Chapter Seven

Rose doesn't appear twice more in the following two weeks. By the third time it happens, I know there's no point in calling out to her, no point in hoping that she appears in an hour or two. If she's not here at sunset, she's not here at all, her existence somehow tied to the sun.

And maybe, the moon.

"You're even more solid tonight," I whisper, my eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of her cool lips pressing kisses down my neck. I can feel her hands where she braces herself on my chest, and the press of her legs where she sits naked over my stomach. She's still fairly translucent, still very much a ghost, but she no longer passes through my body.

"Yes," she whispers now, my nipple pebbling as she slides herself lower, continuing with her open-mouthed kisses. I open my eyes and watch her, her long hair a waterfall of green that brushes my hip in a featherlight touch as she takes my cock in her hand, dragging back my foreskin slowly and lowering her mouth to plant a kiss on the exposed head. I'm already leaking precum — no surprises there — and it drips down my shaft.

"Can you taste it?"

She shakes her head. "No smell, either. But this is such a joy, to be able to hold you like this."

"I know." It's the night before the full moon, and as the week has progressed those brief sensations of her fingertips on my skin have turned into actual tangible presses. The first time we realised she could lay atop me was such a happy surprise, and that's all we did for the rest of the night; lie on the floor, her head on my chest, my arms around her, talking and touching.

Kissing was another first, and I love the feel of her soft lips, the press of her tongue against mine. It's not quite the same as usual; she is solid, but not entirely here . I can't smell her, can't taste her, and though I can see it, I can't feel the saliva in her mouth or wetness on her glistening cunt. I want to be able to lick the beads of sweat that form on her skin, to taste every inch of her, to have her with me permanently.

"Zak."

I grin at her now, chuckling under my breath as she opens her mouth comically wide over the head of my cock. Her more tangible form has meant it's not so easy for her to take the thickness of it in her mouth, but I'm more than happy to trade the ghostly deep-throating that we achieved before for her more physical presence here today.

My laugh turns to a moan as she manages to suck hard on the head, her teeth ever-so-lightly scraping the edge of my glans, and fuck it feels good. She is a goddess in the light of the candles I lit, her own green glow shining in the dim light, and in this moment I can't help but think I'm the luckiest man alive, even though I'm really not. We are still no closer to understanding her nature, or what to do to help her.

I want that miracle. I want her here with me forever.

"Come here," I demand, already reaching for her. She's still too light, not truly here, but my hands can wrap around her waist, and I do drag her forward, ignoring her shriek of laughter as I seat her over my face.

"What are you doing? " she hisses, sounding scandalised as she hovers above me.

"Feasting." I pull her down with gentle pressure on her hips, until my lips can kiss at her cunt, my tusks grazing her outer folds. We moan together as I lick long stripes up to her clit, revelling in just how soft her flesh feels under my tongue, the prettiest petals of my most delicate flower. I smile against her flesh as she begins to rock against me, all self-consciousness forgotten, and when I latch my lips around her clit, sucking, she cries out, her legs trembling, her entire body growing taut as she comes.

I sit up, catching her in my arms, laying her gently on the blanket on the floor. Last night I'd been able to rub my dick through the folds of her cunt, drawing out moans every time I'd focused on her clit, but when I'd pressed ‘inside' it hadn't quite worked — her vagina not fully there — and I'd finished outside of her body, my cock in my hand and my cum painting her stomach and breasts.

Tonight is different. I press into her opening slowly, feeling the snug fit of the walls of her cunt, and fuck , it's too good.

" Oh ," she moans, her mouth hanging open as she leans on her elbows, looking down at the place where we are joined. "Oh lord ." She laughs breathlessly, grinning with joy. "I can feel that!"

"So can I. Holy shit." She's fucking tight , her body still cool rather than hot, but it's her. There's no doubting it, and when she clenches her cunt suddenly I grunt in surprise, and she laughs again.

"How far are you in?"

It's my turn to laugh. "Just the tip, baby."

"Oh fuck ."

Hearing her swear makes me smile, makes my heart ache with just how much I love her. "I can stop here. This is perfect," I tell her, taking in the sight of her, her spread legs, the curve of her hips and the dip of her waist, the pale green expanse of her flesh, her gorgeous tits, and that pretty face. Her hair fans out behind her, long and ethereal, her green glow and pointed ears making her look like some goddess from the orcish stories of old.

