Where the Devil Says Goodnight

by K. A. Merikan

  “There is no walking away from this, Adam,” he said, using his lover’s name to make sure Adam understood that Emil still saw him as the same person—not a monster but the same man whom Emil had given his heart to this summer. And as they stood so close, inhaling one another’s scent, Emil was struck by the realization that nothing really changed in the way he felt about Adam. Arousal climbed up his leg like a serpent, whispering words of temptation that had Emil’s body hair standing to attention. And when he looked into Adam’s eyes—both the blue and the golden one—the need for physical connection settled deep in Emil’s loins, pulling on his tendons as if they were strings, and he—a puppet.

  A voice of reason, the one that realized Adam had undergone a drastic transformation, told him he should take his time, but Emil had always been a man of passion, and when the very tips of sharp claws trailed up his thigh, he rolled his tongue over the velvety-soft fur of Adam’s cheek. The depth of the desire growing within him with each heartbeat came as a surprise, but he wouldn’t deny himself what he wanted, not when he was no longer worried about the sharp teeth biting into his flesh.

  The beastly chest sank, producing a moan-like sound, and Emil didn’t feel intimidated by it at all.

  Adam’s nostrils flared as he sat still before glancing at Emil. “I don’t regret anything that we did. I want you to know that. I was only ever free when I was with you. Whatever happens now, I’m okay with it.”

  Emil swallowed, overcome by the need to get closer, to sink into the warm fur and feel the strength of Adam’s new body. “I know you must be scared, but I’ll protect you if need be.”

  Adam grinned at him with the huge teeth that had crushed four adults within minutes. “You will protect me?” he asked but pulled Emil closer, until his muzzle, as soft as the lips of a horse, brushed against his forehead.

  “From humans with pitchforks.” Emil’s breath caught. He was used to being taller and bigger than Adam, so feeling this small next to him was a strange experience. But the insistent desire still glowing deep within made him wonder if Chort’s body—Emil’s unspoken question was answered when a hard cock poked his hip.

  Adam trembled against him and tried to back away, but Emil held him in place. It didn’t matter if they were drawn to each other because of ancient magic, because by now, they’d developed a bond that went far deeper than pure desire.

  Yet lust was there, just as real as love. Like Adam’s two eyes, blue and golden, different but the same. He couldn’t even tell if his grandmother’s interference was a curse or a blessing.

  Adam crooked his head and rubbed his oddly smooth thumb along Emil’s jaw. The caress was so gentle, so soothing it sent a flash of heat all the way to Emil’s toes. “I can take on pitchforks, maybe even shotguns, but not solitude.”

  The unspoken question hung in the air like a glass pane, but Emil smashed straight through it, cupping Adam’s face and caressing his cheeks with his thumbs. Affection was already devouring his heart. He was nervous yet certain that he was not only ready to still have a physical relationship with Adam but that he wanted him now. “Not worried about sin anymore?” he teased breathlessly.

  Adam hummed in a tone that made every muscle in Emil’s body tremble. “My mind is much clearer now. I am the lord of this land, so who’s to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do?” he asked and slowly rolled them over, as if he wanted to give Emil time to protest.

  Emil gasped when Adam’s huge form stretched over him, already pressing down to share its warmth. Emil opened his thighs and slid his hands down the leathery skin of Adam’s chest as he marveled at its size when something hard and hot nudged his bare thigh.

  Was he frightened? Yes. But the addictive cocktail of adrenaline and endorphins shot through his body, muting all worries in favor of lust. He’d never felt such dominant, confident energy from Adam, and even though his lover’s form changed, what Emil felt for him had not.

  Adam’s warmth covered him like a blanket, and he roamed his fingers over the chest covered with sparse, but bristly hair, eager to learn new ways to show Adam how much he cared.

  “I was wrong about us. Will you forgive me?” Adam asked as he placed his big hand over Emil’s cock and balls. Its leathery touch was an unexpected turn-on, and Emil clutched at Adam’s pecs, keeping their gazes locked.

  “You saved my life, but yeah, I guess you’ll have some groveling to do.” But the truth was that he had already forgiven Adam. The proof of Adam’s love was in the body he would now have to live in.

