Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Which is why I’m here, braving the truly over-the-top staircase to the cavern where he brought me the first day. It’s dark down here and even damper than the rest of the tower. Below me, I hear water licking against stone.
Fear surges and I laugh, as if I can keep it at bay with sheer bravado. “Thane!” It’s late in the day. This is obviously his home, for all that he’s been avoiding the parts of it where he might run into me. He must be close.
Either that, or I’m making an even bigger fool of myself than normal.
If I had even the tiniest bit of self-preservation, I’d likely find his absence a relief. He’s distant, and even though he’s obviously attracted to me, he doesn’t like me. He sure as hell doesn’t approve of me. Also, he’s half tentacles, but that’s honestly the least questionable thing about him. I don’t know what it says about my current state of mind that this is my list of priorities.
Since I’ve never been the cautious type, here I am, singing his name at ever-increasing pitches as I descend the stone stairs into darkness. I reach the bottom of the stairs and refuse to admit how my thighs quiver a little from the effort. I can dance all night and drink my weight in tequila, but I skip the stair machine on my infrequent trips to the gym. Even the trips to the roof aren’t enough to actually build up my endurance. The thought of having to climb all those stairs again to get out of here makes my recklessness surge.
I’m going to feel really silly if Thane doesn’t show and I have to sleep down here, but . . .
Ramanu will be gone for a while. They aren’t sure how long. That’s what they came today to warn me about. They’re being called away on bargainer business, and they wanted to remind me that no harm can come to me but also they won’t be here to keep me company. Someone else will fill in, but they’ll be doing weekly check-ins, rather than coming every other day.
Alone again.
Alone always.
I look around the space. It’s exactly the same as last time I was here. Aside from this small stone platform at the bottom of the stairs, the rest of the cavern is filled with water. This is where we came in, so it’s obviously connected to the greater body of water.
He has to be here. He has to be.
“Thane!” My voice breaks halfway through his name. “Get up here, you fucking coward!”
Ripples form in the water and grow ever larger as they race toward where I stand. I really, really hope that’s Thane and not some demon-realm predator who’s about to eat me in a not-fun way. The instinct to flee almost overwhelms me, but what’s being gobbled up compared to being left to wander the halls of this place alone like some ghost who hasn’t had the decency to actually die yet?
Thane rises out of the water like some eldritch god, all tentacles and stern fury. I don’t know what it says about me that seeing those tentacles makes my pussy pulse, but I think I can be forgiven since he’s made me cum with them. Honestly, that racist white dude author got it wrong. H.P. Lovecraft didn’t know what he’s missing.
Tentacles are sexy.
So is Thane. He may be only partially humanoid, but he’s well-made all the same. That look of cold disapproval on his face is all too familiar. He glares. “What are you doing down here? Did something happen?”
I refuse to see that last question as concern. Refuse. He doesn’t like me, or he wouldn’t be avoiding me. That’s fine. I don’t like him either. Probably.
“I’m bored.” I prop my hands on my hips to hide my sudden tremors. “You went through a giant headache to get me, and you’ve risked your entire territory for the pleasure of my company. Stop ignoring me, and entertain me. Unless you want me to fuck Ramanu, which I am honestly kind of on board with because they’re a delight to be around.”
He stops at the end of the platform I am standing on and presses his giant hands to the stone as if he can’t decide whether he wants to attempt patience . . . or launch himself at me like a predator wrapping around their prey. “Ramanu won’t have you.”
I blink. Wow. Wow. “Jeez, tell me how you really feel.” I mean, it’s not really there for me with Ramanu either. I like them a lot, but it feels more friendship and less wanting to rip their clothes off.
But that doesn’t mean it feels good to hear Thane state it so baldly.
He sets his jaw. “You’re mine, Catalina.”
I don’t feel a thrill at that sentence. Nope. Not even a little bit. “Cute, but if that’s the case, I see why you don’t have any pets. They’d die of neglect.”