“Do you understand now?” I ask. “What I am? What I do?”
Her eyes never leave mine as she nods slowly, licking her lips. “I'm beginning to. But I still need to see what you really look like.”
30
SIMONE
Igaze into Az's eyes, my heart hammering in my ribcage. After everything I've seen today, there's only one thing left I need to know.
“Show me,” I say, my voice firm despite the flutter of nerves in my stomach. “Show me what you look like.”
Uncertainty flickers across his perfect features. “Simone...” He looks away, actually looking afraid.
“No more secrets,” I insist. “I need to see all of you. Not just the pretty package you've presented to me for three years.”
He studies me for a long moment, as though memorizing my face. Maybe he's afraid I'll never look at him the same way.
“Very well.”
Az takes a step back, creating space between us. He closes his eyes, and I watch the transformation begin.
The horns appear first, spiraling protrusions of deep indigo that emerge from his forehead, growing upward and curving slightly backward. His black shirt rips as massive wings unfurl, stretching at least twelve feet from tip to tip.
His skin darkens, taking on a scaled texture, though it's still sleekand almost iridescent. His face becomes more angular, his jawline sharper, cheekbones more pronounced. When he opens his eyes, they're backlit with an eerie green fire, the pupils now vertical slits like a serpent’s.
His body grows larger, taller, muscles becoming more defined and pronounced as the remnants of his clothing fall away in tatters. A thick, muscular tail sways behind him with hypnotic grace.
My gaze drops between his legs, and I gasp.
His cock is fully erect, larger than in his human form, darker than the rest of him, the scales there smaller and smoother. The piercing glints at the tip, and while I can still see the tattoo patterns, they now appear lighter against the darker flesh.
“This is my real physical form,” he says, his voice deeper, resonating in my chest.
The creatures around us are now silent, gazing at their master in reverence.
Mère de Dieu, I should be terrified. I should be disgusted. I should be running.
Instead, I feel heat blooming between my legs, my nipples tightening beneath my dress. For three years, he kept this hidden from me, and now that I see him, I'm not repulsed. I'm fascinated.
“May I...” I swallow hard, taking a tentative step forward. “May I touch you?”
Az blinks at me, surprise crossing his demonic features. “You're not afraid?”
I chuckle nervously. “I am. But I'm also curious.”
I reach out slowly, letting my fingers brush against his arm. The scales feel smooth and warm beneath my touch, almost like the snake I held once at the zoo. I trace my hand upward to his shoulder, marveling at the contrast between my pale skin and his darkened form.
My hand moves to his chest, feeling the muscles flex beneath my palm. His powerful heart thunders against my palm.
I circle him slowly, examining every detail, my fingerstrailing across his back where his wings join his body. The feathers quiver beneath my touch.
“Sensitive?” I murmur.
“Very,” he growls.
I complete my circle and study his face. What I see there makes my insides quiver. Desire. Possessiveness. And something else. Something I might call love, if such a being is capable of it.
“Your horns,” I say into the sudden quiet of the room. “Can I touch them?”
