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Her cheek pressed into the edges of his skull mask. Her tongue grazed his fangs. It made him want to press closer, shove his soft cock deeper. Then he remembered how fragile she was and pulled back to examine her.

There was no blood in the air. He checked her mouth anyway, thumbing her jaw open to check inside.

“Thank you,” Ruby panted.

He blinked. For checking he hadn’t cut her?

“For the kiss,” she said, surprisingly shy for someone he was still inside. “I didn’t know if you wanted to.”

“I shouldn’t have,” he tried. “My fangs?—”

“We’ll be careful,” she said.

He touched her cheek. “My strange little witch.”

“Strange?” she echoed. “For what? Wanting… this?”

She moved her hips. His soft cock would not fit any further, especially when it started to twitch and harden.

“I could eat you,” he reminded her with a rough groan. “I considered it. You were not a lost soul, so I would have done it.”

“I know.” She leaned up like she was going to kiss him again, then hesitated. “Is it strange for you? Wanting a human?”

She sounded so timid. Like she was afraid of his answer. Like she was afraid he would tell her he wouldn’t want her, which… yes, he was considering it. A lie would be easier than the truth. The truth was that he wanted her more than anything in millennia.

Not that he was going to admit that.

“It is strange wanting anything,” he admitted. “I usually want very little.”

Her shy expression dissolved into a relieved smile. “That’s going to make our deal difficult. I have to give you whatever you want from me.”

“Right,” he said distractedly. “Yes.”

He still hadn’t considered what that might be. He wasn’t about to start, with his cock hardening inside her.

Ruby’s smile faltered. “Ouch.”

Slate stilled. He had been rocking his hips and hadn’t noticed.

“Do you want me to pull out?”

“Yes,” she said hurriedly.

He reluctantly pulled out of her tight warmth. His half-hard cock bounced in the cool forest air, and he concentrated onwilling it to go down. But Ruby was still naked and drenched in his nest, which proved to be antithetical to his objective.

He stood, turning away. “I trust you do not remember the way back to the castle. I will lead you.”

Ruby didn’t respond. He turned back to see Ruby pushing herself up on her knees, leaning out of the nest toward his naked groin.

Slate thought about refusing her. But her lips were red and puffy from kissing, and he found he couldn’t look away as she leaned in.

“This does not prepare you,” he reminded her as she wrapped her hands around his hardening cock. “It is useless.”

“It doesn’t feel useless.” She shot him a shy smile. “You made me come over and over. Let me return the favor.”

Then she pressed her lips to his cock, and all reason slid happily from Slate’s head.

Eleven