The Demon's Vessel (Patreon)

Author's Note: Here's a short original story I've been wanting to write.

Astoria pushed open the last set of massive obsidian doors that led into the final chamber where her journey was supposed to end. She stepped inside, her chest slightly heaving from the bloody climb through the hellish fortress. The blood of demons and beasts alike stained her once-white robes. One shoulder was bare, the fabric torn loose, and a long rip ran up her thigh, exposing more skin littered with faint bruises and cuts.  Her long blonde hair clung to her face and neck, the neat temple braid undone. Her blue eyes looked onward. They were tired but fierce with duty, while her pointed elven ears twitched at every small sound in the ominous quiet of the massive chamber she’d just entered. 

She had been raised for this very moment since she could walk. The elders of her homeland, Faeloris, called her the Vessel the day the golden sigil appeared on her chest. It was considered a divine sign of their deity, Allmother. She was supposed to be the light’s answer to the darkness that’s been plaguing the land for the past few decades. She was destined to journey through the badlands, find the Eldrathor Keep, and defeat the demon king Zorath to end his blight on the world. 

Astoria was taught purity above all else. She was kind, brave, and with absolute conviction, she would be the savior her people prophesied she would be. The people she’d come across during her journey called her many things: the chosen, the savior, the arch priestess. She was pure and beautiful, a radiant form that carried the divine spark of the Allmother. She believed in their belief in her. She had to. Doubt would only crack her resolve, and she couldn’t afford to fail for the sake of all that is innocent. 

But the dreams had started not long after she arrived in the badlands. The once lush, peaceful region had long since been corrupted by Zorath’s blight. It was hellish, a barren place with no signs of life besides the demonic beings that populated it. She would hear whispers in her ear, spilling doubt and fears the deeper she ventured on. But she remained resolute in her quest. Any normal person would have succumbed to madness already, but she was no normal person. She was the Holy Vessel, the chosen, the one to defeat the demon king. 

Now, she stood in his throne room. 

The space was enormous and wrong. The walls were made of black stone, pyres emanated a dark red glow, casting long, eerie shadows. The air tasted heavy, like sulfur, smoke, and something simply rotten. 

At the far end of the chamber, up on a dais of polished obsidian, Zorath sat sprawled across his throne. He had one leg hooked over the armrest, while he rested a foot on a cracked skull set onto a step below. His crimson skin gleamed in the low firelight. He had lean, sharp-angled muscles that looked built for stalking rather than brute force. Black horns curved from the back of his brow. His spade-tipped tail flicked slowly and lazily against the side of the throne. 

Those dull gold eyes lifted to meet hers.

The room stilled. 

Then his lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. 

“Oh?” he said, voice rough and low. “The little priestess actually dragged herself all the way up here. Hmm, I have to say, I’m quite impressed. Many have tried… And all have failed… Except you.”

Astoria straightened, gripping her staff and sword as she moved into an offensive stance. She lifted her chin, her blue eyes burning with fervor despite her exhaustion. 

“I came to end you,” she stated firmly. “The prophecy will be fulfilled with you gone from this world. The light doesn’t bow to a depraved, wretched thing like you.”

Zorath let out a roaring, amused laugh. 

“Prophecy?!” He said, like the word tasted bad on his tongue. “Your people and their bedtime stories. Tell me something, little priestess.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, tail flicking once more. “Did those old fools in white robes bother explaining what happens when their shiny little Vessel finally stands in front of the monster she’s supposed to slay? Did they tell you that you’d be dealing with something unlike anything in this world? Heh, quite literally.”

Astoria’s stern expression wavered ever so slightly. His words stirred uneasiness within her, making her stomach churn.

His eyes slowly slid down her body. Over the torn silk over her breasts, the subtle rise of her breathing, and the long tear up her robes that revealed her smooth skin and the curve of her hip. He was more focused on her looks rather than her divine mission. 

