Page 14 of Sacrificed to the Mountain Demon

"You're going to be trouble, aren't you?" I chuckle darkly. "Good. I like a challenge."

The entrance to my cave looms before us, a gaping maw in the mountainside. I duck inside quickly. The familiar darkness envelopes us. But for once, it feels too oppressive. Too cold for this delicate creature in my arms.

I lay her gently on my bed of soft mosses, arranging her limbs carefully. She looks so small here being surrounded by the trappings of my lair. So out of place. And yet... so right.

"What the fuck am I doing?" I growl, running a hand over my face. But I already know the answer. I'm keeping her. Protecting her. Making her mine.

I settle closely beside her. I watch the slow rise and fall of her chest. Whatever those herbs were, they've knocked her out cold. But she'll wake soon enough. And when she does...

A grin spreads across my face, all sharp teeth and wicked intent. When she wakes, the real fun will begin.

7

BELLA

My head throbs incessantly as consciousness creeps back in. A dull ache pulses behind my eyes. I blink, trying to focus, but darkness envelops me. Where am I? The last thing I remember is the village elders, their solemn faces, and then... nothing.

I shift, feeling soft moss beneath me. It appears to be laid across a stone floor. The cold below seeps through the thin fabric of my ceremonial dress. A shiver runs down my spine, and not just from the chill. This isn't right. This isn't where I'm supposed to be.

Slowly, my eyes adjust to the gloom. Jagged walls loom around me, their surfaces slick with moisture. A cave? How did I end up here? I try to sit up, but my limbs feel heavy, uncooperative. The air around me is thick and musty with an underlying scent I can't quite place.

"Hello?" I call out, my voice but a whisper. It echoes back at me, mocking and hollow. No response. I'm alone, at least for now.

I force myself to breathe deeply. Every ounce of me fights back the panic clawing at my chest. Think, Bella. Whathappened? The village, the waira attacks, the elders' decision... It all comes rushing back.

Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them away. No time for that now. I need to figure out where I am and how I got here. I manage to push myself up to a sitting position, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washes over me.

As my vision clears, I notice more details of my surroundings. The cave is larger than I first thought, stretching back into impenetrable darkness. Near me, I spot what looks like a pile of furs. Did someone bring me here? The elders? Or... something else?

A chill runs through my body at the thought. The monster in the mountains. The one they were offering me to. Is this its lair? Am I truly alone, or is it lurking in the shadows, watching me?

I strain my ears, listening for any sound beyond the steady drip of water echoing through the cave. Nothing. But that doesn't mean I'm safe. I need to move and find a way out before whatever brought me here returns.

Slowly, carefully, I try to stand. My legs shake beneath me. I'm still very weak from whatever they used to knock me out. I stumble but catch myself against the damp cave wall. The rough stone scrapes my palm, and I bite back a hiss of pain.

"Come on, Bella," I mutter to myself. "You can do this. One step at a time."

I take a tentative step forward, then another. My eyes dart around, searching for any sign of danger, any hint of an exit. But the darkness seems to press in from all sides, suffocating and endless.

As I inch forward, my heart hammers against my ribs. The darkness seems alive. It pulses with unseen threats at every turn. Suddenly, a faint shuffling sound echoes from deeper in the cave, and I freeze. My breath catches in my throat, and I squint my eyes, trying to pierce the gloom.

There. A flicker of movement. My muscles tense, ready to bolt, but where would I run? I'm trapped in this stone prison with... whatever it is.

Another sound, like nails scraping against rock. Closer now. I press myself against the damp wall willing myself to disappear into it. The ceremonial dress clings to my skin, damp with sweat and cave moisture.

"Please," I whisper, though I'm not sure who I'm pleading with.

Suddenly, a shadow detaches itself from the darkness. My eyes widen, struggling to make sense of what I'm seeing. It's tall, impossibly so, its outline a jumble of inhuman angles and protrusions. As it moves closer, details emerge that send ice through my veins.

Tentacles. Dear gods, it has tentacles. They writhe from its back, smaller ones rippling along its arms. Its skin is black as night, seeming to absorb what little light there is. But its eyes... they glow a deep, haunting green and they're fixed directly on me.

I want to scream, but terror steals my voice. My legs give out, and I slide down the wall, curling into myself. This is the monster. The one from the mountains.

The creature takes another step forward. I catch a glimpse of his sharp teeth and long, serpentine tongue. Its head tilts, studying me with an almost curious air. But there's something else in those otherworldly eyes. Something hungry.

My mind races, recalling fragments of village gossip. An ancient being. Violent. Territorial. And now, I realize with sickening clarity, I'm in its territory.

I should run. Fight. Do something. But my body won't respond. I'm paralyzed, caught between the primal urge to flee and the crushing certainty that any movement will trigger an attack.

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