Chapter Nine
W aking alone, Perry watched the embers of the fire, his mind going over everything that had happened since his date with Grailaine. Only a couple of days had passed since then, but it felt like so much more time had passed, and he still knew virtually nothing about Menut. His supposed mate. The monster had him in the palm of his hand, and Perry didn’t know how he felt about that.
He should tell Menut no, but whenever the monster looked at him, Perry lost all focus and gave in. A part of him, something deep inside, pulled him toward Menut and Perry didn’t want to fight it, but if he wanted to be free, then he had no choice but to fight it. He also needed to learn the layout of the cave and the way in and out. He’d seen four rooms but no doorway that led outside, and he desperately needed to find it if he was to put his plan into action.
What that plan was, he didn’t know because he hadn’t formulated one yet, but he intended to because he needed to leave this place. This wasn’t his home. His home was on his world with his family and friends. He missed them, even his annoying sister, who he actually adored.
Closing his eyes, he listened but heard nothing. Nothing at all. Wrapping the blanket around him, Perry got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom and into the living area. Seeing nothing, he quickly checked the kitchen, then the bathroom. Menut was nowhere to be found. Now was the time to find the entrance to the cave.
Draping the blanket over the sofa, Perry checked every room until he found the hidden door in the corner of a small room that led off from the kitchen. Opening it, he wandered outside, then stopped at the edge of the cave. Peering over the edge, he saw how far down the fall was and stepped back, rubbing his arms with his hands as the cool air touched his warm skin. He could see trees in the distance, a river that had a twisting, turning path, fields too, with their strange shimmering grass and other animals or monsters.
The sun shone overhead, a few clouds dotted the sky, but the blue was darker than on Earth. The clouds were a pinkish color and not the white Perry was used to. As he searched the sky, he spotted what appeared to be another sun, but this one was smaller than the main one.
He was too high up. He couldn’t leave this way, so he had to find the other.
Going back inside, he closed the hidden door and spent another ten minutes carefully searching the walls until he slowly looked up. Menut could fly. Walking around and trying not to get too dizzy, Perry smiled when he found the outline of a hatch in the bedroom, again tucked away in a corner. Grabbing a chair from the kitchen, he set it under the hatch and stood on it, reaching up to trace the outline with his fingertips. Gently, he pressed along the edges until he heard a distinctive click, and the hatch opened. There was his way out.
Closing it back up, he jumped off the chair, then put it back in the kitchen. He could have made his escape, but he was naked and would be exposed to the elements. He had no idea where his clothes were, and he wasn’t stupid enough to go outside with nothing on and risk death. He would be patient and find the perfect moment to leave, and that had to be once he knew where he was and how far away from the portal he was. Oh, and once he had something to wear.
There was no point in escaping then going the wrong way and putting himself in even more danger than he was now. Not that he was in danger as such, but he knew the longer he stayed here, the higher the risk of never going home grew. Menut didn’t want him to go now, and they’d just met. What would he be like in another week? Another month?
No, Perry had to get clothes and sneakers and learn the layout of the land so he could escape and find a way back to his world where he belonged. Rubbing his chest, Perry pulled the blanket back over his shoulders and sat on the sofa, watching the flickering flames as they jumped over the logs. So beautiful, so hypnotic, like Menut’s eyes. Those swirling red eyes had Perry panting with need, ready to let Menut take over. Maybe he should keep his eyes closed whenever Menut was around. That might help.
The thought of leaving Menut had his chest tightening, but he had to do it. They had nothing in common. Perry knew virtually nothing about the Mothman, his family, friends. Did they have friends? Did Menut go and visit his family regularly? Menut did mention something, but Perry couldn’t remember what it was. Perry saw his parents weekly, spoke to them every other day. He was close to his family, loved them even when they bugged the hell out of him, and wanted to know all the ins and outs of his love life. Still, they were family, and he would miss them if he never saw them again.
A tug in his chest made him turn toward the hidden door and seconds later Menut stepped through, his eyes finding Perry immediately. He placed a bag he carried on the floor and came over to him, lowering to his knees and wrapping his arms around Perry’s waist. “I have food. I will cook once I have cleaned up. Come with me.” Menut stood and tilted Perry’s face up, kissing his lips. “I have missed you.”
Perry nodded, rubbing his chest. “I missed you too.”
Holding his hand out, Menut said, “Come with me.”
Perry took Menut’s hand, let him pull him up off the sofa, and he knew how this would end. Menut balls deep in Perry’s ass. He could already feel his arousal growing, his cock hardening, and he sighed when Menut pulled him into the mini pool bath. Menut moved through the water until he reached the other side and rested his back on the curved edge. Perry rested on him and this time he looked.
The pool looked like it had been carved out of the rock, a deep recess that the water from the hot spring spilled into like a mini waterfall. “Where does the water go?” He searched around but couldn’t see an outlet, but it had to go somewhere because the pool didn’t flood.