“Hmmm… You’re a lot prettier than my watchers made you look,” Zorath murmured while dragging his tongue salaciously over his lips. “Hmm, yes… that golden hair, big blue eyes, those cute, pointed ears twitching every time I talk… Still standing even after hacking your way through my fortress and slaying my lieutenants. Hmmm… Strong hips… Soft belly… Probably fertile as hell. Fuck… you’d breed fine offspring for me.”

The words made her visibly recoil. 

Astoria felt heat flood her face, disgust and fury swelling from within. She needed to end him once and for all. 

“You’re disgusting!” she spat. Her hands snapped up as a golden light burst between them, making her staff and sword glow with divine light. “Your depravity will be no more once I’m finished with you!”

Zorath grinned into a wide, sharp-toothed smile. 

“Go ahead, little priestess. I’d like to see you try.”

The battle started fast. She threw a spear made of holy light at his chest. The demon king simply flicked it away into the obsidian wall with a swipe of his hand. She then conjured a spell that shot beams of white where he sat. Black smoke and sparks erupted. When it all cleared, Zorath remained scratchless. He just chuckled amusingly and got up from his throne. 

Astoria grimaced, seeing that her attacks did not affect him. 

Then, with a small step forward, the demon king sprang toward her. He was so fast that it seemed like he teleported before her very eyes. She managed to block his claws from slashing her neck with a shield of glowing light that surrounded her.  

“HAH! Is that all you got, little priestess? I thought you were the chosen one? Surely you can put up more of a challenge than this!” Zorath taunted as he summoned a giant hammer made of crimson and slammed it against the shield, causing the barrier to crackle and break. 

She stumbled, wincing as she struggled to keep the bubble up. He was strong, as expected. 

At the last second before the shield would shatter, she withdrew it, causing him to lose balance from the sudden loss of resistance. She ducked forward, placing a hand against his stomach. She whispered a conjuring prayer, and moments later, her palm radiated with blinding light before bursting with an immense amount of power that sent him flying back. 

Zorath slid back and glanced down at his belly. Lingering smoke rose from his crimson skin where she attacked him. He simply patted his stomach and chuckled. “Not bad, little priestess.”

Their battle continued as they circled and clashed in the massive throne room. She hit him with everything she had: holy bolts, chains, barriers meant to bind, ancient spells she saved just for this final battle. He blocked and weathered them with little to no effort, almost bored. With every one of her attacks, he’d counter twice as strongly. 

Sweat dripped down Astoria’s temples. Her robes barely held together now. She was flushed and breathing hard while her legs shook.

Zorath didn’t even breathe hard. 

Then he moved in a way she hadn’t predicted. It was fast as his tail snapped around her waist, jerking her off her feet. She gasped as the air was punched out of her. He then spun her and slammed her back against the base of the dais. The stone cracked beneath her as she screamed out in pain. 

He grabbed her throat with his clawed hand. Not choking, but holding. His palm was hot. She clawed and beat against his arms, gasping. “Let go of me!” Astoria spat, kicking and kneeing at his legs. 

“Hm, easy now,” Zorath murmured, leaning close, his breath brushing against her pointed ear. “You put up a good fight. Better than most, I’ll give you that. But we’re finished here. I’ve had my fun being humored by you.”

Astoria glared up, panting and grimacing as tears of rage stung her blue eyes. “Never… You’ll never win. I’ll never give in to you, you filth!” she managed, voice cracked and raspy from his grip around her neck.

His thumb traced her jaw, slow, almost gentle.

“Hmm, oh, little priestess, you already did,” he said softly, licking his lips. “I’ll have you worshipping the one you hate soon enough.”

Darkness rushed in, and his choking efforts were making everything around her blur.

The last thing she saw was his golden eyes, hungry and patient, and a wicked grin tugging at his lips as he looked down at her.

“Hmmmm… you’ll serve me well…”

-

Weeks had passed since that fateful encounter in the throne room. The prophecy that Astoria was meant to fulfill felt like a half-remembered dream now. It felt distant and foolish. Something that belonged to a different woman. She no longer fought it. She no longer fought anything. 

