The hazy brown-orange glow of the moon, so far away and yet bigger than you had ever seen it in your hometown, to the old radio humming across from you-- it all was a meaningless distraction away from the sinewy fiber between your teeth. Focusing on anything other than the chewing was better; your eyes searched for cracks between the old renovated farmhouse across from its grandfather clock, running down to the unlit fireplace. The seasonings on your tongue reminded you of herby chicken, maybe something you’d end up cooking and partly burning at your cruddy old apartment. An apartment hundreds of miles away from here. The man beneath you seemed to hum along to the radio, your body sitting atop his as he leaned back in a wooden chair, watching you from behind. 

Another finger-full of meat came up to your lips, pressing against them and waiting for them to open once you finished swallowing. You tried to eat it as quickly as possible, faster than he could put the next chunk up to your mouth, but you always failed. 

“In we go,” He mumbles, a slight groan following as something beneath you twitches. 

You nearly gag as you open your mouth again, the meat resting in between teeth and at the back of your throat as you have yet to finish swallowing. 

It almost reminds you of the barbeque you had at your friend’s bachelorette party, which seemed ages ago. Why she picked to have her wedding hours away from where you two grew up, you didn’t know. Maybe if she had chosen somewhere closer to home, you wouldn’t be where you are now, trying to numb your taste buds and the sensation of a thickness your panty-less self was swallowing from below. 

“Right there..” He sighs, watching you chew, your cheeks puffing out just slightly from how much food he kept shoving for you to accept. 

You wished he would give you a bite of something else, at least a bite of peas or a sip of ice tea to drown out the flavor of something… wrong. Even if it showed resemblances of familiarity in flavor, you knew it wasn’t something you had ever tasted before; something you would have thrown up at the thought of if it weren’t for your survival depending on its consumption. Maybe if you hadn’t seen the chopped forearm in the fridge, the blood trailing to the basement, you'd have an easier time pretending.

He rocked just slightly inside you, enjoying the way your thighs squished against his, how when he thrusted just slightly up, the bottom of the table stopped you from going anywhere-- a wonderful source of friction. 

“You’re going to get so pretty; not like you aren’t pretty already, of course… but with me cooking for you… oh baby.” He seemed to stutter, unusually so from how careful he was when he usually spoke; but the grip of your inner cunt’s walls squeezing around him in almost everything but pleasure, it took him to a different place. “I won’t stop until you’re full. And even then.. Well, we need to make sure you’re nice and healthy, all soft with never a moment where you’re hungry. Isn’t that right?” 

He seemed almost breathless as he asked, a warm hand snaking up your T-shirt.

 He loved to rub the flesh of your stomach, from below your navel at the roundness of your belly, nearly reaching to the depths of where he was comfortably pushed inside, to the top of your abdomen where your skin grew smooth and the round bottoms of your breasts rested, heaving with each shuddered breath. 

You nodded compliantly, taking the excuse of a full mouth from having to respond verbally as he had expected you to do so. You hated the stuttering nod of your head, the obediency-- but you were well versed with the potential consequences.  

He leaned his chin on your shoulder, sucking through his teeth as you minutely adjusted on top of him, your thighs forcibly spread and squeezing against his. Your ankles could have wrapped around his own if you had dared to do so; but you were afraid of touching him anywhere you didn’t have to. He was a bulging creature, arms large and taut from years of slinging butcher knives and de-gutting anything that was once alive. Maybe if you were with anyone else, you would’ve appreciated the touch of a strong man, stroking you and holding you so close you felt like there was a warm safety net surrounding you. 

His hand, far too warm and calloused, rested against your chest as his other grabbed one of your thighs. He readjusted you on top of him by lifting up your upper thigh, thrusting just a teensy bit to tease you-- only to lower you at a painfully slow pace. His hot breath hit the back of your neck, released from a long sigh and a groan between his teeth. It wasn’t nearly as slow as the first time he entered you, only preparing you with slow curls of his index and middle finger, barely wettening you enough to take him. 

This time, he had aroused himself enough and hit your sensitive, begrudgingly lustful walls to make a smooth entrance, one that made you clench your eyes shut and swallow so hard you coughed. It felt so deep, now that your tailbone was angled backward, the butcher leaning up to completely indulge himself inside of you. You couldn't help but clench, all the way up to your fists at the new stretch. 

He patted your back as you continued to cough, your throat hoarse from layers of dryness. 

“You’re okay baby, cough it up,” Pulling you toward him he rested your back against his brick aproned chest, using his free hand to grab the tall glass resting on the table. “Take a drink, nice and slow.”

 With its pretty little plastic blue straw, he put the glass up to your mouth. You drank as much as you could, grateful for the mere seconds you got to stop eating. 

It wasn’t until you let go of the straw with a great inhale did you feel the warmth cradling your breast, smoothing its underside with wide fingers and running a thumb over your nipple. He teased it, just enough with the scratchy fabric of his T-shirt he made you wear, causing it to perk up and bring goosebumps to your skin. 

You would have stayed as far off of him as possible if it weren’t for that hand cradling at your breast to lock you against him, his other putting down the glass only to go right back to your naked hip, running over the wrinkles in your flesh and squeezing gently at the muscle of your thigh. 

“Need a break, hm?” He looked at you from behind, nearly putting his cheek to yours as he came close to your ear. “That’s okay, we can enjoy each other’s company for a moment.” 

You pretended to cough again, hoping he wouldn’t try to get you to speak. His hands did enough talking for the both of you. 

You didn’t know how anyone could stay this hard during the entirety of your long, long meal, and yet he was still a warm rock inside of you, twitching and enjoying the uncomfortable little movements you did to get adjusted. But most of all, he liked to watch you take a piece of meat from his fingers, to have your tongue just slightly lick at his index finger as you graciously accepted it. It was as if he could envision it becoming a part of you already, your body growing pliant and soft and willful for him to meld to his whims, for him to grope and caress as roughly or as soft as he desired. 

He would never hurt you though; not unless you needed to be put in your place. And even then, he’d make sure your beautiful body was intact and your willingness towards him ever pliable; still as malleable as he could control. He needed to take care of you, to fix the damage the outside world had caused.

“I’m sure it feels good to eat some real food, hm? Not that garbage they were feeding you at that poor excuse of an event…” The butcher inhaled at the nape of your neck, enjoying the way you perspired from the hot summer night and panic that dominated your body. “It’s hard to come by, you know. Not everyone is as lucky as you are, getting treated like a princess and fed by my hand; all of that preservative trash you’ve had to eat will be replaced with some real, quality, grade A meat. Isn’t that right?”

He waited for your answer, pressing his forehead into your hair and inhaling above your ear.

“...Yes.” You whispered, so faint that he might not have caught it if he weren’t so close. 

“Mhm…That’s right.”

Your compliancy, the illusion of your willingness and ‘equal desire’ drove him mad. The butcher put a knuckle to your chin, turning your despondent face toward him, ready to be consumed. He kissed you sloppily, a needy tongue making its way to explore your mouth and taste you; He wanted a part of him inside you, and you within him-- he would never feel satisfied otherwise. The wet echoes of his kisses to your slack jaw resounded around the living room, a place that made you feel transferred back in time, completely out of your element. 

You were just a stuffed doll, limp and holding on to the possibility that your disappearance would be noticed eventually, for someone to realize you hadn’t gotten home after your friend’s wedding ceremony, that you were nowhere to be found. With each passing second, that hope seemed to diminish. 

The butcher gave a lasting open-mouthed kiss to taste the saltiness of your neck, resting his lips against it as he scoured your half-eaten plate again. He picked up a slivered piece of cooked meat, large enough that you wouldn’t be able to finish it in one bite. 

“You won’t ever understand how long I’ve waited so long for you, to find you and fill you up like this.”

He slipped a piece of what you had given up on convincing yourself was chicken in between your hesitant lips, letting his thumb rest against your tongue. Your mouth was so full, you had a hard time chewing, but the butcher didn’t care; he pressed the meat further down your throat, enjoying the texture of saliva and teeth on his fingers. 

The electric current of watching your salacious figure, the image of you obeying what he desired-- it ran through him, making him groan at the arousal, running down to his cock pulsing inside of you. It nudged at your G-spot, as if it were actively seeking out your sensitivity with each stuttered thrust upward he made against you.

But you thanked your stars that he was beginning to pant, so transparently getting closer to his finale and would soon be done with you-- at least, you hoped. 

Chapter 3 - Fate Sealed

Sleep came quickly, pulling you into a dream about the events of earlier that day. You had been eagerly preparing for your big trip with Axel, your brother, your idol. You still remembered the way he'd defended you from bullies in middle school, his quick wit and confidence always getting them to back down. This was the first time the two of you would spend time alone since he took over the family business, a sprawling network of hospitals founded by your grandfather. In two months, you would have turned 21 and inherit your 30% stake, and finally, finally, you'd be his equal in more than just blood. With Axel’s 50% stake, you two would be an untouchable duo, a force to be reckoned with. You couldn’t wait to finally work alongside him, to learn from him, to make him proud.

You spent hours picking out the perfect outfits, laying them across your bed and imagining all the adventures you’d have together. Axel had always been busy since taking over the company, and you were lucky to get a timely text message from him these days. But this trip felt like a turning point. Soon, you’d be a board member, and you’d see him all the time. You weren’t as well-educated as Axel—he had two master’s degrees and a doctorate in business administration—but you were determined to prove yourself. You’d even started looking into graduate programs, hoping to impress him.

