Page 20 of Demon Shy

I thought of the headaches that Mya had suffered and hoped May wouldn’t have the same.

“Well, my skin’s tender between my thighs from friction, and my bits are begging for a break,” May said.

“I already know how to help with that,” I said quickly.

May grinned at me. “I’m not suggesting we stop.”

Relief flooded me.

“His reaction is pretty typical,” the doctor said. “Other women have mentioned the same soreness, and their feypanicked as well. If you have any trouble leaving when the experiment is concluded, let me know.”

My stomach sank, and I looked at May.

She smiled. It reached her eyes and created a dimple in her cheek.

“I don’t plan on leaving,” she said, warming my heart. “I found a keeper.”

The doctor nodded. “That’s a similar answer to most of the women I’ve seen. If possible, continue to avoid vaginal intercourse until the conclusion of the experiment. You’re the only pair in your group, and I’m very interested in monitoring the progress.”

“We’ll do our best,” May said, rolling down her sleeve.

“Also, if you’re unable to perform during this next window, that’s fine. I would still like to do another draw at the scheduled time.”

May nodded and moved closer to me.

After helping her into her jacket, I picked her up and buried my nose in her hair, breathing in her scent.

She cupped my cheeks and turned my head so she could kiss me gently.

“Thank you for saying yes and letting me try, Hejun. You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. Now, let’s go home,” she said.

Home.

I kissed her forehead and left Eitri’s place. It didn’t take me long to reach our house and remove her outer layers. She giggled as I settled her onto the couch and covered her with a blanket. Then she snuggled close when I returned with popcorn, a snack humans enjoyed when watching movies.

With May pressed against me, I started watching a show that depicted the way of life that was now lost to the survivors andhoped that May would never regret the new life she’d promised to live with me.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MAY

A few weeks later…

“I appreciateyou both seeing this through until the end,” the doctor said. “The data from this proves without a doubt how much we need the fey.”

Smiling at Hejun, I rolled down my sleeve over the faint grey patch of skin that had developed on my forearm.

“I couldn’t imagine the world without them,” I said.

Since agreeing to stay with him, Hejun had kept his word in every way. He cared for me so well that I felt like a pampered princess. And I did my best to care for him the same way…both in bed and out of it. Not that he let me do much for him out of bed. He cooked, cleaned, loved doing laundry, and showered with me at every opportunity to “help” wash me. It was just another excuse to touch me more, but I loved it. Through his attention and actions, I felt safe, protected, and cherished.

I was ready for the next step in our relationship and knew he was too. By sticking to the rules of the sex study even though there’d been times I’d begged him to “give up the goods,” he’d proven he wasn’t just with me for the sex. He enjoyed doingeverything with me. Board games. Long walks while holding hands. Learning new skills to help the community. Visiting the other women.

It was during those visits that I’d seen just how much he wanted to start a family of his own. Seeing Hejun turn into a big marshmallow the first time he held baby Daisy had sent my ovaries into overdrive.

Yep, I was ready to commit all the way to the man who helped me into my jacket every time without fail, despite the warming weather. I could have gone without, but he worried I’d catch a cold, and I loved it when he took care of me. So, I wore the jacket and let him carry me home.

The community only had a few visible traces of what had happened here a few weeks ago. Mismatched siding borrowed from homes outside Tolerance’s protective walls. Ladders laying beside a house here or there.

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