by Jasmine Walt
“Right,” Gilbert says. “Not having birds shit on me when I’m sleeping would be nice.”
“That would be, though that’s not what made me consider the spell. I don’t want anyone seeing you.” I go into the pantry and grab a can of chicken noodle soup. “It’s not breaking the curse, but it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s progress,” Hasan says.
I heat up the soup, find Tylenol and the antibiotics, and go upstairs. Jacques is in bed, leaning back on the pillows but not covered up. The lights aren’t on, and I carefully move through the dark to set the bowl of soup on the dresser.
“I hope you’re not allergic to amoxicillin.” I turn on the bedside light and twist open a water bottle, handing it to Jacques.
“What is it?”
“Medicine. It’s called antibiotics, and it kills bacteria—the sickness—inside of you.” I sit on the bed next to him, opening the pill bottle. “And this one will lower your fever and help with pain.” I put the pills in his hand and he looks at them curiously. “You swallow them whole.”
“This little thing cures illness?”
“You have to take more than one, but yeah. Pretty cool, huh?”
“We’ve come a long way.” He pops the pills in his mouth and takes a drink.
“A very long way.” I trade the pill bottles for the soup and turn on the TV that sits on my dresser.
“You don’t have to sit here with me,” Jacques says, stirring the soup.
“I know. I’ll stay long enough to make sure you don’t have a deathly reaction to the medication and then I’ll get back to work.”
“Work?”
“On breaking the curse. And figuring out who sent the ghouls.”
“Maybe you should take it easy,” he says gently, bringing a spoonful of soup to his lips.
“I’ll take it easy after these assholes are caught. You know how I operate.”
“I do, and I know how much you wear yourself out in the pursuit of catching the bad guy.”
“I’m okay,” I tell him. “I fell asleep early this morning after I got everything cleaned up. And sitting around doing nothing will drive me crazy.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “How do you think I feel?”
“You need to rest way more than I do. You’re sick and injured.”
“One more day of sleep and I’ll be fine.”
“I hope.” I get up, grabbing a blanket from the closet.
“I think this is overkill, Ace,” Jacques says as I cover him up.
“You’re welcome.” I sit back down next to him, flipping through channels. Hasan likes action movies, specifically science fiction ones, Thomas and Gilbert prefer comedies, and Jacques is drawn to documentaries. It’s interesting how different they all are, and how attractive the different qualities are in each of them. I turn on a documentary about the Civil War that Jacques had been watching and lean back, adjusting the pillows so I don’t put too much pressure on his wings.
“Thank you, Ace,” Jacques says when he’s done eating. “For taking care of me.”
“You’re welcome, though I’ll admit I’m not really sure what to do. You’re not exactly human, but you still are in some ways.”
“I’m starting to feel better, so whatever you did is working.”
“Starting to feel better?” I raise my eyebrows. “I thought you said you were fine.”
“I’m not dying, so I’m fine.”
“There’s a pretty big difference between ‘not dying’ and ‘fine,’ you know.”
“I’m starting to realize that.”
“Mental health is just as important as physical health now. And happiness is important. People don’t want to just survive. They want to live.”
“Was that what you were doing before?” he asks softly. “Surviving?”
In the literal sense, no. But in the way he means it…yes. “I was afraid to get close to anyone, but now that I have…”
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” He twists, wincing slightly from the pressure the movement puts on his wound, and cups my face. I push myself up, drawn to his full lips. My heart lurches and I close my eyes, tipping my head to his. For the second time, he kisses me, and instantly my body craves more.
Jacques moves his hand from my cheek to my hair, and his tongue slips into my mouth. Desire to feel his body on mine sweeps through me, hardening my nipples and making my pussy ache with need.
I cup his face, stubble rough on the palm of my hand. Kissing me harder, he pulls his hand through my hair and gently runs his fingertips down along my shoulder, sending a chill through me and making me shiver.
