Coalescence Book I - Chapter 9 - Catastrophe
Chapter 9 - Catastrophe
-W-
Blood. His blood. All I kept picturing was that scarlett liquid. The sight of it, the scent it had cast, the way it had struck something primal within me. My mind was being torn apart by conflicting emotions, devastation at hurting the one being I was supposed to protect from harm.. and a deep surge of need deep in my gut. Or at least when I’d had a physical gut. Now it was some lingering phantom feeling caught and suspended endlessly in time. It gnawed at me to be sated, to indulge in that alluring and intoxicating horror I had caused.
Hunger.
It was the first time I had ever felt such a thing, experienced it, once I had taken physical form. It followed me back even when I gave up my body for the safety of my human. He could not protect me from this feeling. It was unwavering, expecting to be addressed and resolved, it was not going away. How could I fix it? I had hidden myself away again.. I would need to pull back out into his world. Was he angry? He didn't seem to be.. he seemed worried and anxious more than anything, but now he slept. Deeply.
There was something else too. Something close. A danger to him? I wasn't sure but I sensed a creature lurking in his room. Close to him. I had no throat but I growled.. even if only to myself. Hunger. Anger. The urge to protect. The feelings were bubbling up hard and relentlessly, until I was extending my claws out from his fingers before I realized I was escaping. I had practice now, and this hunger seemed to guide me so fluidly through the process of tearing my body out of his, rising up out of the human's slumbering frame.
My movements were slow, methodical, I didn't understand it all, but I knew I was in my element. I was a hunter in the dark room, my claws and fangs were my tools. My nose, my ears, my eyes.. everything seemed heightened as I looked down at the unaware, white furred beast beside my human. It was small, it would not be able to beat me. Whatever danger it posed to him.. it would not get the chance to hurt him. It had a new purpose, to satiate the hunger welling once more within my belly.
The creature's scent filled my nose, saliva filled my mouth, and my claws flexed instinctively. The creature was growling steadily in it's throat, a constant rumbling sound.. even though it did not know I was there I could hear the vibrations in it's throat. My ears twitched, I could hear it's heartbeat, feel it's blood pumping beneath it's snowy white pelt. My growl was deeper as I lashed a large paw out, jerking the creature's neck suddenly in my grasp. There was no time for it to make a noise before my powerful digits closed, before my claws slipped under the creature's pelt, under it's skin. I felt tendons tear, I felt heat and wetness soaking it's fur and mine. The red stained it's white pelt, but nearly disappeared on my black fur.
My arm was strong, I lifted the defeated creature with ease.. my prey. My food. More saliva pooled in my mouth as I drew the small beast up to my mouth and sunk my teeth in. It's heart had long stopped now, but the blood flowed freely. My teeth shredded and sunk beneath it's flesh with the same ease as my claws, pulling away fur and exposing the meat I craved. Taste. Another new sense... a powerful sense that held it's own among what I thought were the most important and attuned ones. Taste is what fueled the hunger in my belly. Taste is what stilled the very same hunger. I fed slowly, tearing and savoring each shred of muscle I pulled, every ounce of fat. The little beast fed well, there was plenty of fat to feast upon.
The bones seemed worthless, except to slurp and gnaw out the inner marrow.. my powerful jaws could crunch straight through those slender bones without issue but the amount of flavor inside didn't seem worth all the hard and sharp shards it left in my muzzle. I deposited the creature on the floor, I had stripped what I needed from it. All that remained was it's blood soaked pelt, it's sinewy bones, a few scraps that I couldn't easily pull out. If I wasn't trying not to wake my human I might have cleaned up the blood better. It was delicious, I would have happily continued to lick every drop, every red smear, clean. All that mattered was that he was safe now and the hunger that had grown so heavily within me seemed satisfied. Just like I was the beast hidden within him, it seemed I had my own within me. I did not know how often it would need to be fed.. but it was indescribable to give into.
My tongue slipped out over my drooly lips, licking my muzzle clean of blood, getting that last tinge of sweet, sharp, metallic flavor before I began to lay against Connor, pressing myself back into him. My legs had never left him, they hadn't needed to to hunt my prey, the rest of my body seamlessly and effortlessly returned to his and in mere moments I was happily settled back inside. I did not sleep the same way as he did.. but I filled my mind out and stilled my thoughts. It was a meditation, calming, soothing, just letting myself feel him and the little ticks of feelings as he slumbered, as he dreamed.