TCGAD 11

As the darkness began to thin and the worry spreading like wildfire in my chest grew stronger, a loud noise came from outside.

With a crash, the door burst open, and something collapsed at the entrance. At first, from a distance, I thought Bulkan had returned from another night of hunting.

“…Wait, what’s that?”

But as I got closer, the familiar shape made me cover my gaping mouth with my hand.

The massive, pitch-black figure… was Bulkan’s body. His tongue hung limply from his mouth, and his front leg, torn and mangled, was gushing blood.

☀️

Bulkan’s front leg trembled violently. Flames seemed to sear through his brain. His entire body felt like it was burning up. The pain, like being pierced by lightning, sent a surge of intense hormones coursing through him.

Pain had always brought pleasure in its wake. They were life’s sharp companions, guiding Bulkan roughly and anchoring him firmly throughout his existence.

“Why isn’t it healing?”

A buzzing noise swarmed in his ears like insects. Such annoying pests! Mere creatures not even the size of his claws, yet bothersome enough. He shook his head furiously. The muffled sounds began to register clearly.

“Could it be… he got like this from picking a fight with a god?”

The first voice he heard was his bride’s.

“Priest, from what I can see… it looks like he was bitten by a beast…”

Who was his bride mingling breaths with? It was unfair for his possession to give attention or voice to another body without permission. How much punishment did that deserve?

“Lemon, I’m so sorry. Could you go get some herbs?”

“No need to apologize. We’re sailors on the same ship, aren’t we? Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

Bulkan, the cold enforcer of law, rolled his mind over. His brain moved sluggishly, muddled by the mix of pain and pleasure. His jaw went slack. From his open mouth, ragged, w** breaths burst out intermittently.

“Bulkan.”

One by one, his senses sharpened. A rustling sound brushed past his ears. His black ears perked up. Swish—the sound of fabric brushing against an ankle. Jingle—the sound of anklets clinking on a slender ankle.

A sweet fragrance grew stronger. His bride was approaching. Sweeter than a golden apple, fresher than dew-soaked leaves, it was more tantalizing than the first scent of meat. If Bulkan were less mature, he would’ve opened his jaws and stuffed his bride into his mouth. Tearing into that soft flesh with his molars, blood and tissue would’ve burst like juice.

“Are you okay?”

A cool hand touched his cheek. His bride’s front paw was still not fully toughened. Tch, even as an adult, his paws remained soft.

When spring came to the forest, tiny leaves sprouted like claws on the trees. Bulkan had once, out of curiosity, nibbled on them. They were so small and soft, they barely felt like food! If his bride’s paws were like that, how was that any different? What a disgrace!

But wait—what were those things on the trees called? What should he call his bride’s front paws?

Amid the chaotic, dog-like jumble of thoughts, a question broke through.

“Can you open your eyes?”

Hmph, Bulkan snorted. Opening his eyes was as easy as crushing a bug for him. With effort, his eyelids rolled up. Moonlight poured like a stream into his beastly black eyes.

‘It’s blinding.’

The next moment, a figure as pale as the moonlight formed on his retina. A red mouth, where all pigments seemed to converge, muttered.

“Who did you fight with to end up like this?”

His bride’s eyes cautiously examined him. The fine hairs on his slender, deer-like neck stood on end.

“So much blood. What do we do…?”

Fear, typical of prey, emanated from his bride.

Of course, he had every reason to fear him. He was a ruthless predator! Bulkan puffed out his chest with pride and arched his back. In reality, he was lying with his tongue hanging out, barely able to move, with only the sinews in his neck straining.

“Huff, huff…”

With each ragged breath, the smell of blood vibrated in his throat. It was all from the blood pouring out of his mangled front leg.

“Who did this to you?”

Bulkan secretly smirked. Foolish. The only teeth capable of piercing his sturdy body were his own. His naive bride hadn’t noticed at all.

“Lemon went to get herbs. Just hold on…”

His bride’s eyes, looking at his front leg, twisted in concern. The faint wrinkles on his small nose bridge were fascinating.

“…It must hurt.”

His bride lowered his gaze. The eyelashes, densely packed like thorns, drew in his attention. Moonlight hung delicately on their tips.

Everything born on this earth had a name. Even the scentless, soundless air had a name.

So, what should he call the moonlight dangling from his bride’s eyelashes? He wanted to sniff it, but his front leg wouldn’t move.

Amid this, a faint movement from one side grated on his nerves.

“Sorry, Haengbok, did we wake you with the noise?”

The little creature lifted its head from the bedding. With its tiny mouth, it somehow managed to bleat. It dared to call out to his bride.

“Come here, I’ll hold you.”

As his bride extended his arms, the creature crept into his embrace.

