The Monster's Caress: A Seven Kingdoms Tale 8 (The Seven Kingdoms)

by S. E. Smith

  “I… don’t think I can take much more worshipping, Asahi,” she confessed in a strained voice.

  She reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt, savoring his warm skin as he unbuckled the belt around his waist and allowed his trousers to fall to the floor. She traced the muscles along his chest, down to his waist.

  They moved like dancers across the floor, caressing each other as their bodies touched. Nali had never been so aroused nor so enthralled. This feeling was beyond physical needs. It was spiritual—a connection of their souls becoming one.

  She tilted her head to the side when he trailed his lips along her neck. She lightly glided her fingers across his buttocks.

  “I want to wash you,” he murmured as he clasped her wrist.

  She uttered a low, strained chuckle. “Oh, Asahi. You are tempting a monster to forget her control,” she warned, the look in her eyes far more intense than her teasing voice.

  “I wouldn’t have her any other way,” he murmured.

  Nali waved her hand at the shower. Warm water flowed like rain from the ceiling. She wrapped her arms around Asahi’s neck and their lips connected in a passionate kiss. They moved as one under the water’s flow.

  She feverishly glided her hands over his slick skin. Her heart thundered against her chest when he gripped her wrist and twisted her around, pressing her back against his chest. She instinctively tilted her hips back, pressing her buttocks against his engorged cock.

  “My beautiful Empress,” he murmured between kisses.

  Nali splayed her hands against the wall of the shower and bowed her head. She could see the droplets of water clinging to her aching nipples.

  “Love me, Asahi,” she pleaded in a voice filled with need.

  “Forever,” he promised.

  She turned around, lifted one slender leg, and curved it over his hip. Then she slid her hands along his shoulders, pulling him closer, and he bent his knees, bringing his throbbing cock to the entrance of her channel. She stared into his eyes as he gripped her hips and slowly impaled her.

  “Yes,” she moaned as he moved inside her.

  Her taut nipples brushed against his chest as they moved. He tightened his grip on her thighs and buried his face against her shoulder, rocking back and forth, pushing ever deeper into her. She could feel each stroke of his cock as it filled her.

  His heavy breathing teased her ears and brushed against her neck. She pressed her lips against his temple, cherishing the moment. Her lips parted on a loud gasp when he slid his hand up to her throat and tilted her head back so he could kiss her.

  Their tongues tangled in a primitive mating union. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the ecstasy of the moment. Her arousal was building to a peak, and she thought she would burst into flames from the heat. She curled her fingers in his hair, then ripped her lips from his with a loud cry as her orgasm engulfed her.

  Asahi tightened his hold on her chin and turned her head, capturing her lips again. He rocked his hips faster, and she clawed at him as his hunger reached a fever pitch. He pressed her back against the wall and grabbed her thigh, lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The position drove his shaft so deep inside that she swore she could feel it touching her womb.

  She tightened her hold on his neck when he stiffened and groaned. His cock pulsed with his release, filling her with his seed. She locked her ankles behind him and pressed her heels into his buttocks, pushing him even deeper as she relaxed between him and the wall.

  Their kiss became tender as their release took the edge off their desperation. She melted against him, savoring the taste of his lips. He caressed her thighs with his thumbs. They finally broke their kiss and rested their foreheads against each other.

  “Aishiteru, Nali. I love you,” he murmured.

  Tears of emotion burned her eyes, and she gave him a tender kiss.

  Epilogue

  The Gateway

  Phoenix worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Curiosity filled her as she glanced back over her shoulder. She couldn’t shake the memory of her dragon changing into some kind of fire and her ability to pass through the man’s body. She blinked when Aminta gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

  “You are very brave, Phoenix,” Aminta said.

  She looked up at Aminta. “I don’t feel brave. At least, not all the time,” she confessed.

  “Nevertheless, you are. Aikaterina chose well,” Aminta replied.

