Reia gasped and got to her feet when she saw him clawing at his back, shaking and shuddering wildly.

He’s hurting himself!

Even from a distance, she could see he’d cut open his back by the wide flare of the four long gashes he’d created.

She ran to the door and opened it, shouting, “Orpheus, stop!”

“Inside! ” he roared, turning his deep red eyes to her.

She flinched, realising she’d done something extremely stupid. As she was backing away, his body began to morph into his more monstrous form. He leapt away.

Orpheus left. He left the safety of the salt circle, left his duty of protecting the house that had a handful of Demons surrounding it. He left all day and didn’t even return when night fell.

Feeling miserable, she circled up on her fur-covered armchair and brought her knees to her face. Okay, so maybe he was trying his hardest, but this situation was absolutely crummy.

It was even worse now that she couldn’t see him. Instead, all she saw were Demons, hearing them wail over the distance.

I don’t want to be awake anymore, she thought after she cooked and ate her dinner. Maybe I’ll feel better once I sleep.

Reia lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling while cupping the lower part of her stomach to soothe it, and eventually drifted to sleep.

She expected to wake in the morning, but she knew it was still the dead of night when she felt something wafting over her face.

The deep smell of smoky mahogany wood and pine needles pierced the fog of her sleep, and she wondered if she was dreaming it and the heavy feeling of heat wrapping around her as she slowly came to.

When her eyes finally fluttered open, her room was dark besides the slight glare of red.

Reia hadn’t mistaken that heat, or scent, or the sensation of breaths flittering across her face. Orpheus was above her on his hands and knees, the red glow telling her he wasn’t here to be sweet.

“You can’t help yourself, can you?” She almost laughed.

She knew the reality of the situation, that she was in danger, but the ache in her chest told her the truth of how she felt. I missed him. And even though he was bearing down around her with his jaw slightly parted and his fangs moving closer, she couldn’t help being relieved to have him close.

“No,” he answered, his voice distorted, strained, and growly.

“Are you going to eat me, Orpheus?”

She was staring up at him and didn’t look away or cower when his jaw slowly spread over her neck.

“Yes.”

He came closer, pressing his mouth down until she could feel the four long front fangs slipping around the back of her neck.

“Okay, then.”

There was nothing she could do to stop him either way.

But strangely, she also felt like he wouldn’t. Her faith in him was probably misplaced, foolish even, but right then she was just too relieved to care.

“You are not afraid? ”

“No.” Reia wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him and incidentally lifted herself further into his open maw. She felt his teeth digging in when his jaw started to squeeze the sides of her neck. “Plus, if you do, it’ll probably stop the pain.”

The pressure stopped getting tighter, like he’d halted.

“You are in pain?”

“A little. My stomach hurts.”

It was always there, always throbbing and nagging at her.

“Why does it hurt?”

“I don’t know, it just does. Most women feel this way during this time.”

His fangs eased, but he didn’t release her. She wondered if it was her hugging him or their conversation that was distracting him.

“Is there any way I can help your suffering?”

A small smile curled her lips, and she was unable to stop the swirl of emotions rising in her chest. Even when crazed, he still wanted to make her comfortable.

“I thought you were going to eat me.” She brought one of her hands up to cup the back of his skull, stroking downwards from between his spiralling horns to the nape of his neck where long fur grew. “Why are you hesitating?”

“Because I do not want to.”

“Is this helping?” she asked as she continued to stroke him.

“Yes.” He started to pull his head away, and Reia gave him just enough space so he could shut his jaw before she slid her arms back around his shoulders. “Being close to you is making it easier.”

“Wouldn’t that make it harder, Orpheus?”

“Yes. I can smell your blood, but your touch is keeping the hunger at bay.” Then he lowered himself, slipping his arms underneath her so that he could hold her. “My will to not harm you, Reia, is strong.”

His voice is going back to normal, she thought, her smile growing brighter.

“Do you want to lie with me?”

“I do not think that is wise. I don’t know how long I can keep my control in your presence right now.”

“Please?” She drew him in tighter. “You’re really warm and it’s making my pain go away.”

His hand was on her lower back, and the heat of it was easing the aching of her cramps to the point she could barely feel them. The momentary relief was worth the risk.

“I would like to stay with you,” he said, nuzzling the underside of her jaw. She turned her head up so he could do it freely. “But I will have to leave if I feel I may not be able to control myself. Thank you for calming me.”

I’m surprised it worked.

Reia tangled her hands in his fur and tugged him to his side on the bed next to her. She turned to him, facing his chest as his head rested above hers on the pillow they now shared.