When Axel arrived at your private residence, you practically leapt into his arms. “Brother!” you exclaimed, the silk of your blouse rustling as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

He caught you with a chuckle, his hands steadying your waist. “Woah there, pixie. You’re forgetting I’m an old man.”

“Thirty-six is not old!” you protested, rolling your eyes.

“Tell that to my sixty-year-old back,” he joked, hunching over dramatically.

You laughed, but something about his smile felt off—just for a moment. It didn’t reach his eyes the way it used to, and a tiny, unwelcome thought flickered in your mind. You brushed it aside, almost forcefully. Don't be ridiculous. This is Axel. After all, this was Axel. Your brother. Your hero. You wouldn't let a silly feeling ruin this.

“So, where are we going?” you asked, bouncing on your toes, the hem of your long, flowing skirt swaying. “I’m so excited that I might have overpacked a bit.” You gestured to the six suitcases lined up behind you.

Axel raised an eyebrow, glancing at the mountain of luggage. “You think you packed enough, sis?”

You blushed, scratching your cheek. “Um… maybe?”

He shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “You’ll only need one. Let’s go, Pixie.” He grabbed the smallest suitcase and hoisted it over his shoulder, heading for the door. You smiled to yourself at the nickname. He always called you that since you were shorter than him.

“Wait! Axel!” you called after him, pouting. “At least take the bigger one!”

He didn’t stop, leaving you to lock up the house. You hurried after him, your long skirt and cardigan blowing in the wind. This was going to be the best trip ever.

The drive took nearly two hours, and the conversation flowed easily. Axel told you about the company’s latest projects, and you hung on every word, eager to learn everything you could. But as the scenery grew more secluded, a faint unease settled in your chest. You pushed it aside, chalking it up to excitement, but the feeling lingered, a tiny knot of worry you couldn't quite shake.

When you finally arrived at the destination, you stepped out of the car and leaned against the rear, a sudden chill prickling your skin despite your cardigan. The open sea stretched before you, vast and empty, its waves churning angrily under a heavy, bruised-looking sky. There wasn't another soul in sight, just the endless expanse of water and the biting wind that whipped your long skirt around your legs. The air smelled strongly of salt and impending rain, and a knot of unease tightened in your chest. "Brother," you began, trying to keep the uncertainty out of your voice, "not to be annoying, but…"

“You mean something you are on a daily basis?” he interrupted, smirking, but there was a sharpness to his tone that hadn't been there before.

You pouted, sticking your tongue out at him. “Whatever. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted—what exactly are we doing here?”

Axel turned to you, his expression unreadable for a moment before he booped your nose with his finger. “We, my dear sister, are here waiting for our ride.”

Your nose wrinkled at the assault, and you were about to retaliate when the sound of rotating blades cut through the air. Your face lit up as a helicopter came into view, its shadowy silhouette growing larger against the gray sky.

“A helicopter?!” you squealed, jumping up and down. “Axel, you remembered!”

He chuckled, ruffling your hair. “Of course I did. You wouldn’t shut up about it when we were kids. Figured I’d make this trip unforgettable.”

You threw your arms around him, squeezing tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

He patted your back, his grip lingering for a moment longer than usual. “Don’t mention it, Pix.”

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚

The helicopter ride started off exhilarating. You chattered like an excited tourist, pointing out every little thing—the schools of fish below, the occasional dolphin breaching the surface, the way the sunlight broke through the clouds in fleeting bursts. Axel listened with a smile, chiming in with a dry remark every now and then that made you laugh.

But as the weather worsened, so did your mood. Something felt off. The rain lashed against the windows, blurring the already gray landscape below. Axel had offered you a glass of wine shortly after takeoff, a celebratory gesture, he'd said. You'd accepted, though you rarely drank much. Now, he poured you another, insisting you relax and enjoy the view, even as it became increasingly obscured by the downpour. The wine tasted slightly bitter, a note you hadn't noticed with the first glass, but you chalked it up to the altitude. It was making you feel strangely heavy, almost numb, and the drowsiness was creeping in faster than you'd expect from just a couple of glasses. He was quieter now, his earlier enthusiasm replaced by a focused intensity that made you uneasy. "Y/n, I didn't know you were such a lightweight," he said, his tone teasing, but his eyes, when you managed to focus on them, were sharp, assessing, as if he was gauging the wine's effect.

“I’m fine,” you mumbled, blinking slowly, the words feeling thick on your tongue. “I think all the excitement got the best of me.”

But you weren’t fine. Your limbs felt heavy, your thoughts sluggish, like wading through mud. You tried to focus on Axel’s face, but it blurred at the edges, and a strange buzzing filled your ears. “Axel…?” you whispered, your voice trembling.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he stood, his movements deliberate, almost clinical, as he pulled you to your feet. Your legs wobbled, and you leaned heavily on him, his grip surprisingly strong as he guided you, too disoriented to resist. The next thing you knew, you were at the helicopter door, the cold wind biting at your skin.

“Axel?” you tried again, your voice barely audible over the roar of the rotors. “What’s happening?”

His lips moved, but the words were lost in the noise. Then, with a single, brutal motion, he shoved you into the icy void below. The last thing you saw was his devious smile, etched into your memory like a brand.

And then, nothing.

>Dream ends<

“Brother!” You woke up screaming, hands outstretched as if to grab onto the illusion of your brother. Your heart pounded so hard it drowned out all other sound, and you gasped for air, your chest heaving as though you’d been running for miles. The nightmare clung to you like a second skin, its vivid images—Axel’s devious smile, the icy void below, the crushing weight of betrayal—refusing to fade. It took several long moments for your sleep-ridden mind to separate the past from the present, and when it did, you were left sitting in the dim, eerie glow of the cave, breathing in the heavy, salt-laden air.

You sat there for what felt like an eternity, your body trembling as you tried to steady your breathing. The cave was silent except for the faint drip of water echoing somewhere in the distance, a sound that only amplified your isolation. Slowly, your surroundings came into focus: the jagged walls of the cave, the faint bioluminescent glow of algae clinging to the rocks, and the pitch-black pool of water that seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness. For a moment, your brain refused to process where you were or how you’d gotten here. It was as if your mind was protecting you from the full weight of reality.

When you finally mustered the strength to move, you regretted it instantly. A sharp, searing pain shot through your lower abdomen and you doubled over, clutching your stomach with a strangled cry. “Ow… mother fucker!” you hissed through gritted teeth, your voice echoing off the cave walls. The pain was unlike anything you’d ever felt—deep, raw, and unrelenting. You bit your lip hard, trying to stifle the scream building in your throat, and rocked back and forth in a futile attempt to ease the agony.

It took every ounce of willpower to keep from breaking down completely. You counted the seconds, each one stretching into an eternity, until the pain began to subside. When it finally dulled to a manageable ache, you cautiously tried to move again, this time with excruciating slowness. You slid one knee up, using your hands to steady yourself, and attempted to rise into a lunge position. But halfway up, you froze, your body going rigid as a new sensation registered; the warm, sticky fluid trickling down your thighs. Looking down, just past your still intact cardigan, you saw the white liquid dripping onto the ground beside your foot.

Your breath hitched, and a cold shiver ran down your spine as the memories came flooding back. The merman’s cold, unyielding grip. His hauntingly beautiful face twisted in pleasure as he ignored your pleas for mercy. The way his scales had scraped against your skin, leaving faint marks that still burned. You remembered every detail, every moment of violation, and it was too much. Your legs gave out, and you collapsed back onto the cold, hard ground, your body trembling uncontrollably.

Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring your vision as the vivid scenes replayed in your mind. You clenched your eyes shut, trying to block them out, but it was no use. The images were seared into your memory, and no amount of shaking your head or pressing your palms against your eyes could erase them. “Don’t cry,” you whispered to yourself, your voice trembling. “If I start crying now, I won’t be able to stop. I can’t fall apart. Not here. Not now.”

You took a deep, shaky breath and forced yourself to focus on your surroundings. The cave was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint drip of water and the occasional ripple from the pool. Just beyond the pool was a curtain of some sort but you didn’t pay much attention to it since you would not be able to get to the other side without swimming across. Thankfully, the merman was nowhere in sight, and for that, you were grateful. But the relief was short-lived. You had no idea where you were or how to escape, and the thought of being trapped here, vulnerable and alone was almost too much to bear.

“First things first,” You muttered, your voice barely above a whisper. “I need to clean myself up. I can’t… I can’t stand this.”

With great effort, you pushed yourself to your feet, wincing at the sharp, burning sensation between your legs. Every step was agony, and you couldn’t suppress the whimper that escaped your lips as you shuffled toward the pool of water. The black surface was unnerving, its depths impossible to gauge, and you hesitated at the edge, your toes hovering just above the surface.

“It’s just water…” you told yourself, though the words did little to calm your nerves. You dipped your toes in, surprised by how warm it was. The sensation was almost comforting, but you weren’t ready to fully submerge yourself. Instead, you crouched down, cupping the water in your hands and splashing it onto your legs, trying to wash away the sticky residue left behind by the merman.

The salt water stung at first, and you hissed through your teeth, but the pain quickly gave way to a soothing coolness. The water seemed to have a strange, almost magical effect on your skin, easing the soreness and dulling the ache in your muscles. You couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly your body responded, the tension melting away with each handful of water.

