Bought by the Revenant, page 7
“Come here.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on to him. Before he can overthink this, before he can tell me that he doesn’t know, he’s not sure, I lift my hips and roll them, rubbing my wet folds against the tip of his cock.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Take me. I’m yours.”
“I…”
And I feel him hesitate. He’s getting into his head again. I reach between us and grab the base of his shaft with a firm hand. He pulsates with need. A bead of precum drips onto my stomach, and I quiver, wanting him like I’ve never wanted anyone before. I want our fluids to mix, I want us to become one.
“Riven, I know,” I say. “I’m your first.”
He casts his eyes to the side.
“I think that’s precious,” I say. “Do you like me?”
That makes his gaze snap back to my face.
“Amity, what do you mean… Do I like you?”
“It’s a simple question.”
I tease myself with his cock, guiding it to my entrance, pushing it in only slightly. There’s a fire in my belly that burns bright, consuming me. It all feels so sinful, yet it’s right. I know it is. This man bought me, I am his, and this is exactly what’s supposed to happen – our union. It doesn’t matter that he’s a revenant and I’m human. It doesn’t matter he’s basically immortal, and I…
“I don’t like you, Amity. I love you.”
That takes my breath away.
“You barely know me,” I whisper.
“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. I’ve been waiting for you, dreaming about you, yearning for you all my life. I’m glad I…” He pauses, and it feels like we’re frozen in time. I don’t know how long it lasts. A few seconds, a minute, maybe more? He lets out a breath. “I’m glad I didn’t do anything stupid. I’m glad I didn’t lose hope. Now you’re here, and I just can’t believe…” He sobs. “I can’t believe…”
“Shh…” I pull him against me and inside me. “Shh…”
He buries his face in my neck as he pushes his cock into my body, stretching my pussy to its limit. He’s big, long, thick… He’s exactly what I need. He thrusts gently until he’s perfectly sheathed, and we stay like that for a moment. We savor it until it becomes too much, and we both need release.
What comes next is fast, hard, unhinged…
He’s feral, he’s…
I close my eyes and lose myself in him.
Chapter Ten
Riven
Soft everywhere. So delicate that I could easily break her. At the back of my mind, a thought repeats like a mantra: “Must be careful.” My body barely obeys.
I’m inside her, so deep that I can feel the firm shape of her cervix. Every time I thrust, she arches her back, lets out a moan, and it’s like her pussy opens for me even more, sucking me in. She is like a flower in my hands, so fragrant and beautiful, except for her sharp fingernails when she digs them into the flesh of my arms, my shoulders, my back as she clings to me. I love the pain she inflicts on me. I love how through it, she shows me how much pleasure I give her.
What’s happening is surreal.
The pressure builds, the fire in me burns so bright that I feel like I’m about to explode. I want all of her. It’s like no matter how hard I fuck her, it’s not enough. I grab onto her, moving my hands up and down her body, squeezing, kneading, holding onto her round, heavy breasts for a second before I move to her hips, my fingers digging into her soft curves until they leave red marks. I grab her thighs and push her knees to her chest, angling her in such a way that I can thrust into her faster, harder, better.
I don’t know what I’m doing. My instincts take over, and I must be doing something right, because she’s practically screaming, not clawing at me anymore, but at the sheets. The bed is a mess, her hair is a mess, her face is contorted, and her body shakes under mine.
“Yes… Yes, Riven… So close… Close…”
I can barely hear her, barely understand her. I’m lost in all the things I’m feeling. In my body and in my soul.
To possess someone so fully… I can’t believe Amity let me. A woman – a gorgeous, amazing woman – is letting me touch her, kiss her, grope her, fuck her. I’ll never recover from this. I’ll want to ravish her every minute of every day. I can’t believe I’ve waited so many years to feel… this. To feel alive.
She slips up the bed, and I grab her from behind the knees and flip her onto her stomach. Again, I’ve no idea what I’m doing. Something primal has taken over, and even if I wanted to stop, I couldn’t. Maybe it’s the parts I’m made of that remember how it is to be with a woman. Maybe it’s this cock that I got from a pirate who got the death sentence. At least that was what Franklin told me when I asked who I was made of. He made me a list of where he got each body part, and I kept it. It’s tucked in an old journal in my workshop.
So, yes. Maybe it’s the pirate’s cock. But that’s stupid. Oh gods, it sounds so dumb. It’s me. It’s all me. I’m doing this to Amity.
She lifts her hips, and I penetrate her again, deeper than before. She cries out and pulls the sheets to her, burying her face in them to muffle the sounds she’s making. At this point, I’m not even sure whether I’m still making her feel good or she’s in pain, but she doesn’t ask me to stop, so I slam into her again and again.
When she said she was close… I think I know what she meant. I feel like I want to pour myself inside her, all of me. I know how human bodies work, but it’s more than filling her with my cum. I want to fill her with my very being.
She arches her back, pushing her hips into me, and lets out a loud, moaning scream. Her body shudders, and her pussy throbs and squeezes me hard. I know she is coming. It’s like the orgasm transforms her, and she doesn’t sound human anymore, she sounds like a beast in heat. When I think it’s over, she comes again, and that’s when I fall over the edge, too.
