← Samuel the Rogue: Where the Feathers Fall

Chapter 12 - The Truth Unveiled

A few days had passed since our escape from the Aerie, and the Mating Signet lay on the moss by Aeolin’s feet, still glowing now and then with whatever magic was stuck in it. The nest was humid, the air sticking to my bare skin as I paced back and forth. The jungle was sweltering, but goosebumps came up on my arms, because my nerves were shot to hell. I’d gotten mostly used to walking around naked by then, but now, about to spill my guts, I felt naked in every way a guy can be. The gash across my chest was healing well, but the secret I was keeping ate at me worse than the gash ever had.

“You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” Aeolin asked from where he sat on the moss, his voice playful as he scooped up the ring, tossed it in the air and caught it. He looked me up and down, taking his time about it, and I shifted my feet. “This little trinket is worth a fortune back in the Aerie.”

“And you don’t care?” I asked, stopping my pacing to watch him toss it up and down.

He shrugged, his green feathers catching the bits of sun that made it through the leaves. “It belonged to Zephyra. After what she and Ignis did...” He grinned at me. “Let’s just say I’m not feeling particularly sentimental about harpy heirlooms right now.” He flicked it back onto the moss.

I smiled back, but my stomach kept rolling over. “Aeolin,” I started, my voice catching. “There’s something else I need to tell you. Something about why I’m really here.”

He tilted his head, those sharp eyes narrowing. “You can tell me anything,” he said, kind about it, but I could tell he was itching to know.

I took a deep breath of air that stank of wet dirt and fruit. “I was sent to find a harpy egg,” I blurted out. “It’s a Guild job. If I bring one back, the Guild Master in Willowbrook says he’ll get me in front of a real rogue who might train me. I just... I needed to get out.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, which was stupid, since Aeolin had already seen every inch of me and now he’d heard the rest too.

Aeolin blinked slowly and stared at me for a long moment, and to my surprise his shoulders dropped and he sighed. “I already knew that,” he said finally, calm as anything. “You told me the first day, but you were completely out of it. Plus, I’ve heard you talk in your sleep, Sam.”

My face went hot, but he kept going before I could say anything. “It’s bigger than the eggs, though. Most humans... they don’t care what they destroy. They don’t care who they hurt.”

“I didn’t know,” I whispered. “I swear, Aeolin. I was just desperate to leave, to make a name for myself, to—”

He cut me off with a low chirp that settled me down some. “I believe you,” he said, and his eyes warmed. “But you picked a bad time to come looking for eggs.”

He stood up and reached out, his fingers running along my thigh before trailing higher. His talons lightly traced a path up my hip, then playfully flicked at my soft cock, making me jump. He did it so carelessly that I figured seeing me naked was old news to him, which was a relief and a little insulting.

“There are two griffons in the forest,” he said, serious now, his hand resting on my hip. “They’ll kill humans, sure, but they’re worse for us harpies. They’ve been tearing apart nests. If we don’t stop them... they could wipe us out.”

I stared at him. “Griffons? I thought the panthers were the big danger around here!”

He nodded, his expression grim. “I guard this border, so they’re my problem. I’ve been tracking them for days, but I can’t take them down alone.” He looked me dead in the eye. “That’s where you come in. I need someone who doesn’t think like a harpy. You need my help to get an egg, and I need your help with these griffons. We could form an alliance.”

His fingers lingered on my skin, and every little stroke made the hair on my arms stand up. I swallowed hard, trying to keep up with what he was saying while his hand was on me. “An alliance,” I repeated, my voice shaky.

He smiled. “Yes. And maybe... maybe we can find a way to make sure no one else comes here looking for eggs.”

I looked into his eyes, and as far as I could tell, he meant it. The deal also got me more time with him, which was honestly the best part.

“Alright, I’m in,” I said, nodding. “But I gotta be honest, my crossbow’s gone. It broke when those panthers chased me. All I have left is my dagger.”

Aeolin hummed to himself and crouched to look at a net hanging from one of the nest’s supports, right next to where his spear leaned. “This should work. It’s sturdy, and if we set it right, it’ll trap a griffon. We’ll need to bait them, though.”