  “What do you mean ‘chose well’?” Phoenix asked.

  Aminta stopped and waved a hand at the surrounding universe. Phoenix’s eyes followed the movement. Her breath caught at the beauty surrounding them. Galaxies in all shapes and sizes, filled with the brilliant dots of numerous stars spread as far as she could see.

  “The worlds are changing and they need guardians who are young and strong enough to help protect them. Long ago, the Elders of our kind had a disagreement. Some of us, like myself, Xyrie, and Aikaterina believed that seeding the universe was not enough. We believed that guidance was important, so we created Protectors. Those chosen by us to protect the star systems against threats,” Aminta explained.

  “What kinds of threats?” Phoenix asked with a frown.

  “Before this? There were always disasters that could end civilizations, be they natural or due to the blind stumbling of mortals as they pushed their boundaries. However,” Aminta took a bracing breath.

  “This entity…the abomination that you just helped defeat, it is but one of many.” Aminta sighed, and continued in an exhausted voice.

  “They were released by a few dangerously radical believers of the same philosophy that Aikaterina, Xyrie, and I adhere to—that we should be more involved—but to go this far….”

  Aminta pursed her lips angrily. “They wished to rally us all against a common threat,” she said, “and so they irresponsibly created such a threat to the universe. We will be fighting for survival for a long time, Phoenix, and we need your help.”

  Phoenix looked at the vast space around them again. “But—what about Arosa and Arilla? And the symbiots?” Her hand dropped to Stardust and she caressed her symbiot’s head. “Aren’t they like you? Wouldn’t they be more powerful than I am? I’m just a kid,” she protested.

  Aminta shook her head. “Yes, there are others like Arosa and Arilla, but we are still restricted by our laws. The symbiots are different. They were created to assist and give balance to those who need it,” she explained.

  “Why me? Why was I chosen?” Phoenix asked.

  “That is a question only Aikaterina can answer,” Aminta gently responded.

  “What will happen to me now?” she wondered.

  “For now, I will return you to your family,” Aminta said.

  Phoenix absently nodded. Her eyes were locked on a distant world. She rubbed her hand over her heart. Aminta laid a hand on her shoulder.

  “Come, child. Your parents are worried about you.”

  Phoenix nodded. Her eyes widened with joy when a Gateway appeared before her and she saw her parents. Her lips parted on a cry and she surged forward.

  “Mom! Dad!” she cried.

  “Phoenix!” they exclaimed, their voices thick with relief and joy.

  “Oh, Phoenix,” her mom choked out, opening her arms. “You’re home.”

  Phoenix rushed into their arms, happy to be home. She turned back to look at the Gateway. It was closed—and Aminta was gone.

  “Where did you go? Why didn’t you tell us? Are you alright?” her father hoarsely demanded, caressing her hair.

  Phoenix looked into the worried eyes of her parents and gave them a rueful smile. “I should have told you. I’m sorry. I guess I’m grounded, huh?” she said.

  “Only forever,” her mom teased, gently kissing her forehead and clasping her hand.

  “What happened? Where did you go?” her dad asked.

  Phoenix drank in the sight of her parents, unaware that her eyes shimmered with the fire of her dragon. “My dragon ha
s changed. She is amazing, Dad. I can’t wait to show her to you. It all started when I heard a cry for help…” she began, excited finally to be able to share what had happened.

  The Isle of the Monsters

  Asahi drifted through the dream world. A part of him knew that he was dreaming, while another part wondered how everything appeared so real. His body, weighed down with exhaustion from the last few weeks of adventure and sated from lovemaking, remained wrapped in his lover’s arms. His mind was a different matter.

  He felt refreshed and alert. Vivid colors and strange images floated past him, and he turned around, taking in the amazing vision of stars, planets, and galaxies all around. The dream seemed real, yet when he reached out to touch a planet, his fingers passed through it.

  “Hello, Asahi.”