She shakes her head. "Don't be silly, you feel amazing, just really big. I have thought of this moment for far too long for you to stop now. Don't you dare . I want you all the way inside me. I want you to fill me up."

I breathe deep, shaking my head at her words. I stare down at us, at the way her entrance stretches around me, and she lifts her hips, my cock sliding another half an inch inside. "Fuck, Rose. Don't tempt me."

"Oh, I am tempting you, sir. Ravish me."

I pull out, and the pure outrage on her face is something I've never quite seen before. "Just hold on!" I say quickly, before she can jump down my throat. "Trust me, I'm going to fuck you so good, you're not going to be able to walk, but I am big, and I don't want to hurt you."

I squeeze my balls with one hand, jacking off with the other, until precum flows continuously in a clear stream, enough to smear over the length of my dick, coating it completely. "I've told you before, orc cum is a thing . Well this is the precursor to that; a natural lubricant. It's what makes partnerships with smaller species more achievable. I know," I add, seeing her mouth open in protest, "I know that you're you , and your body is not exactly normal right now, but I don't want this to hurt for you. I want you to feel good." I slide my dick over her cunt again, pushing inside once more. I will never get tired of seeing her body swallow me like this. "I want you to enjoy this as much as me." I pull back in a slow drag that has her gasping, before thrusting in a little further than before. I repeat the motion again and again, feeling the ache in my balls, resisting the need to fuck her senseless, and I don't stop until I'm buried to the hilt, her body opening up for me just as beautifully as I'd hoped.

"Zak." She reaches for me, and I lean over her, her small hands running over my chest as I press my hands to the floor above her head.

"I'm here, baby." She's so tiny beneath me, but she smiles, biting her lower lip. "You all good?" I ask.

" Good," she replies breathlessly. "So good. This is wonderful. This is everything I imagine whenever you dance for me."

"Yeah?"

"Hmmmm." Humour dances in her eyes. "I think you should start moving, darling."

"Hey, I know what I'm doing," I laugh defensively. "You just wait."

The truth is that she feels too good around my cock. I pull back and thrust in, falling into a rhythm that leaves her moaning a continuous stream of curses and has me on the verge of blowing my load far sooner than I want to. I keep waiting for her to wince in pain — not that I want her to, not that I would ever hurt her intentionally, it's just that orc dick is a lot for a human to take — but she does the opposite, snapping her hips upwards to meet mine, until I'm fucking her far harder than I ever expected I could.

I lean back, adjusting the angle, pulling her feet to my shoulders, and she groans a low "Oh, yes. "

"You feel so fucking good," I grunt between grit teeth, picking up the pace again. " Fuck! "

"So do you!" she keens, her hands gripping the blanket beneath her. I love the way her tits bounce with every thrust, love the small sounds she makes, love the feel of this tight pussy squeezing me the way it does.

I want her to come again, on my cock this time.

I pull out, flipping her quickly, pulling her hips up until she's on hands and knees, her ass looking gorgeously round and the smooth expanse of her back too tempting to ignore. I bend over her, kissing up her back, brushing her hair off her neck and shoulders so I can lean in and kiss her behind her pointed ear. She shudders when I take her earlobe between my teeth, my dick brushing her backside. I grab it, guiding my cock back to her cunt, pushing inside slowly again, listening to her shuddering breath.

"Alright?"

"Yes," she answers in a whisper. "It's only that I've never… not like this."

Ah. "You've never done it in this position?" She shakes her head in answer as I move slowly, each drag within her making me feel like my balls will explode. "Tell me if you don't like it, then. I can stop."

" Ooooh. " I freeze, waiting for her to say it's too much. "Don't stop," she hisses instead. "For god's sake, don't stop now. "

Fuck I love her.

I brace my hand on the ground properly, reaching underneath us with the other, finding her clit. She draws in a sharp breath, her legs already beginning to shake, and when I thrust in further her guttural moan is so loud I'm certain they'll all hear us next door. I don't care at this stage. Let them hear her scream.

"You gonna come for me?" I ask. Our flesh slaps together, my balls swinging forward with each thrust, and Rose wheezes, leaning on her elbows. I can tell she's close, her whole body on the brink, and I want nothing more than to empty into her. "Come for me. I'm gonna fill you up," I practically growl, chasing my own release.

The sound she makes when she comes is one that will be burned into my brain for all eternity, I'm sure of it. That, along with the feeling of her cunt squeezing my cock, is my own undoing, and I come hard, unloading into her like I promised, filling her up.

