Page 12 of Betrothed

It was Zax’s turn to hesitate. No one had ever touched his broken horn before. It felt strange. Tingly.

Fawn let go. “Sorry.”

“No,” he said over her. He caught her hand, closing her fingers around the broken horn. “Keep going. It does not hurt. It is just… different.”

Fawn rubbed a curious thumb over his broken horn. It sent a wave of sensation through his skull, hot and shivery.

Fawn pulled him toward her, and Zax went obediently. He had a vague idea of what she was going to do now, but not entirely.

Then Fawn stopped. She stared at him, something strange flashing over her face.

“What?” Zax asked.

Fawn shook her head. Then she pressed her lips to his.

Five

Fawn’s mind raced.

What was she doing, kissing this monster? Surely, she could buy herself a day or two before giving in to his urges. He had taken her rebuttal nicely enough last night. But as soon as she had seen that long, dexterous tongue, something had ignited inside her. Specifically, between her legs. It was appalling, and yet she couldn’t stop it.

Zax’s lips were surprisingly gentle against hers. At first, they were still, waiting for her guidance. Then, as the kiss deepened, he grew more confident, pushing that dexterous tongue inside her own.

Gods, that tongue. Fawn heard herself moan as he licked inside her mouth, pushing his tongue deeper than she would ever allow.

It should have been disgusting. Something to tolerate, as she had tolerated Renly’s lustful pawing. But for some reason, the slick movements made her want more.

She squeezed his broken horn. It made his breath hitch, and Fawn started to touch more of him, shocked at herself. She ran her finger down the skull mask, feeling its chips and grooves. She touched the scars on his bare shoulders, tracing them down his back.

Zax gripped her face, those sharp claws pricking into her freckled cheeks. Then he drew back, nuzzling his skull mask against her shoulder.

“You smell so good,” he groaned. “I cannot wait to taste you.”

“You…” Fawn licked her lips, which were wet with his spit. “You’re already tasting me.”

“I want more,” he said. He ran that long tongue over her neck, making her gasp. “Can I?”

He pushed up her dress again, his knuckles grazing the damp patch on her underclothes.

Fawn shivered.

She was not a lustful woman. At least, not with her late husband. Sex was something to be tolerated, while pleasure was found in the early hours of the morning with her own hand between her legs, biting her lip to keep quiet as Renly snored beside her.

But there was something about Zax. Even if he was a monster, even if she was still going to get her vengeance before she escaped… he genuinely seemed to want her to feel good. And if this would make him happy, make him docile, make him more likely to do her favors that could one day help her get back home, why shouldn’t she let him do this to her? If he were that focused on her pleasure, maybe she would enjoy it.

She was certainly enjoying his kisses. More than she had ever enjoyed it with Renly, who treated kissing as an inconvenient appetizer before he could reach the main course. Zax kept interrupting his own journey to her cunt to come back up and kiss her, his skull mask denting her freckled cheek whenever he pressed too hard.

“You’re good at that,” Fawn breathed once he pulled away again.

It was true. He was perhaps a little too enthusiastic, but it was oddly endearing after years of Renly’s bored pecks. Then Fawn reminded herself that this was a Skullstalker who gleefully murdered Renly, and all endearment vanished from her mind. She was only doing this to appease him. Right?

Zax grunted in response, the noise turning into a hungry growl as he knelt once more between her legs. He pressed his mouth to her thigh next, and she shivered again as those dangerous fangs skimmed her skin.

“You smell good,” he repeated, slurring into her heated skin. He moved up, and his elbow jostled her injured leg.

She cried out in pain. Zax jolted up, his purple eye glowing wide in alarm.

“Sorry,” he said. “I will not do it again. Let me?”