I wake with Roharu on my mind and slick thighs. Last night was…phenomenal. A part of me wants to stay asleep and go back to last night. The other part of me is curious to see if last night changes anything.

I hope so.

And I kinda hope everything continues as it has been. Roharu said those markings on his cocks tell him who his mate is. Which isn’t me, or he would have said something.

Maybe. He still hasn’t told me why he was in that undead forest to begin with or what answers he is seeking from me. There’s no telling what goes through his mind. It’s frustrating.

Ugh. I open my eyes and blink at how bright the cave is now. How long did I sleep? It can’t be early morning? Or maybe it is? Ugh, I have no sense of anything in this world. If I was back at home, then it would be mid-day. But here? I have no idea.

“Are you sore?” Roharu asks, his breath fans my ear.

“No?” I bite my lip as my fingers twitch against his chest. Did he really hold me like this the entire night? Granted, the cave floor is hard, but he didn’t have to go this far for me. Roharu quirks a brow. “I’m not sore,” I repeat. His eyes narrow briefly before his expression is fitted to one of contentment.

Did I imagine that, or am I getting better at reading him? Either he doesn’t believe me or there is something else going on here.

“So, you can go again?”

“Right now?” My pulse quickens. He wants to go again right now?

Roharu laughs as he cups my face. He dips his head, and he kisses me so tenderly I’m nearly convinced I’m his mate. “Not right now,” he says, much to my disappointment. “Tonight, when we are free of this wretched forest. I’ll take you on the soft bedding with my tongue in between your thighs. Would you like that, vixen?” His voice dips to that of a purr.

My stomach tightens. My pussy throbs. And with how his nostrils are flaring, he must be able to smell the effect he has on me. His hand slides down and he cups me through my jeans. “And a new change of clothes. I don’t care for these.”

I roll my eyes. “You already said they stand out.”

“I want easier access,” he continues.

Easier access? “You aren’t fucking me whenever you feel like it.” I poke his chest. He grabs my finger and brings it closer to his mouth. He wraps his lips around my finger and stares me down. 

Well shit.

“Whatever happened to good morning?” I ask weakly, trying to wrangle in this situation before I slide off my pants and ride him. Great, now I’m thinking about doing just that. “Never mind. Shouldn’t we be heading out now? Don’t wanna waste daylight.” He lets my finger go with a pop. Roharu tilts his head. His long dark hair falls like a curtain. His eyes are a cool shade of purple. “What?”

“Can’t think of the last time I’ve said good morning.”

“That’s kind of sad. Do you not have friends?” Not that I really have any friends or family waiting for me back at home, but I have acquaintances. “You’ve never said good morning to an innkeeper?”

“Why would I?” He blinks as though being thoughtful is absurd.

“Because it’s nice? You know, build relationships. Networking?” I add the last part on because building relationships is the last thing Roharu does. He hums as his hands slide up my shirt. I huff, though I don’t make a move to stop him from lifting my shirt up.

“Good morning,” he says before flicking my nipple with his tongue. Roharu looks up at me as he hums.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m building a relationship here,” he says. I can feel the smirk against my skin. He sucks and nibbles on my nipple while plucking the other with his fingers. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’m right here,” I deadpan. “You say good morning to me, not to my tits.”

Roharu chuckles. “How about a proper good morning, then?” He lowers his hands and taps my jeans.

“What happened to waiting until tonight?”

“You smell intoxicating,” he breathes. “Take these off. I want to plunge my tongue in between your thighs.”

I should say no on the principle that he can’t fuck me whenever he wants, but my mouth isn’t working properly, and my hands are sliding my pants off with a quickness. Okay, I might be addicted to the way he eats me out. My pants are halfway off when Roharu stands. His large fox ears twitch. I freeze.

“Is there something out there?” The last thing I want is for something to come barreling through the cave with my pants halfway on. That would be embarrassing.

“Change of plans. Let us go.” Roharu breaks down our makeshift camp and throws the skin of that beast over his shoulder. “We will find some fruit for you to eat.”

“We’re taking that with us?” I pout as I pull my pants back up and button them.

“No sense in wasting. We can trade with those villagers. They can use the raw material to make several things out of it.” He pats the skin. “It is rough and would do well as leather. Durable too.” He walks out of the cave with me not far behind. My stomach rumbles. Roharu glances back at me and shakes his head. “How much do you eat?”

“Are you calling me fat?”

“No…I’m asking, how much do you eat?”

“Oh.” I shrug. “I guess three meals at least and then snacking throughout the day. Never really kept track. I eat when I’m hungry and that’s about it.”

Roharu grunts. He walks over to a bush and sniffs. “Here, these should be fine to eat.” He holds out the yellow fruit that looks like a star.

“At least this one doesn’t smell awful,” I mumble to myself as I take a bite. The flavors burst on my tongue and holy fuck is this fruit sour. I squeeze my eyes and cough. “That’s sour.” I wrinkle my nose as I take another bite. This starfruit is as sour as a lemon, but I need to eat. Guess I can’t afford to be choosy these days. “I think we should keep heading straight.”

Roharu hands me another fruit and nods. “We’ll trust your instincts, then.”

My heart skips a beat, and my stomach flips on itself. Trust my instincts? Roharu walks ahead, staying on a straight path. He trusts me? I grit my teeth. We should have never slept together. Now I want things I shouldn’t. Roharu has a pre-destined mate out there and that mate is not me. With a sigh, I stuff the rest of the sour fruit into my mouth.

