Page 29 of A Soul to Keep

A curt growl sounded from him before his other arm wrapped around her neck, his hand cupping the back of her head before his fingers came around the other side to rest against the side of her face. The point of his claws dug into the skin right below her eye, next to her nose, and the side of her lip.

“Settle, little human.” He huffed, and she could see from the corner of her eye that the glow of his orbs had turned bright red. “You must understand that only prey squirms. It squirms when it’s fighting for its last breath, to live, and it entices thepredatorin me to destroy, toeat.”

Reia stilled. The only thing moving was her heaving chest as she tried to catch the breath she’d lost from trying to flee. Her heart was racing, thumping heavily in her chest, and she noticed his arms tightened on her – almost as if he could hear it or feel it.

“Please calm yourself.” His voice was raspy and tight as though he was straining against himself. “We have made it this far. I have managed to bring you here safely. Let this not be the end.”

“I-I can wash myself,” she told him, almost begging.

Her eyes fell onto the all the crystals and plants, understanding he’d tried to make this room relaxing because he’d be unsettling it.

“I am sure you can.” He started to loosen his hold on her, slowly withdrawing his arms when he knew she wouldn’t move. “However, in order for the soap to hide the human in your scent, I have to administer it by my own hand to allow the magic to work into it.”

Her eyes bowed in understanding, even though it did little to ease her.The Priestess had to wash me by hand too.She’d said the same thing about the soap she’d washed her in before dressing her in a wedding dress. It had been to hide the smell of fear behind a strong perfume, so she’d be safe to travel.

He brought his hand in front of her face and held it there so she could see it.

“I have worn my gloves as not to touch you directly since I’ve already come to learn that you humans do not like this, but it is something I must do, and it must be done every day.” He lowered his hand, tilting to the side to reach into what she saw was a pot of the oil he was using to coat her with. “Otherwise, Demons will descend upon my home and lie in wait, doing everything in their power to frighten you. If they succeed, you will not be safe from them... nor myself.”

Demons prefer their food to be filled with terror and fear.Would he be the same? Would it stir hunger in Orpheus like it did them?

“O-okay,” she conceded, her shoulders slumping as she lowered her head.

Why am I even concerned anyway?Just because he was obviously a male, at least she believed so considering the deepness of his voice and the shape of his body, she doubted he had any primal urges like desire.

He once more began to rub the oil soap on her skin, starting from her shoulder and working his way down her arm. He was careful, his touch light, as he worked his finger pads through the gaps of her fingers and even cleaned her nails.

“I will have to do this morning and night since I use gloves. They prevent the strength of my essence from absorbing into your skin. So, in the future, once you are more comfortable, it would be better if you permit me to not use them.”

Reia swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded that she understood. He cleaned her neck, her jaw, face, even the creases in her ears, before he began to work down the other arm. He even washed her hair.

Her hands clenched as she brought her lips into her mouth to bite them shut of any noise of stress, trying her hardest to stay stiff as a board when he started to wash her chest with both hands. Her face heated, even her ears feeling hot, when she felt her nipples budding despite her nervousness.

It’s fine. He’s not doing this to be perverted.She chanted to herself, ignoring the strange pleasurable twinge that shot through her when his gloves ran over them.I doubt he even has a cock... Or does he?Her face grew even hotter at that thought, especially when his hands started drifting lower.

The roughness of them caused her body to twitch when he delved them between the lips of her folds. Even though his touch was perfunctory and dispassionate, her body still reacted to the foreign caress. Her legs muscles tightened in tension and the apex of her clit sent out a throb when his hand moved through the slit of her body to even clean between the cleft of her arse cheeks.

To turn away from her body’s traitorous reaction to being touched so intimately, she said, “You never told me why it is you can use magic.”

“Like I said, no human has been comforted by the answer.”

Reia gave a huff of annoyance before swiping a trailing water drop from her face.

“Look, you can tip toe around the whole eating people thing, but it’s kind of fucking obvious.” His eyes flashed red as his head snapped to her. She tilted her chin up at him defiantly. He hadn’t seemed to like her angry tone or her swearing. “And I’m still sitting here like a good girl letting you wash me. I also agreed to your bargain and fulfilled my end of it.”

He took in a large, chest expanding breath, before he snorted out a sigh. His orbs faded back to blue once more.

“I didn’t start out with ability to,” he said as he started to clean her back. “I came across a group of, what you would call, Priests and Priestesses once in my travels. I had already been hunting for an animal to eat. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and I ended up devouring them.” His jaw opened and closed slightly as his tongue clicked inside his mouth. “Their magic tasted foul to consume. However, it granted me the use of it, and I have been thankful ever since. It has allowed me to protect my offerings better.”

He moved down the side of the tub to wash her legs, starting with her thighs.

Somehow, his truthful words didn’t send fear or dread through her. She had a feeling she was already becoming accustomed to the idea of the violence in his past.

I still don’t want to be on the receiving end of it, though.

Reia squirmed a little as a small, strained laugh ripped from her when his hands tickled her feet as he cleaned them. He even went between her toes.

“Ah, yes,” he said when he drew the pointed tip of his claw underneath her foot. “Most of you humans are ticklish here.”

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