Page 35 of In Your Light

For the first time in longer than he wished to admit, he found himself wondering not if he liked Fyn more than he should, but rather what he should do about it.

Nothing, he told himself. Fyn deserves better.

Back at the hut, Fyn put all their collected goods on the veranda, and then, much to Hadeom’s unabashed horror, Fyn began taking off his pants.

“What are you doing?” Hadeom asked, alarmed.

Fyn laughed as he shoved his clothes into his rucksack. Completely naked, completely glorious. Gorgeous. His muscular body, tanned skin, a trail of brown hair from his navel down to his half-hard⁠—

Then Fyn shook and shimmered, and in the blink of an eye, he stood there in faun form.

His upper body was entirely human. He was broad-shouldered and athletic, strong. Lean, defined muscles ripple beneath his skin from years of climbing trees, running hillsides, and roaming these forests.

From the waist down, his body shifted seamlessly from man to goat. Strong human thighs tapered into sleek, russet-furred legs, articulated joints, brown hooves.

But his face...

Horns curved out from his curls, and his ears looked like velvet.

It was still Fyn. Still breathtakingly beautiful. Somehow even more so. He was strong, primal, natural.

His green eyes met Hadeom’s. “This is me.”

Hadeom couldn’t form the words. “You’re... you’re...”

“Faun?”

“Beautiful,” Hadeom said without meaning to. Without censor. Without shame.

Fyn grinned at him and fixed his rucksack over his shoulder. “I have to go. What is your homework?”

Hadeom’s brain scrambled to keep up, to focus. “Homework? Oh, right. Yes. Talk to the trees.”

Fyn laughed. “No, not quite. Listen to them, Hadeom. Listen. Can you do that?”

Hadeom would do anything if it meant Fyn would come back. “Yes. Of course.”

Chapter

Nine

FYN

If Pax ever found out that Fyn morphed into faun form in front of Hadeom, he would be pissed. Like, wear his brother’s pelt as a hat kind of pissed.

But Fyn couldn’t seem to care.

Hadeom had said he was beautiful. Hadeom, the enigma of darkness and shadow, had called him beautiful. He’d smiled for him too.

It was a good day.

He’d left his home in search of adventure and new experiences. He had fully intended to go straight to Tenebrae but thought it best to go see Hadeom first. He reasoned that, once in Tenebrae, he would want to immerse himself in village life and not disappear again for a few days at least. He would want to be present, and do his chores, and help out. He wanted to be a part of their little town. And maybe he would see some boats and the humans who drove them. Maybe he could go on a boat to visit another village and see more of the world.

He was excited for his new life.

So he’d taken the long way around and down the mountain and had found himself at Hadeom’s hut without really meaning to.

He was just kinda drawn to him.