EPILOGUE

THREE MONTHS LATER

AMADEUS

" A re you ready, petal?" I smirked down at the resplendent creature below me, my belly heating with a want that hadn't dwindled a day since our first meeting.

He was naked, while I stayed fully clothed. Well, naked except for the orange ropes that were woven around his torso, trussing him up like the prize that he was. They also coiled around his legs and arms, keeping him restrained to the bench that he lay upon. I stood astride him, my legs at either side of his hips, my skirt pooling over his thighs, my feet planted firmly on the ground. I wouldn't lower myself until he'd given his approval, but judging by the way he was practically drooling, I'd say it would soon be granted.

My Isaac was so eager to please, and endearingly curious. After so many months together, he'd grown more aware of the extent of my experience in the bedroom—the vast range of depravities I enjoyed—and had offered himself up as my sacrifice, asking to be introduced to something new every so often.

He really was a gem.

I wasn't bored of our intimacies—on the contrary, sex could never be boring whenever a demon was involved—but it couldn't be denied that a special thrill rolled through my core whenever a little extra spice was added on occasion. Knowing I was responsible for teaching my darling different ways to seek pleasure, for testing the waters of his boundaries, and being the one—the only one—to guide him through new territory, was all incredibly rewarding.

There was also the matter of Isaac's reactions: all those delicious sounds and facial expressions. It was like a fun little game—how many could be milked from him before he sobbed for release—and I immensely enjoyed playing it.

"Ready as ever," the sweetling responded with a restricted smile. He shifted in place, but it accomplished nothing bar an arch to his hips.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"No, no," he protested, relaxing slightly, though it was clear that something was amiss. I gave him a beat to chew his lip and reflect, and eventually he peered up at me with a sheepish grimace. "I think I'm a little nervous."

"Do you wish for me to untie you? We can still carry on without the use of restraints. "

"No, I like them." He tightened his fists, almost defensively. "They're hot."

With a hand braced beside his head and the other cupping his chin, I lowered my face parallel to his, our bodies not touching. "I won't ever hurt you, darling. Unless you ask."

"I know," he said with a faint snort. "I trust you."

A gentle smile—and, really , how long had that taken to become a standard?—flitted at the corner of my mouth as the metal tip of my claw-cuff traced the sweet brown constellations peppering his cheekbone. "And you're still a fool for it."

"I'm your fool," he declared, voice barely above a whisper yet genuine. I nodded, kissing the bridge of his nose.

" Mine ."

The shiver that wracked his frame felt like success, sweet and fulfilling. He adjusted under me once again, his scent now infused with anticipation, his grin more enthusiastic when he said, "Okay, I'm ready now."

My lips curled wickedly.

Play time.

After a teasing flicker of my tapered tongue at the corner of his mouth, I straightened, rearranging my long, silken skirt to finally let my arse sink into his lap, drawing out his first moan. "Good pet."

The praise had his eyelids dipping, his body going soft and pliant as he surrendered completely to my mercy. With a quick flex of my fingers, I manifested a fragment of my power into my palms, a globe of flame hovering in each. It was hot, but it wouldn't scald him. I had more control than that. They were mostly an illusion, just enough heat to be startling, but never to hurt him. Slowly, I lowered my hands, keeping an inch of space between his skin and mine, getting him used to the sensation before gliding them over his torso.

Almost instantly, Isaac's skin bloomed pink and he gasped, mouth forming a perfect O.

I chuckled softly. "You like that?"

"It's… different," he said, his husky tone making my mouth water. " Good different."

"Pleased to hear it."

With that, I closed the gap, kneading his flesh and drawing the most guttural sound from deep in his throat. At the same time, I aligned my hips perfectly to his, gifting him a rasp of friction as my fingers danced over his ribs like they were playing an accordion, heat pulsing low then high, my metal claws staying cool in contrast.

A sharp intake of breath met my ears as the dripping head of his cock rubbed against the bulge in my skirt; the sound so addictive that I couldn't help rolling forward again just to replay it.