  Emil moaned when Adam teased his cock, but he couldn’t focus until he got a better look at what hid between the hairy legs.

  Adam’s muzzle twisted into a predatory smile when he noticed Emil’s interest. His nostrils flared as he took another whiff of Emil’s hair, but he sat back, presenting Emil with a huge cock emerging from the thick hair around his thighs and abdomen.

  Emil stiffened, for a moment tempted to close his thighs, but as he studied the erect dick, marveling at the head and its dark pink color, he found that it wasn’t as enormous as the rest of Chort. In fact, it was more like a really, really big human cock than something from the erotic pictures of monsters that circulated in parts of the Internet.

  Which was a relief.

  Emil licked his lips. “What do you—?”

  Adam rolled him over to his stomach with such ease Emil’s heart began pounding in response to the vast difference in their physical strength. He liked to think of himself as a tough guy who never retreated, but Adam’s confidence was like the sweetest honey, and had him arching his back in excitement. The jacket Adam had given him wasn’t long enough to cover his ass, and he pushed his hips out, hyper aware of the obscene view he was offering his lover.

  Still, unease clutched at his nape as the hard length rubbed his crack, but Adam soothed him with the touch of his hot tongue sliding under Emil’s collar. They’d barely done anything yet, but Emil already felt taken as he unzipped and tossed away the jacket.

  Adam’s breath teased the exposed skin, but when his muzzle trailed between Emil’s shoulder blades, Emil’s dick twitched, begging for a touch.

  “I’ll feast on you every night,” Adam whispered.

  The ground was no longer cold, and the rocks and leaves under Emil’s knees and palms caused no discomfort. All he wanted was proof that they could still connect, still love one another the way they had the previous morning. “And you won’t even need to eat my heart.”

  “No. I can consume you in other ways. Such delicious ways,” Adam whispered, rocking his body over Emil’s and pressing his cock against his ass time and time again. His soft face moved along Emil’s shoulder, but then he pulled on Emil’s hair and rubbed his nose against the exposed neck, sniffing loudly.

  “Do it,” Emil rasped despite fear buzzing in his veins. He was too far gone to care. It had been a while since he bottomed, but all he wanted was to feel Adam close, to have him inside. The giant arms, the dense fur, the claws, were all new, yet the bond they shared felt ancient. As if they’d been destined for one another before birth and would stay together even years after death.

  Adam trembled over him and retreated, but before Emil could have complained over the loss of warmth, the big hands grabbed his hips, and Adam’s long, hot tongue dove between Emil’s buttocks, causing his mind to melt as if it were overflowing with mulled wine and honey.

  Lust washed through his body like a tropical wave, and he clutched at the dead leaves as the slippery, agile tongue teased him without mercy. It pushed inside, drilling its way deeper until he could barely think and let his face drop into the fragrant moss.

  His mind was soaked with joy, as if he’d got drunk and forgot that pain and suffering were still in existence somewhere beyond this perfect moment. Chort would keep him safe from now on. He’d consume the bad luck that had plagued Emil all his life and love him until neither of them remembered how loneliness felt.

  He let out a broken sound when the fur-covered arm
s circled his waist, but any and all thoughts drowned in hot molasses when the hard cock nudged his entrance.

  “Yes,” he mumbled, dizzy from anticipation. His knees were stuck in mud and leaves, but he wouldn’t swap their natural bed for Egyptian cotton. This moment was primal, thrilling, and exactly what it should be.

  Adam was Chort, the god of these lands, and Emil would be his lover.

  Emil’s head throbbed from the excitement of being held in place by the massive arms, but as the cockhead pushed in, his body came alive, rocking back with greed. Adam licked the back of his head, panting loudly into Emil’s ear, and as their bodies connected, satisfaction resonated all the way in Emil’s balls.

  He whined, trying to adjust to the girth of Adam’s cock, yet he wouldn’t ask his lover to slow down or be gentler. He wanted Adam to stake his claim and feast on him, so when the thick girth reached deep into his relaxed body, all he could do was drift on the waves of their desire.

