Between - Chapter 24. (Patreon)

(Content warning. +18 explicit sexual content. 🌶️🌶️🌶️)

Keeping out of sight, Scylla led Charybdis down a labyrinth of passageways, dark crevasses, and tunnels. Leaving the cistern behind them, the two of them hurried northward, taking care to avoid any of the larger halls that could be crowded, even this late at night. Charybdis wasn’t in any shape to fight guards any more and Scylla wasn’t exactly looking forward to explaining what the hell she was doing together with him either.

They were to meet Midas at one of the smaller entrances to the caverns, just beyond the grand hall. Scylla sent her brother ahead to clear a path. Smuggling an oversized hag through the most densely populated colony of mer to ever exist, was no small feat after all. No biggy.

Expecting her mothers furious scowl at every turn, each corner left her an anxious mess. If only they could take the short way out through the main hall, but its thoroughfares were too open, and posed way too much of a risk.

Every so often she glanced behind, paranoid that his new ridiculously long tail would give them away in a tight spot or around a bend, but always she found him tucking it underneath himself, coiling into a bundle of solid muscle and flesh, keeping it well out of sight. It was a relief, but her agitation didn’t go unnoticed.

‘Does my tail bother you?’

‘No.’ She answered way too quickly. She knew it was a lie as soon as it left her lips. It didn’t sit right with her, lying. What hope would they have if all they shared were lies?

Hesitantly, she relented. ‘Just a bit. It’s not very practical for sneaking around.’

Charybdis let out a short chuckle. ‘Not in these caverns, no. I am not built for stealth and tight spaces. Usually I have more room to myself. Just let me worry about the tail, focus on where we are going. I will follow.’

She nodded in agreement. The faster they were out in open waters, the better. Once Scylla had decided on escaping together with him, Charybdis’ anxiety had greatly diminished, but he was still very much hurt. Though he did his best not to show it, with every tunnel and bend they passed, his movements grew more and more sluggish. They weren’t progressing nearly as fast as Scylla wanted, and she had to pace herself to accommodate him.

But slowing down meant she had time to think. There were things she wanted to know. So many questions that plagued her mind.

What was he really like? How old was he? Was the floor of his nest really littered with bones of his enemies?

Wait. He couldn’t expect her to sleep on top of the bones of her own kind? Surely not?! Scylla bit her lip.

She had committed herself to this crazy plan, to him, but found she still knew so very little. Even if in her heart she knew it was the right decision, the reality of the matter was that he remained one big mystery.

Unfortunately, their sneaking demanded silence. So all of her questions remained burning on the tip of her tongue, eating away at her over time. Again, she glanced back, finding him staring at her with a worried frown.

‘You are having second thoughts?’

The fins on her neck rippled and her heart jumped in protest. Did he read minds too? Or were her worries just that obvious?

‘No, I’m just…’

‘Troubled?’ He cocked his head to the side. ‘I don’t suppose this is how you expected this ritual to end up, did you?’

‘Not quite. I feel like a criminal in my own home.’ Scylla chuckled. Their gazes lingered for a little while longer. They both had words left unsaid, but neither felt it was the time or place.

Leaning past the next corner, Scylla was met with another empty hallway. She waited around for anyone to show, but everything seemed quiet.

‘All clear…’

Like an arrow, she shot forward, but in turning to look back, a flash of blue appeared in her peripheral vision from a tunnel to the side. Charybdis nabbed her arm just in time, pulled her into him and behind a formation of glowing crystals as a squad of guards, led by a large blue male, swam down the tunnel. His tail wrapped in front of them, pressing tightly together to blend in with the shadows and the nearby stone almost perfectly. They held their breath, listening closely as the males swam past their hiding spot and further down into the darkness.

Once he was certain they were gone, he released his hold ever so slightly, letting out a raspy breath.

‘That was too close, darling.’

‘Even if it’s not made for stealth,’ She huffed. ‘You sure know how to use that thing.’

A flash of his teeth turned into a sideways smile. ‘Oh, I most certainly do. You have no idea.’ He reaffirmed his grip around her waist, grazing the back of his hand below her breast in a way that could not even be considered accidental.

