Chapter 25 Selma
Selma
It was the first time in what felt like a very long time that Selma woke up without need burning in her blood.
Sun bathed her face when she sluggishly cracked her eyelids, but the pleasant warmth penetrating all the way into her bones didn’t come from its rays. Instead it came from the big man who’d curled his massive body around hers while she’d slept.
Kain.
She remembered everything from that horrible auction, remembered her fear and the forced lust for every man who’d come close enough for her to smell him. And she remembered Kain winning the rights to mount her after bidding an outrageous amount of money.
A faint blush touched her cheeks at the thought of his claiming.
The last time she’d woken up in his arms they’d done pretty much everything but full intercourse, and at the time he’d been a stranger to her, but now… This time had been about so much more than sating the cruel ring.
She was his—and he was hers. The things he’d done to her to prove that fact made her toes curl.
The warm pulse between her legs at the memory of their wild sex quickly reminded her of the downsides to being fucked by a demon, especially one of Kain’s size.
Though his semen had evidently ensured that she was not as bruised and battered as she should have been after the pounding he’d given her, her inner muscles were still tired beyond belief.
He certainly gave new meaning to the concept of a demonic cock.
When she tried to experimentally move the rest of her body, the stiffness in every muscle and joint made it quite clear she’d be spending the day in bed, provided she got her way.
Of course, she had no idea if she would be getting her way or if Kain had plans.
Selma looked at the sleeping male who’d obviously ensured she was safe from any danger by shielding her body with his. His legs were wrapped securely around her lower half, not tight enough to cause her discomfort, but definitely enough that no one could snatch her away from him while they slept.
A smile tugged at her lips. Apparently his instincts had taken the full leap into Crazy Town after he’d given in and claimed her.
Her serious mate.
Gently she reached out a finger to trace his eyebrows, which for once weren’t locked in a frown.
He looked peaceful in his sleep. Even beautiful.
The lack of a scowl or a frown on his handsome face softened the sharp angles, and with his full lips gently parted, there was nothing to suggest he had any sort of trauma in his past or present.
Her heart clenched when she recalled what had happened to his mother and how that had made him swear to never claim a mate of his own. And yet here he was, lying next to her after taking her as his, because that had been the only way to protect her.
“Kain.”
Despite her soft whisper of his name, his eyelids immediately fluttered open and his black eyes found hers.
“Hey.” She couldn’t hold back a smile at the searching look he gave her—as if he thought she’d awoken him because she was in some sort of distress.
He didn’t reply, but he held her gaze. The frown was back.
Selma reached out to smooth the line between his brows with the tip of her finger. “I didn’t get to thank you before I fell asleep.”
“Thank me for what?” He pulled back a little, looking confused. And unhappy.
“For saving me. I thought you were angry with me—that I wouldn’t get to see you again. And I was so scared that I’d… that one of those monsters would take me away forever. But then you came.”
A small twinge pulled on his face and he breathed out sharply before lifting off her so he could sit up.
“Kain?”
The big male gathered his legs up underneath him and rested his face in his hands with a groan.
“What’s wrong?” Selma frowned and forced her own body to sit up, though her muscles protested wildly at the movement.
“What’s wrong?” He didn’t lower his hands—didn’t even attempt to look at her. “Don’t fucking thank me, Selma. I raped you. Don’t pretend like I’m some great fucking hero sweeping in to save the day. I did exactly what every other monster of my kind does to Breeders. And I liked it.”
Selma blinked. Repeatedly. “You… You think you raped me?”
“That’s exactly what I did.” He let his hands fall to the duvet covering both of them, giving her a bitter look.
“We both know you have no choice in the matter once your ring’s been manipulated.
I thought I could claim you without… without giving in to the beast inside, but I couldn’t.
I didn’t. I did to you what my father did to my mother over and over and over again, so don’t fucking thank me! ”
That light feeling in her chest that’d been present since their mating squeezed uncomfortably. Selma gave him a stern look.
“Look, I wanted what you did—all of it. It’s not just about the stupid ring. Don’t you get it? I was hoping and praying you’d come. And yes, I knew what that would mean. Does it really upset you that much that you liked having sex with me? I liked it too.”
Kain gritted his teeth and looked away from her. “That’s the ring talking, and you know it. We’re both still wrapped up in the post-claiming haze.”
Selma barely avoided rolling her eyes. He had severe issues after what happened to his mother, and she would just have to be patient with him.
“So what did you plan would happen after you claimed me? I mean, you must have had a plan, right? Is it to never touch me again? Because I gotta tell you, you paid an awful lot of money just to keep me around to make your morning coffee.”
His growl made her jump, then wince thanks to the sore muscles in her abdomen and lower back.
“I did not purchase you as a slave. I bid a sufficient amount that none would wish to bid any higher, thus lowering the risk I’d lose you in a fight. And my plan was, and is, to bring you to Colorado.” The demon sent her a glare, then pushed off the bed.
Selma watched him as he walked to the other end of the luxurious room and disappeared behind a door. He left it ajar, and she could hear water running.
To Colorado. He was going to bring her to the sanctuary… was going to give her her freedom despite the money he’d spent and the fight he’d won to keep her as his.
Her chest gave an achy spasm. He was going to give her up.
Perhaps he was right—perhaps she was lost in the afterglow of everything that had happened, because a few weeks ago she would have been over the moon with gratitude. Now… she just felt oddly deflated.
The faucets in the bathroom turned off, and Kain reappeared with a bowl in one hand and a cloth in the other.
He was still naked as the day he was born, and Selma found herself suddenly distracted from her more morose thoughts.
The aching in her chest traveled south of her navel, turning rather more pleasant, albeit still painful.
