A fluttering chuckle escaped him, the sound unusual and uncommon for him.
She was silent for a few moments, and he’d thought she’d fallen asleep again.
“Why do they call you Mavka?”
“It means forest creature. It is what they call me, like how your kind calls me Duskwalker because I can walk in both the darkness of night and the sun of the day.”
She fell silent once more, and eventually her breathing evened out when she fell asleep.
Contentment radiated through him. He gently nuzzled the top of her head with the side of his jaw, adoring how she felt in his arms. He doubted he’d get much rest with how quickly his heart was beating, but he knew he’d enjoy every tortured second of it.
Reia woke to the feeling of claw tips gently raking across her scalp and nearly moaned in bliss.
She knew she’d fallen back asleep with her hair grossly knotted. Orpheus must have been brushing his fingers through her hair for a long time that it was no longer tangled.
The points started from her hairline above her forehead to brush back until they reached the pointed dip of her skull before pulling through the long length of her hair. When he did it again, it started from the nape of her neck, the backs of his claws moving upwards until they reached that dip again and moved through the strands.
Both times it sent a shiver down her body that pearled her nipples into hard points.
As much as she wanted him to continue, if he did, he’d smell she was becoming aroused by the simple touch. She was beginning to understand just how good his nose was and how much it would give away her body’s reaction to him.
Reia turned her head up, making him pause and lift his own.
“You’re awake?” He removed his fingers from her hair. “Was I disturbing your sleep?”
She shook her head, realising she’d been hugging his torso while she’d been sleeping. She buried her face against his chest, sheepishly taking in a deep draw of his rich forestry smell. Her muscles were so lax in his warmth that she didn’t want to move.
However, as much as Reia was shamelessly enjoying being in his embrace, she squirmed. She tried her best to ignore the sensation low in her stomach, wanted nothing more than to stay how they were. But the more she woke, the more pressing it became.
Reia groaned before pushing at his chest to get away.
“Is something the matter?” He let her go, his eyes turning a deep well of blue. “Did I upset you?”
“I’ve gotta pee!” she exclaimed, nearly rolling off the bed as she attempted to scramble to her feet.
She didn’t know how long she’d been sleeping, both the first time and the second time, but she knew she hadn’t peed for a looong time.
Oh crap, I’m about to wet myself! She bolted for the washroom, removing the lid of the chamber pot as the door swung closed. She moaned when it released after she sat over it, almost laughing at the fact it would have been totally embarrassing if she’d done it in the hallway.
I guess this was one way to get me out of bed.
A bed she very much hadn’t wanted to leave, in the arms of a creature she very much wanted to stay snuggling with. It was a guilty pleasure, telling herself she was just too tired and groggy to stop holding him than the actual truth.
She washed her hands before rubbing sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. She exited the room.
Seeming to understand why she’d evacuated so suddenly, she saw him standing in the hallway with his arms folded and blocking her path. He was wearing his shirt, and she couldn’t help being… a little disappointed.
He may look strange, but surprisingly, she had liked his body. He was different, but it just added to his other-worldly beauty that Reia was growing more and more accustomed to. She also knew just how firm it was, how much resistance his muscles gave as she dug her fingertips in.
“Reia,” he started, but she cut him off before he could continue.
She put her hand up.
“I’m not ready for that torture yet.” The idea of his hands rubbing over her body, leaving behind thrilling tingles, was already making her gut feel warm. “Can I eat first? I’m really hungry.”
He snorted a huff, his orbs tinging red slightly before they faded back to blue.
“Yes. If you are hungry then you must eat. But you cannot go outside until we have and you are wearing the amulet again.”
“Could you get me raspberries and boysenberries?”
The colour deepened. “I’m sorry, but the raspberry bush has been destroyed. I will have to use what I can to plant seeds.”