Page 516 of Once Upon a Fable

Fang barked, racing from the dense forest at the bottom of the garden, living his life with absolute joy. Running around Kas’s naked legs he threw himself into the long grass, disrupting a couple of butterflies, snapping at them as they fluttered around his fluffy head. His coat had grown back in, erasing any trauma from around his neck, and he positively glittered in the sunshine with good health.

Kas grinned at his dog.

The dog grinned at Kas.

I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming—the scenewas just too perfect.

“Admit it.” Kas winked. “You’re aroused.”

I laughed. “Is it that obvious?”

I’m aroused by everything.

This house.

This life.

You.

“You’re flushed and your eyes haven’t risen above my waist.” He shifted his hips left and right, sending his cock swinging indecently. “You don’t have to just stare, you know. You can touch it.”

Oh, God.

My core clenched as my inhibitions faded, one shameless piece at a time.

I moved one step toward him.

His eyes flashed ebony. “That’s it. I won’t bite.” He bared his teeth. “Not as hard as Fang, anyway.”

My eyes traveled up from his cock, locking onto the healed puncture wounds on his arms. After Kas had chosen to sleep beside me, I’d been torn. A part of me was so glad he wanted to be close to me as much as I wanted to be close to him, but the other part of me was still wary.

I’d been strangled one too many times by him and I never wanted a repeat, but I also didn’t want him to be a pincushion for Fang’s teeth.

Turned out...my opinion hadn’t mattered.

Jareth wasn’t there to stop Kas from killing me, so Fang now had the honor. For the past six months, Kas hadn’t left my bed and he had the bite marks to prove it. His nightmares didn’t happen as often—most of them he just thrashed and mumbled, settling back into rest if I kept my distance and didn’t try to wake him. But those nights when his mind was working through a particularly bad memory...he’d sleep walk. Or at least, sleep attack.

I’d woken a few nights after that initial assurance that Fang would protect me with Kas snarling something sadistic in the dark. His eyes blank with horror. His body trembling with historical agony. I’d shot upright in bed and tried to run, but I’d been too slow.

His hands had reached for me. His fingers cruel and condemning, promising to bring me pain—to share the terror he was currently drowning in.

But that was as far as he got.

Fang immediately latched onto his forearm, his sharp white teeth vanishing into Kas’s arm without a second hesitation. He snarled and thrashed, attacking the very same man who’d saved him.

Kas’s eyes had flown wide, he’d yanked away from the dog, and comprehension shoved away his nightmare. Instead of shouting at Fang for making him bleed, he’d grabbed the dog in the biggest bear hug and laughed like a crazy person.

Tears had danced in his eyes as he kissed Fang on his snout, his head, his scruff. When he’d looked at me, the sheer relief and heart-clenching gratefulness on his face had undone me.

I’d burst into tears, crawling into his arms, sharing a three-way hug with my canine protector and the man who loved me but had just tried to hurt me.

We were a strange trio...but we worked.

Fang would continue to defend me in the night, but by day, he was the sweetest, kindest dog imaginable. He’d starred many times on my video channel but had permanent airtime on Kas’s.

We both couldn’t imagine our life without him.

“Come another few steps, Gem. You’re not nearly close enough.”