Page 21 of Bound

He couldn’t stomach the idea of sharing his void withanyone. Lost souls were guided away as soon as he found them. Paimon had overstayed his welcome more than enough times, and now they hadn’t talked in a century. And yet…

Slate huffed, clenching the rabbit’s feet so hard the tiny bones cracked. Something about this mortal made himnothate having her around. She was irritating, to be sure. But for some reason, he didn’t spend all their time together wishing he could go back to sleep. He actually wanted to know more about her. As if it was worth getting to know a mortal who lived… what? A century, at most? He’d taken naps longer than that.

“Paimon has a ward protecting a town in the mortal realm,” Slate admitted. “It is failing. She beseeched me to renew it.”

“Beseeched,” Wick repeated. “You mean she cast a spell on you. What is the issue? Is this why you’ve been seeking Paimon?”

“Mostly. But since Paimon is nowhere to be found, I can do it. Only…” Slate paused. He did not like to lie. He had no moral qualms with it; it was just tricky to keep track of.

“Paimon crafted it from ancient and powerful magic,” he began.

Wick nodded intently. Then the nodding stopped, and Slate sighed as he saw the realization click in his fiery eyes. He had been hoping Wick was young enough not to know about ward magic.

“You mustliewith her,” Wick exclaimed, wings flaring in shock.

“Yes,” Slate snapped. “Why do you look so surprised? Many have done it. Haven’t you?”

Wick’s wings folded up against his back. “I—yes. Of course. I’m just surprised. You are one of the largest Skullstalkers, and she is…verysmall. Even for a mortal.”

She is,Slate thought. It was supposed to be an annoyed thought or, at least, grudging. But instead, he felt his cock fill under his loincloth as he remembered his hand wrapping around her small torso, her impossibly tiny hole squeezing around his tongue. Her hand swallowed up by his own. It made his mouth fill with saliva, made him want to eat her up. But it also triggered something unexpected: he wanted toprotecther. To guard her in ways beyond any lost soul who came into his void. To claim her, drape her in shadows, and show everyone whom she belonged to.

She was bound to him. Shewashis — at least for a little while.

Slate frowned. He was not used to his emotions being so powerful. What was this little witch doing to him?

“That is not the only problem,” he announced. “She has never mated before.”

Wick made a confused noise in his throat, like embers crackling.

“Really? Why?” Wick frowned. “How old is she?”

Slate had no idea. He had only just found out that mortals didn’t even live a single century.

“I should return,” he said quickly. “She is hungry.Again. Let yourself out.”

He turned toward the castle, the rabbit still dangling from his hand.

“Hope she enjoys the rabbit,” Wick called after him hopefully. “Rub some dirt on it!”

Slate did not “rub some dirt on it.” Instead, he ventured back to the mortal realm to steal a pie off a windowsill after overhearing some local children confess how much they were looking forward to eating it.

Then he returned to his void, feeling more foolish than he had done in a long time. He wished Paimon was here. The goat deity knew more about mortals than all his brothers combined. He actuallytalkedto them sometimes. Unlike Wick, who hid from them like his existence depended on it. Which it didn’t. The mortals’ existence did. None of them had ever come close to taking Wick down, no matter how prepared they were.

He appeared in the bedroom to find her lying on the bed, her hands trailing along her silky black dress.

She startled, her eyes widening as she saw the rabbit and the pie. Her dark hair had dried while he was gone. It was light and cloudy, with a more entrancing curl than before. The firelight reflected off it, streaking her hair with familiar blue.

Slate’s mouth watered. Her skin was so flushed and warm. It would be so easy to hold her down and?—

You will not eat her,he reminded himself sternly and held out the food. “I hope these will suffice.”

He set them down on the bed.

Ruby hesitated, then picked up the rabbit by the scruff.

“I can remove the bones,” he offered reluctantly.

Ruby’s face twisted in a complicated array of expressions he could not begin to parse.

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