Kain was a very attractive man. She wondered briefly what he looked like underneath his human disguise, but then lost interest in pursuing that particular train of thought when he bent to place the bowl by her side of the bed and his abs flexed in the process.
“What are you doing?”
“I am tending to my mate. Can you move on your own?”
Tend to her? Intrigued, she glanced at the bowl. “I can move. What do you have in mind?”
He sent her an admonishing glance. “Swing your legs over the edge, little one.”
Slowly and awkwardly, Selma obeyed, though it could hardly be classified as “swinging” when she finally pushed her legs out from under the duvet to dangle them over the edge of the bed.
Kain knelt in front of her and proceeded to place his large hands on her knees.
The sweet ache between her legs heated further at the contact, and she winced as her tired muscles attempted to clench in anticipation.
Then he spread her legs with a firm press of his knuckles against her inner thighs, and she couldn’t hold back a whimper.
Kain quickly looked up at her with a concerned frown. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” It wasn’t a lie—what had hurt her was her body’s immediate and overwhelming attempt at welcoming him. Her pussy throbbed, and overworked muscles were forced to tighten as moisture began seeping from her core.
For a moment he looked like he was about to press her further on the matter, but then his nostrils flared and a delicate shiver traveled through his naked body.
“Mm.”
It was his only verbal acknowledgment of her predicament, but when she glanced down, she saw his cock strain thick and pulsing between his thighs, eager to heed her body’s call. She stared at it, marveling at how something so grotesque could feel so good.
Without further comment he grabbed the backs of her knees and slid her closer to the edge of the bed, ensuring that her exposed mound was easily accessible.
Before Selma managed to as much as squeak, he’d released her and dipped the cloth into the bowl.
She watched him in silence as he smoothed the lukewarm cloth through her curls, rinsing off the dried semen with care that seemed impossible for hands his size. Again and again he rubbed the cloth over her pussy, delving into every fold and even circling her ringed clit a few times.
It felt amazing, and so very different from anything she’d experienced before in the hands of demons. There was no pressure to arouse her, no demand being made of her in any way—just the warm, wet slide of the cloth over her velvet heat as he gently cared for her.
She sighed in contentment, and without really thinking about what she was doing, placed her hands in his mahogany hair.
Kain paused, his large hand coming to rest atop her thigh.
It was an instinctive reaction to stroke her fingers through his glossy strands before grabbing a tighter hold of his head and guiding it to her warm center.
His breath ghosted over her slick folds, sending a delicious shiver through her. Then his tongue flicked out to follow the seam of her pussy from the bottom to the small nub of nerves at its apex.
Selma’s breath exploded out in a hoarse gasp. She hadn’t been aware she’d been holding it back, but when Kain’s mouth opened to suck on her, it left her lungs in soft pants.
He was slow with her, delving his tongue to taste every part of her and only giving her clit a few deep suckles as he explored her soft flesh with the same care he’d shown while cleaning her.
Even though her body ached as she clenched and moved for his lips and tongue, his pace was gentle enough that the pain was manageable.
When her gasps turned to needy whimpers, he pushed the cloth aside so he could brush her lips fully open with his thumbs and focus his efforts on her tight clit. Pleasure shot through her, now sharper and much more demanding on her sore body, but it was exactly what she needed.
“Kain!” She called his name as he brought her closer and closer to the edge. A part of her wanted more from him—wanted to be penetrated and claimed all over again—but the demon kneeling between her legs remained excruciatingly careful.
When her muscles finally seized and she cried out in climax, he’d still only stimulated her clit.
Selma slumped over him, resting her shaking arms against his dark hair. Her body was sore from being worked so soon after the rough mating, but endorphins overpowered her discomfort.
“Thank you,” she murmured, letting her fingers slide through his soft hair in a gentle caress.
A kiss from his scorching lips skimmed her inner thigh. “My pleasure, little Breeder.”
Kain’s voice was husky and dark, sending a shiver through her tired body. It prodded at her instincts to awaken and be of service to the male who’d pleased her so, and when she glanced down past his head, she saw the unmistakable sign of his need.
“Let me help you, too.”
She smiled when he frowned up at her, then slid her palms over his strong, wide shoulders. He rose obediently when she tugged at his arms, but when she leaned forward and let her tongue swipe at his cockhead, he jerked back as if she’d burned him.
“What?” Selma knotted her brows in confusion. “Doesn’t that feel good to demons?”
“Of course it does,” he growled. “But I will not take pleasure from you again. I’d rather die than take advantage of you one more time.”
Oh, for Heaven’s sake! “You’re not taking advantage of me! Seriously, can’t you employ those damn voodoo senses you guys run around with to know that I’m not scared of you? That I like—”
A roar interrupted her mid-sentence, making her jaw clamp shut from surprise.
“I will not take pleasure from you! You are high from hormones and don’t know what you want!”
Kain glared down at her, but seemed to soften at the sight of her startled expression. He sighed deeply and reached out a hand to caress her cheek.
“I will tend to you if you so desire while you’re still in my care, but I will not be penetrating your body, nor will I accept a release from you. Once you regain your senses, you will be thankful. Do not press me on the matter, little one.”
Selma opened her mouth to argue, but his eyebrow quirked in warning made her change her mind. Nothing would be gained from fighting over it right now.
She wasn’t certain what had changed in her to make her actually want to be with him like that, but she did know something deep inside needed to feel the brutal stretch of his claim just one more time before they separated.
Ignoring the twinge in her stomach at the thought of saying goodbye, she closed her eyes and let her exhausted body collapse back onto the bed. She’d need rest before she’d be capable of anything, much less spreading her legs for him again.
And she would feel him move within her before he gave her up—no matter how much of a gentleman he was planning on being about it.