For a moment, you were tempted to step into the pool, to let the warm water envelop you and wash away the last traces of what had happened. But the thought of what might be lurking beneath the surface stopped you cold. The merman was bad enough—what if there were worse things in the depths?

You shook your head, pushing the thought aside, and focused on finishing what you’d started. When you were finally clean, you stood up slowly, bracing yourself for the pain that had plagued you earlier. But to your surprise, it was almost entirely gone. You were still tender, yes, but the sharp, burning agony had faded, leaving behind only a dull ache.

“What the hell?” you murmured, glancing down at the water. “Did… did that just heal me?”

The thought was both comforting and unsettling. You didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. You needed to find your clothes, figure out where you were, and—most importantly—find a way out of this nightmare. But as you took your first step toward the cave’s entrance, a faint ripple in the water caught your attention. You froze, your heart pounding as you stared at the pool, waiting for something—anything—to emerge.

Nothing did. But the sense of unease lingered, a constant reminder that you weren’t alone in this place. Your face twisted in confusion as you stared at the water. 'How the hell…’ You were unable to finish that train of thought because you caught a glimpse of what looked like a pair of silverish eyes almost glowing in the depths of the pool. They were unmistakable-Nero's eyes. Your heart leapt into your throat, and you scrambled backward, your bare feet slipping on the damp cave floor.

You jumped back from the water immediately and sprinted behind the largest rock you could see, crouching down in the direction of the water so that you could be ready to move if he got too close. As you did, you heard the splashing from the pool, and you held your breath, hoping against hope that he wouldn't notice you.

“Mate! I didn’t mean to scare you. Please, come out.” You heard the gentle voice of your abuser.

You didn’t move. You didn’t even want to move. You thought it was a different kind of intruder and that made you panic but hearing that it was that fish guy, quelled your initial fear of the unknown but now you were stuck with the known demon.

“Please go away!” You shout back in a hurried voice. You weren’t ready to see him. ‘Shit. I’m scared. Why did he come back so soon? I’m not ready for this. I woke up and I haven’t even gotten to search the cave or make a plan. I can’t… I don’t want to see him. Just please go away.’ 

Nero Sol Nifan brows furrowed and he tilted his head to the side. He ran through the short list of reasons a female could be mad at a mate and came to a conclusion. ‘My mate must be angry that I left while she was sleeping. So needy, this delicate little creature is. I will be extra affectionate to today.’ he thought with a smile. Pulling himself up and out of the water, he bent into a sitting position at the edge of the pool, keeping the majority of his tail underwater. 

“Mate, I apologize for leaving before you woke. You must have been distressed. Know that I have not abandoned you. I will make amends, come.” He said in a gentle voice. 

You narrowed your eyes, pissed at his demands. ‘He thinks that I’m over here because I’m throwing a tantrum because he left? I guess raping me must be a happy event then?’ You scoffed, holding in your anger at his audacity. ‘It’s not like I can do anything anyways. He easily dwarfs me in every aspect. Even if I could fight… I wouldn’t win...’ Sighing to yourself, understanding your place in this situation.

“I-I don’t care about that. Just go away please. Don’t come anywhere near me. ” You yelled back, peeking out slightly to make sure he didn't come any closer. 

The merman’s heart stopped for a moment, shock and confusion took over his features. “You don’t want to see me? Are you upset with me for being too rough, then? I apologize. It was my first time so I could not hold back very well. I will do better next time. I would never intentionally cause you harm, my mate.” He looked down, fingers curling into fist at his sides, ashamed that his lack of control has caused his mate to be so upset with him.

“Shut up! Just shut up! There is no next time! You did cause me harm! Years of therapy worth of harm! And stop calling me your mate! I am not your friend nor will I ever be.” You seethed. ‘I will never befriend that scaly freak. Fish people really just fuck thier friends? He probably sleeps with male friends too… I could see it. He is entirely too pretty.’ You roll your eyes and shake your head free from the explicit images in your head.

“We are not friends. We are mates. I am yours and you are mine. We belong to each other. The goddess has willed it so.” He said proudly as large tail smacked the surface of the water. He wanted to apologize for your pain again but decided against it, he could see that you were too upset to accept it at the moment.

Your face grew pale at his words and you realized that you misunderstood him this entire time. ‘Mates? As in married? Like fucking hell I am.’ You stood straight up and glared at him. “I am not your mate. You forced me to–to… why would I want to be your mate?  We aren’t even the same species. I would never want to be your anything! I just want to go back home!” You screamed at him, tears pricking at your eyes.

“You don’t want me..?” His voice was woeful. “But you are already bonded to me. You accepted my gift and consummated the union. We fulfilled everything that was necessary to become mates. Why are you suddenly rejecting me?” Nero Sol Nifan looks like he’d break at any second. Your every word had chip away at the euphoria he had been riding since he had found you. He had never been rejected before and never has he seen or heard of a mate rejecting their partner right after becoming one. This baffled him but he tried to understand what he could have done to warrant this response from you.

‘Maybe this is typical behavior for humans. Does she not understand that what we’ve done is permanent? …Of course, she doesn’t.’ Realization of his mistake dawning on him. ‘How could a human understand the mating ritual of my people? I should have explained everything to her before offering her the option to become mates.’ Nero sighed, finally making sense of the situation. ‘I have wronged her greatly but we are already bonded so all I can do is help her move past this.’  He felt guilty for inadvertently sealing your fate.

“Tell me how to keep you happy. Tell me how to please you so that you will feel  better. I will do anything you wish as long as you do not reject me.” He pleaded with you. The way his voice broke almost inspired pity in you. But you were still far too offended to care. Still, you wouldn’t miss an opportunity to get somewhere safe.

“Take me home.” You gasped out so quickly. “If you take me back to my home, I will forgive you. I’ll be happy again.” You took your chance, seeing how desperate he was at this moment. All you could do was ask and try to convince him if he denied you.

“This is your home, mate. This is our home.” He stated as if it were the absolute truth. You faltered, not even realizing you had been holding your breath until he knocked the wind out of you with his words. Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you dropped unceremoniously beside the large rock that was once your hiding place and sat down. You sighed before running your hand through your slightly damp hair then looked at the massive fishman who clearly didn’t understand what you meant. 

“This is not my home. I am human. I belong with other humans and you—” You began calmly but he interjected.

“You belong with me!” He slammed his palm down into the sand and his powerful tail slapped the water in the pool so hard that water droplets even reached you despite how you were away from him. You jumped, the raw fury in his voice shaking you. His beautiful pale face was flushed, his eyes blazing. Staring at him with terrified focus and watching his every move, too scared to take your eyes of him. He looked almost murderous as he continued. His beautiful pale face was flushed red with the anger he was feeling.

“Here. This is our home.” He gestured, the anger still vibrating in the air around him. “YOU are my mate. Human or not, you belong with me. You are mine and I will never allow you to leave me!” You deflated visibly, your face and shoulders dropping at his words. Lips trembling and eyes blurring from the tears that you were struggling to hold back all this time. 

Unfortunetly, you would never know the pure torture it was as he waited for you all these years, how completely elated he was to find you, to embrace your body for the first time and wake up with you in his arms, finally knowing peace. He instantly loved you so deeply that he would die for you without hesitation. This was the way of his people. You could not even begin fathom the pure anguish he feels at this moment when you, his fated one, has thoroughly denied him completely. You didn’t feel the cushing pain in his heart. 

As quickly as it ignited, the fury seemed to extinguish, replaced by a flicker of something else – fear? Desperation? His shoulders slumped slightly, and his voice softened, though the underlying intensity remained.  "Come to me now." It wasn't a command this time, but a plea, laced with a vulnerability that was almost as unsettling as his anger. "It's clear that you are lacking in knowledge." He held out his hand, his gaze fixed on you, a desperate hope in his eyes.

Your mind reeled. One moment he was a monster, the next… something else. You hesitated, the image of his anger still fresh in your mind. But beneath it, you sensed a fragile desperation, a need that was twisted but undeniably present.  With a heavy sigh, you took a hesitant step forward. You didn’t want to obey but what were your options? Could you risk his wrath? ‘No.’ You decided. Stomping down the ever present fear, not wanting to touch the hand of the man that violated you just hours ago, you lifted your gaze to look at him. He looked desperate and sad. Anxiously, you eyed those webbed fingers that were directed towards you for a moment as you mustered up the courage to move. You didn’t want to touch him, you really didn’t. With clear hesitation, you resign to your fate and rise before proceeding forward with shaken steps. 

Nero Son Nifan almost sighs in relief but smiles at you as if he didn’t just show that manic display a few seconds ago. ‘He is so quick to anger. Or maybe it's just that he switches between all emotions as quickly as a mental patient?’ You noted as you closed the distance much quicker than you expected but didn’t dwell too long on that thought since you were now within reach of the monster. You stopped beside the hand that he held out for you, neither grasping it nor acknowledging it in favor of looking down at your feet. That didn’t seem to bother him much since the smile didn’t so much as falter.

He gently slid his palm along your side, caressing the curve of your waist before pulling you into him. You gasped and stumbled but his strong arm steadied you before hoisting you up as if you weighed nothing at all, turning and placing you on what you considered is the equivalent of his lap. The silver haired creature turned you to straddle him and though you tensed in his hold, you did not protest. Instinctively, you grasped the ends of your sweater and pulled it down to conceal your most intimate place from him. He didn’t mind, he wrapped one arm around your waist and used his other hand to hook under your chin to direct your head towards him. Peering deep into your e/c eyes, searching for something. You averted your eyes away from him, looking to a random corner of the cave. 