We talked bait and nets for a while, and I kept losing track, because I was busy watching his hands work the knots. When he handed me a corner of the net to hold, our fingers brushed, and my cock started taking an interest. I let the net drop.

He must have caught me staring, because he leaned in and kissed me hard. His feathers brushed my chest, and his talons scraped lightly through my hair.

We broke apart for air, and by then we’d sunk down onto the moss. Aeolin was smiling, and his breath came rough against my mouth.

His mouth still tasted like the fruit he’d brought back earlier. I wanted to taste the rest of him, too.

I scooted down until my face was level with his lap, my heart pounding. Aeolin watched me, his eyes amused and hungry. He knew what I wanted. I could see it in his slow, lazy smile. His cock was already hard, and my mouth actually watered.

“Aeolin,” I whispered. I didn’t need to say more. He shifted for me, spreading his legs as I got between them. His feathers brushed my arms, and I shivered at the contact. My hands found his thighs, holding on tight as I leaned in.

The first touch of my tongue to his cock jolted through me, and his hips jumped, so I guess it got him too. I couldn’t get enough. I took him in my mouth, humming as he slid over my tongue. His hands found my hair, his fingers scratching at my scalp, and I groaned around him. His taste made me greedy for more, more, more.

“Sam,” he gasped, his voice tight and choked. “Oh, fuck, Samuel, you’re...” He didn’t finish. I could feel how much he liked it from his fingers tightening in my hair and the shallow thrusts he made into my mouth. He was holding back, I could tell, but I didn’t want him to. I wanted all of him.

A second later his cum hit my tongue, warm and silky, and I swallowed greedily and closed my eyes. I loved the taste and the texture, and I loved knowing I was the one who’d made him come like that.

Before I could even catch my breath, Aeolin was moving. He pushed me onto my back and knelt over me the other way around, his ass right by my face. His mouth found my cock, and I swear I almost came right then and there. His lips were warm and wet, and he knew exactly what he was doing. He took me deep, his tongue swirling around me like he wanted to memorize every inch of my cock.

“Holy shit,” I muttered, my hands gripping his ass cheeks as he knelt over me. “Aeolin, you’re, you’re... fuck, this is...” I couldn’t finish. I couldn’t think. All I could do was feel, the heat of his mouth, the scrape of his tongue, the way his breath hitched when I touched him just right.

He hummed around my cock, and the buzz of it went straight up my spine, and I knew I wasn’t going to last. I was leaking into his mouth, I could feel the slick heat, but he didn’t pull back, didn’t ease off. If anything, he went faster, sucking harder, drawing it out of me.

I lost it all at once. I couldn’t warn him. My body just... gave up the fight. I came hard, my cock jerking in his mouth, and he took it all. Every drop. Every shudder. Every gasp.

For a moment, we just lay there, tangled and breathing hard. The jungle kept buzzing around us, birds and bugs and leaves, but I barely heard any of it over my own heart banging away and the happy little noises Aeolin made as he flopped down beside me.

“Those griffons are gonna be a real bitch, huh?” I muttered, my voice hoarse.

Aeolin laughed, low in his throat, and I smiled despite myself. “Worth it,” he said, his breath warm on my skin.

I couldn’t tell whether he meant the griffons or what we’d just done, but I agreed either way.

I didn’t realize how much I still wanted him until he was lying there, his feathers ruffled and his chest heaving, sweat shining on him in what little light got into the nest. My body ached, bruises, cuts, and all, but I couldn’t let it stop me.

“Turnabout’s fair play, right?” I rasped. I rolled him onto his back, his wings spreading out on the moss like some kind of green, feathered star. He looked up at me, his lips still swollen from what we’d just done.

“Fair play?” Aeolin teased. He reached up, his talons scraping lightly over my thighs and making my legs twitch. “You sure you’re up for this? You’re still recovering.”