Isaac's back arched a fraction with each movement, an involuntary twitch against the taunting weight, but he didn't seek more than he was given. I could almost hear the cogs churning in his stubborn little mind, conjuring up unpleasant visions to delay the inevitable .

My pet was forever conscious of seeming too needy, as if a glimmer of self-doubt still lingered even after all the progress he'd made. It was possible that it wouldn't disappear entirely, that he'd spend the rest of his life subconsciously chasing reassurance, but that suited our dynamic just fine. As it happened, I thrived on the neediness he ultimately showed during our intimacies, revelled in him letting go of his control and being so desperate, so dependent on me that he barely had the opportunity to dwell on anything else insignificant.

Perhaps not what humans would define as healthy , but my demon nature spoke for itself on that front.

"Don't hold yourself back, petal," I encouraged, pressing myself more insistently against his hardness, delighting in the choked whimper I received in return. "I want you needy and desperate. As long as you remember who's in charge of your pleasure."

Isaac sighed as if grateful for the chance to let go, and started bucking upward, tentative at first, but growing more and more frantic as my hips and magic synced with his pace. In no time at all, the dual sensations had him struggling against his bonds, head thrown back, teeth bared. Spit gathered at the corners of his mouth as he sucked in breathless gulps of air, his hair stuck to the sweat beading at his temples, so close to unravelling at the seams.

The smug swell of my chest was inevitable.

"My, my, you really are enjoying this, aren't you?" I cooed, feeling the muscles under my hot palms bunch and flex. "You could come for me right now if I demanded it, couldn't you, my darling?"

Isaac nodded, teeth nipping at his bottom lip as if to stop it wobbling, and I hummed in sympathy. His quick trigger was flattering, really. He wasn't entirely without stamina—I knew, as I'd been the one to nurture him out of that fumbling virgin phase—but it was gratifying to be reminded of my skill. Of how well attuned I was to his body's every desire.

Drawing it out all night, letting his interest creep leisurely through the stages would be a breeze, if I wished it so, but that was a rare treat. Having my pet ravenous, a begging mess just aching for relief, was how I liked him best.

The delightful creature whined as the pads of my middle fingers skated over his nipples, his hips stuttering, urgently chasing release. The rich, spicy scent of him filled the room, and I knew it wouldn't take more than thirty seconds for him to fall apart…

Pity .

I lifted off of him just enough that no amount of thrusting into the air had our hips meeting. Isaac cried out, a look of betrayal and hopeless desperation flashing across his pretty face as he shivered.

He was so beautiful.

"W-Why'd you stop?"

"Because I want you desperate," I reminded him with a mocking smirk. "So tell me, are you feeling positively unhinged, pet? Or will it take more work on my part? "

He gritted his teeth in a weak snarl. "Fuck. You."

That answers that.

"We'll get there," I teased, relishing in his glare. "Oh, don't worry. You'll get to come; I just haven't specified when."

I ran my hands—now sans flames—soothingly over his pecs as my gaze levelled on his. "Remember, we can stop at any time. You need only ask."

His expression softened at that, his body visibly relaxing. "I don't want to stop."

"Pleased to hear it." I combed my fingers through his blond curls, content to watch him settle, while luxuriating in the fondness that stirred in my gut.

Ever since my confession of feelings at his flower show, they'd hummed a constant melody under my skin, but seeing him like this, laid bare and trusting, made me realise just how loud they could be. How deep they ran in my veins. I adored him, that much was obvious, but it was also an infatuation. An obsession more resilient than any I'd had before. I was never absent of thoughts for him, nor had I tired of homing every last speck of my attention on one, singular being. The more I had of him, the more attached I became, and though I'd already banished the very notion of ever wanting another, it was still surprising that someone like myself was capable of such monogamy.

My siblings, no doubt, would have a field day.