She sat sideways across Zorath’s lap on his obsidian throne. Her legs were draped over one armrest, and her bare back rested against his chest. The collar around her neck was a smooth black metal with crimson runes that pulsed softly, nullifying her holy power. Thin golden chains draped over her body like jewelry meant for display, leaving nothing to the imagination. Delicate links looped around her breasts, connecting to a thin band at her waist, then down between her thighs, where they framed her smooth, bare pussy without covering it. Matching armlets circled her upper arms, wrist cuffs, ankle cuffs, all linked in fine chains that chimed whenever she moved. There was nothing else. Not robes. No dignity left to hide behind. 

Just above her mound, where the golden chains met, a glowing binding rune shimmered in deep crimson. He had placed it on her the first time he took her, burning into her flesh like a brand that would never fade. Her very soul and body were now permanently bound to the demon king. All her divine powers were sapped, empowering Zorath instead, making him even more powerful. The rune would pulse with her heartbeat, glowing brighter whenever his cock was near. It was a constant reminder of her role now. Once a proud, destined hero meant to save the world, now reduced to this depraved being’s plaything. Her womb belonged to him. 

This was the worst-case scenario the elders of Faeloris could imagine. Their prophesied chosen one had been corrupted by the very thing she was meant to destroy.

Astoria’s long blonde hair spilled loosely over her shoulders. Her fetching blue eyes were half-lidded and soft in a way they had never been before her capture. The pointed tips of her elven ears flushed from the slight brush of his hot breath.

Zorath’s hand rested possessively on her ass. His fingers were splayed, kneading her soft flesh in slow squeezes. His other arm was curled around her waist, keeping her snug against him. His long tail coiled loosely around her thigh, its spayed tip tracing lazy circles on her inner leg, close enough to her cunt to make her breath hitch every few passes. 

She turned her head to him and pressed her lush lips against his sharp cheek in a lingering kiss. There was no hesitation. No shame. Just quiet affection and adoration like a pet would greet its master. 

“Master…” Astoria whispered against his red skin, voice low and breathy. To an outside observer, they wouldn’t think she was meant to slay him. 

He chuckled lowly, the sound rumbling into her. He squeezed her ass harder and pulled her tighter against the growing bulge of his cock trapped beneath his loincloth. 

“Hmmm, such a pretty little thing,” he murmured as his lips grazed her ear. “All that holy fire, all those vows… gone the first time I sank into the tight pussy of yours. You belong to me now, Astoria.”

Astoria shivered, and her thighs clenched instinctively. The memory of that night after he subdued her flashed into her mind: his big, clawed hands pinning her wrists above her head, the brutal stretch of him forcing inside her untouched cunt, the way she had screamed at first in pain and fury as he took her. Night after night, he fucked her. He kept her chained to his massive bed, leaving her limp and leaking just to return later that evening to use her again. He had his way with her until she eventually sobbed his name instead of cursing it, until her body learned to crave the burn, the fullness, and the hot flood of his demonic seed spilling deep into her womb. 

He had ruined her purity in every way that mattered. The pleasure of the flesh was something she had been taught was unnecessary, taboo for someone of her holy importance. Now, it was laced in every second of her life. 

Astoria arched into him without thinking, rolling her hips just enough to grind against his groping hand. The rune pulsed brighter, sending a throb straight to her core. 

“Ohhh… Master…” she moaned again, softer and needier this time. Her delicate fingers curled against his solid chest. “Please…”

The demon king grinned into her neck, licking her smooth skin with his forked tongue.

“Please what, pet?”

Her cheeks flushed into a deep pink. She nuzzled her face into his throat, peppered him with small, obedient kisses. “Touch me,” she whispered. “Please, Master… I need you…”

His tail tightened around her thigh, pulling her legs apart just enough for his hand to slide between them. He traced her folds to find her already sopping wet for him. “Hmmm, such a needy little thing,” Zorath growled. “Always so wet for your Master.”

Astoria whimpered as she rocked shamelessly against his hand, chasing the pleasure he got her addicted to. The rune glowed hotter, burning from the inside in the best way as it fed on her arousal. 