“Do you not like that?” he asks softly, lips brushing against mine as he speaks.
“I do,” I whisper back. “It turns me on.”
I can feel him smile, and he kisses me again, running his fingertips over my shoulder once more before letting his hand fall down my back. He bunches up the hem of my tank top and flattens his hand over the small of my back, pressing me against him.
Pushing up onto my knees, I hook my arms around his neck and not so gracefully move to straddle him. He grips my waist, sliding down onto the mattress, and brings me with him. I lose my balance and put a hand on his chest to catch myself.
“Shit,” I say when he flinches. “Did I hurt you?”
Jacques answers by squeezing my ass and raking his fingers up my back so he can pull me back to him. I’ll take that as a no. Lifting his head off the pillow to kiss me, he shifts his weight and moves his wings beneath us.
I’ve been on top many times with the others before, and they’ve all said the pressure from my weight doesn’t hurt their wings. It bothers me for all of a minute or two, and then all I can think about is how good it feels to fuck them.
Jac is no exception, and I fall forward, holding myself up with one hand and curling the other around the back of his head, combing his hair with my fingers. He moans and wraps both arms around me, kissing me harder than before.
“I’ve wanted to do this since the night I first saw you,” he says between kisses, bunching up the hem of my shirt.
“Why didn’t you?” I don’t give him a chance to answer, needing to kiss him again. My heart is racing, my body humming with anticipation. He brings his hands up again, gripping my shoulders.
“I wanted it to be you.”
“Me?” I break away, moving only far enough back so that I can look into his eyes.
“Yes. You.” He kisses me again. “Not her.” He brings his hand up to my face, pushing my hair back, and I know what he’s talking about.
“Who do you see now?”
“You. Only you.” He drags his fingers up my back and pushes his hips into mine. I rock back, needing to feel his cock harden beneath me. I’ve felt it before in my dreams, seen it even, had it push inside me. But right now, everything is new. Everything is happening for the first time, and it’s just us.
Sitting back, I rest my hands on his chest and circle his wound with one finger. I gently rock my hips, rubbing against his dick. Jacques puts both hands on my waist, licking his lips as he looks at me, cock hardening.
I’m so hot, so wound up and ready to be fucked. And he hasn’t even touched me yet. My clit begs to have his deft fingers on it, to have him rub me and make me come so hard we have to change the sheets.
I drop down, kissing his neck. He takes the hem of my tank top in his hands and bunches it in his grip, pulling it up over my head. I push myself back up, allowing him to admire my breasts. Gripping the headboard, I lean over, tits in his face. He takes one in each hand and brings his mouth up, tongue circling my nipple. He takes the other between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing it just hard enough to send a jolt through me.
Bending my head down, I kiss his lips, then leave a trail of kisses down his neck. Gently, I press my lips over the gauze on his chest.
“I never thanked you.” I splay my hand on the opposite pec, fingers sliding over his nipple. “You saved my life.”
&
nbsp; He sits up quickly, arms fastening around my waist. Flipping us over, he parts my legs and moves between them. The tip of his large cock sticks out from the waistband of his athletic pants, and my pussy quivers, knowing that big thing is going to be a tight fit. But—fuck—it’s going to feel good.
Wings slightly spread above me, he buries his head in my neck, kissing and sucking as he reaches down, caressing my thigh. I bend my knees, wrapping my legs around him, getting wetter and hotter by the second.
“You said you didn’t know what you’d do if something happened to one of us.” He thrusts his cock against me. “I feel the same about you, Ace. When I saw that ghoul, I thought for a second you were going to die. And I’ve never felt such pain and horror at the same time. All I knew was if we lost you, we’d be lost. You’ve given us hope and a reason to live every night with meaning again.”
My heart is in my throat and I swallow back my emotions. I’m not as eloquent in my words as he is, and everything would come out jumbled if I tried to say something similar back. I lived a lonely life, never fully realizing how much I isolated myself and guarded my heart. They tore down walls I didn’t realize I had put up.
