4. CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

ENDER

My mate is determined—too determined—and I tamp back my frustration as hers grows.

Sera's trying too hard. It's such a human thing, the concept is nearly foreign to me.

It's ironic that the very thing she wants so badly, she's pushing away with her desperation to have it.

Living all my life in The Veil has taught me important life lessons.

The primary one being to take the path of least resistance.

And while I'm subjected to the same bumps and occasional blocks as anyone else, I don't fight it.

Humans think that they can push with all their might, forcing something to happen.

Sometimes it works, but it's always an uphill battle.

When I stop resisting, the world starts flowing—but only if I allow it.

Sera isn't allowing her world to flow around her, figuratively and literally.

Instead of harnessing the aid of the elements in The Veil, she's turned her back to everything, including me.

Fixed on doing it on her own, even if she falls and burns.

Unfortunately for her, I've already committed myself to ensuring she comes out this unsinged.

My mate has no choice but to accept my help, even if she rants the entire time.

Which, knowing her, I'm sure she will.

"Are you ready to listen to me?"

"I can do it on my own."

"Sure, but do you want to see your aunt in this century?"

Sera whirls around, her wings smacking into my beak so that I have to step.

The whole ground vibrates with every stomp she takes as the Seraphim prepares to rip into me.

But to my surprise, her anger fizzles out, and the tension thickening the air dissipates.

"Tell me…please."

Perhaps she's not as stubborn as I first thought.

"Your wings have their own muscles. Every time you try to control them, I sense you lifting your shoulders and tensing instead."

"Why can't I access those muscles, then?"

"Because you've never used them before. I've had my wings my entire life. Flexing my feathers is as easy as flexing my arm. If I asked you to do a bicep curl, you wouldn't will your muscles to work, they would just do the task—because you're used to them working like this. But these muscles are new, and as such, have a new learning curve. Let's start with something simple. Go beyond what you feel in your back—can you feel your wings like you do your arms and legs?"

Sera becomes silent as she turns inward to search for the answers.

After a moment, I hear her gasp. "I do! I just never paid enough attention."

"Good. Now imagine feeling inside your arm. What happens?"

"Um, the muscle tenses."

"Mhmm, now extend that to your wings."

Again, she lapse into silence, concentrating on what I've told her to do.

When my mate laughs in exultation, I know she's succeeded.

"I feel them! It's so…weird."

"It's a new sensation for you. The next step is to stretch those muscles. Imagine lengthening the ones in your arm as a point of reference."

"I'm doing it! Ah, my wings are actually doing what I tell them to!"

Her happiness bursts over me, and I revel in the sound of it.

Sera relies too much on her ability to do things on her own, but I do enjoy the pride she takes when she succeeds.

"What now?"

"Flap them until you lift off the ground."

My mate grunts, doing as I've directed. The noises grow into irritated huffs when she fails.

Her disappointment is palpable, and I shift closer.

"May I touch you?"

She snorts. "It's a little too late to ask that, don't ya think?"

"I meant your wings."

"Again, why bother asking when you kidnapped me?"

It occurs to me that Sera doesn't realize how sensitive and private wings are for Nephilim.

"I'm asking because for our kind, touching another's wings is a very intimate gesture."

"Intimate?"

"Sexual."

I hear Sera shuffle back. "I touch them all the time and haven't felt a thing. You're making this all up, aren't you?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

She scoffs, clearly still offended I absconded her away in the dark—as if she would've come willingly.

"Do you get turned on every time you wipe or take a shower?"

"Dude, I get that you're from The Veil, but you can't go around asking someone if they're aroused from wiping. Seriously, this is people etiquette 101."

"Answer the question, Seraphina."

She startles at my use of her full name. "No, I don't," she spits out.

Under her breath, she mutters ‘thank god', and I let out a bark of laughter.

This woman might just be the death of me yet.

"That helps prove my point. Just because you've touched your wings in an impartial way doesn't mean you can't derive pleasure from them."

I swear that I can hear the wheels turning in her head as my mate contemplates what I've said.

She reaches a hand to test the theory, and I lash out faster than a snake, curling my fingers around hers.

"This isn't the place to test it," I rumble.

Does she want my self-control to completely evaporate?

"Right. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. The thought of you exploring the sensual side of your wings is enough to break a man—and I know how much you would enjoy breaking me."

"Immensely," she agrees.

"Try it later. For now, how about I give you an incentive. If you can get off the ground, I'll give you something. If you don't, I take something."

"Give me what?"

"Can be anything."

"Even my freedom?"

"Sure, even though you won't listen that I'm not holding you hostage."

"And you'll take what?"

"Probably five minutes of silence where you don't talk."

Sera sucks in a sharp breath. "Rude! You know I'm going to just yell at you in my head. Just you wait—I'm going to get off the ground, and then you're going to regret trying to bribe me!"

"Not bribery— motivation ."

"Sure. Motivation. Give me some space, please."

I flap my wings, more to demonstrate than to be arrogant, and fly back a few paces.

My mate exudes confidence, and I cross my arms over my chest, giving her a nod.

Truly, I want her to succeed, and I tune my ears to the sounds Sera makes as she tries.

She's close, her feet grappling against the ground as her wings struggle to lift her up.

Her mind screams obscenities with every passing second until she collapses to her knees.

A sob threatens to tear from lips, and her head fills with the nasty voice of her self-doubt.

I glide over and grasp her by her elbows, lifting my mate up.

Sera needs a distraction before she decimates any progress we've made here today.

"Ready to give me what I want?"

Instantly, her internal hatred shifts to me, like I knew it would, and she wrenches away.

To her, my question is akin to rubbing salt in the wound.

"Five minutes of silence?!"

"No. I want something you desire but don't wish to give me."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Just think of the question and whatever pops into your head first is the answer."

"Something I want but don't wish to give you…there's nothing—"

Her sentence cuts off as a single thought pops into her head.

A kiss.