My gaze darts up to him, and I reach out, laying my hand on his. “Of course you don’t. I can tell you love Rathyn. A lot.”
His cheeks go pink, and he looks down. “Yeah,” he answers with the smallest smile. “I really do. He’s kind of an obnoxious ass, but I don’t know. There’s so much more to him.” He looks up at me. “You get that, right? With Cielo? I mean, I know you don’t have the same thing with him that Rath and I do, but?—”
“No. I get it. Trust me.” I’ve been holding this in for so long, and I’m still scared to tell Cielo my feelings because what ifthey scare him off? But I want to get this off my chest. It’s such a heavy weight. “I like him a lot. But I don’t know if he’ll ever be willing to accept more from me. They really fucked with his head about what he deserves.”
Everest’s expression goes stormy. “I know they did. I want to fucking kill them.”
I squeeze his hand before letting go. “Maybe I’ll wear him down eventually. For now, what we have is…nice. I wish he’d take cum, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Everest tilts his head to the side. “You two fool around, right?”
I envision him writhing on the bed as I fucked his cock with the toy the other night. “Yes.”
“Does he get all…possessive?”
My whole body flushes, and my dick kicks in my jeans. “Yeah. He uh…” I decide not to share any of the details. “Let’s just say he makes it known that I’m what he wants. I’m actually kind of freaking out about it.”
Everest raises a brow. “What? Why?”
“Because I have to go to the clinic.”
“Oh shit. I almost forgot about that.”
“I don’t know how to talk about it with Cielo. I feel like he won’t try to stop me, but I also think it’s going to hurt him, knowing other Vyastil are sucking my cock when he can’t. Well…won’t.”
Everest swallows heavily. “Shit, dude. That sucks.”
I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about it, but the appointment is in the morning, and I’m not sure they’ll grant me a pass. “I don’t want to do it. It never bothered me before, but now, the very idea of letting another Vyastil touch me makes me feel…” It’s a strange sensation. It’s like a visceral revulsion that comes from deep inside the core of my soul.
It makes me want to watch as Cielo rip them all to shreds with his claws.
And that is very, very new.
“Uncomfortable?” Everest offers.
That’s putting it too mildly, but I nod anyway.
“I’d suggest a companion contract, but considering Cielo’s being punished, I don’t think they’d let him. I also don’t know if they let Vyastil in Cielo’s position have companions.” Everest stroked his chin. “I still want to ask Rath if he can get you out of it.”
I nod, but the truth is, I’m not sure there’s a way. All I can do when I tell Cielo is assure him that it’s nothing more than my duty and pay extra attention to him before and after. And maybe leave him more cum to soothe the sting.
“Thanks for listening to me,” I say after a long silence.
Everest nods. He looks as distressed as I feel, and maybe it’s because he’s one of the only other humans I know who understands. I’m not as close or as bonded to Cielo as Everest is to Rathyn, but I could see it going that way someday. Our connection does feel like it’s growing stronger, especially now that he’s been sleeping in my bed with me at night.
And, if I’m willing to admit it, I can feel something between Cielo and me that transcends human understanding. As much as I should probably run from it, all I want to do is run into his arms and let him—as the assholes would say—corrupt my humanity.
fourteen
DANTE
Ikind of dread coming home, not because I don’t want to see Cielo, but because I have to tell him about my appointment. Putting it off is making my nerves flare worse than they already are. I know my pain doesn’t come entirely from stress, but it sure as shit doesn’t make it better because I can already feel it starting to swell under my skin.
When I push the door open, Cielo is there, right in front of me, his tail wrapping around my waist, pulling me toward him and into a hug. But right before I’m pressed against him, I catch a glimpse of items on the kitchen counter and something on the stove.
Did he cook for me?
Oh god, he’s so fucking cute.
