Chapter 13
thirteen
EVEREST
Ido manage to go out. It seems Cielo wasn’t quite sure what to do when I barged out the front door, but he didn’t try to stop me. I’m coming to the conclusion that humans usually do what the Vyastil say, but they’re all in for a rude awakening because that is not in my plans.
Cielo eventually follows along beside me, his gait long and steady as I break into a jog down the street. Might as well get my cardio in while I can. As I run, I pull up the nearest grocery store on my phone and see that there is one a few blocks away.
I’m slightly winded and red in the face as the parking lot comes into view, and slightly annoyed that Cielo’s not bothered at all by my brisk pace.
“Do you not get winded?”
“Whinnnn?” he tries, his tongue poking out of his mouth. His brow bunches slightly, and his tail curls around his waist.
“Like, do you not breathe heavy?”
He stares at me, and I sigh.
“Well, we only have two lungs, and they’re not that big. I bet you have, like, four or something.”
He follows closely behind as I grab a cart and wheel it inside. He’s crowding me, so I make sure to roll one of the wheels over his massive, clawed foot.
It doesn’t even faze him.
“Hm, what should I get?” I say, talking to myself. “Maybe some breakfast things. Oh, and some veggies I can eat. Not that moss stuff.”
I wheel my cart through the produce section and place a few items inside.
Making my way through the rest of the store, we garner glances from people in the aisles.
They’re obviously staring at Cielo, who is lingering beside me, his posture straight, his gaze focused.
I don’t know why it bothers me so much. He’s not doing anything besides existing, so why do they have to be like this?
I steer him down the empty cereal aisle and look at all the breakfast bars.
“Ooh. You know what we should try when we get home?” I waggle a box near him, and his gaze flits down to it. “Pop-Tarts.”
“Poooohhhp?” His brow is scrunched as he tries to force his tongue and lips through the sounds.
My lips curl up, and I let out a loud laugh. I hope he doesn’t think I’m making fun of him. His little frown as he tries human words is kind of adorable. “I mean, close enough.”
I swipe at my eyes as I carry on, and by the time we reach the register, the cart is half-full, and I’m feeling slightly better about my ability to cook while I’m with Rathyn. Or without him, seeing as he left me.
The man behind the register eyes me and then Cielo, his cheeks flushing. “Uh, how are you two today?”
“Great,” I say, giving him a thumbs up. “Superb. Right, Cielo?”
Cielo glances down at me, his ears fluttering slightly.
“Yesss.”
I notice the tremble in the man’s hands as he scans the items I set on the conveyor belt. “Paper or plastic?”
“Paper. At least they’re recyclable, amiright?”
He nods, and I bob my head to the music playing over the speakers. A band from when I was young. From when my parents were alive. It suddenly makes me feel slightly nostalgic, and my heart twists. What would they think if they were here right now?
The moment is disturbed, then quickly forgotten when Cielo’s tail knocks over a small display behind him.
His ears droop, his eyes widen, and he makes a distressed sound.
“Oh shit,” I say as I stare at the candy bars lining the floor. “Wild tail on the loose.”
Cielo’s lips turn down, and I see his fangs appear as he stares down, almost immobile. The cashier rushes over and bends down, scooping up the mess Cielo made, and I drop to my knees to help.
“Worthless creatures,” an older woman mutters behind me.
I glance over my shoulder, still on my haunches, and glower at her. “Hey, lady, why don’t you shut your face?” I tell her, and she rears back. “He just doesn’t know the rules.”
She huffs, her hair puffing out like a peacock. “He should have learned by now. It’s been years.”
I stand up, the floor cleared off now, and turn to face her.
In the background, I hear the beeping of the food being scanned quickly as the cashier gets to work.
He clearly wants to avoid a scene, which I appreciate, but I’m not about to let some old hag talk shit to my new… well, whatever he is. Bodyguard?
Maybe friend.
“He’s new, so fuck off. Please and thank you.”
She huffs again. “Why I never…”
I turn around and pull out my card, deciding not to give her the time of day any longer. “So fucking rude,” I mutter.
The cashier nods. “We don’t all think like that.” He peers up at Cielo. “I hope you know that.”
Cielo’s skin ripples slightly, and he gives a low nod.
Not sure what that means, but it seems slightly reverent.
“Thhhhank youuu.”
The cashier blushes wildly and fumbles with his scanner as Cielo speaks.
I bite back a laugh and scan my card before piling everything into bags as quickly as I can. I’ll stand up for others when warranted, but I would like to avoid any other conflict if possible.
