Chapter 45
FORTY-FIVE
My lungs fill with air and I let out a loud, piercing scream.
“Minnie?” Mine calls my name, his voice filled with worry as he rushes to my side.
I open my eyes and take in my surroundings. We’re at his house, in his bedroom. But…how? When did this happen? The last thing I remember is having my heart ripped out of my chest and seeing it gurgle blood next to me on the ground.
I was so certain I was dead. After all, who can escape Cerenios? And he’d definitely been there. Or…had he?
Glancing down, I note I’m wearing the same dress from before, except it’s not tattered or stained with blood.
“What happened?”
“You had a bad dream. I was downstairs cleaning up when I heard you scream.”
I frown. “No, no. I left. I wasn’t here…”
“You did, but you returned a few hours ago. You don’t remember?”
“I…returned?”
He nods. “I was so worried you wouldn’t come back, that you would leave me.” He takes a deep breath. “I meant what I said before. I will tell you everything when the time is right—when I’m sure it won’t cause any harm.”
“What harm could it cause?”
“More harm than you can imagine,” he murmurs, a resigned expression on his face. “I fear I’ve already done that.”
I do a quick scan of my body, and to my great surprise, I find my energy levels intact. There is nothing in need of healing, nothing that might point out to a previous injury. Not only that, but my outer appearance is spotless too. Nothing to suggest an altercation. No blood when I remember clearly I shed enough to be painted in red from head to toe.
“You’re sure I came back by myself?”
He tilts his head to the side as he regards me, a question in his eyes. “What do you mean by yourself?”
“I came here with my own two legs?”
He chuckles. “That is a strange way of putting it. But no, you did not. You were simply here. I assume you teleported back?”
“I did…?”
“Minnie, are you all right? What happened while you were away?”
I bite my lip. “I followed the sound of the city until I reached Paris. I visited a couple of shops and then?—”
“Then?”
“I don’t know. I could have sworn I encountered someone from Aperion and got into a fight. But there is no evidence of it on my body.”
“That is…odd.”
“Tell me about it.” I laugh nervously. “It must have been a dream, but I’ve never in my life had such a vivid dream.”
“Was that why you woke up screaming?”
I nod. “It was…disconcerting. Perhaps it’s just stress.”
“And I added to that stress,” he whispers apologetically. “I am sorry. I did not think my mother would come here today of all days.”
“We would have had to meet eventually.”
“Yes, but she would have been prepared.”
“To what? Lie better?”
He presses his lips together in a thin line. “You will understand what I mean soon enough, Minnie. But for now, I want you to know how thankful I am you returned to me.”
He slides off the bed and to his knees. Pressing his head on my lap, he wraps his arms around my midriff and holds me tight.
“You have no idea how it felt to watch you leave. To see the disappointment in your eyes. I’ve made a mess of things, haven’t I?”
“Yes…and no.” I thread my fingers through his thick locks. “I just wish I could understand why you’re doing this. I’ve already run through every scenario, and I am quite confident you are not human. Nor is your mother. But I cannot sense anything out of the ordinary with you two.”
He raises his gaze to look at me. “Whatever I am… I can give you something.” He gulps down hard. “I vow to the Source that my intention is only to protect you, to love you, to be with you. Everything I have done, past, present, future, has been for that goal.”
I stare at him, stunned into silence.
Did he just… Was that a clue?
More confusion swirls in my brain as different theories take root. But at the core of all of them is a deep calm that washes over me.
Leaning forward, I press my lips against his forehead.
“I trust you,” I whisper, knowing the words to be true the moment they leave my lips. “I will always trust you.”
“Minnie…” he rasps. Unshed tears gather along his lower lash line, his eyes glistening with ineffable emotion.
“In my dream.” I take a deep breath as I squeeze my eyes shut. Perhaps it was a dream, but it affected me all the same. The feeling of dying…of having my heart ripped out of my body… I’ve never felt such pain and terror before. It wasn’t so much physical as it was mental. I stood at the precipice and I saw what my death would bring and I was terrified.
“I realized there is only one person in the entire universe who would miss me should I die. You. No one else. My family couldn’t care less about me as long as I don’t sully their name. My brother may tolerate me, but even he would wash his hands of me if I become an outcast. But you…”
I press my palm against his cheek, feeling the pebbled skin under my touch.
