Page 116 of Stone: The Precursor

“I don’t know if I should. Every time I listen to that request, my brain cells fail me and we end up having sex.”

“Is that my shirt?”

“Yup. I don’t have anything to wear since you cut them off me, remember?”

His eyes change, darkening. “I remember.”

I ignore that gruff statement and turn away. No sex. I walk into the room.

“Is this your office?” I look behind me, and his eyes are on my ass.

“Something like that.”

I continue to wander, taking in all the details. It’s not as rustic as the rest of the cabin. This room is darker; the walls are painted a deep gray. A few black-and-white photographs cover the wall. They are from a different era, perhaps a hundred years ago. Pictures of various cultures. Men long dead stare at the camera, stoic. I get closer, unable to see what’s at their feet, but a large fire is behind them. There are more. Similar poses, but slight differences in the decoration on their bodies. Others include colorful drawings that were done long ago. I peer closer and see a scene of a group of Native people around a fire, and I blink in disbelief at seeing the clear body parts being roasted. A tall man with a feathered headdress stands alongside other men.

“What is this?”

“Exocannibalism.”

“What does it mean?” Stone leans back in his chair and pulls out another cigarette, and then a small brown vial, shaking out a match, before striking it. A flame erupts and lights the tip; the orange ember is bright. He doesn’t take his eyes off me. Every move is slow and precise.

“It’s the practice of eating one’s enemies during warfare.”

The smoke surrounds him. That same delicious scent I’m addicted to wafts toward me, tickling my nose. I turn back to the drawing and read the inscription at the bottom. “What’s the difference between regular cannibalism and exocannibalism?”

He blows the smoke to the sky and puts his cigar down before standing.

“There are many types of cannibalism. This one specifically is about consuming one’s enemies is about conquest, revenge. It is believed that to consume your enemy you humiliate them.The ultimate act of indignity. The Azande, Iroquois, Aztecs, The Dayak people of Asia, the Attacotti, the Wari people.”

He says it almost reverently, respectfully. He clearly admires the gruesome tactic. Jace mentioned in passing that Stone was in the Marines, but I hesitate to ask him about it. My experience with Adam taught me that not everyone is comfortable talking about their military experience. I’ve had sex with him, but what I know about him could fit in my palm. His mother is suffering from dementia. His sister and niece were murdered. He tattoos for a living and has killed two men. No wait. Three. He was also in prison for manslaughter. That’s it. A palmful. I keep moving, eager to know more about him.

The frames on one wall catch my eye. I step closer and realize they are not frames with glass. I realize they are made of leather that has been stretched and secured to the frames with what appears to be additional leather strips. I step closer and see that each one has a scene drawn onto it, delicate drawings of a landscape. Trees. A lake. There is also an X scored into the material. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

“These are cool. What are they made of?”

“Various animals I’ve come across.”

“You kill animals?”

“Yes. I hunt them down and skin them then I tan the skin as a keepsake.”

“I didn’t take you for a mountain man, hunting animals.”

“There is a lot you don’t know about me, Countess.” He stands and moves closer to me. Strong arms wrap around my waist. Stubble scrapes along my neck and cheek. “And you’re very nosy.”

“Then stop being so mysterious.” I look behind me, staring up into his face.

“I want you again.”

“Again?” I lean into him, and he squeezes me a bit more. “Not sure I can handle it again.”

“Aww, is my countess’s pussy sore?”

“You’re insatiable.”

“Then we can use your ass and your mouth.”

As much as it would feel good to let him fuck me again, I need to know more about him. I can’t let him distract me with sex. “Tell me who those men were. The ones in the forest. What happened to them?”