A growl rumbles in me at the thought. "Nothing's gonna hurt you again. I swear it."
As I look at her, something shifts inside me. The need to protect her, to keep her safe, it's more than just instinct now. It's become my fucking purpose.
"You hungry?" I ask, already moving to grab some food. "You need to keep your strength up."
She nods, and I bring her some dried meat and berries. Watching her eat, I make a silent vow. She's mine to keep. I'll tear apart anyone or anything that tries to take her from me.
"Thank you," she says softly, finishing her meal. "For everything."
I grunt in response, unused to gratitude. But her words warm something deep inside me. She's changing me, this small human. And for once, I don't mind.
I gaze into her eyes and lose myself in their warm brown depths. The air between us crackles with sexual tension, thick and heady. My tentacles twitch, aching to wrap around her soft body and claim her as mine.
"Bella," I growl, my voice low and husky. "I need you."
She shivers, her lips parting slightly. "Jytos, I... I want you too."
That's all I need to hear. In an instant, I close the distance between us and pull her gently against my chest. My tentacles encircle her waist, holding her tight. She gasps and her small hands clutch at my arms.
"You're mine," I rumble, tilting her chin up with one finger. "Say it."
Her eyes flash with desire. "I'm yours, Jytos. All yours."
Fuck. Those words ignite a fire in my blood. I can't hold back any longer. I crush my lips to hers and claim her mouth in a searing kiss.
Her lips taste sweet, and it ignites a primal hunger within me. But this isn't about feeding a base desire; it's about connection, about claiming what's mine in the most intimate way possible.
"Careful," I growl against her mouth, my tentacles coiling protectively around her. "You're still healing."
Her response is a low, needy moan that goes straight to my groin. "I need you, Jytos," she breathes, her hands fisting in my hair. "All of you."
I pull back just enough to search her eyes, looking for any sign of hesitation. There's none. Only a fierce determination that matches my own. She's a wonder, this human – fearless in the face of the unknown, in the face of me.
My hands, so often instruments of death, tremble slightly as I undress her, revealing the soft, pale expanse of her skin. She's a canvas of scars and new wounds, a testament to her resilience. I trace each mark with a reverence I've never felt before, my touch as light as I can manage.
"You're sure?" I ask, my voice gruff with restraint.
"I've never been more sure of anything," she replies, her eyes locked onto mine.
That's all the permission I need. I claim her mouth again, my kiss fierce and demanding. My tentacles explore her body, each caress a promise of the pleasure to come. She arches into my touch, her body language as clear as her words. She wants this – wants me – as much as I want her.
I'm careful with her, mindful of her injuries, but she's having none of it. She pulls me closer, her lips trailing a path down my neck. "Don't hold back," she murmurs. "I can take it."
A growl rumbles in my throat, a sound of pure, unadulterated need. I roll us over so she's straddling me, her hair a wild curtain around us. Her eyes widen in surprise, but there's no fear in them, only a fiery hunger that matches my own.
"Ride me," I command, my voice a guttural rasp. "Take what you need."
She gently mounts my throbbing cock, and it completely fills her warm depths. She lets out a loud gasp of excitement and grabs my shoulders. She begins to ride me, her movements hesitant at first, then growing bolder as she finds her rhythm. I grip her hips, my tentacles wrapping around her to provide support and guidance. The sensation of her, hot and tight around me, is almost too much to bear.
Our lovemaking is a dance of give and take, a feral claiming that leaves us both breathless and shaking. Her cries of pleasure echo off the cave walls, a symphony of sound that stirs something primal within me.
I can feel the tension building inside her, her body coiling like a spring. I thrust deeper, harder, driving her over the edge. She cries out my name, her inner muscles clenching around me as she comes apart in my arms.
The feeling of her release triggers my own. I come with a roar, a surge of possessive triumph flooding through me. She collapses onto my chest. Her breaths come in ragged gasps. I hold her close, my heart pounding in time with hers.
We lie there in silence for a moment. The only sound is the crackle of the fire and our mingled breaths. I can feel the bond between us strengthening, a connection forged in fire and darkness.
"You're mine, Bella," I murmur, my voice rumbling. "Body and soul."