Page 23 of Endless

"Can you read my mind?" I ask, laughing at the words that just poured out of my mouth. Of all the questions I could ask, this is the first one. I bitemy lip and glance toward the outline of his cock in his shorts.

"No, I cannot read your mind. I can sense your emotions. I can also see the way you're rubbing your thighs together. We have things to discuss."

He's right. I have to get serious. I ask the question that should have been the first thing out of my mouth when I saw his shadow figure in my bathroom. "What are you?"

"I am Death."

His answer is simple and yet complicated. "You're Death?"

"Yes, I am the harbinger of death. Many know me as The Grim Reaper."

"If you're real, what about God and the Devil, angels, demons, vampires? Are fucking vampires real? Oh my god! Are mermaids real?" I feel a little bit like I'm on the verge of spiraling out of control, but when I look at him, I instantly feel calm again.

"God and the Devil, yes, although I prefer to refer to them as The Others. Angels and demons, also yes. They're annoying little fuckers too. Vampires and mermaids are definitely not real." He chuckles at the last one as though it’s the craziest thing he's ever heard. Almost as crazy as him being the Grim Reaper. "You should know there are rules, and The Others will not be happy about you discovering my true form and linking it to my human one."

"What will happen?" I inquire.

"I'm not sure, butit will most likely not be good. We will have to wait and see."

That sounds oddly ominous, and I'm not sure I like it. I want to ask him other questions, but a sudden realization shocks me to my core.

"Let me get this straight, last night, I fucked Death?" I can't help the laugh that bursts from me. It seems like the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and yet, he is standing right in front of me. I have to be sleeping. There is no way this is real life right now. I can’t stop laughing.

"Yes, that would be correct."

"I'm alive, though. I don't understand. You have a human form but also a shadow form?"

"I have magic that grants me the ability to appear as though I am human. It is necessary due to the potential interactions I have with the souls I collect. My job is to lead them to my realm once their time in their human life has expired so that they can carry out their purpose. I watch and never get involved."

"Clearly you got involved with me."

"I did. Are you afraid of me now?"

"No, I'm not afraid, Kellan. I told you already. I feel comfortable around you. You make me feel safe." I shake my head and walk over to sit on the bed next to him. "Did I see you the day I tried to kill myself in my bathroom? I thought I was going crazy or hallucinating."

"Yes, it wasthe first time I laid eyes on you. I haven't been able to get you off my mind or stay away from you since that day. You have become somewhat of an obsession for me."

"I don't understand. How can Death be obsessed with someone, and why would it be me? I'm nobody."

He reaches over to grip my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You are everything, pet."

Pet. The name that he called me last night while we were intimate. I almost didn't connect the two pieces, but they are all falling together now. I thought I imagined his shadow form before. I dreamt he was fucking me with it. There was also the time I saw him in the corner of the room while I was getting myself off. How many other times has he been lurking around without me knowing?

"Pet? You've called me that before." I want to see if he is going to lie to me. If he can pick up on feelings, then he must know I've connected the dots. My mind can rationalize my boyfriend being a shadowy figure of death, but lying is where I cross the line, apparently. Yet another reason why I am truly fucked up in the head.

"I did. Last night," he tries.

"No, I've heard you call me that before last night."

He studies me for a moment before he nods. "In your dream."

"Was that real?"

"Yes, and no. I was not physically there with you, but my conscious mind was active in it. I felt the same experiences as you. You were the one to imagine me there. The thoughts were allyours until I manipulated them a bit. You were impossible to resist. I had to feel your sweet cunt even if it wasn’t physically happening." My cheeks heat at his confession. His hand trails down my neck, and goosebumps follow the path in his wake. He rests his hand on my thigh, and my eyes focus on the contact.

"I saw your shadow form another time, too," I admit.

"That's not possible. The only times I’ve shown my true form to you was in your dream, accidentally today, and when you were bleeding out on your bathroom floor."

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