"Hands on the rock," he ordered gently but firmly.
Elara obeyed blindly, crawling her hands and knees, bracing herself against the cool stone wall of the cave.
The position displayed the red welts Varg had left on her hips, and the sight reignited the protective fire in Scott's blood.
He pressed his chest against her back, wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands covering the marks as if his touch could heal them.
He bit the curve of her neck lightly, claiming the skin.
He entered her from behind, a single, smooth motion that made her gasp.
"Too Big… too Deep..." she hissed, her head falling back against his shoulder.
This time, he unleashed the full capability of his Bull's Frame. He pounded into her with animalistic intensity, the slap of skin against skin echoing through the cave.
He reached around, fondling her breasts, pinching her nipples, overloading her senses.
Elara was drowning in sensation.
The drug's "unnatural heat" was being consumed by the sheer friction and the overwhelming presence of her husband.
There was no room for confusion anymore. There was only Scott. His scent, his strength, his voice.
"Cum for me," Scott demanded, his voice rough against her ear.
"I can't... it's too much..."
"You can." He thrust harder, faster, his stamina infinite.
The third climax hit her like a lightning bolt. It was blinding, white-hot, and absolute. Her legs gave out, but Scott held her up, his arm like an iron bar around her waist.
He felt her body convulse, milking him dry, and finally, he allowed himself to let go.
He poured himself into her again, a long, guttural roar tearing from his throat as he sent his cum deep within her womb.
He held her there against the wall as the waves of pleasure subsided, waiting until her trembling turned into sagging dead weight.
"Elara?" he whispered.
"Mmm..." she slurred, her head lulling forward.
The tension finally left her body. The Siren Mushroom's energy was spent, in its place, a heavy, crushing exhaustion took hold.
Her knees buckled completely.
Scott caught her, scooping her up into a bridal carry before she touched the ground.
Her head fell against his chest, her breathing turning slow and rhythmic. She was out cold, and lost consciousness.
Scott looked down at his wife, her face finally peaceful, the lines of pain and drug-induced madness smoothed away. He kissed her forehead one last time.
"Sleep," he whispered. "I'll carry you."
With his Mycelial Heart already working to recover his energy continuously, Scott turned and began the climb back to the surface, holding his precious women tight against his chest.
The damp moss cushioned his boots, and the only sound was the rhythmic dripping of water from the canopy above.
As he approached the cave entrance, his passive gene ability Level 6 Fungal Acuity picked up new scents.
"Over here! I see blood!"
It was Leo's voice, echoing from a tunnel to the left.
Scott stepped into the cave entrance just as Leo and Jorunn burst through the thick curtain of hanging vines, weapons drawn.
They were panting, their armor scuffed from climb down the dark roots.
"Scott!" Jorunn cried out, her eyes widening as she saw him.
She froze. The sight before her was not what she expected.
Scott stood tall, his upper body bare and rippling with muscle that hadn't been there days ago.
Scars from the zombie attack crisscrossed his chest, but they looked like badges of honor on his body.
And behind them, curled in a fetal position in a pool of his own filth and blood, was Varg.
"Elara!" Jorunn rushed forward, dropping her sword. "Is she...?"
"She's sleeping," Scott said, his voice calm and deep. "The drug is out of her body. She just needs some rest."
Jorunn touched Elara's cheek, her hand trembling.
When she felt the normal warmth of her daughter's skin, a sob of relief escaped her throat.
But that relief instantly curdled into a black, murderous rage.
She turned her head slowly toward the corner of the cave.
Varg flinched, trying to push himself deeper into the shadows with his one good hand.
His face was full of bruises, his broken wrist hanging at an unnatural angle.
"You," Jorunn hissed.
She snatched her heavy sword from the ground. "I'll kill him! I'll skin him alive!"
She lunged, the heavy steel sword raised for a decapitating strike.
"Stop."
The command wasn't shouted, but it carried a weight that froze the air in the cave.
Scott didn't move to block her physically; he didn't need to.
The sheer pressure of his presence, the sudden spike in his Life Energy, washed over Jorunn like a physical wave.
She stopped mid-swing, the blade hovering inches from Varg's terrified face.
She looked back at Scott, confusion and anger warring in her eyes.
"He drugged her, Scott!! He deserves to die!"
"He does," Scott agreed, his eyes glowing with that faint, eerie white light. "And he will. But not here."
Scott walked past her, looking down at the sobbing Varg with cold indifference.
"Yes…yes please dont kill me.." Varg pleaded looking at Scott with some expectation.
"He attacked the Lord's wife," Scott stated, his voice echoing off the damp walls.
"He betrayed the camp's trust. If you kill him here, it's just revenge. If we kill him up there, in front of everyone... it's justice."
He looked at Leo, who was staring at Scott's transformed physique with open awe.
"Leo."
"Y-yes, My Lord!" Leo snapped to attention, straightening his back instinctively.
"Drag him," Scott ordered, nodding at Varg. "If he passes out, wake him up. I want him to be conscious when we get to the surface."
"Yes, Lord!"
Leo sheathed his sword and marched over to Varg.
He was not gentle , as he grabbed the Varg by his collar and hauled him up.
Varg screamed as his broken leg dragged across the stone floor.
"Move, you filth," Leo spat, shoving him forward.
Jorunn lowered her sword, her chest heaving.
She looked at Scott, really looked at him, for the first time since the zombie attack.
"You..." she whispered, her eyes tracing the dense muscle of his arms and the confidence in his stance. "You've changed. The Heartwood... did it do this?"
"Let's talk about that later," Scott said simply, shifting Elara's weight in his arms.
He met Jorunn's gaze. "Let's go home, Aunt Jorunn."
The trek back up was grueling for Varg, who whimpered with every jostle, but Scott and others moved with a steady pace.
When they finally emerged onto the main platform of the Heartwood Tree, the sky was beginning to lighten with the grey hues of dawn.