  Adam’s arms closed around him tightly, and Emil grabbed one of them as the column of hard flesh forced its way back and forth, making his body yield with such ease Emil stopped breathing and just tuned in to the way it filled him. The world around them flashed with bright colors, and once Adam bottomed out inside him, the sense of fullness was so complete Emil truly felt they were one.

  They moved together like a beast made of both human and monster. Emil accepted everything Adam had to give, and the growing pace of the thrusts made the sex feel feral. They existed in the flesh, in reality. Fur. Skin. Teeth. Sweat. Claws. Gasps. And yet, it felt as if they had somehow left time itself behind, focused on each other as the world around ceased to move.

  They’d been meant to meet like this and connect, and in this moment, all the pain and disappointment of their lives dispersed into nothingness.

  Adam squeezed his arms around Emil as he came, pumping liquid heat into his body until the sense of fullness became too much to bear and pushed Emil to a climax that stretched into endless ecstasy.

  Emil was a panting mess in Adam’s arms, but he couldn’t have felt safer. The monstrous nature Adam chose to embrace was on their side, and it would keep them happy for as long as they respected it in return.

  Emil didn’t have the words to express the depth of his emotion, but for the first time in his life he not only hoped or believed but knew that his partner was in tune with him.

  The growl coming from behind Emil was soft, soothing, but he still yelped when Adam rolled him over with a single pull before nuzzling his massive face against Emil’s.

  The strange features of Chort’s face were still unfamiliar, bit Emil already loved him like he loved Adam’s handsome face. In fact, the longer he looked at the head that was a cross between a goat’s and a werewolf’s, the cuter it seemed. There was nothing scary in the sharp claws and teeth either, so he pressed a kiss to the soft muzzle and rubbed his leg against Adam’s furry thigh in appreciation.

  “I love you,” Emil said and cuddled up to Adam, as if he lay under an overgrown teddy bear.

  “You’re the only one who could love this face,” Adam said and rested his head on Emil’s shoulder. It was heavy and would soon cause Emil’s arm to go numb, but he couldn’t make himself to push Adam away yet.

  “We can build a little cabin in the forest. I’ll grow some fruit and vegetables. Become a hermit. Scare off tourists if they come too close,” Emil mused, stroking the huge ribbed horns. That part of Adam was truly new, but he was ready to get accustomed to it.

  Adam gave a rumbly laugh, but as they lay together, their bodies cooling on the bed of leaves, his face gradually fell. “There’s one more thing. And you won’t like it,” he said, wrapping a strand of Emil’s hair around his enormous index finger.

  “I’m becoming hard to shock.”

  Adam exhaled and rubbed Emil’s chin with his knuckles. “Jinx needs to die before the night is over. I’m sorry.”

  Emil’s stomach dropped, as if he’d swallowed a dozen stones. “Why?”

  Jinx has been with him since childhood. He’d been his closest friend, the one who’d never left or betrayed Emil, his protector from the misfortune plaguing his life. But no matter how deep the pain of having to put him down ran, there was no point in arguing. Grandma had asked him to kill Jinx too in that strange letter Emil should have gotten a long time ago, and while this night could have ended so much worse, the high of love dimmed in the face of what they were about to do.

  Adam cuddled up to Emil, as if trying to appear smaller than he was. “Chort doesn’t share all his thoughts. I just know it needs to happen. Jinx has served his purpose.”

  Despite Adam being so much bigger now, Emil wrapped his arms around his new form in a protective gesture. Regardless how powerful Chort was, Adam would need his support. “What needs to be done, needs to be done,” he said, ignoring the searing ache in his heart. “That pig Nowak promised me to take care of him. He’s tied to a tree nearby.”

  Adam swallowed, but he wouldn’t look away. “That’s the last part of the ritual.”

  Emil flushed when he tried to get up, only to stumble on his wobbly legs. He was sore after the sex, but now wasn’t the time to relax. He found the clothes he’d taken off before Nowak and Koterski had tied him to the Devil’s Rock and dressed, though he’d have enjoyed a pine cone thrown in his face more than the touch of damp fabric. The bone knife Nowak had tried to stab him with still lay in the grass, and Emil picked it up with a choking sensation in his throat. Next to him Adam sighed in sympathy.

