CHAPTER NINE
Tem had no idea what to expect the next night in the cave.
To be fair, she never knew what to expect from Caspen—whether he would be attentive or distant, caring or cold. Would he ask about her date with the prince? Would she tell him how they had dinner on the patio—how Leo hadn’t kissed her? Or would Caspen pretend that the prince didn’t exist, like he always did? The last time they were together, Caspen had tried to taste her. Whatever was in store for her tonight, Tem was quite sure she wasn’t ready for him to do that again.
And then there was the fact that they hadn’t had sex.
Part of Tem wanted to yell at Caspen for holding out on her. She couldn’t understand his behavior, and she didn’t know how much longer she could survive without an explanation for it. The other part of her was terrified of pushing him away. Their connection was already perilous to begin with—the very last thing she wanted was to give him a reason to sever it.
Her worries followed her throughout the day—on the farm while she did chores, to the bakery where Vera was still infuriatingly absent, and all the way to the entrance of the cave. But the moment she saw Caspen standing next to the fireplace, they fell away. There was no trace of worry on his stone features, no sign that he had any troubles whatsoever. His eyes were focused on her and her alone, and she knew she wasn’t imagining the heat in them.
“Come here, Tem.”
She would’ve come whether he’d told her to or not.
When they were finally face to face, Caspen raised a single finger to her chin and tilted her head up to his. With that isolated motion, Tem allowed herself to forget the date with the prince. It was clear Caspen wasn’t going to ask about it anyway. She forgot her anger, her frustration, her insecurity. She remembered that these precious hours in the cave were all they had together, and she didn’t want to waste them talking.
“What shall we do tonight?” Caspen murmured.
Tem couldn’t believe he would ask her that. It undermined everything that the training was supposed to be. It put her in charge. She wondered if it was his way of appeasing her—if he knew, somehow, that she needed to feel in control right now.
She took a moment to think about her answer. There were a hundred things she wished to do. But only one thing made sense to do tonight. Something that, if Tem did it, she might gain the courage to receive it in return.
“I want to taste you.”
Primal hunger bloomed in Caspen’s eyes.
“Very well,” he said quietly, his finger slipping down the expanse of her throat. “On your knees.”
Was worshipping one god really so different than worshipping another?
Tem knelt for Caspen the same way she knelt for Kora, looking up at him as he untied his trousers and slipped them down his hips.
He gave her no instructions. Instead his fingers laced into her hair, grasping the back of her neck and pulling her forward. His other hand held his cock level with her mouth.
He paused.
In what felt like slow motion, Tem’s lips parted.
Caspen let out a tortured moan as her wet tongue touched his velvet skin. Soft and hard; water and stone. Tem saw his eyes roll back as he moved her head with his hand, coaxing himself further and further down her throat. Just as he’d taught her how to touch him, Caspen taught her this too. He directed her movements, guiding her back and forth, up and down. She was taking the very core of him inside her—tasting the part of him that exemplified his formidable power.
And yet, Tem felt power too.
There could be no question of Caspen’s pleasure—he was gripping her hair like his life depended on it, and with such an important part of him in her mouth, Tem wondered if maybe it did. He pulled her closer, deepening their union, sinking into her one glorious inch at a time.
Eventually, his grip on her loosened, and the message was simple: Now you.
Tem obeyed without hesitation, continuing the motion, feeling saliva build at the corners of her mouth as she took him down her throat, trying to consume as much of him as possible.
But there was only so much she could take.
She’d always known he was big; it was an undeniable truth. But to have him in her mouth meant feeling his length in a different way—it meant her lips straining to take him, it meant her jaw being pried open beyond what she thought was physically possible. When he hit the back of her throat, she winced.
“Relax, Tem,” his voice came from somewhere above her.
Tem tried to obey. But it was an impossible request. She couldn’t take him—he was simply too big.
Suddenly, Caspen pulled away, leaving her empty.
Then, to Tem’s complete shock, the basilisk kneeled down in front of her. Her heart skipped several beats as his chest, then his shoulders, then finally his blazing eyes came into view.
“You must relax, Tem. It is the only way.”
Even when he was kneeling, he was still taller than her. She shook her head, looking down at her hands.
“I don’t think I can.”
“Tem,” he cupped her chin in his palm, pulling her gaze up to his. “You can do anything. Of that I am certain.”
His eyes were completely black. They bore into her like bottomless pools—darker than the deepest corners of the cave—darker than death itself. Tem felt a part of herself cower at the sight. But another part liked what she saw. She recognized his darkness, and she felt a kinship with it.
Caspen shifted his weight back, spreading his knees and lowering himself even further for her.
“Try it from here,” he said. “If you need to rest, use your hand.”
He released her chin, letting her determine when she was ready to try again.