Scylla shuddered, the fins in her neck curling up, but then rolled her eyes at the hag. Ever since the cistern, he’d turned into an incorrigible flirt. Or maybe, he’d always been one, and she just noticed it more now. His behavior had escalated and was having a very different effect on her. Those coy little smirks and suggestive purrs began shaking her, becoming harder and harder to ignore. A flush of heat rose to her cheeks.

Another rumble pulled her back to reality. Charybdis growled, holding fast as the tunnel shook again. Small pieces of rock drifted downward from the cavern ceiling, some even landed on Scylla’s shoulders. Shouting echoed in front of them, voices were getting closer and closer every second.

‘Shit, where do we go?’ Charybdis hissed over her shoulder.

Scylla darted to the side, her mind racing as she mapped out the caverns in her mind. The way ahead was the only route they had to the outside. They would need to go back and circle around, past the dens and back to the main hall. Locking in the idea, she grabbed his wrist and pulled. His body didn’t budge at first, not until the midsection of his tail moved. Then they both shot forward. His arms snaked around her waist and Scylla was pulled forward like a pup, tiny in his arms.

‘Where to?’ He repeated, more urgently this time.

‘Take a right at the next split.’ Reaching said split way sooner than they should have, Charybdis hurled them down the indicated path. Scylla had her voice caught down her throat at the sudden turn, her mind sputtering against the speed.

‘Halt! Up!’ She sputtered while flailing in his arms. Again voices echoed through the tunnel, this time from ahead as well as behind.

‘Up?!’

‘Up!’ She affirmed. The hag’s head shot up, and a slight ripple went through his body as he spotted what she was after. A crack between two boulders, barely wide enough to fit a mer. He nodded.

‘You first.’ Releasing her, he gently but firmly pushed her upward. Her squeeze through was smooth, but every second felt like it took way too long. Finally, her midsection lifted over the ledge and she snuck the rest of her body through the gap, pushing onward to make room for him. Struggling noises and grunts rose up behind her as the hag squeezed into the space with her. The hard scales of his tail made a raw grinding noise against the stone as he wriggled himself to her side. Without giving herself any time to get claustrophobic, Scylla pulled forward, relying on her claws to make up for the uselessness of her tail in such a narrow space. Charybdis grunted again.

‘Where exactly are we going?’

‘Were taking a little detour, until things quiet down.’ Scylla stilled, waiting for whoever was in the tunnels to pass. One minute, two minutes, then three. It could also have been ten. Once she was certain they wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention, she continued her crawl.

‘I really hope this hole goes somewhere, cause I sure as hell am not turning around any time soon.’ A grumpy, disembodied voice hissed from behind accompanied by the sound of grinding scales.

She couldn’t help but laugh a little. ‘You don’t recognize it?’

‘Recognize what?’

‘You’ll see.’

Scylla popped out into a hollowed out chamber a little while later. Everything was just as she left it, her stash of human knickknacks piled up in one corner, and a nest of moss she had painstakingly collected and brought in over the years in the other. The scent of the place filled her with nostalgia. Her sanctuary, where she could hide from everything and everyone. The one Diz had ruined the day of his arrival. Now, she willingly brought him here, that thought lured a mischievous smile to her face.They would be safe here, for a time.

Exhausted, Charybdis plopped down on the stone, the remaining length of his tail sliding seemingly autonomously out of the crevice and curled up in the available space next to him. Nasty scrape marks covered the widest part of his tail, but he bore them without fuss. After taking in the room, he lifted an eyebrow.

‘Ending up back here again feels ironic somehow.’

‘I quite like it.’ She eagerly admitted. ‘Makes me feel like this was all predetermined.’

‘Predetermined? Like fate?’ Collecting his weight on his arms, he lifted his head and settled down across from her while she nestled into the moss. After making herself comfortable at his side, she nodded.

‘Those are some very expensive words for someone as lowly as me.’ His lips curled into a grin.

‘Lowly?’ Dastardly perhaps. Terrifying for certain, but ‘lowly’?