‘That thing!’

Did it know who it belonged to? Bulkan felt his insides twist. He should’ve slammed his front leg down and intimidated it. But his leg wouldn’t obey. And in the meantime, it dared to rub its nose against his bride’s belly? Such audacious, despicable behavior…! It deserved divine lightning!

Grrr, the injured beast ground his teeth in frustration. His sharp fangs grated harshly.

“Is it because it hurts? I told you it’s dark outside, not to go out.”

I’m a dog! Why should the great me listen to a human like you?

That young, weak deer—I’ll tear it apart someday. So stop giving it attention and care, you idiot!

“You’re getting angry even while injured…”

At this point, whether his leg was shattered or torn to pieces, Bulkan couldn’t stand it anymore. Grrr, still lying on his side, he bared his jaws and growled. The deer’s neck fur stood on end, trembling.

“Bulkan, you’re scaring the baby.”

His bride hid the deer deeper in his arms. It had completely backfired. Furious beyond endurance, Bulkan couldn’t stay lying down. With superhuman strength, he stood, blood gushing like a waterfall. Limping forward, he collapsed onto his bride with a thud.

“Haengbok, go over there.”

The frightened young animal yelped and darted behind the bed. Peeking out with just its eyes, it had clearly abandoned his bride. Fool. Bulkan chuckled darkly.

Another presence approached, footsteps echoing down the cave’s corridor.

“Priest, your Lemon’s back!”

A high-pitched voice pierced his ears. A scent not belonging to him or his bride mixed into the air. Growling with displeasure, he felt a soft hand cover his nose.

“…Lemon, thank you.”

His bride began applying something to his front leg. A searing pain hit, like hundreds of arrows piercing the wound.

Yet Bulkan only rubbed his nose against the soft, pliant leg. The bare skin felt provocative and pleasant. Haughty, coy females would cover their g**itals with their tails, but his bride, always looking down, left his lower parts exposed without a tail. So shamelessly l**d.

‘It’s hot.’

His body heated up. Being skin-to-skin with his female made his heart race uncontrollably.

His bride kept wiping his body with a cloth, over and over. Each time the cool paw brushed his skin, it felt like new flesh was forming.

“….”

The touch stroking him made his eyes close. It was as if an invisible hand kept brushing his eyelids. Bulkan yawned widely.

“If you’re sleepy, sleep.”

A voice flowed over his forehead like a gentle stream. As if under a spell, Bulkan relaxed his neck. In that defenseless state, sleep overtook him, dragging him down by the nape.

He dreamed… a dream of throwing his blazing body into a cold river.

Swimming n**ed with his bride, s**king on their drenched bodies. When he got hungry, he’d hunt for him. Then, with those red eyes glistening, his bride would marvel at his great hunting skills, saying he’d better stick close to the mighty Bulkan-nim in this fearsome forest! Bulkan grinned, splitting his mouth.

The way weak moss survives is by clinging to the biggest, heaviest rock. When would his foolish, frail bride realize that? Tch, Bulkan clicked his tongue and opened his eyes.

The first thing in his vision was his bride’s smooth, bare face, collapsed from exhaustion. He looked so defenseless asleep.

‘So annoying, always getting on my nerves!’

Should he just bite his neck now? But if he killed him, he’d have to stay here forever, right? Nothing in his h**l could ever escape him. His heart, caged in his beastly ribs, pounded as if it would break free.

But his fur was too pretty to bite his neck and take his breath. Dead things lose their vitality, their hearts stop beating.

Huff, huff. His breaths were so sweet. Even golden apples didn’t taste like this. The Pegasus bones he’d l**ked before tossing to Cerberus were nothing compared. He didn’t know how to punish this thing that irritated him. But if he took all his memories, he’d be an empty shell, like a peeled golden apple. That would be tasteless. No flavor at all. Despite his mouth watering, Bulkan clicked his tongue. Tch.

‘…Tch.’

A strange sensation crept up from the leg smeared with crushed herbs. Bulkan tilted his head. Was it already regenerating? Was it the herbs?

Fixing his eyes on his bride, Bulkan opened his jaws wide. He shoved his front leg into his throat. Biting down hard, blood gushed from the wound. Hidden in the darkness, the beast chuckled eerily.

☀️

Dawn was still a wild beast. Crouching beyond the ridge, it began to stir when Apollo drove his chariot up from the east.

‘Morning has come.’

The beast snapped his eyes open. His bride’s face was the first thing in his vision.

“What in the world…”

His reddish-brown eyes were filled with shock.

“Why is your wound… like this?”

His bride, startled, leaned in close. His wide eyes reflected Bulkan’s black face. Patches of fur were stained rose-red with blood.

