Wishes to Burn

by Ellabee Andrews

  “Dude, no way. Why would we go sleep in the woods, when we have perfectly average beds to sleep in?” Declan replies, and I shake my head at his description of the beds. As a prince, he’s used to much higher quality, but Candy doesn’t seem deterred.

  I hesitate while I wait to see if he'll say anything else, self-doubt rearing its ugly head, so I pause Satine and myself mid-step. Maybe it's wrong to do so, but I can't help needing to see how he'll handle this.

  “Now, don’t be that way. I’m sure the girls you are with won’t mind. I mean, they sure seemed ‘preoccupied’ a minute ago,” a brunette with entirely too much hairspray says, and when another shiver runs down my spine, I decide I’ve had enough. If these girls can’t take a hint, then I’ll spell it out for them. And I’ll leave it up to Declan to decide what he wants to do.

  Moving forward, I release Satine before I wedge myself into the space between the brunette and Declan, as they’re the closest, and I notice him try to hide his smirk.

  “Hey, Rhia. What’s up?” he asks, not even glancing in the brunette’s direction as he meets my eyes, but still, my palms grow sweaty as I meet his daffodil eyes.

  "I'm taking Satine home. You staying, or going?" I keep my face even as I ask, not wanting him to see how much his decision means to me, but I can't help the tightening of my stomach as I wait. He may not know it, but so much rides on his response. Namely, what our relationship will be moving forward.

  At my question, I notice how his face softens, and he ignores the brunette’s protests as he pulls out the gold money clip that holds a roll of cash. Flipping through it, he slaps a few twenties down on the bar, and I notice the bartender picks it up and pockets half. A touch to my wrist draws my attention back to Declan. “I’m with you, Rhia. Where you go, I go.”

  Pleased with his answer, I give his hand a gentle squeeze before motioning over my shoulder. “Can you go stand with Satine, please?”

  Seeing where I point, we both see Satine shooting daggers at a younger man that attempts to approach her, and Declan wastes no time walking over to her. He offers her his arm for her to lean on, and she accepts it with a relieved nod. Satisfied that she's okay, I set my sights on Gavril next, who actually has both hands up as if warding off a blow, instead of a petite blonde with a gravity-defying chest.

  Hearing him telling her no, his tone sounding as if it isn’t the first time he’s said it, I decide to speed the process along with a little magic. Knowing that for my magic won’t work for selfish reasons, I focus on Gavril’s look of annoyance, and how it would be helpful to him if I were to give him a way to get away from the woman. With that thought in mind, the first bit of energy starts to trickle through me, and using my magic, I remember what Fifi once threatened Satine with, and cause a large pimple to appear on his forehead. The skin red, and angry around it.

  At her gasp, and then her quickly moving away, I know I’ve been successful, so as she makes excuses about why she has to leave, Gavril turns to me, never the wiser. “Whew, I thought she’d never leave,” he says, not realizing that the reason she did is the big red bump that’s taking up a large portion of his head, and Declan cracks up behind me.

  He laughs so hard, he begins to cough, and even Satine, though weak, giggles along with him, leaving Gavril looking confused. "What? Is there something in my teeth?" he asks, and taking pity on him, I imagine the blemish is gone, and like that, his skin is back to its smooth perfection again.

  “No, nothing is in your teeth. I’ll explain later. Can you just go stand with Satine and Declan while I grab Maksim?” I ask, giving him a hug, though he doesn’t understand it’s an apology for using magic on him. Regardless, he squeezes me back for a second and goes to join the others. Two down. One to go.

  “Hey, Maks. You ready to go?” I say, hoping to be nice first, as we’re staying in Candy’s family home, but as I see her lay her hand on his arm possessively, her red nails slightly gripping into his skin, I realize that nice isn’t going to cut it.

  Pretending she isn't eyeing me like she'd like to stab me with her stiletto, she looks back at where Maksim sits, his eyes narrowed at the hand on his arm. "That's all right. Y'all go ahead and go. Maks and I were just getting to know each other. I can bring him home later,” she offers with a giggle, not releasing his arm when he tries to pull away.