“A few holes cut into the bottom to allow the water to drain away.”
“Did you create this?”
Menut nodded. “When I discovered this place, I knew there was a hot spring nearby. I followed its path through the rock and found this place. It did not look like this when I found it, and it took me several years to carve this room and create the drainage holes, but it was worth the time and effort.”
“I like it here.” The warm water lapped around him, and Menut’s arms tightened around his waist.
“Yes. This place brings me peace.” Menut’s hand drifted down Perry’s body and stroked his erection. “I like touching you. I like being inside you.”
Perry shivered as Menut changed his position and he bit his lip when Menut eased inside. His ass burned, but that soon disappeared as Menut moved, the slow in and out motion making Perry catch his breath. “Menut.”
Soft kisses across his shoulder, a hand that clenched his dick as it stroked, had Perry moving, lifting and falling, chasing his own pleasure. “Perry. I have no words to describe how you feel.”
“Hmm. Don’t stop.” Menut moved faster, his thrusts harder until Perry cried out, his body tensing as he came. Menut slammed in a few more times, then slowed, his lips touching Perry’s neck. “Mine,” he whispered. Perry said nothing as Menut pulled out and sat quietly as he cleaned them both.
Pulling Perry out of the bath, Menut wrapped him up in a towel. “Do you know where my clothes are?”
“I have cleaned them for you, but you will not be needing them.”
“I feel the cold more than you do.” Perry shivered in the cool air and rushed to stand in front of the fire. “I’m not made for the cold like you are. You fly through the sky.”
“Hmm. Yes, you are right.” Naked, Menut walked into the bedroom and Perry followed. He kneeled by a box Perry had seen but never thought to search, and opened the lid, taking out Perry’s sneakers and jeans. “You will need a top of some sort.”
“Yeah, I lost mine when Grailaine came after me.” Perry took the items and held them to his chest.
“She will not be bothering you again, and I warned those at the portal.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That I saw her hunting a human. We may be monsters, but we are not stupid. Some monsters want to access your world. She causes us all a problem by doing what she did. The monsters who I spoke to agreed with me.”
“Did they ask about me?” They had to have asked because Perry hadn’t gone through the portal back home. Surely it would show he was still on their world.
“I told them you were safe.”
“What? Don’t they know I haven’t gone home? Isn’t there a record showing I’m still here?”
Menut looked away, shrugged. “I told them you were safe. It is up to them how they interpret that.”
Perry threw a sneaker at Menut, who gave him a puzzled look. “Why did you do that?”
“Because you could have told them I was still here, and you didn’t! I told you I want to go home.”
“Your place is here with me. We are together now.”
“No. My place is back on my world. Whatever this is between us can’t last. I’m human. I don’t belong here. You’re a…a… Mothman, a monster. We can’t be. It would never work between us, and I miss my family.”
“I will not let you go.” The words were spoken in a low voice, but Perry heard them. “You will stay here with me.”
“Fine.” Perry inhaled, then slowly released it. “I’ll stay with you, but I’d like to be able to talk to them when I can.”
Menut smiled and kissed him. “Thank you. I will make us something to eat.” Menut tugged the towel from Perry and wrapped a blanket around him. “To keep you warm.”
Perry nodded. Once Menut had left, he let his body sag and stumbled over to the bed, slumping on it. He knew Menut would never let him go, but actually hearing him say it in the cold light of day made him realize he’d actually meant it. He’d said the words before, but for some reason Perry hadn’t believed him, but now he did. Now he knew for certain Menut would never let him leave his world. Perry had to find out where they were, and there was only one way he could do that. He had to convince Menut he was here to stay and then gain entry to the outside world. From there, he would be able to find out where the portal was and then make a run for it.
Shit, his chest ached at the thought of leaving Menut behind, but he had no choice. This wasn’t his home. This was Menut’s home. Pulling the blanket tighter around him, Perry shivered even though he wasn’t cold. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face, then quickly dressed. Keeping the blanket over his shoulders, he walked into the kitchen and watched Menut prepare some sort of meat.
“It is like your rabbit? I think that is the animal it most resembles. It is a nice and juicy meat and when cooked with these…herbs? I think you would call them herbs. They bring the flavor out and make the meat tender.”
“It sounds nice. Thank you for making it.”
“It is my job to take care of you. You are mine, so that means I make you happy and take care of all your needs.” Menut poured Perry a glass of water and placed it on the table.
Perry watched, then dropped his head. Here was Menut being kind and taking care of him, and Perry was making plans to escape. He knew he had to do it, but he didn’t like the fact that he might hurt Menut in the process. Even though he barely knew this Mothman, he felt the tug toward him, felt the thing that made Menut so certain Perry was his.
When placing the food in front of him, Perry smiled, seeing a happy look on Menut’s face, then lowered his own. He couldn’t watch Menut and see him be happy when he knew as soon as he could leave, he would. Tucking into his food, Perry planned his escape and pushed aside his feelings of pain at leaving.