Smiling.

“Serve it, huh? I’on know how.. can’t do that when you’re dead”

A swift jab and plunge in the middle of the man’s chest took his life completely, it was done. Cameron Cade wasn’t though.

Soft blood splatter coated his face as he yanked out the knife and began stabbing the man again.. and again.. and again.. and again.. and again.. and again.

The cherry on top?

Cameron slashed that blade from ear to ear across that man’s throat. Blood rich in the color red pooled beneath the man.

Cameron standing up and walking over to you is what had you snapping out of your trance like state. He’d shoved the knife in his pocket without a care in the world. His bloodied hands reached out to pull you up.

“My baby, my baby..” he muttered, giving you a once over, “are you okay? Did he hurt you? Hit you anywhere?” Concern laced his greenish hazels.

“No, I’m fine. Baby’s fine too”

You both glanced over at the dead man behind Cameron.

“He was coming here to kill me, Cam.. because of her.. a-and you killed him—“

Cameron took you by the chin, a newfound look of determination in his eyes.

“Fuck yeah I did and I’ll do it again. Should they even try to send anybody to my doorstep on some avengin’ shit, I might just do ‘em worse because you’re mine now, Kaymore. You’re carrying my child. I’ll be damned if anybody call themselves tryna harm or put hands on what’s mine, you understand me?”

You simply nodded.. with a soft bite to the corner of your lip. Cameron didn’t miss it. He leaned in and kissed you once more, a bit more heatedly this time around.

“C’mon, let me ‘getchu home”

.

Home being your home.

Home being the threshold you crossed where Cameron Cade followed you up the steps, a nonverbal conversation paired with a heated energy that it felt like you two hadn’t had in a while.

Home being the master bedroom where Cameron Cade was on you like white on rice.

Lips devouring yours and carefully walking you backwards with hands on your hips until the backs of your knees hit the bed. He switched positions, pulling you on his lap.

Bliss covered you like a blanket and wrapped you up in something lustful, in something that had your back arching and that familiar slick covering your pussy.

It seemed like when you opened your eyes, you were still in Cameron’s lap, except he’d stripped you both completely naked. The only thing on you being the ring.

Your adorable 5 month pregnant belly brushing against Cameron’s bare chest. Internally, it was driving him fucking crazy.

Cameron sat on the edge of the bed with your body carefully hoisted in his arms, your eager pussy just barely hovering over his hard and awaiting cock.

Your blown eyes stared down at his as he began sinking you down.. little by little, inch by inch until you were stuffed full of him.. until Cameron was grabbing handfuls of your ass to guide your rhythm.

“I missed you, baby” You cried out as you rested your forehead on his, a moan tearing from your throat. “‘missed you so fuckin’ much.. can’t nobody make me feel as good as you do”

Cameron nods and pecks your lips, nibbling on your bottom lip, “I know, pretty girl, I know.. daddy missed you too.. missed having you this close to me.. fucking you so deep..”

You cried out some more, the pleasure charging up your body on a level way more intense than you were used to. It had to be because you were pregnant.

You tossed your head back, it welcomed Cameron to attack your neck with rough kisses. Marking your skin all kinds of reds and purples. You held the back of his head there.

“Can I tell you something?” You muttered. Cameron nodded. “Seeing you kill that man kind of turned me on.. loved seeing you get rough and dirty”

From below, Cameron began fucking up into you, his feet planted firmly on the ground, hands gripping at your hips. His head fell onto your chest, you could feel his breathing splaying over your skin.

“Yeah?” He murmured, “I saw the look in your eyes.. you liked that shit, I knew it.. this pussy real wet, I can tell.. fuck, baby”

Cameron managed to maneuver you on your back and under the covers, the duvet draped over his broad shoulders. His gold link dangling over you.

He rocked into you in languid, shallow thrusts. Your legs locked around his waist, your arms looped around his neck, you were so fucking noisy. Cameron loved it.

“I loved seeing you kill for me.. because that’s why you did it, right? For me?”

Cameron wasted no time dignifying your question. He kissed you deeply.

“Hell yeah, baby.. all for you and only for you. I’ll kill everybody and burn this shit to the ground if it means it’s just us”

His thrusts picked up, he began fucking you harder. Cameron let out a deep groan at the feeling of your nails sinking into the skin of his back and scratching down.

“I don’t want nobody else, I’on give a fuck about anybody else.. it’s all you, baby girl.. fuck..”

“‘M so close, baby, please don’t stop” you whined pathetically.

You came with a cry and held onto the powering ride that was your love struck, newly crowned fiancé.

His name stayed on your tongue as you reached your high, your walls snapping, releasing, and creaming.

“You love me?” Cameron asked, a rasp in his voice. You could tell his release was imminent. He looked you square in the eye, you nodded immediately.

“So fucking much..” you took one of his hands and rested it on your stomach, “I know you love me.. look at what you did to me, baby.. can’t nobody ever touch me or do what to do to me. My body is yours to do whatever you want with”

Taking a hold of his chain, you pulled him down until your faces were barely inches away, your lips brushing against his.

“Remember what I said before? I wanna have all of your babies.. and you’re gonna give it to me.. just like that, baby, just like that..”

That might’ve been the easiest thing to send Cameron Cade into the abyss of pleasure. You swallowed his loud groans with a kiss, his body staying seated and pulsing inside of you.

Neither of you said anything or chose to come up for air, still choosing to be all over each other and kissing passionately.

.

“How’s it going with making him see you?”

“This might’ve been the best thing we came up with. You gotta come visit me more, Brandi”

The next morning had you soaking up the Venice sunshine in your backyard in your cabana. Laptop on your bare thighs, your glistening pregnant body in a two piece bikini.

You had your earpiece in your ear as you got comfortable.

“So you cried some tears, told some lies, sure, we’ve been there and done that. I gave you an idea but how did we execute it?”

You grinned, chuckling to yourself as you hit send on the wire transfer in front of you. Ten million dollars with such ease.

“Not we.. not even me, he did it. Exactly how I planned it”

Your mind thought to the lifeless man on the restaurant’s bathroom floor.

“He got made a martyr but his family is getting one hell of a paycheck. I paid that man to die. All he had to do was mention the dead bitch once and Cameron.. he snapped. The best part? That man didn’t know about our lives in the states, there was no vengeance at all. I just had to scare him a little bit.. had to remind him that he’s not going anywhere..”

You were confident of a smile on Brandi Webb’s end.

“And it worked, didn’t it?”

As if on cue, the backyard doors opened to reveal the man you’d always love. He donned sunglasses, a muscular bare chest, and basketball shorts as he approached you.

In the same instance, the wire transfer successfully completed and you quickly closed out the tab.

The closer Cameron got, the better you saw that he was cradling a bowl of fresh fruit. He wore the biggest smile as he entered the cabana.

“For you, my lady”

You accepted the bowl and accepted his bent down kiss to your lips as a thank you. He also cutely bent down and kissed the front of your belly.

“I love you” he said.

“I love you too” you replied back.

Grabbing a pineapple, you plopped it into your mouth and chewed.

You watched Cameron disappear back into the house.

‘And it worked, didn’t it?’

“Like it always does and how it always will..”

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That’s a wrap on Cameron and Kaymore 💘

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