Chapter Eighteen

Rynar’s hunger for me was endless.

It stretched beyond moments or days, blurring into something primal. He didn’t just want me; he needed me in ways that clawed at the edges of terrifying. And I was beginning to realize I needed him too, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.

It began on the ocean floor, the vast darkness enveloping us. He laid me down on a bed of bioluminescent coral, its soft glow dancing against his silver skin. His body, towering, powerful, otherworldly, moved with a precision that made every touch deliberate. He traced patterns across my stomach with his claws, teasing me until I shook, begging for more.

When he finally sank into me, it was like being swallowed by the abyss. His ridged cock stretched me, every thrust a shockwave that left me gasping. His tail coiled around my legs, holding me still as his claws skimmed my skin, pressing just enough to remind me of his strength.

But that was only the beginning.

Later, he took me to the surface. Stars stretched endlessly above us. He pinned me against the jagged hull of a sunken ship, rust biting into my palms as he bent me over. The cold air kissed my skin, sharp against the heat of his body. He was insatiable, his claws digging into my hips as he filled me. Each thrust crashed through me, leaving me trembling.

“You take me so well.” His words slid into my mind like a soft caress. “You were made for this.”

I wanted to deny it, to argue, but my body told a different story, arching into his touch, desperate for more.

And then came the starfishes.

He remembered how much I loved them. This time, he pressed them to my nipples with precise care, adjusting them until I was writhing beneath him. The gentle suction pulled and released, each jolt of sensation leaving me breathless.

“You like it,” he said, watching my reaction, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I hate you,” I whispered, my voice thin. My flushed skin told the truth he already knew.

His laugh rumbled low, vibrating through me. “Liar.”

He didn’t stop. His tongue, his claws, his teeth, all of him worked mercilessly to push me further. He grazed every sensitive spot, leaving marks that felt like signatures. He claimed me again and again until I felt branded.

In the water, he lifted me, his strength making me weightless. He pressed me to the curve of a reef, the algae glowing as we moved. His tail anchored me, his hands roamed, his mouth worshipped.

“You’re mine,” he murmured, his black eyes gleaming with possessive hunger. I wanted to fight it, to push back, but soaked in his touch, his scent, his presence, I only wanted to give in.

Days blurred. Every moment was a tidal wave of need that pulled me under. He took me on the coral throne, the sunken ship, the glowing pools. He pinned me to the cave walls, his claws binding my wrists as his mouth explored my neck.

“You’re addictive,” he murmured, his tone thick. “Eons, Pearl. Eons, and I’ve never felt this.”

I wanted to ask what he meant, but his tail tightened, and his claws teased my thighs. Thought splintered, there was only him.

He drenched me with his hunger, his love, his seed. He marked me until I couldn’t tell where I ended, and he began. And I hated how much I craved it. Every time I tried to pull away, he dragged me back under. And I let him.

I leaned against his chest, my legs draped over his tail as he carried me toward the glowing pool. The cavern blurred around me, the aftershocks of our last encounter still buzzing through my body. His hands, his tongue, the unrelenting ridges of his cock, each sensation was branded into me, refusing to fade.

His body shimmered with a faint, otherworldly light. Silver skin caught the glow of the algae, each scale reflecting with subtle brilliance. Broad shoulders gave way to arms that could crush or cradle, power balanced by care. His eyes, deep, endless voids, held a darkness that should’ve terrified me. But instead, it pulled me in, made me crave the way they devoured me whole. I hated how exposed I felt, how seen I was.And yet, I ached for it.

“Exhausted?” His words curled into my mind, teasing and light.

“I should be,” I murmured, resting my head against his chest. “But apparently, I’ve lost my limits.”

His lips curved, sharp teeth glinting. “You’re only beginning to understand what you’re capable of.”

I rolled my eyes, even as warmth coiled low in my stomach. “You’re insatiable.”

“And you love it.” His tone was smug. He wasn’t wrong.

I did love it. Loved the way he consumed me, made me feel like I was the only thing in his endless, empty world. Admitting that gnawed at me. There was something intoxicating about being the center of his attention. But a small, stubborn part of me wondered if I was losing pieces of myself. Letting the abyss swallow who I used to be.

I shoved the thought aside.

We reached the pool, its surface glowing steadily. He stepped in without hesitation, water swirling around us. When he lowered me into the pool, his hands held me with reverence, supporting my back as I floated.

“You’ve ruined me,” I muttered, half-teasing, half-true.

His lips twitched into a smirk. “Ruined?” He dipped lower into the water beside me. “You mean perfected.”

I snorted, though heat pooled in my chest. “Perfected? My thighs feel like jelly. I can barely move.”

His smirk deepened. “Then I’ve done my job.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but his hands slid over my shoulders. The thought evaporated. His claws traced my skin, firm yet careful. The water cooled my body, but his touch stirred embers beneath the surface.

“Always so eager to worship me,” I said, my voice light, though my heart hammered in my chest.

“Always,” he answered, steady and sure. “You deserve nothing less.”

His hands traveled lower, skimming my arms. His black eyes watched me, catching every trace of emotion on my face. It should’ve made me feel vulnerable. Instead, I felt... cherished. His gaze wasn’t predatory this time. It was awe-filled, like he couldn’t quite believe I was real.

When his claws grazed my ribs, I sucked in a breath. The chill of the water tangled with the heat of his touch. He traced my waist, lingered at my hips, then turned me gently. His claws raked down my back, slow and deliberate.

“You’re hiding something,” he said, his words slipping into my mind, low and probing. “I can feel it.”

I tensed as his question pressed at the edges of my thoughts. I shoved it aside. “Not everything belongs to you.” My voice wavered.

