Episode 2

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Erica eyed her surroundings. She can't see a thing in this darkness, but she can feel another presence inside the cage--- just there--- watching her.

The pounding inside her chest was loud, drumming beside her ear. She inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down, but the fear of her impending doom kept creeping back in.

Her mind raced with questions. What kind of beast was she going to face? How long would it take for it to attack her? Would it be quick and painless or slow and agonizing? As she sat there shivering from the cold, she heard a low growl coming from the shadows. It was a sound she had never heard before, a sound that made her blood run cold.

The growling grew louder and more intense, as if it was approaching her, growing near her, and Erica could feel the vibrations of it reverberating through the cage. She could hear the beast's movement, it's presence getting closer and closer, and she braced herself for the worst.

But nothing came.

Instead, the growling ceased.

Erica peered into the darkness. What just happened?

She couldn't see a thing, but a strong, overwhelming presence lingered around her, surrounding her with an eerie stillness.

Suddenly, a warm and furry thing brushed against her cheek, causing Erica to flinch involuntarily.

What the-

Her mind was in a state of panic, but her body remained rigid from fear. It rendered her immobile--- unable to move. Erica dared not pull away, fearing that sudden movements might provoke the creature to attack.

She shivered as the creature sniffed at her temple, its nose soft and moist, sending a strange jolt of electricity down her spine.

Don't move... Don't move... Repeating the phrase inside her mind.

The creature was examining her scent and Erica couldn't fathom why it was doing that. Was there something in her scent that stopped it from attacking her? Could her scent, perhaps, have a calming effect on this creature? Was there something in her scent that was pleasing and soothing to it? Maybe? It was only a guess.

Erica trembled as the sniffing continued.

Closing her eyes, the creatures nose trailed down her chin, then to her neck, and goosebumps erupted on her skin when she felt a rough, warm, and sticky thing licking her neck.

Shit! Its tongue. Is it tasting her?

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A growl came out of K'lian's lips when he heard footsteps echoing the earthy walls of his dungeon. 

His silver eyes opened and it glowed in the darkness. His beastly form laid lazily on his stomach as he observed his butler, S'bran, leading two Belgini males dragging yet another slave towards his cage.

He didn't expect to be disturbed so soon, but he knew it was time for him to feed.

Like a predator observing his prey, K'lian remained motionless as he watched the female slave plead and cry, struggling to escape from the grip of the Belgini males who were much larger and stronger than her. With brute force, they threw her inside his cage like the others before her. 

S'bran left the dungeons with the Belgini males, leaving the sobbing female on the dirt floor. 

K'lian tilted his head and studied his meal. He should have been consumed with the desire to devour her blood, as hunger was gnawing at his stomach, yet to his surprise, K'lian felt only a sense of peace at the female's presence. 

She was small, with a body structure and facial features almost identical to his species. The difference between them was that she had light sun-kissed skin, different compared to his paleness. 

Her hair was midnight black, while his hair was platinum silver. 

Her eyes were dark teary orbs, while his were glass silver. 

Her ears were different too, round in shape, unlike his species who had long, pointed ears. 

For the first time, he had encountered someone close to his species, yet so different. And instead of hunger, he felt intrigued by her.

K'lian sniffed the air and caught a whiff of her scent. It was sweet, with a hint of spice, and something indescribable. It was a pleasant scent, and an unconscious growl escaped his throat. 

The female was the first person who didn't overwhelm his senses. The others before her smelled foul--- fear and despair coating their every pore--- yet this female was different. Her fear was evident but the smell didn't revolt his senses like the others.

The female flinched at the sound of his growl, her eyes wide in panic as she scanned her surroundings. Unexpectedly, her gaze went past him as if she were blind.

K'lian tilted his head.

Interesting... 

She couldn't see in the dark.

He slowly rose to his feet and approached her. Fear was an intoxicating scent, one that his beast couldn't ignore when hungry. Yet, miraculously, he was able to stay sane and resist. He didn't want to harm her. He had no desire to eat her or tear her throat and drink her blood.

He sniffed once again, but this time he was closer. The side of his furry cheek brushed her skin as he smelled her hair. 

The female flinched at the contact.

A buzz of excitement filled his chest. He wanted more. More of her scent.

K'lian pressed his nose to her temple, smelling her, sniffing her. The female remained still as she let him do as he pleased--- afraid she might anger him or something.

The corner of K'lian's lips rose up. The female was clever, and quite brave.

He didn't know where his servant picked this female from. But he has decided to keep this female.

K'lian's nose grazed down Erica's cheek, then towards the length of her neck where her scent was the strongest. His tongue licked her sensitive skin and she flinched, his body buzzing with mysterious anticipation.

A sip of her blood--- that might be enough. K'lian thought. Just a sip of her blood might satisfy his curiosity. However, K'lian stopped himself. His animalistic urges were getting out of hand. 

The more he remained close to her scent, the more he was losing it. To maintain his control--- which was something he hadn't managed in years--- K'lian backed away from the female. 

His beast relented, but he pushed it down and backed away.

"What?" The confusion on the female's face was to be expected. She looked like she was prepared to die but nothing came.

His chest rumbled in pleasure when the female touched the spot where he tasted her. It felt like he had marked her or something. Erica clearly didn't understand why she was still alive, but she was grateful for it. Her body started to relax and she gathered herself into a ball, hugging herself until everything around her fell quiet.

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