In the absence of his touch, Tem took a moment to simply breathe. Her mouth felt numb, and her palms were damp. All of her was damp.
“Tem,” Caspen whispered. “Do you want to stop?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He leaned in, and the temperature rose several degrees.
“Are you sure?”
A fire flared within her. Of course she was sure. She’d been sure ever since she was thirteen and realized she wanted to kiss a boy. Caspen was the one slowing their progress. Caspen was the one holding her at arm’s length. Caspen was the one who refused to have sex with her even when his duty demanded it.
She was sure. Even if he wasn’t.
Without another word, she lowered her head. Except this time she didn’t try to take him all at once. This time she let herself explore, lifting him with her hand and trailing kisses all the way down his shaft. She swirled her tongue where the base of his cock met the swell of his balls, immediately aware of the way his hand returned to her hair when she did it.
Now, with Caspen on his knees, Tem could relax.
She took her time, pacing herself even though the last thing she wanted was to go slow. His cock was warm, every vein standing out beneath his taut skin. Tem worked her way back up his shaft, taking only his head into her mouth and sucking on it gently. Caspen gave a sharp intake of breath, his fingers tightening in her hair. When she was sure she had his full attention, she took him as deep as she could, over and over, allowing herself to get lost in a motion that felt as steady as the tides. Vera had made it sound so clinical—like a transaction to be performed. But that wasn’t true at all. Tem could never have anticipated there would be a rhythm, a harmony, a flow to it that was as natural as her own heartbeat.
With each dip of her head, Caspen’s groans grew more desperate. Eventually, his body began to move beneath hers. Tem breathed through her nose as he took control, thrusting into her mouth with sudden urgency, tilting his hips up so that his cock slid smoothly in her throat.
Then out.
Then in again.
Tem closed her eyes, surrendering to him completely. She realized he was sending her pulses—taking care of her while she took care of him, ensuring she felt just as much pleasure as he did. She could barely take the heat between her legs. Her wetness was dripping down her thighs, and if the task at hand didn’t require so much focus, she would have tried to touch herself at the same time.
At some point during the experience, Caspen’s presence entered her mind.
His consciousness curled around hers like a vice, gripping her at the base of her skull. The edges of her vision blurred, and she was suddenly light-headed. A moment later, strength entered her, and she realized it came from Caspen. She felt his energy join with hers, her mind clearing immediately as he fortified their connection. Tem found she could go on, quicker than before, and she sensed Caspen’s approval, feeling it in the back of her brain as if he were nodding inside her mind. It was an overwhelming sensation being intertwined with him like this. Tem knew she could do nothing but give in—there was no fighting his presence, and she didn’t want to anyway. She only wanted to please him, and it was clear she was doing exactly that.
Caspen’s breathing was ragged and strained; his thighs were slick with sweat. Tem knew from the way his moans had progressed that he was completely at her mercy. She was his weakness—the one thing he would never be able to fully resist. He needed what she was giving him.
His cock felt unbearably rigid; it was becoming impossible to take him all the way down her throat. He seemed different than earlier—harder, somehow—as if there were metal beneath his skin rather than muscle and bone. Tem remembered that he had told her to use her hand if she needed to rest. So she pulled away, releasing him from her mouth and grasping him with her hand instead. The moment she raised her head, Caspen’s lips crashed down onto hers.
The kiss had none of the controlled grace she had become accustomed to.
Instead, it felt as if Caspen were trying to extract her soul from her body as he tore her dress off and yanked her forward, pulling her onto his lap so she was straddling him while she stroked him. He sent pulse after pulse—some of them so intense they bordered on pain. Every time Tem tried to catch her breath he sent another, each one piercing her deeper than the last. It was overwhelming in the extreme. Just when she thought she couldn’t go on, Caspen’s hand joined hers, his long fingers tightened her grip around his cock, quickening her strokes to a lightning pace. They were moving in tandem now, kissing with feverish intensity, every inch of her body touching every inch of his. Tem was quite sure that if he sent one more pulse, she would explode.
A split second later, her hand felt as if it were on fire.
The air tasted suddenly sharp, like metal. When she looked down, there was a dark red streak on Caspen’s cock. At first she didn’t understand what she was seeing. It wasn’t until she lifted her hand that she realized her palm was bleeding. Tem couldn’t comprehend the sight. She looked questioningly up at Caspen, and her shock only increased. His eyes were shut, his jaw clenched tightly. There was smoke rising from his skin.
But it wasn’t skin at all—it was scales, and they were interlocking and spreading across his chest at an alarmingly fast rate. The same scales were on his cock—they had rubbed her hand raw. Tem watched in horror as his body began to change before her eyes—his torso elongating, his shoulders expanding. Too late, Tem understood what was happening.
Caspen was transitioning into his true form.
