Page 18 of Unbinding the Demon

I sat at the small, round kitchen table, under the pale yellow light fixture, superstitiously picking all the almonds out of the mixed nuts I was snacking on. The house was quiet except for my crunchy chewing and the pitter-patter of kitty paws prancing around. William had gone to bed, and Lacey was still sleeping on the couch, making the atmosphere somewhat lonesome. My disheartened gaze lingered on Lacey’s fancy blooming tea kettle. The beautiful flowery brew was a lovely shade of light amber, and had a few slices of the reishi mushrooms I'd dried. However, I was too disquieted to admire it. I got up, grabbed a glass from the cabinet, and poured myself some anyway. The sweet floral and earthy tea would have been much more enjoyable under different circumstances.

With a sigh, I leaned limply against the counter, the sage-green surface digging into my back. I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of dread that lingered in the pit of my stomach. Breaking up with Ashton was the most logical thing to do, but my idiot heart wanted to give him another chance. It was obvious what I had to do, but after dwelling on my thoughts for a while, I wasn’t feeling so sure about my decision. I was a conflicted, sulking, and emotional mess.

A gentle knock sounded on the front door, causing me to freeze mid-sip. My eyes widened, and I glanced over at the stovetop clock, finding that it was 11:38 pm.

Who the hell would be knocking at this hour on a Wednesday night?

Just in case it was a burglar— or the serial killer, I ruffled up my hair to make it look like a chaotic mess and grabbed both a frying pan and a chef’s knife. I warily tiptoed into the living room and over to the door. At first, I tried to peek through the peephole, but it was too dark to see anything. A few whispered curses tumbled out with my sigh of frustration. I then flung the door open like a madwoman. The pan was held above my head in one hand and the knife in the other, ready to strike.

“Hey?” Ashton stood in the doorway with a slight smile, using his foot to hold the screen door open. He tilted his head and lifted a brow with a confused but amused look as he eyed my weapons.

“Ashton? What the hell are you doing here so late? I thought you were possibly a bandit or... the fucking serial killer!” I whispered in frustration since Lacey was sleeping nearby. The frying pan and knife softly clanked as I placed them down on an end table, trying to be as quiet as possible.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He scratched the back of his head, appearing quite apologetic. “I wanted to see if you’d be willing to come back to my place tonight?” He held out a hand for me to take. Something flickered in his eyes as if he were worried I might reject his offer, but he masked it in a flash.

“Why?” My voice dripped with suspicion, and I crossed my arms.

“Well, there’s something I’d like to do with you.” A coy smile danced on his lips. “But don’t worry, it’s nothing like what we did earlier,” he quickly clarified.

I stared at him for a minute, unsure if I should give him the time of day or not. Then, in a moment of weakness or possible insanity, I glanced back down at his hand and hesitantly took it. His fingers immediately wrapped around mine as though seizing the opportunity, and a look of ease spread across his face. “Excellent, let’s go then.” He pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head.

I glanced over at Lacey’s curly black locks peeking out from the side of the couch and then followed Ashton out the door. “Okay, but nothing dangerous, please.”

The car ride had been quiet. A vise of tension squeezed my chest, making it hard to breathe. The words “we need to talk” danced at the tip of my tongue, yet I couldn’t seem to bring myself to say them. I didn’t want to string him along, but I was worried about breaking things off while alone with him. Ashton noticed my unease and tried to lighten the mood with small talk about the various Halloween decorations we passed.

By the time we walked into the foyer at Ashton’s place, I was unsure what to expect. I glanced around, feeling anxious, and waited for him to explain his plans for this odd hour. Over the past month, he had been fixing up the house, bit by bit. The walls were still dingy, but everything else looked much better and more livable.

“Come on, we’re going up to the attic.” He took my hand and began leading me up the stairs.

The fucking attic? Really?

Apprehension filled my soul as we traversed to the second floor. I stared at the back of his head, noticing how his braid swayed as he walked. His long hair was something I had grown to admire. It was a unique feature that not very many men could pull off. He always kept it clean and neat, and it added to his barbarian-like masculinity. I frowned, finding that I was going to miss playing with it once this relationship was over.

We walked into the hallway, where he struggled for a minute to pull a ladder down from the ceiling. It appeared unused for quite some time. He had to give it a few extra tugs to get it unstuck. Then, the sweet smell of incense wafted down along with a puff of dust. There was already a dim light shining down, making me wonder how the ladder might be that stuck and dusty if he’d just been up there earlier.

