Screams echo in my mind – my sisters’ screams. Along with a huge, white moon getting bigger and closer. That ended up not being a moon at all.
There was a voice, too. A woman’s voice that circled my heart.
“Dahlia?”
I yelp, startling Pumpkin awake.
Tauren stands in the entrance to the cave. “Are you alright?” Concern tugs at his brow.
“Yes.” I slide Pumpkin off me. “I was just daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming?” He smirks, and the damned need returns. “About?”
“Stabbing you in your sleep,” I turn to watch the fire, “and feeding your bones to Pumpkin.”
She whines. I shoot her a look, and she scurries out of the cave, her tail between her legs.
I feel Tauren’s eyes weighing on me. After a few heavy moments, he enters the cave. “How are your injuries?”
I’m suddenly aware of how small this cave is compared to his looming form. “I’m fine. They look bad but I’m not in pain anymore.”
“Good. There’s pain relief in the saddlebags. You need only ask.” He takes a seat across from me. Firelight catches in his hair, turning his soft waves amber. I resist the urge to run my fingers through it.
“When are we returning to your castle then?” I ask quietly. “If I’m to be stuck with you forever, then I’d at least like to write to my sisters, to let them know that I’m safe.” I wonder if Father would ever let them come and visit. Might be a tall ask…
‘Hello Father, could you please let the girls stay with me and my demon husband for a while. I promise I’ll find a nice tower for them to stay in, and there’ll be space in the dungeon for Blossom.’ I chuckle at the thought.
“You can write to them when we return.” Tauren nods. “As forwhenwe return, well… that depends.”
My stomach flips. “What do you mean, ‘that depends’?”
“It depends, dear wife, on how long it takes you to beg for my forgiveness after what you did at our wedding.”
I snort. “Better get used to living in a cave then.” Lying back on my bedroll, I ignore the way ‘dear wife’ make me feel, the warmth on the back of my neck. “We’re even now anyway. You embarrassed me, so I embarrassed you. No need for any apologising.”
He chuckles darkly, tugging me towards him by my ankle. “Yes, but then you ran away from me, and worse than that, you were injured.” Sliding his hands up my leg, he gathers me into his lap. “If I don’t make you understand what you did wrong, you’ll only do it again. And I can’t have you hurting yourself, sweetheart. What sort of husband would I be if I let that happen?” His voice is sinful as he locks my hands behind my back. “So now I have to punish you.”
“You don’t have to do anything.” I squirm on his lap, but he grasps my rear, hard enough to make me squeak.
“Oh, but I think you want me to.” He positions us so my back is on the bedroll and he’s on all fours on top of me. “I think you’ve been desperate for someone to put you in your place since the night you arrived in my castle.”
I force down a whimper.
“I know your secret, Dahlia.” His grins wickedly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?—”
“I think you do.” He pins my hands above my head, drawing close to my ear. “You pretend to be a spoiled princess when in reality you’re a dirty little brat who loves being punished. And you know what, my darling?”
I stop breathing. My cheeks burn hotter than the sun.
“You’ve married someone who knows exactly how to tame you.” He tears my bloomers off, the white fabric fluttering in scraps to the cave floor. Grabbing my hips, he flips me over until my bare arse is exposed to him.
“Tauren!” I gasp.
“Tell me to stop and I’ll stop.” He kneads the soft flesh of my rear. “But I don’t think you want me to.” I gasp as his fingers slide lower, teasing the wetness I’ve been so desperate to hide. “I canfeelyou don’t want me to. Dirty girl.” He chuckles.
“What are you going to do about it?” I snarl.
