Page 104 of Grotesque Love

Their wings, although somewhat retracted, cast imposing shadows on the walls and when they grin at me, there’s flashes of fang in the candle light. I tremble, loving nights like these – the nights when my loves are more monstrous than man – more than anything.

It’s been two months since the fire, since the Clifton estate was purged of all its poison, and in that time we’ve slowly started to rebuild. The house will have years of work ahead to make it habitable once more, but we’re in no rush. We live in the tower, and my priority has been making it a home with my monsters by my side. That, and tending to the garden. We love to spend ourdays outdoors, enjoying the last of the summer sun, but I find myself longing for the cosy longer nights.

We’d also learned more about the curse while sifting through the ashy ruins. Piecing together the things we’d seen down in Carver’s cavern of evil seemed to bring some closure to Sax, Mal and Jas, even though we’ll never know for sure if our theories are right, since everything went up in flames.

Seeing the painting of Mal, and Jas telling us about the notebook, seemed to indicate that once upon a time, my monsters had been men too.

The stone tablet hadn’t survived the crumbling of Clifton Manor, breaking into several pieces and charring in the flames, but what Sax and I could remember seemed to indicate that they weren’t Clifton ancestors, but perhaps victims of the family instead, buried somewhere on the grounds. It might explain why when the sun set they were able to push against the bonds of their curse and experience some freedom, unlike the other gargoyles around the estate.

They weren’t the only ones who found closure in the embers. With Carver gone, and my mind finally my own again, I did something I should have done all those months ago.

I said goodbye to my mother.

With her braid, and the bottle of blood Carver had collected, we’d spent the afternoon in the derelict chapel in the woods. Jas created a gorgeous bouquet of wildflowers, while Mal dug me a small hole and Sax used his claw to etch her name into a large stone.

At her official funeral I had been a mess of grief and guilt, my mind shattered, sticky, and dripping with poisons. I missed my chance to close that chapter of my life, but now…now I am ready.

I’d gotten to my knees and lowered the remains of her into the soil.

From the chapel you can still hear the sea and smell the salt air, and she would have loved that. Scraping the mud over thesouvenirs Carver had stolen, I buried them deep, finally laying her to rest.

Jas, ever the nurturer, had brought a small picnic with him and until the sun set, we lay on the lush green grass, amongst the overgrown flowers, intertwined in one another while I shared my happy memories, however faded and few they were. By the time night fell, I had severed the last thread of guilt tying me to the nightmare of Clifton Manor.

A tug on my hair draws my attention back to the present. Long and silken, it cascades down my back and pools on the cold stone floor. I still haven’t cut it. Why would I when I love it long almost as much as they do?

Sax steps forward, his chiselled features intense, and piercing eyes that make my heart race. With a tender yet firm grip, he gathers a thick strand of my hair and loops it around my wrists, securing them behind my back. The sensation is strange yet thrilling, the silk of my hair both binding and caressing my skin.

“Do you trust us, little dove?” Sax’s voice is a deep, resonant rumble that sends shivers down my spine.

“Yes,” I breathe. As if he even needs to ask. I trust and love the three of them implicitly, and whatever they have in mind for tonight, I’m more than onboard with.

Mal moves closer, his dark eyes glittering with mischief. He takes another length of my hair and gently pulls it around my waist, tying it in an intricate knot that presses me firmly against Sax’s broad chest.

“You’re ours tonight, at our mercy,” he murmurs, his voice a seductive growl. “Every inch of you.”

Jas, still the gentlest of the three, approaches with a soft smile. His hands are tender as he lifts the remaining strands of my hair and winds them around my ankles, binding them together. The feeling of being so completely restrained by my own hair is intoxicating, and my body responds to their touch, my skin tingling.

“How does that feel, Ari?” Jas asks, his voice soothing and melodic.

“Amazing,” I whisper.

The three of them step back for a moment, admiring their handiwork. I’m completely at their mercy, bound by the very hair they love to run their fingers through.

Sax’s eyes blaze with desire, Mal’s grin widens with satisfaction, and Jas’s gentle gaze reassures me that I’m safe.

Sax is the first to move again, his lips capturing mine in a fierce, passionate kiss that leaves me breathless. Mal’s hands roam over my body, exploring every curve, while Jas’s fingers trace delicate patterns on my skin, sending waves of pleasure through me.

“I’m yours,” I say, my voice filled with surrender. “Completely yours.”

“And we are yours, Ari,” Sax replies, his voice a promise. “Always. Now let us fuck you senseless and show you.”

I whimper, always so easily seduced by their dirty words, as Sax wraps one strong arm around my waist and lifts me, crossing over to the large bed we all share and tossing me down on it like I’m a rag doll. I bounce on the mattress but with my arms restrained, there’s nothing I can do to right myself.

Desire pools between my thighs at my helplessness. I’m at their mercy, and it sends a jolt of exhilaration through me.

In a sudden and fluid motion, all three descend upon me, eager to taste me, desperate to touch me in a blur of lips, teeth, and claws. It’s agonisingly delicious, their affection intermingling with the sting of pain. I thrash and squirm beneath them, my cries lost in the storm of their passion.

My body arches off the bed, driven mad by the sheer intensity of their combined attention. Their teeth sink into my flesh, heightening my arousal as I surrender to the pain.

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