  As a result of her refusal to let him go, I feel my side warm the tiniest bit, and see that he's fighting not to lose control. Which explains why he's not saying more, as talking usually messes with his focus. Fed up with this game and the feeling that I'm still being watched, I step closer to Maksim. Those frustrations coupled with worrying about Maksim shifting and burning the bar down, cause me to make a split-second decision to nip this little problem in the bud.

  Moving fast before I can talk myself out of it, I step in closer to Maksim, place my hands on either side of his face, and right as his eyes widen, I pull him in and kiss him.

  The room, and Candy with it, melt away as our lips lock and begin to gently move against each other. Maksim's mouth is hot, and his kisses tingle my lips like plumping glass, but I find myself enjoying the burn. He finally relaxes against me and wraps his arms around my waist before pulling me in so close that no air can fit between us. Caught up in the moment and the ecstasy of his fiery kisses, I don't even notice when Candy storms away.

  Forgetting myself and my original purpose for kissing him, I begin to run my hands through his hair, but freeze as I feel the icy tendrils of intention from before return. They mix with Maksim’s heat and cause me to jolt in his arms.

  At the movement, Maksim pulls back, staring at me with a searching look, but before I can say anything, the sensation disappears. Gone, like it was only a figment of my imagination.

  Mile High Club

  Back at the house, and away from the watchful eyes of a bar full of strangers, I find myself sitting alone on the front porch, listening to the crickets and watching the small, random flashes of the lightning bugs as they add a little shine to the dark night.

  After my kiss with Maksim, we had quickly left the bar, and the ride back to our summer home was silent. Satine had laid her head on my shoulder and fallen asleep, and when we got here, Gavril had offered to lay her down on the bed, assuming correctly that I couldn’t carry her. It meant that my plans to feed her were going to be delayed another night, and I hoped she’d be okay to wait.

  Then there was the issue of what to do about Maksim. Though he had driven, I had felt his eyes on me in the rearview mirror the whole ride and knew that we needed to talk, but I wasn't sure what to say. I had wanted to kiss him for so long that I didn't regret doing it, I just regretted the way I had, as it had led to so much uncertainty between us. Now things feel as up in the air with him, as it does for me and the others.

  Sighing, the thoughts of how badly I had screwed up once again running through my mind, I recline back onto the porch and let out a small screech when I discover Gavril standing over me, looking down with an amused smile on his face.

  Damn. Am I really that ugly to you? He thinks, and even though he doesn’t say it out loud, his eyes betray him. They’re strained in a way that tells me he really is wanting to know the answer to that, and I berate myself for being such a horrible person for making him feel this way.

  Not able to handle the sadness that lurks within his gaze, I stand and offer him my hand. “Walk with me?” I ask, and though he seems surprised by the offer, he takes it without question and allows me to lead him off the porch.

  “It’s nice out here,” he says after a few minutes of walking in silence, and I can’t help but agree as we come to a nice clearing with a phenomenal view. Where the silhouette of the mountains had been partially obscured by trees from the porch, our vantage point now shows them in their full glory. It’s so nice, that I drop down onto the soft grass, taking care not to sit on my wings, and tug his hand for him to follow. With a chuckle, he does.

  "It's beautiful out here, Gav. But that's not
why I wanted to take a walk. It's actually because I need to apologize," I say, and he looks at me with furrowed brows. Before he can deny that I've done anything wrong, I continue. "You told me you liked me. You laid it out there, and have been accepting of me not being able to give you an answer, and what have I done? Thrown that kindness back in your face by kissing Satine, and now Maksim, in front of you. I'm so sorry about that. You must think so badly of me now," I say, pain at the thought causing my chest to constrict, and I can't meet his eyes. Too afraid to see the truth that he agrees reflected within them.