“Yes,” she breathed before giving him a wet, open-mouth kiss to the sharp line of his jaw. “Only for you.”

He pushed two fingers inside her without warning. She gasped, her back arching as her thighs pressed around his hand. He circled his thumb around her clit in slow, firm strokes while his fingers sleuthed and curled inside her dripping pussy, hitting that spot that made her toes curl. 

“Say it,” he ordered firmly. 

She didn’t hesitate.

“I’m yours,” Astoria moaned. “Your pet. Your breeding bitch. Forever.”

His tail flicked higher, using its spade tip to tease her clit alongside his thumb. She shuddered hard against him as a fresh gush of wetness coated his fingers. The rune flared bright, sending sparks of pleasure through her belly.

“That’s right,” Zorath hummed with satisfaction. “The prophecy’s little vessel… reduced to a dripping, collared slut who begs for my cock every morning and night.”

Astoria let out a long, sultry moan as she kept rolling her hips into his hand, desperately trying to reach that edge. 

“Yes, Master,” she panted heavily. “Please… don’t stop.”

He laughed darkly and kissed the side of her throat. “I’m not stopping, pet. Not until I’ve filled you again and again. Until every inch of you remembers who owns this body.”

Her walls clenched around his fingers after he said that. She tilted her head up to seek his mouth and kissed him. It was slow and deep as she slid her tongue against his like she had been trained to do.

Weeks ago, she despised Zorath. 

Now, she melted for him.

-

Later, things led to Zorath’s grand bedchamber. The chamber was dim, and the air was thick with the scent of smoke and musk. The massive bed took up most of the space, adorned with thick black furs and silk sheets. The demon king lay sprawled on his back with his arms folded behind his horned head. His cock stood thick and heavy against his stomach, throbbing and leaking hungrily. 

Astoria knelt between his spread thighs, her gold chains chiming softly as she moved. The binding rune just above her smooth mound pulsed steadily, as if it knew what was coming. Her elegant blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, brushing his crimson thighs as she lowered her head. 

She started with his big, heavy balls the way he liked. Parting her soft lips, she took one into her mouth, sucking gently at first before swirling her tongue around him in lewd licks. Zorath let out a low groan of approval as his body eased into the furs. She hummed around him, the vibration making his tail flick and twitch. Her delicate hand wrapped around the base of his cock, and she began to stroke him. She pumped up, twisting at the head, then moved down in a steady rhythm while she worked him with her mouth. 

He watched her through half-lidded eyes. His forked tongue slid over his teeth, then over his bottom lip. “Fuck… that’s it, pet,” he murmured huskily. “Look at you. That holy mouth of yours is full of demon balls. You were made for this.”

Astoria just moaned softly, the sound muffled. She switched to his other ball, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked harder. Her free hand cupped the neglected one, rolling it gently just the way he liked it. His cock throbbed in her palm. He leaked steadily, slicking her fingers with his precum as she stroked him faster, matching the pull of her mouth. 

Zorath let out another long growl as his hips shifted impatiently. As much as he loved the comfort of her wet mouth, he desired that tight elven pussy he had claimed for himself all those weeks ago.

“Augh, enough teasing,” he said. “Mount me. Now.”

She released him with a wet pop. Her lips were shiny with spit, and her breath slightly heavy from her lewd efforts. Her blue eyes lifted to his yellow orbs, glassy and obedient. She didn’t hesitate, nor protest. She just acted, driven by desire.

“Yes, Master.”

She crawled up his body with slow and deliberate movements, her hips seductively swaying from side to side. The delicate chains dragged across his crimson skin until her supple, full breasts pressed flush against his solid chest. The rune flared brighter as she rested her knees beside his hips and settled onto his lap. She reached down between them and wrapped her fingers around his thick length. She gave him a few practiced, teasing pumps before guiding his bulbous head to her already dripping entrance. 

