Page 41 of Her Males

The grip on my hand tightens as I point to each one and explain what it’s made from. I don’t often request the shadows to prepare the food from my childhood, knowing it’s unfamiliar to them and can be tricky to make, but I wanted to show Charlie.

I can’t tell her much about me and what being a fate entails, but I can share this.

“This is similar to human beef,” I say, pointing to the dish closest to us. It’s a stewed meat, and it’s covered in a spicy vegetable sauce I was obsessed with as a child.

I grab a fork and scoop up a bite. Charlie watches, her eyes wide as I bring it to her lips.

Pleasure like I’ve never known spreads through me as she opens her mouth and tries the food. She hums as she chews, and I can’t help but stare at the column of her throat as she swallows.

I am obsessed with her.

“It’s good,” she says.

Licking my lips, I pull a plate of baked sweet vegetables closer to us and scoop Charlie up another forkful. She looks pleased as she eats it, her lips curled upward and her eyes shining.

I love it, and I take a bite for myself with a content hum. It’s been so long since I ate any traditional fate foods, and I’ve missed it.

“You know, before the fates became endangered, we used to love holding grand feasts,” I say, grinning at the sly joke regarding her earlier argument with Rock.

Charlie stiffens, catching on, before grumbling and taking a seat. I quite enjoy her pouting, and I sit next to her before continuing to show and feed her my food.

I haven’t had the opportunity to spend much meaningful time alone with Charlie, and I can’t keep my smile off my face as we eat. She eats more than I expected before getting up and dragging me all around the island.

It’s rich in fruits and animals, and her eyes grow comically wide as she stumbles upon a fruit tree. It’s similar to the human banana tree, but the skin of the fruit is hard and the taste is sour.

“Be careful,” I warn as she tries to scale the tree to grab one.

Charlie scoffs, ignoring me before inching up higher. I position myself underneath so I can catch her if she falls, but she makes it to the top and shakes off the fruit without much trouble. She climbs back down with ease, and I sit at the tree’s base.

She settles between my legs and leans back against my chest as I pull open the fruit and feed her a piece.

Her teeth sink into the skin of my fingers, and I press a kiss to the side of her head as I rip off another chunk. I feel content as I serve her, happy to have something to fill my time that isn’t work.

I’m grateful to have Gray, too, an emotion I never imagined I’d feel. It’s odd to transition from friend to lover, but Charlie’s presence has made it easier. I’ve always had a slight interest in Gray, but my feelings were easy to cast aside with the knowledge that someday we’d have a female and she might not want her males together.

Charlie seems to love when Gray and I are intimate. If anything, she’s the one who provokes it, always grabbing our hands and placing them on one another.

“When do you want to bond with me?” Charlie asks.

My movements freeze as her question filters through my mind. In all honesty, it’s not something I’ve placed much thought into. Charlie’s still so young, and I don’t want to pressure her into making a decision that will impact her for the rest of her life.

I refuse to let myself get excited about something she might end up deciding she doesn’t want.

“I will happily bond with you the moment you’re ready,” I say, feeding her another bite.

Charlie spins in my arms.

“I’m ready.”

The look of complete trust and adoration on her face is enough to take my breath away, and I shut my eyes to collect my thoughts. There’s no way I can tell her I think she should wait before making that decision without hurting her feelings. She’ll accuse me of treating her like a child, which admittedly I am, but this isn’t something I’m willing to back down on.

I know she loves me, but I’m not going to let her get blinded by her lust and make rash decisions. I mentally prepare for her wrath as I grab her hands and look into her eyes.

“I think we should wait,” I admit.

She recoils, the reaction stronger than I was anticipating.Fuck.

“Why? Keeping your options open?”

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