Chapter 34
Hello, I wasn't expecting this.
I ran a comb through my wet hair, which was already slick with oil.
Monqilcolnen had insisted on me keeping some of my things in his quarters since our first encounter, doubling down once I’d agreed to sleep over some of the time.
A part of me wanted to smirk. He’d wanted me since the beginning, and I was prideful of it.
While his attraction to me seemed impossible, I did revel in it, and I refused to let it slip away.
I would keep his gaze on me because I’d never experienced anything like it before, and I never wanted to have another look at me.
After I brushed every snarl out of my hair, I grabbed the oil for my scales.
I was very conscientious of my hygiene routine.
Also, I was taking full advantage of the water shower.
The communal showers attached to the berths were vibrations, not water, so while it disinfected me and knocked the dirt off, it was nothing like a water shower.
I slipped on my sleep pants and headed into the bedroom.
Monqilcolnen wasn’t there, and I frowned.
He was probably feeding Cincin again. Whenever she went to her bowl, he would put more food out for her.
She was getting rather rotund. I was concerned she was too large.
She was struggling to get on her tree, and her stomach was rather jiggly.
I found it adorable, but I did wish her to be healthy.
And it was our—Monqilcolnen’s responsibility to ensure she was healthy.
A cough sounded, and I frowned, looking around—no one else was there. My gaze caught on the screen across from the bed, and I froze. Jemtonkilsol was on the screen, staring at me. Monqilcolnen’s father was seeing me shirtless in his bedroom, which hit far harder after the last time we’d spoken.
I opened my mouth, but only a squeak came out.
I had no words. None. What could even be said?
No question about what we’d been doing remained.
Jemtonkilsol had to know Monqilcolnen and I were together in some capacity, even if he wasn’t aware of us courting.
And we were. We were possibly becoming what he’d wished us to be.
Prince Jemtonkilsol smiled. “Wyn. Good evening. I see you have made yourself comfortable in Monqilcolnen’s quarters.”
My tail coiled around my ankle, and my voice remained locked away. All I could do was cower and not meet his eyes, even though I’d done no wrong.
“Oh, Wyn, there’s no need, I assure you. I merely tease. I’m happy,” he said, “and I hope you are as well.”
“I am,” I replied, my voice barely audible.
“Then look like it instead of being close to joining the stars,” Jemtonkilsol remarked with a laugh. “It’s not even close to your time.”
I couldn’t even manage a smile. The ball of stress was too tight inside of me.
I was afraid, if I was honest. I was terrified that somehow or for some reason Monqilcolnen’s father would reject me, even though he’d made it perfectly clear he wouldn’t.
And yet… the fear remained. Losing Monqilcolnen wasn’t a possibility.
“Monqilcolnen opened the session before he darted off to appease his house goddess,” he said.
A frown immediately turned my lips down, and I looked toward the open door. “He needs to stop feeding her whenever she wants. I’m going to have to talk with him about it. Cincin is perfectly fine without being fed all the time.”
Another laugh sounded, and I glanced back at the screen, seeing someone new.
They were close in height to Jemtonkilsol, at least on the screen, and they had rough features that were arranged in a neutral expression.
Their scales were a lovely bright green with peeks of red and black mottled skin around them.
Their golden hair was in a loose braid over their shoulder.
My gaze locked on their eyes. There was no mistaking that look for anyone else.
It was identical to one Monqilcolnen favored when he was amused. This had to be Monqilcolnen’s xapher.
“I’m Dilvonsil,” they said.
“I’m Wyn,” I offered, my voice still low.
“I’m aware.” They chuckled. “My mate has mentioned you, and Monqilcolnen never stops talking about you. Not ever. It’s always ‘Wyn this’ or ‘Wyn that.’ He never shuts up.”
“Xapher!” Monqilcolnen was suddenly in front of me, his wings out, shielding me from his parents’ gazes. “Enough.”
I peeked around Monqilcolnen to see his xapher raise an eyebrow, looking nearly identical to Monqilcolnen.
I now knew where he’d learned the expression.
They said, “That’s not the way to speak to me, and what I said was true.
You do constantly speak of him to the point of nausea.
If you hadn’t acted, I was prepared to speak to him myself and arrange a mating between the two of you. It was getting rather ridiculous.”
I laughed, but Monqilcolnen didn’t relax.
