6. Bloom
BLOOM
Ihold my breath, trying my best not to move.
Sunlight streams in from the window and illuminates the strong planes of Rhydian’s face. His horns glitter like onyx. My eyes trace the slope of his snout and the downturn of his delicate ears. A thick crop of dark hair flops over his smooth brow.
It feels like I’m seeing him for the first time. In a way, I am.
At our first meeting, I was still uncertain what kind of male he was. I had been taught he was our harsh warden, leeching us dry every month of gold. Instead, what I found was a lonely male unsure of his own power.
As the late morning sun continues to rise, I glimpse the real him.
He bared his soul to me in this bed. I felt it in the way he feasted on me—in his frantic touches and lingering kisses. We are one. I want him to be my first time almost as much as I want to be his. To know that neither of us has ever belonged to another is a heady sensation.
Rhydian’s strong arms hold me tight to his chest.
I could spend hours marveling at his taut muscles. He is unlike any male I’ve ever seen. Arousal slides down my thighs as I feel the soft graze of velvety skin. I count each deep breath and catalog the faint scars along his chin.
I want to know how he got them.
There are secrets simmering between us, and I want them exposed. With time, we will learn all there is to know about each other. He already has intimate knowledge of me. And I of him. The memory of his bucking completion into the sheets at the sight of me replays in my mind.
A shiver wracks my body at the thought of what those powerful thrusts will feel like inside of me.
His massive cock rests hotly against my outer thigh. The weight and width of him makes my heart pound. I have no doubt the stretch will be obscenely decadent. I have to swallow my moan as I imagine him feeding me every brutal inch.
I want him to take me with fervor. To rut into me until we both combust and he fills me with his seed. More than that, I don’t want to take the contraceptive herbs. I want more than just a lover.
It is rash, but my desire can’t be denied.
A family with Rhydian has become my most pressing dream. I can picture it. The two of us sleeping like this until the little ones steal us away. We would share meals and companionship.
My father would love a grandchild.
I’m getting too far ahead of myself, but I can’t stop the perfect fantasy from forming. It draws up visions of an idyllic future. One I know Rhydian will join me. I need to hear him say that when I set off for Dew Hollow this evening, he will be by my side.
Truth be told, what I really need is Rhydian awake. I crave more of his body, and if we’re going to complete our union, I’ll need food to keep my strength up.
With a sigh, I run my fingers through his soft hair. Sleepy, dark eyes blink open at me. His arms thread around my back, dragging me into his warm body. A low hum emanates from his throat.
“Good morning,” he murmurs.
“Morning.”
His fingers trail along my spine.
“How are you feeling?”
“Wonderful.” My stomach rumbles between us. I grin sheepishly. “Hungry.”
Rhydian kisses the side of my head.
He can’t seem to keep his hands off me. His calloused fingers trail down my spine and over my hips. Squeezing the fleshy swells of my ass, he sighs contentedly. I’ve never given my body much thought, but with Rhydian I have a new appreciation for it.
Before, I would hide parts of myself from the leers of men like Pyke. Their comments on my beauty left a bitter taste in my mouth. With Rhydian, the opposite is true. I crave his compliments and his touches.
Rising from bed, he helps me to my feet.
I slip on the crumpled shift and watch begrudgingly as Rhydian slides on a fresh pair of linen pants. The light blue of the fabric offsets the golden hues of his skin. His heated stare remains on me, dipping towards my chest and trailing over my stomach.
“I like the way you look at me,” I say. “Like I’m the only thing in the world that matters.”
“You are.”
My cheeks warm under his statement. A part of me—a shameful, insecure part—can’t make sense of it. A vicious whisper of my self-doubt reduces the compliment by reminding me he hasn’t met anyone else.
I’m not special but merely the only human to cross his threshold. My stomach sours at the thought. Would he still view me the same if he met another? I shouldn’t voice the pathetic concern, but I’m powerless to stop it trickling out.
“You haven’t met many people. If you come back—”
“It doesn’t matter.” Rhydian cups my shoulders in his large hands. “I don’t need to meet hundreds of humans to know you have no equal. Not when it comes to your beauty, your bravery, the depth of your heart. A thousand humans could cross my path, and it wouldn’t change a thing.”
Moisture stings my eyes, and I quickly blink it away. My smile is watery. It’s everything I need to hear, but a half-hearted attempt to push back rises like a dark wave.
“But you haven’t seen Hilda, our town’s seamstress and revered beauty. Or Marge and her coveted red hair, or—”
Rhydian’s mouth comes down on mine.