‘Where did that contagious self confidence of yours go?’

‘It got plastered on the walls, spilled down the halls, strung up in a cesspit and crushed by rocks.’ He rolled over until he was lying on his back. ‘I’ve got very little power left in me and It’s taken a toll on my contagious self confidence.’

A silence fell. Hoping to change the topic, Charybdis turned away. ‘But I’ll be okay after some rest.’

While watching the bruises on his skin, barely visible in the darker parts of his tail, but painfully obvious around his torso and neck, Scylla felt a sting in her gut.

‘You need blood?’

His eyes shot open, but he kept them firmly planted on the cavern ceiling. Gathering more of her courage, she continued.

‘Let’s keep things clear…’ she sighed. ‘-And stop pretending that you don’t. Or did you plan on not eating for the rest of your life?’

‘You wish to discuss my feeding habits? Now?’ He sounded a little surprised, but otherwise clear and calm. Unapologetic.

‘I do, to an extent.’ This was bound to come up sooner or later. She understood, but that understanding didn't diminish the twisting feeling in her stomach. The room closed in and her senses heightened. What was the best approach? How does one make a proposition such as this?

‘How much do you need?’ her voice came out jittery.

‘Depends…to recover from all this? From a random mer? A lot.’ His gaze fell upon her and she could feel every bit of his stare burn her skin like a scalding blade. ‘From you? A matron… A mouthful will do.’

Just one? Mother always boasted that their line carried unfathomable power inside of their bodies, this sort of confirmed it. Scylla shuddered, then slowly came to a realization…

‘And you know this, how exactly?’

Charybdis cocked his head to the left and sighed. ‘I may have…sampled every now and again.’

Sampled? When did he…?

The bite at her lip. The cut on her shoulder.

The bite marks around her…

‘Oh, you look like you’re about to yell at me. Spare yourself the trouble, I know it is vile, and irredeemable and,-‘

‘Fine.’

The male paused mid sentence. ‘Fine?’

‘One mouthful, try your best to not make it hurt.’ She hissed while gathering the fins of her neck and lifting them aside, presenting her scales to him. If she’d really made her choice, facing this was going to be part of it. Besides, one mouthful of her blood seemed like a small price to pay if it meant they’d be able to move quicker and he wouldn’t be in pain…

‘If this is a joke, it is not very amusing. You can’t just offer blood to a hag like it’s nothing.’ His face had darkened. ‘Will you stop? I don’t want…’ his words faltered. Observing his expression, she could easily tell at this point. He did want it.

‘If it’ll relieve your pain and help us get out of here…’ she bared her neck slightly.

The sound of claws scraping against stone filled the chamber. A greedy hunger coloured his gaze, but it was accompanied by something else entirely.

‘No.’ He growled. His tone of voice set every fiber in her body aflame. ‘I won’t be pitied and I don’t want what it is you offer. Not like this.’ Dragging himself across the room, the hag halted, his face lingering but a claw length away. What was this aching feeling? Disappointment? At being refused yet again?

‘Why not? If it's just a bit, I don't mind.’

His face was way too close. Way too close. Then, like thunder in a storm, his scent hit her at full force. As his gills flared, Scylla held her breath, fighting against the urge to curl up into a mindless ball and moan with delight, completely at the mercy of his pheromones. Perhaps reverting back to his full form also made him that much harder to resist. Yes.That had to be it.

‘Your heart is in the right place, Darling. Just…’ a flash of hurt darted across his bright yellow eyes. ‘-don’t ask me to treat you like a meal.’ One of his claws tucked a stray fin back behind her ear.

A weight sank to Scylla’s stomach. Oh.

She hadn’t thought about it like that. Yet another wrong assumption, and now her jumping to conclusions probably offended him as well. A sting pierced her skin as Scylla balled her claws into fists. Silly little female…

‘I want to help, you’re hurt and I want to help, but there’s nothing I can do. I can’t heal like Gaia, can’t use my power as a matron to fix it. What could someone like you possibly want from me then?!’ Running out of breath, her voice broke a little.

