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He had already gotten a taste. The moment she had agreed to the deal, he had taken a drink. Easily slipping his tongue past her barrier and inviting the quiver of soul into his mouth. Andfuck,she had been divine. The corruption in her soul from the years of torment she had endured from others was a feast of delectable flavors. But the most delicious note had been the pain she had inflicted upon herself. A soul tormented by their own making—
The form of his own hand slowly appeared from the darkness, pale and corporeal. It trailed across the back of his hand, before it loosened his belt. Soon, it had unbuttoned his pants, lowered the zipper, and snaked inside. Ambrosius hissed as the chill touch wrapped around his cock. The pressure was light, not the same as his physical hand, but it made him grind his teeth all the same. Languid strokes started what his own hand could not, spreading fluid from the tip down, and allowing Ambrosius’ mind to come back to her.
Gwen, pliant in his arms as he kissed her. Mouth soft, open,willingdespite the fear and hatred she held for him. The way she had breathed him in, lips pressing desperately to his. Her tongue—so different from his real tongue, short and stubby as it tasted his. Ambrosius could still smell the peach flavor on her skin that had buried itself in the back of his nose.
He shuddered, the ink on his skin becoming fluid as it shifted with every breath he released. He had grown hotter, sweat building along his back. His fingers had slowly melted to sharp claws that pierced the bedding beneath him. Frustration mounting as the phantom hand continued its lazy pace, never quite giving Ambrosius the friction he craved.
Hismind continued its torturous reminder of what Gwen had felt like around his fingers. Hot and wet, like an open wound weeping beneath his claws. Even her cries had sounded like pain as Gwen failed to stifle the noises Ambrosius elicited from her. She was stubborn, but Ambrosius had been a quick study. Finding what pleased her was just as easy as knowing what wouldbreak her.
I hate you,Ambrosius thought as he ripped his hand away from the torn sheet.
With a snarl, he wrapped his hand around his length and bucked. The extra, teasing hand glided away, stroking along hisweakhuman flesh. A small reprieve from the heat that was driving himmad.
No, not the heat.
Her.
Her heat, her skin, hereverythingwas driving him mad.
Ambrosius clawed open his shirt, ripping it apart in an attempt to alleviate the suffocating heat. Interconnecting lines—a cosmic web of black ink pulsated along his chest with every erratic breath.
Gwen may have thought he was haunting her, but she had no idea how she was tormenting him. Crossing that line with her had been a mistake. Because now, as he fucked into his fist with desperate, uncoordinated thrusts, Ambrosius felt like she was there with him. A gorgeous and forbidding newly born monster who had begged so sweetly. Not just for anyone, but forhim.
Pain burst from his forehead, black ichor flowing into his hairline as two large horns broke the surface of his human vessel. They curved high, the tips catching on the pillow above Ambrosius’ head. His eye pushed against the edge of its socket as another eye erupted, filling the spacehis old eye had once occupied. They darted back and forth as Ambrosius tightened his hold on his cock, body burning up with every breath, everyawfulstroke.
It wasn’t enough to know what her insides felt like. Not enough to know what she tasted like. Ambrosius wanted tosee, wanted totouchall the places he hadn’t yet been able to. He wanted to slice her clothes away, revealing more flesh to him. Skin that he wanted to lick, bruise,biteinto with abandon. He wanted toconsume heranyway he could.
Blood filled Ambrosius’ mouth as his canines broke the surface of his tongue. It flowed down his throat and, for a moment, his terrible mind imagined it was hers. His teeth biting through her flesh, sinking into her fragile neck. Her nails piercing the flesh of his back, her own blunt teeth biting his face. Both of them falling into mutual destruction as he buried himself in her over and over, until all he knew washer.
Furious relief broke through Ambrosius as he spilled into his hand. It left him panting, hand sticky with an all too human looking fluid. The high had thoroughly distracted him from the sharp pain in his side, at least temporarily. And for a moment, Ambrosius just breathed.
The urge had been satisfied … but it left Ambrosius full of contempt.
One extra hand became two as they traveled along his own filthy hand, cleaning away the evidence of his…
Humanity, he thought with disdain.
Ambrosius could smell peaches.
This has to end.
25
Aware
Gwen
When Gwen enteredMaster Bastingten minutes before her shift started, she was surprised when nobody said anything.
Dyed hair wasn’t out of the ordinary. There were at least three hair salons within ten minutes of the building. But pink hair wasn’t something people usually ignored. For a moment, Gwen wondered if her hair had changed back by some miracle. A quick glance as she walked the long aisle toward the back of the building proved otherwise.
Maybe people really don’t recognize me?
It would make sense, as the work polos weren’t branded, and Gwen never showed so much skin before. Though bare arms and legs were hardly scandalous, Gwen had never dressed down so much for work. A fact she was thankful for when she exited Dr. Crawford’s as the heathad significantly picked up. It had been nice to walk the short distance to work and not break into a sticky sweat.
Still, this is weird,Gwen thought as she passed aisles of poorly put together home decor and art prints most likely stolen from the internet.
Going unnoticed was a short-lived experience as Gwen registered a voice behind her.