Sweat cools rapidly on my skin from the wind rushing past as we speed through the air.
The monster’s surprisingly gentle arms adjust me in his grip so I’m no longer dangling precariously over?—
I twist to glance down at the ground?—
Holy shit!We’re so high up that it’s like looking out an airplane window through the breaks in the clouds where moonlight streams through. Everything below has been broken up into geometric patches like a satellite map.
And when I gasp for breath, even though the air feels thinner up here, I can feel it completely fill my lungs.
Not just halfway like usual, because my compressed spine used to restrict my breathing.
No.
No way.
Did I actually just get healed mid-flight by some kind of ancient monster?
And if he kept his part of the bargain, then when we land wherever we’re going...
I’m his consort now.Holy shit.
The thing is—and this is the part that should probably terrify me more than it does—I’m not entirely sure I mind.
FOUR
BEAST
We fly long and hard.
It feels incredible to use my wings like this. I’ve been forced to hunt only beneath the tree line lately to avoid detection, which means I haven’t been able to fully extend them and soar. But now, carrying precious cargo, I can stretch my wings to their full span, and it feels?—
I let out a bellow of pure satisfaction as I slice through the air with powerful strokes.
I’m not flying as fast as I could because of the treasure cradled against my chest. But at least she’s stopped her frightened cries. I healed her with my divine light, and I can sense she feels the change within her body.
Once we arrive, it will be time for her to discover what being my consort truly means. To begin her forever with me.
I won’t be alone any longer.
It was foolish to hope for a willing partner to share this cursed existence. With a face that even my Creator-Father couldn’t love...
Even a reluctant companion is more than I ever dared dream possible.
She gave her consent freely, though, and I have honored my part of our bargain.
And if she proves disappointing—as every other creature I’ve encountered inevitably does—then I suppose I could return to my solitary existence. Though the thought of being alone again after holding her warmth against my chest...
I frown and beat my wings faster, pushing us toward our destination.
She weighs almost nothing in my arms. Her illness had kept her delicate and small. Now she feels like spun glass that might shatter if I’m not careful with her.
A smile tugs at my mouth despite myself.
I’ll need to ensure she eats properly now. Build her strength back up. Care for her as she’s probably never been cared for before.
My grin widens at the thought of providing for her, protecting her.
She may be tiny, but she is exquisitely female. What little curves she possesses are perfectly distributed—slender hips that would fit perfectly in my large hands, sweet breasts rising and falling with each breath, secured by some ingenious contraption mortal women favor.