“It was healing… Why?”

Even his bride’s white clothes were soaked. And that wasn’t all—his thighs, white as the flesh of a peeled golden apple, were sticky with blood.

…That g**in must be sticky too, huh? Bulkan chuckled. His massive chest heaved.

This foolish human had no idea. His scent was plastered all over his bride’s lower parts. The beast excitedly scratched the floor with his claws. Hehe, what a delightful, amusing morning…!

“I must’ve dozed off. I couldn’t sleep at all last night…”

His bride rubbed his face with his front paw. Was that how he washed in the morning? His tongue was too small and short to l**k his fur.

Wouldn’t it be great to l**k him clean with his own tongue? The thought sent a shiver through Bulkan’s body. His neck fur stood on end, and he panted with excitement.

“I shouldn’t have fallen asleep…”

Regret laced his bride’s heavy breaths. Why? Bulkan tilted his head.

“What did you do?”

His bride examined Bulkan’s wound. Up close, his soft eyelashes fluttered.

“The wound’s completely reopened.”

It was like a butterfly’s wings. He could hunt a butterfly in a second, but Bulkan imagined chasing it teasingly, almost catching it, toying with it. Only at the end would he snatch it with his front paw, tearing its d**ned wings so it couldn’t fly recklessly.

“The bleeding only just stopped…”

His eyelashes slowly curled upward, revealing eyes that were like the bark of a sycamore or the color of pomegranates.

Bulkan sharpened his claws and pressed them into the ground. Crunch—the solid rock broke.

Someday, he’d pluck the fruit trapped in those eyes. Meat was his top priority, but the sweet scent from his bride was so rich…

“It looks like something bit it.”

A voice cut through the chaotic burst of thoughts, halting his imagination.

“I’ve seen wounds like this before. These are bite marks from a beast. One with huge teeth…”

His bride’s eyes narrowed like crescent moons. Clear suspicion.

He thought that tiny head, smaller than his front paw, was filled with rocks instead of brains… Hehe, not entirely a fool after all! Bulkan stifled a laugh. Instead, he glanced at the back of the bed, where the weak little beast was burying its nose.

“Did Haengbok do this?”

Yes, Bride. That vile thing did it.

It dared to covet my place. Tried to steal my land and take you from me! That’s why I said to kill it, you idiot. Always so foolish! I don’t like that thing.

“Look at the bite marks—the mouth is huge. No way Haengbok did it.”

Slap! His large tail whipped the floor.

“Grr…!”

His pomegranate eyes opened sharply. What, staring at me with those eyes? What do you want me to do? Those pretty furs and that smooth face, acting all high and mighty! Thwack, thwack—his tail lashed the floor twice.

“Why blame an innocent baby… He can’t even find leaves properly yet.”

When Bulkan breathed through his snout and stood on four legs, he lost nearly all reason. Like an unbridled thug, an indescribable irritation coiled in his near-blank mind, impossible to endure.

“Grr… Growl.”

Expressing his displeasure freely, he slammed his head into the bed. The innocent bed jolted like a kettle lid.

“Kaek!”

The commotion startled the fawn, who had been sleeping with its nose buried in soft bedding. His bride tightly shut his eyes.

“Are you really crazy… Did you hit your head too?”

The highly agitated Bulkan shook his head furiously. His massive chest, covered in coarse black fur, heaved. His panting breaths mixed with sticky blood.

“…Stop it, Bulkan. You’re hurt.”

Blood dripped down his sturdy jaw, pooling messily at his feet.

At the edge of his frenzied vision, a white hand approached. Bulkan lowered his head and glared at it. What was he trying to do? Choke him? That would be hilarious! That fluffy paw couldn’t even scratch him.

“You’re getting a fever again.”

But the small hand only pressed gently on his chest, where his heart was, patting calmly as if to soothe him.

His bride’s words flashed through his mind.

‘Being strong doesn’t mean you’re never lonely.’

Loneliness? An emotion he’d never held in his ribcage. If it ever showed a hint, he’d rip it out and swallow it whole.

“Lie down and rest, both of us… It’ll be okay.”

An awkward smile spread across his pale face. A hand that couldn’t kill an ant dared to push his massive body lightly to the side. It was as light as a feather, yet oddly mesmerizing.

Bulkan slowly col…lap…sed. Thud—the cave shook as if it would collapse.

When he came to, he was lying with his cheek against his bride’s slender thigh. He was furious at himself for lying down so obediently. He wanted to throw a tantrum, but a gentle hand softly stroked his jaw.

“Why did you do it?”

The beast’s fierce eyes slowly softened. Was there a clear reason for his impulsive act? He just wanted to.

“….”

