Page 43 of Guarded By the Reaper

Almost.

But I’d seen too much and lived too long to buy into that fantasy. The world didn’t work that way. Not for people like us. Not for me, a walking corpse held together by magic and darkness. And not for Millie, a woman who’d made a deal with a soul-eating monster to save her sister.

Her daughter, I reminded myself.

I heard laughter from the kitchen and drifted that way, drawn by the sound like a moth to a flame. Millie and Elysia were baking cookies, flour dusting their clothes, and smiles lighting up their faces. It was such a normal, domestic scene that it made my chest ache with a phantom pain. For a moment, I let myself imagine a different life. One where I was just a man, not a decades-old Grim Reaper, where I could walk into the kitchen, wrap my arms around Millie, and be part of that laughter. Where we could raise Elysia together, watch her grow up, grow old ourselves...

But that was a fool’s dream, and I wasn’t a fool.

The truth was that as long as Ma-Vasha had her claws in this family, there was no chance for that kind of happiness. We couldn’t just hide away in this house forever, pretending the outside world didn’t exist. Sooner or later, it would all comecrashing down around us. And when it did, who would pay the price? Millie? Or Elysia, an innocent child caught in the crossfire of forces she couldn’t even begin to understand? The thought of either of them suffering made something twist inside me. It wasn’t just about the job anymore, it wasn’t just about fulfilling my contract as a Monster Security Agency bodyguard. This was personal now, in a way nothing had been for a very long time. I protected them both because it was my duty, but also because somewhere along the line, without me even noticing, they’d become my world. It was a dangerous realization, one that left me feeling exposed. Love was a luxury I’d never allowed myself until now.

But as I watched Millie show Elysia how to shape the cookie dough, I knew it was too late. I’d fallen, hard and fast, and there was no going back. So, I’d do whatever it took to keep them safe. To give them a chance at the life they deserved, even if it meant sacrificing my own existence in the process. Because that’s what you did for the people you loved.

Later that evening, I found myself in Millie’s bedroom, my arms wrapped around her as we lay in bed. The glow of the bedside lamp cast a warm light across her porcelain skin, making her look almost ethereal. I marveled at how someone so alive could feel so right in the embrace of death. My fingers traced lazy patterns on her arm, feeling the warmth of her flesh against my cold, dead skin. I could feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against my hollow chest.

Millie shifted slightly, turning her face towards mine. Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, and I knew a question was coming.

“Grim,” she said, her breath warm against my neck. “Ansel is such a beautiful name. Why don’t you use it?”

I tensed, my hand stilling on her arm. Of course she’d ask about that. I should’ve known it was coming. I took a moment to collect my thoughts, trying to find the right words to explain.

“I’m not that person anymore. Ansel Sullivan died a long time ago. I don’t feel like him. I prefer Grim. It’s what I am, it’s my job, my whole sense of self now.”

My fingers resumed their gentle exploration of her skin, tracing the delicate curve of her shoulder. I felt her shiver slightly at my touch, and it sent a jolt of electricity through me.

“Do all reapers think like that?” she asked.

I shook my head, my hand moving up to cup her cheek. “No, most of them still use their mortal names. They cling to what was before, to their past lives.” My thumb brushed across her cheekbone. How long had it been since I’d touched someone like this? Since I’d allowed myself to feel this way? “But I was nothing, no one,” I continued. “I don’t want to remember my mortal life. It’s easier this way.”

Millie’s eyes softened with understanding, and she reached up to cover my hand with her own. The warmth of her touch sent a shiver through me, a reminder of what I’d lost, what I could never truly have again.

“Millie,” I said. “Promise me something. Never call me Ansel. Please.”

She nodded, her fingers intertwining with mine. “I promise, Grim. You’re you, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Her words made me melt inside. How could she say that? How could she look at me, know what I was, and still see someone worth caring about? Before I could spiral further into my thoughts, Millie leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss was soft, tender, full of unspoken emotions that neither of us was ready to voice. I responded instinctively, my hand sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. The warmth of her mouth against mine was intoxicating, making me forget for a moment about the cold emptiness inside me.

As we kissed, I felt the familiar spark of life ignite within me. It was as if Millie’s touch had the power to breathe life intomy dead form, even if just for a few moments. I could almost feel a ghostly heart beating in my chest, phantom blood rushing through long-dormant veins.

Her hand came to rest on my neck, where my pulse should’ve been, and it was as if her warm palm left an imprint on my dead skin. She curled her fingers slightly and dug into my neck, and that gesture alone poured energy into me, a wave so strong and delicious that I felt myself tremble. It moved down my body, settling in my lower belly, making my cock become impossibly hard. Millie was pressed flush against me, and she felt it. She parted her lips and let out a moan, and I took that opportunity to plunge my tongue deeper into her mouth. Her saliva was enough for the both of us. She was soft and wet, and all I had to contribute was darkness.

She pulled away and looked into my dark pits. “Take me.” She was panting, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Before I could react, she climbed on top of me, straddling me with her beautiful, pale thighs. Her nightgown rode up, and I caught a glimpse of her silk panties. There was an obvious damp spot on them, and she rubbed it along my cock, staining my black pants.

“Millie...”

She grinned, then her hands went straight for the buttons of my cloak. Underneath, I was wearing a shirt, so I wasn’t too concerned, but when she was done with the cloak, she went for the shirt, and I was shocked for a moment. I pulled myself together and grabbed her wrists to stop her.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I want to see you.”

“No.”

“Grim, I’ve seen you already. On the first day, on the rooftop of Monster Security Agency. And nothing happened. I didn’t run away scared, so why are you so self-conscious?”

“Millie, don’t.”

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