Filling her up.

"Fuck!" I cry, my hips still stuttering against hers, watching the weirdest, hottest, most fucked up thing I've ever seen in my life. I've gotten used to seeing my dick inside her; it's not weird, you can't see her organs or anything, but this is different. My cum fills her, fills her, endless white ropes pooling inside of her, filling the invisible shape of something I can't see. Her womb , I guess.

Definitely weird, but also hot as fuck.

" Oh, " she moans, and I can tell she's watching too, her head tucked down, her cunt still fluttering around mine. "Zak!"

"Yeah, I'm watching." I'm spent, and she's definitely full. She glances over her shoulder at me, and our eyes meet. So much of what exists between us feels entirely normal and natural. From the beginning we clicked , understanding each other in a way that has me convinced that she's my soulmate. Spending time with Rose is effortless, so much so that I find myself occasionally forgetting the predicament that she's in.

And then we have moments like this, where we share a look and both know that this situation is so far from normal that it shouldn't even be possible. I know it bothers her as much as it bothers me, more so maybe because she's the one experiencing it.

"Are you okay?" I ask her quietly, my hand rubbing gentle circles on her hip. She nods, and I pull out, watching the trail of fluids that drains from her body and pools on the blanket between her legs. It's still all me, no scent of her present at all, and the worry that exists in all the moments where we're not caught up in the pleasure of being together creeps back in.

The fact that she and I can touch — that she can interact with more of her environment now — gives me hope that there is something more going on, that she's not the deceased ghost that we assumed, but so far, every search I've tried online has yielded zero relevant results. I've tried ghost elves , haunted houses , the undead , glowing green women , and a ton of other combinations. I tried visiting a local witch — a small rabbit woman who runs her business out of a little shop just ten minutes away from here — and she looked at me like I'd grown two heads, like I was crazy.

"I don't think I can help you," she'd told me nervously, remaining behind her counter, eying me up and down, and I'd left quickly. I'd felt like a bull in a china shop anyway — the whole place had been designed for human clientele, and all the tiny aisles stocked with glass jars were far too cramped together for my big shoulders. To be honest, I don't know how legit that witch really was. Sure, she wasn't human herself, but you'd think she'd have at least a vague interest in hearing the words ‘ghost woman.'

"Will you hold me?"

Rose's quiet request draws me out of my thoughts, and I open my arms automatically. "Yes, of course." She climbs into my lap and I lay us both down, tucking my body around hers, spooning her small frame, though I keep my head raised so I can stare at her. She is so stunning, so ethereal, and it's not the green glow. It's just her.

"You were lost in thought," she murmurs, her eyes closing for a moment. She never sleeps when she's here. I'm not even sure she could if she tried.

"I was thinking about how I've had no luck so far, trying to figure out what's going on with you. I should be doing more. You're the woman I love. I should be spending every waking minute trying to fix this."

Green-tinted eyes stare up at me. "You are already spending more minutes awake every day than you should. How much sleep are you getting? How few hours, because of me?"

"I'm fine."

" Zak. "

" Rose ."

This isn't the first time we've had this conversation. "I know you worry about me," I tell her quietly, running my fingers through her long hair, marvelling at the fact that I can, "but I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself."

Her lips twist up into a smirk. "I know you're a big boy."

I snort, then lean in to plant a kiss on her bare shoulder. Her clothing never reappears once she takes it all off, but it always resets back to the same outfit when she returns the next evening. It's one of the many bizarre things going on, but in my experience, when magic is involved things often make very little sense.

"I just hate that I'm inconveniencing you in any way."

"Rose, babe, you have to stop with that kind of talk. When I say I love you, I mean it. I just had the most mind-blowing sex with you. You make me happy. You are the best part of every day. You will never be a burden, ever."

She rolls in my arms, until her face is buried against my chest. "I want to be able to help," she says. "And I hate not having answers."

We lie out under the full moon on one of the blankets that I've begun to keep here at Rose's house, with another two draped over us, keeping us — or at least me — cocooned away from the midwinter cold.

"I know it's silly," Rose says for the fifth time tonight. "But I just really want to hear them sing."

"It's not silly at all."

She'd confessed late last night, as she was beginning to fade away, that she missed being able to hear the dawn chorus of birds. I'd warned her that it would likely sound a lot more quiet here in the city these days — I'm pretty sure bird populations are down compared to 1915 — but I understand why it's important to her. She used to wake early and help her mother with morning chores, the birds keeping them company as the sun rose.

