Page 52 of Hollyhocks

I’ll fall asleep which will cause Holly to leave, and I’ll be left alone to be in love with a woman who only exists in my mind.

Finally.

Controlling this human facade drains my energy around Fitz. Sometimes, I’ll catch him staring at me in ways that have me wondering if he can truly see me. That can’t happen.

I’m running out of energy to maintain this form. It’s why I need Fitz to go ahead and fall asleep. This is the longest I’ve tried to hold the disguise, and the attempt is draining me.

It’s been about an hour since we sat down on the couch. Fitz is fighting to stay awake. His head keeps bobbing. The jerking of his head always wakes him up. It’s absolutely adorable.

“Do you need anything?” he asks in a sleep-drenched tone.

Just you.

“No. I’m—” Thunder rolls above us. I yank the blanket to my chin, forgetting I’m a mixture of lethal creatures, and hide myself away from the storm. “—I’m fine.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Holly. If lightning strikes, I’ll stand in its way so it can’t touch you.” He brushes his fingers through my hair, tucking it behind my ears. Fitz yawns, scratching his chest. Those doe eyes I love so much become heavy. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he says on the brink of sleep. The words are slow and barely a whisper. “I’ll protect you.”

“But who will protect you?” I ask in return, memorizing the sharp edges of his face.

He doesn’t answer me. Sleep’s power finally drags him to the darkness. His chest rises and falls in slow even rhythms. I poke him in the middle of his chest to see if he will wake up and he doesn’t. His head remains tilted back with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Finally.” I stand, watching as my arms fade from human to my natural state. I roll my head over my shoulders, groaning as a few joints pop into place.

A strong itch has me bending down to scratch the scales on my legs. The more I scratch, the worse the itch becomes. Extending my talons, I apply more pressure, dig deeper, and groan when I finally get relief.

But when I look down, dried scales dust the floor where I stand. I know it means I need to be in water more, but how often? There’s too much to keep up with when it comes to these creatures who make my identity now.

I stare down at Fitz and the desire I’ve been swallowing all day burns my body from the inside out. Placing one knee to his left and the other to his right, I straddle him.

I love how fucking good he feels under me. Gently, I rock myself over his thick cock.

Fitz grumbles in his slumber. I know he feels me, and I know he wants me. I can sense it in our bond even though he is fighting it. Why is he not giving in to me? I don’t understand. Ihave a prime human form I take due to the woman I killed. She is pretty. I know I could put her skin on, walk into a bar, and have my pick of any man.

I don’t want any man. I want Fitz. So why won’t he give himself to me when he is awake?

“We’re going to have to change that, Doe Eyes. I can’t keep the human form that long anymore. It drains me of all my energy.” I scratch my legs again, wondering if being in a form that isn’t mine is what is drying out my scales so fast.

“I want you so much.” I run my fingers through his hair, the need to mate with him becoming stronger. I bend down, licking his bottom lip before dragging my tongue to his ear.

He tastes like rain.

“I want to know everything about you,” I tell him, kissing the delicate skin just below his jaw. “Let me in, Fitz.” I slip my hand under his shirt, sliding my palm across his abs. “Let me give you the sweetest dreams.”

I sit up, watching his eyes open to take on a glowing purple hue. A sly smirk tugs the corners of my mouth.

He’s mine now.

“Such a good boy.” I lift his shirt up, tug one arm through, then the other, and toss it to the side for me to take home later.

He’s never getting his clothes back.

His body is on display and my fangs lengthen, wanting to mark him on his neck. I want his blood. My mouth waters for it and I don’t understand why. I don’t need blood to survive. The scientists would have told me that much as they collected their data.

My nails scrape up his torso. His skin pebbles from my touch and his cock hardens to full mast under me. I cage his head in with my arms, staring into his handsome face, and immerse myself in his dreams.

I want to see what he sees. I want to feel what he feels. I want his experiences to be mine.

What I see brings tears to my eyes. “Oh, Fitz.” I graze my knuckles across his cheek, hating to know that even in his sleep, he doesn’t even feel peace.

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