He never slows, pushing deeper and faster until I can feel him spilling inside of me. His tentacles grip me even tighter as the pleasure wracks his body too.
This is our world, a dark and dangerous one where we are bound together by passion and need. And as we catch our breaths, I know that I would do anything to keep this twisted reality alive.
He holds me close for a few more moments before loosening his hold, leaving us both spent and satisfied in the alleyway.
We stay there for some time, held in a blissful embrace before finally pulling away from each other slowly. He leans down to give me one final passionate kiss.
His fingers brush against my cheek, a touch that's both gentle and possessive. "You're mine, Evie," he whispers, his lips inches from mine. "In every way that matters."
I stand with a newfound confidence radiating through me that was not there before. The world is different now. I know what it's like to be wanted and desired beyond all measure—by something so much greater than myself—and no one can take this feeling away from me ever again.
In the shadowed alleyway, the adrenaline still pulses through my veins, but I start shivering as the cold gloms onto my sweaty body.
"Stay here," he instructs before disappearing into nothingness.
It’s barely a minute later when he reappears, wordlessly helping me into my puffy coat that I’d left inside the club. His clawed hands are surprisingly gentle, especially after he so roughly took me. My skin is sticky inside the jacket, from sweat and desire, but I like the feeling of being enveloped.
"Why are you eating more monster hearts, Shadow?" I ask, my senses coming back to me. "The danger... it's changing you."
He looks away for a moment, his gaze landing on the lifeless body a few feet away. "They're adapting to my tactics," he finally says, his voice a deep rumble. "The Guard, they're learning how I move, how I think. It's a constant game of chess, and I need to stay several moves ahead."
"But there has to be another way," I press, my concern for him growing. "Can't you go into hiding? Stay away from me, if it helps?"
Shadow pulls me closer, tendrils wrapping around us like a protective cocoon. "Evie, hiding isn't an option. They've increased their forces. It's not just about evading them anymore—it's about maintaining the strength to protect you."
I look up into his white misty eyes, seeing the turmoil within. "But this... it's consuming you. You're losing yourself."
I might lose you.
Having him go into hiding and stay away would hurt like hell, but I’d die if anything happened to him.
He brushes a stray hair from my face, his touch tender. "You're my anchor, Evie. Without you, I'd already be lost."
"The Guard have to go through me first, and I’ll never let them take you from me." I squeeze him tighter, pretending I have the power to fight off everyone and everything for him.
Shadow's response is a low, feral growl, filled with a fond possessiveness.
In his embrace, surrounded by his darkness, I am inexplicably safe. The man he killed, a predator in his own right, lies forgotten, a necessary casualty. I should feel remorse, guilt, something.
Why does that give me a sense of relief?
After I return home and Shadow disappears, I’m surprised to find a wad of cash on my nightstand. A bit of blood is splattered on the corners.
It’s from Crooked Nose.
I swallow hard as I pick it up with surprisingly steady fingers.
Delight sparks in me—a monstrous, evil delight that I can survive a little longer.
I plan to keep looking for a job, but this will ensure I don’t lose my roof in the meantime.
I tell myself it will be just this once.
But I already know this is only the beginning of something bigger, something darker. And I might not be able to come back from it.
Slipping On New Skin
I’m not sure I’m human anymore.