A deafening hiss filled the cave as Caspen lurched backward, pushing Tem off his lap.
“You need to leave,” he growled. She barely understood the words—two razor sharp fangs were warping his mouth. His tongue was splitting in two.
“No,” she said.
Caspen’s hands were fisted into the mat, his back arched at an unnatural angle.
“I am not asking.”
Before Tem had a chance to respond, his body jerked violently. It was as if someone had pulled him up by invisible strings before suddenly letting him drop. He fell back to the mat with an anguished roar—a sound so tortured that Tem wanted to cry.
He’s fighting it, she realized with sudden clarity.
But even Caspen could not resist the will of nature. Smoke filled the cave as his body thrashed with otherworldly strength. Somewhere in the fog of her shock, Tem remembered that if he looked her in the eye while wearing his true form, she would die. His next command clapped like thunder in her mind:
LEAVE ME, TEM.
But she couldn’t leave Caspen. It was the last thing she would ever do.
Despite every one of her instincts screaming otherwise, Tem moved closer. He was barely a man anymore. His once smooth skin was now a shiny expanse of black scales. Sharp, ridged horns were puncturing his back, growing straight out of his spine. His angular head was pointed at the ground, and she knew it was his attempt to protect her. She pressed the palms of her hands to what remained of his shoulders. He was blazing hot—it took everything she had to keep touching him—but the second she made contact, he stilled.
“Caspen,” she whispered. “Stay with me.”
A great shudder passed through him. Tem felt his scales ripple beneath her fingers, and despite their searing heat, she didn’t relinquish her grip.
I cannot.
“Yes,” she insisted. “You can.”
His consciousness was still joined with hers. She focused on their connection—tugging on the dark strands of his mind—pulling him even closer. He groaned, and another shudder tore through him.
Tem. You must go.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
It is not safe. I will hurt you.
“You won’t. I know you won’t.”
The hiss surrounding them grew louder. His body was still changing, his head slowly rising toward hers.
I cannot control it, Tem.
“You have to try.”
I AM TRYING.
His rage was palpable. Tem was dripping with sweat; she couldn’t hold on much longer. Smoke seeped from between his scales, stinging her eyes.
“Focus on something else,” she begged. “Focus on me.”
Caspen didn’t reply. Perhaps he was beyond response. But Tem would not be dissuaded.
“Focus on me, Caspen.”
She said it firmly, like an order.
Close your eyes. He ordered back.
“No. Stay with me.”
Something was dripping onto the mat. Tem looked down to see blood seeping from Caspen’s mouth. He was biting his own tongue.
“Caspen, please,” she whispered.
The energy in the room shifted suddenly, as if a strong wind had blown through the smoke.
For the love of Kora, close your eyes.
“Caspen,” she whispered again. “Please.”
CLOSE YOUR FUCKING EYES, TEM.
Tem closed her eyes.
The moment she did so, Caspen wrenched himself away from her. He was retreating into his body—tearing himself apart just to keep himself together. Tem didn’t need to see him to know what was happening. She could do nothing to help him. She could do nothing but pray. But even her prayers weren’t enough.
She heard the ferocious growl that reverberated around the cave; she felt his mind violently extract itself from hers. The very air around her felt as if it had been set on fire. Tem knew, on an instinctual level, that he had transitioned—that she was now in the presence of a predator.
But for some inexplicable reason, she was not afraid.
Instead, she felt the same peace she had felt the night before she came to the caves for the first time. She felt the same breath on her cheek—just one single breath, softer than a feather against her skin. She knew now what she had suspected then: that it was Caspen in the dream—that he had drawn her to him like a moth to a flame.
Her eyes were still closed. But she longed to open them—needed to open them. She wanted to see Caspen in his true form. She wanted to understand this final, most fundamental part of him. It didn’t matter that it would surely kill her. Tem had never been afraid of dying anyway.
So she opened her eyes.
Thick, black smoke filled the cave. It choked her throat and forced tears down her cheeks as a dark mass came into view in front of her. Even when she squinted, she couldn’t make out his full shape.
Tem.
His voice was in her mind, in her body, it was everywhere.
“Caspen,” she said in return.
At his name, the claw pulsed, and Tem let out a desperate whimper.
It was so much stronger than usual—as if his true form allowed his power to operate at full force.
“Again,” she pleaded.
Another pulse came, more intense than the first. Tem cried out as her clitoris throbbed with pain instead of pleasure.
Beautiful.
One word. But it was all she needed.
Tem’s hand went between her legs, pressing on the claw, fortifying their connection. The smoke skimmed over her skin in whorls and eddies, brushing her hair from her shoulders and exposing her breasts. She arched her back—wanting him to see that she would do anything—withstand anything—for him. His next words filled the cave, penetrating every inch of the air:
I could eat you alive.
“I could let you.”
