Katerina frowned, not seeming to understand what Reia was saying.

“Yes, but at least he has a face.” She shuddered as if a shiver of revulsion swept through her. “And doesn’t have ugly fur and gross fish fins. At least his dick is kind of normal. You’ve only had to stare at a skull for a month a half, but staring at it for five years was like facing the grim reaper. His face only means death.”

And yet, it had brought Reia unfathomable pleasure. His tongue was a naughty, wicked sin and his wolfish face held an otherworldly beauty in it. She often got lost staring at him.

She adored the way he looked. His fur was unbelievably soft, his body so warm it forced her muscles to relax. His fins rose when he was aggressive, yes, but they also did it when he was moments from spending, showing her just how deeply he was reacting to it. They even quivered slightly.

“He ruined our bodies.” Katerina’s shoulders slumped.

“Jabez is big, but even doing it with him is a struggle. Once you go back to living with humans and find someone you want to have sex with, you’ll understand. You’ll hate Orpheus even more when you discover just what he’s taken from you.”

“Yeah,” Reia laughed. “I already figured a man’s dick would be pointless to me now.”

Katerina turned her head up to laugh at the ceiling humourlessly. “The only thing that made those five years bearable was that it at least felt good. I fucking hated it, but he always made me come, even if I didn’t want to.”

Reia was sure he did because he always paid extra attention in making sure she orgasmed. He almost seemed frenzied for it sometimes, like he needed her to more than getting his own release.

“I understand,” Reia said.

I understand you’re a spiteful fucking bitch who treated Orpheus like he was nothing more than a mindless animal.

She hurt him because of her stupidity and prejudices. And I hate you. I hate you so much for how much you hurt him.

“Of course, you do,” she said, her stiff shoulders relaxing as she took her gaze away from the ceiling to smile at her.

“I’ve brought you some food.” She gestured to the coffee table in the room. “It’s good. I’ve made sure the servants here learned how to make delicious food for me. It’ll be better than the boring vegetable meals you’ve been forced to eat because of him. It’s unfortunate that you’ve had suffer in my place.”

Reia walked over to the silver tray of food and raised her brow at it. It was a healthy serving of steak, drizzled in some sort of berry sauce, with mashed potatoes, onion, and mushroom.

I’ve made this, just with deer meat. Except maybe the butter, and her mouth did water for the taste of it.

“I can’t believe after all these years he’s still been trying to replace me,” Katerina laughed, grabbing Reia’s attention as she slowly began to pace. “It’s pathetic. He’s missed me and has been trying to find other humans to fill the gap so he can fornicate with them instead.” She crinkled her nose with distaste. “Actually, it’s a little gross. I’ve always wondered which humans he’s fucked and then eaten.”

“None,” Reia answered coldly. “I was the first.”

“Really?” she said with a beaming smile. “That’s excellent.

So, he’s truly been suffering all these years.”

Her heart panged in her chest. She hates him so much that she wanted him to suffer. She felt so bad for him. He’d cared for someone who was undeniably cruel.

“I knew when you’d survived for so long that he must have been taking you. I couldn’t watch knowing you were going through what I did.”

“Thanks,” Reia said, the word tasting sour in her mouth.

“Of course. Now, once you eat, you should get some sleep. I’m sure you’re tired and would like to rest properly for the first time in ages.”

Reia’s eyes fell on the bed that looked awfully cold and lonely.

It wouldn’t smell of smoky mahogany and pine. It wouldn’t be warm. It wouldn’t have the soothing rhythm of a firm and large chest pulsing against her from strong breaths that echoed with the sounds of an even stronger heartbeat.

“It would be nice to have some alone time,” Reia answered, attempting to muster up a thankful smile that wouldn’t appear false and filled with contempt.

“Of course, you would. He follows you around like a lost mutt. I know how it feels to want some time to yourself.”

Katerina flipped her long black hair over her shoulder like Reia had seen many vain women do, before heading towards the exit. “If you need anything, two servants will be waiting on the other side of the door. They won’t come inside though, so you don’t need to worry.”

Dammit. There went her plans for sneaking outside.

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Reia sat at a long banquet table, feeling ridiculous since there were at least twenty seats and only three of them were filled. The chairs were large, and her toes barely skimmed the ground as she sat upon her chair.

The walls were stone with more red drapes and a tapestry that rested against the wall behind the head chair. Two crystal chandeliers were unlit above them while two large candelabras sat on the table. The table was made of shiny polished oak with natural swirling patterns and had chairs that matched.

With her head lowered, she looked up at Katerina sitting opposite to her through her lashes. Jabez was seated at the head with his boots upon the table and leaning back.

Sleep had eluded her for most of the night. Tossing and turning, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking. She missed Orpheus, and her worry for him wouldn’t allow her to rest properly. She knew he must be distressed, knew he would be fretting.

She could almost imagine him whining as he ran here, and that made her heart hurt terribly.

She was tired as she sat with them, pushing food around her plate while trying to eat it. It was a nice breakfast of eggs and bacon.

It was more like a late brunch. The sun was bright against the windows, high in the sky, but the windows were blackened by some kind of swirling magic, preventing the Demons inside the castle from being burned by its light.

She wanted to eat. She hadn’t had a normal fried breakfast like this since she’d started living with Orpheus, but her queasy stomach couldn’t handle it.

Katerina and Jabez were talking to each other, being overly playful because he obviously demanded it even though Reia was sitting right there. She didn’t like his wandering eye over her.

“I didn’t think Elves were real,” Reia commented, trying to redirect their conversation.

“Not in this world,” he answered, folding his arms behind his head and stretching his half-naked body out which made his muscles flare. “I come from another world, just like all Demons.”

“By using a portal to get here?”

Orpheus had mentioned a portal.

“That’s right. We come from a land that is similar to this one, but filled with Elves and Demons. Elves are our food, but they are very quick, strong, and have magic. I am the product of a Demon and an Elf mating.”

“If they are hunted for food, why would an Elf have sex with a Demon then?”

“Who said it was consensual?” he bit with a growl.

It seemed as though he wasn’t happy about this, that his birthing was the product such a violent action.

“Like when they eat humans, Demons change. They grow smarter, stronger, and obtain strange desires, like acting similar to humans and Elves and mimicking them. As far as I know, I am the only hybrid.” He lifted his hand and flicked his pointed ears. “I was hunted for what I was, because I am an abomination to the Elves. So, I escaped with the magic I had from birth, and I gained more from eating them until I was able to create a portal.”