Page 49 of Caged
And yes, I do love him. It’s not even been a nova-week and I love this huge, terrifying, broken creature. I want to tell him, so very much, but every time I do, the words stick in my throat, as if I’m expecting something terrible to happen.
Because so many terrible things have happened. I don’t think my psyche is ready for the good things.
“Yes, myeregri,” he murmurs. “The nest is ready for your inspection.”
I withdraw my hands. He blinks once, twice, and then his gaze becomes absolutely, completely, wickedly clear.
“Is inspection optional?” I query, but his lips are already on mine.
“No,” he growls over my mouth, his kiss dominating me as his huge bulk does. “Because little feathers who tease big beasts will have to make good on their promises.”
Yep, I teased the beast, and I will pay for it, now or later. Sylas will extract my pleasure, feeding on it like he’s been starved.
Because no one has ever touched my sweet goliath, not unless it was to hack at his flesh or attempt to end his life. He is as starved of affection as I was, only mine wasn’t enforced, it was something which chose me and I could have changed, if I’d been strong enough.
Now I am strong enough because of him. My gladiator.
“I always make good on my promises, Sylas.” I half groan as his hand disappears under my clothing and his claws prick at my skin.
“Good little mate,” he says, tipping me into his arms. “Close your eyes.”
I close them obediently and hear his feathers swish as he marches through the dwelling.
“You can open them now,” he rumbles, and I do so.
The room is the one with the balcony, and the windows are all raised to allow in the sweet fragrance of the forest and a soft wind. The entire place is hung with twinkling items which spin and sway. Mostly they seem to be small mirrors, but other items have a distinctly familiar look, like cutlery.
Sylas has taken anything and everything he could in order to make this nest for me.
“Boran helped me find some of the fabrics.” Sylas sets me on my feet and rubs at the back of his neck. “But the rest I found myself.”
Like it matters he had help.
I walk around, touching the items he’s brought and arranged so very carefully, like I did back on Haxrix’s transport. Sylas watches me with tortured eyes.
“I think…” I stand in the middle of the room.
He has outdone himself. The bed is filled with soft, fluffy cushions, surrounded by a wall of floating muslins, and has a deep cup which could probably take three Gryn and a human with ease.
Sylas leans forward as I put my forefinger to my lips and go silent, turning slowly in a circle until I’m back facing him again.
“I think…” I repeat, adoring how he’s hanging on my next words, as if they really matter.
“I think…I like it?”
“You do?” He bounces on the spot like a puppy.
“Sylas.” I sway towards him, swinging my hips and dining on the look he gives me, all lust and desire, mixed with something else entirely. “I love it. No one ever made me a nest and I’d love anything you do for me.”
“I want it to be the best in the entire galaxy because you deserve nothing less, little feather, sweeteregri. You are mine.”
ALEX
The nights draw in quickly in Chohan. It rains for a while, then after it is clear. Insects make noises I’ve never heard before, and there are both sweet and sour scents in the air. We’ve been here a nova-week, and I still can’t get the fucking rehydrator to work properly.
I slam my hand into the side of it in the time-honored human fashion.
“Eregri?” Sylas dangles from the atrium ceiling. He’s discovered one of the windows up there slides aside and he can get out on the roof in order to have a better view when he’s on guard duty.