Page 53 of The Oni's Heart

And then there was the fact that I was standing here, feeling the pull of the Oni’s power. That heat in the air, the electricity between us. It wasn’t just fear. It was something else—something that felt dangerous but oh-so-real. My pulse raced, not from terror but from something deeper. Something I couldn’t control, no matter how hard I tried.

I could feel myself wanting to cave in, to fall into that dark abyss. He wanted me. The Oni wanted me, and I... wanted him, too. I could feel it—an undeniable attraction that twisted my thoughts and made my body ache in places I hadn’t known existed.

But I couldn’t forget what he was. I couldn’t forget the destruction he left in his wake. I couldn’t ignore the blood he had spilled, the lives he had taken. He was a demon, and nothing about that was ever going to change.

When he got on his knees and lifted my skirt, I almost lost my train of thought.

I tore my gaze away from his large form, turning my thoughts inward. This wasn’t about desire. This was about survival. I had to think clearly, for both of us.

Taking a slow, shaky breath, I finally spoke. My voice was steady, even though my heart was anything but.

“We can’t go to Jigoku,” I said, despite the turmoil churning inside me. “I can’t. It’s not just about surviving anymore. There’s more at stake. Tatsuya is still here.Youare still here. You’re not lost to the Oni completely. We can still find another way.”

He threw one of my legs over his shoulder and invaded my pussy with his wicked tongue, making me choke at his invasion. His dexterity and ability to control that thing should be outlawed in all realms.

“Are you listening to me?”

He nipped my clit, and I jumped, giving him the perfect opportunity to throw my other leg over his shoulder while the top half of my body pressed against the wall behind me to keep me from falling.

When he swirled his tongue around my clit in the way he had come to learn through my reactions, I knew I was a goner. My eyes rolled back as I bit my lip, trying to control my trembling body, but it was no use.

The Oni used my own body against me as a climax came crashing down, making him moan against my pussy as if I was the most delicious meal he had ever had in all the realms. And damn if I didn’t revel in it.

With one last debauched lick, he slowly put my feet back on the ground and towered in front of me again.

For a moment, there was silence. The Oni’s eyes glinted, his expression unreadable. But I could feel the weight of his presence—the growing tension in the room as if the very air was charged with his rage. But then, just as quickly, his anger seemed to dissipate, leaving only that cold, controlled smirk.

He probably thought he successfully made me forget the conversation at hand. He was wrong.

“We can still find another way,” I repeated, fanning myself.

"Youthinkthere’s another way?" His voice was dangerously calm, but I heard the sneer beneath it. “We’ve already passed the point of no return, Momoi. You know that as well as I do.”

I swallowed, my resolve hardening. I couldn’t give in to him. Not when I still had a sliver of hope left that we could make it out of this mess without losing ourselves completely.

“I’m not going to let you drag me into the depths of hell just to survive, Oni,” I said firmly, my eyes never leaving his. “There has to be another way. And I’ll find it.Wewill find it. Together.”

His gaze darkened, but there was something else in it now—something deeper, as if he was considering my words.

I knew I had to hold on to this moment. The world was spinning out of control, but I couldn’t let myself be consumed by it—not yet. Not while there was still a chance to fight back.

“Together,” I repeated, the word a promise to both of us, though I wasn’t sure either of us could keep it.

30

The Price of Control

TATSUYA

Ipaced back and forth in the small apartment, my mind a storm of rage, confusion, and a desperate need to find some way to control this situation. I was glad our constant union had somehow healed most of her injuries. But right now, Momoi was silent, her eyes averted. She had been giving me the cold shoulder since the Oni’s grand plan, and the silence between us felt like it was smothering me. It was the one thing I couldn’t stand—the quiet, the distance, the uncertainty of her thoughts.

Inside, the Oni stirred, restless. He hated the silence even more than I did, but he wasn’t sure how to handle the tension.

“We’ll take her to Jigoku. It’s the only way,”the Oni growled in my mind, the words seeping in ichor, dripping into my thoughts.

I gritted my teeth, pushing back against the surge of dark desire that threatened to overtake me. I wasn’t going to let him have everything, especially not her all to himself.

“No,”I snapped.“We can’t. I’ll find another way.”

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