She was instantly hovering above what used to be part of the lake, where Sher island had claimed as its own. It was nighttime but with three moons hanging in the sky, everything was surprisingly clear even without her illusory butterflies. There was only bare and muddy earth all around her, overturned and riddled with trenches, pits and several dirty ponds and puddles.
Some distance away she could spot the makeshift dam that Sher had built by literally severing a piece of the island. The dam stood tall but water forcefully gushed out through cracks in the imperfect walls. The entire dam was littered with such waterfalls for as far as the eye could see, slowly filling up the crater left behind with water from the lake beyond.
She would've praised Sher once again for its ingenious thinking but it was irrelevant now. She had seen the crawlers; giant locusts that had arrived to ravage it all, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She swallowed her guilt from abandoning everything and escaping with her tail tucked between her legs.
She turned invisible and flew East, towards where she'd last seen Rex. She had forgotten to ask Sher about his current whereabouts but she hoped he had been smart enough to leave her ungrateful ass behind. It would be best if she didn't find his floating island still lodged close to the mountain.
But she only flew for a few seconds when she spotted someone roaming within the desolate crater. She couldn't see them clearly from where she was but it was definitely none other than Rex. She didn't forget that he could sense her even while she's invisible so she made a run for it. She dashed out of the crater, flying-cum-teleporting towards the closest treeline.
She dived into the coniferous forest and noticed that the tornadoes' rumbling was getting stronger and louder. The wind was quickly picking up and she could hear a sound like hundreds of thousands of helicopters approaching amidst the rumbling. But she knew that it must be the sound of the locusts' beating wings.
She hesitated in fear, now comprehending the magnitude of the danger they were facing. Maybe she should just go back to Amir? Who knew how much time they had left before the swarm descended upon them? She shook her head and looked around the forest, listening for any other sounds.
Confirming that she was alone, white light surrounded her as she took her human form. She retrieved her clothes from her space and quickly began dressing. She wore her pants and had her shirt over her head when she was suddenly lifted into the air. She screamed in fright, struggling to get back on her feet but strong arms wrapped around her body, holding her in place.
She pulled the shirt down and her eyes frantically looked up to meet with a familiar face. She froze when she met with Rex's fierce gaze. He was holding her flush against his chest and his powerful aura had her breath rushing out of her lungs. She felt the urge to run but pressed it down.
"Found you, little one." There was obvious relief in his voice as he raised her high enough to bury his face in her hair. He inhaled her in deep gulps, as if she was oxygen and he was a drowning man. He pressed her body closer against his, flattening her breasts between them.
The heat from his body and the hot heavy breaths on her neck had her shivering. She wished she could stay crushed in his arms like that for longer but she was about to suffocate.
"Let... let go. I c-can't breathe," she struggled out but he only loosened his hold a small fraction. She got enough room to take a small gasp of air but it wasn't enough. She hit his firm chest with the back of her hand. "Put me down."
"Wow," he murmured as if he hadn't heard her. His nose was running down the side of her neck, his voice deep and velvety smooth. "You smell delicious." The sound had her whole body trembling and her clit throbbing in tune with her pounding heart.
He suddenly pulled away to stare at her, a knowing and satisfied grin taking over his face. She looked away, blushing and taking in a much-needed breath. A soft scent swept up her nostrils; warm, sweet and bitter, but oh so refreshing. She could almost taste it on the tip of her tongue, like a fresh mug of hot creamy cocoa, topped with marshmallows and whipped cream, served on a cold winter morning. Her mouth watered.
She looked back up at Rex, realizing that the delectable scent was emanating from him. Did he taste that good? The smooth skin along his sharp jaw grew taut and his gaze heated up at the look on her face. He was slowly inching closer to her and she stuck out her tongue, wetting her bottom lip in anticipation. She jolted when a loud rumble sounded, reminding her of the situation at hand.
"No, Rex. Stop!" She placed her palms on his chest and reluctantly pushed. Not that he bulged. "Put me down. W-we need to get out of here." Her dread had swiftly returned. "There are locusts... the crawlers-"
"It's okay, I know." He sighed, pulling her even closer and she closed her eyes. Was he going to kiss her regardless?
His face landed in the crook of her neck instead as he shamelessly continued to inhale her. She was about to kick up a fuss when he effortlessly swung her over his shoulder, much like a backpack. She yelped, automatically wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. His left arm came behind her, supporting her ass. "Where's the rest of your clothes?"
"Ah..." In her space? "T-that..."
"Never mind." His free hand squeezed her pant-covered leg. "Hold on tight."
Before she could blink, the forest's scenery was rushing past her so fast in a jumbled mess of dark-green and brown. Wind whipped at her face, forcing her eyes shut and she hid her face behind Rex's back. By the time he stopped, all she wished for was to lie down on the ground.
She shifted, trying to get off his back but he held her firmly and was suddenly jumping so high that she felt like they were flying through the air. She screamed, tightening her grip around Rex's neck. Any other person might have choked to death but he laughed, his shoulders shaking along with her from the movement.
His mirth didn't stop him though and he continued to leap up higher. She opened her eyes to see that he was hopping up a rope ladder hanging off the side of his floating island instead of carefully climbing it step-by-step like a normal person. She decided to keep her mouth shut and fortunately, he soon leaped over the edge, landing atop the island.
She slumped in relief but instantly tensed up again after looking over his shoulder. Several enormous wolves were clearly lying in wait for them. Was this how they died? She was preparing to siphon Rex and herself to Arim when the wolves moved aside, their heads lowered. Rex nonchalantly passed between them and she gripped him tighter, frozen like a statue upon his back.