"I'll feel bad if it doesn't work anyway, and I could have been riding your cock all along."

I shake my head. We have a working theory that engaging in sexual activity reduces the length of time that Rose stays here every night. It's an odd thing to think, but it's based on our observations, and my guess is it's something to do with expending energy. So tonight we're both fully clothed, trying to help Rose make it to sunrise. I want her to hear that birdsong. I want her to see the sky grow lighter as dawn approaches.

"You're doing so well," I tell her after checking my phone for the millionth time. "This is the longest that you've hung around here for, so you're officially a record breaker tonight. We're going to smash your personal best."

"You're going to be so tired today."

"Yeah, well, lucky I missed out on that gig for the floor cleaner commercial, so I don't have anywhere to be. I'll just sleep in until three in the afternoon, then I won't have to wait long to see you again. It all works out in the end."

"Mmmhm." She nuzzles against my shoulder, sounding unimpressed. "Thank you for this."

The full moon disappeared sometime ago behind trees and neighbouring buildings, and now the stars begin to wink out one by one. "I can feel me starting to go," she whispers, sounding tired. "Everything starts to feel further away."

"Hey, no. We're almost there. Come on, you can stay. Stay here with me, just for a little longer. I know you can do it. What can I do to entice you to stay?"

"I don't need enticing," she says with a small smile. "I want to stay in your arms forever, you know that. It's such a strange feeling, being dragged under."

"Under?"

Her eyes close, and she's definitely a little paler than before. "Mmm. That's what it feels like. Like it's under . Maybe that's where I am. In Hell."

"There's no such thing," I growl. "And you wouldn't be there anyway. Look at me."

Her eyes crack open as I sit up, pulling off my shirt. "What are you doing?" she laughs. "It's cold out here! I can see your goose pimples!"

"Shh, I'm trying to be sexy. I'm trying to distract you. Doesn't the sight of these abs make you want to stay?"

"Oh they definitely do things to me."

I lean over her, pressing into her body, sliding my hand through the soft hair at her scalp to cradle her head. "Good things?"

"Yes," she whispers. I stare into her beautiful eyes. They were blue, back in 1915. Now, they're a completely unnatural shade of green.

"I need you to try really hard to stay. Just hold on to me, right here. I'm not leaving."

In the leafless branches of the old tree, a bird begins to sing. Rose gasps at the sound, her eyes darting upwards to find it, and I watch her, watch the tears that roll down her face. Another bird starts up, and then another, filling the air with birdsong that accompanies the sounds of early morning traffic. The sky begins to lighten too, midnight black fading to a dark blueish purple above.

"Good morning," I whisper to her. She simply sobs, her smile turning into a determined sort of grimace.

"I'm going to stay until sunrise," she grits out, her fading glow suddenly flaring brighter. "I'm not going yet! Not when I'm this close!"

" Good. "

Her green glow grows even more intense, her form as solid as she's ever looked. I can't even see through her anymore. It's magic; I can sense it from her, a tingling sensation that runs over my skin, that same cool feeling I used to get on the back of my neck. She's still looking at me, but in this moment I don't think she sees me at all, and I watch as her glow extends along the ground in snaking bursts, glowing green mushrooms springing forth in their wake. It snakes up the tree, and more mushrooms grow from the old bark.

Holy shit. " Rose. "

When I turn my head back to her she sees me again, her eyes searching my face, her hands clutching at me, but it's the antlers that extend from her head that draw my attention, two branch-like protrusions, covered in blossoms.

I know of only one species with antlers like that. I've never seen one of them in person, but I've heard stories, and seen the odd blurry image on TV.

"Zak?"

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She's still Rose. She's still Rose, that hasn't changed.

"I'm fading." She is, her glow dimming, the flare gone. She grows more and more translucent as the world around us grows brighter.

"You made it to sunrise! You did it! I love you and I'm proud of you," I say quickly, trying my best to hide my fear, to celebrate her. "I'll see you tonight."

"I —"

She winks out, the green glow disappearing all at once, leaving me surrounded by white mushrooms.

"The last thing I remember was the back garden. There were mushrooms in the grass. That is, as far as I know, the last time I was alive."

I shudder, feeling like I'm on the edge of something really big.

What if she's fae?