“Mate.” He called and you snapped your eyes back, meeting his brilliant orbs.

“You should never hide from me. I do not want you to fear me or to be unhappy with me.” He said, lifting your chin to direct your gaze to him, meeting his brilliant orbs.

“You must have many questions. I will answer anything so ask first.” However, you stayed silent.

A frown tugged at his lips and his eyes wavered with unspoken sadness. He didn’t like this. ‘You were so passionate and needy for me even when we coupled. Should I stimulate her desire for me again? I just want my sweet mate back.’ He lamented.

‘This is my chance. Maybe I can manipulate him into at least getting me out of this place.’  You bite your lip and decide to put your plan into action. “Can you tell me where we are?” You saw his brows furrowed in confusion so you elaborate.

“Our home. Where is it located?” You said while trying to hide the annoyance in your tone.

He thought for a moment before answering. “Our home is underwater.”

You wanted to facepalm and internally, you did. Despite the underlying fear you felt, you were extremely annoyed. You were never known to be a person of patience, in fact, you were quite the opposite. You got everything you ever wanted with little to no wait or pushback. Growing up rich definitely had its drawbacks when it came to your personality. ‘What the hell was I even expecting?’ You closed your eyes and took a deep breath to calm yourself before speaking again.

“No, I meant- Hold on a sec. We are underwater? What do you mean we are underwater?! That doesn’t make any sense.” You were freaking out a bit. ‘How was this even possible? I may not be a genius but even I know that I need air to breathe. Considering where I fell from, does it even make sense that a place like this exists? Plus, this thing… he needs air to breathe to, right? Either way, it doesn’t explain how we are breathing right now. He must be lying to me. I need more answers.’ You frowned. 

“I don’t understand.”

“Mate. I will give you my knowledge but I will ask one thing of you first.”

You gave him a confused look and tilted your head to the side slightly. The creature watched you with an amused expression for a moment before speaking again.

“I want you to call me by name or by title.” He said firmly. You narrowed your eyes and furrowed your eyebrows at him. You had not even remembered his name, only that it was long and you had no idea what title he meant. ‘Asshole? Rapist? Demonic fish mutant? Those are all titles that suit this thing.’ You thought to yourself.

“Nero Sol Nifan.” He said it slowly, emphasizing every syllable as if you were some child who didn’t know how to properly speak. 

“Nero Sol Nifan or Mate” He repeated. “My name or my title.”

Name or husband. Those were the only options. As much as you want to be argumentative, you remind yourself that not only is this creature massive and way stronger than you, he also gave you enough of a reason to fear him despite the lack of pain you previously felt between your thighs. This was by far the easiest thing he has required you to do and it seemed like a small payment for the information you could potentially gain. You sighed and resigned yourself to his will, looking off to a random corner of the cave and did as you are told.

"Nero…" you whispered, the name felt like a lead weight on your tongue. You kept your gaze fixed on the ground beside him, afraid to meet his eyes. Just say it. Get it over with. Your hands were clenched in your lap, knuckles white. “Nero Sol Nifan.” You say a bit louder. If you had the courage to look at the merman you were perched on, you would have been blessed with one of the most hypnotically beautiful sights you have ever seen. 

His milky lavender eyes sparkled like the most dazzling cyclamen opals. Those orbs shoned with the utmost adoration, devotion and pure love for you in that moment. Not that it was something you would have wanted to witness either way. You bit your lip as the silence dragged on, you could feel his eyes on you and it made you uncomfortable but you didn’t know how to break the silence and you still weren’t ready to look at him. 

“Good mate. Always use my name.” He brought his webbed hand to your cheek and turned your face to look at him, clawed thumb stroking your cheek lovingly as he praised you. This gesture really solidified the feeling of being treated like a toddler. You had to fight the urge to turn away but you just decided to stay still since you needed answers.

"How far underwater are we… Nero Sol Nifan?" You repeated, your voice laced with a careful mix of curiosity and apprehension. 

Nero's gaze softened, a hint of pride flickering in his lavender eyes. "We are deep, mate. Far deeper than any human could ever venture. This cave is a sanctuary, a place where we are safe from the surface world and its… distractions."

"Distractions?" You echoed, her mind racing. "What kind of distractions?"

"The noise, the chaos, the… fleeting nature of your kind," Nero replied, his voice laced with a subtle disdain. "Humans are so easily swayed, so easily lost. Here, in the depths, we have permanence. We have… us." 

“Oh…” Though his words were concerning, you ignored it.

"But… How are we breathing?" Y/n asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't understand."

"The cave provides." Nero said, gesturing around them. "It is a living entity, a part of the ocean itself. It filters the water, replenishes the air. It provides for us."

"So, this cave... it breathes?" Your brows furrowed as you tried to grasp the concept. Nero nodded, his expression casual, as if discussing the weather. You swallowed, a knot tightening in your throat. ‘And I'm trapped inside it.’ You wanted to scream, to demand clarification, but the words died in your throat. You nodded slowly, feigning understanding.

“In a way, yes.” He said so casually.

"And… your people?" You asked, carefully choosing her words. "Where are they? Do they live in caves like this? Do they…  take mates"

Nero's expression darkened slightly. He didn’t like that you were thinking of others in his presence. "My people… they are scattered. They live in the deeper trenches, in the hidden currents, some even in settlements. They are not like us, mate. They cannot obtain a true bond." 

"A true bond?" You repeated, her heart sinking. You didn’t like the way that sounded coming from his lips.

"The bond between mated pairs," Nero explained, his voice low and possessive. "It is the strongest connection in the world. It is a sacred union, ordained by the goddess herself. While my people have mating bonds, it pales in comparison to what we share. Our bond is… eternal." He smiled softly at the knowledge.  

"Eternal?" Your voice cracked, the word echoing in the cavernous space. Eternal? Trapped with him forever? You wanted to protest, to reject the very idea, but your gaze met his, and the intensity in his eyes silenced you. You forced a shallow breath, trying to calm the rising panic. ‘Just breathe. Just play along.’

"Yes," Nero said, his eyes locking with yours. "Our bond is rare. Rarely does the goddess bless a union but when she does, the pair's lifespan increases tenfold. Do you see? We are special, mate. You are my other half, the missing piece of my soul. Just as I am to you. Our bond is unbreakable. There is no escape from this, no return." The finality in his voice was like a physical blow, stealing your breath.

‘Even if that is true, I'll find a way. Leaving should be enough to escape from this.’ 

"But… I didn't choose this," You whispered, tears threatening to spill. "I don't want this. Nero, I didn’t get to choose." You were starting to feel the panic rise.

Nero's expression softened and he sighed. "You were chosen, mate. You were chosen by the goddess, and you were chosen by me.”

“I was also chosen by the goddess for you. Truthfully, I never expected my mate to be human either.” He admitted to you. “But, I am far from disappointed in you. You are so lovely and elicit my desire unlike anything I could have imagined. You may not have consciously chosen me, but your soul did. As did mine. You say you did not choose but you accepted my gift, and you accepted my touch. That was your choice."

"Your gift… that thing?" Looking at the bracelet that dangled there from your arm, gesturing to it.

"It is a symbol, a promise," Nero said, nodding. "It is a declaration of my intent. And you accepted it. Now, you are my mate just as I am yours. You will learn to accept it in time."

"Learn to accept this?" Your voice cracked.

"Yes." Nero said, his voice firm. "You will learn your place, mate. You will learn to love me, to cherish me, to understand the depth of our bond. You will learn that this cave, this ocean, this life… it is all yours now. You will learn to rely on me, understand that I love you more than life itself. You will want for nothing, you will lack nothing. I will provide for you, protect you, treasure you. You are my queen."

"Queen?" You repeated the word with a bitter taste in your mouth. Nausea coiled in your stomach, but you forced it down. ‘Where did that even come from?’ You wanted to laugh, to cry, but the image of his angry face flashed in your mind, and your voice came out a trembling whisper. "You… you think I'd be your queen?"

"Yes. My queen. You are the queen of my heart, the queen of my domain. I am the strongest of my kind. Naturally, that would make your existence just as significant. You are the most precious thing in my world." Nero’s hand tightened around her waist. “You will bear my children, and we will rule over this corner of the ocean together with you as my queen.”

 "Children? You want children… from me?" Your voice was a thin, fragile thread. Your body went rigid, every muscle tensed. ‘His children?’ The image of a half-human, half-merman child flashed in your mind, and a wave of revulsion washed over you. You clenched your fists, nails digging into your palms. ‘Never. I'd rather die.’ A flicker of defiance sparked in your eyes, but it was quickly extinguished by the cold reality of your situation. You lowered your gaze, the fight draining away.

Nero smiled, a predatory gleam in his eyes. His eyes roamed over your beautiful figure, his hand that was previously on your waist slid up the expanse of your clothed ribcage, under the sweater, stopping just under your breast before moving back down and repeating the action. You shivered from his touch and clenched your into fist. He felt the way you shook above him, not too far from his slit and it heated his blood. 

He mistook your quaking as a positive response to his touch again. Nero Sol Nifan bit his lip to stifle the groan so that he can make his declaration to you. "Yes, mate. Any mated pair aims for reproduction. Our children will be exceptionally strong, beautiful. They will be the heirs to the kingdom we forge, the rulers of the depths. They will be a testament to our love."

