11. Willow
Willow
Rhune’s arms circle my waist, and we fall back onto the bed of furs with a dull thud.
He flips me so my back is pressed to his chest and I’m in a better snuggle position, then curls his massive body around mine.
His clawed palm rests on my stomach possessively, and a rumbling purr builds in his throat as he begins nuzzling my neck.
I feel like I’m a damn stuffed animal.
I wriggle against his hold, but freeze when my ass brushes against the tip of his hardened cock. Rhune’s purr grows stronger, his chest vibrating at my back.
“You feel divine.” A pleasurable shudder runs through him as he slides his palm over the curve of my hip. “So soft and small. You fit perfectly against my heart.”
I blush, trying not to let his words affect me. “I’m not small. I’m taller than average for humans.” I’m not going to touch the latter half of his statement…
“You are small to me,” he counters. To prove it, he places his palm over mine, showcasing how my hand is swallowed by his massive paw. “You see? Small.”
I want to point out that any human would seem tiny compared to him, but instead, I just chuckle and say, “Okay, Rhune.”
We lie there snuggling for a while in comfortable silence. After long, my mind travels back to Dravik and the way he left. It was so uncharacteristic of him, and something was very clearly wrong, no matter what Rhune said.
“Hey, Rhune?”
“Yes, my willow?”
“What was wrong with him? Dravik, I mean.”
“He was about to shift,” Rhune says. “Losing control of his inner beast.”
“Oh,” I breathe. “That sounds… not good.”
Rhune shakes his head. “It is not. It is very dangerous for anyone in his vicinity when he is that way. Luckily, he removed himself before he lost it.”
“When you say ‘shift,’ you mean…?”
“Our bodies change. We turn into monstrous versions of ourselves, and our baser instincts tend to take over. We become true demons.”
I gaze at Rhune, thinking to myself that he already looks pretty monstrous. I don’t say so, though. I’m not sure if that would be taken as an insult or a compliment.
My eyes flit upward, and I shamelessly stare at his swirling horns. I’m struck with the urge to reach out and touch them, to wrap my hands around them and pull him down to me. Unwittingly, my fingertips brush the ribbed edges, and Rhune’s entire body shivers, his eyes flaring bright pink.
“Those are sensitive.” Slowly, he reaches up, gripping my hand and pulling me away. His voice is a ragged gasp as he adds, “Your touch… it does things to me…”
My core burns as I stare into his eyes, challenging him. I want to touch him, want to see what happens when I push just a little too far…
His grip loosens, letting me close to his horns again. I’m about to touch them when a sound near the exit breaks out, calling my attention and shattering the spell I was under.
“Well, well, well,” Nyx drawls. “Why wasn’t I invited?”
I open my mouth to tell him that nothing’s going on, but by the time my lips form the first word, Nyx is settling into the furs at my front.
He rests his head at my level, his sea-green eyes sparkling with mischief. “I believe this is called—what is your word—a sandwich?”
I blush and instinctually try to put some space between us, but all it does is press my ass further into Rhune’s cock.
Lord…
“Your heart is beating pretty fast.” Nyx reaches out to cup my face in his large clawed palm. “Are you nervous?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “Extremely nervous.”
What? There’s no use in lying to him. He can probably sniff out fibs or something.
Nyx chuckles, pulling away slightly. He slides his palm over my arms, his touch heated as he slowly moves down to my hands.
Nyx draws my hand closer to his face, spreading my fingers. He marvels at each slender digit, running the tip of his claw between them, then tapping at my blunted nails.
“So small and defenseless,” he marvels. “I see why you do not eat meat. There is no way for you to catch your prey.”
I chuckle under my breath. “Not eating it is a choice I made. Humans use… other methods to get meat.”
“Ah. Like the hunters in the forest with their strange weapons.”
“Yes,” I say. “Like that.”
“Hmm. Such a fascinating species,” he murmurs, gazing deep into my eyes.
I squirm, clearing my throat. As if it realizes I need an escape, my bladder squeezes, demanding I release its contents.
I’m slightly alarmed that this is the first time I’ve felt the need since I’ve been here, but I’m just going to chalk it up to being one of the side effects of being in this world. My sleep is all messed up, why wouldn’t my insides be as well?
At least, that’s what I tell myself so I don’t go mad with worry.
“Hey guys… random question…”
“What is it?” Rhune asks, eager as ever. “Do you want more food?”
“No. I um… need to use the ladies’ room.”
“The what?”
