I choke and blush in unison. “Um,no—you require sustenance. Clothing. A tour. Gifts. So far, you’ve mostly copulated and that wasn’t at all what we intended.”

She giggles, nuzzling her face against my brawny chest. “You don’t hear me complaining.”

“My Lady, tell me… how sore are you?”

Bianca moans a little as she stretches. “I could definitely use a dip in Pennie’s pool. I’m a big fan of that thing and will need it often if I stay here.”

If… it hurts to think that all our hopes, our lives even, rest on that one word.

“What about you, Archie?” She sets her chin on my chest, gazing at me. “Areyouokay?”

I brush my fingers lightly through her mussy blonde hair and then caressingly over her smooth cheek. “I’ve never been better. I can’t thank you enough for trusting me, forsavingme. Without you, I would have abandoned the life I love and my family. So thank you, my dear, sweet, compassionate, beautiful, Lady Bianca.”

Bianca glows, a decidedly serene expression on her face, and I feel something I’ve never felt before—something I doubt any Clumberton has ever felt. Pure giddiness.

I gently lift her so that she’s lying on top of me and wrap my arms around her. “Thank you.”

“You already said that,” she mumbles while depositing a kiss on my neck.

“I’ll keep saying it.” I exhale everything I no longer wish to carry, allowing Bianca’s acceptance to continue battling the crusty, unfaced darkness she seems determined to permanently evict.

In response, she teases her fingers along my body, sighing her contentment.

“Oh,” I declare as my thoughts catch sight of my utter selfishness. “My Lady, the others must be terrified. We must go to them.”

Bianca instantly pushes off me and I observe the unwitting proof of her discomfort. She absolutely requires an immediate soak in Pennie’s healing liquid.

“I’ve got you,” I murmur as I cradle her in my arms and stand, leaving this cell that’s never been anything but a loathsome place—my time with Bianca the only brightness.

As though she can read my thoughts, Bianca pats my shoulder. “We’re totally blowing up this place, ‘kay? Next rut, I want something withruttyambiance. The moss outside and a tree to cling to while you screw me silly… oh, I’m liking that idea.”

I’m suddenly deeply violet and clearing my throat repeatedly. “Lady Bianca… we… I mean…” I swallow audibly. “When not in the rut, discussing such things is untoward.”

She cackles at me. “Oh, no, bucko, you don’t get to turn allPrissyJekyll andRuttyHyde on me now. We’ve rutted and I’m going to delight in remembering every single moment of that. And, even better, I’m going to remind youoften—in exquisite detail—just how incredible that was. All that growling and claiming, and thrusting those sinful willy tusks inside me.” Bianca moans lustily.

Her forehead knots as she focuses. “Also, new rule: Your sexual appetite is no longer going to be denied before, during, or after the ruts. Seriously, your sex-themed fasting stupidity is over.” Smug delight shines brightly in her blue eyes. “If I’m your Lady, then satisfying me is your job, right?”

My desire should be well and truly extinguished at this point, but my nether region is stirring quite emphatically.

When Bianca feels the proof of my arousal, she shimmies in my hold, teasing until my length is as hard as the stone walls around us. “See?”

I stare at her, gaping for so long that she demands, “What?”

I blush and stammer, “Never before, my Lady. After the rut, my kind usually can’t…performfor a month, at least. But I could take you right now. I’m completely flummoxed by this development.”

She leans and kisses my cheek. “Oh, Archie, for right now, let’s just celebrate the wonder of your deliciouslytuskycock and its enthusiasm to obey my commands, without worrying about anything else. We’ll figure it all out.”

“Yes, my dear,wewill.” Joy such as I’ve never known fills me.

But I do struggle to convince my unruly equipment to deflate enough to be able to dress, though even that brings a heady grin to my dear Bianca’s face. Her delight in my embarrassment is another flag planted on the battlefield of my self-confidence and belief in my worthiness to be in her life. Her warm, accepting laughter is worth more to me than anything I could ever own.

With great resolve, considering the state of her undress, I focus on the task at hand. Given I thoroughly destroyed her garment and do not wish to place her on the unclean bench, I carefully hold her while dressing her in my shirt that is like a sleeping gown on her. Only then do I manage to don my pants over my still-engorged member, which my Lady keeps reaching for as though it is her new pet.

I find myself chuckling shamelessly and marveling at that experience. I’ve never known myself to be without shame, but shamelessness is now my great aspiration. I glance down at myself and Bianca in my arms, bemused by how absolutely ravishing she is and how ungentlemanly I am with a bare chest and about to wander through my property. Scandalous.

Bianca, apparently in an effort to ensure myorgannever embraces a flaccid state, kisses along my neck and then whispers in my ear, “Do you think we could play a rut version of hide-and-seek?”

“My Lady,” I exclaim—yes, Iexclaim, sounding entirely prim for a monster with a bare chest exiting his rutting cage.