ISLAND ILLUSIONS (#2 PARADISE ISLAND duology)

--three--

After eating the meat—which turned out to be some sort of oversized, wild rabbit, and was caught by Vick, apparently—everyone went about their own business. Vick escaped Jessa's cabin to grab her and himself plates of food, and gave another sordid wink to imply he was up to no good. Patrek seized his plate and took off to eat near the cliff's edge, getting a view of the sun's reflection over the pristine waters.

Taryn and Lorenzo said they were going on a walk. Miles snorted at their disappearing figures as they wandered into the forest, their fingertips twitching when they came into contact. He'd caught them ogling each other over breakfast, licking their lips from not only the juices from the meat, but from the desire they were harboring from one another. It was disturbing—who could experience lust when in such a dire situation as they were?

Miles had watched them leave, a weird sensation of brotherly protection coming over him. These people were, in a sense, his responsibility. They'd all made a pact to stick together, and if they were hurt, it would hurt the entire group. Taryn and Lorenzo hadn't taken any weapons, and Miles wished they had, just in case. With all the craziness Kera's doubts had unleashed, he worried monsters were patrolling the woods and might sight Taryn and Lorenzo and want to take a bite from them, though they'd been nothing but obedient so far. Who knew exactly what those creatures wanted, and how much truth the ruler had told the group about them?

Why couldn't they go fuck in one of the cabins instead? Taryn was paired with Vick, but Vick was with Jessa in her building, and wouldn't be a problem. Lorenzo had his bunker all to himself, since Brody wouldn't be coming back. Why venture out into the woods where things might eat them? Why not take advantage of a luxurious cabin?

Miles winced as he thought harder on the reasons that would push two lustful beings on copulating outside in the wilderness, instead of cozy and warm on a bed or in a bubble bath. He got it, after a few minutes—they weren't really themselves, and the island drew out their animalistic senses, their proximity to nature. So frolicking on a patch of leaves, or bending Taryn against a tree would have more appeal to them now, wooed by the ruler as they were. The ruler wanted this—free fornication in the eyes of all, followed by bloodshed and blacked-out frenzies. She had gotten into Taryn and Lorenzo's heads and was forcing them to mate in semi-public, instead of in the comfort of their cabins.

But what would the creatures do if they saw the copulation? Were they programmed to let it slide, possibly to appreciate watching it? Or would they attack right at the peak of Taryn's orgasm, of Lorenzo's release? Would they enjoy eating humans in the act?

Miles shuddered, walking towards his own cabin. He was only somewhat reassured that Taryn and Lorenzo would be okay, but deep down, he didn't want to care about them and their well-being. They'd chosen to go off on their own, to heed the ruler's requests; that was their problem.

But he didn't trust the monsters. In truth, he didn't trust Taryn or Lorenzo, either. Not Vick or Jessa. He didn't trust anyone but Kera, and Patrek, to some degree. At this point, he barely even trusted himself.

He'd abandoned Kera, the most vulnerable of them all, to fend for herself and be on the run from monstrous beings that wanted to feast on her flesh, or to transform her into one of them. All this after she'd confessed to having a crush on him, and to not seeing him like everyone else had.

But she'd lied. She'd snuck off in the middle of the night, endangering them all. She'd said choice words about Miles, words he'd heard most of his life, but that had rubbed him the wrong way coming from Kera's mouth. Her actions had caused this, had caused the ruler to be extra cautious and to keep a firm watch over them all.

Miles didn't want to be watched.

The only space he found to be close enough to safe was his cabin. So after ensuring Patrek was all right—he'd settled on a seat overlooking the bay and was reading from a book he'd discovered in his own dwelling—Miles escaped the rising heat from the outdoors and isolated himself in his room.