‘Everything.’ Affection unlike she'd heard from him before sweetened his tone. He trailed his nose up the side of her face gently, lingering besides her ear. ‘-anything you’ll give me. Every last bit. If you still wish to feed me after, I won't object. I shall feast with tremendous fervor, but right now…’

Charybdis hovered over her with clouded eyes, his arms trembling with restraint. 'What I need, what I crave isn't blood.' Arching her spine to shift her weight to the back of her tail, Scylla pushed herself up and into him while curling her wrists around the back of his neck. His face dipped down, leaving a trail of heated skin as he slid his tongue towards the soft flesh of her abdomen. 'Darling…I must have you. Or I fear I'll go mad.'

Oh gods. Scylla gasped. Instantly, his words set her entire body aflame. This was happening. Since the fight against Scython, she had thought about it. Fantasized and imagined what it might be like. But fantasies in the dark, alone and late at night didn't prepare her for the daunting experience that was mating. In this she had no experience, no control and it looked like he did. Plenty. And that scared her most of all.

Taking note of her silence, Charybdis lifted himself off of her, his chest heaving. Where the flesh and muscles of his abdomen met the darkened armor of his tail, a previously hidden slit revealed itself. Each labored breath widened it just enough to reveal a hint of pink flesh inside. Scylla couldn't tear her eyes away from it. Saliva pooled behind her teeth as she forgot to swallow. Noticing her gaze, Charybdis groaned.

'No female has ever done this to me before.' After closing his eyes, a ripple of pleasure accompanied by a tailcurling moan surged through his body as the length of his cock unsheathed from his slit. 'In you I find a spirit that resembles my own, but you make up for what I didn't even know I lacked.' A tapered and pink tip, already covered in slick, came into view first. His member widened further down, reaching in impressive girth at the base where the color faded into the same black as his scales. Along the bottom of its length were what looked to be three ridges, spaced evenly apart. Those would definitely be obvious if he pushed in, but would they be torturous or heavenly? Scylla finally swallowed. As the size of his body already hinted at, the hag was… well endowed. Even if properly prepared, it would be a tight fit.

'Your silence is maddening, princess. Put me out of my misery already. I beg of you. Tell me you hunger for me as well.' The need in his voice made her realize he was waiting for her… to do anything besides just stare at his cock.

The situation was overwhelming, like a rapid lifting her up and taking her away faster than she could react. Luckily, all mer knew one simple truth: To not fight a current if it is taking you where you want to go.

'I do want you…'

'But?'

'You won't fit.' The mere act of putting words together proved to be difficult as she continued to stare.

His chest rumbled as he let out a chuckle, but a soothing purr rising up from his throat soon followed.

'Have you touched yourself before?'

She nodded. 'After you kissed me, down there.'

His posture grew rigid. 'Only then? What about before we met?'

Feeling her chest tighten, Scylla shook her head. She was newly three-marked. No males ever interested her enough to stir any semblance of heat. This was all new territory.

'Oh darling, my sweet, pearl eyed, sea-witch.' kisses trickled across her scales generously, each numbing some of her nerves. 'In that case, I'll see to it that your first time is soft and sweet.' Some of the weight of his tail pressed down on her tailfin, pinning it. She happily relinquished the control, as she hung on each of his words. 'Would you like that?'

Mindful of his claws, he pressed a finger against the folds of her slit, applying just enough pressure there to cause her to undulate her hips in search of more friction.

'Ah! Yes.'

'There's a good girl.' he purred.

Two digits slipped in and Scylla let out a short gasp as he gently spread them apart, widening her entrance bit by bit. Muffling her shriek with his mouth, he pressed his lips to hers.

He tasted different from before. More overwhelming. More dangerous. More male. His fangs grazed hers as he deepened the kiss, exploring every bit of her. Each time his fingers retreated from her slit, they plunged in again with a bit more force, sending bursts of pleasure down to her core as he slowly worked her open in preparation for him.