“Shit, how am I going to get these back home?” I ask no one in particular. I’m already dreading the long walk home. Cielo eyes the full bags and then grabs them all in one hand and walks toward the exit. I’m left to trot after him, my eyes wide. “Damn, thanks.”
He nods again and then steps outside. It has started to rain, and I seriously worry about the state of the bags as it comes down. They’re going to peel apart and break onto the dirty sidewalk.
Damn it, I just bought blueberries, and they were expensive.
Sadly, my legs can’t quite keep up with Cielo as he moves, and eventually, I double over, trying to catch my breath. “Sorry, bud,” I call out when he realizes I’m not with him. He turns, eyes wide. “I can’t keep up. Unless you want to carry me.”
I’m absolutely not serious, but he holds an arm out and stares at me.
Well, fuck. It’s my pride or the blueberries.
I hop on, wrapping my legs around his hips, and let him lope the rest of the way home. My arms are wrapped around his neck as we go, and I realize I’m trying not to touch him too much.
My mind keeps shifting back to the way Rathyn responded to me dragging my hands along his cock, and for some reason, touching another Vyastil seems wrong. I don’t think it is, but something in my gut is twisting wildly.
Cielo doesn’t seem to mind, though. He carries on, holding me and the groceries in his arms like we weigh absolutely nothing. God, what a life.
Luckily, nothing happens until we’re inside the lobby of The Foundry when one of the bags rips open and spills.
Thankfully, the staff are quick to help us scoop everything up and carry it the rest of the way for me.
Cielo lets me down, which I appreciate, and I gather what I can as we head for the elevator.
By the time we make it back to the apartment, I’m tired, annoyed, and ready for a little treat.
“I think we burned a few calories. Want a snack?”
Cielo eyes me as I begin putting things away.
“How about a Pop-Tart? I feel like you’d really like these. Shit.” I pause and glance at him. “Can you have human food? It doesn’t make you sick or anything, right? Or do you only drink human cum?”
My lips snap shut when I realize Cielo may have no idea what I’m saying. He blinks at me, but otherwise doesn’t even attempt to respond. I’m probably throwing too much at him at once.
“Can you eat this?” I ask. I mime stuffing food into my mouth, and he nods.
“Yessss.”
“Awesome. Want one?” I rip the package open like a raccoon, leaving half of the box torn open, and pull out a packet, peeling it open and handing him one.
His long fingers curl around it a little too tight and some breaks off and falls onto the ground.
“Five-second rule,” I say, swiping it up and holding it out to him.
He brings the Pop-Tart up to his nose and sniffs.
The entire thing is really fucking fun to watch. He takes a tentative bite, his face scrunching up as he tastes it.
Then his tongue lolls out, and he sputters.
The laugh that escapes me is loud, almost like a honk, and he moves quickly to the sink to wash it down. I happily munch on mine while he sips from the faucet, his tongue curling out and lapping at the water.
When he stands up again, the Pop-Tart is crumbled in his palm, and I lament not being able to eat it. But it was totally worth it for his reaction. It was like feeding a baby a lemon for the first time.
“Oh my god, that was funny. Did it taste bad?” I move toward him and swipe a crumb from his cheek.
Cielo lets out a long breath, his tail moving around his waist.
I reach out and grab his hand, attempting to help him wipe the food from his palm, when I hear the snick of a door and a low, angry hum.
Then I hear the voice I’ve wanted to hear all day, only he doesn’t sound pleased to see me. “What is going on?”
My head whips to the side, and I see Rathyn hovering in the kitchen doorway, eyes literally glowing faintly under his heavy lashes. His chest is heaving with breath.
His rage is almost tangible, and it takes me a second to realize I can feel it pulsing in my head, not just through the room.
“Relax,” I start, but he lets out a low, intense growl.
“Release him.”
I don’t realize immediately he’s speaking to me, but then I get a flash in my head—a vision of my fingers wrapped around Cielo’s wrist, and I immediately let him go. The second I do, Cielo takes several steps away from me and bows his head.
“Rath—”
He ignores me entirely, stalking across the room, footfalls so heavy I’m afraid his claws are going to tear up the kitchen tiles. He’s on Cielo between two short breaths, fingers around his wrist so tight, I’m afraid he’s literally going to rip his hand off.
As angry as he is, that’s a possibility.
“Dude. Let him go.”
Rathyn’s head whips over, eyes locking on mine. “You would defend your actions?”
“I was helping him clean up.”
“You are mine.” The words aren’t really spoken. They’re sung—growling, melodic, kind of beautiful in his outrage.