I moan into our kiss and allow his taste to chase away my lingering doubts. My soul reaches for his as our bodies press close. Our hearts pound together in a matching rhythm. Grazing my tongue along his, he shudders.
He tastes like sunshine. He tastes like mine.
Our souls twin together, unbreakable and permanent. I feel his devotion in the way he touches me. The truth of his words echoes in our matching heartbeats. There is no room for doubt, only the unbridled truth of the affection we both share.
I’m breathless as we part.
“I don’t need to meet Hilda or Marge.” Rhydian smiles and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “Truthfully, I’d be pleased never knowing anyone besides you for the rest of my life.”
In the shadow of his sweet confession, I can’t delay the inevitable any longer.
“I must return to Dew Hollow, Rhydian. My father needs me. And I have to stop Pyke before he cons anyone else.”
He swallows thickly, the easiness of our moment frosting over. I take his large hands in mine, rubbing circles along his soft skin.
“Come with me.” A soft plea colors each word. “Let the others see you as I do. They won’t fear you once they learn the depth of your heart. How you’ve been wronged as well.”
Rhydian's eyes burn into mine.
He huffs through his snout and his delicate ears flicker. A war of emotions battles across the brutal lines of his face. With each passing moment the conflict rages, the more my unease grows.
I open my mouth to beg him, but Rhydian speaks first.
“I’m finding it impossible to say no to you.”
Hope rises in my chest. I feel like I’m floating on a cloud as I beam up at him. A smile tips his mouth.
“Does that mean…”
“I will consider staying with you in Dew Hollow, yes.”
It’s not the answer I’m looking for, but it will do for now.
If he never wishes to join me, at the very least he could move closer. I could spend my days working with my father and make the journey back to Rhydian’s arms every night. It’s a compromise I’m willing to make to keep him.
Once he learns there is nothing to fear, I hope he will join me amongst the others.
I capture his hand in mine and tug him forward.
“Come. I want to cook for you.” A frown carves my lips. “If only my cookies had survived the fall. I promise you’ve never tasted anything better in your life.”
Rhydian’s grin stretches as his mouth finds my ear.
“Hm, I’m sure their sweetness comes second to your delicious cunt.”
“Rhydian!” I smack his arm as my face heats.
“Don’t get shy on me now, Bloom. You were confident last night—demanding.”
“That was different. It was dark for one.”
Rhydian raises a brow.
“Am I forbidden from voicing my wanton desires while the sun’s up?”
My glare withers the wildflowers growing through the kitchen window.
“No.”
“Good.” His palm smacks soundly against my ass. “As I have plans on enjoying you again just as soon as you’ve eaten. In the light. Where I can see every beautiful inch of you.”
“What happened to the shy male I met last night?” I ask.
“As I said, the taste of your pussy changed me.” He kisses my cheek. “I’ll be needing another very soon.”
“Me too,” I confess, rubbing my thighs together. “Show me what you have for food.”
Trudging into the kitchen, I take in the small space.
There is a wood-burning oven with an accompanying stovetop. A small water basin and a smattering of cupboards. A few pots of sun-roasted herbs lay dead on the windowsill. A stack of chipped white plates rests on a barren shelf. Copper pots and pans hang from rusted hooks along the wall.
I inhale the floral breeze floating in from the mild morning.
In the daylight, the Woods don’t look as foreboding. A doe grazes in the distance on a patch of tall grass. White birds soar between the thicket of trees. I hadn’t noticed it last night, but Rhydian has a small farm off to the side.
A pair of plump cows lounge in the sun. The pink snout of a grey mare sniffs through a bushel of hay. A flock of chickens cluck and run around in their small pen.
Rhydian is at my back.
His chest presses against my shoulder as he reaches over and opens a cupboard. Inside are basic ingredients. A sack of flour, a canister of sugar, and a few small ceramic cups of spices.
“I have eggs and milk as well.” I look back at him as his eyes shift away. “It’s not much. I grow most of my food or hunt in the forest.”
Surveying my options, I know just what to make.
“Sit,” I command.
Rhydian settles into the kitchen chair. It creaks under his weight as I get to work.
Selecting a pale green mixing bowl, I whip up a simple pancake batter. Enhancing it with cinnamon, I heat up a pan. Finding a small package of butter, I wait until it sizzles atop the copper before pouring in small circles of batter.
While they cook, I make fresh whipped cream and fold in wild blueberries from Rhydian’s garden. The yeasty scent of the pancakes quickly overpowers the smell of flowers. The warmth of the stove is familiar, making me miss my father.