Page 29 of Spinning Out of Control

Teracht nodded. “Yes. And then we usually get eaten.”

“What do you mean?”

“The females are much bigger than the males, so after the male deposits his sperm, the female usually chases him down and captures him and eats him to provide nutrients for the developing young.”

“Like, wraps him up and dissolves him with acid like prey?”

“Yes,” Teracht said solemnly.

Jesus, I suddenly realized why Teracht had been so eager to get away from the monster world. His whole life would have been catching prey, breaking off his dick inside of a female if he could even incapacitate her with his size, and then likely getting dissolved into a puddle of spider meat. “That sounds like a really shitty existence.”

“I do not disagree,” Teracht said with a chuckle, rolling over onto his stomach and retracting his bulbous dick inside of him.

“What happens if the male gets away?” I asked.

“I know a few have,” he mused thoughtfully. “Since they have mated and cannot do so again, they basically will spend the rest of their lives as they did before, hunting prey, but they will also become targets for other spiders to attack them. Losing one’s penis creates a change in our scent and tends to attract unwanted attention from spiders and other predators.”

“Fuck,” I said. “But you are so intelligent. Atauri don’t have like cities, technology, ways to express themselves like art or music or anything?”

Teracht shook his head. “The monster world is a very unforgiving place for many.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“It’s all right,” Teracht said, giving me a sweet smile. “I am here now, and I do not intend to go back. I like it here. With you.”

“I like you being here,” I said, just as the doorbell rang. I checked my phone to see a notification that my delivery was on its way, so that was probably it. “That’s my stuff, I’ll be right back.”

I went to the front door, unlocking it, finding the bags from the store on the stoop and the delivery car already headed away. I brought the bags inside. “I’m going to go brush my teeth and put on some deodorant,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”

Teracht nodded and took the bags with the food as I went up to the bathroom. I stared thoughtfully into the mirror as I brushed my teeth. Teracht’s life would have been so different in the monster world, but he was here now, in the human world, with all its pleasures and safety. And he still managed to be sweet, excited, and kind, despite the sort of life a spider creature seemed to have to endure in such an unforgiving land. I didn’t know how he did it. But he also had finally put himself out there to meet someone, and I was not going to let him down. Everything else in my life was in shreds, but Teracht was new, and he was willing to adjust his life to share friendship with me, and maybe even more. It was nice to not be alone anymore. I had thought that, after my friends abandoned me, I would be alone forever, with no one to care for me or love me for who I was. But Teracht wasn’t judging me. He was even adapting his life to accommodate me. We both could use a friend right now.

Chapter 10

Teracht

I had been worried after I showed Caleb what I had for genitals, thinking perhaps he might not be interested in being with me anymore, but he came down from the bathroom smelling of mint and something fresh under his armpits and grinned at me. “Okay, I was thinking about it. I agree, I don’t think our anatomies are compatible if I could snap off your dick accidentally, and if it doesn’t feel good to you anyway, it might just not be your thing.”

I smiled weakly at him. “I wish it felt good so I could give you pleasure,” I said wistfully.

“You do give me pleasure,” Caleb protested. He moved over in front of my web and held up his arms. I scooped him up, carrying him further into the mass of webbing before settling him into it next to me. “What feels good to you?”

I blinked at the question. “What do you mean?”

“Is there anything you do, or some spot I touch you, that feels good? It doesn’t have to be sexual or anything. But maybe there’s a way you can feel good too.”

I leaned in to rest my cheek on his shoulder. “I did enjoy tying you up,” I said softly. “It made me feel something I haven’t felt before. And when you struggle, it goes through my web, and it… it feels good. I feel powerful, like you are my prey. Not that I would ever hurt you!” I added hastily.

“I know you wouldn’t, don’t worry.” He reached up to press his palm to my cheek. His skin was so warm and soft, and I leaned into his touch. “So, you do like tying me up.”

“Yes. Did you like it?” I asked hesitantly.

Caleb nodded. “Yeah, I did. It was a little weird, I’ll admit, but not bad. Your webs are also just really cool. I like how they feel. They actually make me feel good. All the pressure is off my injuries, and that is just… It’s a relief.”

I smiled. I didn’t like Caleb in pain. “You are welcome to use my web any time you’d like,” I offered.

“Thanks, Ter,” he said, giving me a grin. “So, what do you want to do to me when I’m tied up and at your mercy?”

All of my eyes blinked, my hands coming up to press to my cheeks, as if to shove away the blush that suddenly heated them. “I…”

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