“I cannot. My sentence was?—”
“Fuck your sentence,” he says in English. The words take me aback. He switches back to Eretharian. “You didn’t deserve any of that, Cielo. You were following orders. You were doing your duty. No one is monitoring you, okay? If a human—ifyourhuman—is offering you himself, take it.”
I say nothing. My ears flick and sag, and I can’t meet his gaze. He’s asking me to go against orders again, and what happened last time—the pain inflicted on my body—I’m not sure I’m strong enough to take it.
I doubt I’ll survive it.
He sighs quietly, then steps closer to me and takes my hand. It’s such a profoundly human gesture, but it’s also more comforting than I was expecting. With a small tug, he has me in his arms, in a hug almost as good as the ones Everest gives.
I lay my cheek on his shoulder and take his advice, allowing myself to accept what’s being freely given. My arms come around him, and he hums happily when I hug him back.
“You don’t have to say yes now. Just promise me you’ll think about it,” he murmurs.
I pull back. That is a promise I can make. I nod, then drop my hands to my sides. “I should return to him, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes. I think you should. And since it’s a long walk, let me give you a ride. I have mastered driving a car, and you deserve a rest.”
It’s an offer I do not turn down.
eight
DANTE
Iwait for far too long for Cielo to get home, pacing the living room before trying to distract myself by cleaning out the small second room I have. Like I said to him earlier, I want to clear it out so that Cielo has a place to sleep. Though, the more I think about it, I might just want to slow my roll a little.
Maybe instead of the couch, he could sleep in my bed until things get back to normal. Granted, it’s an entirely selfish thing, but I know he takes comfort in being with me. If I didn’t go too far—if I didn’t cross any lines by kissing and touching him—I will ask.
And for now, I will clear out this room so even if he doesn’t sleep here, he at least has a space he can call his own.
I’m knee-deep in fabric, impulse buys, and unused sex toys when I hear the front door open and close again.
I know it’s not Luca since he’s away, and I suddenly know it’s not Gia or Amara because there are claws clacking on the floor. Cielo. My Cielo. My breath catches in my chest as I wait for him to make an appearance. I don’t want to spook him or make him run away again, so I’m going to pretend I haven’t been bothered by his absence.
He takes his time, but he does eventually step into the doorway and glances at me. His ears are drawn down, as is his gaze.
“Hello,” I say, and his eyes meet mine.
“Hello,” he replies on a breath.
“Where did you go? I was worried.”
He lifts his hands near his shoulders and replies, ‘The gym.’
“Oh. Did you work out?”
He nods and then sighs loudly. ‘I saw Q. We chatted about kissing.’
My eyes widen, and I try to keep the frantic way my heart beats in my chest from being totally obvious. I wet my lips, and he glances down at my mouth. I see the flare of his nostrils, the way his skin seems to darken.
‘What did he say?’ I sign.
‘That we should do it again.’
That makes my cheeks heat and my cock perk up between my legs as I laugh in surprise. I like Quilliyn, but I didn’t figure he’d become my wingman. Well, wing-monster. ‘Yeah?’
‘Yes,’ he signs, nodding his fist.
‘Okay, well, I’d like that. A lot.’
