I lean down and claim his soft lips. He all but squeaks in surprise, but soon gets to work kissing me back with hunger and need. I kiss him passionately, deeply. He kisses me with love. Meaning flows between us. All the things we could not put into words. It is all being said with this kiss. He is sorry. I am sorry. He loves me. I love him.
Suddenly, he pushes me away. Just a few inches. I blink at him in confusion. Things were just getting good.
“There is something else I need to tell you!” he gasps. “I don’t want there to be any more secrets between us.”
I nod. His blue eyes fill with pain, but there is nothing he can tell me that will change a thing. I’ve come to my senses and I know how I feel about him.
“I…um…I was born from a human body that was possessed by a demon.” He closes his eyes.
Oh. That makes so much sense. In so many different ways.
“You’re a cambion,” I clarify.
Mal’s eyes fly open again. A look of deep incredulity in their depths. “That’s all you have to say?”
I tilt my head. I’m so confused. Am I supposed to be shocked that he is a half-demon? I always knew he was something paranormal, something more than a mage. The signs were clear.
“Demons hate cambions. They kill them as abominations,” he says.
What? I blink. What kind of crazy bullshit is this? “Who told you that?”
Mal stares at me. I can almost hear his mind whirling away as a thousand different emotions flow across his handsome face.
“Humans,” he says eventually. His eyes are wide. “Human priests.”
I shake my head in dismay. What a tragedy.
Mal covers his face with his hands and laughs, but it has a brittle edge to it. My poor, poor Mal. A lifetime of needlessly hidingfrom his people. But I can fix that. I can introduce him to others. Maybe even find some blood family. Perhaps take him to Hell.
Gently, I pull his hands away from his face so that I can kiss him again. Meeting his kin and exploring his heritage is for later. Right now, there are other ways I can make him feel better.
Chapter twenty-nine
Mal
Waking up with Gray in my arms feels like a beautiful dream. Waking up after a nap induced by a vigorous love making session, feels like heaven.
He feels perfect curled up beside me. His head is on my shoulder and one arm is draped over my chest. This is bliss. Sheer and utter bliss. I will never tire of it, never stop being awed by it. Even if we do this every day from now until the stars stop burning, it will still make my heart sing.
A mere week of this is nowhere near long enough to even remotely dull its shine. It feels like a gift, a miracle. All my dreams brought to life.
Gray stirs. Soft movement against me. A caress of his smooth skin against my own. Exquisite and divine.
“Hey there, Little One,” I drawl.
He lets out a little sleepy purr, and my heart melts into a puddle of goo. I want to bottle this perfect moment and keep it forever.
“We are going to be late for dinner,” he says.
Oh yeah, we are supposed to be having dinner in the main house with all the others. But I can probably convince Gray to stay here in bed instead. If I try. Which I might.
He rolls elegantly out of bed and reaches for his fluffy bathrobe. He is going to wear it to dinner, I just know he is.
“Why do you like that silly thing so much?” I ask.
He looks back over his shoulder and gives me a soft smile. “I justdo.”
I shake my head in fond resignation. I don’t understand, but it is cute.
