Chapter 18 #4
He gives me a slow up and down, then says, “I’m happy for you.
Now, let me introduce you to Rosie. She can show you what to do, and then she can fit you in the schedule.
” He gestures to a very pretty human woman with long, curly black hair tied back, light brown skin adorned with ink, and red lips that I think are perhaps painted that way.
For a moment, I hesitate. Will she hate working with a Vyastil? A monster?
But then she smiles when Quilliyn walks me over and says, “I found you a new afternoon barista. This is Cielo.”
She leans over the counter and offers me her hand. I know what to do with this now. As I take hers in mine and squeeze it gently.
“Thank god. Cielo, you’re saving my life.”
I don’t know if I am saving anyone’s life, but I am happy to feel useful.
I move around the counter and nod at Quilliyn. He returns the gesture and then walks away, leaving me to listen to Rosie, who speaks very fast. Luckily, our kind are able to absorb information quickly, and I do love a latte, so I am eager to learn.
“So, you and Q know each other from his world?” she asks. I nod as she peers up at me. “You know, he’s the first monster I ever met.” I stare at her, and she shakes her head. “Sorry, Vyastil. Fuck, that was rude of me.”
“It’sss okeeeey.”
“It’s not. I need to be more sensitive. You’re not monsters. Q especially. He’s…” she wets her lips. “He’s really hot. Is that weird for a human to say that about a Vyastil?”
I think about Dante and shake my head. I find him very hot. Especially when he is beneath me and writhing.
“Good, because I don’t want to be any weirder than I already am.” Then she leans over and says softly, “You want a latte?” I nod eagerly, and she gestures to the machine. “You go on. Show me what you got.”
When I’m done, she claps, and I find myself grinning.
“Well done. I don’t even think I need to teach you anything…well, except…how about I teach you latte art.” My eyes widen, and she bites her red bottom lip, and her eyes twinkle. “Let me show you what I mean. It’s very cool.”
She proceeds to use the milk to make a heart on top of the latte. I do not know why someone would want to do this when they will just drink it, but I am impressed.
I try it.
I do not succeed and make a very disappointed noise.
“Hey, it’s okay. Practice makes perfect,” she says, giving my arm a gentle pat.
I suppose she is right. I shall do my best to make everyone here proud, because I dread going back to the apartment and sitting alone, waiting for Dante to return home. It is lonely there, and even though I have my own room now, I find I do not want space from him.
Not right now, and perhaps not ever.
I want to wrap myself up in him and never let him go.
But I also do not want to bother Dante too much, so I focus on coffee, on making lattes, and adding little bits of art on the top. And I try not to think of Dante.
Once again, I do not succeed.
The day moves by quickly, and before I know it, Quilliyn tells me it is time to head home. I have enjoyed my time here and do not want to leave, but I am eager to see Dante once more.
“You are excited to leave. Was your day not enjoyable?” Quilliyn asks me in Eretharian.
“It was wonderful,” I reply. “I would like to come again.”
“I can put you on the schedule. Unofficially.” He glances around, then adds, “I have something for you. Payment.”
He hands me over a small vial of cum and cash.
I stare down at it. “This is too much.”
“It is not enough. Take it.”
I bow to him, and he sighs, making my ears flutter in response. I should no longer bow, but I cannot help it. He is superior to me in many ways.
“Go home to your Dante.” I glance at him, and his lip curls up, showing a bit of fang. “He is fun, is he not?”
A growl forms in my throat, and before I can stop it, it erupts from me, turning the heads of a few members.
Quilliyn lifts his hands and takes a step back. “I do not mean offense.”
I try to calm myself, but it is hard when he is talking about the human I feel belongs to me. I am only able to give him a small nod of acknowledgement before turning and walking toward the door.
He may take offense, but I cannot help the primal part of me.
I have tasted Dante now. I have sucked from his life source and have found great pleasure in him.
I will not share.
I stare down at the vial in my hand and scrunch up my nose.
I do not want to drink it, but it is a gift. So, I uncork it and swallow it down. It tastes stale and cold and full of chemicals. Not at all like what Dante has been feeding me.
It takes me a moment to understand why, but before I can voice it, Quilliyn touches my arm. “Cielo?”
