by Blue Saffire
He proceeds to fill both our plates with meat and vegetables. I’m starving from the altercation in the woods and healing him. When I realize I’m eating like a slob, I look up to find a smile on his lips. He nods for me to continue as he tears into a drumstick. I smile back and return to my food.
“I saw your copy of Frankenstein. I used to read that as a boy,” he says after a while.
I blink at him. Frankenstein is one of my favorites. I remember I’d been reading it before his father tried to steal the rose.
“Yes, I love that book. Do you still like to read?”
“I love to read,” he says and his eyes light up. “I will read anything I can get my hands on. These days, I’ve been reading up on the history of my people.”
“Where are you from?”
“The land of Kunglig.”
That sounds so familiar. My brain tickles from its mention. Still, I can’t make the connection. I shake my head.
“You are a warrior there?”
He searches my face before he nods. “Yes, and more.”
I tilt my head as I notice his lids getting heavy. My venom mostly likely has begun to make him drowsy. He will want to lie down soon.
“I think I should show you to your room. You won’t be able to hold your head up much longer. Another side effect,” I warn.
“I believe that would be best. This meal was very hearty and delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Argon
I think her venom has caused me to lose my mind. I shouldn’t find this creature attractive. Nor should I want to treat her with kindness.
However, after watching her at dinner, I can see she’s soft beneath the hard shell she puts further. She’s quite adorable. As a sway at her side, I tell myself my thoughts are an effect of her healing.
“Here, this one will be yours,” she says as we stop outside one of the many doors. “If you need anything Bach or Dinesh will be of service to you.”
I turn to her and lean my shoulder against the wall beside the door. I reach to cup the side of her face and brush my finger across her cheek. She looks up at me.
“And you? Will you be back?”
Her lips part as she looks up at me through innocent eyes. She’s so small, but her body is full of lush curves. She takes a step back and her hooves click, reminding me this isn’t a woman like the ones in my realm.
“What do you need me for?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the poison isn’t all gone,” I say before I think better.
She shakes her head. “It’s gone. I made sure of it. You should turn in. You’re a large man. If you pass out I don’t think my magic is ready to carry you.”
I give her a crooked smile. “Goodnight, Blaise. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome,” she says quickly and turns to rush off.
I stand watching her full hips sway. She looks over her shoulder to find my eyes on her. A gasp leaves her lips and she wraps that tail around herself.
I tip my head back and laugh. The booming sound fills the hall, causing me to laugh more. Um, maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
Chapter 6
A Gift of Thanks
Blaise
“Rise and shine, Princess,” Ms. Posh sings.
I groan and turn in my bed, burying my face into my pillow. I haven’t gotten any sleep. I spent the night dreaming of a certain sexy giant.
I’m frustrated and exhausted. I want to sleep for the rest of the day and only come up for food. I intend to do just that.
“Come, child. The man has been up for hours now. He has asked after you several times already.”
“Why?” I groan into the pillow. “What does he want?”
Ms. Posh flies over my head and sits on my pillow. “He wants to make sure you’re okay. I believe he’s concerned about you. He knows you used a lot of your power to save him.”
“Tell him I’m fine.”
“Oh no, dear. You must do that yourself. Come on, princess. It’s time you enchant this man and cause him to fall in love with you.”
“Love or lust? You didn’t see the way he looked at me last night. I don’t want to go out there.”
“I’ve been telling you for years that you’re still gorgeous. A real man will see that.”
“I don’t even know what to say to him,” I murmur.
“You will figure that out as you go.”
I roll onto my back and look at the ceiling, allowing my tail to lift in the air and sway back and forth as I think. I don’t want to go out there and embarrass myself. I feel like that’s all I did last night.
“Should I give him something? You know to thank him for bring me back to the castle,” I say nervously.
“Yes, yes! That’s a great idea.”
I sit up on my elbows. “But what? What should I give him?”
“I say you give him some pussy and save us all,” Dinesh says as he flies into the view.
“Don’t you have some work to do?” Ms. Posh chides.
“Nope, fed the giant and made sure his room had new towels. I’m here to see if I can be of assistance. I used to pull the ladies in all the time if you know what I mean,” he replies, wiggling his brows.
“She doesn’t need to get him into her bed. She needs him to fall in love.” Ms. Posh folds her arms over her chest.
“They all fell in love with me, if I remember right. I can tell you a thing or two.”
“Dinesh, please.” I palm my face.
“Okay, okay. You want to give him a gift. It should be something that peaks his interest. What did you learn about him last night?”
“Nothing.”
“Think, dear. You had to learn something. He tried to be engaging. It was very sweet of him,” Ms. Posh coaches.
I think back to last night. She’s right. He was very sweet to me. I’m still surprised by that.
I gasp. “Books.”
“Dear Lord, I’m never going to get laid again,” Dinesh groans and drops down onto the bed.
“Shut it, you,” I snap. “He said he loves to read. His eyes lit up when he said it. I’ll give him books.”
