I flit up the stairs, my form moving faster than I expected. It's like floating, like being carried by an invisible current, and I'm in my room before I even realize I've moved. I can hear Vesper and Milo downstairs, their voices urgent as they ask what's going on. Duske's response is clipped, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"She's having another spike, but she's not in this plane. Don't come upstairs."
I reach my room, my body trembling as another wave of heat crashes over me. It's relentless, pulsing through me in waves that make my knees weak. I try to pull off my clothes, my fingers fumbling with the fabric of my shirt, but they pass right through. I let out a frustrated sob, my hands shaking as I try again and again, but it's no use. I can't touch anything, can't do anything to ease the discomfort. The fabric clings to my skin, damp with sweat, and I want it off. I need it off.
I sink down onto the floor, or at least I think I do. It's hard to tell when I can't feel the ground beneath me. Another cramp hits me, and I double over, wrapping my arms around my stomach as I try to breathe through it.
And then Duske steps inside my room, the Alpha letting out a heavy sigh. I look up at him, my vision blurry with tears, the conflict clear on his face. He's standing in the doorway, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he looks like he's waging an internal war with himself.
"Dove, I wish we had more time for me to explain everything," he says, his voice soft and almost apologetic.
I shake my head, my breath coming in short, desperate gasps. "Fuck me first, and we can talk later, okay? Please, I promise I won't be scared of you, but it's starting to hurt, and I just…"
I trail off, another whine tearing from my throat. The heat is consuming me, burning me from the inside out, and I need relief. I need him.
Duske swallows nervously, and I watch as he takes a deep breath. The room darkens, the shadows in the corners stretching and twisting, dancing around us like they're alive. They move with a life of their own, reaching toward us, wrapping around the furniture and the walls. The temperature drops, just slightly, and I can feel the shift in the air.
I gasp, my eyes widening as I watch Duske transform. He's just a man in front of me one minute, dressed in his perfectly tailored black suit, and then an entirely different presence the next. The suit is gone, replaced by leather that clings to his body like a second skin. He still looks mostly human, but there are differences that make my breath catch.
His eyes are fully black, no whites, no pupils, just endless darkness staring back at me. The sight should be terrifying, but it's not. It's mesmerizing. Talons extend from his fingers, and two fully formed horns appear on his head, curving backelegantly. He gives a small smile, and I see jagged, sharp teeth and a forked tongue like Milo's. His tail swishes behind him, thicker than Milo and Vesper's, and just as intriguing.
I push to my feet and step closer, my breath catching in my throat. This is Duske, the real Duske, the Grim Reaper in all his glory. And he's beautiful. Terrifying and beautiful and everything I never knew I needed.
And then I fall into his chest, relief flooding through me as I feel him. Solid and real beneath my touch, his arms coming up to wrap around me, holding me close. I bury my face in his leather-clad chest, inhaling his scent. Rum and night air, familiar and comforting, wrapping around me like a blanket. The heat of him seeps into my skin, easing some of the ache.
"For the record," I say, my voice muffled against his chest, "I'm not scared of you. I like this version, maybe even a little bit more than the other one."
Duske laughs, the sound low and rich, the vibration of it rumbling against my cheek. His hand comes up to cradle the back of my head, his talons threading through my hair with surprising gentleness. "Let's take care of you first, and then I'm going to explain a few things."
I pull back just enough to look up at him, my blue eyes meeting his fully black ones. There's so much I want to say, so many questions I want to ask, but right now, none of that matters. Right now, I just need him. "Sounds ominous. Let's do it."
Chapter 13
Duske
Esme's scent is even more intoxicating in this form, a sweet pull that’s got my heart pounding, something I haven’t felt in centuries. I’ve never touched her like this, not fully, not with this kind of raw, aching need. It’s not because I didn’t want to—God, I wanted her from the moment I saw her sassy grin and those adorable freckles.
But as the Grim Reaper, I thought we weren’t staying. Starting something with a human, knowing I’d have to leave, seemed cruel. I guide souls to the other side, not fall for them. Yet here I am, my leather-clad demon form solid, her body pressed against me, and I don’t want to wait a second longer for the woman I’ve been watching and yearning for, since she first laughed at one of Vesper’s dumb quips.
I start peeling off her shirt, my talons careful not to nick her skin, and kiss down her neck. Her scent’s everywhere, wrapping around me, making my head spin. “Mine,” I mumble, the word slipping out as my lips trail over her collarbone, then lower, across the soft swell of her chest. “Mine.” I suck one of her titsinto my mouth, my jagged teeth grazing the sensitive skin, and she gasps, arching into me, her hands gently gripping the back of my neck.
“Why did it take so long, Duske?” she asks, her voice breathy but edged with uncertainty. “Is it just because we’re mates?”
I feel that doubt as I move to her other breast, sucking it into my mouth, my tongue flicking over her nipple. My tail swishes behind me, then curls forward, the tip teasing her clit through her shorts. A needy moan falls from her lips, and I lift my head, meeting her blue eyes, now visible to me. “I didn’t think I was staying,” I tell her. “But no one ever picks me, dove. No one. Not even when I’m the last choice. There was no reason to think anything different.”
Esme pulls my face up to hers, her gaze searching mine. “But you only tried something when my scent came in. Duske, tell me the truth. Do you want me, or is this just…”
I cut her off with a kiss, lifting her into my arms. She gasps into my mouth as my tail keeps teasing her clit, circling with just enough pressure to make her squirm. I pull back, carrying her to the bed, my black eyes locked on hers. “Baby girl, I want this,” I say, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “I’ve always wanted this, but I’ve lived a really long damn time, and I’m not sure I’d survive the heartbreak of having to leave you when it was all said and done.”
She frowns, her hands cupping my face, thumbs brushing my manicured beard. “What changed?”
I kiss her again, softer this time, laying her down on the dark blue sheets, her orange hair fanning out like fire. “Everything, sweetheart,” I murmur, my lips grazing hers. “Everything has changed.”
I settle over her, my hands sliding her pants down her legs and tossing them aside. I spend my time kissing every inch of her—her stomach, her hips, the soft skin of her inner thighs. Herscent’s overwhelming now, vanilla and honey mixing with her slick, and I’m drowning in it, my cock aching to be inside of her. I strip my own pants off, my tail flicking as I free myself, and Esme’s eyes widen, a grin tugging at her lips. “Fuck, Duske,” she breathes, reaching for me.
I move slowly, wanting to savor every second. My lips find her throat again, kissing and sucking, as I position myself between her legs. My cock slides into her, her pussy gripping me tight, her slick making it smooth. She gives me another one of those delicious moans, her hands clutching my shoulders, nails digging in as I start to move, each thrust drawing out her pleasure. My tail curls around, the tip brushing her clit again, teasing her in time with my thrusts, Esme making sweet little sounds as her body arches under me.
“Duske,” she whines, her voice breaking as her hips meet mine, chasing the rhythm. I’m making love to her, not just fucking; every move a promise, a claim. I’ve never let myself feel this much, not in three hundred years. But with Esme, it’s different. She’s cracking me open, and I’m letting her, wanting her to see all of me—demon, reaper, man.