In fact, his muscles tightened, and his tail thrashed, smacking my calves.
I shifted closer to him, then pushed my hand under his shirt so I could touch his bare scales.
The instant I touched him, Monqilcolnen leaned back into my touch and his tail coiled around my ankle, meeting my own tail.
He looked over his shoulder and said, “My apologies, Wyn. I didn’t know you would be out of the shower so quickly.”
I hadn’t thought it’d been quick.
“Monqilcolnen,” his father said. “Everything is fine.”
Monqilcolnen whipped toward the screen and snarled, his wings spreading even further, which I wouldn’t have thought was possible. I blinked, not understanding his anger.
Dilvonsil said, “Enough of that. You’re being rude.”
Monqilcolnen just growled again.
I dug my fingers into his back, my claws pricking him, not enough to draw blood, but enough to hurt. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s really no need,” Jemtonkilsol said. “We are no threat to what’s yours. I promise you.”
My soul thrummed at the assertion.
“You upset him,” Monqilcolnen snapped.
“Monqilcolnen,” I whispered before anyone else could say anything, “I’m fine. I was startled. You might not have noticed my state of undress, but I certainly did.”
He finally turned around and noticed my shirtless state, wings exposed. I might not be ashamed of my wing, but I didn’t really like announcing it without warning, or being able to prepare for the inevitable idiotic looks or questions—neither of which had happened with his parents.
Monqilcolnen pulled me close, then looked over his shoulder and said, “We’ll be right back.”
We headed to the closet off his bedroom, and Monqilcolnen slammed the door shut before yanking me into his arms. He buried his face in the crook of my neck before taking several deep breaths.
I thought he’d let me go, but instead he pulled me even closer and surrounded me with his wings, encasing me in his heat.
I melted into him. It took everything within my power to not start scent marking him.
He pressed gentle kisses on my neck, his lips brushing my scent gland and stealing moans from me. Monqilcolnen whispered, “Please, don’t be upset at me.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Don’t leave. Please don’t leave me, Peace.”
It seemed impossible that someone like him was so afraid of someone like me rejecting him. I gently tugged on his damp hair so he looked at me, then I cupped his cheeks. “I’m not mad.”
He cocked his head. “You were upset.”
“I was upset because I was shirtless and wasn’t expecting to see your parents, but I’m not angry at you, Monqilcolnen.” I kissed him softly. “Not at all.”
A small smile graced his lips, and a much bigger one split my face.
“Now,” I said, “go back out there and I’ll put something on.”
“No,” Monqilcolnen replied. He gripped the nape of my neck and drew me closer. “I’m not going out there without you. You belong with me.”
I ducked my head, pushing it into his chest. After a few moments, I pulled away and reached for one of the spare shirts I kept here, but Monqilcolnen growled.
He snagged one of his own shirts and dragged it over my head.
I inhaled his addictive scent, more than happy to be covered in it.
He gently helped guide my wings out of the slits, because the shirt was the wrong size, I did actually need assistance, and something almost comfortable swelled at him helping me.
“Trying to hide the fact I keep clothes here?” I teased.
Monqilcolnen fisted the front of my—his shirt and tugged me closer with a low snarl. “I want them to see you in my clothes, so they can see you belong right here.”
“Good.” I lifted my chin for a kiss, and he didn’t deny me.
With our tails coiled, we stepped back into the bedroom.
My wings were out, which was almost a test, but I didn’t see much point in hiding them now.
Neither of his parents commented or stared at my malformed wing.
Both just smiled at the two of us, even if Monqilcolnen did have me partly standing behind him.
“Father, Xapher, what did you need to speak to me about?” Monqilcolnen said in an even voice, but his wriggling tail gave him away.
Dilvonsil laughed, leaning against Jemtonkilsol’s side. He hooked an arm around his mate, pulling them close. Shaking their head, they said, “So formal. We merely wanted to see our son and the person he will literally not shut up about.”
“Xapher,” Monqilcolnen snapped.
I chuckled, making Dilvonsil smirk. They were obviously embarrassing Monqilcolnen, which I adored.
I was getting a glimpse of what he’d been like when he was younger.
Some part of me begrudged the time when I didn't know Monqilcolnen. I knew he was a good deal older than me, but that didn’t matter.
I wanted to see and know all the different sides of Monqilcolnen.
I craved it. All of it belonged to me, as possessive as that was.
