Page 79 of Presence

“I could show you things,” he whispers, his breath cool against my skin. “Things that would make you forget the mortal world entirely. The pleasure... you wouldn’t even dream of it. If you’re a good girl, that is.”

The dark promise in his voice sends a thrill through me, igniting a forbidden desire I can’t suppress. Despite everything, despite knowing what he is and what he’s done, a part of me wants him. So, I do the unthinkable and place a hand gently on his torso.

He grabs it instantly, bringing it to his lips, twisting my wrist so the most sensitive skin brushes against his mouth.

“I like your pain,” he purrs, letting his tongue trace my veins to feel my erratic pulse. “But I like your pleasure too.”

He’s telling the truth. We’ve spent countless hours chasing pleasure, the two of us. It was real, even when he was crushing my chest and draining my energy in the real world. He kept me happy in the process. But deep down, I know it can’t go on like this. He’s cruel and sadistic. He has to twist sweetness with a sharp edge, has to make me cry.

“You keep toying with me,” I say, breathless. It’s all I can manage, feeling like I might melt into a puddle at his feet otherwise. His touch—it’s intoxicating. If I were an instrument, he’d play me flawlessly, drawing out every note he desired.

“Yes,” he exhales. “I’m bad. I’m selfish, my Little Soul. But I can show you wonders. I want to feel you experience them. I want to see you tremble with ecstasy. I want to taste your tears.”

His tongue trails slowly along my wrist, sending jolts of pleasure through my body. He closes his eyes, a sound escaping him that nearly shatters me. His eyelids flutter, his lips quiver, as if the taste of my skin is divine.

I shudder, my body reacting to his touch despite the fear and revulsion that grips me. Something deep within stirs, answering his call, whispering temptations I can barely resist.

Oh, god… I don’t want this to stop.

“Lick me again,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I want you to lick me again.” But to my shock, he drops my wrist fast and cold and steps away from me as the words leave my lips.

He’s shaken, his nostrils flaring and fingers tensing at his sides. I see that he wants me. He wants me so badly that his torso is heaving up and down. Yet, he stops himself from tasting me again.

“No, my Little Soul,” he breathes. “I’ve had plenty of you today. A little more and I might consume you whole. I wouldn’t want that.”

Without waiting for my reply, he turns away. I watch him walk off, his body swaying gently, his muscular back and long hair moving slightly. Only when he’s a good distance away do I move, running my fingers over my tingling wrist.

The places where his tongue touched feel utterly sensitive. I could moan just from brushing them.

I lift my eyes to look at him again. He’s already at the end of the chamber, watching me as well. After a moment of our gazes locking, his tongue runs over his sharp teeth like he’s trying to taste me again.

“Has this ever happened before?” I ask, heart beating strongly in my chest. “You, taking a human to be with you like this? Is this a thing?”

His eyes dark and unreadable as he considers my question. Finally, he speaks. “No,” he admits, his gaze unwavering. “You are the first.”

My heartbeat quickens.

Did he just say… I’m special?

I’m not sure what it means to him, if it means anything at all. But to me, it means more than I’d like to admit. It makes me lift my chin higher, feel something blooming in my chest.

He holds my gaze for a heartbeat longer—a millisecond stretching into a second, a second into a minute. Then, he turns around and walks away. I’m compelled to just stand in place, still locked in that moment that held me prisoner. But then I realize that I’m meant to follow him, because a shadow pushes onto my back.

I do as I’m told, my steps hesitant at first but growing steadier with each stride.

The cavern stretches out before us, a new segment of it appearing after the row of statues. Here, the walls are as rugged and unpolished as ever, their surfaces coated with moisture, but there’s less light to make them glint. At the center stands a massive bed, its frame carved from black stone.

“So, normally, you’d just kill me,” I mutter.

“Without batting an eye,” he replies, his tone chillingly matter-of-fact. He strides to the bed, sits, and fixes me with a dark, unwavering stare. As I said, he likes watching me. He always has. “Just as I have with countless others.”

It doesn’t surprise me at all that he has killed humans before. I believe it.

“But this time was different,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” he agrees. “This time, you were different.”

He says nothing more. I don’t ask. Instead, with my heart pounding in my chest, I walk over to him and sit on the bed. I guess, I can do what I want here. He led me into his home and allowed me to sit on his bed. Does that mean that I’m like… a pet to him? I run my hands over the silky sheets. Then, out of the silence, he speaks.

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