Having left the cave, Bulkan roamed the thickets all night. If he saw a four-legged beast, he picked a fight and beat it senseless.

And that wasn’t all. He rammed trees with his head, and when he saw a boulder embedded in the ground, he pushed it with his snout, sending it tumbling off a cliff.

Then, in a crevice, he found a family of herbivores.

The brown doe froze the moment their eyes met. Foolish thing, too burdened by her young to escape properly, just huddling in the crevice.

‘…Kaek, kaek.’

The fawns bleated, unaware, while the mother, sensing danger, tightly embraced them. Her nose trembled with fear. Their fate rested solely on Bulkan’s front paw.

‘….’

They wouldn’t even fill his stomach, so he had no intention of hunting them. Yet he couldn’t easily look away because…

That frail neck, those moist eyes looking up at him in fear, and the audacity to protect a weaker creature reminded him of someone.

It irritated him deeply.

‘D**n it, it’s ruining my mood!’

Bulkan tore through the darkness. His rampage through the wild was no better than a thug’s.

‘Humans are all idiots! Brainless, stupid, and can’t even hunt.’

Growling and cursing, he sent forest beasts fleeing for their lives. Nothing in this forest entertained him. No matter how far he ran, it was all the same.

Looking up, the moonlight shone mockingly. A pale face floated above it.

‘Even if I’d met you when you were young, I’d have treated you the same. I’d have fed you and treated you if you were hurt.’

That white hand kept stroking the young creature in his arms. Watching it, lightning flashed and hail poured in Bulkan’s gut.

It was just a bee sting… Why?

I offered all sorts of gold and treasures, hunted massive beasts, and still never received a single touch. So why was he stroking that thing like that? It was unfair. A dog’s life shouldn’t be this unjust.

‘How dare he.’

Bulkan stood in the thickets, breathing heavily.

If he wanted something, he’d crush the opponent and take it. If he wanted to eat, he’d strangle it to death. But he didn’t know how to act to possess the touch of that foolish bride. Not just his hand, but his touch—d**n it!

Was there really something wrong with his bride’s head? Why did he give such attention to weak things? The beast’s front paws stomped the ground.

He truly didn’t know how to become weak!

Wait, become weak…?

The rampage of his front paws tormenting the ground suddenly stopped.

The beast glared at his front leg. His skin was as thick and tough as bronze. Nothing in this forest could dare scratch him.

Only one thing in this place could wound him: himself. Bulkan’s eyes gleamed in the darkness. Hehe, the beast laughed. He decided to bite his own front leg.

“Ugh.”

The dog, lost in his thoughts, chuckled with a trembling chest.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

His bride asked, puzzled. Bulkan snapped back to reality. W** eyes, like trapped river water, looked at him.

“The visible parts seem fine.”

A hand gently ran down his spine. His chest tickled for no reason. Had a butterfly sneaked under his skin? With its measly wings, it was annoyingly persistent.

“We’re running low on herbs. That’s a problem.”

Muttering, his bride put some grass in his mouth. Bulkan tilted his head. Why eat that stuff?

Then, a doe flashed through his mind. Right, those frail-necked animals nibbled on grass like that.

…Hmph, that’s why your limbs are so thin, huh?

Bulkan muttered endlessly, but all that came from his jaws was the growl of a beast.

“It doesn’t seem like this will be enough.”

His bride chewed for a while, then spat the grass onto his palm. What was he doing? He carefully placed the mashed grass on Bulkan’s front leg.

“It might sting, but bear it for a bit.”

Then he pursed his lips and blew gently, hoo, hoo. A fresh scent wafted from the small, reddish lips.

It was the scent of grass—no, it was the flutter of a butterfly’s wings. No, it was the breath of moonlight seen from the grass.

In that fleeting moment, Bulkan forgot all sensations of pain. He buried his jaw in the skin, soft as bedding, and surrendered to the stroking hand.

The air was strangely sweet, and his body felt light. It was as if he had eight legs. His organs felt newly replaced.

‘Your fur is pretty. Your pomegranate-like eyes are very pleasing too. Your legs look like they’d snap if I kicked them, but since you’re pretty, I’ll let it slide.’

A continuous grrr leaked from the beast’s jaws.

‘I want to smell your g**in.’

The beast’s black eyes and nose tip flushed red. The black fur on his neck stood on end like goosebumps. His tail, thicker than his bride’s thigh, wagged gently.

“Why do you keep growling? You’re not… cursing, are you?”

His bride laughed weakly.

Something stirred in Bulkan’s chest as he slept. If it were a bug, he’d crush it with his paw. But what was this? It had no scent or form, yet it tickled his skin ever so slightly.

It irritated him immensely.

‘D**n it!’

