Page 46 of Demon's Heart

Ollie hesitated. “Yeah, sure. I’ll let you know.”

Dante couldn’t help thinking he wouldn’t. Ollie was holding back, and while Dante understood, he worried it would hurt them both.

They hadn’t been ready for their bond, and having it formed anyway made things harder between them. Dante should have had time to become close to Ollie before closeness was thrust on them.

He didn’t know if Ollie would ever embrace their bond when it would always be something he hadn’t chosen.

“I think I need to sleep and wake up on a day that isn’t today,” Ollie said. “Let’s playWorld’s Endtomorrow night, okay?”

Yes, that was a good idea. They’d go back to building their friendship as they had been. Dante would block out Ollie’s emotions, and maybe the bond could sit there, patiently waiting for them to be ready. Whatever he had to do, Dante would deal with this and make it work.

“I’ll look forward to it. There’s a few missions I’d like to bring you on. I could use your dragon.”

“Perfect.” Ollie glanced out the sliding glass door. “So, how do we get off the reserve? Is there a path down to the road?”

Dante grabbed his phone and slipped it into his pocket. “No. I’ll have to fly you down the hill.”

Ollie swallowed, his throat bobbing. “There’s no other way?”

“It’d be a very long walk, especially through the underbrush without a path.” Dante tensed, something cold pooling in his gut. “Do my wings make you uncomfortable?”

Ollie shook his head, worry flashing across his features. “No, you don’t make me uncomfortable. It’s not your wings. I, um, don’t really like heights.”

At least Ollie didn’t detest his true form. Dante wasn’t sure he could handle that. “We won’t fly high, barely above the trees, and I’ve carried much bigger beings than you. I won’t let you fall.”

Ollie studied him for a moment. “Okay. I trust you.”

Dante tamped down the urge to preen as he led Ollie out of the house. Every shred of Ollie’s trust made Dante feel like he could take care of his mate—even after failing so miserably—and made it seem possible to get from here to a place where their bond reflected their closeness rather than forced it.

Outside, Dante removed his shirt and let his wings and horns loose. He flexed, shaking out his feathers, muscles singing at the freedom of movement.

“Wow,” Ollie breathed, gaze sweeping over Dante. “Is it rude to ask to touch your feathers?”

Dante smiled, feathers tingling at the prospect. “Not at all.” He stretched out his wings, displaying his full wingspan for his mate’s inspection.

Ollie stepped closer, a tentative hand reaching out, and stroked Dante’s left wing. “Your feathers are warm. So soft. And some of them sparkle.”

Dante swallowed a purr. Ollie’s fingertips felt divine, sending shivers down every last one of his nerve endings. Ollie was being so delicate, touching Dante like he was fragile or precious. “It’s my fire. It makes all demons—and Eternals—run warm. And my heat sometimes gives me a glow, or as you say, sparkle.”

Ollie stroked Dante’s wing back and forth, his movements growing more confident. “Fire…like your mage in the game. You have so many secrets.”

Dante ruffled the wing Ollie was petting, and Ollie giggled. “They aren’t secrets now. You can ask me anything.”

Ollie’s assessing gaze swept over Dante like he was ready to take up the challenge, and Dante shivered. “Don’t you have a tail?”

Dante’s face heated. “I wasn’t sure if you noticed that tattoo.” Ollie hadn’t been himself in the shower and Dante wouldn’t have been surprised if the whole scene hadn’t registered.

“I noticed.” Ollie looked toward Dante’s rear, his cheeks flushing. “Where is it?”

Heat spread through Dante’s body. “I didn’t free my tail, so it’s still a tattoo. I wasn’t sure if it would be too strange.”

Ollie’s brow furrowed. “You aren’t strange. None of you, not your tail, or magic, or anything. You don’t have to hide yourself from me, Dante.”

Relief released a tightness Dante hadn’t realized was growing in his chest. “You aren’t bothered that I’m not human?”

Ollie shrugged. “No. I never saw this coming, but I don’t mind that we’re different. It’s kind of cool.”

Cool. Dante would take it.