  “Aminta,” he replied, startled.

  Aminta emerged out of the darkness, looking more like gold stardust than her last form. She solidified as she walked closer.

  “Is this a dream?” he asked with a frown.

  “Yes—and no. Our conversation is real. The surrounding universe is real,” she said.

  “You aren’t going to send me back to Earth, are you? I refuse to go. My place is beside Nali,” he growled.

  Aminta laughed and looked at him with an amused expression. “You have a lot of your grandfather in you,” she mused.

  Asahi frowned. “You knew my grandfather?”

  Aminta bowed her head in acknowledgment. Asahi blinked in surprise when she waved her hand and a planet appeared. He recognized the blue and white marble as Earth. He glanced from the planet to Aminta.

  “Yes, as well as Nali’s parents. Many centuries ago, I rescued an infant from a dying world. I knew she was special. Her father found me when I was tired and worn down from a millennium of fighting with another of my kind. My opponent did not share the same faith in the worlds we seeded as I did. Nali’s father gave me hope. In return, I gave him the gift of my blood should he ever need it,” she explained.

  “Why didn’t you save her world? Her parents?” Asahi asked.

  Sadness etched itself on Aminta’s face. “Alas, even as old as I am, I must live by the rules I helped create. Nali’s world was created early, near a red star. I arrived too late to save her world. I tried to send warnings to her people, but they refused to listen,” she answered.

  Asahi watched in fascination as Aminta touched the swirling cloud formation of a massive hurricane, running her fingers through the thick clouds. The edge of the storm sheared off, as if a strong current had cut through it like a knife.

  “What about my grandfather?” he asked.

  “I saw him first as a young boy. He looked different from most people around him, and he suffered for it,” she shared.

  As the clouds floated away, Asahi saw Aiko as a young boy, standing on the beach and staring out at the ocean. Asahi’s heart ached for the bruised and battered boy who refused to shrink from the older boys around him. The boys yelled that he was a monster, that he didn’t belong there, and threw stones at him. Eventually tiring of their game, they left the little boy alone.

  “He never told me this story,” Asahi murmured.

  Aiko picked up a colorful shell and held it to his chest. “I wish I was a monster and lived in a magical world filled with magical creatures. He sighed and kicked the sand. One day—one day I’ll sail across the oceans and find it, and when I do, I’ll be happy.”

  “You gave him his wish,” Asahi softly said.

  “Yes, but he knew he couldn’t stay forever. He had left behind too much to live the rest of his days away from his family, and when he asked to return home, I granted him his last wish,” she said.

  “I needed him,” Asahi confessed.

  “I know,” Aminta said with an understanding smile.

  His throat tight at the thought of being torn away from the love of his life, Asahi said, “I never want to return to Earth. My place is with Nali.”

  “Do you have what it takes to be a monster, Asahi?” Aminta asked.

  He looked at her with a startled expression, then glanced at the adolescent version of his grandfather, standing on the beach holding the shell against his chest. If he could have a wish, would it be any different?

  “I wish I was a monster,” he murmured, repeating his grandfather’s words.

  “Then, as a gift for saving my life, I grant your wish,” Aminta softly declared.

  Asahi was startled when Aminta swept a hand in his direction and gold dust engulfed him. For a moment, he thought of Peter Pan sprinkling fairy dust over Wendy and telling her to think happy thoughts. His thoughts immediately went to Nali. He remembered the flush in her cheeks as she carried him to the cottage, the rush of the wind against his face as she flew, and the beauty of the Isle of the Monsters from the air.

  Asahi closed his eyes and wished he had wings so he could fly with her. Memories flashed through his mind–Nali talking with the Trolls, how the Goblins looked up to her, and how she had changed her shape so she could lift them out of the underground cave. He remembered the feel of her skin—hard, yet supple in her gargoyle form. Visions filled his mind of the way the sunlight and moonlight glistened on her beautiful face, her tender smile, the way she teased Ashure, and her tears as she grieved for Pai and the lost Sea Stags.

