He was burrowed deep in me. My muscles ached, my legs ached, my whole body ached. The opening of my womb pulsed sharply.

And I hated him more now than ever before. Because of the things he'd made me do. And say.

"A part of you wanted to say them." He nipped my ear. Sucking on my earlobe. "Mmm. Every part of you is so soft. And tastes like honey."

You'll never taste me again. I vowed to myself.

"Won't I?" His brow lifted.

I shook my head beneath his hand.

***

"I'm going to uncover your mouth. But you must swear to me to let me heal you before you say my name if you're intent on doing so."

Before he is gone forever.

Fine, you fool! You can heal me. Then you'll be banished.

He looked somewhat hazy like a dark, naked, ghost before me. Light and shadows visible through him. But I could see some of every part of him now.

He was right. He was becoming more visible to me.

Stealing my strength.

He offered me his hand. A trick of the light where dust flakes were visible through.

I don't want to take it.

I didn't like him. I hated him. I didn't want to take it. Didn't want to trust him for a single moment.

Trusting people has never brought me anything good. And it won't now! But I felt more powerful now. I had his name and it would control him.

Instead of he being the one so powerful and I so weak.

"Is that what you think?" He asked in a hushed voice. "You're not weak. Women are the strong ones. They hold so much sway over their men."

"You are not my man."

"Maybe not now, but perhaps in a few hours, or tomorrow, or the day after that. When you surrender completely and tell me I'm whatever I want to be. When you do whatever I say."

Never!

But I feared if this continued, there might come a time I'd do whatever it took to make him finish and be done with me.

"That'll never happen." A smile taunted his lips. "You're mine. I'll never be done with you."

***

I didn't like the idea of belonging to anyone. I'd been on my own so long and I'd grown to like it that way. I didn't have to wonder when someone would betray me.

All I have to wonder is where I'm finding my next meal.

And making sure I stayed well from the paths of the rugged men that wandered the Warwood.

The old crone had taken me in a while and she had taught me that. Telling me that unless a woman was as hideous as her, they'd have to stay far from the path of the brigands that wandered these trees on their shortcuts from village to village.

Knowing the routes through like the backs of their hands.

So I'd done as she bid and learned to evade them better then any scared rabbit.

***

Now he was slipping down my body to press apart my limp thighs while I looked away. His long forked tongue entered me. Probing deep into my body and lathing away my wounds. The bruises and broken parts were all healed by the time his tongue slipped out like an escaping serpent.

"Better?" He sat up. Stroking the outside of my thighs.

I shifted my hips and found the unbearable soreness much relieved. I nodded slowly.

"Good..." He withdrew and I snapped to full wakefulness. Making him vanish.

I rose, dressed, and promptly escaped the tavern.

And my ghost.