So why did I want to place my trust in Cloud so badly?
I took a deep breath and exhaled it.
"Meeko, you don't have to do this," Cloud murmured. "If it makes you uncomfortable, just stop."
I met his gaze evenly. "It does make me uncomfortable. But I don't want it to."
He blinked in confusion.
I lifted his hand with both of mine and brought it to my cheek. I felt Cloud's muscles tense in my grip. His talons unflexed, getting as far from my skin as possible.
"Meeko—"
"I trust you, Cloud," I said sharply. "So I need you to trust me too."
He finally seemed to understand. He nodded and relaxed his palm against my cheek. His talons slowly returned to their natural position. Their curved tips landed ever so gently on my skin. The sensation felt like being grazed by a branch. It was harmless as long as I didn't move too fast.
The longer he rested his palm against my cheek, the more relaxed I felt. I sighed again, this time feeling the air leave my lungs with a sense of relief.
A harpy's talons on my face. And I was safe.
Not just safe. It felt… good. I liked this physical contact with Cloud. A low heat simmered in my belly. Being this close to him was pleasant in ways I couldn't describe.
What was happening to me?
I breathed again, trying to get my bearings. But the fluttering sensation didn't go away. If anything, it got worse the longer I shared this proximity with Cloud. My gaze flicked up to meet his. Warmth glowed in his golden eyes. The features of his face were so handsome. Did he always look like that? I felt like I was noticing his attractiveness for the first time.
The heat kindling inside me burned brighter.
I blew out a breath, trying to release the steam building up inside me. I wasn't due for my heat for a while. That wasn't what this feeling was. I knew that for certain. But then, what was it?
Cloud's thumb gently moved across my cheek. He was stroking me.
My heart clenched like it was surrounded by brambles. That felt much nicer than it had any business feeling.
"You're still bleeding," Cloud pointed out. "Can I…"
A slight smile tugged at the corner of my lips. He was always asking what he could and couldn't do. He was an alpha harpy. He could overpower me in an instant, do whatever he wanted to me. Yet he chose not to. The power was always in my hands.
I no longer thought that he was just playing games with me. This was too honest to be a con. Cloud wasn't the type of man to lull me into a false sense of security only to strike later. I knew that now.
"Go ahead," I said.
I never thought I'd be disappointed when a harpy removed his talons from my face, but here I was.
Cloud gently wiped the new welling of blood from my jaw before moving to my shoulder. I was so distracted by his closeness that I didn't feel the sting of it until he touched me there. I bit back a wince of pain. But the pain didn't last. Cloud's tender touch was a welcome sensation in its place.
I wondered what my dads would think if they saw me now. Bleeding on the floor of some dusty cabin while an alpha harpy took care of me. My Da would probably scold me. This was exactly the opposite of what he taught me.
My Pa… What would he think? He was an alpha and I loved and trusted him. So did Da, obviously. He said they were fated mates.
But how did he know that? What did that feel like?
Could Cloud be…
"There," Cloud said with a smile, drawing away when he finished. "I'm not a doctor like my grandma, but that looks better, if I do say so myself."
"Your grandmother is a doctor?"
