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My hand went between his legs, too eager to touch him, feel him skin to skin. The growl that ripped out of my throat was nearly inhuman. The familiar spiced scent of magic rippled around us and the spell that hid his wings fell. They snapped out with a membranous rustle before he pulled away with a slight hiss of pain.
“What’s wrong?” Hellion was suddenly beside us, stiff and on alert.
Cian huffed out a laugh and rested his forehead against mine. “Can you hold that thought? As much as I’d like to progress this, my fucking ribs still hurt.”
“Stubborn idiot,” Hellion grumbled and crossed the room, tugging open drawers and boxes. “I’ll get the salve.”
Cian shifted back on the bed, yanking his shirt off. “Might as well get comfortable, Nevahn.”
I scanned the room, some of the earlier awkwardness returning. The room seemed smaller suddenly, more intimate, especially as Cian started peeling off more clothes. I had seen him naked plenty of times, but this felt different. Maybe it was because we’d barely seen each other since Midsummer. Maybe it was because of his confession. I hadn’t said I loved him in return. I’d never said that toanyone,and I was still trying to figure out exactly how I felt. I wanted him, but that wasn’t the same thing.
I had to admit I was nervous about letting him fuck me, too. He was considerably larger than any of my past lovers, and he could turn his skin to stone. What if he hurt me? He wouldn’t do it on purpose, but anything could happen in the moment. What if—
“Ow!” Cian sucked in a pained breath between his teeth and tipped his head back.
Hellion had slid in behind him and was roughly massaging one of his wings. “Quit squirming.”
“You’re being so rough,” he complained. “Those are sensitive!”
I smiled to myself. Hellion was a lot of things, but gentle wasn’t one of them. The way they were moving their hands over Cian’s wings and back said they had no idea how to give a proper massage.
I walked to the side of the bed and sat down beside Hellion at Cian’s back. “May I?”
Cian grunted as Hellion shifted away. “You can’t be any worse at it than them.”
Hellion passed me the little jar of salve and I dipped my fingers into it before starting to work it into his lower back with long, deep strokes.
Cian groaned and leaned forward so I could reach more of him. “Gods, Nevahn. I could kiss you. That’s almost better than sex.”
Hellion frowned. “That can’t be true.”
“Take off your tunic and turn around,” I said.
They did as I instructed. I spread a little more healing salve over my palms and started working their shoulders.
The moan they let out was practically orgasmic. “Goddex, he’s right. Youaregood. Where did you learn that?”
I chuckled and returned to rubbing Cian’s back. “I’ve worked in a forge for most of my life. Gives you strong hands and sore muscles. The latter of the two meant I was always working out kinks in Trian’s back when he overextended himself. I guess the rest is just natural talent.”
I moved my hands higher up Cian’s back and accidentally brushed a thumb against his wing.
His wing flinched as if he were about to hide them.
“Don’t,” I said suddenly enough even I was surprised I’d blurted it out. “Don’t hide them. They’re beautiful.”
A hint of color rose in his face, despite his wicked smirk. “For me, it’s akin to walking around naked when they’re out like this.”
“Odan and Nisang leave theirs out all the time.”
“It’s different for them,” Hellion said a little sadly.
“They aren’t half-breeds like me,” Cian explained. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand slightly. “It used to be, if ever a gargoyle bred with some other Nightmare, they would amputate them at birth. It was still considered the proper thing to do when I was born. Apparently, one warlord was brave enough to come to the castle and tell my mother so.”
“She wasn’t a warlord for very long after that.” Hellion stood and carefully shed their pants.
“Why would anyone want to cut off your wings?” I stared at them. A fine, velvety fur coated most of his wings, leaving on a small line of flesh near the bone exposed. They were black, but also glittered in the light as if they bore a faint coating of stardust. His wings looked like the night sky tipped in talons.
Cian shrugged, his wings rising and falling with the movement. “An insult. It might be hard for you to understand, having lived on the ground all your life. But to take the sky away… Most gargoyles would choose death over the loss. I was taught it was something I should be ashamed of, to never show my wings to anyone. Ever. It wasn’t safe.”