Now back in human form, Bulkan slammed his fist into his chest. Thud! A heavy impact sounded.

He opened his eyes fiercely, scowling. His sharp gaze swept the cave. A hollow emptiness filled his gut. Displeasure leaked through the gap.

“…D**n it.”

Gone. Nowhere to be seen. His bride’s pale face was nowhere in the cave. Even the young beast he’d been cradling wasn’t there—not a single hair.

…He escaped again, my bride! He finally ran away!!

The first emotion to hit Bulkan, now on two legs, was rage. Once unleashed, his anger wouldn’t be restrained. It bounced around like a ball.

‘It’s late at night, so I asked.’

In the dim night, his bride had tugged his sleeve. His face glowed as usual, like the moon in the night sky. A truly despicable face. The face that had bewitched him as a beast.

“D**n it!”

He should’ve taken that ankle. It was thin as a bird’s, useless, but it was his, so it belonged in his hands, right? Bulkan roughly raked his hair. His mane-like locks tangled wildly.

“I won’t let him be.”

His black eyes flashed. His pupils burned with fiery rage. Lying with his head on that thigh, receiving such touches—he was no better than a tamed beast! Like a leashed horse, a caged sheep, or a lark in a birdcage… No humiliation was greater for his mighty self. It’d be more honorable to be beheaded and left in the forest.

Unable to contain his anger, he punched his jaw repeatedly. Thud, thud! His snout swelled quickly. Hot pain filled his lower face, but the rock-hard anger didn’t melt.

“How dare…”

His teeth ground together.

“That filthy vermin…!”

Lulling him into complacency and then escaping? Wearing that measly smile, daring to stroke his fur and back?

Searing humiliation stabbed Bulkan’s temples, gut, and thighs. The indescribable rage was almost pain.

There was no time to waste. Bulkan leapt out the window, slicing through the air. He focused all his senses on his nose. His nerves stood like antennae. The forest was thick with scents: w** earth, sharp grass, animal breath, sweat in every pore. Nothing was pleasant.

Amid the swamp-like mix of smells, he keenly caught his bride’s scent.

‘Here.’

He shot through the forest like an arrow, slicing the air with his front paws and pounding the ground with his back ones. His momentum was fierce.

Some time passed. His bride’s voice began to reach him.

“Lemon, is this it?”

The scent grew closer. Thump, thump! His heart pounded like a victory drum. It throbbed as if scorched.

“Yes, that’s the one to pick.”

Then, the pale face he’d been searching for appeared. …His bride. It was his bride. Bulkan hid in the darkness, watching his movements. He’d expected him to be fleeing without looking back.

But his bride was picking something from the grass. Hiding in the thickets, he looked like a herbivore. His slender body moved to find grass.

He couldn’t let his guard down. The horned one might be watching, preventing escape, but he could bolt anytime.

“….”

Bulkan watched without blinking. His bride began to stray from the group.

Fool, Bulkan sneered. A herbivore separated from the herd becomes a target. His human bride didn’t even know that.

“Priest, don’t go too far.”

The horned one cautioned, and his bride smiled softly.

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll stay nearby.”

His bride pushed through the grass. Was he escaping now? Bulkan’s eyes gleamed. Instead of grabbing his wrist, he followed silently, aiming to catch him in the act.

His bride showed no suspicious behavior yet. He just picked grass, occasionally rubbing his waist with his fist. His thin waist, contrasted by his gently swelling belly, seemed to ache.

Following quietly, Bulkan noticed something new. His bride’s shadow was tiny. It tickled his chest for no reason. He shoved his fist into his mouth to suppress the urge to vomit. Only when his bride stopped did Bulkan freeze.

“….”

“….”

Silence fell over the forest. His bride stared at something for a long time. Had he found a jewel? But he reached out and touched a useless flower. Once again, his bride’s heart was drawn to something trivial.

Bulkan hated it. He hated it fiercely.

After stalking silently, he strode forward. Stepping into the sunlight, startled eyes turned to him.

“What, when did you get here?”

Bulkan ignored him and stomped the flower, crushing it into the ground until it was unrecognizable.

“How did you know where I was?”

A faint touch brushed his arm. Turning, he saw a shocked face. His excited reflection gleamed in those wide eyes.

“You’re not even healed—why are you out?”

Examining Bulkan’s fist, his bride saw the raw bite marks still unhealed. He sighed at the tattered skin.

“What if it gets infected…?”

Bulkan grabbed his wrist and pulled hard.

“Filthy human!”

His slender body fell into Bulkan’s arms. It was inevitable. Like Apollo bringing morning from the east or moonlight falling in the west. It was bound to happen.

“Why again?”

What’s wrong now, his bride asked, but Bulkan heard nothing.