“Stop,” he hissed, and I burst into peals of giggles. Monqilcolnen frowned at me, but there was no malice in it. In the golden depths of his eyes, I could see the warmth of the affection he felt for me.
“I find it humorous,” I said, shaking. “Please continue, Royal Consort Dilvonsil.”
They laughed. “I like you. I knew I would.”
“Did you?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes.” Dilvonsil ran their golden gaze, identical to their son’s, over me. The same old urge to run surfaced, and I shifted, ducking my head. They said, “Don’t hide. It’s a good thing. I quite adore you, and I have many horrid stories of Monqilcolnen if you want to hear them.”
“Xapher!” Monqilcolnen instantly protested.
“I would like that,” I replied, ignoring him.
“Good. I will ping when he’s not around to bother us.”
“Father,” Monqilcolnen whined.
Jemtonkilsol simply shook his head. “What do you want me to do about it? You introduced us to him. Your xapher is well within their rights to ping Wyn as they like, and what they discuss is between them.”
“He has a point,” Dilvonsil commented. They smiled at their son, who was glaring at them. “You will just have to accept it.” They pointed at me. “And you, I want no titles. I hate them. Call me by my name, same as my mate.”
My mouth fell open, and all I could do was open and close it for several long moments. “I couldn’t possibly.”
They snorted. “You can. I insist on it.”
I had no response, and thankfully, Dilvonsil required none. Jemtonkilsol said, “I’m glad you took this assignment, Monqilcolnen.”
“I had no choice. This is my ship.”
Jemtonkilsol smiled, but it seemed almost sad to my eyes as he ran his gaze over his son. “Yes, but I am still glad. For many reasons.”
Monqilcolnen just crossed his arms, still glaring at his xapher. I fought a grin at his petulant expression.
“We will ping again later,” Jemtonkilsol said. “We very much wish to get to know Wyn.”
“I want to get to know you too,” I said.
It was hard not to grow more comfortable with them as this conversation progressed.
Both seemed perfectly happy I was the one standing beside Monqilcolnen, and I was so pleased.
I had worried about their reactions, but there weren’t any issues, or at least, ones they were willing to share in front of me.
Monqilcolnen slid an arm around my waist to tuck me under his wing, and when I leaned against him, he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Then I will not stand in your way.”
I grinned up at him. “Good, because I wouldn’t let you anyway.”
He gave a small huff of a laugh, and when I looked at his parents, I caught their wide-eyed stares.
Apparently, even in private, Monqilcolnen wasn’t prone to laughter, which sent a shard of ice to my heart.
He should be allowed to be happy at all times, if that’s what he wanted.
My eyes flicked up at him. No matter. I would make him happy now. For as long as he allowed me to.
“Is that all?” Monqilcolnen asked.
Jemtonkilsol laughed. “Yes, son. We’ll speak another time.”
The session ended, and I looked up at Monqilcolnen, resting my chin on him. “That was rude.”
“Not so.”
“Yes, so,” I replied with a light chuckle.
Monqilcolnen ran his fingers through my hair, staring at me, before he palmed the back of my head. “I want you to myself. I don’t wish to share.”
I swallowed. “You don’t need to. Not with anyone.”
He nipped my nose. “I’m glad of that.”
“Can we just sleep?”
“Of course, Peace. We don’t need to do anything else. I need to hold you, though, after earlier.”
“I want you to hold me.”
We lay down together, and only after a moment, I shucked my shirt, with his help. Monqilcolnen and I stripped the rest of our clothes off and slid beneath the sheets, cuddling close. I ran my finger down the center of his face. When I brushed his lips, he kissed my fingertip.
“I like this,” I confessed.
“As do I.”
“I liked speaking with your parents.”
“That I wasn’t as fond of.”
I swallowed. “Did you not want me to meet them?”
“Of course I did.” Monqilcolnen hooked his leg over my hip to keep me close. “I only wished they didn’t embarrass me.”
“I liked that,” I said with a soft smile. “It lets me see more of you. A different side.”
“You liked that?”
“I did.” I kissed him softly. “I need all of it.”
“All of what?”
“You. Every little piece, every fragment, every facet, every smile.”
A huge smile spread over his face. He pulled me closer and settled my head against his chest. “You can have it all, Wyn. All of me. Every cell of me belongs to you and only you.”