  He loved everything about this world and wanted to be a part of it. He wanted to stand beside Nali as an equal and help her protect the monsters she loved. If he could have one wish, he would want to spend the rest of his life here, with Nali.

  As the last thought swept through his mind, a tingling warmth flowed through him and soft feathers brushed against his back. He blinked in surprise when he looked over his shoulder and saw a pair of golden wings.

  He looked at Aminta. She gave him a smile and bowed her head. He parted his lips in protest when she faded away.

  “Asahi.”

  He woke with a start, pulled from the dream. He blinked when he saw Nali lean over him with a worried expression. She caressed his cheek with her fingers.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  “Yes. I—I had a dream,” he replied.

  She tilted her head. “A good one?” she inquired, leaning closer to him.

  His gaze softened. “I dreamed about you,” he confessed.

  She ran her thumb along his bottom lip. “There is a legend that once you’ve experienced the caress of a monster, you’ll never want to leave,” she breathed.

  “I haven’t heard that legend before,” he murmured.

  She chuckled and rubbed the tip of her nose against his. “That’s because I just made it up,” she teased.

  “Well, I believe it,” he replied.

  He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them so that he was on top. They fondly gazed at each other. She spread her legs when he pressed his hard cock against her.

  “Caress me, Nali, my precious monster,” he requested, pressing forward with a groan of pleasure.

  It was dark outside by the time they finally got out of bed, driven by hunger. Nali sniffed the air with delight when she saw the wide variety of food on the table. She would have to thank the House Elves for their thoughtfulness.

  “My compliments to your house elves. The food smells delicious,” Asahi commented.

  “The Elves are amazing cooks. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving!” she moaned, lifting the lid off one platter.

  He chuckled and brushed his fingers along her cheek. She nipped at his knuckles and gave him a wicked smile before lifting a steamed vegetable that looked suspiciously like broccoli to her lips. He took a quick bite of the other side.

  “Delicious,” he murmured.

  She waved a finger at him. “If you keep that up, it won’t be food we’re eating,” she playfully warned.

  He softly kissed her lips. “I look forward to giving you something to eat—again,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You are playing with fire, Asahi. Remember that,” she said
.

  He chuckled, sat down across from her, filled his plate, and began eating. “Speaking of fire, I wonder if Phoenix made it home safely,” he said.

  “I could try to find out. I wish we knew more about her,” she confessed.

  “Do you think the Goddess’s Mirror would show her to us?” he asked.

  “Let us see,” she said.

  She waved her hand. The Goddess’s Mirror appeared, floating in the air in front of her. She held the mirror at an angle so they could both see the reflection.

  “Goddess’s Mirror, show Phoenix to me,” she requested.

  Their reflection swirled and distorted. They studied the scene that appeared in the mirror. Instead of Phoenix, they saw a large wolf standing on his hind legs with a very pregnant human woman in his arms. A small but beautiful cottage ringed with flowers was in the background. It reminded her of this one. They were lovingly gazing at each other while the creature’s hand rested against the woman’s protruding abdomen. The wolf’s form shimmered and changed until he took on a human-like appearance.

  “He’s a monster,” she breathed.

  “The woman looks like you,” Asahi murmured.

  She lifted her hand and touched a strand of her hair. It was true. The woman had the same long, black hair with tight corkscrew curls and facial features as she did—though she had the man’s long, slender nose.

  The scene in the mirror dissolved, changing to another. This time the world was different. Smoke darkened the sky. The cottage and gardens lay in ruins. In the courtyard, the woman was looking up at fireballs streaking across the sky.

  She lifted her eyes to the smoke-filled sky and roared in rage and anguish as explosions burst around the cottage. The man staggered forward, catching her when her knees collapsed. He tenderly cradled her in his arms as pain flashed across her face, and she placed her hand on her pregnant stomach.