“Why did you heal me again?”

His bride let out an ah. A soft breath burst out. His eyes widened, as if caught off guard.

“…You said you didn’t start the fire.”

A pale hand clutched Bulkan’s clothes. Blue veins stood out on white skin. Thump, thump, thump. A strange sensation made Bulkan’s heart race. What would it be like to slice that skin and see those veins? What shape, what scent?

“I’m trying to believe you.”

A weak voice pierced his monstrous thoughts, halting them.

Bulkan clenched his jaw. D**n it, he’s trying to bewitch me again!

He’d smashed his own jaw to stay sharp. Yet a single word sent waves crashing in his chest. What he thought was a ripple was a towering, forceful wave, threatening to crush his organs.

“Don’t go out at night. It’s dangerous.”

Bulkan advanced silently. His bride backed up until a tree stopped him. Red eyes looked up.

“I couldn’t sleep the night you didn’t come back.”

His bride’s lips moved. Where did this wave come from? Had he swallowed Poseidon? He wanted to shove a fist down his throat and vomit it out.

“Why?”

“Because you didn’t come back.”

He wanted to snap his neck. Just a little force, and his bride would slump, tongue hanging to the ground, lifeless. It’d take a moment. Those unborn pups in his belly could be ripped out. His sharp teeth could tear through that thin skin easily.

But instead of biting his neck, Bulkan devoured his lips. Hugging his waist, smaller than half his arm, he s**ked his tongue as if to consume his breath. The saliva was maddeningly sweet.

“Mm, mmm!”

Even as his bride pounded his chest, struggling to breathe, Bulkan didn’t stop. The lips were intoxicatingly sweet. Lightning flashed before his eyes. Even nectar wasn’t this sweet. If Hera knew of his bride, she might hang him on the golden apple tree instead of fruit.

“Now I get it.”

Only after pushing his bride to the limit did Bulkan release him.

“Huff, haa…”

His bride gasped. His eyes were red. Bulkan l**ked his lower lip.

“You sold your soul to the goddess of beauty.”

“What does that mean?”

His bride’s expression turned odd. Ha! Bulkan cheered inwardly. His sharp deduction hit the mark! You barely reach my jaw, skinny as a picked bone. You’re nothing on this earth.

“That’s why you’re so weak. You gave your strength to the goddess and got that face in return.”

“What are you talking about, acting all crazy…”

A faint laugh escaped his bride. It was a smile that seemed ready to flutter away. Bulkan reached out unconsciously, grabbing his bride’s nape.

“Why all of a sudden…?”

Their eyes met. His reddish eyes reflected Bulkan’s face, filled with desperate longing.

In that moment, he realized why he wanted to take his bride’s memories.

His bride had a world Bulkan didn’t know. Like tearing a butterfly’s wings, he wanted to crush his will, to keep him from flying away, from escaping.

“Odeu.”

His bride exhaled, haa.

“I told you, my name is Gu Myeongha…”

Myeong…ha. Bulkan rolled the name on his tongue silently. His overly large, sturdy tongue filled his mouth. A hollow sigh escaped his throat. The fleeting end of the sound fueled his fiery irritation.

“Odeu.”

He spat the name again. The name he’d given his bride.

“It’s the name I gave you.”

Odeu, my primal scent, my primal gaze.

“Carrying my pups in your belly… and you dare defy me?”

Bulkan climbed over his bride, l**king his hair. He marked every strand with his scent. The slender hair grew damp, hanging like zelkova leaves. He breathed heavily on his nape.

“You’ll never escape me. I’ll take your ankle, your tongue, your eyes, your hair, your touch.”

The males lurking in the forest couldn’t approach his female because of his marking. No one could come near.

The emptiness in his chest finally filled with satisfaction. With his scent all over that fur, other beasts would see only his possession. It was all his…!

Unable to contain his excitement, he covered his bride completely. His bride’s eyelashes trembled, and he bit his lower lip with his front teeth. The troubled face made Bulkan’s l**ns throb.

“So just hand over your g**in!”

Bulkan opened his jaws wide, lunging for his bride’s neck. But a faint force stopped him.

“Here?”

His mood soured instantly. He looked down at his chest. A wrist, fragile enough to snap, was pushing him.

“What if someone sees?”

His bride’s voice trembled. Bulkan kept his head still, only raising his eyes to his face.

“Who does that in the open like this, unless they’re crazy…?”

His bride anxiously scanned the surroundings, clearly scared.

“Why not?”

Born a dog, living as a dog, Bulkan saw nothing awkward about mating in the open.

“Because people shouldn’t see.”

His bride stammered. His eyes were filled with fear, his cheeks frozen. Seeing that scared face, Bulkan’s c**k swelled even more. It was thrilling!

