Chapter Fifteen

*Reggie*

By the fifth house on this street, I want to scream in frustration. After the run in with the sheriff the day before, we decided to switch our tactics. Most of the stores had already been ransacked and the rest are too close to the center of town for our comfort. To go there means to risk another run-in with the men. Something I can’t handle right now. So here we are, searching house by house in the hope that someone left medicine.

Too bad it is obvious that the monsters went through each house in search of humans to eat. Few are left intact enough to search and the ones that are, are cleaned out of anything useful. The distant hum of machinery and growls keeps me silent, internalizing my disappointment. The last thing we need is the attention of another monster or the humans. My mission already felt impossible, now it feels like a fool’s errand.

Casting a look down the deserted street, I let out a defeated sigh. This is one of the bigger neighborhoods in town and it shows the least amount of damage. That doesn’t mean it isn’t destroyed though. The abandoned signs of life are depressing, a stark reminder that this was once a thriving place. A thriving place with an annoying lack of antibiotics.

A shrill chiming noise makes me jump, whirling around to stare open mouthed at Ragnar and Floofy. It takes everything I have to hold in the bark of laughter that threatens to escape. The two of them are frozen in place, Floofy hanging from Rangar’s mouth. Both give me a guilty look. The laughter finally breaks free as I stomp over to him and point angrily to the ground.

“Put him down. This is the third time you’ve tried to eat him in an hour.” Ragnar has no shame as he spits my pet out, unceremoniously throwing him to the ground. I barely have enough time to catch the alien chinchilla before he hits the asphalt. Annoyed now, I cuddle Floofy close to my chest earning me a growl. Playfully I growl back, mocking his favorite response. It backfires.

I nearly choke on my laughter when Ragnar’s look goes from playful to lust filled in the span of a second, his pupils blown wide open. A spear of arousal hits my core, reminding me of the promise I made to him. To his credit, he hasn’t said a word about it or pressured me.

Like the gentleman he is, he is letting me set our pace. I used to value verbal communication with past partners. With Ragnar? It is wholly unnecessary. We hardly say anything with words but say everything with our bodies and expressions. Right now, my body wants him. Badly.

Shaking my head, I break our eye contact. As much as I want him, I am also scared. This is new territory. What if we aren’t even compatible. A blush heats my cheeks. Hiding my face in Floofy’s fur I head straight for the next house that looks mostly intact. Coward. Slithers through my mind, and I can’t disagree with the thought. I am a coward, running from Ragnar’s desire and my own.

Part of me wants to pretend I never promised Ragnar that we would be together, that I was desperate to get him to cooperate. I was desperate, but the words were born of my own desire. To blame it on anything else would be a lie, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to face the music…. not yet. As much as I want him, the demons of my past haven’t quite released me from their grip.

Forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, I climb the short stone steps to the porch of the nearest home. The crunch of leaves and dust is loud to my ears, as is the creaking of the door when I push it open. Sadness fills me for the thousandth time today as I step into the remnants of someone’s life.

Pushing back the sadness for a moment, I watch Floofy as he sniffs the air. When he doesn’t react, I know the home is safe. We came up with this method when we realized that Ragnar can’t be in the homes and watching the street at the same time. As loathe as he is to let Floofy help, the little rat comes in handy.

The inside is quaint and dusty from disuse. The living room is filled with overstuffed furniture, the kind that makes you want to sit and lounge. All of them are facing a busted T.V that rests inside an entertainment center. Pictures litter the shelves along with other baubles. I purposely avoid looking at the faces, not wishing to intrude upon the memories that were left behind.

I am methodical, searching each room of the home for something useful. Anything I find is stuffed in my rapidly filling backpack. Clothes, canned goods to eat once we stop to rest, knives, batteries and tools are all placed in my pack. I send up a silent prayer as I comb through drawers, a prayer for thanks that the house is well stocked but also a prayer for the souls of those who once lived here. Whose things I am rummaging through so that I can survive.

As methodical as I am, I must eventually confront the elephant in the room. The bathrooms. I leave them until last, so that my disappointment doesn’t spoil my entire search. So that I am not so blinded by sadness that I might miss something vital. This home has three of them. Turning from the kitchen, I make my way to the first with Floofy happily trailing me.

The first bathroom is a half-bath off of the living room. A quick search shows nothing more than extra towels. With a disappointed huff I make my way to the next one. It is much bigger with a double vanity and a bathtub. For a moment I consider trying to take a bath. It is a luxury I took for granted before. Now I am acutely aware of my own smell. How Ragnar could want me with this level of stink, I’m not sure. It is a fantasy though, because the chance of the plumbing working is almost zero.

Guiltily, I do take advantage of the toilet though. Most of the stores we went to had intact bathrooms, but we were always exposed. Not to mention I got verry little privacy with my gigantic protector always standing near me. It easily makes it to the top of the list for embarrassing things. Not that he cared. Once I’m done, I cautiously try the sink. Unsurprisingly it gives a spurt of icky black water before it goes dry.