“You’ve not only accepted me for who I am, for what I am, but you’ve also taught me to not be ashamed of it and embrace myself. You gave me courage, Mine. When everything fell apart around me, you helped me believe in myself again. Perhaps you made me believe in myself for the first time ever.”
“Ah, my sweet Minnie,” he murmurs lovingly. He raises himself on his arms, his mouth a razor’s edge away from mine. His breath fans my lips as he closes the distance and skims his mouth over mine.
“You’re the only one I would ever die for, Mine, just as you are the only one I would ever live for. You are mine, just as I am yours. And tonight, I want to be fully yours,” I whisper.
His eyes snap open, so vividly green, so beautiful.
“You mean…”
I nod. “I’ve been yours in spirit all along. Tonight I want to be yours in body, too.”
“Ah, Minnie mine. My sweet treasure,” he groans against my lips. Pressing his palms into the mattress, he takes a deep, tired breath as he lays his forehead on my shoulder. “You’re dangling in front of me such a dangerous temptation…”
“So take it. It’s yours.”
He shakes his head, his forehead sliding over my half-naked shoulder. “Not yet. Not like this.”
“But—”
“You promised you would marry me,” he interrupts me. “So let’s do it. Tomorrow. My father will officiate it.”
“Tomorrow?” I gasp.
“You bought the dress. I peeked in your bag and saw it,” he admits in a low voice.
The memory of the dress comes back to me. In my dream, I’d dropped it in the middle of the street before Cerenios had teleported us to that forest. But if it’s here…
It must have been a dream after all—a frightful one but only a dream.
Thank the Source.
Perhaps it’s because I am so fresh after that wretched nightmare, but now more than ever I realize that though immortal, my existence is precarious. All it takes is the right adversary for my life to end. That terror continues to plague me as I hold on to Mine and revel in his closeness. How could I ever hold a grudge against him when he’s all I have?
“Tomorrow then. I’ll be your wife.”
He pulls back slightly and gazes at me, his lips tugged up into a big smile.
“My wife,” he mutters, almost to himself. “And I shall be your husband.”
I chuckle at the way he repeats the words all over again as if he cannot get enough of them.
“Then I will claim you. The proper way,” he tells me with a smile.
“I don’t think there’s any improper way with you.” I giggle.
“Is that so?” He raises a brow. “Just a while ago you thought a mere hand touch was improper.”
“Well, you helped me see the error of my ways.”
“Always at your service, my fair lady,” he murmurs with amusement.
“Always?” I bat my lashes.
“Always,” he confirms.
“Good. Then take off your clothes,” I command.
He blinks as he looks at me stupefied.
“T-take off my clothes? Me?”
“You, who else?” I roll my eyes.
“But—”
“Don’t tell me you’re the prude now and I’m the one with nefarious intentions?”
“But tomorrow,” he protests, though it’s a weak attempt as his eyes are already roving over my body suggestively.
“Tomorrow is the main dish. Tonight can be the appetizer.”
His brow quirks up. “Why is everything about food for you?”
I shrug. “Food is yummy, and so are those orgasms, and you’re still in debt.”
“Right, right. I am a puny debtor who needs to pay up.”
“I’m waiting,” I say and lean back on my elbows to watch the show.
“Shouldn’t you be the one to undress? So I can pay my debt properly,” he adds as he trails his finger down my leg until he reaches my uncovered ankles. He rolls down my stockings, one at a time, all the while keeping his eyes on me.
Heat builds up inside of me, making my breathing heavier, more punctured. He grabs one of my feet and presses a kiss on top of it before trailing his tongue to my toes.
“Mine…” I let out a startled gasp when he sucks my toe into his mouth.
This wicked man… he’s staring at me while he flicks his tongue all over my toes. I never imagined something like this could be so…erotic. But the tight knots forming inside my stomach tell me otherwise. Goose bumps appear all over my skin as I squirm against the mattress.
“C-clothes off,” I reiterate, though slightly more flushed than before. “You, naked, is part of the debt.”
“Is it? Then of course I must pay up,” he answers dutifully as he takes a step back and reaches for the buttons on his shirt.
“At least you’re a well-behaved debtor. But I will have you know the interest rate has gone up.”
“How much are we talking about?” He carefully unbuttons his shirt before he throws it to the side, revealing his muscled chest.