He didn’t push. Instead, he guided me deeper into the water. His claws slid down to my thighs, brushing the scars etched there, reminders of old battles. His fingers lingered, tracing the raised lines with a care that made my throat tighten.

“You carry so much,” he murmured. “But you bear it well.”

I didn’t know how to respond. His hands moved up, claws grazing bruises he’d left earlier. Heat flared through me. His tail wrapped around my leg, holding me still.

“You’re a savage,” I said, my voice trembling.

“And you wouldn’t want it any other way.” His smile was small but certain.

He was right. Even exhausted, I leaned into his touch. My body betrayed me, craving more. His claws teased my inner thighs, and my legs parted without thinking. I hated how much I wanted him again.

“Do you ever stop?” I whispered, breathless.

He tilted his head, smirk widening. “Why would I, when your body begs me to keep going?”

I meant to argue, but his mouth closed around my breast, and my mind shattered. His tongue flicked my nipple, heat and water mixing into something electric. When his teeth grazed the peak, I gasped, my back arching.

“Rynar...” My voice trembled.

He hummed, the vibration sinking deep, making my thighs clench. His mouth worked me, his tongue flicking over swollen nipples and occasionally biting it lightly with his sharp teeth, until I shook in his arms. My nails bit into his shoulders as I rode the wave.

He pulled back, his lips curling with satisfaction. “Perfect.”

I wanted to argue, but the words dissolved. His hands and mouth mapped me, worshipped me. The water lapped at my skin, cool and soothing, while his touch burned its way into my soul.

My body relaxed. My mind stayed restless.

I buried the doubts, the fear that I was slipping away, losing something vital. Instead, I clung to the way his eyes held mine: dark and reverent, like I was the only thing in his world.

Maybe, just for tonight, that was enough.

Rynar wrapped me in a soft fabric woven from algae, its cool smoothness clinging to my skin. His arms cradled me effortlessly, his strength a constant reminder of how fragile I was in comparison. But his touch stayed careful, reverent, as if he feared I might shatter.

The glow of the cavern shifted around us as he carried me and laid me on the bed of glowing coral, his claws brushing my cheek with a gentleness that sent a shiver through me.

“Rest,” he murmured, the word settling in my mind like a blanket. “I’ll return soon.”

I nodded, watching as Rynar slipped beneath the water. The ripples shimmered before the pool stilled, leaving me alone.

I sat up slowly, the algae fabric slipping against my skin. My body ached in the best way, every bruise and mark a reminder of him. But my thoughts wouldn’t settle. They never really did anymore.

I stared at the faint sliver of light on the cavern wall. It moved so slowly, just like everything else down here. Like time was bending, dragging me further into something I didn’t understand.

This wasn’t me. Or at least, it hadn’t been. The fact was, I didn’t even know who I was anymore.

I pulled the algae fabric tighter around myself, as if it could protect me from my own thoughts. I wasn’t weak. I’d survived losing my parents. I’d survived that horror house. I’d survived sleepless nights in New York, choking on my own regrets. I’d survived all of it.

So why couldn’t I stop this?

Why couldn’t I stop him ?

My chest tightened and I realized…I hated the way he made me feel. The way his touch lit something inside me I couldn’t control. The way his voice crept into my thoughts even when he wasn’t here, soft and mocking and impossible to ignore.

And worst of all, the way I wanted it.

My gaze fell to the glowing coral beneath me. It was beautiful. Everything down here was beautiful in that eerie, otherworldly way. Even Rynar.

Especially Rynar.

The thought made me sick.

He wasn’t human. He wasn’t even close. And yet, every time he looked at me, I felt something crack open inside me. Like he saw something I didn’t want anyone to see.

I let out a bitter laugh, the sound swallowed by the cavern. How did it come to this?

I thought about Kim. Jaime. Their faces blurred in my mind, like they were part of a dream I couldn’t quite remember. What would they think of me if they were alive?

I touched my wrist, tracing the faint scars that had been there for years. They were a reminder, a promise I’d made to myself a long time ago: keep going, no matter how much it hurt.

But this... this was different.

I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was... changing.

My thoughts twisted back to Rynar. To the way he touched me, held me, looked at me like I was the center of his world. It wasn’t human. It was darker than that, deeper, more consuming.

And I was falling for it.

For him .

The realization hit me like ice water, sharp and shocking.

I couldn’t love him.

He wasn’t someone I could love. He was a monster. He served the Abyss.

But my heart didn’t care.

I buried my face in my hands, my breath shaking. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t let myself feel this way.

I needed to leave.

I looked back at the sliver of light on the wall, watching how it shifted. Slowly, steadily, like it was trying to tell me something.

The winter solstice.

The memory clicked into place. Back during my bachelors, I had learned about the shortest day of the year. The longest night.

It was close, just days away. I had been observing it for some time now.

My pulse quickened. The solstice would give me time. Time to swim to shore, find shelter, and move under the cover of darkness.

My chest ached at the thought of leaving him, even though he was the reason I had to go.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. I couldn’t stay here. If I did, I’d lose everything. My freedom. My humanity.

Myself.

I stood on shaky legs, my body protesting every movement. The algae fabric slid to the ground, pooling at my feet. The light on the wall was faint, but it was enough. Enough to remind me of the surface. Of who I used to be.

I couldn’t let him own me. Pacing the cavern, my mind raced. The solstice would be my chance. I’d have to play along, let him think I was his willing captive, but I couldn’t let myself believe it too.

Humming softly, I clung to the melody of my mother’s lullaby. It dulled the sharp edges of my fear, steadying my breath. My gaze fixed on the still blue hole where he’d disappeared.

This wasn’t just about escaping him. It was about escaping the part of me that wanted to stay.

I just had to survive a few more days.