My cum shoots out of me with force I didn’t think possible. I push the head of my cock against her cervix and keep it there, closing my eyes and envisioning my seed pouring right into her womb. It’s so intense that my heart aches. For once, I’m not soiling a napkin with my essence and feeling numb after an unsatisfying but necessary release. My release inside Amity gives me energy, it doesn’t take it away. For the first time, I think I can say I feel like a man. Not pathetic anymore. A man with a woman who wants him.
Amity collapses onto the bed, and I fall with her, not wanting to pull out yet. She turns on her side, and I hug her from behind, hiding my face in her long, sweaty hair. We’re both covered in sweat that’s starting to cool off. I know we can’t stay like this forever. She’ll want to cover herself with something or take a bath, but until she starts complaining, I will cherish every second of this incredible aftermath. No matter what happens next, no matter where our destiny takes us, our first time will be my most sacred memory.
“That was…” she starts but trails off.
“Did I hurt you? I think I lost my mind for a second there.”
She laughs. “No, you didn’t hurt me. It was perfect.”
“Are you sure?”
She turns to look at me over her shoulder. “Riven, stop it. You have no reason to feel insecure. That was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
My jaw clenches slightly at the admission that, unlike me, she’s had other partners. I chase the thought away, focusing on how her pussy still grips my cock tightly. It doesn’t matter how many men she’s been with before me. She’s here now, and she’s my bride.
That reminds me…
“We should make it official.”
“Hm?”
“Our union. I mean, our marriage. We should have a sort of ritual or ceremony. I know humans have… weddings?”
She shrugs. “Sometimes. Wealthy people have weddings. I come from a poor village, and there, people usually make a bonfire, invite everyone who wants to come to a modest meal, and there’s some dancing and a lot of drinking. Way too much drinking.”
“We can do that, if you like.”
She turns to me fully, and my cock slips out of her. She snuggles against my chest, and I can feel her heart beating against mine.
“And who would we invite?” she asks quietly. “I have no family, no friends… Don’t get me wrong, it would be nice to have a ceremony, but it would just remind me I’m completely alone in the world.”
That hurts as hard as I’d expect it. We’re the same, she and I, except she’s beautiful, and I’m a monster. Except she once had a family, while I had none, and I realize it must be more painful to her than it is to me. At least I never knew love, care, and friendship. She knew all that, and for some reason that she’s yet to tell me, she lost all of it. Otherwise, why would she have entered the bride market? I remember the men who were chasing her. I wonder when it will be okay to ask her about her past.
“You have me,” I say, pulling her closer, hugging her tighter. “We don’t need anyone else.”
She giggles. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I don’t want to be a kill joy.”
“You’re not.” I kiss her forehead. “So, it’s settled. We’ll have a bonfire in the backyard, by the lake. I’ll prepare my vows… Is that okay?”
“Vows? Yes, I’d love that.”
“All right. No pressure. You don’t have to say anything, Amity.”
She looks up at me and smiles.
“I want to.”
I nod, she clings to me, and that’s everything. To have this woman trust me with her body and her future… How much better can it get?
“I’ll buy you a dress,” I say. “Tomorrow, we can go to Aura Glade. I know a seamstress there. She makes all my clothes, and she’s really good. She’ll take your measurements, you can choose the fabrics, and she’ll make you the most beautiful dress.”
“I won’t say no to that.” She laughs. “I’m more of a trousers girl, but I’ll make an exception for my own wedding.”
It takes me a second to realize it’s a joke, and I laugh. Before Amity, there wasn’t a lot of laughter in this house. Things are changing. I am changing.
And I know it’s for the best.
Chapter Eleven
Amity
The seamstress’s tape measure slides along my waist. I stand in the center of the workshop on a small wooden platform, surrounded by bolts of fabric in every imaginable color.
“Hold still just a moment longer,” Talia says. She writes my measurements in a small leather-bound notebook. “Mina will handle the embroidery for your dress. She’s the finest needleworker in all of Luminea.”
A revenant woman with copper-colored hair looks up from her workstation and smiles. I can barely see the stitching along her jawline.
“It would be my honor,” she says.
“Oona will ensure the perfect fit,” Talia continues, gesturing toward a tall, thin revenant with dark hair who’s arranging fabric samples. “And Hal creates all our patterns.”
The only male revenant in the room nods politely from his spot near a large table covered in paper templates. He holds a pencil, and I notice a thin line that runs from his temple down to his collar, the only visible sign of his stitching.
“How long have you all worked together?” I ask, trying not to move while Talia measures across my shoulders.
“Oh, let’s see...” Talia purses her lips. “Hal joined us about forty years ago, but Mina and Oona have been with me nearly seventy years now.”
I stare at her. Seventy years? Talia looks thirty at most, and her assistants appear the same age. I look over at Riven, who stands across the room examining a bolt of midnight blue velvet, keeping his distance from the others. The truth about marrying him hits me hard. Riven will never age. He will stay exactly the same forever, while I grow old. My skin will wrinkle, my hair will turn gray, and eventually I will die. And Riven will continue living, unchanged, maybe for centuries after I’m gone.
