“I need a partner who is submissive, but more so than that. I’m certain there’s a psychological component to it that I have no interest in exploring, but I am fiercely organized because I demand control of my surroundings, my body, my magic, my love, and my sex. I need enthusiastic consent, and I am not beyond demanding begging, and not beyond denying my partner release. With consent. I need control and consent.” He stared me down, the first hint of fear in his gaze.
I swallowed, mouth suddenly dry, tongue heavy. Sweet saliva welled up a moment later. “No punishment?”
“I’m not aroused by humiliation.” Gre kept his gaze locked on me, the twitch in his neck telling me how badly he wanted to look away. The vulnerability in that moment was both a demand for reassurance and an opportunity to establish boundaries.
My shadow? He spoke for me. He fell to his knees in two-dimensional silhouette and prostrated before Gre’s shadow, pantomiming worship, submission, surrender.
“I’ll draw up a list of my hard-no items, my negotiable items, and my full-consent items. I do not enjoy waste, spit, or humiliation. Blood is negotiable. I’m a demon. I do not like name-calling if the names are meant to demean me. My shadow is not to be included in sex acts. Ausmius would happily involve himself, but it’s not something I enjoy.” I averted my gaze asAusmius exaggeratedly wilted down the wall and Gre’s shadow watched with interest before sinking down with him.
“Understood,” Gre said and swallowed hard.
“Our shifted forms are not off the table. I’m largely the same without glamor, but your shifted head is not something I’m familiar with and will need practice and acclimating to enjoy.” I cleared my throat. I wasn’t opposed to a little necking. “I do not cross-dress or cage my genitals. I do not tuck or alter my appearance for anyone. Dressing nicely and being clean, stylish, and arranged are okay, but I’m not into costumes. If we have an open relationship, we use protection, and I don’t wish to know about your dalliances, and I won’t tell you mine. Demons don’t get diseases, so we’re clear on that front.”
I could get pregnant, but if I was dumb enough to cat about during my heat, I deserved the ire.
“I’m not a fan of casual hookups, if possible. Opening a relationship wouldn’t be my idea of pleasurable, but if I am incapable of satisfying you, I’ll permit you your freedoms.” He said the last part with a twist to his lips that told me all I needed to know.
“Understood. Casual sex isn’t often pleasurable for omegas. Too often, we don’t have partners interested in our fulfillment.” I hid a smile as it brightened him.
“Anything else?”
“As I think of it, I’ll document it. I’ll have a list, scoring my maybes on a scale of one to ten, while my no list will be exclusively off-limits. We need only establish a safe word. I only ask you respect my needs that much.” I pushed my bowl away as my body tingled, as if his stress bothered me, my mind tuning with an alpha who hurt, who feared, who needed reassurance that only an omega curled in his arms could give. Also, I needed some wiener. It’d been too long and nearly dying had earned me a trip to pound town at least once. “Satisfactory?”
“I feel that is more than just satisfactory. Quite thorough.” Gre glanced at me, and a shred of nervousness broke his façade. If he was going to be as cautious and organized about it as me, it would be worth it.
Chapter Five
Greginald
I sat on my bed, letting my true form relax as I lay along my bed…beds. Esmeray went through my closet, perusing items to find something that would fit him at least somewhat decently. We had different pallors. My colors blended well with darker colors, but Esmeray needed something bright.
“Check the back of my closet. I have a red silk dress shirt that was gifted to me. It clashes with my…” I gestured haplessly in the air as I tried to ignore my shadow stalking him like prey—cartoonishly. Clawed fingers raised up, my silhouette human rather than my shifted form. I closed my eyes to block it out. I shared his shadow as his mate. That would take time to get used to.
After a few minutes of rummaging, Esmeray made a noise of satisfaction and sifted through my slacks for something black, if his muttering was to be believed.
“Take whatever you like.” I took a deep breath. “You still need to call your father.”
“I’d rather see him in person.” Clothes ruffled, a belt clinked, and I crossed my hands over my chest, clasping fingers over the breadth of it.
The shear of scissors snipping and clicks of metal rang out. The soothing nature of it almost lulled me to sleep. But it wasn’t until warm fingers slid into the rough crush of my neck’s fur that I opened an eye.
The clothes I’d permitted him to take fit him perfectly, a few threads hanging out as his shadow swept around, tidying it up to fit his body in a very pleasing way. “You’re softer than I imagined.”
“Keep doing that and I might not besoftfor long.” A smile stretched the giraffid lips of my true face. “Is it not off-putting?”
“It’s not the usual, no, but I don’t find it unattractive.” Both hands joined his exploration of my neck, working up to my jaw with slender fingers. “You’re a shifter, a mage, and much more.”
“I’m a mongrim.” I huffed, the puff of air making my lips sputter. And for a giraffe, that was a lot of sputter.
“I thought your kind preferredhybrid.” He pressed his face into my fur and nuzzled up under my jawline, nose tracing one of my stiff ears. None had ever fawned over my true form. None had ever done what he did next, either.
A soft breath brushed my ear, sending my hairs rippling to stand on end. “Oh. Oh!”
Lips brushed my cheek, over the fluttering lashes my kind had and over my lips. “You smell nice.”
“You do, too.” I groaned as his fingers framed my jaw. “We’ll settle that list, later. Maybe you ought to make your own. I have my own tastes.” Sharp teeth nipped my ear before he pulled away, and with him drew my form, beyond my control to an extent, the length of my neck retracting into my body almost comfortably. And I rarely felt comfortable in my fully human form. “Tease.”
“Untrue. Testing the waters.” Esmeray ran his slender fingers through sinfully dark hair and eyed me with a half smirk. “And I found them a perfect temperature.”
