Chapter Fifteen
Wanda
In the cocoon of her trees, Wanda could easily forget there was an outside world, and it could be days before she felt the need to seek the company of others. Unlike her brother, who had a desire to see what was beyond the forest, Wanda never had. Dougal had kept away because he would have been more than aware of what was happening inside her trees.
In fact, she suspected the entire forest was aware of what she had been up to with Christa. They had to have heard her. She could not prevent the sounds of delight pouring from her lips. She had tried, when she had the wherewithal. For days, they had kept to themselves, discovering each other in ways that made Wanda blush and want to hide her face. She had easily accepted being the way she was with her trees, but how she was with Christa was something else entirely. A warm touch… yes, that made all the difference to the experience.
Wanda admitted to herself that she was still coming to terms with how her body hummed with arousal just being anywhere near Christa. She didn’t have to touch her to make her want Christa’s touch. To want the demon to appear and worship her as she had done just hours before.
Christa appeared to feel the same attraction. Need. And although Wanda was na?ve, she was aware that only one of them lacked experience. What she had with her trees wasn't the same.
As if Christa sensed her inner turmoil, a hand stroked over her breast, and the tension bled away. She released a moan of delight at the tug low in her womb. As they were now, lying on the bed of leaves, looking up at the sky where the trees had separated to allow the morning sun to warm their bodies, Wanda considered life was pretty perfect.
Did Christa feel the same? Did she want more than this? More than what they had here, in the forest?
Wanda had no need for the things humans insisted they needed. When the urgency to immerse herself in Wanda no longer held Christa in its powerful hold, would that change things?
Since Christa had touched her intimately, the feeling that she wouldn’t survive another moment without her lovers hadn’t eased for Wanda. If anything, it had grown stronger. The hand on her breast squeezed gently. Her own hand remained on Christa’s bare thigh, close enough for her fingers to graze her sex when the desire to reclaim the connection came. She held back a sigh at her own needy behavior, and to show her regret at refusing to accept their bond from the very beginning. To make up for those lost days, when she had denied them both.
“Your thoughts are loud, my love. There is no need to fret. We are here now, together,” Christa murmured against her hair before untangling herself to ease up and sit cross-legged, a seemingly favored position when she wasn’t lying down. Her hair was a tangle of black, hanging over golden skin that glowed in the sunlight.
“I’m sorry,” Wander replied, working to keep the quiver from her voice and moving to sit in the same pose, facing Christa. The space adapted to accommodate the position change without thought. “I hurt you. I feel the scar inside you.”
Christa’s eyes clouded for a moment before she reached for Wanda’s hand and placed it between her bare breasts. “Each touch, each caress, erases the past. Scars remain as reminders of how far we have come.”
Wanda felt the steady beat of Christa’s heart, hearing the sincerity. “Does that excuse what I did?”
“Fear is a powerful emotion. One I understand. There is no blame that lies at your door. It is with those who choose to hurt something precious. To damage—destroy a special bond. I’m sorry that I never met you before they…”
“Please don’t,” Wanda begged at the sudden wave of distress Christa suffered. “I would have been in the forest when they came, nothing can change that. I’m here, now… safe.”
“You don’t feel safe.” Christa held her gaze as she let Wanda’s hand go. She could do nothing but let it sit in her lap when she saw Christa’s disappointment at the lie Wanda had attempted to offer. “I felt your fear the day I arrived. It was because of Scott shouting, wasn’t it?”
“Scott?”
“The demon who I came into the forest with. He is Dakata’s personal secretary, and it seemed he was looking for someone in the forest and lost control. He would never harm you. He’s a real softie at heart.” She held Wanda’s stare. “All demons frighten you.”
Wanda’s curls bounced over her shoulders as she shook her head. “No. I don’t feel safe like I did…” She needed to touch Christa, so she reached for her hands, so much bigger than her own. “But I feel safe with you and you are a demon. That counts, surely?” she begged.
The pause was so long, Wanda’s stomach lurched unpleasantly.
“It does… yes.” Christa’s fingers threaded with Wanda’s. “It’s not enough, though.”
A sob rose at how sad Christa sounded. “I don’t know how to change it.”
“I need to go to the demon realm—”
Panic, greedy and merciless, clutched her heart and squeezed it. “No, I can’t go to the demon realm, I can’t,” she sobbed, upsetting her trees.