Dinesh lifts his head. “Oh, that sounds promising, but I have a better idea.”
“Oh goodness,” Ms. Posh murmurs.
“Trust me.”
Argon
She has her cloak on again. I’m a little disappointed to see that. I’ve been warring with that fact since she found me roaming the halls.
“Are you taking me back to my cell?”
She tilts her head back to look up at me. I give her a smile to ease the tension. She blinks at me.
“No, would you like to return there?”
“Not particularly.”
She turns back to focus on the hall before us. My curiosity grows as we move down the long hallway. We stop in front of double doors and she hands me a key.
I take the key and lift a brow at her. She reaches up to pass a hand over her waves. Seeing that she’s nervous, I don’t press her.
Turning to the doors, I stick the key into the lock. When I push the doors open, I wave for her to walk in before for me. She shakes her head.
“You first, please.”
I shrug and walk in. A smile comes to my lips as I cross the threshold. It’s a library. A vast one at that. I turn in a circle as I take it all in.
“This is a very nice library. I could get lost in here,” I say.
“Good, it’s yours. I hope it makes your time here easier. Again, I thank you for not leaving me to the wolves.”
I saunter over to where she stands watching me. She’s very small compared to me. She cranes her neck to look at me.
I pull her into my embrace. “Thank you. This is kind of you.”
She tugs away, her cheeks are on fire again. I think it’s so cute. She looks everywhere but at me.
“Yes, well, you’re welcome. It’s the least I can do.”
“Would you like to read with me?”
She beings to wring her hands. “I… you… Would you not rather be here alone?”
“No, I’ve been alone all day. Sit with me. We can pick books to read and keep each other company. That’s if you don’t have anything else to do,” I reply.
“Yes, I’d like that. I will stay.”
I close the distance between us and wrap an arm around her shoulders. The pulsing in my chest settles to a dull hum. It’s the first time all day that it’s settled.
“Come, I’m in the mood to get lost in some pages.”
Blaise
I peek up from my book to watch him. He’s sitting in the window seat with his head bent over a book. He’s gorgeous. Half of his hair is up in a tie. The other half rests around his shoulders. A few strands have come loose to play around his face and temple.
His lashes are so long, I can see them from where I sit in the overstuffed chair. The sunlight coming in through the window highlights his face. He’s breathtaking.
“Have you picked a book that doesn’t hold your interest?” he murmurs, but keeps his eyes on his book.
I drop my eyes to my own and turn the page with my tail. “I’ve enjoyed this book many times,” I reply.
“Then it must be that you have never seen a man before,” he says. This time he does turn to me and lifts a brow.
I shift in my seat. “I’ve seen a man before.”
He closes his book with a loud popping sound. It causes me to flinch. I frown at myself and close my book to place it into my lap.
“What do you do for enjoyment other than read?”
I chew on my lip. I have to think over his question. I don’t do much outside of play my cello and read books. I can’t remember the last time I could say that I enjoyed myself.
“I—I don’t do much.”
“Fine, then we will improvise. How are you feeling? Are you up for a stroll? I’d like to see these roses I’m serving time for,” he says.
I bow my head at the mention of his imprisonment and the roses. Argon stands and moves closer to me. He squats and places a hand beneath my chin.
Lifting my head, he stares into my eyes. I search his, not understanding this change. He tried to leave, he was angry when he had to take his father’s place.
“I want to understand. You say the roses have a greater value than I know. I’m trying to understand why I’m here and why you’re here alone.”
“I’m not alone,” I whisper.
He tilts his head. “Maybe not, but you’re not happy.”
I shutdown and turn away from him. I don’t like this. He’s too close and that feeling in my chest pulses with his nearness.
“Come for a walk with me. We don’t have to talk. I need to stretch my bones.” He stands and holds his hand out.
I hesitate for only a moment before I take it and stand. His touch sends a spark of electricity up my arm. We lock eyes and I know he has felt it too.
This could prove to be dangerous. I think I like this man.
Chapter 7
Magical Books
Argon
I can’t sleep. I’ve been thinking about Blaise since I bid her goodnight. I’ve learned that she’s shy and much like a young girl looking for friendship.
I’m intrigued by her. Once I coaxed her into that walk I learned a lot about her. I was even able to coax a smile to her lips.
“Fuck.”
I fling the covers off and throw my legs over the side of the bed. I wrap the sheet around my waist and grab the key to the library. Maybe a book will help me distract myself enough to rest.
I pad through the hallway barefoot, remembering my way back to the massive library. When I find the doors I’m looking for, I stick the key into the lock and push my way in.
I inhale the scent of leather bindings and old pages. This would be a place of peace for me back home. I head for the shelves on the left, not searching in any order.
When I stop before the shelves I find old books from the earth realm. I enjoy these. I run my fingertips across the spines. I stop short when I find a section with romance books based in Alchemy.
