AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was on account of that madness that he had taken care to keep some distance between himself and his human while he slumbered and was most vulnerable to it taking hold. Close enough where he would be subconsciously assured that she remained with him and not give another, more aggressive opening to it, but far enough to where he was confident that he would not pose any immediate risk to her before he became aware of himself and regained control.
And yet, at some point in the night, they had both somehow shifted and met at the center, their limbs entangling in a warm, nestled embrace in which their scents merged. It was that scent that he breathed in and settled over and deep within him a sense of comfort. It perplexed him but not enough for him to feel his usual caution and roll away from her. Instead, he tucked Tiffany closer to him and a pleased smile lit his face as she rolled into his embrace, her legs and human feet sliding along his in the process, and rubbed her cheek against his chest with a contented sigh.
Taken completely off-guard by the affectionate gesture, his heart clenched even as his cock swelled with a pleasant ache within his sheath. As much as it was a relief not to awaken and find himself caught in the pulse of terrible desires demanding that he hunt out relief, or engorged as he customarily was, the low hum of mellowed lust rolled through him, tightening his sack. Burying his nose once again in her hair, the subtle scent of her arousal lay under her natural perfume. It wasn’t heightened as it had been last night, but it was present in a banked state similar to his own desire.
He swallowed back a ravenous growl and the moan that immediately followed. She smelled so good. Had a female of his meeting ever smelled so sweet, rich, and earthy? He recalled being drawn violently toward the scent of female flesh within the labyrinth and how intoxicating it had been for him, but he did not recall experiencing true joy or pleasure. Tiffany’s scent was something new and pleasing without the fog of the labyrinth’s influence. She scented of sun warmed earth, wildflowers, and honey with the deeper musk hinting at her arousal. He drew in another greedy breath, wanting more of it, practically tasting it on his tongue. She was a goddess of desire and longing made flesh, and possessing a natural perfume to her flesh that aroused and intrigued him.
His cock kicked once again in his sheath, swollen to an even larger size, but he ignored it. It was strange that he was so content to merely hold her, his eyes fastened on her face as he waited for the first signs of her waking. He wanted to see her surface from her slumber. Would she greet him as a lover in her confused, half-asleep state? That thought intrigued him as well. He hoped that she would, but all the same he didn’t want her to do anything she would regret. Whatever they did together, there would be no crying foul.
And he would take precautions. He would protect her from the part of him damaged and carrying the poison of the labyrinth still.
Ever so gently, he dragged the claws of his first two fingers through her hair, separating the strands with his claw tips. Pale gold, it picked up the sunlight streaming through the windows, the strands shimmered, bringing a smile to his lips. Shifting his hand, he allowed the soft strands to slide down his fingers and over his hand. As much as it appealed to him, he drew his hand back quickly when her eyes fluttered with her awakening. As much as his nature would delight in every little gasp of surprise, he recognized the importance of restraint at this particular time. He wanted to play with her—not truly make her terrified of him.
Pale lashes lifted and dark blue eyes peered groggily at him before focusing on his face. Her pupils expanded slightly—demonstrating her surprise—but it was brief and her scent didn’t carry any particularly strong fear scent as she calmly studied him. He rumbled happily, pleased at her interest. Oh, liked it very much and had to resist preening at her attentiveness. Instead, he held perfectly still so that she could thoroughly look him over. He didn’t so much as twitch as her gaze slid over his features, though his lips curled as her expression grew amused at her scrutiny. His skin warmed and tingled with awareness everywhere her eyes touched as her gaze slid over his hip and up along his abdomen and chest before gradually returning to face once more.
A pink hue stained her cheeks as she drew the fur covering her higher so that it rested over her shoulder. He did not understand why. She wore as much clothing as she had when he found her. It seemed terribly uncomfortable to sleep in such a way, but he kept that opinion to himself for the time being.
“Ah, thank you,” she mumbled.