The merman used the pads of his thumbs to stroke your sensitive nipples as he spoke those words to you. A small involuntary moan escaped your lips and you arched your back ever so slightly into his hand. Immediately, you covered your mouth with both of your hands from shame. You had not been prepared to receive his touch so you couldn’t stifle the sound you made as a result. Nero blushed at the melodious sound and smiled softly, pride filling him as he watched your body come to life under his light touch. 

It lit a fire in him. He had expected to mate with you again when he got back. He wanted to be inside your welcoming, tight body again. Feel your walls encase him and milk him like it did a few mere hours ago. He only left because he was afraid he couldn’t hold himself back from taking you again if he stayed. A fragile thing like you could not withstand the full onslaught of his desire, not without much practice. ‘Though, she did such an amazing job taking me into her body for our first time. I want to join with her again. I want to feel my little mate’s body sing for me–’

That’s when it suddenly dawned on him, he could get that from you. He could do that and it would be so very easy. He was a merman. He could just sing to you. There were different songs and pitches for different outcomes. He could easily put you in a trance so that your body would not feel the pain of his intrusion, only the intense pleasure he could offer you.

“Ah, the Euphoria song.” Nero Sol Nifan excitedly sat up and pulled his mate flushed against his chest. 

"Nero," you whispered, your voice trembling, a mix of dread and a desperate attempt to understand. "What are you... what are you going to do?"

His eyes, usually a soft lavender, now held a cold, predatory gleam. "I'm going to show you, my mate," he murmured, his voice a low, hypnotic caress. "I'm going to show you the true power of our bond."

‘What— something feels wrong…’

He shifted, his body radiating an almost palpable energy. "We mermen," he began, his voice taking on a strange, melodic quality, "We have the gift of song that runs through our blood, through the very essence of the ocean itself."

"Song?" You echoed, a flicker of fear tightening your throat.

"Yes," he said, his smile widening, a chillingly beautiful expression. "A song that can make you feel only what I desire you to feel. A song that can make you forget everything but me." He paused, his gaze locking with yours, his eyes shimmering with an otherworldly light. “I am going to show you.”

A low, resonant hum began to emanate from him, a sound that seemed to vibrate through the very walls of the cave, through your very soul. The air shimmered, the water in the pool rippled, and a strange, almost intoxicating warmth spread through your body.

"No," you whispered, your voice barely audible, your mind reeling. "Please stop!"

"It's too late, my little mate" he murmured, his voice now a haunting melody, a siren's call in the depths of the ocean. "The song has already begun."

‘I don’t like this. Everything feels so fuzzy.’

The hum grew louder, weaving its way into your mind, a hypnotic rhythm that dulled your senses and clouded your thoughts. You felt a strange, irresistible pull, a surrender to the song, a blurring of the lines between resistance and a terrifying, unwelcome acceptance.

Nero's voice, now a melodic chant, filled the cave, echoing off the shimmering walls. It was a song of power, of possession, of a bond that could not be denied. And you, trapped in its seductive embrace, felt your will weaken, your fear for the creature before you morphing into a strange, unsettling anticipation. Your body swayed slightly from side to side as you tried to fight to regain control of yourself. But you were failing miserably. You knew that and worst of all, so did he.

His eyes, glowing with an almost supernatural intensity, held yours captive. "You are mine," he sang, his voice a hypnotic caress, a promise and a threat intertwined. "Mine to command, mine to cherish, mine to pleasure."

You fell forward onto the merman’s chest, your body no longer obeying your conscious commands. It responded only to the song, a primal awakening that defied your every instinct. You felt a heat rising within you, a desperate yearning that both terrified and thrilled you. 

‘My head hurts. Everything hurts but everything feels so weird.’

Nero caught you effortlessly, one arm at your back and the other at her waist, pressing you to him, basking in your warmth. His nose caught your sweet scent again. More potent than the last time he took you, it sent a thrill down his spine. He continued to sing for you as his hand at your waist slid down the curve of your ass, gently squeezing it and earning himself a moan from his woman. Feeling emboldened by your sweet sounds, he ventured lower, hand traveling down to your most treasure place. And to his surprise, you were completely soaked. He held his hand up, admiring the clear fluid coating his fingers.

‘I had no idea that this song would be so… effective.’ Truly, he was in awe at the potency of the little spell he cast on you.

His touch, once a source of your fear and revulsion, now ignited a fire within you, a desperate hunger that consumed your senses. You moaned from the unwelcoming desire, as his fingers dipped back into your leaking honey pot, stroking the flame of your desire. 

He lowered his head, his lips finding yours, capturing them in a kiss that was both possessive and intoxicating. You could taste the salt of the sea on his tongue as it delved into your mouth. You couldn’t help but return the kiss, finally surrendering to the song that bound you to him, a captive queen in a kingdom of lust and desire.

With a low groan, Nero lifted you, carrying you across the secluded pool to a place hidden behind a curtain of shimmering seaweed. The water, warm and inviting, enveloped you, soothing your aching body and further blurring the lines between reality and the dreamlike state the song had induced.

He laid you gently on a bed of soft moss, his eyes burning with hunger. Quicker than you registered, he pulled the sweater and shirt over your head, finally seeing your body its entirety.  "You are so beautiful." he murmured, his voice rough with desire, a declaration and a command. "So perfectly mine.”

His hands found their way to your body again. Hard yet gentle fingers grazing over your pebbled nipple while his mouth attached to the other. You arched beneath his touch, a moan escaping your lips, a sound of pleasure and a terrifying surrender. Your hands gripped his long white tresses, keeping him there. He nipped at your skin, careful of his sharp teeth, wrapping his long tongue around it, alternating between sucking and flicking it. You loved it. Love how good he made you feel. Loved the way heat pooled in the pit of your stomach with every flick of his tongue. You were going to cum. You felt it. Never had you been so sensitive that just toying with your breasts would cause you to orgasm, yet, here you were. 

Here you were with your breathtakingly gorgeous mate laying between your legs and suckling you while you rocked your hips against his waist, desperate for some friction. ‘I can’t stop moaning. It feels so good. My mate feels so good!’ And with that last thought, you came. Your empty hole clamping around nothing as the pleasure took you to a new high as your essence drenched his stomach.

Nero Sol Nifan pulled back to admire you. Your eyes were unfocused and glossy and your cheeks tinted with red as you pant like an animal, chest rising and falling with every breath. Your entire body carried a slight pink flush from the way he touched you. You looked so wanton, seductive to the point that he didn’t want to wait any longer to be inside of you. 

“Mate, I am going to take you again. Do you hear me?” 

You couldn’t respond, still panting heavily, instead you reached up to touch him and whined like a child when he was outside of your grasp. He got the hint and lowered his face close to yours with a small chuckle at how cute he thought you were in this moment. Once he was close enough, you circled your arms around his neck and pulled him into a hungry kiss. Your tongue invaded his mouth first, your teeth pulling at his lower lip. This was your answer. 

Nero’s heart skipped a beat and he almost gasped from shock at your actions. Immediately, he kissed you back, putting his hand on the back of your neck and deepening the kiss as much as he rocked his scaled body against yours. You mewled, lifting your hips to meet his. He let you lead this kiss, let you take whatever you needed from him.

“Do you want me, little one? Do you want your mate to please you again? To fill you up as I did earlier?” He said in between kisses. You only moaned in response and he frowned before pulling away from you. You pouted and whined, reaching back out for him but he wasn’t having it. He gathered your wrists and pinned them to the sides of your head before continuing.

“Answer me, little one. I need to hear this. I need to know what you want.” His voice was hard when he said this. ‘I need to hear that you want me.’ He needed validation.

“I’m sorry! Don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry. I want you, I want my mate. So please just touch me more.” You looked as if you’d cried at the slightest sign of his rejection. He wasn’t touching you and he seemed so upset. You squirmed beneath him, trying to rock your hips against it, feeling the beginning of his cock escaping from his slit, rubbing your slick all over it. You were sorry for making him mad, you just wanted him to touch you again. Nero shuddered and groaned, bucking his hips, the tip of his cock catching at your entrance. He could die from how much he craved to fill you this moment.

“Such a desperate, needy little creature you are. Ah~ I’ll give you what you want. Tell me again. Say the words and you’ll have it.”  His voice was strained. 

“I want you! Please! I want you inside of me! I want my mate to fill me up.”

He entered you slowly, mindful of how crushingly tight your little cunt is. You cried out, a mixture of pain and pleasure as he stretched you.

“Still so tight…” he groaned out, hips retreating only to fill you again. You took him easier this time. The song had prepared your cunt so well that you had enough slick to properly accommodate his size. Though, the stretch you felt was still difficult to adjust to. Even with a lust hazed mind, you felt the burn of him splitting you open once again. He was giving you what you wanted so you could endure for him.

Thankfully you didn’t have to wait too long as the pain was quickly consumed by a wave of euphoria, a storm of sensation that washed over you, carrying you to new found desire. The effects of his song hijacking your mind, amplifying the pleasure and dulling the pain. You clung to him, your nails digging into his back, as he moved within you, his rhythm echoing the song that still pulsed through your veins, a haunting melody of obsession.

“Nero, Nero, Nero.” You same his name between moans and whimpers. You felt so full, so good but it wasn’t enough. His pace was too slow and you wanted more. You moved your hips out of sync with him, trying your best to make your need known. 

“Nero… more.” 