Done with the distractions, I get down on the tile so I can better see beneath the cabinets. Tempering my hope, I throw them open. Shock makes me freeze, my heart pounding a mile a minute as I register what I am looking at. Shelf after shelf full of supplies makes me want to weep with joy. Climbing to my feet I run back into one of the bedrooms to grab a backpack I saw before dashing back to my treasure trove, almost afraid it will disappear before my very eyes.

As fast as I can, I begin to shove things into the new bag. Tampons, pads, Tylenol, band aids and soap flies into the bag as fast as I can grab it. I go to grab another handful before I freeze, staring at the small tubes that were hidden behind the other items. My hand begins to shake as tears start to stream down my face with blossoming hope.

Almost afraid to believe it, I snatch up one of the tubes to bring it closer to my face. Tears blur my vision as my hand begins to shake. Blinking rapidly, I try to clear the mirage from my eyes, refusing to believe that the letters upon the tube spell what I think they spell. Antibiotic ointment. More tears fall from my eyes as I look at the expiration date.

When the numbers finally come into focus through the tears, I let out a scream. All my pent-up worry and fear release with my cry, pouring from me in the form of tears and gasping prayers of thanks. A snarl from outside tells me that I was too loud, worrying Ragnar.

“I found it! I FOUND IT!!!!” I shout, getting louder with each word. Unlike the other supplies, I am careful to grab the rest of the tubes, checking each one to see if they are expired before placing them inside a smaller inside pocket so they don’t get lost. Scanning the rest of the shelves, I climb to my feet and dash to the other bathroom to see if it has treasures of its own.

My scream is much louder this time when I find an intact medicine cabinet built into the wall above the vanity. With little care, I throw it open. The sight of the rows of medicine nearly has me passing out. After so many dead ends, I have finally found something. Tears of joy roll down my cheeks and I feel like I can finally take a deep breath.

As fast as I can, I look through each and every bottle of medicine. All of the unexpired ones go into the new bag, each bottle giving me another piece of hope back until I feel full of it. There is even a bottle of antibiotic pills, though they are expired. It is a risk but when my sister could potentially die, I find I am willing to take that risk.

By the time I go back outside, the sun has begun to sink with Ragnar is hovering in the yard. Anxiety is written in every line of his big body. When he sees me, the tension leaves him in a rush, and he nudges me with his head.

“Okay?” He asks, sniffing me to answer his own question. I nod, a beaming smile on my face.

“I found it!” I say, not bothering to whisper. His head whips up, his eyes big with shock.

“You found it?” He repeats, wanting clarification.

“I found the medicine!” I shout, my happiness unable to be contained. His reaction only makes my smile bigger. He jumps up, giving a lupine huff of happiness. With that one action it's like he lifts a weight from my soul. His own is contagious with its beauty and leaves me breathless for a moment.

“Can we go to your sister?” He asks once he has ceased bouncing hard enough to shake the Earth. My face falls for a moment as I do mental math. There were six tubes of cream and one bottle of pills. If her infection doesn’t go away, that could only last a few weeks. It is a start. As much as I would like to go home, I also want to make sure we have all we need.

I also selfishly don’t want this time with Ragnar to end. What will happen once we return to the bunker? Will I go back to living a half-life without him? My soul shrivels at the possibility. It seems such a short time to have become obsessed with him, but he has given me back something that I thought I lost. Me.

“Can we check a few more houses before we go? If this one had all of this, then there is no telling what else we might find!” I plead, using my best puppy eyes. Like the golden retriever he is, he concedes. With a bump of his snout against my chest he sends a vibration through me to show his agreement, but it leaves me breathless. Arousal shoots straight to my core like he is holding a vibrator to it.

In an unusual display of affection, I wrap my arms around his whole face, hugging it to me. Another vibration has me biting back a moan. If he keeps this up, I will be a puddle on the ground before too long. A huff of breath against my stomach tickles and I giggle as I release him. Our eyes meet and I am snared in their intensity. Before my very eyes, I watch as the blue is eaten up by a different blue so dark it is almost black.

His nostrils flare again, and the blue is gone in an instant, all black. When his sails flare along his legs and back fear shoots through me. Confused, I spin in a circle, trying to find the threat. When I don’t see or hear anything, I turn back to Ragnar only to freeze like a deer caught in headlights. He has eaten up the little bit of distance I put between us, his nostrils flaring again before he pushes his head back into my body.

Embarrassment and shame heat my face when I realize he is sniffing my groin. Slapping his face away, I try to move. A squeal of alarm escapes when he snarls at me. He has never made a sound like that towards me. I’ve heard him rip another monster to shreds but that destructive energy has never looked my way. Now that it has, fresh fear shoots down my spine even as I resolve to stand strong. This is Ragnar. Whatever is happening isn’t by his choice.

“Ragnar?” I ask softly, his snarl ringing in my ears.

