Page 78 of Tethered Fates

“Not really. But I held my first katana by a pretty tree.”

“Did it make you sad?”

“The tree?”

“Knowing you’d have to kill.”

“No. Because it wasn’t real. Until his blood splashed on my face, then it was very real, and I was very sad.”

“And now?”

I stroke up to his chin and wonder what my human self would’ve thought about this curious boy, with wide eyes and long, luscious lashes. Most likely, he would’ve knocked the boredom out of me, and I’d be so fascinated I’d be wrapped around his little finger. So really, nothing would’ve changed.

“Now…” I feel across his warm skin. “Now I’m proud of who that little boy became.”

“Even though you’ve hurt people?”

I cup the side of his face, our eyes connecting. “Does that bother you?”

“It should.”

“But it doesn’t.”

Without missing a beat, Teagan nods.

Unwavering support shouldn’t be what I crave. But as our lips meet, I just don’t have it within myself to give a fuck. I want to consume Teagan. Every. Little. Piece.

We stay like that for a long time, before he turns back to his last plate and finishes it off in a few short, impressive minutes.

“Where the hell does it all go?” I sneak a hand into his robe to stroke his stomach.

He downs his orange juice, burps, then says, “Thank you, by the way.”

“For breakfast?”

“Nah, I was never gonna pay for that.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“For this morning. I didn’t know I could cum like that.” He slumps into my side and pulls his knees up to his chest. “For ages, I thought that part of me was taken. And… Who gives a fuck about being a ‘man’, right? I’ve seen so many different ways to be a person; what does it matter? I’m queer; I’ve met, admired, and fucked so many different people. I knew—know—myself, Sen. But then…” Teagan huffs. “Getting hard isn’t what makes me a man. It isn’t…but…”

“Teagan.” I embrace him. “Someone hurt you. You cannot blame yourself for how you reacted.”

He grunts.

“I feel like I should be over this. I’m pissed off because a cock doesn’t make a man, and shouldn’t fucking define me. But then I felt stupid that apparently it did fucking define me, like a toxic fucking guy. Not everyone at uni were dickheads, y’know. But if Carter could turn his back on me, why wouldn’t everyone else? I couldn’t talk to anyone about this. I don’t think I have the right words even now.”

There’s a lot to sort through, but more than anything, I know the name of the cunt who hurt him.

I file it away for later.

“You’re putting too much pressure on yourself, sweetheart. You aren’t less of anything. No matter how much time a pathetic loser spent trying to make you believe it.”

Teagan groans and drops his head into my chest. “But I want it to be over,” he complains. Whines, really. “Do you know how much sex we could be having?”

I smirk. “And what exactly did we just do? A magic show?”

His cheeks warm. At first, I think it’s from shyness, but I’m starting to believe my Teagan wasn’t built with that emotion. “It was really fucking good, right, slick?”