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A crash sounded outside the shack and I startled, everything coming into harsh focus.

“Right, on that note, Hen⁠—"

“Miko,” I countered automatically.

His eyebrow rose. “It's lovely to meet you, Honeybee.” He paused, then he winked. “I’m Bane and this is Goosey. Now, would you mind freeing my cellmate and I from our cage? Of course, I’d like nothing more than to stay. In fact, I find the accommodations bleedin’ outstanding.” He paused and looked around himself. “On a human scale, I’d wager it meets the five-star standard for most hotels, but it is a bit cramped for my liking.”

God, that accent.

My face heated as a blush spread onto my cheeks and the tops of my ears. I didn’t respond, especially to the pet name he’d already gifted me, instead, hurrying over to the door of the cage, then raised a brow as I noted the unused lock. I hadn't missed the chains shackled to his wrists, so I didn't comment on the absurd fact that he wasn't technically locked in. I stretched on my tiptoes, yet, as usual, I was too short to reach the latch to open the door. My lips formed into a frown, and I glanced at the lock. That’ll work. My arms shook as I hoisted myself onto the side of the lock, then gripped the cold metal of the bars with one hand and bent sideways, my fingertips brushing just enough of the latch mechanism that the door creeped open.

I hopped down and moved into the cage itself, the goose peering at me through slitted eyes. I never liked birds. I’d never forgotten my mother’s cockatoo that used to bite me on the ankles when I practiced piano as a child.

I found alternate routes around the nest other than to slide along the edge of it. I straightened my spine and continued forward as a mouthwatering scent accosted me, tantalizing imagination the closer I came to the grotesque. Bane. I quickly realized it must be coming from him. My eyes closed and I hastily grounded myself before I did something utterly foolish, like leaning in and sniffing his neck. What the hell is wrong with me?

“I could stare at you all day too, but we really ought to be going,” Bane said, and gently shook the chains attached to his wrist.

“Is there a key or…” As if my words triggered it, something is heated against the top of my leg. My hand flew to my pocket as the heat continued building to a near painful level. I quickly extracted the skeleton key, grasping it by the leather thong. As soon as the brass was in the open air, the terrific temperature coming from it vanished. I arched to brow, but there was no time to question it. Instinctively, I stepped up to the him and held the shackle attached to his wrist in a sweating palm, risking a glance at him from under my lashes. Immediately regretting my decision.

His hooded gaze sliced into me like daggers, intense and extremely cold, telling me of his obvious suspicion. I couldn't blame him as I just happened to have a key that would unlock his cuffs already on my person. However, I am not in the habit of explaining myself to anyone. I forced my hands to steady, inserted the key into the lock, then turned it until the slight sound of metal on metal broke the silence and locking mechanism disengaged.

Bane heaved out a huge sigh as I repeated the process on his other wrist without saying anything. The grotesque reached for me and I flinched backward, but not quickly enough. I gasped as he wrapped a hard, muscular arm around my ribs, lifting me and pressing me to his side, then tucked in his wings and marched forward, plastering the goose to his other side. Bane grunted as he turned himself sideways to fit through the small opening of the cage and promptly sauntered to the edge of the table and leaped off.

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I clung to the fabric of his shirt, digging my nails into his cool abdomen, as my lick legs kicked.

“I like her little sounds too,” he said, “but now is not the time for playing.”

I barely heard his utterance. I was too mute with shock and my pulse pounded in my ears. Bane flapped his wings, coming out of the glide, and steered us toward the wide-open doorway. I cranked my neck around and gaped internally at the gorgeous stone moth wings holding us aloft. I noted that they would be more detailed on the sides facing away from his back.

My neck pinched as my head whipped in the other direction, grunting and arguing voices momentarily grabbing my attention. Bane’s hold on me shifted as he released Goosey and she soared into the air. I squirmed under his arm, eager to be put down. I could make a break for the beanstalk I was all too familiar with, but the grotesque just flexed his muscles and clutched me tighter, repositioning his arms to cradle me against his chest, the position proving to be even more unescapable.

The wind whipped by us as we flew, and I watched the goose flying off into the clouds. Good for her.

My focused snagged on the giant and, most surprisingly, the asshole I kicked in the face running straight at us. “Go higher,” I shouted at Bane over the noise of his flapping wings and the resulting wind.

“No, I have…find the…first.” I was only able to make out half of the sentence.

I growled, frustration getting the best of me, and a much more powerful growl rumbled against me, emanating from his chest and causing my pussy to clench. My eyes widened at the unexpected arousal, then bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted copper.

Bane veered to the right, barely missing the giant as he grabbed for us. I exhaled heavily. I might survive this yet. A short laugh burst passed my lips. All thanks to a flying, living and breathing grotesque. My eyes met his as he glanced down and flashed a harsh grin at me. I stared at him, glimpsing something unexplainable and my heart tugged viciously. The moment vanished in a blink and agony raced across my temple, pain replacing the connection between us as something struck me from the side.

I struggled to keep my eyes open, nausea swirling in my gut. My hand rose and I gingerly touched the painful spot on my skull, then brought them down to stare at the crimson coating my fingertips. “That’s unfortunate,” I slurred as inky darkness swallowed my consciousness.

CHAPTER 5

Flirting with Reality

BANE

Something blurred in my peripheral vision, followed by the distinct sound of something shattering on the ground. I scanned the giant’s yard, spotting the shards of a ceramic plant pot pelted into the ground, then Miko's body slumped into me, her head dangling over my forearm.

My stomach bottomed out as I noticed the blood gushing down the side of her face. I tried to focus on flying, but my instincts warred with one another. I shook her limp body, pure panic overwhelming me but stopped as her head flopped around and more of her life’s essence leaked onto my forearm. Logic fought through the haze of panic, and I pressed two clawed fingers to the side of her neck, refusing to acknowledge their slight tremor.

A weak, but steady pulse greeted my fingertips.

My shoulders lowered from my ears, then I banked sharply, intending to go pulverize them. “I thought they had taken her from me. My mate.”

“We have been over this. She's not your mate,” Freddy stated flatly.