“After you.” He smiled and gestured for me to go up first.

“This isn’t going to be something terrifying, is it?” I nervously glanced up at the small rectangular entrance.

“No, I promise it’s not.” He caressed the side of my arm.

I gazed up again and then reluctantly began to climb. My eyes widened once I saw what it looked like up there. There was a large hexagon window on the A-frame wall where the full moon was shining in through the glass. Beneath the window was a small wooden table with an incense burner and a bunch of lit black candles. Other black candles were spread out over the various antiques that lined the room and across the thick wooden beams, lighting up the space beautifully. An elegant round carpet filled the middle of the floor. It had a black base with a red rose mandala-like design woven around it.

“Are you stuck?” Ashton asked, a playful smile on his face while he pushed on my butt.

“No, I’m just surprised how pretty it is up here.” I hurried the rest of the way up.

He chuckled as he followed behind me. I walked onto the carpet while looking around, wondering what he might have planned. The floorboards creaked as he approached, causing me to turn to look at him. “Here, this is for you.” He smiled and held up a dainty yellow chrysanthemum. “It was the closest thing I could find to a buttercup, considering they’re not exactly in season right now.” He nervously scratched the back of his head.

“Oh wow, it’s beautiful. Thank you,” I smiled, hoping he wouldn’t notice the trepidation in my eyes.

“I’m glad you like it.” He tucked the yellow bloom behind my ear and then circled behind me. His large, warm hands slid through my hair as he braided it gently. “Now, I know you enjoy yoga, but have you ever practiced tantra?”

“I’ve heard of it, but I’m not sure what it’s all about.” I gazed down at the floor.

He wasn’t making my decision easy. I considered leaving until I figured out what I wanted to do. If I stayed, that might send him the false message that everything was okay. Yet, I wasn’t sure how he would take it if I asked him to drive me home so soon. I took a deep breath and hoped that he didn’t notice my internal conflict.

“I’d like to show you then. It’s an ancient yogic practice that started in northern India over 5,000 years ago.” He finished braiding my hair and spun me around to face him. “But before we begin, I owe you an apology for what I did earlier today.” His hand tenderly cupped my cheek to hold my gaze, and the other landed softly on my shoulder.

“Ashton, I—”

“Shhh,” he gently shushed while putting his finger on my lips. “It was wrong of me to lose my temper with you like that, especially without knowing the whole story. I also shouldn’t have forced you over that cliff. It was stupid. And even though I didn’t intend for it to scare you so much, it was still wrong of me to do that. I behaved inappropriately, and I hope you can forgive me.” He graced me with a small, apologetic smile and a pleading gaze.

I gazed back into his eyes, dumbfounded, as I tried to process his words. Anytime past partners had apologized to me, it had always been some phony baloney, “I’m sorry, but this is why you deserved it,” type of thing. He didn’t use my actions to justify his own and turn them around on me. It was an honest apology, and I didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m sorry too. I should have kept my word and stayed away from that priest,” I found myself saying.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.” His gaze softened even further as he brushed my cheek with his thumb and then gave me a lingering kiss. “Now, shall we begin?” He smiled down at me.

“Sure.” I smiled back up at him, then wrapped my arms around him in a much-needed hug.

He returned the hug and wrapped me up in his strong, intimate embrace. My heart had outweighed my common sense, but I was glad that it did. I closed my eyes against his chest and smiled with relief, accepting his apology. His fiery, spicy scent filled my nose and comforted me. It was a scent that was beginning to smell like home. After a long moment, his hands began to trail down my back, and he slowly lifted my shirt over my head.

“I thought we were going to practice yoga?” My brow raised in confusion. I certainly wanted to have sex tonight, but I also wanted to try this unknown practice out first.

He grinned with a small chuckle. “Oh, we’re not wearing clothes for this type of yoga.” He bent down and lightly kissed along my neck as he continued to undress me.

Once I was completely naked, he undressed himself. The warm candlelight flickered across his well-defined muscles and ghoulish tattoos as he lifted his shirt over his head. The sight reminded me of my demonic dreams, causing my stomach to clench with anticipation. He removed his pants, revealing a large bulge in his boxers that left my legs feeling like Jell-O. Then his boxers dropped too.