“Pants, too.”
“Ah, so demanding,” he drawls as he unbuckles his belt. But once that’s off, his fingers hover over the zipper of his trousers, teasing me.
“Too much talking and too little undressing. I am the injured party here and thus I require my recompense.”
“Of course, my fair lady.”
I don’t know where he came up with that nickname, but I don’t dislike it.
He pulls down his trousers, taking his drawers together with them. Just like that, he’s stark naked in front of me.
My breath catches in my throat. I might have been the one to initiate this, but now I fear I might be in a little too over my head.
His body is pure perfection. His scars, too, are part of that allure, making him seem both sexy and dangerous at the same time. But as I peruse his body, I notice new scars. Some are starting from his navel and going down his legs. They’re reddish still, suggesting they’re recent. The worst one is right above his hardened male part, a mosaic of scar tissue that spreads to his back and buttocks.
“Mine,” I start, but he’s quick to press a finger against my lips and shush me.
“Not now,” he whispers.
I gulp down. Concern blooms in my chest.
“When did this happen?” I demand. When did he strain himself too much? Was it while I was out those three days? Was he suffering while I was sleeping, oblivious to everything he was going through? Pain laces through me as I stare into his anguished green eyes. The same pain is there too, but his is hidden, shrouded in the thousand secrets he keeps from me.
“Not now,” he repeats, his warm breath tickling my neck as his skilled hands begin to unbutton my gown. Each button comes undone with ease, revealing the smooth, creamy skin underneath. I feel a deep flush of embarrassment as he slowly removes the gown, leaving me standing naked in front of him.
But his focus is not on my nudity. He presses soft kisses against my exposed skin, murmuring words of adoration and love as he trails down my neck and over my shoulders. His hands roam freely over my body, caressing and exploring every curve and dip.
“My beautiful wife-to-be,” he rasps.
Feeling a sudden rush of desire, he flips me onto my stomach on the bed and pulls my hair to one side. His lips leave a trail of fire as they move down my spine, stopping to suck and mark every inch of skin along the way. I moan and writhe beneath his touch, eagerly giving myself over to his control.
“Yes, take me…take everything,” I whisper, arching my back as his hands grip my buttocks firmly. Heat builds between us, the desire pulsing through both our bodies.
He moves lower and lower until he reaches the swell of my buttocks.
“What are you doing?” I gasp out.
“Paying off my debts,” he replies with a low chuckle, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine. “Making up for all that accrued interest.”
“Oh. And how do you plan to do that?”
“You will see,” he replies as he chuckles against my back.
His hands move over my buttocks, kneading the flesh between his fingers before biting me. My back arches in surprise. His teeth nip and scrape the skin, at first softly, playfully. But then his sharp teeth penetrate my flesh until he draws blood. He licks every drop, lapping at my blood while I fist the sheets and thrust my body toward him.
I gasp and shiver, the pain only making me want the pleasure that much more. Moisture gathers between my legs, pooling down the inside of my thighs.
He drags his mouth lower until he finally finds my sex with his tongue.
“M-Mine,” I whimper. He laps the moisture from between my legs, his chest vibrating his pleasure.
“So wet for me,” he whispers. “My little wife-to-be is a naughty, naughty girl.”
“Please…”
He buries his face between my legs, flicking his tongue over my pleasure bud before sucking it in his mouth.
Fisting the sheets, I wildly thrash around. Pleasure shoots through me. At first, it’s tiny needles of pleasure that spread to the tips of my toes. But as he continues to torture me with his skilled mouth, my entire body begins to tremble in preparation for the climax.
Then he stops.
“Mine!” I cry out. “Don’t you dare!”
“But I do dare.” He chuckles. “Perhaps you should add more interest.”
“Oh, I’m adding ten times the interest for every second you don’t touch me and—” My words are cut off as a scream rushes past my lips.
He pushes a finger inside of me, curling it inside of me and hitting a hidden spot.
W-what? I nearly jump off the bed at the first sign of intrusion. But as he adds another finger and thrusts them in and out of me.
“That’s it. Show me how much you love being fucked by my fingers.”
My eyes widen at his sudden use of profanities, but my body seems to respond to it. I clench around his fingers as contractions start in my lower body.
They’re small at first, but with each masterful thrust of his fingers and flick of his tongue, they build up. More and more until my mouth opens on a loud, earth-shattering scream.
