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My fangs ached to sink into her creamy neck while she flitted about, inspecting plants and flowers, before she was drawn back to the banks of the stream.

She sucked in a breath as a fish leaped to catch a dragonfly and then her eyes widened as she watched it wrestle with the enormous bug. “Oh my God,” she mumbled. “I thought that was a bird. And the fish—it was blue?”

Waving my hand toward the water, I compelled more to come. Soon a school of blue and red fish swam along with the current, passing us by. “You made those fish come, didn’t you.” I nodded. “Fish whisperer,” she said before giggling.

“It’s not whispering, not really. I⁠—”

“It's a joke,” she interrupted me. “Like the people who can talk to horses to calm them down. Instead of horses, you get fish.”

There was no way I was going to ask for an explanation.

She turned her big blue eyes up at me. “Do people have pets here?”

“You’re not my pet.”

Her hand slid down her face. “Like cats and dogs. Fish. Birds.”

Oh. “No. They tend to get eaten. Would you like one?” Cassia grinned. “I’ll get you whatever you want,” I foolishly told her.

“You will?” She asked. I nodded. “Okay, I need to think about that. Probably a cat.” Her face lit up while she thought about all the possibilities.

Was she going to snuggle the fucking thing all night? An uneasy feeling squirmed in the pit of my stomach. I would have to be very careful when I dismissed the animal from our bed every evening or I’d have to get her a new one every day.

Cassia’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t eat it on me, would you?”

My head tilted to the side and slightly forward while I slowly licked my lips and stared at her. The look of horror on her face made it all worth it.

“Lukas!” She slapped my chest. “No!”

Seizing her hand, I tugged her to me and kissed her deeply while I tried to hold back my laughter. Finally, she freed herself and I grinned at her.

“You’re a terrible person, did you know that?” She tried to sound serious but didn’t do a very good job. My smile transformed into a smirk.

“I still have the stiletto,” she warned.

We stayed close to the edge of the water as we walked, talking about this and that. It was a nice break from my regular duties, and I enjoyed her company very much. She was sharp, witty, and more adventurous than I expected when I pushed her down into a bed of purple flowers and shoved her leggings down to her ankles.

But then again, I went straight for her sweet spot, sucking it into my mouth and lightly scraping her folds with my teeth. Her thighs squeezed my head while she gripped my hair so hard my scalp burned. The ecstasy was beyond what I ever could have dreamed of and hearing her sweet cries echo through the forest was all the music I needed. Knowing she was mine and that no one else had the privilege of tasting her would comfort me for eternity.

When I pushed inside and her tight walls hugged me close, I didn’t last long. The heat spread through me and I gave in to the bliss, dragging her right over the edge with me as she cried my name.

“Jesus. Fuck.” Cassia gasped against my neck. “What if someone heard us?”

I helped her up and she leaned down to grab her pants. “If someone is rude enough to mention it, they’ll never speak again.”

Cassia giggled. “So dramatic.”

“I won’t let anybody embarrass you.”

“I know.” She patted me on the back.

After we were cleaned up and fully dressed, I took her hand. “I have something to show you.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Something else? What?”

“You’ll see,” I replied.

There was a barely discernible path through the trees. If one didn’t know what to look for, the specific area would be easily missed. It was a place where certain, unique flowers grew that attracted other things.