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I clenched my fists behind my back so I didn’t reach out and touch his deliciously sculpted body. I couldn’t stop staring, drinking in the sight of him as my eyes trailed up and down.When I looked up at his face, his eyes were dark, watching me study him and the side of his mouth tilted up in a smirk.
“Just put your shirt on,” I grumbled, turning away and looking out at the city, trying my best to pretend I didn’t hear his chuckle behind me.
At my back, his warm breath tickled the wisps of hair beside my ear, and I turned to face him after hearing the material of his shirt slide over his body. His magnificent wings were on display, catching the light of the sun and giving me a full view. I leaned in to examine them closely, grazing my fingertips against the leathery texture. I hadn’t really had the chance to take the time to truly admire them until now. He stayed still, allowing me to look as I stepped around him, viewing them from behind.
They protruded from his back, which muscled around the ends of them. The spine of the wings came to a tip with a claw at the top then back down to the other end, filled with sections of scarred leather underneath them. I wondered again how he got those scars, but I felt that if he wanted to tell me, he would do so in his own time. I trailed my finger up one of the spines and he lowered his wing for me so that I could reach the claw at the top.
“They’re spectacular,” I breathed, my curiosity satisfied. I walked back in front of him with a smile. “Do they hurt when they come out?”
“The first few times, yes. And more so with clothing obstructing it. But you get used to it.”
“Are you sure they’re strong enough to hold the both of us?” I cocked a hip and raised one eyebrow at him, my smile pulling up at the corner.
His wings wrapped behind me, pulling me against his chest as he created a cocoon around us. A humorous grin splayed on his face when I gave a surprised yelp. “I’m sure.”
I bit my lip to keep from smiling.
“Are you ready?” he asked. “You’ll have to hold the packs since I’ll be holding you.”
I nodded, and he unfurled his wings so I could grab the packs.
The thought of Ryker cradling me against him for hours and soaring through the air had my heart racing with anticipation and anxiety. I collected the packs and came back to stand before him.
I just have to trust him.
Scooping me up in one smooth motion, he adjusted me so the packs weren’t digging into my chest. “Is this alright?”
“Yes,” I said, trying to keep the shaking from my voice. He held me firmly to his body as he stepped to the end of the ledge. I looked down, which I realized was a terrible idea. “Please don’t drop me.”
“I would never,” he said in a low voice, giving me a reassuring smile before he stepped off the edge and descended into nothingness.
My body tensed and squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for the sickening feeling of my stomach turning over as we dropped. But it never came. The swirling wind caught my hair, sending the long strands dancing along the contours of my face. I slowly peeled my eyes open, glimpsing Ilrek below as we glided through the sky. The city grew farther and farther away as we ascended into the low clouds. The view was breathtaking and I realized then that I loved being in the air. It felt so otherworldly yet a part of my very essence.
I relaxed into Ryker, taking in the vast expanse of land beneath us, the different shades of greens and browns creating a symphony of rich textures that sang to my soul. The sky bowed down to meet the earth, touching it in every direction I could see. The light blue of the horizon rising up into a deep azure overhead. I couldn’t stop myself from breaking out into a full-heartedlaugh, beaming with the thrill and excitement coursing through me—my fear evaporated.
Ryker tightened his grip on me and pressed his mouth to my ear, his warm breath contrasting the chill of the air around us.
“I will never tire of hearing that sound.” I could hear the smile in his voice even before looking up at him, seeing pride in the silver swirls of his eyes.
I had never felt so much joy in a single moment. Being in the air, being in his arms, felt as if the weight of everything had been lifted away and I could breathe for the first time. It was an intoxication that I never wanted to come down from.
“You know, your Spirit animal can fly,” he said, his lips tickled against my hair when he spoke.
“I do know, but he won’t let me ride him. And I’m too pissed off at him anyway for disappearing again.”
“That’s not what I was getting at. I mean, your shifting hasn’t manifested yet right?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“There’s a good chance you could have wings of your own. And you could take to the skies any time you wish.”
“He told me that. That or I’d get his hair and be warm all through winter.” I gave a toothy grin.
“Let’s hope not,” he chuckled. “Just keep your mouth closed so you don’t swallow any insects.”
I snapped my mouth closed and looked back out in front of us. I imagined myself flying, feeling the urge to do so as quickly as I could.
After my initial elation, I nestled into my mate and rested my head in the crook of his neck, soaking up his warmth through the chill of the wind, staring out at the world before us. A sound of contentment rumbled through Ryker’s chest and he rested his cheek against my hair. We had been close before in that alleybut this felt so much more intimate, more than just the bond. My stomach fluttered with excitement, with passion.
