Page 84

Slowly, so he could turn away if he wanted, I leaned in and brushed a soft kiss to his lips, tender and hopeful. There was a moment of stillness, then he shuddered and his hands were on my face, desperate and clinging, holding me close as he kissed me like he might never get to again. Typhon kissed me like no one ever had before, like I was the most important thing in the world, like I was his world, and the sun and moon and stars all orbited around me.

One of us was crying; I couldn't be sure who, and it didn't matter, because I had him and he had me, and no matter what else happened, that would always be true.

"I will never abandon you, Typhon," I breathed against his lips, loath to put even that much distance between us. "No matter what happens, I'm going to stay with you until you tell me to leave."

"That will never happen," he whispered. He kissed me again, stealing my breath, pulling away only to look me in the eyes. "I love you, Quinn."

The words fell from his lips so smoothly, so naturally, that they didn't register at first. The words quivered in the air between us, a grenade with its pin pulled, waiting to explode and rearrange my entire world. No matter what happened in the next few seconds, everything was going to change. There was no going back from this moment, and for the first time in a long time, it wasn't fear that kindled in my heart.

It was hope.

"You don't have to say anything," Typhon said into the silence. He still held me, cradling my face like I was precious, like I mattered. "We needed you to know." His eyes glowed brighter, the strongest sign I'd seen of the other part of him in weeks. The reminder that he wasn't what most would consider 'normal', that there was another being inside him, a beast with deadly fangs, should have scared me, but I'd learned the truth a long time ago: a monster isn't defined by how it looks. The worst monster I'd ever faced had come disguised in a beautiful package, all soft words and charming smiles, masking a dangerous temper and a fatal possessiveness. Aaron used that mask to deflect the questions when someone asked about my bruises, used his charm to get into my head and make me believe he was doing this because he loved me.

Typhon, though… Typhon saw straight through me, to the battered and broken heart I kept hidden away from the light, and saw something worth loving. Worth protecting. He used his strength as a shield rather than a sword, putting himself on the line even when the odds seemed impossible.

"It's been a long time since anyone said that to me and really meant it." I heard the tears in my voice, rough and raspy, and didn't hide them.

He kissed me, soft and so sweet it ached, then leaned his forehead against mine, our eyes meeting. "I would never lie to you about anything, but especially this."

"I believe you," I whispered, and I did. Even my ever-present anxiety couldn't deny the truth when it was literally looking me in the eye. "For—" My voice broke, and I took a breath to steady myself. "For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me, something that made it impossible to love me." The admission came from deep within my soul, to the child I'd once been, wondering why my mom had left and why my dad's new wife and her kids got what little attention he bothered giving, leaving none for me. It came from the teenager too awkward and closeted to get asked on any dates and from the young man who hated one-night stands but didn't know how to be in a real relationship. It came from the me of a few years ago who thought I'd finally found love because someone said all the right things, not realizing that my desperation to be loved made me the perfect victim.

"Quinn. Listen to me." Low but fierce, Typhon's voice cut through the past, bringing me back to this moment on my couch, to the future building itself with each fragile breath and whispered word. "Quinn, you are so easy to love. Anyone who ever made you believe otherwise never deserved you."

The fragile bomb between us exploded, shattering my world with a few whispered words. The pieces fell like shards of a mirror, sparkling on the ground, but instead of slicing into me, they fell like a gentle spring rain, waiting to be put together into something new. Something different, but even more beautiful for having been broken.

When I kissed him this time, it was with all the hope I possessed within me. The future wasn't guaranteed, not with so much still unknown, but this time I wasn't facing it alone.

Rom's deep bark cut made me jump, my head knocking against Typhon's, my words disappearing half-formed.

"I think Ori is here," Typhon laughed quietly, his eyes still locked with mine.

"I forgot they were coming," I admitted. I brushed my cheeks, removing the lingering tears. "Can we talk more once they're gone?"

"I'd like that." He leaned forward, wincing a little as he did, and kissed me before I could protest and tell him to sit still. It was quick, but full of promises that left my head spinning, too dazed to do anything but roll my eyes when he settled back against the couch with a playful smile.

I walked to the door in a daze, my head spinning from Typhon's words. Kissing him again, after so long, felt incredible, but those words. Almost everyone in my life before had put so many restrictions and conditions on their love that it felt impossible to ever be worthy. Finding out I was gay had only been another straw on the stack of disappointment I'd built for my dad and stepmom. Aaron, the man I'd once thought I'd grow old with, had never truly loved me to begin with, in hindsight. He only loved himself, and I was just something he wanted to possess and control.

As much as I desperately wanted to ignore the rest of the world and remain on the couch with Typhon until I believed him, I knew I couldn't. Whatever news Ori was bringing, it was important, and Typhon deserved answers.

Still, even as I answered the door and led Ori inside, Typhon's words echoed in my head.

"You are so easy to love."

Chapter 28

Typhon

While Quinn went to let Ori in, I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Maybe I should have waited a little longer to tell Quinn how I felt, but with how unpredictable our lives had been, waiting was too dangerous. It had all been worth it to see the look in his eyes.

He knows he is ours now.

The beast was still quiet, weaker than he'd ever been, but every day saw him grow stronger.

I still struggled with remembering most of my life, and human interaction still felt strange sometimes, but even to me, it was obvious how shocked Quinn seemed by what I'd said. Maybe once everything calmed down, he'd tell me more about his past.

I'm not sure he believed me. I don't think he's been loved like he should have been.

Then we will treasure him until he believes us.