So many questions spun through Roman’s mind. What was a demon doing here on Tacitus? How had it gotten here? Who had let it stay, in the middle of a city full of people?

Now it made sense, the magic around the door. Magic that was no doubt in the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Lesser versions of the magic that kept the demons out, now pressed to holding her in. But for how long? And why? No demon could be rendered safe, and if something happened—if she got out—there were millions of people in Kanto, and none of them Wolves. Who would be able to stop her from slaughtering them all?

“You’re thinking about it too hard,” she said. “Is that why you came here? To think?”

“I don’t know why I’m here.”

“Don’t you?” She slid forward, moving slowly towards him. “Haven’t you dreamed of us? Haven’t you longed for our touch, our scent in your nose, our claws on your skin?”

Roman’s traitorous body was responding, but Roman managed a steady voice to ask, “How do you know that?”

“What matters is that I know.” The demon was close now, close enough, again, to touch. “Are you going to pretend you don’t want this? Am I to pretend I can’t smell how much you want me? Do you think I can’t see the door at your back, the one you haven’t chosen to use?”

Roman stood frozen in place as she lifted her hand, ran a slow finger up his chest. “I can give you what you want.”

This close, he could feel the heat coming off her body. Like standing near a fire. He could see through the sheer fabric that surrounded her to the naked skin beneath. “How can I trust you?”

Her smile turned wicked, her teeth sharpening to fangs before his eyes. “You can’t.”

She grabbed his arms and shoved him across the room. Roman stumbled, recovered, reaching for his sword even as he remembered it wasn’t there. She was on him in a flash, ripping at his clothes with claws that hadn’t existed moments ago. He twisted and struggled, tried to get away, but she was stronger and faster.

Panic ran through him, but it wasn’t the only thing he felt. Dizziness, heat, his panting breath—that wasn’t fear. His cock, hard and throbbing in the tight constraint of his pants—that wasn’t fear either.

She tore open his shirt and her claws raked across his chest, leaving a line of burning pain as her venom made contact with his blood. Roman screamed at the pain, sharp and burning and perfect.

“This is what you came for,” she hissed into his ear. “This is what you want.” She bit at his shoulder, her teeth sinking deep enough to draw blood. Another stab of pain, of terrible pleasure. Where her dark magic touched the nima in his blood, it seared and tingled and sent shocks all through him.

Yes, this was what he wanted. This was what he needed. This was more terrible than anything he’d dreamed, and everything for which his body had been longing.

She shoved him to the floor, straddled him. “Ask me,” she said.

Roman shook his head, his blurry mind not fully grasping the command.

“Ask for what you want. Speak the words. Beg for it, little Wolf, or else we keep our gift and you get nothing.”

This time, he understood her, but he shook his head again. For him to ask for it—for him to admit out loud. It was easier when she was demanding, taking. When he could feel like he had no choice, like she’d forced him to it.

“We both know the truth.” She pressed down, grinding her hips so that her thigh rubbed back and forth across his straining erection. “You came here for one thing, little Wolf. And you can have it. Everything you’ve been dreaming of. All you have to do is admit it.”

She was solid, warm. She smelled of roses and spice and smoke. Roman had been dreaming of this for what felt like ages. “Yes.” He couldn’t hold back the words. “Yes, please. Fuck me. That’s why I came here. That’s what I want.”

Her dress dissolved as a second pair of arms manifested, reached beneath him to drag at his clothes. Her original set of arms caught his wrists, pressing him to the floor in a grip so tight he was going to have bruises tomorrow. Assuming he made it to tomorrow.

They were both fully naked, no clothes left between them. The demon kept hold of Roman’s wrists with one hand while a second traced down his side and a third clawed a thin line of blood down his chest and the fourth wrapped around his dripping cock.

Roman arched and struggled, overwhelmed by sensation. Pain and pleasure all tangled together.

“Poor Roman. So confused. So helpless.” She licked up his neck and bit at his jaw. “So desperate.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes.” A mindless chant as the sensations overwhelmed any thoughts.

“You love this. The fear. The pain.”

Roman closed his eyes and whispered one more, “Yes.”

Another slash of her hand left a thin, bleeding line across his stomach, a delight of burning agony. His body knew this was a demon, and the fight-or-flight response running through him had almost reached the level of panic. Somehow that made this both the best and worst moment of his life.

Slick heat engulfed his prick, and Roman shoved his hips up with desperate strength. She took him deep inside as her claws dug in, her venom burning where she touched. His whole body was on fire. He needed this to end. He never wanted this to end.

She let him set the pace, let him fuck her as she held him down and sank her claws deep.

Roman came in a blinding mix of agony and rapture. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move as the waves crested through him. In this moment, the demon could have done anything she wanted, and he wouldn’t have been able to stop her.

But all she did was slide away. At the loss of her touch, Roman opened his eyes.

She stood looking down at him, her dress back in perfect order, her body once again human. “Would you like some tea?” she asked in a sardonically pleasant voice.

Now the euphoria was fading, guilt rushed in to send all Roman’s good feelings crashing to the ground. “I should go.”

“It’s your choice,” the demon said, “but consider that you’ve already transgressed. There’s no taking that back. If you stay, however, I could order you some refreshments. You could, perhaps, nap for a while. And then we could do…more.”

More. Roman could imagine a night of absolute excess. Drowning himself in what his body had decided it craved so badly. Exhausting himself, exhausting these desires. Then, after…sleep. Safe sleep.

But he couldn’t pretend that it was anything other than his choice.

“Maybe I’d like some tea after all.”

“Delightful.” She helped him to his feet, led him over to the couch. “I promise I’ll take excellent care of you, little lost Wolf. I promise you a night you’ll never forget.”

For good or for ill, Roman was sure that would be true.