27. Emma

The cries were pitiful, terrifying.

The screams from the crowd and their baying for more were even worse.

I couldn't see the ceremony taking place in the arena and I didn't want to.

A wall of onlookers blocked the worst of the events from me.

They cheered and raised their voices and fists, encouraging the previous participant, her fated mate, and the other Shadows.

It was grotesque, disgusting.

And soon, it would be happening to me.

I wept inwardly, knowing Narissa from earlier was right.

There was no escape from this.

This was my "duty," my destiny now.

Iav would claim me and my fate would be sealed.

In the near distance, I felt him, a throb of light of his current location.

No doubt he was preparing to claim me.

Every so often, I felt a slight quirk, pulling me in a different direction.

Maybe the Severing hadn't been completely false.

It appeared to be giving phantom signals, as if there were two origins.

Not once did I think Vai was the one responsible.

It was too much to hope for.

He would be halfway across a neighboring universe by now, racing toward his home and the warm embrace of his loved ones.

It was the only positive thing I could think of.

I clutched it close to my chest, knowing I would need something to get me through the next few hours.

I stubbornly clung to our memories together.

It cheered me up some.

At least the first Shadow to claim me would look like Vai.

Maybe I could fool myself into believing it was him rather than the dark version.

And then after that…

I decided not to think about it.

The effects of the blue poison Iav had given me still hadn't fully worn off.

But I had the use of my little fingers now.

It had to mean something, right?

There was a final howl and the crowd went wild.

They high-fived each other, hugging and kissing, thrilled.

It could only mean one thing.

The event was coming to an end.

And soon, it would be my turn.

The crowd broke formation and a figure limped through the hall unassisted.

She clutched her torn dress close and failed to contain her modesty.

Tears streamed down her face, her makeup ruined, her hair viciously tugged from its no doubt former beautiful display.

Her expression was shattered and broken.

I knew on a deep level that no matter what, she was never going to be the same again.

"Keep moving," another hefty Shadow at the girl's elbow said in a severe tone.

They couldn't even bring themselves to be kind to her after what they had done to her.

Now my fear morphed into something far more powerful.

Anger.

White hot and furious.

They might take my body but I would never allow them to break my spirit the way they had the girl's.

I would fight back.

If I couldn't escape, if that really wasn't an option, then I could attack from the shadows.

I could assassinate one Shadow after another, poisoning them, doing to them what Iav had tried to do to me at the beginning of all this.

I would turn their own baser instincts against them.

I would use my body as a weapon.

Yes, I thought. That was a challenge worth living up to.

"Up," Hefty said.

My body obeyed.

I marched through the throng of onlookers, who continued to leer at me.

They closed the gap left in my wake as I entered the arena.

It was a surprisingly small area.

But then, it didn't need to be big.

In the middle of the space was an object I had initially taken for a bed.

But it wasn't.

It more closely resembled a kind of altar.

Carved from hard and brutal rock, I supposed it must have some kind of special meaning to these people.

Pillars lined the space on this floor and the one above, and further still.

Leaning against the railings were an endless stream of Shadows.

And there were cameras too, so creatures at home could enjoy the fun.

A shudder tore through me and I grimaced.

"Stand," Hefty said.

She pointed to a spot before a dais.

The twelve Shadow Elders sat upon it in thrones.

The one that had claimed to be my second, snapped to attention, his long black nose quivering with excitement.

The Elder stood up and clapped his claws.

The low harsh whispers among the gathered turned silent.

He raised his head and his voice boomed off the sterile walls.

"Today we join to celebrate the merging of a new species of breeders," he said. "It is a celebration going back eons, since the great Breaking, when we were forced from our homes to this place. But worry not my faithful subjects, soon we shall return, and we shall return with a vengeance!"

The crowd of onlookers clapped and cheered.

Trained seals at a zoo display couldn't perform better.

"Today, we introduce to you our new breeding partners… The humans!"

He spread his claws toward me.

The crowd roared even louder.

Hefty whispered to me:

"Wave."

It took a moment for my hand to rise.

I could fight the effects of the medicine but eventually lost out.

Could I break free and use the training Vai had given me?

Could I bury a blade in Iav's back before this was over?

Maybe there was still a chance I could escape.

"They have vast numbers," the Elder continued, "and each year, we shall harvest more and more of them, further unlocking the ability to claim them as our mates. They are delicious in appearance and come in many different shapes and sizes."

He could have been talking about a new brand of ice cream.

"Today, we begin the first day in a new era. Today, we claim our first human mate!"

The other Elders got to their feet and clapped.

The crowd whistled, fraught with excitement.

I was glad at least someone was pleased.

"And now let me introduce to you our claimer of the human race! Come forth, Champion Iav!"

The Elder led the applause.

The crowd parted at the far end of the arena and Iav stepped forward.

He wore a crimson red robe with gold lapels and string.

My stomach fell between my feet.

"Stand beside the tablet," Hefty ordered.

As I approached it, resisting every step, she bowed to the Elders and took her leave.

