I paused in the doorway, filling the frame and blocking some of the dim light, shadowing her slightly from my view. Her scent was rich now, growing stronger by the second, clinging in my nostrils and coating my throat in tangy arousal. That was a good sign. I was close enough to hear her heartbeat hammering, the catches of her breath soft and excited.

How to approach? New human partners liked to chatter nervously, to fill the silence as I stared at them like the predator they wanted to pounce. But this one, Sonya, only watched, waited.

"Take off your clothes. I have plans for you."

There was a squeak of sound strangled from her throat, and the chain in her hand rattled softly as she startled. For a second, I prepared to backtrack, give her another option like joining me on the bench, go over the usual introductions. And then her hand released the chain, twisting behind her back and arching her chest forward as she hunted for the zipper on her dress. Her eyes were still wide, searching in the dark for me, and a pretty red tongue flicked out to stroke over her bottom lip.

I flexed my hands to retract my claws.

Interesting. She was eager, but silent.

"You're mine for this week, pet," I said, my voice heavy and low, bouncing off the stone around us. I stepped back and reached to the wall panel, slowly drawing up the light in the electric candles positioned at the corners of the room. Her hands paused on her hips, heavy breasts still in her bra, with pert and tight nipples pressing to the lace, rounded stomach sucked in self-consciously. She was staring at me, pupils dark and full. "Five days to do whatever I like with you," I tried, wondering when or if she would want to break the scene.

They usually did on the first try.

But not this little treat of a human. Sonya pushed her dress over soft hips, catching her panties with her thumbs and taking them down too. She kicked her flimsy sneakers off with the dress and reached back to the clasp of her bra, holding my gaze.

I opened my mouth to tell her to lower her gaze but let out a growl as she dropped her bra. Those breasts were proper orc handfuls. I would feast on them later.

"What next?" Her voice was thin, breathy, but sweet too.

I had a number of ideas, many of which she'd suggested herself in her requests, but Astraeya's warning rang in my head. As ready as Sonya seemed, this was her first experience in submission. It was time to check in with her.

"What would you like, pet?"