Chapter 34 — Nico’s POV
Hours had passed, and Khloe’s condition had been steadily improving.
Thankfully.
My worry for her had almost completely faded, and I could tell her own worry had already disappeared.
Surprisingly, she hadn’t asked a single one of the questions I knew were in her head about tonight. Even though it was late and her exhaustion was obvious, I knew she had them. She always did.
Though, to be fair, she was pretty occupied at the moment.
I turned my head toward her, watching as she curiously studied one of my wings.
She had taken a huge interest in them ever since she woke up.
So, once she was stable enough to sit on her knees without her body giving out, I lay down on my stomach and stretched one wing toward her, letting her do whatever she wanted with it.
Watching her was… interesting. She looked almost entranced, analyzing every part with such focused attention.
She was so cautious, touching it like the slightest bit too much pressure might hurt me.
Even the way she would gently press on a certain spot to signal she wanted me to fold it slightly was soft and hesitant.
“You’re sure I’m not hurting or annoying you, right?” she asked again, fingers pausing as she drew her hand back a little.
I gave a small nod. “I’m sure.”
It would take a lot more than anything a human could do to hurt a vampire’s wings. They only appeared when we were in danger for a reason.
And she wasn’t even close to being annoying.
Khloe’s gaze traveled down the wing, stopping where it met my back.
Or, maybe she was just staring at my back again.
I’d taken off my shirt before letting her mess with my wings, and I didn’t miss the occasional glances she sent my way.
Wearing a torn shirt wasn’t my style, and wearing one with wings out was pointless anyway.
“It must be nice,” Khloe said softly. “Getting these every once in a while.”
She sounded like she was reminiscing about something.
“Yeah, it is,” I replied, matching her calm tone. “Getting them during the Blood Moon gives me mixed feelings, but they’re convenient.”
She hummed in response.
“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have wings. To fly into the night without worrying about anything except where I’m going. I always imagined vampires must feel pure freedom—peace—as they sail through the sky.”
I could tell she’d thought about this for a long time.
Sometimes I forgot humans had never experienced flight.
Even as a vampire, I savored it. Our wings only appeared during danger or disaster, so peaceful flying wasn’t something we got often. Well—I didn’t. Some vampires didn’t even care about their wings.
So if I longed for that kind of rare freedom, I couldn’t imagine how she felt.
“I could take you sometime,” I said.
Khloe’s eyes widened. She turned toward me, startled, as if needing confirmation.
“Really?” she asked.
I nodded.
It would have to be any night except the Blood Moon, but it was definitely possible.
“Sure,” I added, glancing at my wings again. “You could probably fit between them without getting in the way of anything important, so I don’t see why not.”
Her whole face lit up instantly.
“That sounds amazing!” she said, disbelief dripping from her voice.
Even if she was just my pet, everyone deserved to feel the experience of flying at least once—especially someone who had dreamed of it as much as she clearly had.
And besides… I owed her for what she did for me tonight.
I was about to speak again, but paused when I saw her smile.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her smile for more than a couple seconds—and even then, it had only happened once. Seeing it now was… new.
And, admittedly, something I came to enjoy.
It suited her.
“One day, Khloe,” I said. “Once I figure out the right way to do it, I’ll take you. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but it’ll happen.”
I wanted that smile to stay. “For now, though, it’s nearly past midnight, and your body needs actual rest.”
I folded my wing back against my spine and pushed myself up.
Now that I was certain her body wouldn’t fail on her during sleep, rest was exactly what she needed.
She looked at me briefly before easing back down.
“Yeah, you’re right,” she sighed. “Does that mean you’re tired too?”
I shook my head as I shifted upright.
“No. Our brains are practically wired during this night, so I won’t be sleeping.”
She lowered her gaze, her smile fading as I stood from the bed. “Oh.”
I watched the change in her expression as I walked toward my bookshelf.
Two birds, one stone. Easy.
“I can still lay with you if you want,” I said, retrieving the old book from the far corner.
Her eyes grew wide.
“O-oh, no, it’s fine. I don’t want to bother you,” she said quickly.
I shook my head again as I returned to the bed.
“You won’t be,” I assured her. “I can hold you with one arm and read with the other. I’ll just have to lie on my side since I can’t really lie on my back at the moment.”
She considered this while I got under the blankets.
“Okay… only if you’re sure,” she replied timidly.
“I’m sure,” I said as I settled in. “Now come here.”
She moved toward me—slowly—and her face picked up a few shades of color.
Silence settled as she got comfortable.
“Nico, about the flying thing,” she whispered nervously. “Are you sure you’re going to… want me for that long? Until you figure out how to do it?”
My brows pulled together before I let out a quiet sigh.
Of course she’d worry about something like that.
“Don’t worry about that,” I murmured. “I plan on having you for a very long time.”
