Iwatch Angel stride toward me, and before I know it, I’m thrown over his strong, wide shoulder in one smooth move. With my stomach pressed against his back, I shiver when he kisses my hip and starts walking like I’m not dangling from his shoulder like a rag doll.
Swatting his bum, I ask, “Uh, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Taking my mate on a date.”
“And making all my blood rush into my brain is necessary?” Angel snickers but doesn’t put me down until we’re on the roof.
When he turns to a hidden corner, I see a set of stairs someone could easily pass by without noticing. I expect Anxo to put me down, but he continues on the stairs until we reach a smaller roof.
Once my feet are on solid ground and the world stops spinning, it’s impossible to tear my eyes from the sky above me. I’m not particularly fond of humans, their realm or their existence in general, but I can’t say the same for their sky. The night above me is littered with thousands of twinkling stars and half a moon peeking from behind an odd-shaped cloud.
That one looks like a man with a horn.
When Angel clears his throat, I shift my attention to my very own miracle instead of the one above me, and my jaw goes slack at what I find.
A comfy mattress lies on the roof with a fluffy blanket thrown at the end. My favorite snacks are scattered on one side with a mini cooler, which I’m sure is filled with the sugary drinks I love—the ones Angel thinks are unhealthy. Dozens of flickering candles create a perfect square around the mattress, and when I step closer the invisible dome of protection ripples to let me pass.
“Why?”
Angel turns to look at me ridiculously as if the question is the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “You like stargazing, and I thought this would make a perfect second date.” He shrugs shyly and pulls back the comforter before gesturing me to get in. “Come here, sweetheart, I’ve been itching for snuggles the whole day.”
When he beckons me with that irresistible curve of his lips, it’s hard not to obey. Abandoning my slippers, I carefully slide next to him, making sure not to knock over any candles accidentally. His arm immediately pulls me to his side.
I told Anxo about my love for starry nightsonce,in passing, and this man not only remembers it but uses that small bit of insight to do something so cute for me. I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I won’t let that deter me from having him.
Nuzzling my face in his neck, I bite so he knows I need my fill of kisses and attention. Our affection has only increased with time. Before, Anxo always had to be around me, but now he has to touch me at all times, or he would throw a fit.I love the way he craves me.
With my head on his shoulder, I turn to take in my second favorite view after my mate. I’ve always been comfortable with darkness, whether it’s around or within me. The dark sky above me reminds me not to look at my own darkness as something that weighs me down, but what makes my stars shine that much brighter.
I admit I’m terrified about having to start fresh and learning life all over again, but I refuse to give my past the power to stop me from doing everything I once wanted and was deprived of.
Angel clears his throat, stealing my attention again, and I turn my head on his shoulder. The way he swallows tightly lets me know tonight is for more than just gazing at the stars.
When he breathes out, I watch the fog around his mouth. “I admit I have an ulterior motive for this date. There are a few things I want you to know before we go home.”
“What’s wrong?”
When I do a poor job hiding my worry, his head turns to me. “Hey, no need to let that brain go haywire. I just thought some things about my life are best if you hear from me rather than in hushed whispers around the kingdom. Bear in mind I don’t have many fun stories, sweetheart.”
“I don’t care if they’re good or bad. When it comes to you, I want it all.” Nodding my head against him, I snuggle closer and prepare for whatever he throws at me.
His hesitance hits me at once, and I feel so juvenile, thinking my struggles with sharing my past were only affecting me. From the day we met, Anxo has been hyper-focused on helping me heal, and I never once bothered to ask ifhewas okay, too. I have to be a better mate than that. I can’t ask him to soothe my wounds and nurture my broken soul and not do the same for him.
To distract us both, Angel makes the hexagon dome above us reflect shades of rainbow before returning to transparent.
“Did you make the protective dome pretty for me?”
His eyes sparkle as he leans in to steal a kiss. “I do my best when it comes to you.”
Sighing heavily, Anxo grips my fingers on his stomach and holds me as if he’s gathering strength from my presence and lays it all out in the open. “Growing up in the Conquer was—It wasn’tthe kind of environment I would want August to grow up in. Life was awful before the kingdoms merged, and we had to move.My parents…” he trails off before taking another deep breath.
The force behind his last words tells me I won’t like my in-laws much after tonight. “They aren’t the greatest at parenting. I was never enough, always a disappointment. Now that I’m older, I know it was emotional abuse, but knowing what it was doesn’t change anything.”
He stops to search my face. “Sometimes it got physical. Don’t worry, it was an occasional thing; they didn’t have much time for reprimanding. And then I had my growth spurt quite early compared to other kids my age, so it didn’t work after I was also their size.”
Rage unlike I’ve ever felt settles in my chest. I’m explosive when I’m angry, but the anger simmering just below the surface is new to me and much wilder. Squeezing his fingers, I count the beat of his heart to settle down. I know I’m harboring this rage on purpose since his parents aren’t here for me to tear them apart, but I refuse to let this go.
I have a long list of people I want bound and bleeding in my torture cell and his parents just made the list. I don’t give a fuck who they are; anyone who touches my mate deserves everything my fucked up head comes up with.
