She started pushing at his chest to get away from him.

She is upset with me again. She would be like before, where she would ignore him.

“No,” he snapped, caging her in again. “Do not be upset with me. I don’t like it.”

“Then tell me when.”

When he didn’t answer, she folded her arms and turned to give him her side to show that she could ignore him even when he was caging her in.

“Reia,” he warned, red fray the edges of his vision. She had the bravery to turn her chin up at him. Once more, his growl emitted from his chest. “When you are my bride.”

“Excuse me?” she squeaked in a high-pitch, her head turning to him as her eyes widened. “I-I never said I would be your bride.”

“Only when you accept me, give me your soul and remain with me eternally, will I take you to the Demon village.” His heart thumped for the very day, the tentacles of his cock stirring in anticipation. “Only when you are mine, heart, body, and soul, when you cannot leave me and do not want to, will I take you there.” He leaned forward, digging his claws into the counter. His tongue darted out to lick at the fangs of his snout, his cock stiffening behind his seam, and his tentacles had to clasp it tightly to stop it from extruding.

“I yearn for it, my little doe.”

He hungered for it more than he did her body.

The first step was being inside her. To have her accept him willingly, welcomingly, achingly into her body. For her cunt to sheath his cock in its warmth, its wetness, to fill every inch of her until she could take no more, and then still give it to her.

For her to want his body, to desire it, to need him surrounding her as he took her. Orpheus needed her to cling to him, to want to be connected to him, and then burn for him to do it again, and again, and never be satisfied.

He’d long ago realised that in order to obtain the gift of a human’s soul, he had to earn it by gaining their body and their heart.

If he could claim her body, only when she told him he wanted her to, could he win her heart? Orpheus had never been loved, and he wanted her to love him. For it to be Reia that allowed him to have her so completely that she could never leave him.

Her face had grown paler, her mouth opening and closing as though she couldn’t form the words she wanted to.

Orpheus knew they were rejections.

“I cannot force you, Reia,” he said gently. “This is something you must chose, but this is what I want.”

“C-couldn’t I just be your companion? You said that’s all you were looking for now.”

He pulled his embedded claws of one hand from the counter and cupped the side of her face.

“That was before, when I didn’t think you would ever accept me, just as the others hadn’t.” Then he scraped his claws over her neck, her shoulder, and then down her chest to watch her nipple bud for him before he even reached it.

“But you like my touch. This gives me hope.”

Her hands shot forward to grab his before he could caress that sensitive point.

“If you don’t help him, Orpheus, then I never will.”

He tilted his head, not understanding why the other Mavka would prevent her from doing so. “Why not?”

“Because you are being selfish and cruel to him. I would never want to give myself to someone like that. I would never forgive you for it.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“No, and that is a promise.”

His eyes flashed white at her words. A promise?

OceanofPDF.com

Orpheus internally grumbled as he placed one of his black cloaks around Reia’s body. It had been shortened and altered to fit her.

He now had to help the Mavka or possibly lose Reia’s affections. So, he was doing it. He would take him to the Demon village so he could acquire what he needed, while showing him around so that he could go there by himself in the future.

That was an easy decision.

The one to do with Reia had been more difficult. To leave her here by herself where she could be harmed, or bring her with him so that he knew she was protected?

Both were dangerous.

He’d been troubled for a few hours, feeling her drawing away from him as he paced around the house and yard, keeping a watchful eye on the Mavka he told to stay.

His choice had been difficult but, in the end, he chose the one that was less dangerous for her.

So here he was, dressing Reia in one of his cloaks while she wore the remaining material as a black dress to hide her body, with the intention of bringing her with them despite his aversion to doing so.

He didn’t like this, that he chose to bring her to the village even though she wasn’t his bride and eternally tied to him.

She wouldn’t be truly safe and could be taken from him.

Knowing that the Mavka would be with them and had sworn to protect her did ease some of his inner turmoil.

Her smile when he told her had been unusually bright as it beamed from her delicate, pretty face. She is so lovely to behold, he thought at the time. He ached for this female in so many different ways that it stirred both his heart and his body.

They were setting off immediately. There was no reason to wait.

She’d packed a shoulder strap bag with enough food to survive the journey to the Demon Village since he told her they’d be able to obtain more while they were there. They also placed a sack of water inside the bag they could fill along the way. They’d be following the stream that ran all the way through the Veil.

While she packed, Orpheus had taken a large chunk of crystal from his room, one that was the same as those in the washing room, and took it outside. He smashed it to pieces.

When she’d asked him why, he said he would be using it to trade with. He didn’t usually need this much, but the Mavka had nothing to trade with and he was hoping Reia might like something as well. Trading it meant little to him as he had plenty of it.

Once the preparations were done, he’d washed her, so the spell was fresh, and then dressed her.

There was only one last thing to do now, and she’d looked unsure as he started to place the head of the deer he’d brought for her over her head.

“What’s this for?” she asked, her voice echoing inside the skull that had been peeled of flesh and cleaned.

“Your disguise, so you can see but not be seen.”