Page 101 of First Ritual

Monsters enjoyed feasting on mice.

They didn’t enjoy feasting on other monsters.

The thought filled me, and my complete stillness in response to Wild’s growling broke. I raised my chin, and he lunged forward.

“Collect yourself,” I snapped. “We’re here to do a job.” On a whim, I added, “If we don’t get through this, the council could hurt me.”

The growling dropped to a grumbling rumble, and I watched Wild’s eyes as he flickered between whatever this growling creature was and himself.

Wild slid his hands higher, caressing my forearms. “That worked. I feel calmer. Somewhat. I’m going in.”

The urge to wrench away was nearly overwhelming. I nodded tightly. “Do it.”

“Breathe with me, darling.”

I inhaled and exhaled in tandem with him and felt the knot in my stomach ease by a tiny amount.

Wild’s magic pressed inside, and I clenched my jaw at the prickling pain. This was no hole-drilling agony, but still… “You’re hurting me,” I told the creature in case he was listening. “I’ve already kissed you. There’s no need for this pain.”

My eyes widened when the stabbing sensation ebbed. Wild’s magic continued probing up my apothecary affinity, a separate entity to the pain I’d been feeling.

He whistled low at whatever he could see, and that was the last thing I registered as the creature within him replaced the pricking pain with something else.

Heat hit me. Right between the thighs. My breasts. “Wild—”

He murmured, “You’re negotiating with him, not me.”

I pressed my legs together and squirmed, then groaned at the friction. Absorbed in his task, Wild made it to the end of my apothecary affinity near the center of my magic, then started up battle. This time, he swore. “You’ve been keeping secrets, Tempest.”

Just what that secret was I couldn’t fathom as the pleasure ramped up. My head thumped against the back of my chair. I rocked on the spot, held still by Wild’s iron grip. I whimpered at the furious heat covering my body. This was too much with the magical probing going on.

Wild was feeling his way up my battle affinity, and the creature was feeling his way up other places.

“Stop,” I whispered.

Both paused.

“I can’t do both,” I choked. “Fuck me magically or fuck me in truth. Just pick one.”

“It’s not time to fuck you,” Wild growled in a voice that wasn’t his.

We stared at each other, and my body trembled as the intense pleasure faded away too. The pain didn’t return either.

I swallowed. “So, he seems to have bedroom plans.”

Wild was paused three-quarters of the way up my battle affinity. “Yes. I would’ve been fine with fucking you now, so that choice definitely wasn’t mine.”

I laughed, then shivered at the come-down of the pain-pleasure rollercoaster. “Please hurry.”

Wild stretched further and further along my battle affinity toward the space under my ribs that denoted the center of my magic. His touch was nothing like the last time our magic had met. He kneaded and lightly pushed, exploring. Everyone had assured me this test was nothing, and maybe Wild was learning, but this felt super intimate.

More than intimate.

I could feel the very nature of Wild’s magic. Thoughtful and gentle power. Emphasis on the power part because I could feel the choice in his probing to be gentle. He chose not to use his vast power to pin my magic down and shove his way inside.

My eyelids drifted. That feels good. Like a magical massage.

His warm voice came to me on a cloud. “I’m going to connect with your divination affinity now, Tempest.”