As he watched Harris and Alden strolling back toward the house, Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. Although Harris had undergone the same physical transformation Gabriel had, he wasn’t nearly as big. Neither was Alden, who had gone through a few changes of his own. Where he had once been slim and almost delicate looking, he was now a few inches taller and had filled out with more lean muscle.
Gabriel wasn’t sure why the combination of Xenon magic with his human and D’Aire genetics had made him so massive, but he was trying to get used to the changes. He constantly worried about moving too fast or accidentally crushing something with his increased strength. He was a stranger in his own body, and it wasn’t a comfortable feeling.
Hulking out could do that to a man.
So could unexpectedly sprouting a pair of wings.
It was difficult not to feel overwhelmed by everything that had happened over the last few days. In fact, he spent most of his time feeling completely baffled. He wasn’t used to being so emotional, and suddenly he found himself having no control over his volatile mood swings. He didn’t regret one moment of all the craziness, though.
He could never regret finding and claiming Lyrica.
She was his entire world now.
He sensed her light touch in his mind, and he immediately felt better once that connection between them fully opened.
“Gabriel? Do you have need of me?”
He wondered if he would ever get used to feeling her inside him. Of finally knowing what it felt like to be whole and complete. She was his solace and his joy. It should have been strange to feel so connected to someone after only knowing them for a few days but being with her just felt right.
That was the beauty of finding one’s soulmate.
“I’ll always need you.” He opened his eyes, and his gaze met hers from across the garden. “I was just wondering if I would ever get used to feeling like this.”
“Confused?”
That made him laugh. “That…and happy. Though, I would be happier if we were still in bed.”
He felt her joy, then sensed a hint of mischief through their bond. “I am still slick with your seed from our earlier bed play. It feels deliciously wicked to be walking around with a reminder of you between my thighs.”
“Fuck,” he groaned. “We need to leave. Right now. You can’t say that kind of stuff to me and not expect me to carry you off somewhere.”
She laughed softly. “Later, mate. Your father is heading your way, and I have to make my apologies to your mother and sister for not paying attention.”
Even with the warning, Gabriel sensed his father’s approach. “Go ahead, say it.”
“Say what, son?”
He turned to glance over at his father, who looked like he hadn’t aged a day since the day he had arrived on Earth. Koric was kind, dependable, and had a steel core of honor that made him the best male Gabriel had ever known.
“That all of this is pretty fucking weird.”
Koric laughed. “Only to you. Finding one’s keeper is a lifechanging event. Of course, it would feel weird. I have one question…are you happy?”
“More than I ever thought I could be,” Gabriel answered honestly. “I hoped I would find her one day, but there was always a part of me that wondered if it was just an unattainable dream.”
“Love fated in the stars always finds a way,” Koric said with a smile. “I never thought I would find my keeper, either. Then, I met your mother, and everything changed. I never knew true happiness until I met her. She has filled my life with unending joy, and I know Lyrica will do the same for you.”
“She already has.”
As Gabriel glanced over at Lyrica, he still found it hard to believe that she was really his. There was still so much that they needed to learn about one another, but that would come with time. He’d grown up hearing stories about the powerful love that existed between mates, but he hadn’t really understood it until he had met Lyrica. The love he felt for her was all encompassing. She’d brought light and life into his otherwise dull world, and he knew he’d wither away and die without her now.
Even the thought of losing her made his heart ache. His body jerked slightly as his wings shot out of his back. Thank fuck he had worn a new black shirt with slits in the back since he kept having these…incidents.
“Shit.”
“I know you told me about your wings, but it’s different actually seeing you with them,” Koric said, his voice filled with amusement.
“They’re being emotional assholes at the moment.”
That made his father frown. “They are not separate entities, son. They’re a part of you, like an arm or a leg.”
“I swear it’s like they have a mind of their own.” Gabriel huffed out a breath. “Too bad these things didn’t come with instructions.”
“Our emotions can trigger our wings to release because they are our armor, our protection. You will get better at controlling them with time and practice. Close your eyes and imagine them retracting back into your body. You must will it to happen.”
He closed his eyes and tried to focus on retracting his wings. Unfortunately, nothing happened.
“Gabriel?”
His wings flapped lightly as if they were eager to take him to Lyrica. Fuck no, he wasn’t ready to tackle flying in front of his family yet. He’d only