Something was blossoming within her—something real.
Tem was seconds away from coming. She raised her hand, reaching for him. At first, there was only smoke. Then her fingers found purchase, brushing against the same scales she had felt earlier. She shifted forward, pressing her naked body against his.
Tem knew immediately that she had gone too far.
Caspen let out a roar of agony that nearly popped her eardrums. It echoed around the cave as Tem scrambled backward, shielding her head with her hands. She could see his outline shrinking into the smoke. He was transitioning again—returning back to his human form. Scales became skin; spikes became muscle. Tem felt the temperature drop as he retreated even further, curling away from her into the darkness.
“Caspen—” Tem started. “I’m sorry—”
Before she could finish, the smoke cleared, and there was once more a man kneeling in front of her. Sweat ran in delicate rivulets down his chest, dripping along the hard lines of his torso. The firelight shone on his glistening body, making him appear as if he were glowing. His cock still had her blood on it.
“Are you alright?” Tem whispered.
Caspen looked at her, and she went cold at the fury in his eyes.
“What were you thinking?” He hissed.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what were you thinking? I could have killed you.”
“But you didn’t.”
“That fact is nothing short of a miracle. You should have done as you were told. You should have left.”
“I couldn’t leave you—”
“I cannot control myself when I am wearing my true form, Tem. You have no idea the danger you were in.”
“You obviously can—”
She reached for him, but he jerked away.
“You are a foolish, reckless girl. You do not follow instructions and you do not use your brain.”
Caspen stood, crossing to her dress and throwing it down in front of her.
“Get dressed,” he said. “And go.”
He was shutting her out. She couldn’t bear it. Not again.
“Caspen,” she whispered. “Don’t do this.”
“I will only tell you one more time. Leave.”
“Caspen, please.”
But he refused to look at her.
Tem blinked away tears. She pulled her dress on gingerly, trying not to use her right hand, which was still bleeding. She was almost at the entrance of the cave when she heard her name:
“Tem.”
She turned. Caspen was behind her.
“Give me your hand,” he said quietly.
Tem hesitated. Then she held out her hand and he took it in his, unfolding her fingers so they were splayed open. Tem winced as he did so, and his eyes flicked up to hers before immediately returning to her palm. Her skin was red and raw, tiny drops of blood seeping to the surface between her freckles.
Caspen didn’t say a word. He simply placed his palm over hers, and she felt a pulse transfer through his hand. Unlike the hot, lingering ones he sent her through the claw, this one was cool and soothing, and the fireplace dimmed for a brief moment before the pulse disappeared. When Caspen lifted his hand, her palm was smooth and healed.
“Thank you,” Tem whispered. She curled her fingers tentatively, surprised to see there was no lingering pain.
Caspen didn’t reply. He merely turned and disappeared into the shadows.
With no other option, Tem left.
It was the first time in a long time that Caspen hadn’t walked her to the head of the trail, and she felt his absence deeply. Tem had no idea where they stood after tonight. She couldn’t understand why everything had gone so wrong—it felt like things had progressed in a way they never had before. Clearly they were connected on an unprecedented level. Tem had never heard of anyone else bonding with their basilisk like this. There were so many unfinished conversations between them—so many frayed threads that led nowhere. It was nothing short of torture. But each time they got closer, Caspen pushed her away. Like he always did.
By the time she got home, she was in the depths of despair.
Her mother was already in bed, and Tem had no desire to lie in the dark with nothing but her thoughts for company. Instead she walked out to the garden, sitting on her favorite bench and looking up at the stars. She saw the Alpha Serpentis—the brightest star in the Serpens. It was supposed to shine brightest for the viewer when they needed it most, and tonight, Tem felt as if it were shining just for her.
She wondered if Caspen was looking up at these same stars. Or perhaps he had simply retreated beneath the mountains and removed her from his mind entirely. But Tem refused to believe that. It didn’t seem possible that he wasn’t thinking about what had happened tonight—that he wasn’t thinking about her. Surely, their connection wasn’t truly one-sided, like he’d claimed.
Tem decided it was time to find out.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, saying his name in her mind as forcefully as she could:
Caspen.
Silence.
But Tem was determined. She would not let things end like this—she needed to know that what they had was worth repairing. So she said his name again, this time crying it out in her mind:
Caspen!
Silence.
When Tem opened her eyes, they were filled with tears. Perhaps she shouldn’t have bothered—perhaps communication with Caspen was contingent on his consent, and she was wasting her time trying to talk to someone who didn’t wish to talk to her.
It was utterly unfair.
She was sick and tired of choices being made for her. She was sick and tired of Caspen holding all the power. A wave of frustration swept through her, and she stood up, screaming his name to the stars as if she could shake them from the sky:
CASPEN!
Silence. And then:
There is no need to yell, Tem.