My interest is peaked. I pull the first book in the series from the shelf and skim through. I chuckle as I fall upon a love scene.
I probably shouldn’t read this. My head is already meddled with thoughts of a being I know nothing of. Yes, she’s a woman but she’s also half beast. I’ve never seen a woman like her before.
“For the love of the gods,” I murmur and tuck the book under my arm.
I return to my chambers and climb back into bed with the book I’ve chosen. Thankfully, the words pull me in and I’m able to focus. Not like earlier when in the library with Blaise.
While she studied me, I felt her eyes on me. I grew more curious as she stared. The words on the page had become a blur as questions about her continued to circle in my head.
I’m well into the book when I get to the heated intimate scene. I shift beneath the sheets as I read, my cock growing hard. I decide to put the book down to see if I can get some rest.
However, I start to feel strange as I did during that kiss. My eyes become unfocused and the room around me is a haze. I rub my eyes and that’s when they become clear again.
I draw my brows in confusion as the room comes back into focus and it’s evident that I’m no longer in my bedchamber. The darkly decorated room is no more. I now sit in a cream and teal room.
I look down at the bed and it’s not the soft large four-poster one I’ve been lying in. It’s been replaced with a low mattress surrounded by soft pillows. It dawns on me that this is the exact setting of the room in the book I’d been reading.
Feeling a presence at my other side, I turn to find a curvy form beneath the sheets beside me. The reddish brown waves make me think of Blaise. Although I can already tell this woman has no tail.
She moans and rolls onto her back. My lips part and my mouth waters as her full breasts are exposed to me. I reach for the sheet and tug it back.
Smooth brown skin is revealed, but that’s not what grabs my attention. There are no hooves. Her sexy shapely legs lead to cute little feet.
I allow my gaze to travel back up her body, stopping at the apex of her full thighs. Soft inviting curls rest over her plush mound. I lick my lips and my nostrils flare.
I focus my gaze higher. Again her breasts grab my appreciation. Her dark nipples are more than an arousing sight.
Finally, I lift my eyes to her face. Her eyes are open and she’s observing me as I take her in. Frustration rises when I can only see her eyes. Her head and face are covered in teal fabric.
It reminds me that the heroine in the book I was reading wore a head and face covering. However, Blaise’s eyes are something I’ve grown to find interest in. They are so expressive.
She lifts a hand to cup my jaw. “This isn’t real,” she whispers.
I shake my head. “No, this must be the hallucinations you warned me of.”
She snorts. “Right, because I would be hallucinating as well,” she mutters more to herself.
I don’t give her words much attention. Her enticing body has all of my focus. I brush my fingers along her thigh and she gasps.
It’s such an arresting sound. I want to hear more. I return my gaze to hers as if asking for permission to touch her more.
Her eyes are pleading, causing me to trail my fingers to the soft curls between her legs and then lower. When I find her slick with arousal, I groan. My cock is painfully hard.
Not able to restrain myself, I dip my head to suck one of her nipples into my mouth. Her cry is husky and arousing. Her skin tastes of sweetness.
I’m stunned by that fact at first. It’s common of the women in my realm to have flavored skin. However, that’s not something other realms are known for.
At least, not according to my studies and encounters on other planes. I want to see if she carries all the traits of my people. I shift to settle between her legs.
She opens her thighs to
me so easily it brings me great pride. It is considered a gift to have a woman open herself to you in my realm. I take this gift with appreciation as I release her nipple and move down her body.
I glide a hand up her side to reach her other nipple and pinch it as I kiss my way down her smooth stomach. The sounds coming from her mouth are so sexy.
When I get to her soaked entrance I can already smell the scent of vanilla and apples. I look up at her with curiosity. I really look into her eyes.
Perhaps the hallucination has made her more like the women from my home. That would explain it. Just as her legs and feet have been altered.
“Lie back, I’m going to taste you,” I command as she rests on her elbows watching me.
She nods her head and obeys. I lower my head for my first taste. My mouth waters as her flavor bursts against my tongue. I eat at her essence, parting her folds with my hands to get better access to her delicious center.
“Yes,” she cries. “Please. That feels so good.”
I continue to feast on her as her thick thighs shake. I cup one in my palm and turn to kiss and lick it, giving her a short break. Her back arches off the mattress as she grabs for the pillows at her sides.
I return to her center and continue to bring her pleasure until my mouth fills with her sweet nectar. It’s like drinking a warm glass of cider. I kiss my way back up her body.
I want to see her face and kiss those soft lips once again. My loins still burn with desire when I think of that kiss. I reach for the fabric covering her face.
Right as I touch it, I feel that pull again. My vision blurs. I blink rapidly, trying to bring her back into view.
I’m by myself, back in my bedchamber alone. I reach for my stiff cock and groan. Biting out a curse, I flip onto my back.
My head is too heavy for me to keep my eyes open long enough to think over what just happened. I close them with a smile on my face and a hard cock in my hand.
Chapter 8