I stood beside the stone tablet, my fingers shivering and my legs struggling to come under their own power.

Maybe, if I could delay him somehow, slow him down, give myself a little more time, I could use my body again…

And even if I only managed to escape halfway through the torturous event, it would be better to escape than not escape at all.

I stood by the tablet facing the Elder.

He took a seat and Iav stepped up beside me.

"Welcome, Champion of humans," the Elder said. "We owe you a great debt of gratitude. Take her and put your seed in her belly."

The Elder's eyes shone like dark rubies.

Iav turned to me.

I didn't want to look at him while he fucked me.

It was bad enough he would do this to me.

I didn't want to have to watch him do it too.

The crowd fell silent as they watched.

Iav stood before me.

I stared at his chest.

It was thick with muscle.

He's going to destroy me…

Worse, there were going to be plenty more after he was done with me…

He would finally achieve what he wanted all this time.

To claim me for his own.

It'd been my stupid pride that led me here.

Everyone made mistakes but not everyone had to pay such a high price for it.

That fiery anger burned in my chest, only now it battled overwhelming fear.

My breaths came slow and haggard.

He reached down with his hand and placed his finger under my chin.

Then he gently raised it so I would look at him.

I peered out the corner of my eyes, not wanting to look into his golden irises.

I couldn't help the tears that formed.

I wished I didn't show him how weak I was.

Not when he might use that knowledge against me.

Iav lacked Vai's kindness, his generosity.

He was evil, bad, and I didn't want to muddy the memories I had with Vai with this evil creature.

"Emma."

That was it all it took.

A single word.

It could have been any word.

But he had chosen my name.

Hearing that timbre of his voice, that soft subtle edge that Iav lacked.

And the gentle caress of his forefinger under my chin.

He gently stroked me, sending chills sprinting over my body.

I was afraid now more than ever.

Maybe I had only imagined I heard hearing Vai's sweet voice from Iav's throat.

Maybe I had only believed it because I was desperate to.

Maybe it was for the best.

I would rather go into the next few hours of torture believing a lie than the truth.

At least then I could live with myself.

I slowly dragged my eyes over his.

The glinting golden irises were identical.

When he smiled, it lit up those heavenly curls at the corners of his eyes and added those delicious dimples to his cheeks.

And I knew in an instant, the way a parent can tell their twin children apart with just the barest of glances, that this was indeed Vai.

Was it a cruel trick?

A way to further destroy my spirits so Iav could take advantage of me even further?

Was this what he meant when he said he was going to treat me more roughly?

It was none of those things, I told myself.

It was Vai.

Somehow, despite all the odds, he was right here, standing before me now.

I don't know how he got to be here, what he had to do to reach me, and I didn't care.

He could wipe out dozens of innocent people and it made no difference to me.

The important thing was he was there.

He was here for me right now.

"Vai…" I said.

For the first time since I'd been given the poison, I found them to be my own words.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine.

I explored his lips as his tongue dove deep into my mouth.

I pressed my own against his and we were joined.

Until now, the crowd had been watching in silence.

The cameras whirred in the corners.

Now they screamed with joy and roared with excitement.

But they didn't know the truth.

Not yet.

Vai pulled back and whispered so softly even I struggled to hear him:

"We don't have to do this. If we fight together, we might make it out alive."

I searched his face—that handsome rugged face—with its masculine square jaw and twisted horns.

I ran my hands over them, feeling the craggy surface.

"If we mate right now, they won't want me any longer," I said. "If we do this, we never have to fear these things again."

Vai glanced over my shoulder at the onlookers.

"I never thought our first time would be like this," he said.

"Ignore them. I choose you. Take me. I'm yours."

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than he buried his lips on me once more.

His hands tugged at the ribbons on my shoulders, spilling my dress down over my hips and to the floor.

He peered at me, taking me in fully.

He'd seen me naked before, but this time it was all for him.

He pressed his lips to the base of my neck, kissing and prodding with his tongue.

I turned my head to the side and ran my hands through his hair.

I guided him to my sensitive collarbone and then down further so his mouth wrapped around my nipple.

He took it in his mouth and flicked at it, turning it hard and pert.

He pinched my other nipple with his fingers almost painfully.

The audience cheered with joy but they might as well have not been there.

They weren't there.

It was just me and Vai, alone in this space, giving in to each other, exploring and experimenting for the first time.

I reached down and his impressive girth pressed against me.

I cupped him through the material of his robe and stroked his length.

I shoved his robe off over his shoulders.

It revealed his full nakedness underneath.

He rubbed his cock against my opening and I leaned back on the tablet.

I spread my legs wide for him to enjoy me as he wished.

He dropped to his knees and slurped at me.

The Elders scratched their chins and gazed, perplexed, at what he was doing.

The rest of the audience wore the same expressions.

There was a low cheer but mostly they were curious.

Vai hit the spot.

I threw my head back and groaned so loud everyone could hear.

I wanted them to hear.