“I don’t want to lose you. Any of you.”
“You won’t.” Jacques kisses me like it’s the only thing he’s allowed to do, and I can’t get his pants off fast enough. I sit up, crashing into his chest, and push them down as far as I can get them. He shifts to the side and removes them, then swiftly tugs at my shorts. I lift my hips off the mattress, easing the shorts off.
He runs his hand up my thigh, fingers sweeping over my core, brushing my clit through my panties. Slipping his hand beneath the fabric, he groans when he finds how wet I am, and strips them off me as fast as he can.
Widening my legs, I welcome him back on top of me, and reach down and wrap my fingers around his thick shaft. I pump my hand up and down it a few times, circling my thumb over the tip. Then I angle my hips so I can rub him against me, using his cock like it’s a sex toy and he’s only here to please me.
He turns his head down, watching me rub his cock on my clit, and then kisses me again. I circle my hips as I rub faster and faster, tingles shooting all the way through me. I moan as I come, holding his cock against my clit, drawing the orgasm out as long as I can.
Spreading my legs wider, he takes my hand off his cock and holds it on the pillow above my head. He lines up his cock and puts his lips to mine as he slowly pushes in. He fills every inch of me, so tight it almost hurts. Gently, he pulls back and thrusts in again, taking the time to warm me up and get me ready for what’s to come.
He said he’s wanted to have sex since he first saw me. He’s held out, resisting until he was able to see me as me and not as Braeya. The attraction between us has been static but definitely there, driving us both wild.
Bringing his head down, he kisses the side of my neck and presses my hand down into the pillow. And then he starts fucking me, hard and fast. The bed shakes, hitting the wall behind us. My mouth falls open and my breath hitches in my chest. That big cock rubs against my clit, stroking my inner walls in exactly the right places.
I hold onto him, feeling connected on another level, and close my eyes, unable to process anything other than just how amazing this feels. Holding himself up with his elbows, he kisses me with desperation again, and slows his movements just long enough for me to catch my breath. When he starts up again, I’m hit with an orgasm. Coming from deep within, it rolls through me, pussy spasming around his cock.
“You’re so fucking tight,” he groans, lips going back to my neck.
“You’re…you’re just…so…big.”
My words send him over the edge, and he bites my flesh and pushes in even deeper.
“Jac!” I cry out, and one hand flies to his chest. He’s in so deep it almost hurts, but I’m so overcome from the last orgasm I don’t stop him. His breathing quickens and he lets out a moan, mouth still against my neck as he comes. His cock pulses inside me and his heart thumps along with mine.
He kisses me before pulling out and rolling over on the mattress. Panting, I don’t move, but turn my head to look at him. He pulls me into an embrace, spooning his body around mine.
“I never knew if I really wanted her before or if she made me want her,” he starts, lips brushing against the back of my neck as he talks. “Now I know.”
“Did you want her?”
“No. Compared to this, it was nothing.”
I twist in his arms, hooking my leg over his. “I’ll find a way to undo what happened because of her.”
“I know.” He brushes my hair back. “Though if it wasn’t for what happened, I never would have met you. Maybe…maybe this was how it was meant to be all along.”
“What about the others?”
“They got mixed up in it when they shouldn’t have. They had nothing to do with her.”
I close my eyes and wiggle closer to him, not sure if he’s trying to say he wishes it was just me and him. I care about them all the same, and the others don’t have an issue with our arrangement.
Jacques is the only one who’s ever seemed jealous. Now that we’ve finally slept together, I hope it doesn’t create problems.
18
“You’re bleeding, but it’s not bad,” I say, smoothing the gauze back over Jacques’s wound.
He slits his eyes open, looking down at his chest, and nods. Not too concerned, he relaxes again, reaching for me. Still naked, we cuddle up together, and he runs his fingers up and down my back. I put my leg over his and comb my fingers through his hair.
