Chapter 11

Eleven

Theo was being stroked.

Fingers were moving along his stomach, gently and slowly caressing him. The fingers were hard, callused even, but Theo didn't care. He stretched himself out, sighing as he did so, happily accepting the touch, which frankly had been painfully absent in his life in recent years. The fingers moved downwards to the waistband of his army fatigues.

He sighed again.

They slipped underneath the belt. Theo arched his back slightly. The fingers dipped lower. The touch was gentle and careful, slowly exploring every available inch of Theo's skin. He let it happen, anticipation filling him at the prospect of where those fingers would go next.

He was in that space between waking and sleeping where the dreams that had come before were forgotten now but fragments remained and he was trying to hold on to them, to keep them where they were.

He shifted slightly from his position and in his dream those fingers moved lower still. Who did they belong to? Theo had known that just a few moments ago, but he wasn't sure anymore.

He frowned ever so slightly as he tried to find the name, but it eluded him. He chased it and chased it, but it remained just out of sight. Perhaps he should open his eyes? He would know then, wouldn't he? And he could reach out and touch the monster as well, caress him in the exact same way.

The monster…

Theo's eyes shot open on a gasp. "What are you doing!"

The monster, who was propped up on one overly muscular arm looking down at Theo, and topless still, answered in that same vaguely French accent. "I am touching you."

And indeed he was!

His fingers continued to stroke just above where Theo's hard cock was straining for some touch of its own. Dear god…had he had an erection all night? Or was this one brand new in response to the monster's touch. And why was the monster even touching him?

"Why are you doing that?" Theo whispered because honestly, he did not know what else to say! He half hoped he was still dreaming but knew that wasn't the case. This close up he could see all the details in the monster's face that he hadn't seen the night before. His silver eyelashes, the tiny emerald, green freckles that ran across his purple skin, and…were those points jutting out from his ears?

"It is a sign of appreciation between my people," the monster said with another of those rumbling growls.

"Appreciation?

His fingers stroked a tiny bit lower. There was the barest of touches between those fingers and Theo's cock now and with each stroke, because the monster showed no signs of stopping, Theo realised that he was experiencing that odd familiar feeling again and whatever it was, it was wrapped up in that same shaky excitement.

"I am appreciating that you have agreed to aid me in my mission."

Theo swallowed unsteadily and not least because he had agreed no such thing.

Howcould this be happening?

Whywas it happening?

What was he supposed to do about it?

"Okay," he said, and he barely got the word out. "But in my world, that sort of touch means something else."

The monster tilted his head, a clear curiosity in his expression. "It does not mean that we are going to fuck?"

Theo sucked in a shocked breath, not quite believing he had heard what he had thought he had heard. "I?—"

The monster's fingers brushed over the very tip of Theo's cock. "That is my intention?—"

Dear god…

"Okay, right, stop, stop right there," Theo said, his voice rising even as his hips bucked automatically in response to that touch. It had been so damn long. "You…" He shook his head. "You…where did you learn that word?"

"It means to have sex," the monster said softly, almost earnestly, and he moved forwards as if to stroke the tip of Theo's cock again.

Theo scooted back, but he was up against the wall of the cave now. He could feel the cold stone pressing against the lower part of his back. "I know what it means."

"You should know that our people also have sex for enjoyment not just for mating purposes."

"We're not going to have sex!" Theo said quickly.

"You do not wish to fuck?" the monster asked, and he sounded even more confused.

Theo very much did. He had no idea what that said about him. Because who the hell comes into another dimension and responds to that by fucking members of the local populace? But something was happening here, the monster was making Theo feel something, he had to be.

Sure, the monster was very attractive, there was no escaping that. And purple skin and pointed ears aside, he was exactly Theo's type, all bulging muscles and testosterone, but Theo was a sensible kind of guy, and sensible guys did not fuck aliens…especially not ones who had abducted them!

"Until a moment ago I never even considered it was a possibility!" he said quickly.

The monster stroked one very large finger along Theo's stomach. "Males have sex with other males in your world," he said. "I have researched the subject."

Theo could only groan.

"Perhaps you need me to be more forceful?" he growled and before Theo could even open his mouth to reply he was suddenly on his back and the monster was on top of him.

He was heavy.

He was solid.

How many times over the last years had Theo longed for a thick, hard male above him? He could masturbate all he wanted, but nothing could replace the feeling of someone lying on top of him, covering him.

Theo closed his eyes and held in a second groan. If he had questioned it, which he had in his dream but not yet in reality, he had his answer now on the monster's anatomy.

He could feel it pressing into him.

"Open your eyes," the monster commanded.

Theo couldn't help but obey.

"I could take you now," the monster said. "You would like that. We both would."

Theo damn well would, but the very idea was impossible! "No," he whispered.

"Why not?" the monster demanded.

"Because…" Theo said. "Because…"

And he pushed the monster off him, something the monster clearly allowed otherwise Theo would not have been able to move him. He scrambled away from the bed once free and, on shaky legs, he moved to the other side of the room, next to the data screen.

"We can't do this," he said quickly.

"Why?" the monster demanded.

"There are a million reasons and more."

"State one."

Theo was having significant trouble doing that. Now that there was some distance between them, he knew without a doubt that there was something strange in the monster's touch. It wasn't like being touched by a human. When the monster touched him, it was like he flipped a switch in Theo and Theo responded by wanting more of that touch. That was what the odd, familiar feeling was.

A craving.

For the monster.

Fuck!

"Don't we have a million munching monsters to kill?" he asked a little desperately.

"We do. The mission is clear." The monster paused. "Why do you call them that?"

Theo shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, though in reality he was so far from being cool and composed. In fact, his raging hard-on was refusing to subside and standing there discussing monsters that were eating their way through the world it all felt a bit inappropriate!

"They have a proper name," he eventually said. "A Latin name, but someone called them that in one of the early news reports and it just stuck."

"Munching is a word for consuming?"

"I guess."

"That is what they do. It is what they have always done. So perhaps the word is appropriate."

"There are munching monsters here in this world? Besides the dead ones from last night?"

The monster nodded. "The nightmares."

"And you killed those ones? The ones in the clearing?"

"Yes," the monster said. "I did. I am only sorry I was not able to do so before your human companions sustained their injuries. The queen slipped back into this dimension, and I had no choice but to follow her here rather than aid you."

He sprang up from the bed and stalked over to where Theo waited. As he did so he rubbed an overly large hand against his overly large cock which was straining the material of his pants. Theo could see it in all its glory, and he badly wanted to move back and put more distance between them, because he suddenly felt like that was very important, only there was nowhere else to go.

"You are refusing me," the monster said softly.

Theo swallowed again, a treacherous excitement dancing along his spine. "Yes."

"Refusing my appreciation."

"It means something different to us," Theo said.

"No," the monster said. "It means the exact same thing."

He reached out and slowly he ran a finger along the side of Theo's face. His head was tilted again, but he did not smile. In fact, Theo had yet to see the monster smile even once.

A craving.

"Then if you will not let me fuck you," he growled. "You must let me feed you. And then, little human, our adventure will continue."

"To stop the nightmares?" Theo asked and the monster nodded.

"And save the worlds."