“Your scent. It has changed. Bring back the good smell!” He roars, once again shoving his snout into my groin. Slowly the puzzle pieces click together, and my blush is hot enough to catch scald me.

“You can smell when I’m aroused?” I ask, equal parts weirded out and oddly turned on.

“Mine.” He growls low, vibrating right against my chest. Instantly my nipples harden and my core gushes with slick. His head snaps up, locking those black eyes on mine until I feel like he is sucking my soul right out with that stare. It is a look that says he wants to eat me…and I might want him to.

Human nature tells me I should shun that thought. That I shouldn’t want the monster before me. That I am wrong if I get wet just looking at the beast that claims me with a voice so deep it almost hurts my ears. A quick look around shows me enough signs that humanity has been obliterated. It's time I let their outdated expectations die with them. If wanting Ragnar means that I shun humankind, then so be it. I choose life. I choose him.

“Ragnar? Do that again?” I request, moaning when he complies. This time the vibration feels like it goes bone deep. The sensation is so jarring that I lose my footing, crashing down onto my ass. Ragnar follows, leaving me no room to escape.

“Taste. I need to taste.” Ragnar groans, his eyes still black as night. He hits me with another vibration and this time I cry out as it goes straight to my clit. Throwing my head back, I seize up as I come. Claws tear at my legs and I barely even register Ragnar ripping my pants with his claws and teeth. Each stinging rake of his paws only deepens my orgasm, sending me on wave after wave of ecstasy.

As lost as I am in the sensations, I am not prepared for the feeling of his wet tongue against my heated folds. Shoving my hand into my mouth, I bite down on another scream. Even as lost as I am, I know I do not want a monster to come upon us as he shoves his tongue into intimate places.

“It tastes so good.” He growls, flicking his tongue experimentally across my pussy until I am writhing against the heated asphalt. The sounds coming out of my mouth are obscene, even around my hand. Who knew the first male to go down on me would be an alien…and he is fucking great at it. His tongue is long and thick, and it takes its time exploring every nook and cranny.

He flicks my clit, once, twice watching as my whole body jumps each time. Slowly he circles it before going down to my core. Where he was gentle with my clit, he is brutal when he thrusts inside of me, forcing my inner muscles to stretch to accommodate him. My teeth break the skin of my hand when I bite down on a scream. Expertly, he flicks and twists it against my inner muscles, finding that sensitive place and rubbing back and forth against it.

Guttural noises flow from him, curiosity forcing my eyes open. It is lewd, it is wrong, it is so fucking hot. He is massive and alien and yet seeing him spearing me with his tongue makes a gush of slick flood from me. His scales feel sublime where they rub against my skin, his snout forcing me to open wide for him. Arching upwards, I cry out when another orgasm is torn from me.

“Yes, give me more. You are mine.” He snarls, thrusting in and out before moving back up to torture my clit again. It is too much. Pleasure and pain war together into a torturous symphony.

“Ragnar! No more.” I beg, closing my legs to try and force his mouth away. He snarls, stepping forward to tower over me. My eyes threaten to roll back in my head when I watch him lick his snout, catching every drop of my essence that is coating his snout.

“Mine.” He snarls, his eyes still pitch black. He lowers his snout as if intending to taste me once more.

“No.” I argue, scooting back until I can bring my knees underneath me. My own slick coats my thighs, making me feel sticky. Rage sparks in the inky depths of his eyes and he growls low, menacingly.

“Mine.” One word. That is all he repeats as he stalks closer.

“Yes, I am yours, but I was not ready for that Ragnar. It is sensitive and it hurts.” I switch tactics, trying for logic. That gets his attention. He stops, tilting his head at me in confusion.

“Hurts? Feels good?” For just a moment, his eyes flash his normal color, but it is gone as quick as it came leaving me to wonder if I even saw it at all.

“It felt better than good. It felt like heaven. But it has been a while for me, and your tongue is big. It hurts, it is too much too soon.” I say, not wanting to hurt his feelings but needing him to know. When his eyes flash back to normal, I realize I wasn’t seeing things.

“Regreee?” He asks, confusion and worry in his voice. The lighter version of his voice. Now it's my turn to be confused as I watch a freaky battle take place. The black and the blue battle for dominance in his eyes. Back and forth they go while I sit half naked in the streets. The lengthening shadows send skitters of fear down my spine. I need my Ragnar back.

“Ragnar? I need you.” I say quietly, my gaze still glued to the freaky eye battle. They flicker a few more times before it seems like the blue wins. His whole body relaxes and for the first time since this started, I feel like he is seeing me when he looks at me.

“Regreee? Are you ok?” He demands, jumping forward to sniff me like he normally does when looking for wounds. When he reaches my thighs, I see him freeze once more, the black bleeding into his eyes from the edges. Jumping to my feet, I put space between us. Just like that, the blue is back. Interesting…and terrifying.

“Ragnar? What the fuck was that?” I ask, knowing he understands my meaning. A look far too close to shame for my liking slides over his face.

“Not a what, but a who.”