Being able to heal while sleeping is amazing. Lifesaving. I can’t rush the guys to a hospital if they get injured, and my medical know-how is limited to first aid performed in the house. I know the guys want to be human again, but if I start chipping away at the curse, am I putting them in danger?
Jacques’s hand drops to the mattress, and I push up on my elbow, watching him sleep for a moment. Curling back up against him and hiding under the covers would be nice. It’s too early for me to actually sleep, but getting something to eat and turning the TV back on sounds so tempting right now.
But I can’t give in to temptation, no matter how innocent it is. I have work to do. Carefully, I move away from Jacques and tuck him back in. Turning on the ceiling fan, I get dressed and gather up the dishes, taking them down into the kitchen. Stomach grumbling, I go to the pantry, too lazy to make anything, and grab a granola bar.
“How is he?” Hasan asks, striding in from the living room.
“He’ll be fine. Sleep speeds up the healing process or something.” A glimmer comes to Hasan’s eyes as he considers my words. “That does not mean you get to be reckless,” I add.
“I’ll do my best.” He gets something from the fridge and goes outside to keep watch around the house. I tear open my granola bar and sit at the table, looking over everything I have laid out for the spell. The floor creaks behind me, and I see Thomas’s reflection in the window next to me.
“Want to be my guinea pig again?” I pick up one of the quartz amulets and run my fingers over the smooth stone.
“What is that?”
“A guinea pig is a rodent, but the phrase means to be a test subject or the first person to try something new.”
“Oh, and sure. What am I trying?”
“The concealment spell.” I turn around, expecting to see Thomas’s face light up with excitement. Frowning, he strides forward and lays his hands on my shoulders.
“Why don’t you take a night off?”
“I don’t do nights off.”
“I’ve noticed.” He massages my muscles and my eyes fall shut for a few seconds. “It’s going to catch up to you.”
“It hasn’t yet.”
“Not recently.”
I turn around, eyeing him. “What do you mean?”
“You get tired and behind and I know you can’t be happy.”
“Fine. That might be a little true, but we have some ve
ry pressing issues right now.”
Thomas sits in the chair next to me and takes my hands in his. “You deserve to have fun, Ace. Taking time off for yourself isn’t a bad thing.”
I drop my gaze. “I know.” Having a hard time relaxing isn’t anything new and is probably one of the reasons I’ve had a hard time making friends over the years. Dedicating my life to work is admirable and all, but doesn’t make for a good social life. Deep down I know why I was so hesitant to stop and relax before: I didn’t want to realize how lonely I was. I didn’t want to give the void in my heart time to ache and remind me how pathetic my life had become.
That was true then, and now my life is anything but pathetic. I’m not lonely. Being with the guys makes me happy.
“You’re right.” I look into Thomas’s blue eyes. “I do need to have fun. So…what should we do?”
“Drink and watch TV? I wish I could take you out to a restaurant like they do in movies.”
I shift my eyes to the table again. “Maybe you can.”
“The concealment spell.”
“Yes. If we can hide your wings, you can come out with me.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Beaming, he lets go of my hands and picks up the crystal. “Let’s do this.”
I hold my hand over the bowl of herbs and close my eyes. Thomas sits in front of me, and Gil is next to him, curiously watching.
“With this charm, I conceal your wings,” I repeat for the third time, and reach inside the bowl, curling my fingers around the crystal. It grows hot in my hand, and a jolt of electricity passes through me and into the stone. I open my eyes just in time to see it glowing blue for a few seconds before fading.
“Okay,” I say, turning to Thomas. “I think it worked.”
He pushes his shoulders back and leans forward, letting me slip the crystal over his head. It falls against his chest, and nothing happens.
“Motherfucker,” I mumble, pursing my lips. “I really thought it would—”
Thomas touches the crystal and the blue light inside it comes back in a bright flash, passing through his fingers, up his arm, and to his wings. Encased in blue light, they flicker a few times, and then disappear.