I bury my head in the sheets as I hold on for dear life while that delicious orgasm rolls through me. And to my surprise, the room isn’t completely frozen. Just a tad bit colder than before.
“Not done yet,” Mine says. He trails his tongue once more over my drenched sex before he gets up. Then something else is between my buttocks. Something warm, big, and hard.
He slides his length between my cheeks, coating it with my wetness. Just as I think he might have changed his mind, that he will take me now, he surprises me once more when he flips me on my back.
Grabbing me by my ankles, he pulls me toward him until my ass is on the edge of the bed.
“Fuck, Minnie,” he mutters under his breath as he presses his erection against my center.
He slides it up and down, but he doesn’t push it inside me.
“Do it,” I tell him—I dare him.
Sweat beads on his forehead, his expression a mix of anguish and frustration. He shakes his head at me. “Not. Yet.”
“Please.” Does he want me to beg? Because I will do it.
Another shake of his head, though this time, the head of his erection bumps along my entrance. He circles around it before sliding upward and settling over my mound.
His hands are tightly holding on to my thighs as he thrusts against me.
Once. Twice. The third time, he throws his head back and lets out a low, guttural groan. His shaft pulses and twitches as he climaxes. Spurts of his dark seed coat my stomach, some landing between my breasts and on my chin.
He’s still grinding against me as his orgasm subsides, and in a moment of madness, I turn the tables on him. Using my powers, I switch our positions so he’s the one sitting on his back on the bed. I climb on the bed between his legs and wrap my hand around his still hard shaft.
It’s surprisingly soft and warm to the touch and much bigger than I thought just by looking at it. He lets out another groan as he watches me with hooded eyes.
“You don’t have to…” He trails off when I lean in and take the tip of his maleness into my mouth. His head falls back onto the mattress.
“Fuck,” he curses, his hands finding their way in my hair.
“It’s sweet and creamy,” I mention as I lick the beads of moisture. “Tastes almost like chocolate.”
His lips quirk up.
“There you go again with the food comparisons.”
I smile against his shaft. “You should be pleased about it since I happen to love sweet things. It means I will love this too,” I continue, giving it another swipe of my tongue.
“Oh fuck. Fuckkkkk,” he growls. “I’m too sensitive. I’m going to…”
I don’t let him finish as I open my mouth wide and take as much of him as I am able to, using my tongue to caress him as he’s done to me. Going by the way his body is turning and twisting, his fingers gripping my hair tightly, I think I’m doing a good job.
Pulling back, I suck on the tip, gathering every bit of that delicious seed. Who knew lovemaking would be so yummy? First, he introduced me to orgasms, which are on par with dessert, and now he’s giving me dessert?
A more perfect male doesn’t exist.
I notice that whenever I lick the underside of the head, his body erupts in shivers, so I assume that’s a sensitive area. I focus my efforts on it, and more guttural sounds escape his lips. I don’t know what he’s saying. It’s almost as if he’s speaking another language I’ve never heard of—and I’ve heard plenty. But I don’t stop to wonder about that. I continue my ministrations until his release erupts in my mouth, filling me up with the most delicious flavor.
I don’t swallow immediately. I twirl my tongue around it to get more of the flavor.
He stares at me in shock.
“Minnie, you…”
His hand is on my cheek, caressing me lightly before his thumb pries my lips open. My mouth is full of his seed and I swirl it for him to see.
“Fucking hell. You’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, you know that?”
I close my mouth and gulp down but then notice some errant drops still leaking from the tip. Leaning in, I lick him clean, all the while he continues to caress my cheek.
His gaze is one of wonder as he stares at me.
“So damn worth it,” he whispers.
“Huh?” I raise my brows in question as I wipe my mouth.
“Everything was so damn worth it.”
“Oh, come on! I didn’t make you wait that long,” I fire back.
“Longer than you think.” He chuckles. “But you also surprised the fuck out of me. That was…” He whistles. “I’ve imagined your mouth on my cock plenty of times, but I never thought I’d blow up as I did.”
“That’s good, no?” I bat my lashes at him.
“Good? It’s beyond anything I would have imagined. You’re a natural, aren’t you?” he murmurs low in his throat. Pulling me by my nape, he smashes his lips against mine in an aggressive kiss. “My wife-to-be is a natural at sucking cock.”
