Chapter 6
SIX
BEAST
She is perfect for me.
The sweet scent rising from her skin tells me her body recognizes what her mind hasn’t yet accepted—that she belongs with me. It ignites something primal in my chest, a need so fierce it nearly brings me to my knees.
I have carefully removed the fabric barriers covering her delicate form, and she lies before me like something precious and breakable—all soft curves and pale skin that seems to glow in the morning light.
Her eyes widen to impossible roundness when I position myself above her, and I’m struck by how small she looks beneath my massive frame.
“Just don’t hurt me,” she whispers, and the words stop me cold.
My frown is immediate and deep. How could she think? “You are my consort,” I say, as if this should explain everything that matters. “I would sooner tear out my own heart than cause you pain.”
I lean down to breathe against her temple, my voice dropping to the gentlest rumble I can manage. “I have waited centuries for you, little one. Do you truly think I would damage something so precious?”
When she doesn’t immediately respond, I pull back to study her face. “What do you need, consort? You do not need to be afraid.”
The vulnerability in asking nearly undoes me, but this moment—our first moment—must be right. She must understand that, despite my monstrous appearance, despite the circumstances that brought us together, I already worship the very ground she walks on.
“I know I am... much to take in,” I continue, my usual commanding tone replaced by something almost uncertain. “But I swear to you on whatever divine spark still burns in my chest, I will be gentle. I will go slowly. I will stop the moment you ask me to.”
My hand hovers near her cheek, not quite touching. “May I?”