Page 92 of A Soul to Touch

However, his lizard spikes had taken some wriggling to find a good spot, otherwise it felt like one of them was going to break apart her poor pelvis. They mostly appeared slimline and pointed down his back – unless his body or emotions were ruffled, and then they’d begin to stick upwards. Once or twice, the one she was nestled on top of had tried to lift her.

Letting go of one fistful of fur, she petted him. He was so unbelievably soft – they’d shared a second bath this morning because they’d made more mess again last night.

He was going to have to get used to bath time since it appeared to be a daily reoccurring requirement between them. Faunus had filled the bath with his magic this time by using drops of his own blood.

Mayumi had still gotten the heating stove going in order to keep it warm while they were in it.

Getting him in the second time had been even harder than the first, and it was only the threat of never being able to touch her again that finally got him in. She didn’t know how long that was going to work.

He’d gone to sulk afterwards like he’d done the previous day, disappearing for a long while until his fur was dry – which was late into the afternoon. Mayumi just let him be, thankful he was doing something he was obviously uncomfortable with just to please her.

One thing she liked about Faunus was that his annoyance didn’t linger. Once he was inside, watching her cook or clean as he laid on his side while resting his head in his hand, he seemed rather content and relaxed.

He was still alert, made obvious by the fact that he’d leave to go check on any noise or scents he sensed, but then he’d return to resume being in her company quietly.

He doesn’t like fire.

There was always a noticeable gap between him and the fireplace unless she sought to be near it – which was less often since she just curled into him for heat instead. Then again, she imagined all that fur would make him hot.

He was also very sensitive about his skull being touched any higher than his snout and the corner of his jaw. The crack in it might be painful, so she resisted going any higher than his fangs and nose hole if she cupped it.

And he seems to have nightmares.He often twitched rapidly across his body in his sleep.

Something had happened to him, but she didn’t want to pry. It was obvious he was trying to hide all this, but she’d always been able to pick up on people’s odd behaviours.

“Are you still mad at me?” Mayumi asked while leaning back on one hand against his hind.

She was at the centre of his spine, a gap that allowed his big shoulder blades to move while also giving his hips and feline-shaped legs room.

“I was never angry with you,”he said calmly, turning his skull to the side to look at her.

His orbs were a dark green.Yeah, still mad.

Klaus had put his arm around her shoulders, annoyingly dragging her in a forced hug when she’d been in the town. There were more apologies from all three men, some teasing, and a small update about what was going on in the town – which was uneventful, as always.

Faunus had smelt that she was covered in the strong scent of a single male and the more fleeting scents of many other people. He disliked it to the point he’d surrounded her completely with his arms and legs in a crouch and rubbed his body against hers. Only to then rub himself against a tree just to be rid of it.

There was no mention of what or why he was doing this, but it wasn’t hard to figure it out. He was like a creature marking his territory.

“Faunus... Where do Duskwalkers come from?” Mayumi asked, wanting to fill the silence.

She was also just so unbelievably curious about him and his kind. The question had been gnawing at her since the moment they’d first spoken.

“The Veil.”

She leaned forward and smacked his shoulder blade. “You know that’s not what I meant!”

He lifted his head, parted his fangs, and let out a chuckle. His torso dipped slightly, forcing her to lean back so she didn’t fall forward when he climbed over a fallen tree.

She held onto the straps of the four bags that had been threaded and knotted together so they could rest over his back. They dangled down on both sides of him, acting like reigns for her to occasionally hold onto.

“We are born, just like you,”he said.

He darted his head to the right as though he heard something she couldn’t before resuming his walk.

“But where? Did you come from the same place as the Demons? We know they aren’t from Earth.”

“No,”he said quickly with a biting tone.“We were born here. Our mother was once a human, but she mated with the spirit of the void, our father, by giving over her life in exchange for magical power.”

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