Astoria sank down inch by inch, her breath catching at the stretch she’d grown so familiar with. Her walls greedily fluttered around him, pulling him ever deeper into her claimed depths. “Mmm… Ouhh…” she whimpered when he bottomed out inside her. The rune burned hot as her hips pressed flush against his, adding to the pulsing pleasure buzzing through her. 

Zorath immediately grabbed her waist, sinking his fingers into her soft skin hard enough to bruise. His tail coiled around her thigh again, holding her in place and reminding her how much she belonged to him.

“That’s it, Astoria,” he grunted, his voice low and teasing. “Take every fucking inch. Ride your master like the good little slut you are.”

Astoria’s head tipped back, her hair cascading down her back, and her pointed ears flushed a deep pink. She started to move with slow rolls at first, grinding down, then lifting just enough to slide back down onto his length. Her body chains chimed gently with every rise and fall. Her hands braced on his chest for leverage as she found her rhythm. 

“Master… ouhhh… Hmmm…” she moaned needily, her eyes fluttering from the feel of his ridges dragging against her weakest spots. “So deep… You feel… so good.”

He licked his lips again, admiring the way her tits bounced as she rode him. His eyes slid lower to the rune he’d placed flared brighter every time she took him to the hilt. 

“Faster,” Zorath ordered, giving her plush ass a firm spank. “Show me how much you need this cock.”

She obeyed instantly. She snapped her hips harder, the wet sounds of her ass slapping against his thighs echoing obscenely through the chamber. She moved instinctively, riding him just as he trained her to do. She sank all the way down, making tight, grinding circles against his lap that sent sparks of pleasure through her.

“Ouhhh… Yes… hmmm… Master… ohhhh, Master!” Her moans grew louder, breathier, and more shameless as she continued her lustful riding. 

Astoria’s rhythm eventually began to falter. Her hips stuttered, and her thighs trembled hard around his waist as the pressure low in her belly coiled tighter and tighter. The rune now glowed a bright crimson, feeding off every desperate clench of her pussy around him. 

“Master—Oh, gods! Master—!” Her voice broke in a pitched gasp. She ground down one last time, burying him balls deep, and shattered. 

Her whole body locked up. Her back arched, and her head was thrown back, whipping her damp blonde hair over her shoulders. A raw, heavy moan tore from her throat as her pussy spasmed violently, fluttering and gushing her sweet cream around his demon cock. Her wet heat flooded between them, dripping down his shaft and soaking the furs below. She clawed at his chest as she rode out the euphoric wave crashing over her.

She collapsed forward, her pale, sweaty skin sticking to his stark red skin. She panted against his throat as the aftershocks rolled through her. Her toes reflexively curled with each subtle feel of his cock still buried deep inside her oversensitive cunt. 

Zorath didn’t let her rest. He never did. 

He grabbed her hips and lifted her off him in one smooth motion. She gasped at the sudden emptiness, letting out a needy little whine before she could stop it. He flipped her easily until she was face down on the dark furs, knees wide, and ass lifted high. 

Astoria braced on her forearms with her cheek pressed to the bed. Her ears were still flushed pink, her hair spilling everywhere. The rune was pulsing in time with her racing heartbeat. 

Zorath knelt behind her, his tail flicking once before looping around her ankle to keep her spread. He reached down with one hand and hooked his index and middle fingers into her soaked folds, spreading them open. Her pussy glistened obscenely. It was swollen, flushed, and dripping. Strings of her arousal stretched between her lips as he pulled them apart wider. 

“Well, well. Look at this mess,” he murmured, his voice thick with satisfaction. “Soaking like a bitch in heat. All for your master.”

Astoria could only purr in response as her hips twitched back instinctively toward him. She turned her head just enough to look over her shoulder. Her pretty eyes were glazed and pleading, lush lips parted as she panted heavily. Strands of her hair stuck to her flushed cheeks. The demon king grinned triumphantly. This destined hero was his, corrupted and fucked into submission. 

He licked his lips, eyes locked on hers as he lined himself up. The thick head of his cock nudged her pussy, sliding through her wetness without resistance. 

