Chapter Four #3
Nymon’s skin was marked with beautiful swirling patterns, green like the leaves that surrounded them. Tex traced one with his fingertip, following it along Nymon’s skin. Nymon shivered.
“Sensitive?” Tex asked.
“Everything’s sensitive right now.” Nymon’s hands were unsteady. “I’ve never felt like this before.”
Neither had Tex, but then, he’d never been with his mate before. The bond amplified every sensation, or at least, it felt like it did, and that didn’t change as they undressed each other, brushing fingers against naked skin and pushing fabric out of the way.
When they finally dropped onto the bed together, no clothes separating them anymore, the plants in the room went wild. Vines covered the headboard. Flowers bloomed in every pot. The air grew so fragrant it was almost dizzying to Tex’s sensitive shifter nose.
Nymon made a frustrated sound. “I can’t control it.”
“Stop trying.” Tex kissed his throat, then his shoulder. “Let it happen.” It might be odd, but Tex liked it. It was uniquely Nymon.
They moved together, learning each other’s bodies, exploring what made the other gasp and beg for more.
Tex had been with plenty of other people before, but it had been nothing like this.
The bond made it unique, and Tex knew he could never return to being with anyone else, not even if something were to happen to Nymon.
Tex would make sure nothing did.
“I want to bond with you,” Nymon said as Tex traced a path down his neck with his lips.
Tex went still. “Nymon—”
“I know demons don’t have fated mates. I am your mate, though.” Nymon pushed up on one elbow, meeting Tex’s eyes. “And I feel it. This connection between us. I don’t want to lose it or you.”
“You won’t. We don’t have to rush into anything. We’ll find a way to make this work.”
“I’m not rushing. It feels right, and I know that this is forever. I want it.” Nymon’s hand came up to cup Tex’s face. “I’m not going to change my mind. I’ve always yearned for something, and I didn’t know what, but I do now. My soul knew you were out there, and it was reaching for you.”
Tex should argue. He didn’t want Nymon to regret this, and he was afraid that his mate would, even though Nymon was looking at him with trust and want. He believed what he was saying. He did want this.
There was no way to know what would happen to them in the future or how their feelings would change, but Nymon was right. They were mates, and that was all that mattered.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Tex shifted his hand, letting his wolf through just enough to change one fingernail into a claw. Nymon’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t pull away.
Tex reached up and dragged the claw across his own neck, just deep enough to draw blood.
The pain was sharp and brief, but Tex welcomed it.
Nymon never looked away. He leaned in and pressed his mouth to the cut, tracing the wound with his tongue.
The sensation shot through Tex like lightning, and he couldn’t resist pulling his mate closer.
Nymon knew what to expect and how it worked, so Tex didn’t ask him if he was sure again.
He doubted that Nymon would have told him he wanted them to bond if he wasn’t.
The bite was quick. Tex tasted copper and something sweeter that he knew was unique to Nymon—maybe his magic?
Pleasure looped between them as they pressed together, moving as they drank each other’s blood.
Nymon dropped to his back, and Tex followed, hiking one of Nymon’s legs higher around his hip when Nymon wrapped it there.
Their cocks were pressed together between their bodies, the friction was maddening but oh so good.
Tex was vaguely aware that the plants in the room exploded with new growth.
He could see a vine reach for Nymon from the nightstand in the corner of his eye, but he focused on his mate and their bond.
When their bond reached its completion, it was almost like he could feel Nymon’s magic as if it were his own, just for a moment.
Nymon cried out as he came, and his magic surged. Every plant in the room bloomed at once in an explosion of color and life. The scent was overwhelming, and Tex buried his face in Nymon’s neck, overwhelmed by all the sensations as he, too, came.
It took Tex a moment to come back into his body, and when he did, he quickly licked the bite wound on Nymon’s neck clean. Once he was sure that Nymon had stopped bleeding, he flopped sideways, still panting slightly.
They lay tangled together, with Nymon tracing patterns on Tex’s chest while Tex’s fingers stroked through Nymon’s green hair. The room looked like a garden, with almost no signs of the furniture under it. The plants had even reached the bed.
“I should probably feel more embarrassed about that,” Nymon murmured.
“Don’t be.” Tex kissed his temple. “It’s perfect.” It was a lot, but that didn’t mean that Tex didn’t appreciate it.
“I can feel you inside my head.”
“Same. You’re mine now.”
“And you’re mine.” Nymon’s smile was full of joy. “Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.”
Tex kissed him again. He didn’t know what their next step would be, but Nymon was right. They’d decide together.
They had to.
Because now, bonded as they were, there was no going back.
* * * *
NYMON COULDN’T STOP touching Tex. He traced the strong lines of Tex’s jaw, the curve of his shoulder, and felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Through their bond, he could feel everything—Tex’s contentment, his protectiveness, the satisfaction of his wolf finally having claimed its mate.
It was a little odd and not something Nymon had ever thought he’d have, but he liked it.
It should have been terrifying. Everything about this should have been impossible.
Demons didn’t have fated mates. That was a shifter thing. Demons chose their partners like humans, and Nymon had always expected he’d do the same, yet here he was, bonded to a wolf shifter he’d known for barely three days, feeling more complete than he’d ever felt in his entire life.
“I can hear you thinking,” Tex murmured, his hand running soothingly down Nymon’s spine. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Nymon huffed a soft laugh, pressing closer to Tex’s warmth.
