Page 20 of Beast in the Badlands

EMRY

M orning light filters through the shattered windows, casting patterns across the floor of the med bay.

I stretch and glance over at Renn. He’s still laying down, dark hair tousled, lips slightly parted, but not asleep.

Last night lingers in my mind—his presence beside me, an unexpected comfort in this place that feels so lost.

As I prepare to check his legs, a shift in the air catches my attention. Things feel different after last night. Different… but not bad. It’s as if something between us has transformed, settled into a new rhythm.

I sit beside him and gently unwrap the bandages from his legs. The swelling has gone down significantly. I press my fingers against the skin around the wounds, assessing their healing progress.

“Looks like you might regain full use if you stay off them,” I say, trying to keep my tone professional despite the warmth pooling in my chest.

Renn cracks open one eye and smirks at me. “I’m not good at staying off anything.”

I roll my eyes but can’t suppress a smile.

“Your legs might argue otherwise,” I reply, my hands lingering on his skin longer than necessary as I reapply fresh bandages.

The air thickens around us; an electric tension hangs between our breaths. When I finally meet his gaze, something inside me shifts again.

“This isn’t just temporary anymore, is it?” My voice barely breaks the silence, heavy with questions left unasked.

He shakes his head slowly. “Not for me.”

That simple truth pulls me closer; it ignites a spark that drives away all hesitation. I lean in until our foreheads touch, feeling the warmth radiating from him—the connection that pulls at every nerve ending inside me.

And then, without thinking further about consequences or fear of loss, I close the distance between us and kiss him.

It’s slow—careful—as if we’re both savoring this moment we’ve danced around for so long. His lips are warm and soft against mine, hesitant yet hungry for something deeper than words could convey.

Every unspoken feeling pours into that kiss—everything we haven’t said hangs between us like a promise waiting to unfold. My heart races as time stretches out around us; nothing else matters but this moment shared beneath flickering lights and collapsing walls.

I pull back slightly to gauge his reaction; his eyes glimmer with an intensity that steals my breath away—a silent understanding blossoming where uncertainty once thrived.

“Then let’s not waste what time we’ve got.”

The words escape my lips, a whisper that feels charged with all the urgency I’ve kept at bay.

A possessive growl rumbles from Renn as he pulls me back to him, the sound reverberating deep within me. It shoots straight between my legs, igniting something primal and wild. My heart races.

Before I can fully process what’s happening, he grabs my waist, effortlessly shifting me atop him on the cot. The sudden intimacy takes my breath away—his erection presses against me, heat pooling in my panties.

“Renn… you’re injured,” I protest, breathless and half-worried.

He scoffs, a hint of arrogance in his voice. “If you think a few scratches will keep me away from you, you’re dead wrong.”

I want to argue further, but before I can finish my thought—“It’s a bit more than just—oh!”—he kisses down my neck, trailing warm lips over my collarbone and chest. My body responds instinctively; he grinds me against him with a delicious intensity that sends waves of heat coursing through me.

Desire overwhelms caution. I melt into him, lost in this moment where nothing else exists but the two of us.

Renn’s hands slide up my ribs. His fingers dig into the fabric of my shirt, yanking it over my head before I can protest. Morning light glints off the sweat-slicked planes of his chest. “You talk too much,” he rasps, teeth grazing my collarbone.

I arch into him on instinct, heat pooling low as his tongue flicks over my nipple. “Says the— ah —walking concussion risk.” My fingers tangle in his hair, torn between pushing him back and holding him there.

He nips the curve of my breast, sharp enough to sting. “Still breathing, aren’t I?” His palm slides down my stomach, hooking under the waistband of my pants. “You’re the one shaking.”

“Adrenaline,” I lie, gasping as he grinds me against the hard line of his cock. The cot creaks beneath us, protesting every shift.

Renn’s laugh is dark, smug. “Bullshit.” He tears my pants down my hips, the sound of ripping fabric drowned by my startled laugh. “You’ve been staring at my hands since day one.”

“Maybe I was counting your knuckle scars.” I rock against him, earning a hiss as his claws prickle my thighs. “Cataloging weaknesses.”

His grip tightens, hauling me flush against him. “Find any?”

“Your ego’s a glaring one.” I brace my hands on his shoulders, still mindful of the bandages beneath my palms. “And your bedside manner’s atrocious .”