“Eyes on me, pet,” Zorath ordered, giving her right cheek a firm squeeze.

She obeyed and held his gaze even as her lashes fluttered from the pleasure washing over her again. 

He pushed himself in one long, steady slide until his hips met her ass and he was buried deep again. Astoria’s mouth fell open in a heavy moan as her walls clenched around his veiny, crimson cock. 

Zorath growled and gripped her hips possessively. He savored the feel of her tight pussy hugging the entirety of his length from tip to base in that wet, hot squeeze that always made him satisfied. 

“That’s it,” he rasped. “Take it all. So tight… so good… Perfect.”

Astoria moaned and pushed back against him so that her ass pressed harder against his pelvis. He chuckled, his tail coiling tighter around her ankle. “Oh? Such a needy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Yes… Please,” she panted. “I’m all yours, Master… Fuck me… please.”

He didn’t bother to waste time and started to move. He gave her slow, deep thrusts that made her toes curl against the furs, and her body rocked forward with every snap of his hips. 

Zorath’s grip on her hips tightened as he pulled her back to let her feel every delicious drag of his cock along her walls. Then he slammed forward, burying himself deep in one brutal thrust that made her whole body jolt forward. 

Astoria squeaked a pitch moan as her face pressed harder into the furs. The rune above her mound throbbed heavily in rhythm with his rutting. 

“Hmmm, fuck, pet,” he growled low and breathy. “Feel that? I’m gonna put my seed where it belongs, deep in this tight cunt. I’m gonna keep pumping you until you swell with it.”

He began to pound her with long, hard strokes that bottomed out every time. The slap of his hips against her ass filled the chamber with wet sounds. Each thrust forced a broken moan from her throat.

“You’re gonna take every drop,” he rasped as he leaned over her, his chest pressing to her back. “Gonna breed this holy pussy until it’s dripping with demon seed. You’ll carry my seed, Astoria. Round belly, tits heavy, marked inside and out by me. No prophecy. No light. Just my seed taking root in you.”

Astoria gasped, her legs shaking uncontrollably beneath her, threatening to give out. The words sank into her like heat, making her walls flutter and clench harder around him. She knew it was only a matter of time. He’d been dumping himself inside her nonstop ever since her capture. 

“Y-yes! Master! Ah ah ah… Mhmmm,” she moaned, her voice cracking from his brutal thrusts. “Fill me… breed me… I want your baby.”

He let out a roaring laugh as he slid one hand up her sweaty spine to fist her damp blonde hair. He yanked her head back sharply, arching her neck and forcing her to look over her shoulder at him even as tears of pleasure pricked her eyes. A wide, triumphant smile stretched across his face at how far this supposed chosen one had fallen. This was the ultimate victory. The vessel of light was now his.

“That’s right,” Zorath snarled, his tail tightening around her thigh as he snapped his hips hard against her, causing her plush cheeks to jiggle. “Beg for it. Beg your master to impregnate you.”

Her mouth fell open on a moan. Her face was flushed a deep pink, and her pretty blue eyes were glassy and unfocused. “Please… Master… Ah! Ouhhhh… put a baby in me… fill me up… make me yours forever—”

The demon king growled low. His pace became frantic, his thrusts turning sloppy and deep. His grip tightened in her hair as he pinned her harder into the bed with his weight. Astoria’s heart pounded as she felt that familiar swell of his cock inside her. 

“Take it,” he grunted through clenched teeth. “Take every fucking drop like the sow you are.”

He slammed in one last time, hips flush to her ass, and came with a guttural groan. Hot, thick pulses flooded her deep, filling her until it leaked out around his cock despite how tight her pussy gripped him. The rune blazed brightly, drinking in the heat of his release like it was feeding on his essence. 

Astoria’s eyes rolled back, and her tongue lolled out from the overwhelming sensation spreading within her. Her walls spasmed around her, milking him desperately for everything he had as her own climax crashed over her. Her legs trembled violently, knees buckling beneath her. Zorath kept her steady, holding her ass up with his grip and cock still buried to the hilt. 

