Twenty-Five
Gabriel
Talking to the other human mates was eye-opening.
There was Elijah, who'd accidentally summoned his mate almost two years ago, and Dakota, who had three demon mates.
Archer, whose mate had shown up at his door as his son's manny.
Matthew, whose mate had magicked up new furniture for him and paid his rent before ever revealing himself, and Theo, whose mate had accidentally thrown him into a flower display, then waited for months before revealing his demon side to him.
There was also Kat, the only woman—human at least—who was best friends with Archer and learned the truth the day she met her mate—lesbian speed, she'd joked. Only two of the humans were missing, Codie, who wasn't good with crowds, and Jerry, who was stuck in a meeting.
Apparently, Xin and I had met because Jerry's mate had moved to his town to be close to him, leaving his spot open for Xin.
Jerry arrived about an hour after we'd arrived, and when he and I got to talking, I realized he understood my fears perfectly, because he'd almost lost his mate before he ever found out the truth.
"It was terrifying," he murmured, his green eyes searching the crowd until they found Eshim, the himbo I'd met when we first arrived.
"I didn't know about demons or any of it then, but seeing Eshim bleeding out like that...
" He shook his head. "Every time he leaves for some demon-related business, I don't relax until he's back. "
That was exactly how I felt.
"How do you handle it?"
Jerry smiled, then glanced over to the other humans, who'd continued their conversation when Jerry and I stepped aside.
"I have Archer and Kat, and little Gunner.
They keep me company, since they're in the same boat," he said, then turned to me.
"You're welcome to join us, you know. Just ask Xin to drop you at Archer's place when they leave.
That's where we usually gather when they're called up for a meeting or some mission. "
"I'd like that," I said after a minute, surprised by the offer. When was the last time I'd made a friend? An actual friend and not just a colleague or someone who felt responsible for me because of a promise she made to my dead brother?
Xin found me a while later, and after we'd met Mortimer, the guy this get-together was in the honor of—a man of few words—they led me out of the room and down the hallway, stopping in front of an opening, the cave hidden behind a thick curtain.
"This is me. Would you like to see inside?"
I nodded quickly, and they grinned, then held the curtain open, following me inside.
"Oh wow," I murmured, glancing around the cave. It was split into two parts, with a large four-poster bed at the back of the room facing a shelf lined with books, and a coffee table, two armchairs, and a large, comfortable-looking couch near the front.
All the furniture was dark wood with detailed carvings etched into it, little woodland creatures, flowers, and vines curling around the posts of his bed. It was artistic and fun and very much Xin.
Xin led me to the bed, then sat on the edge of the mattress, motioning me to join them. I did, turning to face them as they took my hands in theirs.
"I know you're worried about me," they said, and I wondered if they'd overheard my conversation with Jerry.
"I'll be okay. I know it's my issue, and I'll deal with it," I assured them, only for them to shake their head.
"I don't want you to 'deal with it.' I don't want you to have to worry at all. I can't sit out of the mission, but maybe I can make it a little less worrying for you."
Releasing one of my hands, they held out their palm, and a round disk appeared on their palm. It looked like a pocket watch, but when I took it and opened the latch, I realized it was more like a compact.
"It's a looking glass," they explained when I looked up at them. Reaching over, they tapped on the glass twice with their nail, murmured their name, then tapped two more times.
My reflection in the mirror flickered, then changed into a view of Xin, as if someone was holding up a camera right in front of their face.
I sucked in a breath, glancing from Xin to the mirror. "I can check in on you anytime I want?"
"Yes. Whenever you're worried about me, just do what I did, and you'll know I'm okay."
I stared at the mirror for a few more seconds, then threw myself at Xin. They fell back onto the mattress as I covered their body with mine, claiming their lips as love for them filled every inch of my body.
How could anyone be so damned thoughtful? Instead of offering empty platitudes, Xin had given me a way to alleviate my fears.
I slid my tongue into their mouth, and they moaned as their hands slid up my back, sliding into my short hair as they quickly flipped us around so I was on my back and looking up at them.
They smirked before dipping down to kiss me again, and I rocked up into them, moaning when my hard cock brushed against them.
Remembering we weren't at home, I pulled back, panting harshly as I tried to clear the fog from my brain and think. "The others."
Xin shook their head, a small smile on their face. "They won't hear a thing, and no one can come in unless I ask them to."
Assured, I rose up to kiss them again, and they smiled into the kiss, chuckling when I reached up to untie their hair. I was kinky for Xin's hair and not ashamed of it in the least.
Xin's hair surrounded us in a cloak of darkness, and I hummed happily as I tangled my fingers into the strands. Then I remembered what they'd revealed about their true form, and suddenly, this wasn't enough.
Pulling back, I gazed up at Xin, loving how dark their eyes had turned. I made them look like that.
