Chapter 35
Cole
A sound woke me the next morning. I’d been so lost in the feel of Sephtis’s warmth, the beat of his heart, the inhale and exhale of his breathing, that I’d fallen asleep.
Growling.
His stomach was growling.
My head lifted, and the smile that crossed my face was probably ridiculous. He looked sleep rumpled and confused—it was the first night he’d slept.
“You need to eat.”
Human. He was human. For me. I’d spent so long thinking I wasn’t worth caring about… but he’d shown me I was wrong.
So wrong.
“I… suppose I do.” The smile that crossed his face was sweet, almost… innocent. “Are you going to feed me again?”
I pushed up from the bed and nodded, holding my hand out to help him up. “Yeah, come on.”
We pulled on pants and headed into his kitchen. I was rummaging in his cabinets when I heard the soft intake of Sephtis’s breath.
It wasn’t hard to track what he was staring at. When I saw it, the pan I was holding clattered to the counter, slipping from numb fingers.
“Is that…?” Sephtis’s question cut off as I stepped closer to the window above his sink, facing out to his balcony.
Blue. Light blue flowers.
“Morning glories.” I breathed the words gently, leaning over to pull the window open. My fingertips brushed along the blue petals, and my breath caught in my chest.
Caiden…
One final gift—one final goodbye.
“Sephtis…” I turned, pulling one of the flowers from the vine so I could hold it out to him, like he needed to see it… touch it… to know that it was real, that we’d made it through and we were on the other side and Caiden… Caiden really had planned this all along.
His fingers slipped behind my neck, pulling me close. Sephtis’s lips trailed across mine, and he spoke in a gentle whisper. “I know. The flowers weren’t here before you came.”
Curious about what happens with Gethin? Find Stolen Wings HERE.