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“The curse,” I admitted.

Each romanceable character had a different thing that the player tried to solve. For some, they needed help making amends, obtaining a trinket, getting revenge, or finding someone. Damien’s main quest was helping break his curse.

“Are you cursed?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

His necklace dangled tantalizingly. I gave in and hooked my finger around it.

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

Zane’s brow furrowed. “You’re not afraid?”

“You wouldn’t hurt me.” I wholly believed my words. He’d shown me nothing but care. Zane might be a demon, but that wasn’t his entire identity.

“Not unless I ask you to?” He winked, then glided his lips across mine.

Zane sat at the corner of the sectional and pulled me onto his lap. My boxers were thin enough to feel his sizeable bulge, and I settled against his chest to absorb his body heat through our bare skin. He held me like I was precious.

“I fed off the wrong human. He was one of Lucifer’s favorite lovers, but I didn’t know. When Lucifer found out, he exiled me to this place and clipped my wings. Hence the chest tattoo.”

“What about the biohazard one?”

“Lucifer’s little joke. After catching his lover sucking me off, he wanted anyone else who might attempt it to know I was a biohazard.”

“What a dick.”

Zane laughed and kissed my hair. “He’s alright. A bit possessive.”

I couldn’t believe this was real. “You have to stay here? Like the woods?”

“The house, plus a small perimeter around it. Except on Halloween, I can go further into the woods.”

“You’re the apparition at the abandoned building? On Compass Adventure?”

Zane flashed a pleased smile. “Most years, at least one person spends the night there on a dare, and I can feed.”

I shivered at the memory of my first dream. “Did you feed on me earlier?”

His mouth tightened in a grim line. “I did. I’m sorry.”

I moved to straddle him and cupped his neck. “Don’t be. You need to feed, and trust me, I enjoyed it.” I made sure he saw the truth in my eyes. “If you hadn’t, I might have never fully realized I like men.” At least one man.

Zane gripped my ass, kneading the flesh. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” I nipped at his bottom lip. “I’m grateful.” And horny. But there was still more I wanted to know about him. “What happens when you don’t feed?”

“I get weaker, brain fog, muted powers, but it won’t kill me. Lucie enjoys the torture.”

Lucie? I wasn’t sure my brain would ever reconcile my impression of the devil with a petulant

I had so many questions about his powers, but it also made me sick to imagine this vibrant man dulled for an entire year.

“Is that why you cooked for me after? To replenish my energy?” I thought of the way Dorian always cooked for the player after the…encounters.

He rewarded my guess by nibbling on my earlobe.

“Can you feed on the same person without hurting them? I’ve read lore that humans die or go insane after being fed on.” I licked my lips.