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It’s at this precise moment that I realize I’m naked. How did I not notice that before?

Where the hell are my clothes?

His scent surrounds me—smoke and heat, danger wrapped in seduction. I feel it everywhere, a slow, insidious warmth licking along my skin, curling deep in my core.

“I asked you a question, Parker. What shall I do with my prey?” he repeats. Dark amusement curls through each word. His frost-blue eyes gleam with predatory delight, drinking me in like I’m already his—like I always have been.

I bite my lip, hesitating. I should shove him away. I should fight. I should do something .

Instead, I lay there, panting, body humming with something headier than fear. Because I like this. I like the way his body hovers over mine, caging me in, not an inch of an escape to find.

Rad notices. Of course he does.

His grin sharpens, wicked and knowing.

“Oh, little one,” he purrs, dipping his head lower, his breath fanning across my neck, and his nostrils taking a big inhale of my hair.

I turn my head, exposing more of my throat without thinking, my pulse hammering beneath the surface.

A mistake.

He presses in, his muzzle brushing against my jaw as he inhales again deeply, the sound downright obscene.

“Your scent,” he murmurs, lips grazing my skin. “Sweet and sharp, like citrus and flowers.” His nose trails lower, following the pounding of my pulse. “But beneath that… something darker. Something hungry.”

His tongue flicks out, dragging a slow, wet path along the curve of my collarbone up to my ear.

A strangled gasp escapes me before I can stop it, my back arching, body betraying me. Heat pools in my core, spreading like fire, twisting into something desperate and aching.

Rad groans, the sound vibrating against my throat. His claws shift, the sharp tips ghosting along my sides, not cutting, just teasing. Testing. His control is a fragile thing, stretched thin between amusement and something far darker.

“I could devour you,” he murmurs.

And fuck me, I don’t think he means metaphorically.

I press my palms against his chest, but it’s not to push him away. Once again, I find that his fur is softer than I expect, thick and warm beneath my fingers. I slide my hands down, following the hard ridges of muscle beneath, the deep cut of his abdomen.

His breath stutters and I don’t miss it. He wants this as much as I do.

The realization sends a sharp thrill through me, emboldening something reckless inside me.

I shift beneath him, thighs parting enough that his massive form settles between them. His tail flicks, curling around my ankle, locking me in place.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, little one,” he warns, voice rough, raw, more animalistic than human.

“I’m not the one who made the rules,” I whisper, tilting my hips up enough to drag against the hard length pressing between my thighs. And fuck, he’s huge. That’s so not going to?—

His sharp inhale is the only warning I get.

The next second, his hand is at my throat—not squeezing, not cutting off my air, simply holding, his claws resting against my pulse. His grip is firm, possessive, demanding stillness.

So I do. I still. My body reacts to his every command without any words exchanged, without my brain even catching up, submitting as if on pure instinct.

A low, pleased growl rumbles through his chest.

“There’s my good girl,” he murmurs, nipping at my jaw. “Now… I’ll ask once more. What shall I do with you?”

I should be afraid.

But instead, I lift my chin, meeting his glowing blue eyes.

And I smile .

“Whatever you want.”

Rad’s growl deepens, his tail tightening around my ankle. “Oh, Beholden ,” he rumbles, voice dark with promise. “I don’t think you understand what you’re offering.”

I swallow, my heart pounding, anticipation curling low.

“Oh, but I think I do.”

For a second, everything is still.

And then?—

He moves.

His claws scrape lightly down my throat to my chest, tracing the curves of my breasts before cupping one roughly. I arch into his touch with a strangled moan, shamelessly rubbing myself against the thick, hard length of him pressed between my thighs. He growls into my neck, hips rocking forward to grind against my soaked center.

“Fuck, you’re dripping for me already,” he rasps against my pulse. “I’ve barely touched you and you’re already desperate for my cock, aren’t you?”

I moan and nod frantically, too far gone to feel any shame. Heat surges through me like a wildfire that’s just sparked to life. His hips grind against mine and the friction sends sparks of pleasure racing through me, making my toes curl.

“Please...” I gasp, not even sure what I’m begging for. I just know I need more.

His chuckle is deep and wicked. “Please what, little snow fox. Use your words.” His hand slides from my breast down my stomach, claws dragging lightly, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

When a claw brushes through the slick folds between my thighs, I nearly come undone right there. “Fuck!”

“Mmm, so sensitive,” he purrs approvingly. “And so very wet. All for me.”

I whimper and writhe beneath him, trying to press closer, desperate for more.

A growl rumbles from deep within his chest, sending vibrations through my entire body. And with that, he shifts, angling our bodies so he’s half-kneeling, half-leaning over me.

One clawed hand grips my hip, angling me. I dare to look down, to see what he’s doing, but I can’t find words as he positions himself at my entrance.

Oh, god. There’s no way that thing is fitting inside of me. And is it… ribbed?