Isaac's breathing evened out first, his heart rate following suit, and only then did my magic reignite—a low, pulsating heat gathering in my idle palm, eager to meet his skin once more. I took hold of my human's cock, humming appreciatively at the heavy weight of every glorious inch in my hand before giving it a single, leisurely stroke, my thumb skimming over the wet slit. He smelled like sex, lust, and impatience. It was delicious, and watching him cant his hips, back bowing obscenely as he thrust into the loose circle of my fingers was a religious experience—as if I had any clue what those felt like.

"You have such a pretty cock," I observed, letting out a breathy little rasp as I lined him up to the bulge in my skirts and curled my fist tightly around us both. "So thick and flushed, and always so wet, just for me."

I could've undressed, could've given in to the temptation of skin-on-skin contact, but something about my clothed cock sliding against his bare one felt slightly more depraved—the fabric darkening with our combined slick, the subtle creases in the silk creating extra stimulation. Obscene .

Small whimpers broke from Isaac's lips, shivers rolling through his body whenever I began rocking into each stroke. He was so responsive, clinging to his restraints like he wanted to be moulded to the bench, his grip so strong it'd bruise if he were clutching at my thighs or hips.

Compared to our very first encounter, he gave everything he had so much more freely now, submitting with little to no hesitation, and it was more than I could ever have hoped for.

More than I could ever have imagined I deserved .

"Ash, please…"

My eyes flicked to his, my chest tightening at the look of pure despair on his face. "What do you need, my dear?"

"I want you to ride me."

I barely concealed my smirk. "How bold of you. Is my hand not good enough?"

"Yes— ngh —but your arse is better," he stated with zero regard to my teasing lilt.

He also wasn't wrong.

"Naturally," I said with an air of certainty as I ruminated over his request. I had planned to see him a bit more wanton before sinking down on his beautiful cock, but plans could change.

The thought of him filling me, his tip nudging against my sweet spot as my magic expanded from my fingers, tingling up the length of my arms and over my body, had my hole clenching on nothing.

Empty .

I wouldn't fuck him to completion, or seek my own release. Not yet. I'd set the pace to glacial, my hole doing nothing more than warming his cock as my hands did the rest, tormenting him with flames until he was on the brink of insanity…

"Alright, I'm convinced," I declared in response to that particularly delightful line of thought. Isaac was clearly too distracted by sensation to comment on my swift decision-making, only managing a choked-out moan as I gave his cock one last squeeze before shuffling into a better position .

With a renewed sense of urgency, I clicked my fingers, and my hole was stretched and slick, ready for him. My underwear vanished, but my clothes stayed on—to maintain the appearance of a power imbalance, of course. I hiked my skirt up my thighs with an eagerness that probably looked frantic, before hovering above him, taking his shaft in my hand to angle him just right, and—

Meow.

My spine stiffened, and despite my typically impeccable control, two events happened in quick succession. The force of my glare toward the furry culprit caused my balance to falter, and the split second of alarm that followed wrenched a globe of fire from my fingertips, its heat searing a large, gaping hole into the sofa. Before I could even curse the creature for its involvement, or truly grasp my already precarious position, Issac's hips bucked in surprise, sending me toppling to the floor in a heap.

Pain wasn't something I paid heed to, but my elbow hitting the cheap carpet didn't exactly tickle.

A cacophony of heavy breaths and the crackle of scorching leather accompanied the silence that otherwise cloaked the room like a fog—the type of silence that never failed to make itself known after a painfully embarrassing ordeal—and I was so stunned that it took several moments of blinking up at the newly painted ceiling, clutching my arm, before I could break it .

With all the power in my chest, I manifested, "Your neighbour is going to die."

"Someone needs to," Isaac gritted through obviously clenched teeth, and my thirst for blood was temporarily waylaid by the pride swelling in my belly. I smirked to myself.

The little creature had a venomous streak, after all.

After another beat, he sighed, his prickly demeanour easing. "But as pissed off as I am at being royally cockblocked, the cat does what it wants. It's not Kevin's fault."