“Behave yourself, mate.” He grunted, taking hold of your hips and stilling you as he continued his slow pace. He would not allow you to injure yourself. He was already far too big for your tiny frame so despite your willingness, he will deny you until he deemed your cunt adjusted enough for him to move faster.  

You pouted, looking up to your mate with pleading eyes. “Please mate.” You whined. “Don’t you want to go faster? You can. I can take it.” Nero couldn’t hold back the chuckle that escaped his lips. It filled him with a sense of satisfaction. He could feel the way you struggled to take him even through your begging.

“So pretty, little mate. It’s hard to deny you.”

“Then don’t.”

“Your body cannot handle that yet. Patience, I will give you what you want soon enough.” He brushed a strand of hair behind your ears and placed a kiss on your forehead. He mentally noted that the song was even more effective than he could have ever imagined. ‘Despite her body’s obvious discomfort, she is still begging. Still feeling so much pleasure that it's overriding her sense of survival. I’ll have to be the voice of reason during times like this.’

You slid your hands around his neck and pulled him to meet your lips, locking him a passionate kiss. “I can take you. I’ve taken you already, haven’t I? Would the goddess give me to you if I couldn’t?” 

He smirked at your logic. It was sound but he would not give in to you. Not yet. “Sly little vixen. Be good and accept what I give you.” You pouted but it only a second before moaning as your mate rutted into you. It was slow but it felt incredible, even the pain felt wonderful. Every single cell in your body felt alive— felt euphoric. Even your finger buzzed with pleasure as you ran the tips of them over the broad back of the male above you. You gave a high pitched whine at particularly angled thrust and Nero paused his movement for a moment and took note. He hadn’t heard you make that sound before. 

“This is the spot you like most?” He asked, not waiting for an answer as he drove back into you again, aiming for that soft spongy part inside of you. You arched up into him, crying out in pleasure and your nails digging into his neck as he steadily fucked you g-spot. Your body couldn’t even form words, no, all you could do was hold onto him and take everything.  

Nero Sol Nifan smirked, feeling smug. His ego soaring at the sight of you bliss stricken beneath him. You had gotten impossibly wetter, slick overflowing, allowing him to thrust easier as he cock glided in and out of you smoothly. 

“That's good. Very good little mate~” He groaned out, loving the way your walls trembled around him. ‘She’s getting close. Ugh, I will not last much longer.’ He knew it, he could feel himself starting to fade into his own haze of lust. He was losing himself.

“I’ll give you what you want now.” 

As soon as these words were spoken, he slammed into you and you damn near screamed from the initial impact. It knocked the wind from you, not expecting the sudden pain as you clenched around him hard. His hips stuttered, mouth falling open and his eyes rolling back as he whimpered in pure ecstasy. You bit your lip at that sound, a thrill ran down your spine and straight to your core. It was so raw, so needy, so desperate. You wanted to hear it again, you needed to hear that sound again.

“Again. Nero Sol Nifan, again, please.”

He regained his composure quickly, he was going to give you exactly what you asked for, just like he promised. His large hands gripped your hips hard enough to leave marks as he set a bruising pace. It was brutal and almost abusive the way his length bullied your cervix but you adjusted quickly under the influence of his powerful song. 

With each thrust, you felt the bond between you deepen, a connection that transcended species, a union that was both terrifying and a strange, unwelcome exhilaration. You were his, and he was yours, bound together in a dance of domination and a disturbing, unwilling surrender.

He whined and moaned as he pounded into your swollen little cunt. His creamy lavender eyes that were trained on your beautiful face were glossed over. His shimmering wet hair plastered to back and cheek with a prominent blush staining his face. He looked positively erotic, it was bewitching. It made you want to cum on the spot. Gods, you were extremely close. But from how sloppy his thrusts were becoming, how deep and full you felt him, how loud and broken his whines are, he was not too far away either.

“I’m going to breed you, mate.” His beautiful voice filtered through your mind. All you could do was moan and hold on to him as he spared you on his cock.

Your orgasm washed over you suddenly but eclipsing like a tidal wave. Overwhelming your senses to the point that all you could see was blinding white. Your mouth fell open in a silent scream, you arched up into his chest and you clamped down around him, quaking.  

Nero released your waist, One arm encircling your back, pressing you against his. His other arm gripped the back of your neck, pulling you to him as he pressed his lips to yours in a hungry kiss. His tongue tangled with yours, easily dominating you and stealing your breath away. He groaned, pistoning his cock inside of you, using your body like a fleshlight and fucking you through your orgasm. 

He pulled back from the kiss, allowing you to catch your breath as you came down from your high, going limp in his arms from exhaustion. You almost feel yourself blacking out, darkness creeping into your vision. Nero nips your lip hard, drawing blood. He wanted you to be alert and responsive. You wince, clinging to consciousness.

“Be a good mate and receive my brood well.” He gasped out between moans. Those were his last words before he slammed into your cervix one last time, spilling his load and filling you up with hot ropes of semen. A low, guttural groan escaped his lips, and you felt a surge of raw, primal energy that coursed through your body, leaving you trembling and weak, a captive in his embrace. 

You felt something different, something more. This time there was something else, something pushing against the opening of your uterus. You start to squirm in his grasp and begin pushing against his chest. He barely noticed your struggle, too caught up with riding out his orgasm and trying to implanting you with his eggs.

‘She’s awakening from the song. No matter, it's already too late.’ 

“Relax and open up for me.” He commanded.

“What are you doing? That hurts, you dick! Stop pushing so deep!” You fussed. You pounded his chest, flailed your legs and yelled at him to stop but he didn’t listen. He instead tightened his grip on you, holding you tight and he pushed harder against your womb until he finally forced an egg through. He pumped his length into you, injecting egg after egg past the resistant opening of your womb. ‘Is he trying to push his dick into my damn uterus?! God, that hurts!’ You bit your lip and seeth from the pain of the intrusion. Nero on the other hand sighed in relief after emptying the last of his offspring into you before withdrawing his flaccid member from your core.

He collapsed beside you, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "It is complete." he whispered, his lips finding yours in a possessive kiss, a final declaration. You let him, the effects of everything finally taking hold.

"You are mine, forever." 

You lay in his arms, your body still thrumming with the aftershocks of pleasure, your mind a haze of confusion and a chilling, unwanted surrender. You were simply too worn out to fight this losing battle any further. The echoes of the "Euphoria song" still vibrated beneath your skin, just barely, though you regained most of your autonomy, the fuzzy feeling was a sickening reminder of your violation. 

As the artificial haze receded, a chilling feeling of dread crashed down onto you. Your body ached, throbbing as you replayed the events of the last hour.

Nero watched you, his expression a disturbing mix of triumph and tenderness that made you want to vomit. ‘He dared to look so… so damn happy after all he’s taken from me?’ He reached out, his webbed fingers brushing against your arm as you both lay, facing each other, sending shivers of revulsion through you.

 "You carry my seed now, mate." he murmured, his voice thick with satisfaction, a low rumble that resonated through the cave. "Our bond has grown even stronger now."

Y/n flinched violently, recoiling from his touch as if burned. ‘What..?’ You curled into herself on the damp moss bed, your arms wrapped tightly around your abdomen, a futile attempt to shield yourself from the growing horror that threatened to take over. ‘That’s what that new pain was? He was putting something inside of me..?’ Realization came down on you like a ton of bricks. 

"No," she whispered, the word barely audible, a broken plea against an impossible reality. "No, this can't be happening."

Nero's brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion and annoyance crossing his features. "But it is. It is the natural consequence of our union. Do not fear, any children from our union will be powerful. They will be revered Just as I am."

“I don’t want your child!” You screamed.

‘Children.’ he thought, a flicker of cruel anticipation in his chest. ‘Not child. Children. She doesn't know. Not yet. She is too distressed to realize. My kind lay many eggs and I am the strongest. I have ensured a plentiful harvest.’

Y/n's voice rose, cracking with fury and a desperate, raw pain that clawed at her throat. Tears streamed down her face, hot and unwelcome. "You did this to me," she said, her body shaking with sobs. "You took away so much, and now… now I'm carrying your… your parasite." The word felt ugly and true.

Nero's eyes hardened, any semblance of tenderness vanishing. "Our offspring are not parasites. They are our children. They are a part of you, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. You will cherish them, mate. You will love them as I love you." His voice brooked no argument. You never even caught on to his use of they or them, far too distracted by the current situation.

‘She will be happy, eventually. She will see. A large family… it will bind her to me forever. She will have no time to think of escape, no room in her heart for that dead world.’

“Love?” Y/n spat the word, your body convulsing with sobs. You pushed yourself up, legs trembling, and stumbled towards the edge of the water pitifully. The vast, dark expanse seemed less terrifying than the life growing within your body. You meant it when you said that you’d rather die than have this creature’s child. 

"Let me go. Please, take me back home." Tears flowed freely from your eyes, but you pleaded with him one last time even though you knew his answer.

Nero moved with swift, predatory grace, like a servant, dragging himself between you and the water, blocking your path. His hand clamped around your arm, his strength a brutal reminder of your captivity. He understood your pathetic implication and made sure you could not follow through.

 "You will not harm our offspring, mate. And you will not harm yourself." His voice was low, a dangerous growl that echoed the possessiveness in his eyes. 

‘I will not let her harm them. They are our precious children and they will keep her here with me forever.’

