Page 55 of Dryad, Try Again
“But…he helped me discover sex because…” He caresses my cheek and shame floods his face. He looks down at his lap. “I can’t…have sex with a human…”
I blink at him. “Huh?”
“I…turn into full dryad when I…orgasm…” His words are barely audible.
“Come again?” I wince at my accidental wordplay—I know what he said, I just need him to clarify.
“Every time I…” He points down at where his groin would be as a human. “I turn into a mess of splinters, spike, thorns, and branches.”
Oh.
Oh.
“So is that why you…?”
“Exactly,” he mutters. The amount of embarrassment on his dryad face is palpable. “That’s why I’ve only ever focused on you.”
I nod, trying to wrap my mind around this. No amount of monster tolerance media or environmental science could have prepared me for this. “Oh, um…okay…”
“Tanner, I want to be with you…” He drops his hands and sulks in defeat. “But I can never have an orgasm with you. So, if that’s…a deal breaker, then—”
“It’s not!”
“Huh?” he asks in confusion.
My words even surprise myself. “It’s…not…” I nod and look up. “I understand your concerns, but it’s just something we can work on. Together, ideally.”
This tree monster looks so perplexed, it’s adorable—never thought I’d use that word to describe a creature made of bark. So, I move closer and pull up his wooden chin. “Tanner…I want to be with you, hard stop. We can work out the intricacies of our physical relationship later, but I’m still invested in us. I don’t wanna let you go over something so trivial as who gets to orgasm and when.”
We both chuckle, and I love how deep his voice is as a dryad. He smiles, and I gently lay a kiss on his mouth. He smells like fresh cut grass and the forest after it rains. When I pull back, I mutter, “If anything, you’ll leave me.”
“What?”
“I mean, you can give me orgasms, but I apparently, I can’t give you any.” My shoulders slump as the fear dawns on me. “I um…won’t be able to measure up to your golem ex, and…and—”
“You do!” His voice is forceful, and he stands up, tall and proud. “You’re the best, Tanner. I wouldn’t leave you for that.”
I grin and reach up my hand.
“Then will you be my date to the Halloween Ball?”
He beams down at me, then takes my hand. And together, we take the next few steps into a future of our own.
23
TANNER
Walking into the Halloween Ball,I’d be lying if I said I’m not feeling self-conscious. I don’t care that my date is a dryad, and I don’t give a crap that he’s way taller than me—in fact, it’s a turn-on.
But walking into a room full of your peers is a daunting task for anyone. And now, with my relationship budding like a delicate blossom, all eyes could be on us. Phoenix shifters, vampires, werewolves, and of course, humans, are among the many species seated near the entranceway. The tables are covered in black linen, and candelabras mystically float several yards above the dance floor. Multicolored lights flash all over the ceiling, but from shifter magic or lightshow technology, I’m not sure. Speakers hang from the gothic columns, making the room vibrate—the faculty zombies and ghosts have outdone themselves tonight.
The linoleum dance floor is jam-packed, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see most of the student population moving, shaking, and generally enjoying the merriment. Of course, a chunk of them have now turned to watch us.
So much for not making an entrance. I squeeze Kovi’s wooden hand, and he wraps his vine fingers around mine. With one last smile up at my boyfriend, the dryad, we nod and take another step together. More heads turn, and murmurs break out around us, even as the latest hip-hop songs blast through the sound system. I suppose it’s not every day you see a human and dryad out on a date, but I didn’t think I’d be the center of so much attention.
But I don’t care. I tip my chin high and stride forward, squeezing the branch hand of my boyfriend. No one can put me down now. With Kovi with me, I feel like the tallest guy in the room—awkward choice of words considering he might literally be the tallest guy in the room. Some ogres in the crowd may have him beat, but they’re not the monster I want to dance with.
“Yeah! Woohoo!” Seth is hooting and hollering at the side of the dance floor, his wraps flailing about as he does so. Blake, Shonda, and several others are behind him, applauding us. I’m touched that we have so many people supporting us.