An amused snort escapes him. “God doesn’t hang out in the Gloom’s woods, Beholden. And he would definitely frown on what you are currently doing, you wicked little thing.”

Fuck. Me.

“Oh, I’m planning on it,” he rumbles as I squirm. “You were made for this. Made for me. Mine.”

I take a shuddering breath, trying to force my body to relax as Rad slowly, inexorably pushes forward. The thick head of his cock stretches me wide, a delicious burn that has me gasping and clawing at his shoulders. He doesn’t stop, doesn’t pause, just keeps pressing deeper and deeper until I’m certain I’ll split in two.

“Breathe, little Beholden,” he growls, his voice strained. Like he’s fighting to keep the beast in check. “You will take all of me.”

“Yes,” I whimper, overwhelmed by the fullness, the pressure, the way he seems to fill every inch of me. And still he pushes deeper, those ridges along his length dragging against my inner walls in a way that has me seeing stars.

When he finally bottoms out, I’m trembling, panting, my body stretched to its limits around him.

Rad holds still, giving me a moment to adjust, but I can feel the tension thrumming through his massive frame, his control hanging by a thread. His frost-blue eyes burn into mine, pupils blown wide with lust and something darker, more primal. His tail tightens around my ankle, claws digging into my hip hard enough to leave marks.

“Rad,” I gasp, rolling my hips as much as I can in his iron grip. “Please, Rad, I need?—”

A snarl rips from his throat and he pulls back, only to slam forward again with enough force to knock the breath from my lungs. I cry out, pain and pleasure blurring into an intoxicating rush that has me arching beneath him, silently begging for more.

Rad doesn’t hold back. His hips snap forward in a punishing rhythm, each thrust driving him impossibly deeper. The ridges along his length drag against my inner walls, sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body.

I’m distantly aware that I’m babbling, a stream of pleas and curses falling from my lips as Rad pounds into me relentlessly.

His massive form looms over me, fur brushing against my sensitized skin with each powerful thrust. His claws rake down my sides, leaving stinging trails in their wake. The pain only heightens my pleasure, pushing me closer to the edge. I wrap my legs around his waist, trying to pull him even deeper, needing more.

“Mine,” he growls, voice thick with possession. “Say it.”

I gasp, struggling to form words through the haze. “Y-yours,” I manage, the admission sending a thrill through me.

With a snarl of satisfaction, Rad uncurls his tail from my ankle. I almost miss the pressure until he brings it between us, circling my clit. The sensation is overwhelming. The rough texture of his tail against my most sensitive spot, combined with the relentless pounding of his cock, sends me careening over the edge.

I cry out, my back arching as waves of pleasure crash over me. My inner walls clench around him, drawing a feral growl from deep in his chest.

Rad doesn’t slow his pace. If anything, he drives into me harder, chasing his own release.

His claws dig into my hips, definitely leaving bruises, as he pulls me onto his cock with each thrust. The overstimulation borders on painful, but I’m too far gone to care. Each movement sends aftershocks of pleasure rippling through me.

“That’s it,” he snarls, his voice rough and strained. “Take it all, Beholden. You’re mine. Mine to fuck, mine to claim, mine to?—”

His words cut off in a guttural roar as he slams into me one final time. I feel him swell inside me, impossibly larger, before he erupts. The flood of his release triggers another climax, and I cry out as pleasure crashes over me in overwhelming waves. My body clenches around him, milking every last drop as he fills me.

For several long moments, we stay locked together, both of us panting heavily. Rad’s massive form covers me completely. I can feel his heart pounding against my chest, matching my own frantic rhythm, and his breath in my hair.

Slowly, carefully, Rad shifts his weight, easing out of me with a low groan. I whimper at the loss, feeling suddenly empty and exposed. But before I can voice my protest, he gathers me against his chest, curling his body protectively around mine. His tail strokes over my flesh, almost like he’s petting me with the flat end of it. Which should probably be weirder than it is, but feels anything but.

Completely and utterly spent, I go limp in his hold, enjoying being held.

That is… until a familiar voice erupts from the silence.

“Parker? Parker!” Hudson screams.

Hudson?

Panic jolts through my blissed-out haze, reality crashing back in like a tidal wave.

Rad stiffens against me, his growl vibrating through my chest, but he doesn’t shift away. If anything, he presses closer, his massive body still half-draped over mine like he’s unwilling to relinquish his claim.

“Parker!” Hudson’s voice is frantic now, closer, thudding footsteps pounding against the ground.

Shit. Shit.

I try to untangle myself from Rad’s grip, but the demon doesn’t budge. His claws flex possessively against my hips, his tail tightening around my thigh.

A rumbling chuckle escapes him. “Of course you’d summon your little human.” His tongue flicks out to drag along my pulse territorially.