  Despite the changed exterior, he was still the same man, and instead of fear or disgust, Emil only felt tenderness when touched and nuzzled by the beast.

  He tried to not think about what they needed to do, but sadness settled in his chest like a vengeful demon, kneading his heart until he had to fight the tears pushing at his eyes. Adam’s hand was heavy as a piece of armor, and it rested on his shoulder, providing comfort that somehow helped Emil pull himself together on the way to the animal that had been Emil’s most trusted companion.

  Jinx whinnied as soon as he spotted them, his black coat magnificent in the glow of the upcoming day. Brightness had already outlined the mountains, creating a dusky backdrop.

  He stopped when the stallion’s eyes met his, and at once he wanted to retreat, even if it meant his life would remain miserable forever. But Adam squeezed his shoulder. “I could do it.”

  Emil took a deep inhale, steadying himself for a battle he hadn’t prepared for. “No, it should be me.” He walked up to Jinx and hugged the horse’s neck, listening to his heartbeat one last time. He struggled to keep his voice steady as he spoke. “I would have been dead if it wasn’t for him. Grandma created him to save me but she was also the one who made me the sacrifice to Chort in the first place. I’m not sure what to think of her, really.”

  Adam hummed his sympathy, but Emil blocked him out, focusing on the animal who’d been such a close companion all his life.

  He took his time, petting Jinx’s neck and whispering soothing words, but no matter how badly it stung his eyes and twisted his heart, Jinx needed to die before sunrise, and the sky was brightening at a rapid pace.

  He took a deep breath. Then another, and slit the horse’s throat with the bone knife.

  The broken cry Jinx gave would forever remain a scar in his heart. Blood gushed on the leaves, and the stallion stumbled forward, only to fall on his side, shivering and kicking as the ground soaked up his life.

  Emil shook, dropping the knife as his eyes blurred, but Adam pulled him back, closing him in his arms as they watched the animal take its last breath before stilling in the shallow dip he’d created during the brief struggle he couldn’t have won.

  The fact that he died so fast would be Emil’s consolation.

  Nausea rose in Emil’s throat as he stared at the red stains at the front of his top, on his hands. He flinched at a coppery aftertaste on his tongue, but Adam’s arms wrapped around him, and their sturdiness gave Emil the
confidence to keep his eyes open and take in the consequences of what he’d done.

  But as he dared to look straight at what was left of the massive stallion, something moved in Jinx’s swelling belly like a cat trapped inside a sack.

  Chapter 26 - Emil

  Jinx’s limbs stopped kicking and trembling as his dark blood soaked into the dirt, but the protruding bulges on his underbelly kept shifting, as if there was a nest of snakes in there about to be released. Emil’s muscles were stiff like thick wooden branches, but he flinched when Adam kneeled next to him, his gaze fixed on the movement inside the animal’s cavities.

  Emil gestured to the knife. “Should I…?”

  Adam glanced at him, his animalistic face tense. “No. Stay back,” he whispered, and despite his drive to act, this time Emil followed his lover’s request and watched his giant form scoot close to the corpse. They both gasped when something pushed from inside, as if it were trying to reach Chort but couldn’t pierce the animal’s flesh.

  Adam dug the claw of his index finger into the bared abdomen and pulled it along the length of Jinx’s body, cutting through tissue and releasing the odor of blood and… moss?

  Emil screamed out when a small hand pushed out from the animal’s innards. Covered in blood, it moved before Emil could have imagined all the horrendous ways in which it might have gotten there. Its digits dug into the ground like anchors, and a naked woman poured out of the horse’s belly like the contents of an egg leaving its broken shell. With black hair as her only covering, she looked around, dazed as if it was the first time she’d seen the world.

  Her legs were still inside the open abdomen, revealing that instead of intestines and organs, the horse was filled with moss and mushrooms, as if his mount was empty inside, a living breathing ecosystem to sustain a small woman.

  “W-what are you?” Emil uttered yet couldn’t help the feeling that there was something familiar about her face. She was neither very young nor old, with fair skin that revealed blue veins underneath and fine lines by her eyes and mouth. She frantically got to her knees and covered herself with her long hair, which was thick enough to form a coat around her slender form.