Page 56

As the others arranged their bedrolls around the fire, Sky and I moved to the edge of our clearing, positioning ourselves with our backs to the warmth and our eyes to the darkness.

The twisted trees created strange, elongated shadows in the moonlight, making it difficult to distinguish between harmless vegetation and potential threats.

“Can you sense anything?” I whispered, my staff clutched tightly in my hands.

Sky closed his eyes, his ears rotating like small radars. “Nothing close,” he murmured after a moment. “But there’s something... off. The forest feels like it’s holding its breath.”

I knew what he meant. The usual nighttime sounds of insects and nocturnal creatures were absent, replaced by an oppressive silence that seemed to press against my ears. The only sound was the occasional crack of our fire and the soft breathing of our companions behind us.

“Are you afraid?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

Sky’s blue eyes found mine in the darkness. “Yes,” he admitted simply. “But not of dying. I’ve faced that before.” His hand found mine, fingers intertwining. “I’m afraid of losing this. Of losing you.”

My heart constricted at his words. In the short time we’d known each other, Sky had become essential to me in ways I couldn’t fully articulate.

Maybe it was because he’d almost died in front of me or maybe it was because we were both trapped in this hellish nightmare and we just didn’t want to be alone.

Either way, I wanted him close. And the thought of either of us not surviving what lay ahead was nearly unbearable.

“We’re going to make it through this,” I promised, squeezing his hand. “All of us. ”

He didn’t respond, but his tail curled around my ankle, a gesture that had become his way of saying things he couldn’t put into words.

We stood in silence for a while, watching the darkness, listening to the unnatural quiet. One of the broken statues stood nearby, its faceless head tilted slightly as if regarding us with curiosity. I found myself staring at it, trying to discern what deity it might have represented.

“Oliver,” Sky said suddenly. “Are we… together ?”

The bluntness of his question caught me off guard.

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “I hadn’t really thought about putting a label on it.

” I looked him over although he kept his gaze locked on the darkness beyond the camp.

“Is that something you want? You always talk about being better off alone…”

“I… I don’t know,” he stammered, shaking his head. “And it’s not like I can be alone anymore now. Not after everything that happened with Boromia.”

My chest tightened. “So, all this between us is just… convenient ?”

His eyes went wide. “No! That’s not what I meant! I just…”

“You just what?”

“I wasn’t sure if you liked me back.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I literally told you I do.”

“Yeah, but… sometimes… the way you look at Kai…” He paused, looking up at me with anxious eyes. “Wouldn’t you rather have him? He’s a lot better than me. More stable too. And he’s not grumpy all the time and doesn’t yell at people and?—”

I grabbed Sky by the jaw, forcing his lips to mine, cutting him off mid-sentence. Sky stiffened for just a moment before melting into the kiss, his hands finding my waist. When we broke apart, his eyes were wide, ears perked forward attentively.

“I don’t want Kai,” I whispered fiercely. “I want you. Grumpiness and all.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, rare and beautiful. “Even on the bad days?”

“Even on the bad days,” I admitted, brushing my thumb across his cheek. “Though maybe try not egg on Kuro. He’s insufferable enough without the extra ammunition.”

Sky’s soft laugh warmed something inside me, a brief respite from the dread that had been our constant companion. His tail swished gently behind him, betraying his pleasure at my words.

“Then yes,” he murmured, leaning his forehead against mine. “We’re together. ”

We stayed like that for a moment, suspended in a fragile bubble of happiness amid the corrupted forest. The broken statue watched us silently, its weathered face inscrutable in the moonlight.

“Do you want to find a private spot?” Sky whispered shyly, his ears swiveling back toward the group.

I lifted an eyebrow. “Right now? Here of all places?”

He grinned mischievously. “Why not? The forest is quiet, and we don’t know what tomorrow might bring.”

I glanced back at the others, all of them lying close to the fire, their backs to us. My heart thudded in my chest, excitement seeping through my veins and pooling in my groin. “S-Sure,” I whispered, realizing he was right. “But let’s not go too far.”

Sky took my hand, leading me away from the firelight but still within sight of our sleeping companions.

We moved among the broken statues, their worn faces seeming to turn and follow our progress through the clearing.

The moonlight cast everything in silver, making the forest look almost beautiful despite its wrongness.

“Here,” Sky whispered, pulling me behind a massive fallen column. The ancient stone was cool against my back as he pressed me against it, his body warm and solid against mine.

His lips found mine in the darkness, hungry and insistent.

I melted into his embrace, fingers tangling in his hair, careful to avoid his sensitive wolf ears.

The danger of our situation, the looming threat of Ivros Hollow, it all seemed to fall away as Sky’s hands slipped beneath my tunic, calloused palms sliding over my skin.

“We should be quick,” I murmured against his mouth, even as I tugged at his belt.

Sky nodded, his breathing already ragged. “Quick but quiet,” he agreed, nipping gently at my lower lip.

There was an urgency to our movements, a desperate need to connect before whatever awaited us tomorrow. Sky’s tail swished behind him as he worked at the laces of my pants, his blue eyes gleaming in the darkness. When his hand finally wrapped around me, I had to bite my lip to stifle a moan.