Around them, the flowers and plants continued their gentle movements as if it was completely normal, even though it had never happened before.
They’d slowed down, but Nymon suspected it would be a while before they stopped.
“Just trying to understand how this is real.” He tilted his head up to meet Tex’s eyes.
“Demons don’t have this bond. We’re not supposed to have it. ”
“But you do.”
“We do,” Nymon agreed. He could feel Tex through the bond in a way that was both comforting and surprising. “I’ll have to leave Starhaven to be with you,” he added quietly.
Tex’s hand stilled on Nymon’s back. “Nymon—”
“No, let me say it.” Nymon pushed up slightly so he could see Tex’s face properly.
“You can’t move here. We both know that.
Outsiders aren’t allowed to settle in Starhaven, and even if they’d make an exception, neither of us would want that.
” Nymon was sure Tex didn’t, even though Tex hadn’t told him. He didn’t need to.
“I would try,” Tex said seriously. “For you.”
“I know.” Nymon kissed him softly. “But I don’t want you to.
I’ve spent my whole life dreaming about what’s beyond the shield around Starhaven.
About oceans and deserts and places I’ve only read about in books and seen in movies.
” Maybe now, it was finally time for him to actually see those places.
“I’m terrified. I’ve never been outside Starhaven, and I have no idea what it’s going to be like, but I know you won’t let me face it alone. ”
“You’ll have me. Always.”
The certainty in Tex’s voice echoed through their bond and made Nymon’s eyes sting with tears. “You promise?”
“I promise.” Tex pulled him down into a kiss, slow and sweet and full of every emotion swirling between them through their bond. “Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.”
Nymon melted into the kiss. The bond between them was permanent, and he could hardly believe he’d get to have this for the rest of his life. Even if everything else in his life changed, their bond would remain the same, strong and always present.
When they broke apart, Nymon settled back against Tex’s chest, watching the flowers that surrounded them. He couldn’t believe how much they’d all grown without him consciously pushing his magic into them. Was this how it always went when a demon bonded with a shifter?
“They’re beautiful,” Tex murmured. “Like you.”
Nymon felt his cheeks heat. “I still can’t control my magic around you.” Not when they were kissing and having sex, anyway.
“You’ll learn.” Tex’s arms tightened around him. “I don’t want you controlled. I want you exactly as you are.”
“I won’t regret this,” Nymon said softly. “In case you were wondering. Even with the fear about what comes next, I don’t regret bonding with you.”
Tex pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Neither do I.”
“Even though you barely know me?” The question slipped out before Nymon could stop it. He’d thought about this, too. “We’ve spent, what, a handful of hours together? And now we’re bonded for life.”
“I know enough.” He squeezed Nymon’s hand. “You’re my mate. That’s enough for me.”
Nymon’s throat tightened. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is.” Tex moved so they were face to face, their noses nearly touching. “Maybe we’re overthinking it. Fate chose us for each other. We should trust that.”
“Demons don’t believe in it.”
“Then maybe it’s time you started.” Tex’s smile was gentle. “We are bonded, after all. You chose me.”
“I did choose you,” Nymon whispered. “Unknown future and all.”
They settled into comfortable silence after that. Nymon could hear Tex’s heartbeat under his ear, steady and strong. Through the bond, he felt his mate’s happiness, and he shared it.
His emotions were complicated, though. He was excited and scared. He felt grief for what he’d be leaving behind, mixed with anticipation for what he’d find when he left with Tex. But whatever else happened, their bond was right. Tex was right.
“What will Kael say?” Nymon murmured.
He felt Tex’s amusement through the bond before his mate spoke. “Probably that you’re insane for bonding with a strange shifter.”
“He’s not wrong.” Nymon smiled despite himself. “He’s going to be so worried. He’s already afraid of the outside world. Me leaving with you is going to terrify him.” Nymon wanted to ask him to come, but could he? And would Kael say yes?
“We’ll make sure he knows you’re safe. That you’re happy.” Tex’s fingers drew patterns on Nymon’s back. “And maybe he’ll be brave enough to visit.”
The image of Kael venturing beyond Starhaven seemed impossible, but maybe impossible things happened more often than Nymon thought.
“I’ll tell him tomorrow,” Nymon decided. “We need to start planning how we’re going to do this, and I need to do something about my plants.”
“We don’t have to rush this. You can take time to—”
“No.” Nymon pushed up to look at Tex. “I don’t need to take time. I know you can’t stay in Starhaven for much longer, and I want to go with you when you leave.”
Tex studied Nymon’s face for a long moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
“Your investigation into those demons is over?” Nymon didn’t want to create trouble for Tex.
“For now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gregory sent me here again, but there’s not much else I can do until our people use the information I already gave them. Hopefully, they’ll be able to identify the people I heard talking and find out who their contacts are.”
“I’ll help you if I can.”
“You don’t have to, but thank you.”
Nymon settled back against his mate’s chest. Outside, he could hear the night sounds of the forest. He would miss them.
Tomorrow night, he might hear different sounds.
The thought should have terrified him, and it did, in a way.
But with Tex’s arms around him and their bond steady in the back of his mind, it felt like the beginning of an adventure.
“Thank you,” he whispered into the darkness.
Tex’s arms tightened around him. “For what?”
“For giving me a chance.” Nymon yawned.
“Always,” Tex murmured against his hair. “Sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be complicated.”
Nymon hummed. For the first time in his life, he was truly excited about the future.