“Funny.” He licks a stripe up my throat, all heat and hunger. “You’re the one straddling the patient.”

The word patient dies in the air as he flips us, pinning me beneath him with a growl that rumbles through my bones. His teeth find my earlobe. “Tell me to stop,” he breathes, voice ragged. “Or I’ll ruin you for anyone else.”

The heat of his words washes over me, and yet, as he pulls my worn military-grade trousers down my thighs, the vulnerability is almost too much. My hands flutter to cover myself, a futile attempt at modesty after everything we’ve shared.

Renn notices, his dark eyes flicking up to meet mine. There’s a tenderness in his gaze that I haven’t seen before—it catches me off guard, stealing the air from my lungs. Gently, he guides my hands away, pinning them softly above my head. His voice is a low rumble that vibrates through me.

“Don’t be shy, little love. Your body has been sculpted by gods.”

His words ignite something within me, a spark of confidence that burns away the last of my hesitation.

I relax under his touch, my breath hitching as he kisses his way up my thighs.

Each touch sends bolts of pleasure coursing through my veins, setting my skin alight with a fire I never knew existed.

When his mouth finds me, I can’t help but moan.

His tongue is skilled, tracing patterns across my most sensitive flesh with a reverence that leaves me trembling.

The pleasure builds quickly, a crescendo of sensation that threatens to overwhelm me.

I can feel myself teetering on the edge, and then, with one final stroke of his tongue, I fall apart, my body shattering into a thousand pieces of pure ecstasy.

Renn sits back, his eyes dark with desire as he watches me come undone.

I lay there, panting, a sheen of sweat glistening on my skin as I ride out the aftershocks of my release.

He makes quick work of his trousers, revealing the proud, thick length of his cock.

My breath catches in my throat at the sight of him, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of apprehension.

“Renn…” I whisper, my voice trembling slightly. His gaze locks onto mine, and he stills, his hand frozen around his cock. “I’m a virgin.”

The words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. For a moment, he doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. Then, with a guttural groan, he throws his head back, his voice a low growl.

“Mine… all fucking mine…”

His hips hover over mine, morning light cutting across the ridges of his abdomen like a blade. A drop of sweat rolls down his neck onto my chest. "Still want this?" His voice scrapes raw against my nerves. "Last chance to?—"

I hook my heel around his thigh, yanking him closer. The thick head of his cock presses where I'm already slick and trembling. "Don't flatter yourself, Reaper."

A feral grin splits his face. "Keep using that tone when I'm buried in you. Let’s see how long it lasts."

He pushes in slow—agony and ecstasy fused into one searing stretch. My nails bite into his shoulders as I hiss. "Fuck?—"

"Shhh. Breathe." His thumb strokes my hip, at odds with the possessive snarl in his voice. "So fucking tight. Like your cunt was made for me."

The words coil heat low in my belly.

I rock up greedily, earning a choked groan. "Gods— Emry ?—"

"Thought you were… ah!… supposed to be… ruthless." I laugh breathlessly as he bottoms out, the sound dissolving into a whimper.

His claws graze my ribs, pupils blown black. "You want ruthless?" He withdraws almost completely before slamming back in. The cot creaks violently. "Beg for it."

"Go to hell."

He does it again, grinding deep on the thrust. My back arches as lightning shoots up my spine. " Renn ?—"

"That's not begging." His teeth close over my nipple, tongue swirling. "Try harder."

I claw red furrows down his back. "Fuck me like you mean it or get off ?—"

A growl rips from his throat. His pace turns punishing, each snap of his hips punching moans from my throat. The broken ceiling spins above us as sweat soaks the threadbare cot.

"Look at you," he rasps, watching where we’re joined. "Taking me like you were born for it. Gonna ruin any man who tries to touch you after this."

"Shut up ?—"

He drags my leg higher over his shoulder, hitting a place that whites out my vision. "Say it."

"I—I can’t?—"

" Say. It. "

"Please!" The word tears free as my walls clench around him. "Gods, Renn— please ?—"

His roar drowns my scream as we shatter—a tangled mess of teeth and trembling limbs. He collapses atop me, breath scorching my neck.

Outside, a rusty drone beeps a proximity alert. Neither of us moves.

"Remind it I’ll kill anything that interrupts," he mumbles into my hair.

I flick his scarred earlobe. "You can barely walk."

Renn rolls over, tucking me into his chest like his most prized possession. "Watch me."