Releasing her mouth, Charybdis focussed his attention on the crook of her neck. There he nipped at the edges of her gills, running his tongue across their lengths calculated and slow, drawing out what should have been a short burst of pleasure into a long tantalizing build. Once he reached her ear, he let out a long drawn breath.

'Just to be clear, this is a gift to you. Once we are mated, I intend to take my time fucking you the way a queen is supposed to be fucked.'

Well shit. With a flick of his finger, she unraveled. White exploded behind her eyes and it took her a second to gather herself. When she did, she found him staring at her reverently.

'You respond to my touch even better than you did before.'

What was he waiting for? She snuck a glance at his member. It lay against the lower part of her tail now, hard and proud and scorching hot. Fuck.

'Charybdis…' she begged. Her voice came out like a prayer.

His whole body shook. 'How I've yearned to hear you whisper my name like that.' With one arm, he pushed himself higher, lining himself up at her entrance. Then his weight bore down on her, becoming almost uncomfortable until it shifted. Gently he cupped the back of her head, guiding her down towards the bedding of her nest and taking the weight of his upper body on his lower arm.

'And now you are mine.'

The tip of his cock, tapered and coated with slick from their combined arousal, entered her without any resistance. Scylla moaned at the intrusion, savoring this new feeling. Then the first of those ridges slid past her entrance and his cock widened.

Instantly feeling the stretch, her body instinctively tensed and something else came over her. The need to expel him and resist being mounted surged to the forefront of her mind, before she knew what she was doing, she attempted to flail out of his grasp. The sudden movements tugged at her slit, sending ripples of pain through her core.

'Easy Scylla.' He was quick to pin her arms to her side. 'You're mine. Give in to me.' Though his voice was soothing and calm, his face hinted he was struggling as well, Fighting against his nature to start rutting into her.

'I don't know what's happening.' she sobbed.

'I want you! Then why?' She bucked again, stabbing him deeper into her. The sudden fullness stretched her to the point of discomfort. Charybdis grimaced.

'Hush… this is normal. Rare...but normal.' Reaffirming his grip on her wrists, he undulated against her, retreating back until she could feel the first ridge of his cock slide out and in again. Again her body jerked, but not nearly as much as before.

'Your body wants to fight me off.It’s instinct. The other females should've prepared you for this…'

Of course. The morning of the final trial, all females gathered to groom each other. Scylla knew it was an important part of the ritual, but wasn't sure how exactly. Never attending had been a mistake. She cursed herself…

Charybdis gently undulated again, but Scylla tensed even further. Her breathing hitched and heat surged through her tail. She wanted him, more than anything she wanted him, but her own thrashing was making this unbearable! If only her body would relax! She let out a frustrated whine, feeling her breaking point near.

'I can't…-'

'Then fight me in earnest.'

Scylla blinked, glancing up directly at his face. 'Get it out of your system, fight me off.' He was panting now.

A moment of perfect clarity came over Scylla, and then she turned into a fury of teeth and claws. Her wrists slipped free from his hold and her claws shot to his neck, but he caught them just in time before they could do any real harm. She got in a good rake across his peck before he could pin them above her head. Her lower half trashed and flailed in an attempt to throw him off, but he was impossibly heavy and kept his tail firmly planted on her fin, restraining her. Pressing his weight down on her even further, he finally also stopped her from being able to buck. Trying anything and everything to break free, she ultimately stilled as she lay panting.

'It was a mistake wanting to give you soft and sweet.' he growled as he pulled back slightly, only to thrust in hard and slow as he came back down. There was no bucking this time. Her body sang and purred as he thrusted. The purest pleasure radiated through her body and her tail finally stilled.

'I guess I wanted to coddle you, but you don't need coddling, do you?' His voice faltered as the second ridge slipped inside of her and he let out a deep masculine growl.

Then something changed. Shifting like the tide, her very being reshaped itself to make room…for him. Not just physically, but something way deeper.

'You’re mine…' she huffed. Charybdis froze, halting his thrusting while still inside of her.

It felt right, like there was no universe in which they didn't end up exactly like this. This was the way it would be and was always supposed to be. She glanced up at him with hooded eyes.

'My mate…'