This is what a woman enjoying herself sounds like, I wanted to yell at them.

I wanted them to see how it could be, another option to the usual stealing and taking.

Vai made small circles on my clit and slipped his finger inside me.

He rubbed me back and forth.

My hips bucked and I rose against his hands as they worked me expertly.

He lowered his lips to my breast and flicked at my pink nipples with his tongue as his fingers worked their magic.

I gripped his horns and guided him to my other nipple.

It was too much.

Electric pulses danced over the surface of my skin as he tore an orgasm from me.

I screamed in jubilation.

The elders crossed their legs to conceal their arousal.

Then Vai placed his arms on either side of me, his masculine body pressing down.

He placed his throbbing cock at the entrance to my pussy.

He was bigger than I thought but I didn't care.

I would embrace the challenge with open arms.

He rested his forehead against mine and peered down at me.

"Last chance," he said.

"Do it," I said breathily. "I'm glad it's you."

His smile curled around that irresistible dimple and his expression turned misty with hunger.

He rolled his hips forward and with a single thrust, entered me.

It wasn't over—not until he spilled his seed inside me.

But it was the first big step.

I clutched him close and peered into the camera and smiled.

No one knew what was going on here, and it was delicious just thinking about it.

I snapped back to reality as Vai drilled me, slow and deep and gorgeous.

I tightened around him, struggling to cater to his width.

I gasped as he hooked my knees in the crooks of his arms and dived even deeper.

He gripped the flesh of my ass and drove into me even harder.

I raised my arms over my head and gripped the opposite end of the tablet.

The crowd wasn't as loud in their applause as before.

They watched, slack-jawed and drooling, enjoying the show more than needing to cheer along and be a part of it.

I doubted they had ever seen the fated mates enjoying it before.

Then Vai went to town.

He pummeled me.

I met his every stroke with glee and pleasure.

I threw my head back and screamed:

"Yes! Yes! More! Give me more!"

My dark side had emerged.

My uncontrollable desire to be fucked like there was no tomorrow, for him to use me any way he saw fit.

Just give me what I needed.

The same dark expression overtook Vai, but it wasn't the same evil look Iav sported.

He was still the same kind Vai under there.

But his animalistic nature had overtaken him.

He was a runaway freight train and there was no stopping him.

I didn't want to stop him.

Driven by my enthusiasm, Vai extracted himself, rolled me onto my front, my hips balanced on the tablet's edge, and entered me from behind.

He speared me relentlessly, my pussy clenching even tighter around him.

I arched my back, pushing back against him.

I felt the precipice ahead and willed him to take me over it.

He hammered me hard, the slapping noises of his thighs striking my ass beating in time with the clapping crowd.

Now the crowd really roared.

Vai dominated me, taking my shoulders in his hands and drove into me so deep it was painful.

But nothing compared to the sheer pleasure.

I loved every moment of it.

I screamed again as he tore a huge orgasm from my throat.

His breath was thunderous and loud in his chest, and when I peered back, I saw he was drenched in sweat.

It matched my own.

He slipped out of me and I tapped the tablet for him to lay down.

I climbed on the tablet and straddled him, facing outwards, so the Elders could see everything they were missing.

Everything they would not receive.

I bounced on Vai's thick cock as he placed his hands on my hips, helping me thrust deeper.

Every few strokes, I ground on him.

I ran my hands through my hair and groaned audibly with pleasure.

Then, to the shock of many, I rubbed at myself as I continued thrusting harder.

I could feel him tighten inside me.

I cupped his balls in my hand.

They were tight, ready to blow.

I leaned back and got to work finishing him off.

The crowd gasped and murmured among themselves, shocked a fated mate could enjoy having sex.

Maybe they thought all humans were like me.

Perhaps we were—with the right partner.

And Vai was right for me.

A Shadow came running in from the side and approached the Elders.

He paused only a moment at the foot of the dais and didn't wait for permission to ascend.

He took the steps in a single bound and whispered in the Elder's ear.

The thrusts grew more powerful.

I could have been fucking a rock with how hard he was.

He groaned loudly and I felt him tense up inside me.

It wouldn't be long now.

The audience roared with excitement, sensing the end was at hand.

My breasts bounced with every vicious thrust.

The Elder's eyes widened at hearing the news the messenger had brought him.

Then he shot a look at me, then at Vai.

Even in my near delirious state, as my body flushed once more around my Greek god's throbbing cock, I knew what the whispered words were.

Somehow he knew Vai wasn't a Shadow.

Somehow he knew what was about to happen.

The Elder bolted to his feet, yelled, and stabbed a finger at us, and bellowed an order to nearby guards.

But he was too late.

Vai thrust into me so powerfully, I felt his come spurt inside me, painting me with his seed.

I rose and fell a dozen more times, coaxing every last drop from him.

The crowd roared but were split in their reactions.

One half cheered, erupting with applause and screams of joy, while those closest to the Elder, close enough to hear what he had shouted, stared aghast in disbelief at us.

And then all hell broke loose.