Nyx searches my expression, understanding sparking in his eyes. “You need to relieve yourself?”
I nod, staring hard at his chin, trying to ignore the heat in my cheeks. “Yes. Do you have some place I could… you know.”
“Of course. I was doing some research on your kind and had Dravik help to prepare a bathroom for this moment.” Nyx taps Rhune’s arm, signaling him to let go. Reluctantly, he does so, and Rhune jumps to his feet, holding out a hand to help me up.
“Thank you,” I say, placing my palm in his. Electricity thrums between our skin, and when he finally lets go, I’m left feeling hollow and wanting.
Get it together, Willow. Remember the objective.
“So… the bathroom?”
Rhune clears his throat. “Right. I’ll show you where it is.”
I follow him out of his bedroom and down the familiar darkened tunnel, Nyx following at our heels like a shadow. Rhune stops in front of one of those hide-covered doorways, and I have to bite my lip to stifle my gasp when I notice the symbol painted on the front.
It literally looks like a poop emoji—minus the eyes and mouth, of course.
I just… I can’t.
“Nyx has been doing lots of research on your species. We repurposed this room for your… erm… necessities.” His arm stretches out, and he gestures for me to head inside. “Look around. See if it is up to your standards.”
I move inside the room, blinking heavily as my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. There are only one or two roots in these walls, so there’s not much light, but once my eyes adjust, I’m able to maneuver without any issue.
In the corner, there is a literal human bidet in the far corner—though it’s made of the same material as the walls and floor. There’s also a small waste bin and what looks to be a sink filled with the same magical water that fills the bathing chamber.
I’m not sure how the whole thing functions, and I don’t particularly want to know, but if Rhune and Nyx say it works, it’s good enough for me.
Speaking of Rhune and Nyx….
They’re currently standing just over my shoulder, their eyes wide with anxious expectation.
“Do you like it?” They ask in tandem.
Smiling, I nod. “It’s perfect. Thank you both so much.” When they don’t retreat, I clear my throat. “I don’t mean to be rude, but… do you mind waiting for me back in Rhune’s room? This is kind of a private matter.”
“You promise not to get lost on your way back?” Nyx asks with a teasing smirk.
“I promise,” I say. “Now shoo.”
Nyx backs away, turning gracefully and stalking back toward Rhune’s room. With a soft whine, Rhune follows his brother, casting several longing looks over his shoulder before he disappears from sight.
Unable to ignore my bladder for another moment, I rush into the bathroom to do my business.
When I’m finished, I wash my hands in the basin of magical water, smiling as the magic reaches out to tickle my skin.
With a happy sigh, I dry my hands on my makeshift dress and slip out of the room.
I gaze left and right, but the demons are nowhere to be seen.
Guess they took me seriously…
I’m about to head back toward Rhune’s bedroom when a faint pulsing light catches my attention. It’s at the far end of the tunnel, in the opposite direction of the way I should be walking. But…
I gasp, my eyes widening as the tugging in my chest grows stronger. It wants me to walk to the light. To investigate.
Unwittingly, I begin walking toward it, my steps slow and silent on the cool floor. I blink, and I’m standing in front of the covered doorway. The blue light is pulsing from the gap at the bottom, soothing and steady, and it calls to me in a primal way I don’t understand.
Carefully, I brush the hide aside and step inside, blinking to adjust to the brightness of the space.
The light I noticed appears to be coming from the wall at the far back of the room.
It’s completely covered in those strange blue roots I saw in Rhune’s bedroom, but these seem…
angrier. They overlap each other in gnarled mats, spreading out from the rock into the room like a tumor.
Shivering, I force my gaze from the wall, and my breath gets caught in my throat.
Oh my God…
The room is absolutely filled with beautifully carved sculptures.
Some are half-finished, others are concealed by large, pale-colored hides, but most are laid bare for me to enjoy.
In addition to the carvings, there are a half dozen work tables spread around the room haphazardly, as if they’re making space for the art, not the other way around.
I take a step deeper into the space, feeling like a child in a candy store.
I want to explore, to look at everything.
Art was my escape back home, the one outlet that let me truly feel seen.
Here, I could pretend I’m at a museum, browsing through the halls and picking out my favorite installation.
For a moment, I can just take in the beauty of this strange place.
Only, before I move another inch, the roots at the back wall pulse with a dark red light, and an icy chill spreads through the air. The hair at the back of my neck rises as a shiver trails down my spine, my body reacting far before my mind has time to make sense of what is happening.
Bad, the voice in my head warns. Sick.