"I can't do this," Y/n choked out, struggling weakly against his hold. "I can't carry your child. It's a… a constant reminder…" The words failed her, choked by a fresh wave of despair.

Nero's grip tightened, his jaw clenching. He pulled her back towards the moss bed, his touch firm, leaving no room for protest. "You will. You are strong, mate. You will carry them, and you will bear them." The possessive emphasis on the last word was chilling.

‘She will see. She will love them. She will love me. And when she holds them in her arms… when she sees their faces… she will forget about that surface world. She will forget everything but us.’

You crumbled onto the moss, your body wracked with sobs that seemed to tear at your very soul. The realization of your pregnancy was a new, horrifying level of entrapment, binding you to Nero Sol Nifan with invisible chains forging an unwanted future. The fragile hope you had clung to, the faint possibility of escape, seemed to flicker and die, extinguished by the weight of her unwanted burden.

Nero watched you, his expression unreadable, a disturbing mix of satisfaction and cold determination. He might have registered your distress, but his obsession overshadowed any flicker of empathy. He saw only the continuation of his lineage, the cementing of their bond, oblivious to the profound and irreversible damage he had inflicted. You lying curled up in despair, the unwanted seed taking root within. Nero standing guard near you, a possessive sentinel over his captive and the future he had forced upon you.

You stayed in the fetal position, the weight of everything that has transpired feeling like a physical manifestation of her captivity. Every offense— another lock placed on your cage. When you finally manage to calm yourself and speak again, you voice hollow as you fix your gaze on the cave wall.

"Why me?"

Nero's gaze is intense, bordering on frantic. He could hear the change in your voice and it set him on edge. He moves closer, his movements less fluid now, more urgent. He stops a short distance away, his eyes scanning your small face, as if ensuring You are still there. He wanted to comfort you but hesitated.

"Why did you choose me?" Y/n repeats, her voice barely a whisper.

"Because," He says, his voice strained, raw with an emotion that borders on panic, "I suffered for many decades, a living hell of unending noise without you. But more than that… I knew you were mine the moment I touched you. My soul recognized you in an instant. Merfolk— we are not like your kind. We are given one mate. One soul split in half, shared with our destined partner. One heart to beat in rhythm with our own."

He moved to lay in front of your curled up frame, his eyes pleading, desperate, though you didn’t look at him. "I loved you before I met you. I love you even more now. When I touched you, the silence… it overcame me. It was the first time I knew peace— the first time I knew sanity since I gained this power. It was the first breath I truly took in all these years. You are my peace, yes. But you are also… everything. My heart. My sanity. My reason for living."

His gaze drops to your abdomen, a satisfied smile gracing his face. "And now… you carry my offspring. My only child. The continuation of my very being. You are inextricably linked to my existence, little mate, to my survival."

"Without you… without you, the noise will return. I know it will. But it will be worse because I’ve experienced immense happiness now. And with that noise… the rage. The madness.” He gritted his teeth not wanting to think of the possibility of what it would truly be like to lose you. “I will tear this world apart, if you are taken from me. I will become a force of destruction the world has yet to see, and then when every creature has felt my suffering, I will come for you. Even if death is the only way to reunite with you. We are bound. Your life is tied to mine in ways you cannot comprehend. Nothing will stop me from finding you." A shiver runs down your spine at his declaration.

His hand reaches out, cupping her face, his touch surprisingly gentle despite the desperate intensity in his eyes. "You are my everything, little mate. My beginning and my end. I will keep you safe— I must keep you safe with me. Because without you… there is only oblivion."

The passage you mentioned by Ovid is part of his work "Ars Amatoria" aka "The Art of Love" and if I may say so, it is a very interesting and I'd say modern text in many parts of it. It essentially starts by saying that one needs to learn how to love because that too is an art on its own. Ironically he starts with Achilles speaking on how yes he was violent but also Chiron taught him how to play the lyre, how to be gentle too. Off for a good start right? Already the context is set; violence vs gentleness. Which is something that plays a part in the text. Ovid even says that the art of love has three stages; first find whom you wish to love (quod amare velis) and he even says that it is "hard to find" (reperire labora). The second stage is to "make her love you" or more literally "beg one who is pleased" in other words "willing" (placitam exorare puellam). The third and final stage is "make your love last a long time" (ut longo tempore duret amor)

Ovid in his text is already setting a clear standard here; willing vs unwilling, seek your love instead of just momentary pleasure, violence vs asking permission. Claiming vs courting. Mind you it seems to be a set of advice towards men too which is important. Then the text continues to analyze several mythical situations that do seem to swing between these polar opposites; willingness and unwillingness, courting vs claiming or even clarity of mind and drunkenness. Of course he touches other subjects too like adultery or even unnatural loves like Pasiphae with the bull (gotta say the way he actually expressed that "why are you fixing yourself Pasiphae if it is to charm a bull that will not be charmed by any of this?" was very raw way to write!) No I might say many things on some Ovidian takes but this specific text is underrated and honestly I wish people used it more instead of reproducing the Metamorphosis over and over and over again especially some particular parts of it, completely missing even the point Ovid seems to try and pass! Particularly as some people note his sarcasm as well as his caustic criticism to certain aspects of his work. The Art of Love is no exception. If anything it seems to be much more towards the sarcastic level from the first lyric till the end

Anyways Ovid even says that "she will not fall for you out of thin air" and all and expresses a series of advise. Given the context that he set off very early, it seems that he is gonna set the boundary between consent and lack thereof but also combine it with the emotion factor. Historical standpoint is also important here. Ovid is not creating a piece of work that is referring to ancient mythical Greek morals. He is referring to the moral code of his time, of his people of his timeline so we can expect the text to have some variations of certain ancient Greek writers. I remember asking in regards to infidelity in ancient Rome and what would be the penalty for that and my professor said half-jockingly that "at a certain point no one even cared". That is a relatively not serious comment given that at the Augustan times where Ovid creates this, there seems to be laws formed at the decade before Ars Amatoria was said to be published that tried to pose adultery as an actual crime against the law rather than a simple domestic matter as it used to be. There is a debate whether the laws correspond to some real "adultery epidemic" in Rome or how often was any of the laws utilized for real but that's another story. The art of encouraging young men to court women properly seems to be an attempt of Ovid to either encourage marriage or at least healthier relationships. Now does that correspond to an actual social problem that Ovid observes in his society or is it his own small suggestion? Honestly I am not THAT familiar with Ovid's work to make a full on commentary on that at the moment but there are just some thoughts that came to my head as I was browsing through the text. However it seems like this text even if it has some quite logical pieces of advice that seems to be good to follow, a large portion of it is to not be taken seriously and seems more of a joke that doesn't land well to our modern society, especially since Ovid doesn't seem insensitive to the matters of violence, emotion or sexuality. Anyways moving on.

The passage that interests you is in regards to Achilles and Deidamia and honestly I am the most intrigued at how Ovid writes there because he forms it as a question to Deidamia. Like someone who cannot understand why would Deidamia would allow such a thing. For starters I believe that passage is the earliest (or at least the earliest I can recall at this moment) mention of the violation of Deidamia by Achilles, around a century before the Achilleid of Statius clarified a couple of things as to how it happened and why. However as you brilliantly stated there is an interesting question that Ovid rises here and honestly it makes you wonder what it means originally! I believe that Ovid sets exactly the same question as you do right here my dear Anon.

Is it rape? Actual violence? Or is it just dirty unlawful sex? Is it "defiling" by actual violence that is to be talked to at a legal aspect or is it some not exactly fully preferable erotic game? A conquest game? Honestly I think Ovid seems to touch that part to his narrative there, although as I said I will not claim that I am an expert to the Ovidian language and aims at all. But you will see why I am questioning my very existence here down below! But as I mentioned above it seems more sarcasm than anything else. In this section he seems to mention the context of persistence at first, how one should keep on trying even if rejected. He even says that "if you are insisting sincerely enough you can conquer even Penelope herself". That alone sets off quite an interesting complication. Not to mention the rather dark joke that he made with it that "hey if you insist you can conquer her heart eventually. Even Achilles bended to Priam when he begged him for his son's body so why not you too?" Is it arguably THE darkest joke of all time if placed to the same line as someone wishing to get a love partner? Absolutely. Does it rub people to the wrong places? I have no doubt. It almost seems like Jimmy Carr comedy material but at least he seems to mention the emotional connection and the expression of feelings too.