"I beg to differ," I grumbled, but as if to prove Isaac's point, the infernal beast jumped onto my chest, attesting to its owner's innocence. I reached out to stroke it reluctantly. "Twice now, it has interrupted my plans to ravage you. That cannot be a coincidence. Either your neighbour is spying on us, and sends the creature purposefully to vex me, or the little thing has a mind of its own and disapproves of our activities."

"Well, if you're suggesting killing the cat, I'm going to have to—"

I gasped, clutching at the pest before even realising what I was doing. "What kind of heathen do you take me for?"

Isaac hummed, and it sounded amused. "The kind who lays on the floor petting said cat instead of untying me."

I was on my feet in an instant, waving to swiftly dispense of the ropes. "Forgive me," I uttered with more remorse than I'd ever thought myself capable, and helped him sit. A glass of water materialised in one hand, a cold, wet cloth in the other .

I handed the glass to Isaac, coaxing him into taking small sips as I wiped him down, paying extra attention to the nest of curls on his belly. My magic could've rendered him spotless in seconds, but there was a particular kind of intimacy in manually cleaning a partner—one that I'd discovered was immensely fulfilling.

My human's cock had flagged, obviously , which was a crying shame, but it was the middle of the afternoon. Orgasms could still be on the agenda. After a brief respite.

"You're getting better at the aftercare stuff," he pointed out, watching me intently, a fond smile on his flushed face.

"I do have the most excellent tutor." I winked salaciously, earning a laugh.

"We make the perfect pair. You're teaching me the filthy stuff, and I'm teaching you sweetness. It works."

I nodded in agreement, and with a wave, I sent his empty glass to the kitchen and the cloth to the bathroom. "Are you alright?" I said, reaching out to tuck a stray curl behind his ear, huffing lightly. "Not that I'm any less livid at the disturbance, but I am somewhat glad I hadn't put you inside me. This could have been a lot worse."

Isaac cringed at the implication, his thighs pressing together. "I don't really want to think about that. Are you okay? You fell, did you hit your—"

"I'm fine, pet." I lay my hand on top of his flailing one, halting the impending fussing. His concern really was endearing, but wholly unnecessary. "I may have to update the wards, though. No cats allowed."

Isaac pouted, peering at the cat over the side of the bench, who'd taken to licking itself in the most undignified position. "But that's so mean. She just wants company… or entertainment?" He looked down at his nakedness and snorted. "She must be pretty bloody bored at her own house if she's coming here for that. Or just a fuzzy little pervert."

I studied the beast, how its red tongue combed through the fur on its belly pooch as it maintained an unnerving level of eye contact. My nose wrinkled with distaste.

The latter.

"I mean…" Isaac carried on, humour in his tone. "She probably had fun watching you blow a hole in the sofa. Great shot, by the way."

My gaze drifted to the still-smoking cavity in the aforementioned furniture, and I hummed. "The creature certainly has a taste for chaos. I would have respected that if it wasn't such an inconvenience."

Isaac laughed—despite what I'd said not being particularly amusing—and the sound was so carefree and infectious that I couldn't help but join in.

We sat there for however long, revelling in each other's mirth, saying nothing, but not needing to. When it eventually tapered off, Isaac just stared up at me, eyes glinting with blissful tears, and lips curved into a lazy smile. For once, I was ashamed to admit that I couldn't quite decipher his thoughts. The impression he gave wasn't unlike the day he'd broken the spell—the first time I'd noticed that he seemed truly and unequivocally happy.

My chest tightened, and I tilted my head, intrigued. "What is it?"

There was a pause, not a hesitation; more so a beat where he studied me even closer, seemingly enthralled by what he saw. I half expected no answer, that I would have to prompt him again, but at the tail end of a wistful sigh, he finally blurted, "I just love you."

Reactively, I stiffened.

