Page 57 of Fallen

He found a garbage bin parked around the corner of the house and dumped the clothes inside unceremoniously.

“So long, asshole,” he muttered, closing the lid with a snap.

At the car, he leaned against the driver’s side, watching the house intently and waiting for Alex to emerge. He lit a cigarette while he waited, the burn of the smoke familiar and soothing. He’d almost smoked it to the filter when his human finally emerged through the broken front door, sheathing his sword on his back and striding confidently across the street toward him.

He flicked his cigarette away and drew Alex between his legs. “Are you okay?”

There was a blankness to Alex’s eyes that concerned him, but he automatically wrapped his arms around Talon, which was reassuring.

“I think so. I might be in shock.”

Talon’s brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“Being in shock?”

Talon nodded.

Some of the blankness in his expression faded as he focused on his answer. “It means I… haven’t really come to terms with it yet. I’m emotionally frozen until my brain figures out how to process what happened.”

Humans were so fragile. He trailed his fingers up and down the side of Alex’s neck, soothing. “Anything I can do?”

Alex shook his head. “Just drive. Get us away from here. I told the family that the man was a monster. They saw enough to believe me pretty easily. They’re calling an ambulance now for the guy.”

“We should get going, then.”

In the car, Alex rested his head on the window. Talon didn’t ask where he wanted to go, just drove. It didn’t matter, as long as Talon was allowed to stay by his side.

When they arrived in the parking lot across the street from Alex’s apartment building, he blinked up at it in surprise. He glanced over at Talon, who shrugged self-consciously.

“I thought you might prefer being somewhere more familiar.”

Alex’s expression lightened. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it wassomething. He hurried from the car, meeting Talon on the driver’s side as he opened the door and hauling him out only to shove him up against it and kiss him bitingly hard. Talon growled into it, angling his head to slant them together better, slipping his tongue deep into Alex’s mouth.

“I couldn’t have done this without you,” Alex said when they parted. Talon opened his mouth to refute that, but he went on. “You’re the only one who’s supported me, who’s let me do what I needed. You’ve never once tried to control me or stop me.” He laughed ruefully. “Who knew thatkindnesswould be what tempted me away from the religion that raised me?”

Talon nipped his lower lip. “I told you, I’ll do whatever it takes to get you to stay.”

“You claim to be so selfish, but that sounds like the opposite.” His warm hands cradled Talon’s face.

“In this case, I suppose it’s both. I want you all to myself. Giving you what you want ensures you stay.” He hoped, anyway.

Alex’s gaze heated as it fell to Talon’s mouth. “And what if I tell you that I want you to come upstairs and fuck me so hard I forget everything else but you?”

A bolt of heat went through Talon. How did Alex already know exactly the right things to say? Talon came off the car, crushing their mouths together for a deep, drugging kiss, and then ducked his head tobitethe curve of Alex’s sun-kissed neck. His surrender was immediate and absolute, a cry spilling from his lips as his body went lax in Talon’s arms. He carded his fingers into the back of Alex’s hair, keeping him arched.

He hadn’t quite broken the skin, but there would be time to taste every part of him upstairs, time to lay him out and savor him like a feast. He gentled his mouth, sucking and kissing the reddened marks. A primal part of him was pleased to know Alex would wear the shape of his teeth for days. If he could tattoo a piece of himself into Alex’s skin forever, he would.

“Come on,” he said, preening at Alex’s half-lidded gaze. “Let’s go upstairs before I bend you over the hood of the car.”

Alex glanced over his shoulder at the car as Talon dragged him toward the building. “I might be okay with that in the future, just FYI. Not in the middle of a parking lot where my neighbors could see, but yeah.”

Talon’s cock swelled at the thought. “Good to know.”

Upstairs, he crowded into Alex’s back while he fumbled to get the door open.

“The wards,” Talon reminded. “Invite me past the new wards.”

“Yes, yes,” Alex said, pushing the door open and gripping Talon’s wrists at his stomach. “Come in and don’t ever leave.”

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