I stare at him and then look at the vial. “From the factory? They all taste like this?”
He shrugs. “Yeah. It’s not great. They have to treat it so it doesn’t go rancid. Why?”
Why? Because what Dante has been feeding me is not like this. No. It was exactly like the cum I lapped from his cock. I’m shaking as I look back up at Quilliyn.
“I think Dante has been lying to me. He said he had given me cum from the factory, but it did not taste the same as this. It was fresh. It was…of him.” Now that I say it, I know it’s the truth. There’s no denying what he’s been leaving me on the nightstand every morning.
He sighs, and something flickers in his gaze. Does he know? “Don’t be angry at him. He was only trying to help.”
Angry? Am I even allowed to be angry with the human who has taken me in and cared for me? Betrayal burns heavy in my gut.
He has been tricking me. The vials of cum I have been consuming have been his, but he assured me it was safe. That it was not breaking the rules the way taking from him would have been.
The anger in my gut burns hotter. I know why he did it, but I do not like the lies. I do not want him to keep things from me.
I toss the vial in a garbage can and swallow, wanting to rid myself of the taste lingering in my mouth. I want to erase it from me.
“What do I do?” I ask Quilliyn.
He flicks his ears. “Speak to him about it. Let him know how this makes you feel.”
I don’t know if I can do that. What if he tosses me out? What if he is angry at me for being upset and turns me in for all the rules I’ve broken? I cannot imagine my Dante doing that to me, but the fear is real, and it follows me as I leave the gym.
My fingers tremble, and I fight the urge to run somewhere no one can find me.
Instead of doing that, I walk in the direction of home, coming to a stop in the street between Dante’s shop and the apartment. I know he’s in there. I can feel a flicker of him in my head. There are a couple of cars in the parking lot, which means there are customers inside.
I do not wish to be angry at him in front of others, but I also can’t bring myself to go home and sit with this discomfort.
Despite my reservations, I cross the street and reach for the door, listening to the soft bells chime as I enter.
I see him at the counter, two humans in front of him with a pile of sex things they wish to purchase.
His eyes immediately lock on mine, and I feel a pulse of relief and affection rush from him into me.
I want to kiss him, but I also want to tell him that I know. That I know what he did for me. And what he did to me. I know the lies he told.
“I’ll be right with you,” he says. The humans flick nervous gazes toward me, but I ignore them. It is easy to do when I am upset. “Feel free to look around.”
I have not been inside Dante’s shop so freely before. The only time was when Everest brought me here, and I was overwhelmed by everything going on, by meeting a human so beautiful, I didn’t have time to properly look.
Now, I wander down a few aisles, staring at the strange items that smell of chemicals, animal hides, and metal. These things are strangely shaped, strangely sized, strangely colored.
I like them, I think. They interest me. And I can’t help but wonder if any of them are things Dante likes to use on himself. I might ask, once I get this weight off my chest.
Once I get an answer out of him.
Turning the corner, I find myself staring at rows and rows of fabric. They are not like the place I bought my coat. The items are sheer, like the robes they wear in the capital, only much smaller.
My fingers can’t help but touch an odd, patterned item that looks like it would fit over a round human ass. It’s the same color as my coat—pink, as the humans call it. Like the edge of an Eretharian afternoon sky.
The fabric itself is rough, and peering closer, I can see the pattern is a lot like small flowers. It is very, very pretty. I feel an urge to take it off the rack and press it against my skin.
“You like that? Those are panties,” comes Dante’s voice from behind me.
I spin slowly and blink at him.
His hand reaches out to touch them. “I think they’d look good on you.”
Despite the betrayal, I flush hotly, and my ears flick. I would very much like to know how they feel on me. How they look. But even with the money I have in my hand, I do not think I should waste it on something so frivolous.
‘No, thank you,’ I sign.
Dante pulls a face. “But you like them.”
I do not answer, and eventually he lets them go and jerks his head, asking me to follow him to the counter. My claws pad lightly on the low, rough carpet as we make our way to the front of the shop, and I can see that he’s turned the lock and the closed sign is on the door.
