You're fine. It was a nightmare. I reassured myself. Flopping onto the undoubtedly-dirty bed.

Wondering how much had been some dark fantasy, I threw up my skirt and touched my burned and bruised thigh. Pained to see the swirling burn mark still there. Swollen red and purple with a black outline.

But strangely, I no longer hurt.

Relieved about that small detail at least, I threw my skirt down and flopped backward. Sinking into the reed mattress. Blinking bleary eyes, I suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.

Instantly, I'd have sworn I felt his presence encroaching on me.

A bath. The thought entered my mind so suddenly and with such craving that I realized I had to have one. When I reached into my dress pocket for one of my two remaining coins I found six there.

Had the witches paid me for their torment? It was too horrible to conceive that it wasn't them that had paid me for my suffering.

Don't let it be him. It felt like it made what he'd done to me even more insulting.

I looked around fearfully, but I was alone. I cracked the door and peered out. Calling to the barmaid, offering her my coin to have a bath drawn.

They brought in the large metal bath and two burly men brought steaming buckets to fill it.

I didn't like how their eyes lingered on me. I checked my dress and realized it was in place. I'm covered.

They were looking at me as though undressing me.

I worried my lip. Wishing I still had my cloak. I could pull up the hood and hide my face.

I knew my features were a bit too pretty. Slightly too porcelain. And my enhanced curves on my skinny frame tended to draw too many eyes.

But the witches had yanked the cloak off when they'd originally caught me in the woods. I'd gotten away twice before they were able to overwhelm me, hold me down, and brand me with mark of crisscrossing serpents.

Once they'd left, I turned the lock on the door. Slowly pulling my clothes off my aching, traumatized body. I walked to the bath to sink slowly into its comforting warmth.

I moaned at the blissful feel of it.

***

"You had to know, making sounds like that would summon me?" His dark face peeled apart the shadows in the corner next to me. Emerging with intent gold eyes. Licking his lips wolfishly as he took in the sight of me. His gaze lingering on every inch of my shining wet flesh.

Naked and vulnerable in the bath.

"I'm excited to feast on all that bountiful flesh."

No.

"Oh, I will. And I'll revel in the feel of you wrapping my cock in your heat."

***

In panic, I shrieked and tried to clamber out of the bath. Tipping the metal bin onto one edge and surging water over the floor in my clawing attempt at escape.

Out of nowhere his hand slammed to the edge of the bath and with surprising strength yanked it flat on the floor. Sending me careening toward him in the flow of the water.

I yelped and tried to lean away.

His face down to his neck was visible and long slim fingers on the edge of the bath bin.

I can't see the rest of him. What is he?

His face, topped by dark curling hair tilted as he lowered to be level with me.

"Please don't. I hurt already." I covered my breasts with my arms and sunk down into the bath. Squeezing my thighs together and tipping my knees against the side. Peering up at him as I begged. Hating the high, shaking note in my voice.

"Not anymore."

My brows furrowed in confusion.

"Feel yourself." He ordered.

I stared at him in horror.

He smiled and nodded down.

Shocking myself, my hand jerked. Moving of a volition of its own, it made its way down my body to press against my most intimate place. Finding the pain absent. I wondered aloud. "The water?"

Did it make the pain go away? Heal me?

"No." His mobile mouth said the word slowly and then his lips slid up evilly. "I did. So I could savor you again."

No. Distract him! My instinct screamed.

"How am I seeing you?" I quaked. Avoiding that prospect. "I thought you said I could only see you when-when..."

"When I'm inside you?" He arched a black brow over one large gold eye.

"Y-Yes." I trembled.

"That will evolve as we bond." He reached into the bath to swirl the water. Stirring it around me. Creating a small whirlpool which reached down to touch between my thighs. Moving the water along my body.

I gasped.

He grinned and dropped his chin to the edge of the bath. "You'll be able to see me more as time goes on."

He tilted his head consideringly. "Still scared of me?"

"I-I please don't..."

Take me again.

"Oh," He nodded. "I'm going to."

I shook my head as he rose to stand over me. I tried to decide what to do but he was already stepping into the bath. I couldn't see his legs until he brushed mine apart with his calves, then his became visible.

He knelt down in the water. Making it slosh up along my neck as he lowered into it.

It was so narrow, I withdrew my legs to almost against my chest to keep him away.

But he was already kneeling between my thighs and I couldn't get my ankles together. I saw his hands holding my shins up so I was folded against the back of the bath. Unable to move while he slid his knees behind my heels, under where my leg bent up, to frame my hips.

I could feel the pressure but couldn't see. I was leaned up shaking my head in panic.

"Ssh." He put a finger to his lips.