Christa let go of her hands and a second later, Wanda was sitting on Christa’s lap, facing her. She cupped Wanda’s cheeks and kissed her softly. “I would never ask you to go to the demon realm. I swear it,” she murmured between soft kisses, which helped to allay the fear as much as the words.
Gazes locked, Wanda didn’t conceal her fear. “I can’t go back.”
Christa nodded. “I know.” She pulled Wanda closer until she could rest her head on Christa’s chest, hand and leaves stroking her back. “I need to go there, to speak to the king.”
Wanda shuddered. “Why… why do you need to speak to the king?”
“He is the most powerful demon. He can protect the forest from unwelcome visitors. Stop anyone not invited from getting beyond the forest boundary.”
Wanda pulled back, searching for the truth. “He can do that?”
“He can.”
“Will he want to do that… for me?”
A wrinkle appeared between Christa’s sculpted brows. “I don’t know.”
There was no false hope, and Wanda was grateful for it. “But you’ll ask him… for me?”
Christa stroked her hand down Wanda’s face, brushing back her messy curls. “I would do anything for you.” She kissed her. The passion that was never far away simmered with renewed life. “ Anything at all .”
Christa’s stomach grumbled in such a way it broke a little of the tension between them. She gave Wanda a sheepish look.
“Peaches aren’t quite enough to fill a demon.” Her smile turned wicked and heated Wanda’s core. “Even coated in your sweetness.”
Blushing up to her roots, Wanda had nowhere to hide with how close they were. Christa would not miss the wetness of Wanda’s sex when it was so close to her belly.
Seeking a distraction, Wanda considered what else she could feed Christa besides…
They had no food delivery service to the forest, no Deliveroo or whatever they were called, that brought food to people's homes.
Christa’s head tilted as she observed Wanda, hair flowing over her bare shoulders. She was beautiful in both forms. Her demon had more curves. Wanda suspected those who didn’t look beyond those soft curves would miss the warrior beneath. She was there in the blue eyes that appeared to miss nothing as they swept over Wanda now, waiting for her to answer.
“Food…”
Christa ramped up the gorgeous smile and made all sensible thoughts flee. “Yes?”
“Food…” Wanda shook herself and shut her eyes to see if that helped. “You’re hungry,” she continued, making herself appear even more ditsy than usual.
“I am,” Christa whispered, far closer than she had been a moment earlier. Wanda could inhale the sweet scent of her breath.
Her eyes flicked open, and Christa’s face was inches from hers. “W-what do you like to eat?”
Wanda’s pale skin burned with heat at the desire that darkened Christa’s gaze as it swept down her naked body, arousing with its passionate caress and taking them right back to the conversation Wanda was trying to stop thinking about.
“ Food ,” she stressed, embarrassed, yet pleased at the same time.
“What do you normally eat?” Christa asked, wearing a look of amusement.
“Mainly fruit and vegetables.” An arched brow got her rushing on. “They are good for you.”
“I’m sure they are.” Christa’s voice held a wealth of fun as she winked saucily at Wanda. “But I could do with something more filling right now.”
“Like what?” The dip in Wanda’s belly wasn’t pleasant when she had nothing else to offer.
The question had hardly left her lips when there sat a large box just out of reach. The scent of mouthwatering melted cheese, herbs, and tomato made her groan. “Pizza! How?” she asked stupidly, because clearly someone had stolen her brain power.
Christa shrugged, moving Wanda so she could rest back against Christa’s chest and sit between her now extended legs. She flipped open the lid and Wanda groaned in appreciation at the steam rising from the box, gifting her with more of the delicious smell.
Christa picked up a slice of pizza, folding the tip so the cheese didn’t dangle down, and offered it to Wanda. “I can use human tools the same as everyone else, but I suspect a delivery service here is out of the question.” She picked up another slice and moaned. “A woman cannot live without pizza, I assure you.”
Wanda bit into the hot slice of pizza, the herbs zinging in her mouth as she moved the hot food around to avoid burning the roof of her mouth with the cheese and couldn’t disagree, not in the slightest. She moaned in delight at the burst of flavors.
She grinned cheekily, twisting to look at Christa. “I think you might be right. I also like cheeseburgers, just so you know.”
Laughter bounced off the leaves, giving Wanda a secret thrill as Christa let out the joyous sound. “I’ll remember that.”