He circled around and stood behind me with my back against him. His warm, hard cock pressed firmly against my lower back, causing my sex to swell with want. He sensually slid his hands down my arms, taking my hands to close them together at my heart center with his over mine. His were so large they completely enveloped mine, surrounding them with his warming touch.

“The idea behind tantra is to become both spiritually and physically intimate, to become one on a soul level. It should be started with a mantra. I've chosen my favorite, which is, ‘SaTaNaMa.’ Just follow my lead.” His voice was deep and seductive in my ear.

“SaTaNaMa... SaTaNaMa... SaTaNaMa...” My feminine voice and his masculine one vibrated the words together as if they were one unified sound. The mantra vibrated out from his chest and into my body, heightening every nerve. I couldn’t help but let out a small giggle because this was a side of him I hadn’t known before. He was the last person I would have guessed to be into obscure yogic practices. Just when I thought I had him all figured out, he surprised me and pulled this out of his hat.

He led me into a series of different intimate yoga poses. Our naked bodies slowly intertwined and unraveled, pressing against one another with sensual fluidity. We both gave and received tender kisses and intimate caresses as we stretched and moved. My slim, curvy body matched and complemented the movements of his large, muscular one with grace. With every position, my arousal grew, coating my outer lips with a glistening dew. His erection bobbed and twitched as he moved, the swollen veins throbbing with need. It took all my willpower not to pounce on him like a starving cheetah and frantically sink down over his cock again and again.

Even though we weren’t having sex, it was still the most intimate thing I’d ever done with someone. I felt so close to him, like our very souls were bonding. He sat down cross-legged and guided my body onto his lap, with me facing him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and finally felt his hard member against my slippery, soaking wet slit. His hands massaged my breasts firmly, using his thumbs to play with my nipples.

Emerald green clashed with glistening gold as he gazed into my eyes and I back into his. The warm, flickering candlelight married the cool, steady moonlight, as they contrasted with each other upon our entwined flesh. He moved his hands from my breasts and held them up on either side of us. I instinctively placed mine against his and pressed our palms together. His fingers interlaced with mine as he leaned in and graced my lips with a passionate kiss. My legs squeezed tighter around his waist, pushing his cock closer against my wet core.

His lips softly fluttered along my jaw, down my neck, and across my collarbone. A small growl rumbled in his chest, and he released my hands to wrap his arms around me, pulling me closer in a full embrace. I leaned my head against him and reached around to hold on to his strong, wide back. He positioned the tip of his cock at my entrance and then gently pushed my body over his. We were both so aroused that he effortlessly sank all the way inside my tight core, deeply penetrating me with a blissful heat.

I moaned and gripped his back even tighter, pressing my breasts closer against his chest. He began to lift me up and down over his shaft in slow, calculated movements. My head tilted back, and then my mouth was once again captured by his soft lips. Our tongues danced in fiery chaos as our bodies rhythmically joined as one.

Slow, wet slaps, growls, and moans sounded throughout the room as our amorous love making continued. It was as though our spirits were connecting and becoming one in some sort of sacred union. It felt like waves of electricity were flowing up from the base of my spine to the top of my head, like a euphoric serpent rising from the depths of hell and up into heaven. Waves of heat rippled through my body, causing sweat to break out across my glistening skin.

His eyes looked like burning amber gems, and the black rings around his irises appeared even bolder in the candlelight. They bore the essence of his soul, revealing so much darkness and sorrow lurking in their ethereal depths. Yet in that moment, a loving benevolence and tenderness towards me overshadowed it. It was so strong that it pierced my soul and shook me to my core, crumbling the impenetrable walls I’d built around my heart so long ago.

His lips found mine once again as he lowered me down onto my back in a slow yet fluid motion. My legs and arms stayed tightly wrapped around his large frame, as though I never wanted to let go. He picked up the pace, thrusting even harder and deeper into me. I moaned into his mouth as I felt his large hand roughly pinch one of my nipples.

His body continued to slam powerfully into mine with relentless speed. Our sweaty flesh feverishly slapped against each other with scorching passion. Everything was so hot, it felt like I might burn alive in his embrace. The candles flickered higher, as though controlled by some unseen force, burning up to a blazing crescendo. His mouth devoured mine and hungrily kissed all over my jaw and neck, leaving little pink welts behind. He grabbed my face and made me look into his eyes.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he growled the words while pinching my nipple again.