His eyebrow raised at that, and he cocked his head. “For what am I being thanked?”
Her flush climbed a little higher and darkened subtly. “I guess for everything. You didn’t have to, but you’ve been genuinely very kind, and I appreciate it. You saved me, fed me, and kept me warm. Very warm,” she added with a low chuckle that teased his senses.
Blinking, Barbasa worked to contain his surprise. She thought he was… kind? Even before spending centuries caught into the hold of the labyrinth, he had not been called kind. He’d been called fair in the early days, but he couldn’t think of a single adjective applied to him that surpassed that one.
Worst, he knew he wasn’t kind. He was selfish and couldn’t bring himself to regret it—and it certainly did not change his mind in regard to his course of action. He desired her in every way—carnally and socially to stave off his loneliness. She would remain with him as his companion. Whether she liked it or not.
Her smile shifted into a quizzical expression as the silence stretched between them and he realized that she expected some sort of response from him. Lips twitching with amusement, he inclined his head in a tiny bow.
“Of course. I may be a poor host but consider everything I have here yours for as long as you need it. It is my pleasure to provide for such a lovely female so lost in this brutal world.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly at that and for a moment he wondered if perhaps he had taken it a bit too far and made her suspicious. So, he met her frown with politely raised brows and a vacant smile until the wariness slowly faded from her face.
“I… appreciate it,” she said at last, and her lips twisted faintly in a grimace. “It would be nice to have a little time to truly rest. I knew it was going to be dangerous, but I guess I didn’t fully realize how hard it would be on my own. Though that factor really wouldn’t have been inescapable either,” she added with a grim laugh.
He cocked his head. “Do you not have a flock... ah, family… to protect you?”
She nodded reluctantly but shrugged. “I have my parents,” she agreed at length. “But they decided it was time I get married, and I wasn’t really going to get any choice about it.” Her lips thinned briefly as if she wanted to say more but she sighed and shook her head, an unhappy expression on her face. “I left that same night that they told me their decision.”
Barbasa peered at her in confusion. “That is it? You left because they wished you to take a mate?”
That… didn’t sound right to him. In his experience, when he’d last been in the human world, human fathers had arranged the marriages of their daughters. Certainly, they were not all very happy, and more than one woman wandered from home to please herself drinking wine and indulging in erotic delights among the company of satyrs, but it all seemed to be the nature of things.
Tiffany rolled her eyes, communicating clearly what she thought of his comment and tone of voice. “Easy enough for you to say, or the men in my town for that matter. You haven’t seen what happens in town when there is an available woman in town. It’s not like they are asking her to the movies.”
He had no idea what that was, but he assumed it was a social engagement given the context and the brief wistful look that flashed across her face. In the next moment, however, her expression tightened.
“I guess we are supposed to be thankful that it’s no longer violent like it was after the Ravening that collapsed our world, but I’ve seen the fear on the faces of the woman turned out on the labyrinth.”
He gave her a horrified look. The labyrinth? Had it somehow survived the destruction Asterion dealt it in his escape all so that humans could use it in their foolish mating rituals? It was a terrifying prospect and one that made him grateful that he was far from any human settlement if was manifesting itself in such a way.
Some of his shock must have shown on his face, however, because she hastened to explain, much to his relief.
“That’s what we call a network of streets that were set up as a separate walled off area outside the main town that has been used for settling conflicts and, because there are a lot of single men and rarely a single woman in sight, for settling who gets the available woman.” She let out a bitter laugh as she began to run her fingers through her hair to comb through the tangles. “Some women who already have a secret lover manage to arrange a meeting place with him to cheat the system so to speak. And women who are under the protection of their fathers and deemed by their fathers as being marriable get a free pass. Otherwise, it is whoever gets to her first, claims her, and returns to the town first.”
Barbasa gaped in disbelief. It was… barbaric! And that was something coming from a satyr!
“And your father’s decision that you should marry would have subjected you to this?” he demanded in bewilderment.
