Page 13 of Split or Swallow

Caspen’s cock was nothing like the ones on the marble statues leading up to the church.

His was unfathomably long, and straight as an arrow. He wasn’t even hard yet, and Tem was already wondering how the hell it was going to fit inside her. She’d never taken anything that big. She wasn’t even sure it was possible. It was the perfect extension of him—exactly as formidable and beautiful as he was. Tem stared at it in awe.

Suddenly she understood his reputation as the Serpent King. Everything she’d ever heard about Caspen made sense now that she was seeing this final part of him. The way the villagers spoke of him in hushed tones—the way his girls were always chosen by the prince—all of it justified by what was between his legs. Why should he submit to anyone when he was superior in this most fundamental way? Why cede his power when his was so much greater?

Tem was overwhelmed by the sight of him. She wanted to feel him inside of her. She wondered if he wanted that too. Immediately, she banished the thought. She wasn’t the first girl he’d had in his cave. And yet, somehow, it felt like this was just for Tem.

Caspen let her look, watching her reaction with the slightest trace of warranted arrogance on his face. Eventually, he whispered:

“Now you.”

It was only fair.

Somehow, her nerves had abated now that he was naked. Seeing Caspen vulnerable made Tem feel brave, and she knew she was ready for what came next. With steady hands, she unlaced her dress and let it fall to the ground so she was standing in her underclothing.

Caspen’s eyes didn’t leave hers as he said:

“And the rest.”

Tem pulled off her underclothing.

The warm air of the cave caressed her skin, enveloping her in a breathless wave. It was impossible not to think about the fact that she was naked. But before she could dwell on it, Caspen circled her silently, looking her up and down. She looked at him too, observing the way he walked with undeniable control, his steps smooth against the roughness of the cave floor. She saw the way he observed her clinically, without emotion. Tem realized that while this was very new to her, this was absolutely nothing new for him. He had done this many times before. She was nothing but a number to him—he wasn’t looking at anything he hadn’t already seen.

Finally, Caspen stopped in front of her. He studied her eyes, her cheeks, her hair. Eventually his gaze slid down her neck to her collarbones, passing over her breasts and landing on her stomach. He extended his hand, the tips of his fingers mere inches from her skin. But he didn’t touch her. Instead, she felt a sudden warmth below her belly button, and the torches in the cave dimmed.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I am checking to see if you are fertile,” he said without making eye contact.

“And? Am I?”

Caspen’s eyes flicked up to hers. “Patience is a virtue, Tem.”

He said it like a reprimand.

Tem sighed. “So I’ve been told.”

His gaze returned to her stomach. Tem resisted the urge to tap her foot as she waited, patiently, for the examination to yield a result. She should have expected something like this. Sex and fertility were intertwined with the basilisk’s influence. It was rumored that they drew power from it—that their ability to seduce humans was intrinsic to their nature. It was the reason they were tasked with training the prince’s future wife: they were the only creatures who could be trusted to mold girls into women.

After what felt like an eternity, Caspen said:

“You are fertile.”

Tem didn’t know how to feel about the announcement. Part of her wished she wasn’t—it would have meant she was out of the running for the prince. But if that were the case for Tem, she wouldn’t achieve what she had come here to achieve.

She would never be kissed; never be fucked. And that wouldn’t do at all.

Caspen was speaking again:

“You will need to gain weight,” he said. “The prince requested a fuller girl.”

“I can’t,” Tem said without thinking. Caspen’s eyes narrowed.

“And why not?”

She hung her head.

“We…don’t have much food at home. I have no way to eat more.”