A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #2)(31)

“Gross. Stop it! It’s only okay if you’re in the other form.”

He’s doing it for me, because he knows I can feel it.

“I don’t care who he is doing it for—it’s gross, and no thank you.”

I screamed again, was put down, and listened to his mighty roar echo. A moment later, I was back between his teeth, and we were running in the direction of the birch. Once there, Nyfain changed and caught me as I fell, hugging me close for one solid moment. I thought I heard him inhale, his face in my hair, his thumb stroking my shoulder. My eyes fluttered shut as I soaked the moment in.

And that’s not gross? my animal asked.

What?

He just sniffed our head.

No, that’s not gross. It’s our hair.

It’s the hair on our head. The dragon sniffed the hair on our cunt. It’s the same thing.

It is not, even remotely, the same thing.

The birch shook to a start and then sashayed in place. “Ugh!” I said, nearing my wits’ end.

Nyfain looked at me funny.

I gestured to the birch. “Don’t you find that annoying? And my animal is annoying. What’s the difference between smelling my head and my…” I pointed at my crotch. “Really? Big difference.”

“I’ll take smelling your pussy over having my balls twisted any day. Or trying to sheer off my cock skin with your teeth. What the fuck was he trying to prove? He told me to shut up when I asked, then called me a terrible lover.”

I let out unexpected laughter. “My animal said that your dragon knew you were going to hurt me because of your size, and he was showing that he would take as much pain as he would give.”

He glanced upward as he walked around the birch.

“Ah,” he said, bending and reaching into the bush. “That makes sense. Though working into you nice and easy would’ve been better for everyone instead of scraping my cock and battering the hell out of your almost-virgin pussy.”

“I mean…” I cocked a hip in mild embarrassment. “It’s just that I wasn’t used to your size. I’m definitely not a virgin. I know things.”

He laughed as he pulled out a yellow package from the bush. “Reading those books, I am sure you know plenty. More than me.” He handed the package off to me, not meeting my eyes. “There’s a letter in there, and another book, though I guess you can pick books at your leisure now.”

“I thought we had a deal?”

His eyes cut my way. He didn’t speak.

“You pick a book for me, and I pick a book for you, right?”

He studied me for a second. “With notes?”

I blew out a breath. “I might need more than notes on yours. I tried to snap that demon’s neck, and she just yelped. I should have enough strength, but…”

“How’s this?” He took my sword before finding a leafy plant and wiping off the blade. He’d been too pissy to do it earlier. “You write me notes in the books—”

“Or how about on paper so we don’t ruin the books?”

“On parchment, then. You write me notes”—he slid my sword into my sheath—“and I’ll teach you how to fight.”

My belly fluttered. “Deal. What about pleasuring me?” His eyes darkened. I put up my hands. “Your dragon said that I wasn’t allowed to pleasure myself, and that I should go to him for all my pleasuring needs.”

“Fat fucking chance,” he murmured, stepping around me. “You have fingers. You can take care of that.”

“At least I’ll have my own space. Since you’ve claimed my panties, I guess I can admit that I was wet reading your letters. And I had to find places to hide and masturbate outside when writing those notes in that book to you.”

“I know. I smelled your sex on the pages,” he growled. His power thrummed within me, and desire flooded the bond. “I smelled your arousal near the birch, too. I knew I was the one who’d caused it, and it drove me wild.”

“And we can’t just have sex without all the claiming because…why?”

He glared at me but didn’t answer.

“I mean, look,” I continued, walking with him toward the everlass field, still holding the package. “I’m not going to bang any demons or staff. Let’s get that straight. I’m good with being a one-man show, and I get that this isn’t going anywhere. So why can’t we enjoy ourselves? A little good-morning bang-bang never hurt anyone.”

He bent to the plants, running his fingers along them, giving them love, while stripping away the shriveling or wilting leaves. I set the package down at the edge of the field and chose the row beside his to help.

“Oh, hey!” I grinned at him. His scowl was in full effect. “I broke your dry spell. My body did, at least. How’d that feel after sixteen years?”

He stepped into a different row, putting more distance between us.

“I’ll tell you how I feel,” I said, working my way through the plants. “I’m starting to feel awfully sore, and that was weird as fuck, but wow, those orgasms were amazing. And the kisses. And the feel of you inside—”

“Stop talking,” he barked, power riding the command.

“Just tell me how it was after sixteen years, and I’ll stop. That’s all I ask.”