"Will you shift? I want to see your true form." I wanted to touch them and kiss them and make love to them. The real them.
Xin
My lips parted, and I swallowed hard as I sat up. "Are you sure?"
Gabriel nodded quickly, not a shred of doubt on his face, and I relaxed a little.
First, I shucked our clothes with magic; then I let the illusion fall away, revealing my true form.
Gabriel sucked in a breath, his dark eyes shining as he took me in. "Kiss me," he breathed, and I was only too happy to oblige.
As I kissed, my hair seemed to have a mind of its own, and the strands wrapped around Gabriel's wrists, then pinned his arms above his head.
He groaned into the kiss, half-heartedly struggling against my hair, his hips bucking as he tried to rub his hard cock against my abdomen.
Gabriel made quite the sight under me, his skin flushed, pupils blown with desire, lips pink and wet and swollen. His cock leaked against my skin, spurts of precum trickling down my abdomen, and I pressed into him, giving him the pressure he needed as he rocked against me.
Giving him a moment to breathe, I pulled back, trailing the tips of my claws down his chest. Faint white lines appeared where I touched, and Gabriel moaned.
I grabbed his hip, pressing him into the mattress before he could arch up and accidentally cut himself on my claws, and blinked at me, eyes bleary and slightly wet.
"Should I ride you or fuck you?" I mused, trailing strands of my hair over his skin like I had my claws.
He moaned instantly, his skin flushing and another spurt of precum spilling from his cock.
I loved how much he liked my hair. I wondered if I could make him cum by just using my hair. I'd have to try that someday.
"Both, either, whatever you want," Gabriel panted, making me chuckle.
Deciding I wanted to feel him inside me, I snapped my fingers, then straddled his hips, positioning myself over him before sinking down.
A moan left my lips as he filled me up, and he sucked in a breath, head thrown back and eyes squeezed shut like he was close and trying to keep himself from coming.
"Are you close?" I asked, and he nodded mutely, still not looking at me.
I glanced down at his cock as it slid in and out of me, and wrapped a strand of my hair around it, tightening just enough to keep him from coming,
Gabriel glanced down at it, and his eyes widened, his teeth sinking into his lower lip. "Fuck, Xin."
"Yeah?" I asked, leaning over to meet his eyes properly as I brushed my lips against his. He kissed me, then pulled back with furrowed brows as he glanced between us.
"Holy fuck. Can your hair get longer too?"
I hummed, moving my hips up and down his length as I dropped kisses against the side of his neck, breathing in his warm, sweaty scent.
"You're so hot," he mumbled against my ear, and I chuckled against his skin before pulling back.
I brushed my nose against his, then sat up, picking up pace as my climax inches closer. Gabriel placed his hands on my hips, his grip light as he gazed up at me, no intention of controlling my movements.
My gaze trailed from his messy hair to his flushed cheeks, his swollen lips to his pink chest, his muscles bunching under the skin as he tried to stay still, his fingers flexing against my hips.
"You are perfect," I said, and his eyes widened.
I loosened my hold on his cock as I picked up pace, covering his body with mine as I kissed him until he filled me with his cum, until my own climax crashed into me, shaking through my body like a damned tsunami.
I lay on top of him, panting softly as the pleasure of my climax slowly ebbed away, leaving behind warmth and satisfaction as Gabriel wrapped his arms around me, his cock still inside me.
"You are beautiful in every form," Gabriel said after a while, and I rested my chin on his chest so I could meet his eyes, wanting to see if he really meant it. He smiled when our eyes met, cupping my face between his hands, his skin soft against mine. He meant it.
"So are you," I said, and he smiled, his nose wrinkling adorable.
"Unfortunately, this is the only form I have. It will change, though. I won't look like this in ten years," he said, half-joking, half-warning, and I smiled.
"I'll love every face you ever wear," I assured him, making him blush.
"Me too," he mumbled, as if embarrassed by the conversation, and we stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other's quiet company.
"If you two are done, Elva got cupcakes!" Lazlo shouted from outside the door, and I rolled my eyes as Gabriel's went wide.
"You wanna go have some cupcakes or stay here?" I asked, and he pursed his lips thoughtfully.
"We should go. It's your friend's goodbye party," he said, and I nodded.
We got dressed slowly, stealing every moment we could with each other. I used magic to make sure we didn't smell like sex. Everyone would still know, but that didn't mean I wanted them to know what Gabriel smelled like when he came. That was just for me.
Hand in hand, we went back into the party room, and this time we stuck with each other even as the others pulled us into the throng.
Gabriel had a beaming smile on his face the whole time, and I hoped he'd grow close to my friends and their mates. I wanted him to have all these people in his corner, to know that he would never be alone again.
He had a family now, a big, crazy, completely chaotic family that he would never, ever be able to get rid of.