It is perhaps early, but he doesn’t seem to regret it. Maybe he knows that I am…unsettled. Seeing him now, I want to kiss him. To hold him. But I also want to know why he has lied to me for so long.
“Are you okay?” he asks me after a long beat of silence.
I nod, but it feels like I’m lying now, so I stop and shake my head. Then I stop because I’m not not okay. It’s all very confusing, and I don’t like this feeling. I don’t like feeling anything other than possessive and wild over my Dante.
“Do we need to talk?”
I nod.
“Okay.” He leans on the counter, then his gaze catches on my hand where I’m still holding the money. “Oh. Is that cash? Where did that come from?”
“Quilliyn,” I tell him.
“Don’t tell me you’re stripping for him? I mean, I’d pay to see that, but I also kind of don’t want anyone else looking at you.”
“Noooo. I weeerk nowww at theee gimmmmm.”
“What? No way! That is amazing!” He is genuinely happy about it, and my hearts thud in my chest. “So, what do you do there?”
He waits so patiently for me to say, “Latteeeehhs.”
“Oh my god, your dream job.” He leans forward, and I cannot help but let my lips find his. He tastes wonderful, like mine, and it eases some of the frustration and hurt in my chest.
“I am so proud of you.”
It is clear as if he is speaking directly to me. I know this is special. Something last night changed who we are to each other. And that helps the pain, too.
“Theeeenk youuu.”
“You’re welcome.”
He looks so pleased with me. I enjoy it very much. But I also must remain strong. Quilliyn is right. Dante must know that he upset me.
I hold up my hands and sign, ‘You tricked me.’
His face falls, his mouth opening and closing. “What do you mean?”
He is breathless from the lies.
‘You have fed me your cum. It was not from the factory.’
“What? How…why do you think that?” he stammers. I can feel him in my head, though. He knows he’s caught.
‘Q gave me cum from the factory as payment. It tasted wrong. Strange. He said it all tastes like that,’ I sign, my fingers working furiously. ‘What you have been giving me came from you. I know it. I tasted you last night.’
His cheeks flush, and he glances away, his lashes fluttering. “Forgive me,” he whispers.
Those words, they pierce my soul, but I need him to know that I will not accept untruths. ‘Never again,’ I sign quickly.
“No,” he says in a rush. “No. Never again. I promise.” He looks shattered. “Cielo, please understand, I needed you to heal, and it was the only way you would accept any of it. But I understand why you’re angry at me.”
I stare at him, my tail tightening almost painfully around my waist. I do not want to be angry with him. But I need him to know I am serious.
‘Never again,’ I sign once more.
He looks hesitant. “Never give you my cum again?”
“Neverrrr lie,” I say aloud very carefully. “Lying heerrrtsss.” I spread my palm over my chest, over my hearts.
“Oh, Cielo,” he whispers. “Shit. I really am so sorry. I promise I will never lie again, okay?”
“Okay,” I say, and he sniffles. I have saddened him. My heart aches in the worst way. I can almost feel his guilt, taste it.
After a moment, Dante clears his throat and rolls his shoulders back. “I’m gonna…I just…I don’t want to cry here, you know? Would you like…would you still like to come home with me? You don’t have to speak to me, if you don’t want to.”
I do want to speak to him. I want to share my day with him. But I can only nod despite wanting to soothe him. My mind answers for me when my tongue cannot.
“I want to be with you.”
He nods, and I feel a punch of relief coming from him as he walks around the counter to once again check the lock on the door. He must have forgotten that he already turned it. But I say nothing, watching him move.
When he’s done, he holds out his hand toward me. I accept it, curling my fingers around his, and he tugs me down the short hallway to the back door, where he can set the alarm, and then guides us across the street for home.
The sun is going down, and it is colder now. I can see the shiver in his skin as he walks faster. It is easy for me to keep up, his legs much shorter than mine.
When we enter his place, he flips on the lights, and I blink in the brightness. We are far quieter than we usually are.
I can feel his despair, and it makes my chest ache. I do not want him to be sad.
“I think we need to talk. Not just about the cum, but about last night. And what all of this means.”
I nod, and he leads me over to the couch.
His hand rests on my thigh, and he squeezes it gently. And then he begins to speak.