I come hard, a snarl ripping from my throat as I spill across her sheet—marking her space like the fucking animal I am.
One day, I’ll paint her in it. Every inch. And she’ll beg me for more.
When Aurora comes for a second time with my fingers still deep inside of her, I almost miss the soft orange glow that briefly surrounds her body.
Sure, it’s strange, but I’m too drunk on her to fucking care.
The little human rides her orgasm to exhaustion, taking every ounce of pleasure I have to give.
When her body goes limp, I sweep strands of coppery hair from her face and reluctantly cover her with the duvet.
I should leave.
But I won’t.
Instead, I sit on the floor beside her bed, my chin resting on the mattress—watching her dream, aching every time she breathes my name.
She’s fucking perfect.
Part of me wants to sink my teeth into that perfection, the other part of me wants to worship it like it’s my fucking religion.
And it’s eating me alive.
What the fucking fuck am I doing? Everything in my life has always been crystal clear until she stumbled into my town.
Maybe I should kill her.
End it before it becomes worse.
Before she becomes worse.
It would fix everything.
But the moment I picture her torn from this Earth, her voice silenced and her body left cold, something inside of me splinters.
Besides, I don’t want to hurt her. I want to make her mine.
Lay every filthy, fucked-up part of me at her feet.
Collapse before her, forehead to the floor, and let her see what ancient horror looks like when it loves.
And maybe then, I’ll believe someone could love the monster without trying to save him.
She lies there, carved from copper light, glowing like something my void was never meant to touch.
I tell myself this is the last time I’ll look. The last time I’ll pretend I have any right to want her.
But I still linger—because, void damn me, I want to burn for her just a little longer.
The birds start chirping and the sky bleeds pink.
Shit. Morning.
Which means I can’t pretend she’s mine anymore.
My knuckles graze her soft skin, and it’s over.
I’d kill for her.
