CHAPTER 240: WHERE I WANT TO BE

Chapter 240

Daphne

Something smells delicious.

I open my mouth before I even open my eyes, nose pressed into soft fur, heat curling low in my belly.

When my vision clears, I realize—my bunny.

She’s curled small between my paws, still in her shifted form. Completely asleep. Completely defenseless.

My tail flicks lazily behind me, swishing against the floor. A low rumble builds in my chest, equal parts amusement and hunger.

I lower my head, nuzzle into her side, and drag my tongue over the curve of her back.

Her fur parts under the stroke, the taste warm, faintly sweet, carrying the ghost of her scent from earlier—sweat, tears, heat. It makes something primal in me snap awake.

I lick again.

And again.

Each stroke slower, rougher, savoring the way she twitches in her sleep. Little paws curling. Ears flicking like she feels it even through dreams.

I grin, tongue sliding over my fangs.

I could

devour her. Bite through her scruff, pin her down, swallow her whole.

But instead—I groom.

***

Nima

Oh no. I’m about to be eaten.

The dream bleeds into waking—trees, shadows, the thunder of paws behind me. A beast tearing through the woods, snapping branches as it hunts. I run, lungs burning, but its claws swipe too close, its breath hot on my back.

I fall—straight into its open jaws.

I jerk awake with a scream stuck in my throat.

And the nightmare hasn’t ended.

The panther looms over me, massive jaws yawning wide, hot tongue dragging over my stomach. My whole body jolts in terror. I thrash, kicking at her chest, but her weight is immovable. Her paws pin me flat against the mattress like I’m nothing more than a caught mouse.

Is this how I die?

I panic, shifting back into my human form in a desperate bid to free myself. My ears flatten, my tail curls tight against me, heart hammering so hard it hurts.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I gasp, staring up at her, chest heaving.

The panther doesn’t answer. She yawns—slow, bored, like I’m not even worth the effort of answering. Her fangs gleam as the sound rumbles through me, rattling my bones.

"We-were you about to e-eat me?" I stammer.

Her golden eyes narrow, amused. A shimmer ripples over her body, fur receding, limbs reshaping, until I’m no longer pinned by a beast but by Daphne herself.

Naked. Smirking. Dangerous.

"Maybe," she drawls, her voice velvet and smoke as she leans over me, her claws still dimpling my skin where her hands cage my wrists.

"I-I’m not t-tasty," I stammer, ears flat, tail curled tight.

Her lips curl, amused. Then—wet heat. Her tongue drags slow up the column of my neck, over my chin, stopping just beneath my trembling mouth. My body arches helplessly against her.

"Taste delicious to me," she purrs, her breath hot over my skin.

A whimper tears from my throat, small and broken. My pulse hammers so fast I’m sure she can feel it against her tongue.

"P-please—" I don’t even know if I’m begging her to stop or not to.

Her fangs graze the softest part of my throat, feather-light, and every hair on my body stands on end. Her tail flicks lazily behind her, a predator’s patience, as if she has all the time in the world.

Then she leans further down, her chest pressing flush against mine. The heat of her body seeps into me, smothering, inescapable. My heart thrashes so hard I don’t know if it’s fear or something far more dangerous.

"You see," she murmurs, voice velvet and cruel, "someone fell asleep before I got any release."

Her hand drags my thigh open, hooking it high against her waist. The movement makes me gasp, my hips tilting helplessly into her hold.

I cover my burning face with both hands, too embarrassed to look at her, too aware of the position she’s put me in. My ears twitch wildly above my fingers, betraying me even as I try to hide.

"Don’t hide from me, bunny. I want to see every expression you make."

Her voice is a growl and a purr all at once as she pins my wrists above my head with one arm, forcing me to meet her eyes.

Her eyes. They overwhelm me every time.

I thrash weakly against her hold, but it’s useless. And though I’ll never admit it aloud, a part of me loves the way she overpowers me.

The press of her body shifts, and I squeak when her thigh slides between mine, hooking me open wider than I thought possible. The thick muscle presses right against my most sensitive place, hot and firm, and the sudden friction rips a cry from my throat before I can swallow it.

"D-Daphne—"

She rolls her hips, slow, deliberate, grinding hard. The rough drag sparks lightning through me. My back bows, my ears twitch violently.

"You hear that?" she whispers, her fangs grazing my ear, her voice thick with satisfaction. "That sweet little sound you make when I touch you? That’s mine."

I squeeze my eyes shut, humiliated, trying to look away, but her command is sharp as a whip.

"Nima. Look at me."

She never uses my name. The shock alone makes me obey, wide-eyed and burning.

"Much better," she purrs, smug and delighted, feeding on my humiliation.

Then she shifts again, adjusting, until the slick, swollen press of her folds lines against mine.

My breath catches. My ears flatten. My vision goes hazy.

And then she rolls her hips.

The first drag of her clit against mine is like a lightning strike. Wet against wet, obscene and messy, the sound echoes in the still air as our slick mixes together. My body jerks, trembling so hard my thighs almost cramp, but her claws dig into my hips and hold me down, dragging me across her again, harder.

The friction is unbearable. Too much, too raw, too sharp. Every nerve feels flayed open, every grind a spark that lights me up from the inside out.

"Ah—ahhh—D-D—" My voice breaks.

She cuts me off with a bruising kiss, swallowing the cry whole.

Her grip on my wrists loosens. I seize the freedom immediately, wrapping my arms around her neck, clutching her as if she’s the only thing tethering me to earth.

Then she shifts, sitting up, pulling me with her. My body follows helplessly until I’m straddling her lap, chest pressed to chest, our mouths still locked.

The rub of our clits is sharp and perfect, obscene in its precision. Every movement drags wet and loud between us, and my body betrays me completely. My hips roll back into hers on instinct, chasing the friction with desperate little jerks I can’t control.

Breaking apart with a scream, my body arching off the bed, every nerve convulsing in violent white-hot spasms. The pleasure rips through me so hard it’s almost pain, my claws digging into her back, my voice raw and high.

But she doesn’t stop.

She grinds harder, frantic now, chasing her own release against me. The slick mess between us makes every thrust louder, wetter, filthier, until I can’t hear anything but the slap and drag of our bodies. Her claws bruise my hips, dragging me down harder, forcing me to feel every second.

I’m exactly where I want to be.