Chapter 11 - Cravings
Lilith:
Closing my eyes, I rest my head on Cain’s naked shoulder and think about what we just did. I can’t believe we spent the whole night pleasuring each other. Though we didn’t have sex, it was still incredible.
When Cain got up and left the tent, I followed him to make sure he was alright. I never expected to find him pleasuring himself. I will admit that I was completely enthralled by the masculine perfection standing before me. I liked the way the evening light emphasized his high cheekbones, golden hair and blue eyes. And seeing his sinewy chest, arms and abs flex as he stroked himself made my mouth water. The male is a feast of muscles and sinew.
Cain’s chest rises and falls steadily beneath my ear as he continues to sleep. Glancing up, I take in his rugged jaw and furrowed brow. I don’t know how he will react when he awakens, which disturbs me a bit. Should I pretend that it was just sex? Do I tell him how I feel? How do I feel?
All of those questions run through my mind, confusing me further. It’s not like ever been with a man beyond a sexual encounter. The last male I was with was Lucifer, and look how that worked out. There’s also the problem of the Tenebrous and the Divinity Pantheon.
Sitting up, I wrap my arms around my knees and gaze straight ahead.
Cain stirs at that moment and slides his hand up my spine, “Why aren’t you sleeping, luv?”
I don’t look at him, still trying to figure out what to do. Cain sits up, pulls me into his arms and mutters, “Stop overthinking it, Lilith.”
The way his breath brushes against my ears makes my body heat again. Cain groans, pulls my back to his chest and whispers, “Just sleep.”
Leaning back, I wrap my arm around his neck and slide my fingers through his silken hair. Cain kisses the tip of my ear and inhales deeply, “Sleep, luv.”
I’m so exhausted that I don’t notice when Cain lies back and wraps his body protectively around mine. I also don’t see his tender expression or his resolve to protect me.
By morning, Cain and I dress and meet with the other hiking groups before going our own way.
We don’t talk about our night of pleasure. We simply walk ahead and compare landmarks to the map on the book. We cover most of the eastern and southern regions with no results.
“None of these landscapes match the pictures,” I mutter.
Cain moves ahead and gestures to several caverns, “Let’s look here.”
Unfortunately, we find nothing there either.
Once the sun begins to set, Cain and I make our way back to the camp. As we traverse through the mountain, I can’t help but gaze back at him.
“What did you do that brought you to the Divinity Pantheon’s attention?” I blurt out.
Cain stops in his tracks and stiffens before he glances back at me, “I don’t think you want to know,” he mutters cryptically.
Striding forward, I turn him to face me and slide my arms across his broad chest, “Why do you have to earn redemption, Cain?”
His expression shutters as he slides his hand around my hip and backs me into a nearby boulder. “Why do you wish to know?” he asks.
I shrug, “Because I’m curious. There’s no need to be defensive. It’s not like you don’t know most of my secrets.”
His jaw pops, and his lips tighten as he looks away. He seems lost for a moment before he answers, “I…I killed my brother.”
My brow furrows with confusion. I’ve never heard of the Divinity Pantheon sentencing anyone for killing a sibling. Most of the time, they are punished for doing something the Pantheons deems irredeemable.
“Why would the Pantheon give a bloody damn about that?” I ask.
Cain leans close until our lips are barely touching, “My brother was one of the Creators’ most devout followers.”
My body melts at his nearness, and my heart speeds up, “Why did you kill your brother, Cain?” I mumble huskily.
He doesn’t answer at first. Instead, he rubs his thumb across my bottom lip and distractedly mutters, “I had just come home from working the fields when I discovered that my wife had left me for another. At least, that’s what my father and brother said. I was destroyed because I loved her, and I thought she loved me too. It wouldn’t be until months later that I’d overhear my father and brother talking about how he murdered my wife for rejecting him. After hearing what my brother did, I went mad and killed him. When the Creator questioned my father about my wrongdoing, he knew he couldn’t tell him about his own role in my wife's murder, so he told the Creator that I killed my brother because I was jealous of his relationship with the Creator. After that, the Creator took offense for my perceived betrayal and sentenced me to eternal punishment.”