Isaac noticed, of course he did. It wasn't subtle—or intentional—and much too late to play off as a shiver from the cold air filtering in through the cracked-open window. The poor, sweet-hearted creature's eyes widened, and he was already fumbling and blushing with embarrassment.

"Shit, I'm sorry. You don't have to say it back. I know it might be too soon for you to even—"

I kissed him.

I kissed him hard . Mostly to silence his nervous chuntering so I had the chance to process, but also because it never failed to please me how he would melt into the touch. It was as if my lips claiming his, my forked tongue coiling and seeking, expelled all thoughts from his head. It worked in my favour: the perfect distraction.

And much more fun than simply freezing time .

In truth, I hadn't adequately prepared myself for those words to be shared—a witless error on my part, but still, he'd caught me off guard. Despite my previous aversions to sappiness, my reaction was largely due to the spontaneity of the declaration, not the declaration itself. Something I wouldn't have been able to admit so confidently before my time with Isaac .

Was that progress?

I should have expected it. The phrase was a natural progression in a human relationship—or so I'd learned—and the rushed delivery was on par with Isaac's personality, but part of me clearly wasn't yet fully in tune to their customs.

Demons did not declare themselves as vocally as humans. Not in matters of the heart. We valued actions over words, but even then, it was more to do with fealty or tolerance than devotion. Love was treated as an inconvenience, a conflict to our sinful impulses. We fucked, we killed, we caused mayhem, and that was about the extent of it. Our ‘relationships' were toxic and messy. There was never a shortage of enemy heads on pikes or rival bedmates poisoned for sheer sport—acts that humans didn't often appreciate in a partner.

Isaac had shown me that the evolution of one's repertoire wasn't so terrible. That embracing something gentler, and new —and more mortal—didn't mean denying my true nature. I could still provide protection, rid the universe of anyone who dared to cause him harm, while also showering him with affection .

The best of both worlds.

Returning those three words would only endorse that. It wasn't as if I hadn't already been attempting to treat him as such, proving in my deeds that I did, in fact, love him, so verbal confirmation wouldn't be a leap. It may feel a little strange on my tongue, granted, but it was nothing I couldn't overcome.

Plus, if the term of endearment was as important to him as I believed it to be, I wouldn't dream of withholding, no matter my inexperience with it.

I'd already challenged my instincts just by being here, at his side. I could do it again.

Gladly.

I withdrew from the kiss, chuckling softly at the dazed look in Isaac's eyes, the events of the last thirty seconds certainly forgotten.

Luckily, I was there to remind him.

"I love you, too, my darling," I said simply, cupping his cheeks and holding his gaze to emphasise my sincerity. "And even if the words don't pass my lips often, never doubt it."

An array of expressions flitted over the pretty creature's face, his complexion all but sampling every colour the rainbow had to offer. First, there was confusion, followed closely by shock and mortification, before finally settling on realisation. It was unmistakable, the moment his mind latched onto exactly what I'd said.

He beamed widely, and it was the sunshine that broke through a storm. "You do? "

Typically, I would tease him, cut through the syrupy sweetness with a witty remark, but under the weight of his unwavering attention, I couldn't summon much more than a fond smile. "How could I not?"

With a chuckle that sounded equal parts elated and relieved, Isaac hooked his arm around my back and lifted me into his lap. I wasn't given the opportunity to marvel at the glorious show of strength before he was capturing my lips with his, silencing any gasp of surprise that may have escaped. I had no complaints. It wasn't often that he acted so brazen, and what sort of depraved being would I be if I resisted the possessive way he pinned me close?

It was a charming moment, beautiful even, and I would have been content to savour it until every breath withered from my lungs.

Alas, not everyone seemed inclined to entertain my fancies .

The height of ignorance, really.

I sensed movement from the floor—sneaky and deliberate—and refusing to be interrupted for the umpteenth time, I aimed a side-eyed glare at the meddling culprit, letting my pupils blaze fiercely in warning.

I swore I saw the beast smirk .