Page 113 of Blood of the Fairest

Verena becomes oddly nervous. "Oh, uh…yeah, I meant back in my world. There are stories about Beowulf there, too. I'm not sure how that's possible or how accurate they are, considering how this world compares to some other stories, but a few years ago I went through a phase of reading tons of classic world literature, and—wait, where's Little Red Riding Hood?"

I try to keep up. "Little Red…you mean the child Eris mentioned?"

"Yeah. You're supposed to be the guy who cuts open the belly of the wolf and rescues her and her grandma. Didn't you kill those things?"

I finally spy Eris in the broken mirror on the door. When he meets my gaze, I can tell he is also contemplating her particular wording.

Supposed to.

Does this mean she sees the future? Or perhaps she knows of things yet to come because she has read tales of this world in her land, aside from mine.

I notice Verena's gaze has drifted down to my nakedness. My cock twitches as I enjoy her staring, but she swiftly meets my eye once more.

"The leibwraiths are dead," I confirm. "Any souls they consumed were spilled."

"Great. Then let's go grab their souls and pop them back into their bodies, right after you cover up. Please tell me you packed a change of clothes, because again, I'm only human. And despite all of that—" She motions vaguely at the dead monsters scattered nearby, refusing to look at them. "I'm still somehow way too fucking tempted."

After relishing a bout of bloodshed, I only long to relish her all the more.

However, leibwraiths are far from the only danger in the Loomdark. The sooner I can have my vantaði back to safety, the better.

Now that I have regained some strength, I stride to pick up my bag. As swiftly as I can so Verena is not left defenseless, I rush to the babbling brook and rinse off the worst of the leibwraith blood.

Returning in fresh clothing and a spare set of boots with my bag slung over one shoulder, I find Verena standing in front of Ida's cottage near a fallen monster.

She stares at her hand, which glistens with the monster's foul-smelling blood.

"—telling you, it will not sate you," Eris is in the middle of warning from the shattered mirror on the front door. He spies me and points at Verena. "Wulf. Good. Don't let her lick that. It's revolting."

"All blood is revolting," she grumbles, rubbing the liquid between her fingers. "Besides, how do you know the queen can't drink monster blood? Did you ever see her try it?"

"She mentioned it made her ill."

"That's just the kind of thing a horny, man-eating bitch would say to justify only ever feeding on hot guys," she points out. "Maybe I just need to try it. Even if it tastes like shit, at least I won't have to hurt someone else or make them horny out of their mind, just for me to survive."

"Wulf," Eris repeats plaintively.

I gently take Verena's hand and wipe it on my shirt. She protests getting it dirty, but cleanliness never lasts in the Loomdark, anyway.

"Enough. If you thirst, feed on me."

"As someone who's very against animal cruelty, I can't feed on a bear."

"My curse only makes me into a bear when I spill too much blood."

"Not the best curse to have when you're a kick-ass warrior, huh?" She looks up to examine my face. "I can't believe I've been snacking on the legendary Beowulf this whole time. I'm a nobody in my world. You're a hero."

A hero would not torture an innocent maiden.

He also would not daydream of fucking this beautiful redhead against the nearest tree until her pleasure became too great to bear, as I now daydream. I want Verena flushed with pleasure upon her knees, tasting our combined pleasure on my cock as she milks it with her sweet lips.

I look at our hands, allowing myself to rub the softness of her wrist with my thumb. She claims she is tempted by me—but if she discovers everything I long to do to her, she might fear me again.

But though my lust for her is maddening, it does not compare to the need I have to show Verena she can trust me to protect her.

She must know she is safe with me, always.

"Whatever I was before my misdeeds against you, now I am yours." I meet her eye, needing her to understand this clearly. "No matter what world you occupy henceforth, this will not change."