It starts off with a very peculiar question though which shows how Ovid is rather controversial here. He has analyzed a great deal of questions before in regards to consent or rather how love works (or avoid drunk carelessness or whatever other) and all but then he indeed rises the question as we say in modern texts that "does no always mean no"? This what intrigues me the most and honestly my small intellectual ability on him cannot fully wrap around that passage fully because it seems indeed that it is not sincere. My best take is that Ovid is being sarcastic there or that he encourages men to take initiative. But then he goes ahead and says something like this:

What wise man doesn't mingle tears with kisses? She might not give, but take what is not given She might as well struggle and call you "shameless" To be won by struggle is something she wants However be careful not use so much force as the snatched kiss will hurt the tender lips so that she will not have a reason to complaint that she was done harm Whoever takes the lips, and doesn't take the rest deserves to lose even what was given to them. How can any desire be fulfilled just with kisses? To me that is boorishness not shyness! You may call it "violence" but this type of "violence" is what gives girls pleasure That thing they like they sometimes wish to give even if they say they are unwilling. That thing that is taken in an act of sudden violence causes pleasure and they end up consider this impudence as gift And if the woman that could have yielded, ended up retreating untouched she ends up being unhappy even if her face pretends being relieved

(Translation by me)

Oooooookay Ovid decided to leave something for people to wonder! Which is where the whole sarcasm theory comes from. I think in this case is not like he encourages people to...go about and rape women but to be bold and take initiative and not to be shaken off by rejection or that sometimes even that said rejection might not be genuine but some sort of different essence of the chase. So this is why the lyric "the one that takes the lips/kiss but doesn't take the rest deserves to lose even what is given to him" (Oscula qui sumpsit, si non et cetera sumet, Haec quoque, quae data sunt, perdere dignus erit) is essentially the advise he gives for the guy not the girl. Aka if you go that far as to claim a kiss and you chicken out from the rest then you did not deserve the girl in the first place. Which is also why he criticizes the man who went that far as a kiss and never moved on properly being "a boorish man" and not "a shy man" (rusticitas, non pudor ille fuit)

In other words he seems to be saying in a rather interesting way that hey she wouldn't have truly let you get that far if she didn't want to go further (and he even mentions how it is important to emotionally connect, hence the whole tears and kisses thing. That he should be consoling her and all so if she allowed him in that much she wants to have relations with him) so him chickening out before her is a sign of a boorish man not a prude one. In fact he seems to separate this from actual violence because he says "THIS type of force gratifies girls" (grata est vis ista puellis) where the word "ista" aka "this specific one". He mentions the chase or the pursue rather than actual violence

Now I have seen people who take this part down to the tee from my quick research on the passages and honestly I cannot blame them especially since it IS linked to the general aspects that we seem to see in modern day world and questioning them such as whether "the chase" is a real thing here and that "no means no" as everyone says. So yes I absolutely get it why this passage hits sometimes way too close to home for some people But given the whole caustic mood that Ovid sets sometimes it seems like he is describing some of those "Family guy" or "Simpsons" energy. Like when Peter Griffin is screaming at his wife to leave him alone and she insists and he ends up liking it.

He just seems to present some relationships are dunno like Shakespere mentions the courting between Diomedes and Cressida in the play "Troilus and Cressida" when Cressida seems to resist the advances of Diomedes who persistently insists and ends up "winning" as per Cressida's own self-lament that apparently she couldn't stay loyal after all

This is the particular romantic comedy material of modern day TV usually of course associated more with women towards men for obvious reasons. This seems to be the set that Ovid aims to bring just with the woman as the pursued party. That she doesn't really really wanna resist and if she does, it is an act and if it is not an act she might end up regretting it. Now that thing is of course to be considered severe in an actual talk where the woman is reporting her rapist and people claim that but Ovid doesn't seem to go for that exactly and he immediately rushes to explain that with his mythos examples.

Here's the part where he gets a bit bolder with his text and brings out at least two examples of women that, in his mind people knew the story, that they got forced and yet for some reason they didn't report their violation and not only that, even continued the relations to the men that violated them. The three examples he brings are Phoebe, her sister Hilaeira and more importantly Deidamia.

Phoebe and her sister were taken by force and both were seduced by their abductor/rapist that carried them off Everyone knows the story but is not bad to be reminded On how the Skyrian girl mated with the Haemonian (Thessalian) man

(Translation by me)

It seems interesting that Ovid places the two women Phoebe and Hilaeira in the same position with Deidamia because honestly that seems rather redundant to say the very least. At least for the point he tries to make. Either he seems to indicating that the two sisters didn't cry out for help when carried off by Castor and Pollux (to connect it to the point that he will make with Deidamia below). So either he knows some lost version of the text or he simply says "well they are hot and good people deep down so yes they definitely pursued and they liked it" He even made the word game with the words raptae (to be taken/to be raped) and raptor (abductor/rapist) and placed the words side by side aka "they were taken by the one that took them" in one essence.

With Deidamia though he seems to make his point a bit more clearly right off the bat;

It was fate that the royal virgin was in the same room It was because of him defiling her that she discovered he was a man She was defeated by force, it is necessary to believe that And yet she wanted to be won with this type of force She frequently said "wait!" when Achilles was rushing to leave because he had put down the flax and had taken stronger weapons instead So was this really force? Why are you trying to restrain with your words the very perpetrator of your rape, Deidamia?

(Translation by me)

Now Ovid either he makes things up here to make a point or he is aware of another tradition that we have no idea of because honestly Deidamia being violated is being a subject of his later Statius but it is given in a totally different light and concept. On the rape of Deidamia I had made a small Statius analysis here:

but Statius too seems to come to a similar conclusion to the story; that Deidamia was undoubtedly frightened (albeit in Statius she already knew she was a man at that stage from what I remember) but she didn't report Achilles. Even if she could betray his secret she didn't. And later on when they separate, they separate in good spirits. It seems that both Ovid and Statius seem to come to a common conclusion; that Deidamia truly loved Achilles. Statius gives us a better background here where probably indicates that Deidamia was of course scared after her experience but her love for him indicated she wanted to be his wife she just never wanted it to be that way. Ovid on the other hand seems to tell us that Deidamia struggled against Achilles and eventually gave in and she eventually liked her experience hence also not reporting Achilles on her troubles

Neither of the two implied she wouldn't have been believed if she reported him and we have examples like Apollodorous where the queen of Iolcus even made false rape accusations against Peleus, Achilles's father, who had to flee because she obviously got believed.

Both writers indicate that she was held back because of her love for him and she didn't betray his secret or report him. Ovid though seems to take it a bit too far in his caustic words because essentially he implies that "Deidamia was impressed by the new person" or better "impressed by his manliness" when he says that "he put down the flax for a stronger weapon" (Fortia nam posita sumpserat arma colo). The obvious sarcasm here seems rather too flashing in one way.

Because then I think Ovid resolves it a bit later by saying:

Obviously the sense of shame is setting foot here For it is greatly pleasing to grab something initiated by someone else Ah! Young people have such immense fate to their looks if they expect her to ask them first! The man is expected to approach first, and it is the man to decide to ask her first and she kindly will accept your request The trick is to ask her; she only wants to be asked let her know of the beginning and the reason of your desire for her

(Translation by me)

So yeah I believe what Ovid does is to give you a shock value at first that "yeah some girls actually love it!" but then he proceeds to explain that a woman likes it when the man takes initiative towards her and he chases her and pursues. In fact I am sure that several people actually took Ovid down to the tee at this point and have thrown their book on the floor in disgust with this horrible horrible person that encourages people to be violent towards women because "they love getting violated" but they miss the other section of his speech First to make his speech even more persuasive about how the man ought to take initiative is that Zeus was never seduced by a woman but pursued them (I mean obviously he lets the homeric "deception of Zeus" out of the discussion here hahaha probably because he was already married to his wife at that stage!) and then though he actually advises the men to stop if their persistence is met with disdain, regroup and change strategies.

I kid you not he even says "play hard to get and they will desire you" hahaha

If your constantly increasing endeavors are met with disdain sense it, retreat your steps where you began and reconsider them Whoever retreats, they desire him more; they hate the one who persists constantly Be gentle to your pursue if you want to lift disgust away The greatly desired love shouldn't always be declared Instead approach her covering your desire for love with friendship I have seen harder women submit that way The one that was a worshiper can become a lover

(Translation by me)

Man I think if someone actually got through the world's longest and one of the earliest dark jokes in the book and way too much sarcasm I guess they can reach this part that almost becomes an episode of "How I met your Mother" I swear to god! I can almost imagine Ovid going like:

haha anyways jokes aside I can though understand where people's thoughts come from in regards to this text

However even some feministic opinions on this seem to be taken through the lenses of sarcasm so this is how I think we should take it. I understand it is not for everyone to see it that way and yes the same way those who criticize him take it literally might as well be other people in the past who took it literally too. But if I compare the work of Ovid to his other works where he expresses some complicated situations involving love or force He doesn't strike me as someone without any understanding whatsoever of consent (I mean obviously through the lenses of his time too but still). He has written very sensitive materials and as much as I dislike how his version of Medusa is overblown to people thinking that this is the "real Medusa" or even misunderstanding the symbolism that Ovid brought for his time, I still recognize he is such a potent writer when it comes to sensitive matters So no I cannot see his text as a straight out call for men to rape women. On the contrary he is using arguably the darkest and least acceptable to many these days, humor, to bring out his points

Ooof! Forgive me dear Anon for arguably the hugest prelude to your ask and forgive me if I tired you with it. Anyways the story that you mention as with "defiling" a woman being through the lenses of simply deflowering even if it wasn't full on rape is a very good question. There seems to be this essence but it is still usually seen through negative lenses regardless. Usually the aspect of "defiling" comes down to someone insulting someone else or some concept so it is not seen positively.

Now whether that is used in the aspect of violence in general and sexual violence in particular can be seen through the context of the text. Now the final point you made about Deidamia is indeed referencing to rape but at the same time through the question of "what if that was what Deidamia wanted?" in the essence that she didn't betray Achilles and even loved him truly and bore his son. However that too needs to be seen through the lenses of sarcasm and caustic humor (of course encouraged by the time period we are talking about and its values) to insinuate that women want a man that pursues them, that pleases them and that is the one to make the first step.

His work in general can be seen as controversial on many aspects and of course the whole essence of "no means no" might not be always apparent in his time but I doubt that is what Ovid is doing at least not to that totality. However I guess that is for the reader to decide!