Page 74 of Monstrous Baby
So treacherous, steep terrain up the other volcano. Greeeaaaaat.
:Piece of pie, right?:His bird-call laughter echoed eerily in the night.:I uploaded a fresh terrain mapping for you.:
Gingerly, I started across the open area toward the dark forest.
Swift and silent despite his huge size, Axxol suddenly breathed on my nape. Hot drool splattered down my back. The wild, musky smell of dynos filled my nose, sending my pulse skyrocketing.
:You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.:He snapped his jaws an inch away from my face, and I couldn’t help but squeak with alarm, flinching away.:I want you to fucking run, little human. Run for your life. Cry and scream and try to get away from me. At least make me work a little for my food.:
Logically, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Not on purpose.
But when he roared deep and loud, on and on and on…
I ran.
Slipping through the trees, leaping over sharper rocks, throwing myself over fallen logs. Low branches and bushes snagged at my hair and scratched my bare body in fine, stinging lines. Sweat dotted my skin, quickly cooling in the nighttime breeze. If this was a real excursion, I’d worry about hypothermia and exposure, but somehow I didn’t think the giant T-rex was going to let me shiver in the cold for long before he had me pinned beneath him.
Lust spiked through me, heating my body even more. Adrenaline still pumped through my veins, but I knew exactly what was coming as soon as he caught me.
And I can’t fucking wait.
The earth felt good beneath my bare feet. Rich loam, pine needles, soft leaves. Using Rizan’s mapping, I stuck to the less rocky areas. Night birds called in the trees. Animals chittered to each other from their hiding places. Silent wings drifted from tree to tree, not Rizan but a large owl in search of prey. The scent of woodsy pine filled my nose with the faint, underlying scent of sulfur dioxide, reminding me of the latent danger sleeping beneath the forest.
Technically, this volcano could erupt at any moment and kill us all. Though of course Axxol could jump us anywhere before that happened.
I leaped over a deep crack in the earth without pausing. Elation surged through me. I’d never been able to run like this. Especially not as a graduate student burning the midnight oil in the library instead of exercising. I felt strong and fast, running like a gazelle or a cheetah, simply because it felt good to move so easily.
Now I knew why Axxol had chosen to start our chase now rather than wait for Kroktl to come back. Though I’d never tell him he was right.
I am so incredibly strong and fast. I’m smart. Generous. Loyal. I love wide open with my whole heart. Even assholes who don’t know how to feel soft, gushy emotions and would rather snap teeth and watch the heads of his enemies roll.
:Nah,:Axxol rumbled through my mind.:I’m more of an eat their heart out kind of guy. Riz likes to saw through spines.:
I heard the heavy thuds of his footsteps behind me. Branches snapped as he pushed his massive rex through the forest. I felt badly for the trees. Too many chases like this, and it’d look like the volcano had leveled the entire forest. He made a low, deep whuff, sucking in air loudly. Scenting me.
Judging exactly how tender and juicy I’d be when he took a bite.
As a human, I wasn’t used to being prey. It was demeaning in a way—but also hot as fuck. His jaws gaped, his tongue sampling the air as he made a pleased rumble. He knew exactly how turned on I was. He could smell it. Taste the heat rising in my core. My thighs slipped together, sticky with my own desire.
Though now that he had me on the run, I refused to make it easy for him. It was too fun—for both of us.
I dodged into a canyon, carefully leaping from boulder to boulder, winding my way higher. The last one was a bit too tall for me, so I had to dig in and climb. Easily hauling myself up the giant rock. A cliff rose above me into the darkness. Maybe ten or twenty feet? On the edge, thick trees and brush would make it hard for Axxol to follow.
I started climbing. My palms and soles stung, rubbed raw from the rocks, but the small pain only fueled me. When had I ever been able to climb rock walls or cliffs before?
Never, that’s when. My handhold slipped and smaller pebbles and dirt rained down into my face.
:Don’t make me send Riz in to catch your ass,:Axxol growled.
The muscles in my arms and thighs burned with exertion by the time I crawled over the edge. Panting, I braced on my hands and knees for a moment, letting my heart rate steady. I peeked over the edge and my stomach dipped.I can’t believe I climbed that far.
Off to my right, a loud barking call rang out. The raptor had joined the hunt.
Leaping to my feet, I ran into the thicker trees. Dark gloom made it harder for me to see anything, slowing my pace. I tried to use the map on the grid, but even Riz couldn’t map out the hollows, stumps, and fallen logs in the overgrown forest.
Kroktl had no such issues. I saw the red glare of his eyes flashing in the darkness, ever closer.
I couldn’t outrun him unless I had a car or a motorcycle. Though I certainly wouldn’t be able to navigate the rough terrain in any vehicle. He wanted me to see his eyes. He wanted me to hear his raptor’s call, so I’d run in the opposite direction.
