Malcolm lifts me from the chair—earning an annoyed meow from Shadow—and sits down with me in his lap. I settle against his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heart. Outside, the suncontinues its climb into the sky, burning away the morning mist and painting the world in shades of gold.
"I saw wolves," I tell him, playing with his fingers where they rest on my hip. "They were hunting a deer. One of them looked right at me."
"They hunt here often," he says, his breath stirring my hair. "That's probably the Gray Valley pack. The big one with the scar?—"
"That's the one that saw me."
He hums thoughtfully. "They're not afraid of me, even though they know what I am. Natural predators recognize each other, I suppose."
"Is that what you are? A predator?"
"I'm whatever I need to be to keep you safe." He says it simply, like it's the most natural thing in the world. And perhaps it is.
I twist in his lap to look at him, studying the fierce protectiveness in his expression. "And what am I? Still an angel? A demon's lover? Something in between?"
"You're Elysia." He touches my wing gently, fingers stroking the new dark feathers growing in. "Everything else is just details."
Shadow reappears, jumping onto the arm of the chair to headbutt Malcolm's shoulder. He scratches behind her ears automatically, and my heart melts a little at how domestic this feels. A demon, a fallen angel, and a cat, watching the sunrise together.
"We'll leave once you’ve finished your coffee," Malcolm says after a while. "I have a place in the mountains where we'll be safe. No one knows about it. We’ll be able to hide out there while we figure out what to do. Others will be here today or tomorrow in search of Kris and Vernon, and then they’ll be looking for me.”
“Okay,” I sigh, settling back against his chest. No one else knows I’m here, so they’ll only be looking for Malcolm. The world is waiting with all its dangers and complications, but for these few precious moments, we are simply us. Simplytogether.
Chapter 7
MALCOLM
I've lived for centuries, but I've never known peace like this.
Elysia straddles me, warm and real andmine, watching the forest come alive with daylight. The shirt she's wearing—myshirt—has slipped off one shoulder, revealing smooth skin that I can't help but pepper with soft kisses. She moans a sound of contentment, warming my heart as she leans into my chest.
A wiser man would be figuring out how to dispose of the bodies upstairs, how to cover our tracks, how to keep her safe from both Heaven and Hell. Instead, I'm memorizing the way sunlight catches in her hair, the subtle iridescence of her healing wings and the way they’re changing color, the perfect weight of her in my arms.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks, turning to study my face.
"How much trouble I'm in." I trace the line of her collarbone with my finger, watching her shiver. "A demon warrior, brought low byonefallen angel."
"Brought low?" She raises an eyebrow. "I’ve never heard anyone say that."
"Completely defeated." I press another kiss to her shoulder. "Thoroughly conquered. Utterly vanquished."
She laughs, the sound brighter than anything I’ve witnessed. "You don't seem very vanquished to me."
"No?" I let my hands slide down her sides, feeling her breath catch. "Should I demonstrate my complete surrender?"
Shadow chooses that moment to demand attention, headbutting my arm with an imperious meow. Elysia giggles as I grunt in frustration. "Your cat has terrible timing."
"Ourcat," she corrects, then freezes as if realizing what she's said.
The simple word—our—hits me like a physical blow. I've been alone for so long, content in my solitude, never having the desire to share my space or my life. Now I can't imagine my home without her in it, can't picture a future where she isn't by my side.
"Our cat," I agree, watching her eyes widen. "Our life. If... if that's what you want."
She leans back in my lap, still straddling me so she can look directly into my eyes. Her wings stretch slightly, catching the morning light. The new feathers growing in are stunning—deep blue-black like she was meant to be this way all along. Like she was meant to bemineall along.
I don’t rush her as she finishes her coffee, and then set her aside as I rise from the chair. I need to pack a few things before we head out.
She catches my hand as I step away. "Will they be able to track us?"