***

 

I blow out a breath. My legs are tired. We’ve been walking for hours, and we aren’t any closer to the source of this forest than we were yesterday. Roharu has the skin of that beast over his shoulder. It looks heavy, but he carries it around as though it weighs as much as a sheet of paper. I want to take a break, but I also don’t want to take a break. Roharu is carrying around that heavy skin and he hasn’t complained once.

He stops. His ears twitch and his tail flicks back and forth in sharp movements. I bite the inside of my cheek. When he does that, he really seems more catlike than foxlike.

“Do you hear something?” I whisper as though someone is watching us. Maybe someone is. I glance around, but all I see are the colorful leaves on the trees — purples, reds, greens, and blues. The flowers sway with the breeze and the heartbeat of the forest beats louder. It beats like the sound of someone banging on some drums. I wince. If that hurts my ears, it must be excruciating for Roharu.

“We are close.” He holds out a hand and waits for me to move to his side. “Stay close. I do not trust this forest.”

“Are reality-altering forests normal around here?” Terror wraps around me like a snake, squeezing until all I can do is whimper.

“Perhaps in these parts.” He frowns. “No, the forest itself is not the issue. There is something or someone behind this. The undead forest itself is not an issue. It is the numerous rituals that have taken place and the curse placed on it that allows the dead to rise at night. We may be dealing with another mage.”

“We didn’t even deal with a mage in the other forest,” I point out. “Unless you were telling the truth about eating one of their hearts.”

He hums, but doesn’t deny or affirm what I just said.

Seriously?

“Roharu.” I poke his side. “Did you really eat a mage’s heart?”

“I told you I was hunting,” he says after a moment. “A mage on their own is not a problem unless it is a grand mage. But a group of them is a headache.”

“…. Should we turn back?”

“As if they would let us.” He chuckles. “No, we will not retreat just because this may be the work of a mage or two.” His jaw tightens. The tip of his tail brushes against my leg. “We will finish this tonight and leave.”

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. When I proposed helping the villagers, I thought it would be a simple beast slay. I rub the back of my neck. A simple beast slay? Get real, Megan. This isn’t a video game. At this rate, I’ll die before I find a way back to my world. “Okay, so we kick some mage ass and then go back to the village?” 

“A simple way of putting it, yes.” He tilts his head to the left. “We go this way.”

I glance at our intertwined hands. What I should be focused on is the danger we’re heading towards. Normally, I do my best to avoid drama or any confrontation. I don’t go out of my way to start trouble and if things seem grim, then I get the hell out of there. Running away is how I ended up in this world to begin with. Maybe if I had stood my ground, then I’d be in my apartment right now. I peek a glance at Roharu from the corner of my eyes. His expression is blank.

No. He’s focused. His ears keep twitching and I wish I knew what he’s listening for.

But if I hadn’t run away from those creeps, then I wouldn’t have met Roharu…. and I’d probably be in the hospital or in a dumpster. I shiver. Those guys were worse than the beasts I’ve seen so far.

“Are you cold?”

“What? No.” I shake my head. “No, I was just thinking about how I ended up here. The men that were chasing me that night were as mindless as some of these beasts.”

“Are they dead?”

“I dunno know. Not like I looked back to see if one of them tripped and cracked their head on the sidewalk.”

“Perhaps they fell into the portal and ended up somewhere else. Preferable in the mouth of a klarvak,” he replies. Roharu stops. “You still have the dagger?”

I pat my back pocket and pull the dagger out. This time I’m careful to hold it correctly and not nick myself. The heartbeat drums and a gust of wind nearly knocks me on my ass. I squeeze my eyes shut. What the hell? My hair whips around, but at least the wind isn’t hitting me in the face anymore.

Oh.

Roharu stands in front of me, shouldering the brunt force.

“What is a fox doing in my territory?” a voice asks. It sounds like a purr. I grip the hilt of the dagger tighter and look around Roharu to see who this stranger is.

I blink.

The man crosses his arms and taps his claws on his biceps. The black short-sleeved shirt is fitted, but it brings out the blonde in his hair. He’s got what looks like a summer tan and eyes as green as the trees. On top of his head are two ears, similar to Roharu’s, but smaller. His tail is as blonde as his hair, but not nearly as fluffy as Roharu’s.

Maybe he’s a cat?

“So, you are the source of our problems,” Roharu quips as he cracks his neck. “If I kill you, then the magic will be lifted.”

“Ya got balls, I’ll give ya that,” the man replies. He flexes his claws. “But the only one dying here is—”

“MEGAN, IS THAT YOU?”

I step from behind Roharu and slide the dagger back into my pocket. No way! “Chloe?”

Chloe nods her head as she places a hand on the guy’s arm. Her black braids are pulled back into a ponytail and her jeans look as worn as mine feel. The man next to her rolls his eyes and blows out a breath. Chloe ignores him and continues to smile at Roharu and I. “What are you doing here?” she asks, as though we are talking about the weather.

“Who cares?” the man exclaims. “There is a fox in my territory.”

Chloe plants her hands on her hips and glares up at him. “Megan is my coworker and I care.”

Roharu sighs and rubs his temple. “Am I killing this cat or not?”

“…I’m not sure,” I admit. Chloe seems friendly with this cat dude, so maybe he isn’t the source of our problems? I blow out a breath and go to take a step forward when the ground shakes.

Oh no.

The ground continues to shake as a large crack appears. Roharu wraps an arm around me right as the ground opens and trees topple over. Chloe is screaming. The heartbeat is louder. I look down and terror grabs a hold of me.

What the heck is that?

Thanks for reading! Have a great week!