Page 91 of Galen

I turned to face him, surprised by his grave expression. His light gray eyes shone with an unspoken worry. It was one I felt too—that this happiness wouldn’t last.

“Yes,” I rasped. Emotion lodged in my throat.

“I want you to really think about what that means, Simon.” Galen smoothed his fingers down my arm, a faraway look in his eyes. “You already have to lie to Kyo. If you truly want a relationship with me, you’ll have to keep lying. To him. To anyone else you meet. My life is bloody. Violent. Demons, their minions, powerful beings that are on their side… all of them will have your scent. Being with me will put you in constant danger.”

“Teach me how to defend myself, then,” I said, refusing to let him scare me away. Because that’s exactly what he was trying to do.

Galen kissed my fingertips. “I dread the thought of these gentle hands holding a weapon.”

“Doyounot want this?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Is that why you’re trying to get me to leave you?”

Finally, life returned to his eyes. He gripped the side of my neck and pressed his forehead to mine. “That’s not why. I’ve already told you that I can’t push you away. Yet, I feel selfish for saying such a thing. If something ever happened to you because I couldn’t protect you, I don’t know what—”

“Stop,” I said, placing my hand over his. “This ismychoice, Galen. You’re not making me do anything. I can’t walk away from you any more than you can walk away from me. I…” The words caught in my throat.

“You what?”

I stared at his long dark lashes and how they cast shadows on the tops of his cheeks. I traced the curve of his strong jaw and then touched his full bottom lip. He was devastating in his beauty, an ancient warrior who’d seen civilizations rise and fall. The son of a fallen angel who only wanted to prove—to himself and others—that he was different than the cruel male who’d fathered him. He was protective and kind. He made me feel warm and safe. Cherished.

“I love you,” I whispered, blinking away tears. Weight lifted off my shoulders as I said the words. I’d been holding them back for ages. “So you see? I can’t leave you. I don’t want to. What I want is this moment right here.” I pressed closer to him. “Waking up with you beside me. Feeling your heart beat against mine.”

“Simon…”

“You don’t have to say it back,” I said in a rush as nerves jumbled in my stomach. “I know it’s too soon for me to feel that way, and—”

“Simon,” he said again, this time firmer. When he took hold of my chin and forced my gaze up to him, I saw a trace of a smile in his eyes. He smoothed the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip. “Take a breath.”

I inhaled, then released it.

His lips twitched. “Better?”

“Yes.” A pause. “No. I don’t know.”

I tried to pull away. But he brought me right back.

“You can’t run away that easy, little human,” he said, face in the crease of my neck. “Not when you just said those words to me.”

“What words? I’ve said a lot in the past minute.”

He lifted his head and cut his eyes at me.

I smiled against my will. I couldn’t fight it. Was this what love was supposed to feel like? Scary, confusing, exhilarating, and warm all at once? I had thought I’d loved a few past boyfriends before, but it hadn’t felt anything like this.

No, this was incomparable.

The tenderness in Galen’s eyes made me believe that he felt the same about me, even if he couldn’t say it yet.

With one small push forward of my head, our lips met. His fingers threaded through my hair as mine danced along his back. He released his wings and draped them over us, the soft feathers caressing my skin as he settled between my legs.

Two months ago, I would’ve never dreamed I’d be naked in bed with a winged sex god of a man on top of me, his lips pressing to mine as our hard cocks slid together. My eyes had been opened to a whole new world, one with magic, found family, and love.

I should’ve known it wouldn’t last.

Galen suddenly froze.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“It’s Castor,” he said, his fingers digging into his temple. “He’s…” He broke off and groaned, as if in pain. “Something’s wrong.”