I didn’t want to be feral. It was heavily frowned upon in my culture. So, I forced myself to relax. After a few deep breaths, I watched the pitch-black tattoos on my arms fade to their usual gray inkiness. Normal. But no less dangerous to her. I was overwhelmed by the chase, her pounding heartbeat, my intimidation’s victory over another predator… it was devastating to my self-control. Primal. Needy.
“Vivian.” My voice hadn’t gotten the message that it didn’t have to be monstrous anymore. “When I turn around, I better find one of those jars in your fucking pocket.”
I rotated to face her. She had both palms pressed into the bark as she stared up at me with wide eyes. Her pulse raced in my ears. Her blackberry scent had grown tart with fear, but remnants of that sweetness lingered. Or maybe those delicious notes were fresh? Not only fresh but intensifying the closer I stepped. My chest rumbled with excitement.
I slapped two hands down where her visibly empty pockets lay over her hips. She whimpered at the impact.
“Feels empty to me, Little Goddess.”
“You left me,” she defended herself with a hoarse squeak.
“Within a protective border. You’re lucky I’m what caught you when you ran. I told you not to. You shouldn’t make such easy prey of yourself, or something may consider you for its next meal.”
“What was I supposed to do?!” Her hand smacked against my chest. “Just stand there after finding you—you—” she gulped, her cheeks burning violet.
Calm down, Theo. You need to calm down.
I’d won many a chase, all in the name of violence. This was different. These unhinged feelings weren’t appropriate. But I had won the hunt, and I was fucking hungry. Ineededto eat.
“Vivian, I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I confessed, hanging my head. My elbows rested on the tree above her, keeping her caged in between my arms. “Please. Don’t run again. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You haven’t felt what in a long time?”
“Anything.”
There was the truth. I’d shut it all off. I was a machine. A machine that hadn’t felt an urge like this since the first time it took a life. Over a decade ago. Not only did I suddenly have feelings, but I was being bombarded by the whole fuckingspectrum.
She stared up at me attentively, resting a palm tenderly against my cheek. “And now that you do feel something… what do you want?”
“I don’t ‘want’ anything. I need.”
“What do youneed, Theo?”
My jaw tensed. Part of me didn’t know. Part of me knew and was afraid to admit it. My desire was undiscerning. It demanded that I tear into her. Devour her. Claim her. Break her. My hands flexed as I tried to tame the beast. My cocks strained against the denim of my pants, but it was my tongue that demanded attention—salivating relentlessly.
She slowly—cautiously—reached a hand out, cupping my groin. “Do you need to… come, again?”
“Oh, darling,” I groaned at her touch. “It’s not my cum that I have in mind.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“You made me hungry when you ran.” I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “And now, I need to eat, Little Goddess.”
I watched her throat swallow against the pattering of her pulse. That soft flutter of her jugular betrayed the adrenaline coursing through her veins. But amidst that bitter fear, was the growing sweetness of the juiciest berries from her field. The aroma was complex. Layered. Addictive.
“You… want to eat me?”
“Only if you don’t object.” I lowered myself to my knees—as I’d told her she deserved—and stared up at her with my jaw parted. I ran my tongue over the teeth that I couldn’t seem to make blunt again. Savoring the complex taste of her adrenaline-laced arousal.
Her cautious blue eyes sparkled like the crystals in the trees. “Do you really want to?”
“I’m on my knees begging.” I reached under her dress to cup the back of her soft calf. “Let me appease both the heavens and the depths of hell, by showing you how you deserve to be worshipped. That would satisfy the unholy beast within me.”
“I’ve never—what do I do?” She swallowed.
“Your only job is to submit and tell me exactly how good I’m making you feel. I’ll handle the rest.Do we have an agreement?”
My nervous female squeaked softly and nodded her head.
