He couldn't stay here like this. If Uncle John or Marcus found them sitting on the bathroom floor half naked, it would be an absolute disaster.
"Elena, come on. You need to get up," Alex urged, keeping his voice soft but firm.
He carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, trying to ignore how good the heat of her body felt against his skin. "Let's get you back to your bed."
"Mmm... no... just a minute..." she mumbled, her weight completely dead against him.
He pulled her up, gritting his teeth. To his surprise, she felt much lighter than he expected.
Or maybe, his own strength had increased significantly after the last shedding.
Half-carrying, half-dragging her, Alex carefully guided her out of the bathroom and into the silent hallway.
The walk to her bedroom was pure torture.
Elena's feverish body was plastered against his side. Her damp, sweat-soaked tank top clung to her skin, and with every step, the heavy, soft weight of her breasts pressed against his bare arm.
She wasn't wearing a bra underneath, and the heavy, round weight of her breasts heaved violently with every ragged breath she took. Her nipples were rock hard, poking sharply against the damp fabric.
He pushed her bedroom door open with his foot. The room was a complete mess.
The thick quilt was kicked onto the floor, and the bedsheets were tangled into a tight knot, a clear sign of how violently she had tossed and turned all night while breathing in his pheromones.
Alex walked her over to the mattress and gently lowered her down.
"There," he whispered, letting out a shaky breath as he finally let go of her waist. "Just sleep it off."
He took a step back, fully intending to turn around and run back to his own room.
But before he could even turn his hips, a hand shot out and gripped his wrist with surprising strength.
"Don't..." Elena whined, her voice thick, seductive and needy.
She pulled hard. Caught off guard, Alex stumbled forward, his knees hitting the edge of the mattress.
"Elena, let go," he gasped, trying to pull his arm back.
But she didn't let go.
Instead, she used his momentum to drag him closer, wrapping her other arm around his neck and pulling his upper body down onto the bed with her.
Alex crashed onto the mattress right next to her.
Her burning hot legs immediately tangled with his, one of her thick thighs sliding directly between his knees, pressing firmly against his loose cotton sweatpants.
"So cold... feels so good..." she mumbled blindly, burying her flushed face into the crook of his neck.
Her hot breath washed over his ultra-sensitive skin, making his entire body shudder.
Alex tried to push himself up, but his hands landed squarely on her breasts.
During the struggle, her thin tank top had twisted and ridden up dangerously high.
The neckline was pulled down, completely exposing the heavy, pale top halves of her large breasts.
Her skin was slick with a layer of shiny sweat, making her cleavage look incredibly deep and inviting.
Through the damp, sheer fabric of her shirt, her dark nipples were fully erect, pushing against the material like hard little pebbles.
She looked absolutely ruined, desperate, and completely at his mercy.
Alex's breath hitched in his throat. His black eyes widened as he stared down at her exposed body.
The heavy scent of her arousal mixed with the sweat in the room, hitting his enhanced senses like a physical blow.
Below his waist, his body betrayed him instantly.
A thick, painful erection pushed against the front of his sweatpants, throbbing wildly as her thigh ground against it.
"Look at her," the Empress whispered in his mind, her voice a dark, seductive purr that vibrated down his spine. "She is offering herself to you. She is completely helpless. Just one touch, Alex. Just one taste... don't hesitate to devour her."
Alex's hands trembled against Elena's hot skin.
His thumbs were just inches from her exposed cleavage. His body screamed at him to give in.
It would be so easy to slide his hands lower, to rip that thin shirt off, and bury his face in her soft breasts.
He also knew, in her current condition she wouldn't stop him.
But the previous light screen from his system panel flashed in his memory like a warning siren.
[ Feminization Progress: Phase 1/9 (Ecdysis) - 86% Complete! ]
If he did this... if he crossed that line and shared deep intimacy with her, the massive surge of Empathetic Energy would instantly push him over the edge.
The shedding phase would hit one hundred percent. His body would undergo its first full molting, and he clearly didn't know what would happen during his Phase 2.
There might even be a chance where he would permanently lose his little brother, he was literally holding the trigger to his own gender change.
"No," Alex whimpered, biting his lower lip so hard he tasted the metallic tang of blood.
"Fool," the Empress hissed, her voice turning sharp with annoyance. "You are starving yourself for a pride that is already dead!"
"I said no!" Alex gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the sight of Elena's heaving chest.
With extreme difficulty and a strong, agonizing reluctance, he forced his trembling hands to grip her shoulders.
He pushed her back against the pillows.
Elena let out a soft, disappointed whine, her hands weakly trying to grab him again, but her exhausted body simply didn't have the strength to fight him.
Alex scrambled backward off the bed, his chest heaving, his legs shaking so badly he could barely stand.
He didn't look back at her. If he looked again, he knew he would lose his control over himself.
Panting heavily, he turned and practically ran out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
He stood alone in the hallway, leaning his sweaty forehead against the door, trying desperately to calm his racing heart and the painful throb between his legs.
"Coward," the Empress sneered in his mind. Her voice was sharp, laced with genuine irritation for the first time. "You ran away from a perfectly good meal."
"You could have drained her dry, and embraced your true form. Instead, you sit here shivering like a frightened mouse."
"I ran away from losing myself," Alex whispered fiercely into the quiet hall, his hands curling into tight fists. "I am not going to turn into a monster who feeds on my own family. And I am definitely not giving you the satisfaction of turning me into a woman."
He pushed himself off the door and quietly crept back to his own bedroom.
Once inside, he locked the door behind him and leaned against it.
The room still carried the faint, sweet scent but the cool morning breeze coming through the open window was slowly clearing it out.
Enjoying the story? Want to check the Visual Art?
If you can't wait to find out what happens next, you don't have to! You can read up to chapter 52 ahead right now on my Patreon.
Click here to read ahead on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/2224934
Thank you so much for reading and support my work!