“Yes,” Hæra whispered, and like any glutton, any creature of pure appetite, Madeleine licked her fingers clean.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Hæra had never held anyone while they slept. Her kind didn’t know the practice, and she’d had no reason to embrace a sleeping Jonathan, although she’d watched him once out of curiosity.

She must have been saving it for Madeleine, whose body was warm in her arms. They lay in Madeleine’s new bed—the one they’d sat together on only this morning. Hæra was curled up behind Madeleine. From the sky, they must look like a nautilus shell.

They were a perfect fit. What else could they be?

She had finally claimed her mate.

Her mate had claimed her in return. Hæra hadn’t expected that—not from cautious, reserved Madeleine. But the woman who’d once worn a nun’s habit had teeth to match Hæra’s own, and she’d devoured Hæra, body and soul.

Depths below. Hæra had thought there could be no pleasure more primal than Madeleine’s fingers inside her, fucking her so eagerly. She hadn’t counted on what it would be like to see Madeleine licking Hæra’s juices from her fingers, as hungry as any Each-uisge had ever been. Seeing that—having the sure knowledge Madeleine, too, had starved—had driven Hæra to climax immediately. She’d come so hard she’d almost lost consciousness.

But she’d managed to stay awake, and instead she had lain atop Madeleine, both of them almost naked. They had kissed and kissed. Hæra hadn’t known you could kiss anybody like that, when you were sated instead of just wanting more. She hadn’t known kisses could be lazy, soft, and tender.

There must be all sorts of kisses, then. She and Madeleine would share them all.

Eventually, Madeleine had groaned and said the floor was hurting her back, and they’d had to get up. She’d seemed oddly shy. What would happen next, Hæra had wondered. What was the human custom after sex?

Whatever most humans did, Madeleine had invited Hæra to stay.

“I don’t want you to go.” She was blushing again. “We can figure out the rest tomorrow.”

Hæra approved, and carried Madeleine to bed to prove it. For some reason, that made Madeleine blush again. She’d blushed more when she’d put on her pajamas as Hæra watched appreciatively.

Hæra had to wear her clothes to bed, but she didn’t mind. She was more than willing to lie here, accepting Madeleine’s intimate invitation, and curl their bodies together. Somewhat to her surprise, Madeleine had gone right to sleep. She’d relaxed against Hæra’s body instantly, as if someone had flipped a switch inside her and told her she was perfectly safe.

Which, of course, she was.