  “Rhia, I won’t pretend that it didn’t hurt a little to see you with Maksim. I mean, watching you kiss another girl is hot, but yea, with another guy… not as easy to swallow. I want to believe you only did it as a way to make that Candy girl back off, but I know that’s not it, is it?”

  Releasing the breath I’ve been holding, I look back at his earnest face, ready to see the hate there, but it’s not. Instead, his eyes search my face, and I know that it’s time to lay it all out there.

  “When you kissed me that day in the gym, you did so after you found out that I liked you, and Satine, too. What you didn’t guess, and what I didn’t say, was that my conflicted emotions ran deeper than that, and you two weren’t the only ones I found myself drawn too.”

  “Who else? Maksim? I mean, I guess I already knew that. At least, in a way I did. You two have a lot of chemistry together. And you seem to be able to get through to him better than any of us can.” I can tell it pains him to say it, and I hate the look of defeat that washes over his face, as he clenches his jaw. Unable to take his grey eyes looking so sad, but knowing that I need to finish this now, I take a deep breath before telling him that he’s still not completely right.

  “It’s not just Maksim, but Declan too. Or, it was Declan. I still like him, but things are… complicated right now. Honestly? The four of you have occupied my thoughts since I got here, and it’s caused more than a few sleepless nights for me. Believe me, I know how selfish I must seem, and would understand if you never wanted anything else to do with me. I barely want anything to do with me somedays. It’s just… every time I think about choosing one of you, of being with that person and walking away from everyone else, I get physically sick. Like the thought of no longer having you, or one of the others in my life causes tangible pain. I don’t know what to do. I just… I’m lost,” I admit, forcing the tears not to fall. I don’t deserve to be comforted. Not when he is the one that’s been wronged.

  He is silent for a moment, the gentle breeze and cicadas the only noises, but when he looks at me again, there's a glint to his gaze that I don’t understand. “What if there was another way? I’m not saying it could work, or if I’d even be able to handle it without breaking one of their jaws, Satine excluded. But, what if we took the time away this summer to try something new? Something where you didn’t feel like you had to pick one or the other, and we just enjoyed being with each other? However that means…”

  I’m stunned speechless at his proposal, the idea echoing my darkest fantasies, and close to a conversation I’ve already had with Satine, so it takes a second to respond. “Gav... I’d love to try it. Believe me, I want this, but this is you being okay with it. Maksim and Declan, they might not agree. What if they hate me for asking?”

  "Rhia, if they could hate you, then they're fools. A fourth of your time is better than none of it. Besides, those idiots are my best friends. We've shared everything else without killing each other. Why would this have to be different?" he asks, and I'm so grateful for his understanding that I swing my leg around, straddling his waist, and take his mouth with my own.

  Gavril kisses me back as eagerly as I kiss him, and I feel him grow hard between my legs, our pants keeping our most intimate parts away from each other, and I can’t stop myself from grinding my sex against him.

  Groaning, he rips his mouth from mine, breathing heavy and his lips are swollen from the force of our kisses. “Rhia, you have to stop,” he says, but I don’t. Instead of listening, I rub myself against him again, causing him to drop his head back and moan.

  Taking advantage of the new position, I lean forward and say, "No more talking," before I bite his neck gently, trailing kisses down to his chest. He must realize that I have no intentions to stop because he brings one hand up to cup my ass where it moves against him, while the other strokes my wings, causing my own burst of pleasure to fill me as he continues to caress the sensitive nerves.

  Lost in the feel of him between my legs and stroking my wings, I’m not thinking clearly as I reach down and unsnap the button of his jeans, causing him to still his hand at my back and ass. “Wait. If you’re not ready, we can stop. I didn’t suggest that so that you’d sleep with me,” he tells me earnestly, and the vulnerability in his voice clears some of the lust induced fog. Enough for me to sit back a little and really think about what I’m doing here.

  Tracing the lines of his face, I recall the day in class where he came to my aid, despite knowing nothing about me. How he had tried to protect me each day since, and how I am only alive today because he and the others had sacrificed a part of themselves to put life back into me. It’s with these thoughts I decide what I want, and that I’m ready to start going after them. No more waiting around.

