Since I'd barely been able to put much effort into anything, I assumed he meant he was praising me for not calling a stop to the game. His hands were soothing up and down my arms, and I noticed that the platform I was on was growing slightly warm, heated just enough to keep me from growing chilled as he exposed me.

"Soft little goddess," Khell'ar murmured, pushing my legs slightly apart and petting at the wet release clinging to my cunt, sliding his fingers through the mess. He didn't bother retracting his claws, and I shivered as they teased my scorching and sensitive flesh. "Goddesses must be worshipped, petal. Even by beasts."

I'd never felt more human, more frail, than I did in Khell'ar's powerful shadow. And yet somehow, there was strength in that too. I couldn't match him, but I could meet him, could push myself to climb to the same peaks with him, fall down into bliss with him.

Khell's kiss landed on my knee, and I sighed as warmth bloomed in the spot, not ready for what came next but knowing I was strong enough.

CHAPTER 10

Khell'ar

Sunny was humming without realizing, little murmurs of pleasure as I dug my fingers into her muscles, apologizing with touch for my rough treatment of the morning. And for the night before, poor little human. And yet in spite of denying her sleep, of using her to my own satisfaction, of torturing her with pleasure, she'd borne the hours beautifully. She was gluttonous and determined in equal measure.

Her chest was marked with my scratches. They would fade soon, but they glowed under the false candlelight on the walls. If I'd had ink, I would've painted the marks in place—the map of my hands' path on her skin.

Dangerous creature, I reminded myself.

It was easier when her eyes were covered like this. I didn't have to hide from that pleading, probing stare.

"Khell?"

I growled at her voice, the sweet notes, the affectionate clip of my name.

"Can I sleep now, Khell?"

"No, petal," I answered, although in truth I had no real way of stopping her. I was done playing cruel master for the moment. I wanted to enjoy Sunny's flesh with my own mind.

She sighed and nodded, then remained limp aside from a little tremble as I ran my hands up from the inside of her frail ankles to the soft pillow of her inner thighs. I used my claws to carefully spread the swollen and reddened lips of her sex. Creamy fluid spilled out, and Sunny gasped, the peaks of her breasts rising and falling.

"Is it being opened to me you like, or my claws?" I asked.

"Both," she admitted softly.