“What if we get reported?”

“Reported?”

Hahaha! Bulkan laughed, chest shaking.

“It’s just beasts around here.”

He buried his nose in his bride’s cheek. Hot sweat seeped from tense skin. His hands busily groped between his bride’s legs.

“And I’m a beast too.”

A slender leg, like a deer’s, was exposed, revealing his g**in. Heh, Bulkan bared his teeth and laughed. It was barely half the size of his fist. Yet his bride insisted he was male.

It’d be more believable if a bird claimed its beak was as tough as Bulkan’s teeth. Of course, he’d ignore it and bite it dead.

“Let’s just go back to the cave… mmph.”

Bulkan unhesitatingly shoved his nose into his bride’s c**k. He rubbed his snout against the soft skin. The downy p**ic hair brushed his chin, and the c**k bounced, amusing him.

It was laughable, but the lotus-colored skin with a red tip was pretty and soft, pleasing to the touch. Saliva pooled under his tongue. Bulkan s**ked hard on his bride’s appetizing c**k.

“You crazy…”

He s**ked so hard his cheeks hollowed. A sigh escaped. Other males’ parts smelled foul, but why did his female’s have such a sweet scent? He l**ked the shaft, s**king the fruit-like g**ns with w** sounds. He l**ked the p**ic hair, making it w**. A m**ning sound came from above.

“Mmm, hah… hng!”

Bulkan was drunk with joy. He wanted all the males in the forest to see this. Nothing made a male prouder than burying himself in his pretty female, right? Despite his tongue on his bride’s g**in, Bulkan puffed up. He stretched his neck, strutting like a forest thug.

“Stop it, what is this, you’re not some pervert… ha, hng!”

The touch of hands pushing against his shoulders was felt. But it didn’t matter—Bulkan’s eyes had long since rolled back in his head. His mind was filled with nothing but the urge to mate with his female. He hurriedly pulled down the strings of the white clothes. The n**ples, protruding from the soft skin, seized his attention.

“B**asts.”

Bulkan raised his tongue and eagerly s**ked on the n**ples. He roughly grabbed and crushed the c**k, but it still wasn’t enough. An unquenchable thirst made his heart race. A wave of violence surged again.

He wanted to bite the n**ples with his teeth, scrape every hair and bone fragment into his mouth, roll them on his tongue, cherish them, and trap them in his belly forever.

While Bulkan was caught in his crude fantasies…

“…Haa.”

A m**n flowed from above. His bride was melting in pleasure. The skin under his eyes was bright red, and both cheeks were flushed as if heated by fire. His face was like molten candle wax.

The thought of someone seeing this made an unbearable surge of savagery rise within him. Bulkan panted heavily. Pop, he grabbed the bony knees and spread them apart. His bride’s eyes, nearly lost in ecstasy, flickered sharply.

“Let’s go back to the cave, okay?”

Startled, his bride blocked Bulkan’s hands.

“Back there, where no one can see…”

He pleaded desperately, but breaking the resolve of a predator fixed on its target was no easy task.

“I’ll ravage you here and do it again back there.”

Bulkan’s mind had long since gone wild. He grabbed the cheeks of his bride’s b**tocks and spread them. Between them, a small, tightly closed hole peeked out. His chest sank to his gut at the sight. Thump, thump, thump—his heart pounded wildly. Had anything ever been this thrilling?

The hole was concave, reminiscent of the stem of a golden apple. Bulkan extended his large tongue and l**ked the folds. The soft, pliant flesh clung to his tongue like thigh meat.

“Ah, haa…”

At the groaning sound, Bulkan’s jaw stiffened. He wanted to bite the folds with his teeth, but that would split it like a halved apple.

Bulkan rummaged through his lower parts. His fiercely e**ct c**k sprang out and slapped his bride’s thigh.

“Ung!”

The hole, softened by his tongue, looked pliable. He wanted to slam his c**k in deep right then, but his bride was pregnant. A female with child was sensitive in many ways. He couldn’t be rough. No one taught him this—instinct dictated it.

So Bulkan grabbed his bride’s hips with both hands and placed him on his abdomen. His bride’s c**k, red and swollen, nearly touched his rounded belly. It was utterly lascivious.

“What am I supposed to do?”

His bride, face contorted, looked down at him.

“Show me your hole now.”

Bulkan growled through his teeth, barely suppressing his urge to act on his temper. Sensing the unyielding resolve, his bride let out a deep haa.

“Hng… hah.”

Covering his face with one hand, he leaned back slightly. His hips lifted naturally, revealing the hole. As Bulkan thrust his g**ns upward, his c**k slithered into the tight cave like a snake. The gripping force sent a blissful haze over his eyes.

