Royal Renegade

Chapter 60: Matters to Discuss {Mature}

Queen Axelia

"No, you can't have any pie!" I exclaim, popping open my eyes when Leo's wings explode beneath us and we topple off his bed and onto the floor cocooned in the soft, feathery curtains.

"Ow," Leonidas groans as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

Heat stings my cheeks and I lower my gaze in embarrassment for waking him only to then cup my hands over my mouth when I realize we're still naked from the night before.

"I'm so sorry!" I murmur into my palms. "I didn't-- your wings?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, he glances at our cocoon through slightly swollen eyes and exhales a short sigh.

"They're responsive to you now, so if you seem threatened they will try to protect you--" he pauses as our eyes meet and quirks a brow, "even from nightmares about-- pie?"

Well...

Despite his unamused tone, there is a shimmer of intrigue brightening his eyes.

"It was just a small one and everybody wanted a piece," I whisper between my fingers.

Chuckling, he dangles an arm over his forehead which exposes thin, dark veins writhing at his wrists from a morning thirst; although, his demeanor isn't as expressive.

"Look, the feathers are all ruffled," he points out.

At the mention I feel some of them pricking the skin of my arms and back.

Interestingly, I've never seen him touch his own wings before. If I had feathers I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off them.

"Do you like your wings?" I wonder, and his eyebrows furrow as his gaze shifts to me.

"Like them?"

"I mean, I've only seen them interact with you during combat. Do you only perceive them as weapons?"

A smile tugs up the corners of his lips when his wings shudder as though they could understand my words.

"They scare me," he discloses, though his casual tone doesn't match his confession. "My abilities and heightened senses are ideal because I have control over my use of them, but my wings are independent," he continues to explain, rubbing one of the feathers between his fingertips. "They can kill without my will or intention and my understanding of them is minimal."

Fascinating.

Even though I am awed by them I often fear their presence as well.

"Still, they are a part of me and never fail to protect my life. I suppose I more often view them as weapons but--" he trails off, releasing the feather to settle the hand on his chest as he scrutinizes the cocoon. "I do like them," he concludes, glancing down at me. "I think if you reassure them you're alright, they'll open up."

"H-how?" I stammer, now apprehensive because of his explanation. "You want me to pet you?"

I catch a withering of his cheeks as he nods but they don't seem to faze him when he looks at me and laughs, "They won't hurt you."

Our cocoon doesn't allow much mobility, forcing me to hoist a leg over his in a half-straddle so I can free an arm to run my fingers through his feathers. Initially, the muscles of his wings flex and Leonidas shivers, but when I giggle, his body relaxes and wings combust into dust-like flakes.

"Whoa," I gasp, sitting up to complete the straddle as I watch the rest of his wings vanish.

"Axelia," he murmurs and I shift my gaze down in time to watch his eyes dilate. A dark glint in his eyes reminding me of that look he gave me before. The one so deep, so hungry and full of desire I melted beneath him. "This is a new angle of which I am quite fond of," he says, resting his arms behind his head shamelessly absorbing the view.