“Shh,” he whispered, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t wake the others.”

I pulled him closer, capturing his mouth once more as we moved together in the shadows. His body was hot against mine, a stark contrast to the unnatural chill of the forest. I lost myself in the sensation, in the familiar scent of him, earthy and wild, like the forest after rain .

My hands worked the last of Sky’s clothing off, all of our garments lying in a pile next to the column. Before he could say anything, I dropped to my knees in front of him, taking his length into my mouth.

Sky inhaled sharply, fingers tangling in my hair as I worked. His tail thrashed behind him, betraying his pleasure as he struggled to remain silent. I looked up to see his head tilted back, moonlight catching on his exposed throat, his jaw clenched to hold back sounds that might alert the others.

“Oliver,” he breathed, the word barely audible as his hips jerked forward. “Gods...”

His reaction emboldened me, and I gripped his thighs, steadying him as I continued my ministrations. The world narrowed to just us, this moment stolen from the jaws of whatever fate awaited us tomorrow. There was nothing between us but stars and moonlight.

When his breathing grew too ragged, his movements too urgent, he gently pulled me back to my feet. “Not yet,” he whispered against my ear, turning his back to me as he leaned against the column. “I want to feel you inside me.”

His butt pressed against my groin, warm and soft as his rocked against me with increasing urgency. I wrapped my arms around him, grinding against him instinctually. The warmth of his body spread through my chest as I hugged him close.

“Are you sure?” I murmured, knowing we’d never done this before. “You don’t mind?”

“Yes,” he breathed, arching back against me. “Please, Oliver. I need to feel you.”

“But what if I hurt you?” I asked, worried I was doing it all wrong but far too turned on to stop.

“You won’t,” he moaned. “I trust you.”

His words sent a shiver through me. I reached into his discarded pants, finding the small vial of oil Sky always carried. With trembling fingers, I prepared him as he had once prepared me, working the slick substance into him with gentle care.

Sky’s breath came in shallow gasps, his forehead pressed against the cool stone of the column. “Now,” he whispered urgently. “Please.”

I positioned myself behind him, one hand on his hip, the other guiding myself to his entrance. As I pushed forward slowly, Sky tensed momentarily before relaxing, accepting me inch by inch. The sensation was overwhelming, a tight heat enveloping me as I buried myself to the hilt .

“Are you okay?” I breathed against his neck, struggling to remain still while he adjusted.

“Better than okay,” he murmured, his voice thick with pleasure. “Don’t stop, Oliver. Please.”

I began to thrust gently, mindful of our need for silence. Sky’s tail curled around my thigh, pulling me closer as we established a rhythm. His wolf ears flattened against his head in concentration, his fingers clawing at the ancient stone for purchase.

The moonlight cast silvery patterns across his back, highlighting the curve of his spine, the long trail of fur down the center of his back, and the tense muscles of his shoulders. I leaned forward, pressing open-mouthed kisses along his neck, tasting salt and earth and lust.

“Faster,” he urged, pushing back against me with increasing urgency.

I complied, one hand sliding around to take him in my grip, stroking in time with my thrusts. Sky bit down on his forearm to stifle a moan, his body tensing around me in a way that made stars explode behind my eyelids.

We moved together in the shadow of forgotten gods, our bodies speaking what words couldn’t…

fear, hope, desire, and something deeper, something both of us were too afraid to speak aloud just yet.

The imminent danger of tomorrow only heightened every sensation, making each touch feel like it might be our last.

When release came, it crashed over us simultaneously, Sky’s body clenching around me as he spilled over my hand, my own climax following in a wave of pleasure so intense I had to bury my face against his shoulder to muffle my cry.

For several heartbeats, we remained locked together, breathing in tandem, neither willing to break the connection. The corrupted forest continued its eerie silence around us, but in this moment, it felt almost peaceful.

Finally, Sky turned in my arms, his blue eyes luminous in the darkness. He kissed me softly, reverently, his hands cradling my face like I was something precious.

“We should get back,” he whispered reluctantly, though he made no move to pull away.

I nodded, equally reluctant to end this stolen moment. “In a minute.”

We cleaned ourselves with a scrap of cloth from my pack and dressed slowly, stealing kisses between each article of clothing. As we prepared to return to our posts, Sky caught my hand, pulling me back for one last embrace .

“Whatever happens tomorrow,” he murmured against my ear, “remember this moment. Remember us.”

His words sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with pleasure. They sounded too much like goodbye.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” I insisted, gripping his shoulders tightly. “We’re going to disrupt the ritual and get out of there. All of us.”

Sky’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course we are,” he said, but I could hear the doubt beneath his words.

We made our way back to the edge of the clearing, resuming our watch positions as if we’d never left. The others slept on undisturbed, though I thought I saw Kai shift slightly as we settled back into place. If he knew where we’d been, he gave no sign.

The remainder of our watch passed in comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire and the soft breathing of our sleeping companions. My thoughts raced as I wondered what the following day would bring and if we’d all make it out alive.

I said a silent prayer to the god of the Twilight to please let me protect my friends, at any cost.