"You're not a monster," she said quietly.
"I've done monstrous things."
"Maybe." She traced the curse mark on his jaw. "But you're also the man who chained himself in a hold to protect me. Who bit a pillow instead of my throat. Who's telling me about his childhood while locked inside me." A ghost of a smile. "Monsters don't do that."
He wanted to argue. Wanted to list every terrible thing he'd done, every woman he'd failed to save, every cruel word he'd spoken in the name of self-preservation.
But she was looking at him like he was a man instead of a beast, and he couldn't bring himself to shatter that illusion.
Not yet.
Chapter Eight
JEANNE
The fifth wave was gentler.
Jeanne woke slowly, her body aching but not burning, the heat building gradually instead of crashing over her all at once. Anatole was behind her, his arm draped over her waist, his breath warm against her neck.
"Morning." His voice was rough with sleep.
"Is it?" She couldn't see the windows from this angle. Couldn't tell if it was dawn or dusk or somewhere in between.
"I think so." He nuzzled against her throat, and she felt his cock hardening against her backside. "Can you feel it? Another wave coming?"
She could. The slow build of heat, the increasing slick between her thighs. But this one felt different. Softer. Almost manageable.
"It's not as bad as before."
"The worst is over." His hand slid down her stomach, between her legs, his fingers sliding through her wetness. "The later waves are easier. Your body's had what it needed. Now it's just... finishing."
She turned her head to look at him. His eyes were blue, his expression softer than she'd ever seen it. Stubble shadowed his jaw, making the silver-blue streak in his beard more pronounced. He looked tired. He looked human.
He looked beautiful.
She reached up and cupped his face, feeling the rough texture of his beard against her palm.
"Thank you." The words came out whisper-soft. "For staying with me through this. For stopping yourself."
"You called my name." His thumb circled her clit, lazy and exploring. "Every time I got close to biting, you called my name and brought me back."
"We brought each other back."
"Yes." He kissed her shoulder, the spot where his fangs had grazed the night before. "We did."
