This is it. This is where everything falls apart.
His muscles bunch and release beneath his midnight coat like steel cables about to snap. Those wild pink eyes fix on me—more beast than man now—and ice water floods my veins. The unicorn is winning, and terror claws up my throat. If Hemlocke loses this battle, I’ll have seconds to decide: defend myself and risk killing him, or let those razor-sharp canines tear me apart.
“You’ve got this, Hemlocke.” My voice cracks despite my efforts to stay calm. “Come back to me.”Please don’t make me choose. Please don’t make me hurt you.
Eternity stretches between heartbeats. His form ripples, shifting between human and beast while I count each ragged breath. Sweat beads on my palms. My talons itch beneath my fingernails, ready to extend. Blackunicorns are more volatile than any shifter I’ve ever encountered—one wrong move and he could explode into violence.
Finally, he collapses onto his hands and knees in human form, chest heaving like he’s run for miles. “That was close.” The words rasp from his throat, and relief hits me so hard my knees nearly buckle.
Too close. Way too close.
“Let’s get you up there. I have an idea.”
I don’t wait for permission. My hands close around his arms as my wings snap open, black leather catching the dying light. We launch into the air, and his dead weight nearly sends us both tumbling back to earth. My wing muscles scream with effort as I fight to gain altitude. One miscalculation, one moment of weakness, and he’ll plummet to his death on the rocks below.
We clear the ridge by inches. I set him down on the soft grass, my wings shaking from strain and adrenaline.
“Take a swim by the waterfall. I’ll join you in a moment.” Water might calm the unicorn—if the folklore is right. If I’m not gambling both our lives on old wives’ tales.
He nods, still catching his breath. I take flight again, soaring across the moonlit oasis to my cavern. My footsteps echo off stone walls as I race down the narrow corridor. In the main chamber, I grab the leather bag with trembling hands. The ropes and restraints feel inadequate suddenly—what if they’re not enough? What if nothing can contain a black unicorn’s explosive volatility?
I fly back toward the water, worst-case scenarios flashing through my mind. If he loses control completely, I’ll have heartbeats to react. My scales can harden, my talons can extend, but will it be fast enough? Strong enough to stop him without those deadly canines finding my throat?
The crystal-clear pool reflects the moon like a mirror. Hemlocke moves through the water with fluid grace, and for a moment the scene looks peaceful.Safe. Then I notice he’s naked, and my breath catches.
Focus. This isn’t about want—it’s about staying alive.
I approach slowly, my bare feet silent on the smooth pebbles. The bag hits the shore with a soft thud, and my hands won’t stop shaking as I kneel beside it. Hemlocke rises from the water like some ancient god, droplets cascading down his athletic frame. His long black hair clings to his shoulders and chest. Moonlight carves shadows along the defined lines of his abdomen, highlighting that sharp V of his hipbones.
Even terrified, even knowing we might not survive this, I want him. That hunger might be the most dangerous thing of all.
“You said you had an idea, mate?” His voice carries curiosity and something darker as he watches me fumble with the bag’s ties.
“I do...” I glance up at the darkening sky. The sun bleeds crimson behind the mountains while the moon rises like a silver predator. The same moon that could block his transformation. “Corvis and I have been experimenting with bondage techniques for when I go into my fertile period and turn feral.” My hands shake as I raise them in what I hope looks like a placating gesture. “I have the birth control implant, so pregnancy isn’t an issue.”
What I don’t say: I’ve been researching because I’m terrified of becoming the monster that kills someone I love. Because black unicorns are the most volatile shifters alive.
“So you want to tie me up for our first time?” That familiar smirk tugs at his mouth—the one that makes me want to either slap him or devour him whole. But shadows flicker in his eyes, the same fear that’s eating me alive.
“Do you trust your unicorn not to accidentally hurt me?” Thequestion hangs between us like a blade waiting to fall. I study his face in the moonlight, searching for any sign that he’s as terrified as I am.
“Honestly? No.” His admission hits like a physical blow. “Though the water might help. We’re not fans of water in our shifted forms.” He takes several steps backward, muscles coiling with each movement. Even now, he’s preparing to run—or preparing for me to run from him.
At least we’re both honest about what we’re risking. At least we both know that dawn might find only one of us breathing.
I stand and reach back, pulling at the ribbons that hold my shirt in place around my wings. The shirt falls to the ground, exposing the barely-there bra. The metal barbels through my nipples can be seen, and I see his pupils dilate. The bra is the next thing to fall before I hook my thumbs into the top of my leggings and take them and my underwear off all at once.
I’ve always been comfortable with my body, but it’s the amount of scales I carry in human form that makes me hesitate now. Dark patches glisten along my hips, shoulders, and spine, marking me as something other than human. “We can try the water first. If you lose control, I’m going to tie you up.”
Hemlocke nods as he stands in chest-deep water, moonlight playing across the surface around him. “Come to me, my mate.” He raises his hand from the water and curls his index finger, beckoning me forward.
I flex my leather wings several times, feeling the membrane stretch and contract, before crossing the pebbled beach toward him. One last glance up at the moon’s position shows me it’s starting to fully illuminate the sky, casting everything in silver light.
Tiamat, help me. Protect your dragon daughter so that I make it through tonight. Please don’t let me hurt him.
I pray to our patron goddess for help and safety. Deep down, I know that if he loses control, I might accidentally kill him to protect myself. My prayers aren’t for my safety—they’re for his.
The cool water laps at my ankles as I wade toward him, closing the distance between us. Before Hemlocke can react, I dive forward and sink my teeth into the meat of his shoulder at the base of his neck. His blood tastes like cinnamon and cloves, reminding me of my favorite apple cider. His teeth find my shoulder, carefully avoiding the scales, and I feel the exact moment when our heartbeats synchronize.