  Decision made, I move once more over the hard length of his erection, the material of his pants straining to keep it inside, and feel myself grow wet. “Gav. I want you. I want the others, but right now, you’re the one I want with me, and inside of me. So, if you’re not ready, then we can wait. But if we're only doing so because you think it's not what I want, then shut up and kiss me," I command, and his eyes flash liquid metal before he crashes his lips back down on mine, the intensity of his kisses stronger than ever before.

  There’s no more hesitation as he begins to lower my back down onto the ground, but right as it starts to press against the pillow of grass beneath me, he seems to think better of it and in one smooth motion, twists our bodies so that he’s the one laying with his back against the cool earth below.

  “Now this is a view I could get used to,” he says, as I rise above him, voice full of male satisfaction, so I wink at him before taking the hem of my shirt and swiftly pulling it over my head. When it reaches my wings, he gently glides the fabric over them, and I moan from the way his fingers brushes against them as he moves.

  “Damn.”

  It's all he says as he drinks in my topless form, and I know that my wings are shimmering slightly in the moonlight. He gulps once and then lifts his hands up to cup my breasts, gently flicking his thumbs over them, and my core tightens in response. Ready for more, I beat my wings a few times and rise above him. While suspended over his prone form, I slowly shimmy out of the pants, watching as his eyes grow wide and mouth parts when I reveal that I'm bare beneath them.

  I allow him a moment to gather himself as I float nude above him, and after a brief pause, he copies my action. He stands up quickly to pull off his own pants, but his legs become entangled in the material and he falls over. My laughter dries up however as I get my first view of his muscular ass, toned from years of exercise with two dimples over those firm cheeks, and his rock hard cock.

  “You going to come down here? Or are you going to make me come get you?” he asks in a husky voice, and I start to drop, but the prospect of making him work for it is too much, and with a sly smirk, I powerfully beat my wings and shoot up into the air. As I do, a predatory look slides across his face as he rises and partially shifts into his gargoyle form so that his own, granite-like wings slide into place.

  "You'll have to catch me first," I yell teasingly, giggles making my flying erratic, but I move at a fast pace as I shoot over the tops of trees, exhilaration, and joy thrilling me as the warm summer air brushes my nude form. It's a freeing experience after the stressful few months I've had.

  After a few minutes of flying along, I fear I’ve lost him and prepare myself to turn around, but I let out a star
tled cry when he’s suddenly there, his large body coming up from below me and taking me in his arms before I even have a chance to pull away.

  “That wasn’t very nice, Rhia. Making me chase you like that,” he says, breathing hard, and I lick my lips at the pressure of his cock against my hip.

  Giving him a sweet smile, I meet his eyes, "Who says I want to be nice?" I say, and his eyes darken to a grey that's nearly black. "It took you long enough to catch up," I add, but he doesn't seem embarrassed about being slower. Instead, he just lifts his hand and reveals what he holds within it.

  “Oh, Rhia. I would have reached you sooner, but I had to grab this, and I found myself enjoying the way you looked flying through the air. Like a goddess of the night,” he says in his deep voice, and desire pours over me as he raises the shiny foil package to his mouth and bites the edge, revealing the condom nestled within.

  Parting from me to allow enough space to reach between us, he slides the latex over all that smooth skin. He places one last kiss on my lips, and while he gazes into my eyes, he lifts my legs to wrap around his waist and enters me with one powerful thrust.

  “Yes!” I call out as he fills me up, and when he pulls back and does it again, I moan my pleasure to the night and dig my nails into the tops of his shoulders, rolling my hips to match his thrusts with my own.

  We stay like that, bodies moving against each other as our wings hold us in the air, kissing passionately as he places kisses all over my neck and face. I return his kisses with my own, sometimes biting the tender areas of his neck until we find our release, my core clenching around him as I feel him pulse inside of me, and I feel like he’s not only inside my body, but my mind too, awareness of him touching me all over in ways I never thought possible.