Allaire and Reilly came out from the kitchen. “Hey, “ she said softly. “Don’t ask right now. Just sip this.” I grabbed the mug, tearful and fearful. Reilly curled at my feet and settled in. I drank deeply of the brew and sighed. “What happened, Allaire?” I asked quietly. “You must have passed out and he brought you here.” “I did not exchange words with him. That is for you to do.” “He is gone.” “Did you find your answers, Rageane?”

I stared into the fire, back to the mantle and shook my head. “Only more questions, I’m afraid,” was my reply. “Aren’t you surprised at this turn, Allaire?” “No, not at all, “ she said with dismissal. “Time and space and changes cannot tear apart the connection between the two of you.” “You see, you have grown and so has he, finding his path to seclusion and spiritual enrichment.” “You went against the wind and severed a tie that can never be completely broken.” “Until you finish what you have started, you will run circles around each other in this life and the next.”

“You have a choice – finish it now and be done with him, or continue to live this empty, sober life of yours, one without orgasm, joy and love.” “Again, it’s your choice, Rageane.” She began to walk away.

“My God, he’s disfigured, Allaire!” “The cancer must have progressed.” “Yes, I saw – I did not ask anything of him.” “The cowl keeps it well hidden, but I could sense the suffering and pain he was in.” “Do you think he’ll come back,?” I asked slightly alarmed. “Yes, they are not yet done with you.” “You will suffer much pain, dear one, but it will be a pale ghost, as is your fear.” “Right now you need to sleep – it’s 1:00 a.m. and we have to pack to return home tomorrow. I put my face down into the pillow and pulled the afghan over me, hoping the fire would lull me into sleep. I whispered, “Goodnight monk. Forgive me of my sinful actions – those I have done and those I intend to do.”

Allaire heard the words and closed herself in her bedroom. Her precognition was right. She closed the curtains and prayed silently for Max and Rageane. When she saw him carrying her into the house, she wanted to kill him and the wolf. The wolf held her at bay and she remained frozen in the hallway. She watched as he kissed her tenderly on the forehead, smoothed her hair and covered her. He whispered something to her before he turned and looked at Allaire. She saw the right side of his face, like half the skin had been removed and barely a neck under his jawbone. He pulled the cowl close to his face and snapped at the wolf to follow him. Right out the door they went, no words, only an immense wave of warm air brushed her arms.

I dreamt I was in a monastery – the bells were tolling for matins. I fell to my knees on the hard brick floor, but I couldn’t remember the prayers. There were whips lashing at my back and I could feel the hot blood run down my back and my ass. “Pray, bitch,” they ordered. “You filthy un-sexual whore, PRAY!” They put jars of testicles on the bed in front of me. “Pray to them, you unclean, perverted queen of torture.”

“This is your future. You are the ordained butcher – Shed their blood as Christ’s was shed for you.” “Worship, you pagan, submissive whore.” The whippings continued until my gagging tears were choking me. I folded my hands and kissed the jars one by one. “I…I, worship you givers of life and purity. I am a filthy whore; I deserve nothing. I live for your balls. I worship your balls – I forsake all and everything but the desire to take them and catch them and rub them on my putrid body.” “Oh puleeeeseeeee!” I fell to the ground and covered my head as the lashings continued. One of them sneered at me. “This one will never have the seed of man within her. She is unworthy of the seed.” “All but her will be satisfied.” “NOOOOOOO,” I begged. “I will give you Max’s balls, if you let him come inside me, just once.” “Please let me complete the act with the only man I have ever loved.” The large man swung me around. I had not seen my attackers. “Look up, unholy slut!” He screamed at me.

There were five monks around me. All of them had pulled up their robes with the toncture and their huge cocks were hard and dripping. “Suck us off, lick our balls, you drunken sow!” They were all over me, jerking their cocks into my hair, my face, my mouth and ears. I was covered in their slimy, heavy cum. It was like acid and it burned my skin and singed my hair. I sucked and licked and gagged on the spew of these holy men. Their balls were like concrete, hard and cold. My hands were covered with their cum and piss. I wanted to wretch, but I continued to oblige them to save my life. “You see, you were forced to do this so you bear no responsibility – you cannot feel guilt.” “Eat of us, slut, pig, whore!!!” A chalice of blood poured over me and the wolf appeared and growled at the monks. He leapt at them and began to tear them apart. I screamed and ran to the barred window, fell with my head in my hands as the wolf devoured them. “Not this way, precious one!” “Not this way.” I heard the voice say. “Help me, please,” I begged aloud. “It shall be done, but with honor and love, passion and you will receive the gift you most desire.” “You will have my seed – my final gift to you.”

I awoke in tears, the fire had died out and the cold raced through me. I padded to the bathroom and looked in the mirror – my face was stained pinkish, my hoodie, bloodied and my hands, scratched and aching. Violently l threw up in the toilet, looked again in the mirror and I was me again. “Oh Max, please come for me,” I pleaded.