“I feel like I’ve been through hell,” I shot back, bending down to kiss him. I kissed him slow, my tongue sliding against his, and he let out one of those chirping sounds that always made me harder. “But I’m definitely up for this.”

He laughed and spread his legs for me. I settled between them, my cock already aching again. I pressed the tip of my cock against his hole, and the heat of him made me groan. He was tight, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t care. I needed this. I needed him.

“Sam,” he said, his hands curling loosely around my arms. “You don’t have to...”

“I do,” I cut in, meeting his gaze. “I need to. I need you.”

He didn’t argue after that. Instead, he leaned up, his lips brushing my ear. “Then take me.”

I did. Slowly, carefully, I pushed in. He was tight as hell at first, but I didn’t rush. I couldn’t. I sucked in air as I sank deeper. He was so hot inside that I had to stop and breathe.

“Fuck,” I gasped, burying my face in his neck. His feathers smelled like fruit and sweat. “You feel... holy shit, you feel amazing.”

He laughed again, the sound breathless this time, and wriggled underneath me. “You’re not so bad yourself, human.”

I pulled back, just enough to look at him. His eyes were closed and his face had gone all loose, and his cheeks were pink, which was cute as hell. His hands were still on my arms, his grip tightening as I moved. I started slow, shallow thrusts, giving him time to adjust, but it wasn’t long before I sped up. I needed more. I needed all of him.

“More,” he begged, his voice strained and eager.

I gave it to him. I buried myself in him, nice and steady. His hands slid up my arms, his talons digging into my shoulders. It stung, and I liked it. He gasped with every thrust, and the musky smell of sex mixed with the earthy smell of the nest.

This beat every night I’d ever had in Willowbrook, Maya included.

“Aeolin,” I groaned. “I... I can’t...”

He opened his eyes, meeting mine. “Don’t hold back,” he said, his voice low. “Just let go.”

I did. I let go of everything, my guilt, my fear, my doubts. All of it melted away as I came, my body shuddering as I filled him. He wrapped his arms around me and held on while I finished. His feathers were damp against my skin, his heartbeat steady against my chest.

For a moment, I forgot all about the griffons and whatever else was waiting in the jungle below. It was just us, just this, just now.

Afterward I rolled off him, and Aeolin curled up against my side. We both smelled like sex. My breath still came in ragged pulls, but my whole body had gone loose and heavy. His head rested on my shoulder.

“You think we can actually do this, don’t you?” Aeolin murmured. His breath tickled my skin, and I smiled.

“Do what?” I asked, playing dumb because it was easier than admitting how much I hoped he was right.

He lifted his head. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Sam.”

I sighed, running a hand through his feathers. They were warm, like he’d been sitting in the sun all morning. “Fine. Yeah, I think we can. We’ve made it this far, right? And you’re like... my own personal harpy bodyguard.”

He laughed, a deep chirp of a laugh. “Bodyguard? I’m your partner in crime.”

“Yeah, yeah. Partner in crime, protector of the jungle, guy with the amazing feathers...” I trailed off, my fingers catching on a particularly soft feather near his neck. “You’re pretty full of yourself, you know that?”

“Maybe a little,” he admitted, his lips curling into a smirk.

“Well, good luck with the griffons, then, Mister Amazing Feathers.”

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my collarbone. “I don’t need luck. I’ve got you.”

My throat went tight. I didn’t trust my voice, so I wrapped my arms around him and held on.

We lay there for a while, the jungle humming around us.

Finally, Aeolin stirred, lifting his head and brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “We still have a plan to finish. The griffons won’t wait for us.”

I nodded, even though a part of me wanted to stay right there in the nest forever. “Just one more minute?”

He smiled, leaning his forehead against mine. “One more minute.”

The minute stretched into a few more, but eventually, Aeolin sat up, his wings rustling as he moved. “Ready?”

I was scared shitless of those griffons, but I had Aeolin, and he had a spear.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice steady. “Let’s do this.”

He grinned, smoothed a patch of dirt with his talon and started scratching out a map of the griffons’ ground. I understood about half of it, but I nodded along to all of it, which is most of what being a rogue is.