“The Creator really was a wanker, wasn’t he?” I sneer scornfully. It seems that, like me, Cain is another victim of the Creator’s malevolence.
Cain gives me a grim nod, his visage remaining cold and distant. I can tell that he’s bothered by his confession, but I don’t understand why, though. It’s not like he doesn’t know the things that I’ve done. Most of which eclipse Cain’s pithy murder.
After a moment, he waves to the sky and mutters, “We should go back to the campsite before it gets too dark to walk the trail.”
As soon as we reach the camp, we meet up with the group from the night before. Oleg approaches us smiling and asks, “We’re going to Fossheim hotel for drinks. Would you join us?”
“We’d love to, mate.” Cain answers.
Oleg bobs his head excitedly, “We will give you time to refresh and meet you back here in an hour?”
Cain nods before he takes my hand and leads me to the tent, “We can go to town and see if the locals have any information about the temple.”
“Hopefully, they’ll know more.”
Cain nods, “We have to since the bloody map is of no use.”
The small town, Lom, brings me back to a time long ago. The hotel reminds me of an old-fashioned cottage, and the surrounding area is open with small mercantile stores and shops spread out across the grounds.
The group is already at a table laden with pitchers of ale and a variety of platters. Cain and I take a seat and thank the lovely server when he serves us each a pint.
The locals smile and wave at us as they continue to enjoy the night. “Everyone seems so lovely,” I tell the group.
One of the females, Mykayla, gives me a wide smile. “The town is popular for hikers, which is good for tourism. The residents are also very welcoming people. I love it very much.”
Oleg laughs. “Mykayla loves it so much that she moved here a couple of years ago.”
I look at the robust female with her long blond hair, blue eyes and Scandinavian features. “We love visiting places with so much beauty and history. Especially places with traditions and myths. In fact, researching such stories is how Cain and I met. Are there any stories you can share with us?” I take Cain’s hand and smile.
Mykayla nods. “That is so sweet,”
Svetlana leans her elbows on the table and gives Cain a flirtatious smile. “What story were you researching?”
I hesitate for a second, unsure how to answer her question without coming off as deceitful.
To my surprise, Cain answers for us. “We were both in university researching the story of Hades and Persephone when we first met. We thought it was amazing how Hades fell in love with Persephone and couldn’t resist deceiving her to keep her by his side. We have become great admirers of stories about gods and goddesses since then.”
I feel like there’s a hidden message there, but I don’t dwell on it. I don’t think I’m ready to discuss any emotions beyond sexual desire.
Svetlana jeers, showing that she’s not happy that Cain is so taken with me. However, Mykayla is completely drawn into our feigned affection. “Oh, that’s sweet. Stories about mythological gods seem to be popular around here too.”
Cain and I snap to attention and lean close, ready to listen, “What stories would those be?” Cain asks.
Mykayla leans close and begins her story while we both listen with anticipation, “It is believed that Vattifossen Waterfall is the resting place of a powerful god and the reason Jotunheimen is so lush and prosperous. It is a known fact that Jotunheimen is free of pollution. Their lakes, air and environment, are considered the purest in the world. Scientists who tested them were astounded by how clean they were.”
Cain leans his head close to mine, kisses the top of my head and mutters, “Perhaps we should visit these falls tomorrow, luv.”
Mykayla nods. “It’s quite stunning.” She gestures toward her companions. “We’ve toured it several times and have found it to be quite breathtaking.”
Throughout the night, Svetlana tries to gain Cain’s attention, but Cain ignores her attempts. Eventually, the evening comes to an end, and we go back to our tents.
Without a word, Cain helps me undress. Our lips meet somewhere in between until I’m straddling his waist. His lips are heavenly as he deepens the kiss and caresses his hands up and down my spine. Reaching forward, I slide his shirt off and open his zipper. Cain hisses with pleasure when I run my nails down his sinewy chest and bite down on his lip. “Fuck, Lilith,” he groans, “I need you, luv. Please tell me you want this too.”