“I—I, oh. I’m yours! ... I’m yours-I’m yours-I’m yours!” I deliriously sputtered.

A deep growl erupted from his throat, and he looked absolutely feral. His mouth crashed down onto the side of my neck, and I felt a sharp pain piercing my flesh. I screamed as we simultaneously orgasmed, clutching each other like our lives depended on it. Heat blazed up my spine and seared through my soul, melting our burning spirits together. Reality faded for a fleeting moment, leaving just him and me, and the ineffable pleasure we created. His lips remained on my neck as he licked and sucked the area like a savage, our pleasure rippling through us.

He moved away and rested on his side, with a trickle of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He then pulled my body against his so that we were lying face to face, our legs entwined. His softening cock glistened over his thigh and tickled my leg. I placed my trembling hand over the side of my neck and then looked at it, finding blood on my fingers... He fucking bit me?

“You’re mine,” he whispered as he took my hand and slowly licked the sticky blood from my fingers, one at a time. There was a look of contentment on his face while his silky tongue cleaned away every last drop. He placed a tender kiss on my palm once he was done.

We stayed there, panting in each other’s embrace, as our sweaty bodies shimmered under the silvery moonlight. I knew I should have felt unsettled by the fact that he had just gone all Dracula on me, but I didn’t because of the amount of pure intimacy I was feeling with him. It was like we’d truly connected on a spiritual soul level. Any doubt I had about being with him was gone. I was his, mind, body, and soul. And I felt completely safe in his arms... It was weird .

“Ashton,” I asked, my voice as soft as the moonlight streaming in through the window.

“Yes, Buttercup?”

“I lied when I told you I didn’t know what I wanted to talk to the priest about,” I admitted as I gazed into his piercing eyes.

“I know.” He kissed my hand again without breaking eye contact.

“While jogging, I noticed a missing person poster for that guy you killed at the party. I felt really guilty about it and just wanted someone to talk to. I wasn’t going to tell him any incriminating details, though. I wouldn’t have even mentioned your name or that I knew what really happened,” I rambled and then bit my lower lip, my stomach twisting with nervousness.

“I understand,” he softly replied and popped my lip back out with his thumb. “Is that all you wanted to speak to him about?”

I stayed quiet for a moment. “No,” I finally answered while averting my gaze. “He offered to share a few stories about my aunt.”

“And her death was much harder for you than you’ve previously let on?” He pinned me with a knowing stare.

“Yes,” I whispered.

He squeezed me closer and laid a kiss on my forehead. “I want you to know that you can always talk to me. Even if I’m the reason you’re upset or you think I’ll get sick of hearing about it. I’ll be here for you, regardless.”

“Thank you.” I wiped away a single tear and smiled. “How did you find me at the church, anyway?”

“Belzar ratted you out.” He held my gaze with a dead-serious expression and then laughed.

I joined in on his laughter, thinking he must have seen Belzar tied up in front of the building. My fingertips trailed along the black, veiny design of his strange tattoo as my giggles died down. The skin was rough and raised, as if whoever had inked him had gone way too deep and botched the job. For a brief moment, I thought I felt it pulse beneath my touch. Then I blinked in confusion. I could have sworn it looked bigger. My eyes blinked, noticing how the veins were creeping over a ghastly skull with horns and fangs—horns that looked just like the ones he had in my dreams. I had thought the veins stopped just above that particular tattoo, but I could have been wrong.

“This is such a unique tattoo,” I softly mentioned. “Did you recently add to it?”

His body stiffened, and then he glanced down at his shoulder. “I’m surprised you noticed. And thank you. I don’t recommend getting one like this, though.” He let out a humorless chuckle.

“Then why did you get—”

He cut off my words with a sudden kiss and then pulled away to look into my eyes. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

He helped me up onto my wobbly legs, then we went back down to the bedroom. Ashton tucked me into the bed and then climbed in on the other side. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to him with a smile. I snuggled a little closer, loving the feeling of his body against mine.

“Gwendolyn,” he whispered.

“Yes, Ashton?” I whispered back.

“I’m glad that you’re mine.” He tenderly caressed my back.

“Me too,” I replied with a smile.

I pulled the chrysanthemum out from behind my ear and brought it to my nose to inhale its sweet fragrance. I held it against my heart, and Ashton held me against his. My eyes closed, and I soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep, cradled in his warm, strong embrace.