My lashes flutter in embarrassment at his words.
“T-that’s because you taste good,” I admit bashfully.
He chuckles.
“Do all males taste like this?”
He suddenly stops. His expression becomes feral as his gaze darkens. His hold, too, tightens.
“Erase the thought of other males from your mind, Minnie. You will never taste anyone else.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I was just curi?—”
“Don’t.”
“All right. I’m sorry,” I whisper, afraid I ruined the moment.
His gaze immediately softens.
“Don’t look at me like that.” He gathers me in his arms and hugs me to his chest. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. But I’m a goddamn jealous asshole. The thought of any male in your vicinity threatens to drive me crazy.”
“No, you’re right. I am the same. I wouldn’t want you to ask that about a female either.”
“Ah, my tiny darling, you’re so precious.”
“It seems we’re both jealous assholes.” I giggle nervously.
“Nope. Can never refer to you as an asshole. You can be my jealous goddess.”
“You don’t mind it then? If I’m jealous, too?”
He smiles at me.
“Tiny darling. You can be as jealous as you want. If you didn’t have that weird rule about not harming humans, I would be encouraging murder day and night. You are quite hot when you get all riled up and jealous over your male.” He gives me a quick kiss on the mouth. “Alas, I will have to be content with just maiming. Such a bad lot in life I have,” he adds with a sigh.
I raise a brow at him. “What?”
“Of course I will do the murder after you’ve done the maiming. I think that’s only fair. And I will do both the maiming and the murder when I get jealous. See, I’m all about equal opportunity.”
I blink. “You’re an odd duck, Mine.”
His lips tremble with mirth, remembering our first exchange.
“See, I finally got to duck you.”
“Finger-duck me,” I correct.
He throws back his head and laughs. “Finger-duck. Yes, yes. That I did.”
“And soon you will duck me properly.”
He tilts his head and regards me with a sad smile.
“Soon,” he repeats, an edge to his words. “For now, let’s get you cleaned up.”
“You too. I got some on you too.” I point to where our chests meet and where his seed now stains both of our bodies.
“Race you to the bathroom,” he suddenly says as he deposits me to the side and jumps off the bed.
“Oh, you want to lose, you puny human?” I call out and teleport myself to the bathroom.
By the time he opens the door, I’m already in the tub, laughing at him.
“You’re not playing fair,” he accuses me as he stands by the tub, his hands on his hips. His male part is on eye level with me and already starting to harden.
“You may take it up with the GR.”
“GR?” He frowns.
“Gods resources.”
It takes him a second to get the pun, but once he does, he howlers with laughter.
We spend a rather un godly amount of time in the tub, washing then playing with the bubbles from the soap. Like the good husband-to-be he is, when we’re done, he dries me and puts on my nightgown before doing the same to himself. After such a long interlude, sleep comes surprisingly easy.
Sometime in the night, my eyes snap open as a feeling of dread courses down my spine. I stand up, breathing hard. Was it another dream? I cannot remember.
Something moves in front of the bed, and as I glance up, I note it’s Mine.
Confused, I raise my voice to ask, “What are you doing?”
But he doesn’t answer. Instead, his gaze falls upon me with the saddest expression I’ve ever seen.
As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I slowly realize that the bed is not empty. There is a figure lying next to me…
With a gulp, I force myself to look and a gasp escapes my lips when I see his body lying there. He’s here, but he’s also there? How can this be?
The truth hits me as I reach out to shake him awake. His flesh is no longer warm and alive. It’s icy cold and growing colder by the second.
My heart pounds in my chest as I place two fingers on his throat, searching for a pulse. But deep down, I already know the answer.
No… Please, no…
I turn to face the form standing at the foot of the bed.
“You…you’re dead,” I whisper hoarsely.
He closes his eyes and gives a small nod.
A chill runs down my spine as I sense another presence in the room.
The messenger. He has come to take him from me.
“No! You can’t leave,” I plead desperately as I leap out of bed.
He takes a step back, moving away from me and toward the ethereal being that seeks to steal him from my grasp.
“Mine? No…please don’t go,” I beg through tears, my voice breaking with emotion.
The messenger materializes in the corner of the room, his intent clear.
Still gazing at me, Mine silently mouths something just as the messenger reaches out for him.
“Come find me.”
And then he’s gone.