“He’s not a monster, Gia. He’s a Vyastil.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she says and then waves him in. Cielo steps around me, but his tail is still twisted around my waist. I’m left no choice but to follow them inside, finding a frazzled Amara staring up at the blaring alarm.
“Yank it off. Put us out of our misery,” Gia says loudly.
Cielo nods and easily reaches up, pulling it away from the ceiling. The only problem is, he pulls down some of the drywall with it, leaving Gia and Amara gasping. Cielo’s eyes widen, his ears falling forward—an indication that he’s upset he did this. But it’s not his fault. He did exactly what they asked of him.
I reach over and take the still-blaring alarm from him and yank out the batteries, setting them on the counter and glancing up at the small hole above us.
After a moment, Gia says, “Well, shit. I knew he was tall, but I didn’t realize he was that strong. Bet he can lift you and throw you around, huh?”
She waggles her eyebrows, and I find my cheeks heating.
“Gia,” Amara says and then sighs. “Leave the poor guy alone. Plus, we don’t really want to know what they get up to in their free time. We share a wall after all, and they’re not that thick.”
Gia grumbles but relents and goes back to fanning the smoke out of the kitchen window.
Cielo seems to realize there’s not actually an emergency, so his tail slowly uncurls from around my waist, and he grabs another towel on the counter and begins to mimic Gia.
‘He’s so fucking cute,’ Amara signs.
I give her a pointed stare. “He also knows way more ASL now.”
“What? He literally just started learning.”
“Yep, and he’s almost fluent. It’s a whole Vyastil thing,” I tell her. I don’t get too close. I’m a thousand percent sure I smell like sex, and I don’t want any more invasive questions or comments tonight. “Anyway, why don’t you two come over after you get this mess cleaned up. I have leftovers.”
Amara gives me sad puppy eyes. “Really?”
I snort and pull her into a half-hug. “Yes, really. I like taking care of my favorite cousin.”
“I fucking resent that,” Gia snarls, then steps close to Cielo and drops her towel, threading her arm through his. “If you claim her, I’m claiming him.”
Cielo looks mildly alarmed. Probably because the Vyastil are incredibly possessive, and I don’t want him to think she’s trying to literally claim him.
“She’s not being serious,” I say as I pull back from Amara.
Gia sighs, then drags a touch down his arm where she stops at his hand. “You have claws, right?” He flexes his fingers, and they extend. “You should let me paint them.”
“Gia,” I warn.
She ignores me and holds them up to the light. “Seriously. We could go pink. Like your coat.”
Cielo’s eyes go wide. “Peeennnnnk?” Then he signs it.
“Yeah. It’ll be fun. Dante can cook without burning the house down, and I can give you a manicure.”
I want to tell her no, to leave Cielo alone, but he actually looks interested, so I sigh and hold my hand out for him. “Fine, whatever. Just keep a window open. Your nail garbage smells like…like garbage.”
“Clever,” she says, batting her eyelashes.
I flip her off as I take Cielo’s hand and tug him back through their front door and over to ours. When we’re inside, I let him go, but he snakes his tail around my calf and tugs me close.
“Hey,” I murmur when my chest meets his stomach.
He looks down at me as I glance up. His tongue darts out, wetting his lips, then he says very clearly, “Hey.”
I cup his cheek and drag my thumb over his lower lip. It pushes in slightly, catching on one fang. “You’re getting better at talking.”
