“We have a problem, little dragon,” I whisper. “Other than face-to-face, I’m not sure what you want. And as I’m a monster?—”
“You’re not a monster, Damien. Different. Not human. But not a monster. Just a shade.”
I close my eyes against her sweet words. “Thank you for that, but I have little experience with humans. I don’t wish to hurt you. You must show me how you want it.” I step back and drop my hands to my sides. “Tell me what to do.”
Eloise closes the space I’ve put between us and fists myshirt. “After centuries of bondage, the first thing you ask is for me to order you around?”
I slant her a wolfish grin and skim my hands down her sides. “This time, yes. Next time....” I allow some of the hunger I’m feeling to show.
“Oh...” Her brows peak, and something inside her takes hold. She stands taller, licks her full red lips. “Okay, then. Remove your shirt.”
Fuck, the command in her voice travels straight to my cock, causing it to twitch in anticipation. Clawing at my buttons, I give up and tug the tails from my pants, then reach behind my head to pull it off and cast it aside. She shivers as her gaze traces my chest. The scent of her arousal makes my heart thump faster and my fangs throb.
“What now?” My voice sounds rusted out. My mouth has gone dry for want of her blood.
“Take off the rest of it. I want to see all of you.” She points to my pants, a wicked gleam in her eye.
The truth is my clothing is as much an illusion as the rest of this form, and only moments ago, I stood before her entirely naked in my true form. I could make my pants disappear if I willed it. But I sense from the bloom of her arousal that she likes to watch me undress. And something else. I can feel heat coming off her. My skin flushes under her gaze.
I toe off my shoes and unfasten my pants, sliding them off, along with everything underneath. Standing before her naked, I wonder how I got here, making myself vulnerable for a woman. Trusting her, after centuries of bitter hatred toward the ones who captured me, the ones who used me. Maybe it is precisely because of her fragility, her humanness, the idea that I could kill her with little effort that I do trust her. Even if she issomehow supernatural, Eloise has always exposed her vulnerabilities to me.
But deep down, I know it’s more than that. She’s owned me since the moment she called me. Since the moment I saw her bravery and conviction.
“Lie down on your back,” she orders. Her gaze lingers on the erection jutting from between my thighs, and when she licks her lips, I feel the tip of my cock weep for her. I lower myself to the floor, easing onto my elbows in front of the fire.
“What now, little dragon?”
“It’s settled, then. You are a monster,” she says, staring at my cock. “I’m honestly not sure you’ll fit, even in this form.”
I shoot her a self-satisfied grin and allow myself to go smoky at the edges. “I’m made of shadows, little dragon. I’ll fit anywhere you want me to.”
Her eyes grow heated again and never leave mine as she strips off her thong and straddles my hips. With her towering above me in those spiky, black shoes of hers, I have a luscious view of her sweet pussy. A growl rumbles in my chest, the need to possess her almost unmanageable. I dig my nails, now hardened into pointed talons, into the carpet and the floor underneath me.
“Eloise, please,” I beg her.
She bends over and places a finger over my lips, her lids narrowing. “Since you’re having trouble staying quiet, I’ll give you something to do with that mouth.” She straightens, then presses my shoulder to the floor with the toe of her shoe. I lower myself until the back of my head touches the floor, then watch her, stunned by this magnificent creature who is no longer a terrified bird but a siren, a succubus. She squats over my mouth and the scent of her, the sweetglistening pink, is irresistible. I grab her hips, pull her down on my mouth, and lick up her slit, moaning at the taste of her.
She throws her head back in a silent scream. Blood rises in her cheeks, and I hold her in place, desperate to show her how much I enjoy this game. I settle in, sucking her clit, lapping at her folds, spearing her with my tongue. She writhes against me, and I summon the shadows to fill her, to caress her.
“Oh my God,” she mutters under her breath. Her thighs tremble as if her legs might give out at any moment. I hold her up, hold her in place as I work her delicate flesh, grazing her clit with my fang. The orgasm rips through her like a wave of pure energy, and I can no longer control myself.
I flip her onto her back and push the head of my throbbing cock into her. My entire body shakes with the need to take her, but I hold myself back, not wanting to hurt her. Panting, she meets my eyes once more, grips my shoulders, and lifts her hips, sheathing me in her velvet heat. I sink into her in one powerful thrust. She bites her palm to keep from crying out. Gods, I need this.
Her legs wrap around my hips, and she squeezes me deeper inside, her breath catching when I’m all the way in. I slant her a wicked smile. “Good little dragon. Show me how you take your pleasure when given the chance.”
She drops one hip and rolls us both over until she’s riding me. It’s my turn to throw my head back and stifle a howl. I’ve never felt like this. Fiery tremors rush through me, tingling along my spine until I fear I might come apart into shadow. And when she starts to move, to ride me in a roiling, seductive rhythm, I have to concentrate to keep from filling her with my seed immediately. I grind my teeth and give her the ride of her life, matchingher pace and thrusting upward until I feel the heat rising in her again. Her lips fall open as she gasps for breath. Her skin gleams with perspiration.
I sit up, holding her against me and trailing my fingers along her spine, driving myself deeper into her. The reflection of our joined bodies in the window tempts me, and I indulge myself, watching her rise and fall above me. And then I notice something else in the reflection. The symbols inside Eloise’s tattoo spin and shuffle along her back like her sigil is alive. I blink, disbelieving what I’m seeing. Red light washes over the room and I smell ash in the air. The people in the pictures on the gallery wall begin to move. The silver mirror ripples like water. Nothing makes sense.
And then her mouth crashes down on mine. Her breasts press softly into my chest, and her inner walls tighten around my cock. I dismiss every thought, every feeling, except for her. I follow her over into oblivion.
Afterward, she clings to me. We’re breathing as one, my heart pounding in time with hers. I thread my hand into her hair and press a kiss to her temple, enjoying the weight of her body on mine. Soft. Warm. Alive. So far beyond anything I’ve ever expected or experienced. That’s when the memory of her tattoo comes back to me. But the room is no longer red. The ash is gone from the air. The photos are no longer animated. Everything is normal.
“You’ve turned cold.” She draws back, sweeping her hair from her neck. “Do you need to feed?”
Her artery pulses. Gods, I am hungry, and her offer seems guileless enough, but I know what I saw. I glance at the window again, but the key tattoo is only a tattoo again. Nothing more. Still, I know I’m in deep. Eloise’s bloodline is a mystery.Shedoesn’t even comprehend what she is. I’m old enough to know better than to play with power I don’tunderstand. “I do need to feed, but not on you. You’re not food.” I stand, bringing her with me, and set her on her feet. At my will, my clothes appear on my body again. “Only hours to hunt before sunrise. I must go.”
She watches me for a moment, eventually pulling her dress back on and clutching her bra and panties to her chest. Her eyes are noticeably misty as she says, “Thank you, Damien, for everything.”