“Huh, hah!”

Bulkan, holding his hips, shook his bride’s body. His bride seemed to realize only now that the only way to end this wretched situation was to finish the act. Finally, cradling his round belly, he began moving his hips.

The slightly swollen n**ples on his chest swayed. The reddish buds bobbing in the air were utterly depraved. Bulkan grabbed the b**asts with both hands.

“…Ah!!”

As he squeezed like milking, the soft flesh crumpled pathetically. It was so l**d and debauched that Bulkan came quickly. His vision went white with ecstasy. His hips trembled.

Spurt, spurt! As he e**culated into his bride’s hole, his c**k hardened again.

“Hng.”

After releasing once, the inside became slicker, making it easier to thrust. They moved, g**ins pressed together. When the c**k, buried deep, pulled back, the s**en already released came with it, soaking Bulkan’s dark p**ic hair.

The inner walls were insanely soft, pliant, and tight. Each time it pushed out, his c**k tensed. Though his bride was already pregnant, Bulkan wanted to plant more seed and knot.

“Ah… haa, slow, slowly!”

“Hah… hah.”

Before, he loved pinning his bride down from behind. Pressing him immobile with his body and thrusting roughly from the rear. Biting his m**ning bride’s nape was ecstatic. A raging typhoon roared in his gut, and thunderstorms flashed in his mind.

But like this, seeing his bride’s face was deeply satisfying. Coming three times without changing position—need he say more?

“Hah.”

Lost in the act, spurting s**en like bird p**s, his bride suddenly gasped and fell into him. The soft, pliant feeling through their pressed skin was unlike anything he’d felt. The tender herbivore-like flesh clung to him, but his eyes were soaked with fear.

“What are you doing?”

Bulkan turned, holding his bride. A lion stood there. Its mane was large and thick, and something stood e**ct like a pendulum between its legs—a male. Its eyes were glazed.

“How dare you!”

It had an e**ction looking at his female. He wanted to smash its head, but with his bride in his arms, he couldn’t charge.

Instead, he uprooted a tree behind his bride with one hand and threw it. The lion fled in terror. Seeing its dangling c**k, anger surged. As he moved to chase, his bride pulled him back.

“Stop, you’re n**ed…”

The next moment, his bride’s bulging belly touched Bulkan’s lower abdomen. That small contact erased the rutting male from his mind. His brain melted.

“Your belly’s swollen. Because of my pups…”

Seeing that thin body with only the belly protruding made Bulkan feel strange.

He was born from the blood of a monster Hades beheaded. Yet his bride conceived his pups from his seed. His seed, no one else’s.

An inexplicable urgency wrapped around his tongue. Bulkan l**ked his mouth deeply. He plunged deeper into his bride, as if chased.

“Yes, it’s all because of you… haa!”

Something stirred at the g**ns, reaching the end of the colon. It felt powerful. His seed. A normal female might carry five, but his bride, so small and thin, held only two. They stole all his bride’s food.

They’d surely have black fur. Bulkan sometimes gazed at things unseen. Just tracing their silhouette, he could read their shape and color.

None had white fur or red snouts. Such things were useless in this grassland. Bulkan, a predator, knew that well.

Black fur was perfect for hunting in the grass. Dark fur gave a menacing aura, ideal for overpowering foes.

“Two isn’t enough.”

But Bulkan wanted a white-furred dog. Pulling his c**k, which had plugged his bride’s hole, out, his bride trembled.

“Ahh!”

The freed c**k swelled like a blooming flower. Bulkan rubbed it between his bride’s firm b**tocks.

“Have one more.”

Sensation built at his urethra. Aiming at the gaping hole, he came hard. His bride trembled, o**asming again. The hole opened and closed, leaking slick s**en.

“Close your hole.”

Bulkan grabbed the flushed b**tocks. His bride, startled, tensed his lower body, the hole trembling as it swallowed the male’s s**en greedily.

“It’s all open out here… what are we doing outside?”

His bride’s voice was hoarse, his eyes a mess. Dogs stop crying when they grow, but his bride, though mature enough to bear young, still wept easily.

“You’ve given up being human.”

His whining was pathetic, but his teary, red eyes were even more appealing. Bulkan lifted his bride’s bare body. He planned to do it a few more times in the cave.

“Hah…”

As his body was lifted high, his startled bride wrapped his arms around Bulkan’s neck. Flinch, Bulkan’s shoulders stiffened. His sharp eyes slit sideways.

When pushed away, he’d chase in a rage. But when pulled close like this, what should he do? He didn’t know.

Another wave of displeasure crossed his chest, but the satisfaction of the act made him smile contentedly.