She gasped and shuddered from the aftershocks wrecking her body as he ground into her, making sure she felt every last pulse. 

“Hmmm, that’s a good girl,” he murmured, his tone velvety and low. He released her hair, letting her head drop forward, then stroked down her back gently. “I’ve got a good feeling my seed will take this time.” He gave her ass a teasing squeeze. “Hmmm, the body once born to defeat me will now be used to produce my heirs… Hehe… How ironic is that?”

Astoria responded with a whimper, her hips twitching and pussy clenching around him like she didn’t want to let go. She turned her head just enough to look back at him again, cheeks flushed, soft lips parted, eyes soft and dazed. 

“Mhmmm… Master…” she purred. “Thank you.”

-

Years had slipped by since Astoria first fell into the demon king’s grasp. The prophecy was nothing but dust now, shattered and forgotten. With the divine vessel out of the way, Zorath ruled unchallenged. His empire stretched across every corner of the land. The skies were now darker, the rivers ran warmer, and kingdoms bent to his will. 

Astoria had given him six strong children already. Each one bore little resemblance to her, inheriting much of their father’s demonic features. They all had his crimson skin, budding horns, and flicking tails. They were fierce, clever, and wicked in their own terrible way. Some carried her calmer traits, mostly in her two daughters, though, even then, they were sadistic. Her sons, well, they were just as malicious as their father. That, combined with her inherent divine gift passed onto them, made them unstoppable. 

Luckily, Zorath trained them at a young age to respect their mother, so she was spared from their cruelty. 

One evening, Zorath strode through the fortress corridors. The guards and servants bowed low as he passed. He paid them no mind. His thoughts were already on what lay in his bedchamber ahead. 

He pushed the heavy obsidian doors open. 

Astoria lay on her side in the center of the massive bed. She was naked except for the smooth black collar around her throat. She had her hand resting over the gentle swell of her belly. Her most recent pregnancy was well along now. The binding rune above her mound pulsed with her steady heartbeat. 

Her long blond hair spilled across the pillows, one pointed ear peeking through the strands. Her blue eyes lifted to the familiar creak of the doors opening, softening the moment they found him. 

“Master,” she said warmly, smiling. She shifted carefully onto her knees, one hand resting protectively on her baby bump as she watched him walk over. 

Zorath crossed the room in long strides, shedding his cloak and loincloth as he went. He climbed onto the bed and settled beside her, sliding his arms around her to pull her close.

She tilted her face up to him. He bent down and kissed her possessively, sliding his tongue against hers and tasting the faint sweetness that always seemed to linger on her now. His free hand moved to her belly, palm spreading wide over the firm curve.

Astoria sighed into his mouth and moved closer. Her hand rested over his, on her stomach, guiding him in a gentle circle so he could feel. 

“They’re growing healthy,” she whispered against his lips. “I can feel them starting to kick.”

Zorath’s thumb traced the underside of the swell before drifting lower to brush the glowing rune. It flared brighter at his touch, making her shiver. 

“Hmmm, good,” he murmured as he reached down with his other hand to grab a handful of her plush ass. “Strong already, just like their mother.”

He kissed her again, more aggressively this time. His hand stayed on her belly, rubbing lazy strokes, feeling the fruit of his labor move inside her. He chuckled proudly as she moaned under his touch. Astoria melted against him as she hooked one leg loosely over his. She nuzzled into his neck, brushing her lush lips against his crimson skin.

“I missed you,” she whispered as she licked a teasing stripe along his throat. “Even though you were only gone for a few hours.”

He grinned amusingly. “I know, pet.” His palm pressed firmer against her bump. “Such a needy little thing, aren’t you? So eager for this cock, hm?”

Astoria’s breath hitched as her thighs pressed instinctively. The rune pulsed faster now with her growing arousal. She smiled against his neck and slowly fell onto her back, spreading her legs in an open invitation. 

“Yes… I’m ready, Master.”