I nod as I reach inside his briefs and release his hard cock, “Take me, Cain.” I murmur breathlessly.
Cain doesn’t hesitate to lower me to his hard cock until he’s sheathed into my weeping center. My eyes roll to the back of my head as he strokes my walls until he’s tapping that part inside of me that feels blissful pleasure. My sheath quivers around his shaft as he plunges in and out in a pleasurable rhythm. Eyes closed, I dig my feet into the ground and ride him hard. Reaching between us, I circle my hand around his cock and stroke him. Cain clenches his teeth and grips my arse tightly as he pounds in and out of my body, “Ride me just like that, luv,” he growls.
As I rise and fall onto his hard cock, I bite down on his shoulder and claw at his back until we’re both crying out for the earthshattering pleasure of our orgasm.
Once our pleasure has been spent, I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. For a couple of minutes, Cain glides his fingers down my spine and caresses my hip with the other.
“You have never told me how you were able to remove the Tenebrous?” he comments.
Glancing up, I slide my palm across his chest and place my leg over his. “After my release from the prison Lucifer placed me in, I set out to kill Lucifer. Using my son Fallon’s Eru power, we planned to kill Lucifer on the night of the blood moon. When we reached Lucifer’s fortress, Lucifer was ready and waiting. With the help of a witch, he used a siphon necklace to drain the darkness from me.”
I take a deep breath and continue, “At first, I was angry at what Lucifer did. Especially for the compassion he showed by letting me live. But after some time, I realized that I was no longer angry, and any negative emotions I held before are gone. As you saw, Lucifer and I made our peace.”
His chest rises and falls beneath my hands, “What about your son, Fallon?” he mutters, “Did you two make your peace two?”
A pain settles in my belly at his casual question. I feel like he struck me. Rising up, I rub my chest and gaze forward, “Fallon and I have not made our peace. In fact, I’m sure he has no desire to ever see me again.”
Cain sits up beside me and places his arm around my waist, “How do you know that?”
No longer feeling relaxed, I push him away and scoff, “Because I was a bloody horrible mother, that’s why. Why are you asking me these questions?” I grit out.
Before I can get to my feet, Cain pulls me back into his arms and rocks me gently. “Shhh, I’m sorry, luv,” he mumbles gently, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
I shake my head and swallow down my tears, “Do you have any children?”
Cain nods, “My wife and I had several children before my brother murdered her. I would probably be a great grandfather many times over by now. However, once I became a guard for the Divinity Pantheon, I was not allowed to interact with any of my relations.”
I nod, not bothered by his reply. Considering we’re immortal, it’s not uncommon for us to have had children.
I tuck my head beneath his chin and sigh, “Fallon will never forgive me for what I’ve done, and I don’t expect him to.”
“But I’ve seen you following him around,” he states.
I know I should be angry at his probing questions, but he had already admitted that he was following me, so I’m not surprised, “It doesn’t mean that I do not love my son, Cain,” I reply defensively.
Cain kisses my shoulder and pulls me closer. Reaching back, I wrap my arm around his neck and savor the feeling of his lips on my skin. Cain must sense a change in my mood because he heightens his sensual assault on my neck and molds his palms against my breasts, pinching my nipples. For several minutes, I mewl when he sucks and kisses the crook of my neck and shoulder.
At my pleasurable cries, he gives me a sly smile and rests his hand between my thighs, “What do you want, luv?” he whispers as he tweaks my hard nipple.
“Do you want me to touch you here?” he says as he slides his fingers around my bare folds. Whimpering, I grind harder against his hand and gasp.
Cain snarls and bites my neck as he rolls his finger across my clit and slides inside my sheath, curling it against my walls. I mewl as he slowly strokes in and out of my molten center, making my eyes roll to the back of my head.
Clinging tightly to his shoulder, I arch my back and shift my hips until the fire burning inside of me bursts into waves of bliss.
As soon as my climax abates, weariness overwhelms me, and I instantly fall asleep.