“Rad,” I pant, shoving at his chest, but it’s like trying to move a boulder. “Let me up. Now. ”

His frost-blue eyes gleam with something dark and triumphant as he finally, finally shifts away. But only slightly. His tail remains curled around my thigh, his claws still resting against my bare skin.

“Parker!”

Before I can grab my scattered thoughts—before I can move —Hudson bursts through the trees.

His golden hair is wild, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His eyes—usually soft and warm—blaze with something untamed, something feral.

His gaze locks onto me first, then drags lower—to the deep red scratches on my hips, the bruises forming in the shape of Rad’s grip, the mess between my thighs.

A sound rips from his throat. A wounded, furious snarl.

And then his eyes snap to Rad.

I barely register the movement before Hudson lunges.

It happens too fast. A blur of limbs, a flash of motion, then a sickening crack as Hudson’s fist collides with Rad’s jaw. The sheer force of the hit snaps Rad’s head to the side, his horns slicing through the thick fog like a blade.

But Rad doesn’t fall. Doesn’t even stumble.

No, he laughs.

It’s a low, dark sound, amused and cruel.

Hudson doesn’t hesitate. He swings again, his knuckles catching Rad’s cheek. It does less than nothing.

Rad’s head barely moves this time, his grin widening.

Oh, fuck.

Hudson doesn’t realize what he’s done.

Rad isn’t human. He isn’t playing by human rules. And Hudson, my sweet, golden, stupid human , just declared himself a threat.

Rad moves like lightning. One second he’s standing there, smug and amused, and the next?—

His claws wrap around Hudson’s throat.

Hudson chokes, his hands flying up to grip Rad’s wrist, but he might as well be trying to pry off a steel vice. Rad lifts him, feet dangling above the ground, tail snapping behind him in a pleased flick.

“You dare challenge me for her?” Rad growls, his voice no longer the smooth, taunting purr I’m used to. No, this is something deeper. Darker. More demonic . And I swear his eyes are glowing brighter and his horns now taller and sharper than before.

Hudson gasps for air, legs kicking. His fingers dig into Rad’s grip, veins bulging in his arms from the strain.

“Rad, stop! ” I scramble to them, reaching for him, but he doesn’t let go.

He won’t let go.

“You think you can take her from me?” Rad hisses, yanking Hudson closer until they’re nearly nose-to-nose. His lips peel back, exposing his wickedly sharp fangs.

And then?—

He bites.

Hudson’s strangled yell rips through the air.

Rad’s fangs sink deep into the curve of his neck, just above his shoulder. His claws tighten, holding Hudson in place as his mouth latches onto soft flesh .

Fuck. Making a bargain with a demon was such a stupid mistake. I thought I was saving Hudson and instead I made him the target of not one but two monsters.

I don’t think. I move .

I grab Rad’s furred arm and yank, slamming my fist into his ribs, into his side, anything to make him stop.

“Rad, let him go! ” I shriek, hitting him again, nails raking against his skin.

For a moment, he doesn’t respond. His tail lashes violently behind him, claws flexing, body taut as a bowstring. Then with a snarl, Rad releases Hudson, shoving him back so hard he flies. Hudson crashes into the dirt, a hand clamping over his bleeding neck, his entire body trembling.

Rad’s chest heaves, nostrils flaring, eyes blazing with something primal . A dark smear of blood stains his lips, his tongue flicking out to taste it.

He shudders.

“Rad,” I whisper, stepping closer, my heart still hammering.

His gaze snaps to me, and my breath catches . Because for the first time since I’ve met him—Rad doesn’t look cocky. Doesn’t look smug or satisfied.

No, for the first time, I see the demon beneath the beast.

His frost-blue eyes darken to something more primal, something ancient—a swirling abyss of hunger and fury, of instincts honed over lifetimes. His lips curl, stained with Hudson’s blood, and his chest rises and falls in heaving pants. But it’s not exhaustion.

It’s something worse.

Something ravenous.

The air crackles around him, heavy with power. The ground beneath him darkens, shadows coiling, thick and alive. They slither up his legs, curling around his broad frame like possessive hands. He doesn’t seem to notice—or maybe he does and he doesn’t care.

Then the shadows tighten.

Rad’s body jerks like he’s been snared. His tail lashes, his muscles locking up as his glowing eyes snap upward—searching. Sensing. Then a chuckle.

My stomach drops.

We’re not alone.

“Well, well, well, Steorfan . Decided to join the party? You’re a little too late my little shadowy friend.”

A deep growl surges from the woods, from the ground, from everywhere and nowhere all at once, making my bones rattle, and my footing falter.

Steorfan? What does that mean?

The shadows surge, swallowing him whole. And just before Rad disappears into the inky void—just before the last of him is ripped from my sight?—

A second pair of eyes flare in the darkness.

Bright. Blazing. Orange.

My monster.

Steorfan.

And then?—

Rad is gone.