“Arms out, please,” Talia instructs.
I extend my arms while my mind races with these thoughts. What will Riven think when I’m an old woman and he still looks the same? Will he still want me? Will he regret marrying a human who ages and dies?
“What fabrics were you considering for your wedding dress?” Talia asks.
I push away my worries and focus on her question. I can think about our different lifespans later.
“White, of course, but I’d like to incorporate some blue as well. It’s my favorite color.”
Riven looks up, his white eyes growing brighter.
“Like your nails,” he says softly.
I look at my blue-painted fingernails and smile.
“Yes.”
Talia nods approvingly.
“I have the perfect fabrics.” She gestures to Oona, who brings over several samples – a shining white silk, and a rich blue satin that catches the light. “These would complement each other wonderfully.”
“They’re perfect.”
“We’ll have the dress ready in three days. Master Riven’s bride deserves special attention.”
Riven shifts his weight, clearly uncomfortable with the formal title.
“Thank you, Talia.”
“It’s been many years since you commissioned anything besides your usual attire,” she observes. Her eyes move quickly to his face before she looks away again.
“Yes, well,” Riven says awkwardly, “circumstances have changed.”
After Talia finishes taking my measurements, I step down from the platform and walk to Riven’s side.
“Could we explore the village a bit?” I ask him. “I’d like to see Aura Glade while we’re here.”
“Are you sure? We could return home if you prefer.”
“I’m sure,” I insist. “Please? I’ve never seen a revenant village before.”
He gives a small nod and offers me his hand.
“As you wish.”
We say goodbye to Talia and her assistants, then walk out into the sunlit street. The reaction people have to Riven is immediate and overwhelming. Conversations stop mid-sentence, passersby bow slightly or nod respectfully before hurrying away. Some villagers actually cross to the other side of the street to avoid us. No one, revenant or human, looks directly at Riven. He pretends not to notice, but his hand squeezes mine tighter.
As we walk, I watch the revenants we pass. Their stitches are almost invisible, just subtle lines at their necks or wrists, or a faint seam along a jawline. The work is so skillful that from a distance, they look completely human.
“You did this?” I ask quietly. “This is thanks to you, the fact that you can barely see their stitches?”
“Yes,” Riven answers.
“Then why do they avoid you?”
He shrugs, keeping his white eyes focused straight ahead.
“Perhaps my monstrosity makes them uncomfortable. Or perhaps it feels unfair to them that they’re beautiful while I remain as I am. Unfairness makes people feel bad, even when they benefit from it.”
We reach a busy market square where humans and revenants sell their goods. The variety is fascinating and so different from human markets. One stall has bottles and jars labeled for “stitch maintenance” and “seam healing”. Another offers creams that promise to blend different skin tones. A bookseller displays volumes about soul transference and body upkeep. Near them, a revenant sells beautiful scarves and clothing designed to hide stitching.
I’m about to ask Riven about one particularly interesting display when I hear shouting across the square. A young woman has fallen behind a stall selling bread and pastries, and she’s holding her pregnant belly.
“Katherine!” someone cries out.
Riven and I hurry toward the gathering crowd without thinking. The woman lies on the ground, her face twisted in pain. Her belly is huge beneath her simple dress, which is now wet around her thighs.
“My water,” she gasps when she sees the crowd gathering. “It broke. But it’s too early… the baby shouldn’t come for another few weeks.”
A revenant woman kneels beside her. “The midwife is away. She’s visiting villages beyond Ethelburg and won’t return for at least a week.”
“Her apprentice is here,” someone calls out. “But she’s never handled a premature birth alone.”
“Ethelburg has proper medical facilities,” another suggests. “But it’s a day’s journey, even by the fastest carriage.”
I look at the frightened young woman, and I know what I need to do.
“I’m a midwife,” I say, stepping forward. “I can help her.”
The faces turned toward me show both relief and uncertainty. Katherine’s eyes find mine, filled with desperate hope.
“Where do you live?” I ask her.
“Just three streets from here,” she manages between difficult breaths. “The blue house with the stone fence.”
Riven steps forward without speaking and carefully picks Katherine up in his arms. She looks small against his chest, but she doesn’t complain. Her need is greater than any fear of how he looks. The crowd moves aside as Riven carries her through the streets. I follow right behind him. We reach a modest blue house with a small garden at the back. Riven pushes the door open with his foot, and we enter a neat home that shows both humans and revenants live here. There are herbal medicines on one shelf in the living room, and soul transference texts on another. Riven finds a bedroom and lays Katherine gently on the bed.
She grabs my hand. “My husband… He’s in Ethelburg on business. He should be back tomorrow.”
It’s as clear as day that she’s human and he is a revenant. I wonder briefly about human-revenant reproduction, but there’s no time for questions now. The front door opens with a bang, and I hear quick footsteps coming toward us. A young woman rushes in, breathing hard from running.
“I’m Fenna,” she says. “The midwife’s apprentice. Someone came to fetch me at the apothecary.”
“I’m Amity,” I reply, already checking Katherine’s condition. “I need clean linens, boiled water, and any birthing herbs you have on hand.”
