I crawled toward him on all fours, my fingers gripping the silky material with each movement. Something about being suspended this high made my stomach flip, like my body knew one wrong step would send me plummeting through the webbing to the forest floor below. Logic told me it could hold my weight just fine, but my sweaty palms and racing heart weren't listening.
I reached out and gently tugged at the wing he'd started wrapping around himself like a protective cloak. "That shy act might have worked yesterday, but after what happened between us last night?" I gave him a knowing smile, watching his eyes flicker with embarrassment as he let out a low groan.
His wings drooped as he covered his face with both hands. "I am mortified by my behavior," he whispered, his eyes glowingcrimson through his fingers. When he finally sank down beside me, I gently guided his head to rest against my shoulder, then let him nestle against my chest as he sought comfort.
His voice vibrated against my skin as he murmured, "Is there any chance of your forgiveness?"
I traced my fingers through his fur, watching his eyes flutter closed at my touch. "Why would I forgive something I'm hoping you'll repeat... frequently?"
Atlas whined. “You are surely a strange female.”
My fingers worked through Atlas' fur, each stroke seeming to melt away his tension until he finally surrendered, stretching out with his head nestled in my lap. Something about this moment—just us in the forest with no phones buzzing, no deadlines looming—felt dangerously perfect. I could have stayed like this for hours, but the questions swirling in my mind wouldn't quiet themselves.
“Atlas?” He hummed and rubbed his cheek over my leg. “Can I ask you a couple questions?”
Atlas bolted upright, his head lifting suddenly from my lap. His luminous eyes widened as they fixed on mine. "There's much I haven't explained to you," he said softly. His claw-tipped hand reached out, gently brushing my cheek. "Would you allow me to tell you everything from the very beginning?"
I smiled and nodded. I had a feeling this was going to be way more extensive than my video game tutorial.
Atlas backed away and scratched his head with his claw. "Arcana Falls wasn't named by accident," he said, gesturing toward the waterfall. "These waters are why our town exists. They're what allow creatures like me to be more human than monster." His luminous eyes flickered toward the rushing water. "The effect varies among us. Some retain more... animal qualities than others. It depends on how much you consume, whether you bathe in it regularly, or perhaps something deeperabout your true nature." As he spoke, Atlas absently rubbed the fur on his chest, his claws gently combing through the dark tufts.
I gazed at him, my eyes soft. "To me, you're just Atlas. The wings, the fur—they're part of who you are. And yes, you might get a little... enthusiastic sometimes, but you're always gentle with me." I lifted his hand to my lips, pressed a kiss against his palm, then guided it to rest against my cheek.
Atlas shook his head, his antennae quivering slightly. "You don't understand what those waters truly do, Kassie." He turned to glance at the cascade behind them… barely taller than he was, a humble trickle compared to the majestic waterfalls humans celebrated in nature documentaries.
Yet, there was no denying the mysteriousness of it.
“Shifters have always been part human, part animal, but they still drink of it so they can control their animals when they turn into one. So they don’t forget who they are. The mayor, the Slenderman?” Atlas shivered. “I find him terrifying now at times. He has to come to the falls every day to drink the waters because his inner monster is so strong. His evil is deep and dark. He is old, and he must repress it daily."
I sat up straight and turned to the falls myself. “The more monstrous you are, the more water you need? And… monsters are drawn to it?”
Atlas nodded. “I need a drink once a year. I don’t believe Mothmen are that terrible. We don’t hunger for meat.” His eyes grew bright red.
“Except when you bite me?” I gently pushed his shoulder.
He chuckled nervously. “Um, yeah.”
“And these monsters just came in droves and stayed close? Made the town?”
Atlas nodded again. “We became more humanized? Civilized? Those are the words, I suppose? We have a home in town, and homes in the forest. We realized, though, we were missingsomething. Like our bodies were not complete. We had enough knowledge from drinking the water to realize we were empty.”
My brows furrowed.
Atlas's antennae twitched. "We learned from the wolf shifters about a sacred bond. They spoke of destined partners; humans whose souls were perfectly attuned to their own, as if chosen by ancient forces beyond our understanding."
I internally screamed in my head. All that fated romance reading had finally paid off.
Holy fuck! I hit the jackpot.
I rubbed the bite on my neck and smiled.
“ARE YOU MY MATE?!” I screamed and jumped into his arms. “ARE YOU REALLY?”
Atlas threw his hands up like I was radioactive, but I didn't care. I flung my arms around his neck and peppered his jawline with eager kisses, feeling the soft fur against my lips.
I couldn't believe my luck. The universe had handpicked someone just for me—and not just anyone, but this incredible, winged being who looked at me like I was his whole world.
Atlas let out a high-pitched chirp that vibrated through his chest, his antennae twitching with what seemed more like bewilderment than joy. "We call it a soul-match," he explained hesitantly, "but essentially... yes?"
