Page 38 of Pointy Ears and Purple Glitter
“My beautiful mate,” Malik murmured, his rhythm never faltering. “My perfect, magical mate.”
The words pushed Tynan closer to the edge. He clung to Malik’s shoulders, marveling at the controlled power in his mate’s movements. Always gentle, always mindful of his strength, but never holding back the intensity of his passion.
As his climax approached, Tynan felt his magic surge, responding to his heightened emotions. Instead of fighting it orfearing it, he let it flow freely, trusting that Malik would embrace whatever manifestation his power took.
The room filled with shimmering purple light as they reached their peak together, Tynan crying out Malik’s name as waves of pleasure crashed through him. His magic spun around them in a cocoon of sparkling energy, enhancing every sensation.
Malik collapsed beside him, breathing heavily, one arm still draped possessively across Tynan’s waist. The magical light slowly faded, leaving them in the gentle glow of moonlight.
“That was...” Malik paused, searching for words.
“Magic?” Tynan suggested with a small smile.
“Exactly.” Malik kissed his shoulder. “Literal magic.”
They lay together in comfortable silence for a while, their breathing synchronizing naturally. Tynan’s wings draped over them both like a blanket, shimmering faintly.
“Feel better now?” Malik asked eventually, his voice a low rumble against Tynan’s ear.
“Much.” Tynan nestled closer, savoring the solid warmth of his mate. “It’s hard to worry about anything when you’re holding me like this.”
“Good.” Malik’s arms tightened around him. “Because whatever comes next - Garrison, Mrs. Cooper, Grok, whatever - we face it together.”
“Together,” Tynan echoed, feeling the rightness of the word settle into his bones.
“Of course, if you need more convincing,” Malik suggested with a leer and a raised eyebrow. Then he groaned as his phone started ringing.
“Who’s calling at this hour?” Tynan whispered.
Malik squinted at the screen. “It’s Ian.” His expression immediately shifted from irritation to concern as he answered. “Ian? Is everything okay?”
Tynan leaned closer, straining to hear the young man’s voice. The bond between them thrummed with Malik’s sudden alertness.
“Boss, sorry to call so late,” Ian’s excited voice came through clearly. “But I’ve got news about Hayley Cooper!”
Tynan’s eyes widened, all thoughts of sleep vanishing instantly. “Put it on speaker,” he whispered, and Malik complied.
“What happened?” Malik asked, sitting up fully now.
“She’s been in touch! Well, sort of.” Ian’s words tumbled out in a rush. “I set up notification alerts on her Instagram like we talked about, in case there was any activity. Ten minutes ago, she responded to a comment on her last post!”
Tynan’s heart raced. “What did she say? Is she alright?”
“She wrote that she’s fine and people should stop looking for her. Said she’s ‘living her best life’ and doesn’t want to be found.” Ian paused. “But Boss, Tynan, something feels off about it.”
“Off how?” Malik’s hand found Tynan’s, squeezing gently.
“The wording doesn’t sound like her other posts. It’s… I don’t know how to explain it, but it sounds stilted? Plus, it’s the middle of the night. All her other posts were daytime or evening.” Ian’s voice dropped slightly. “And there’s something else. The account location shows she’s posting from right here in town.”
A chill ran down Tynan’s spine. “If she’s still in town after supposedly running away…”
“Either she never left,” Malik finished, “or someone else is using her account.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” Ian said. “I took screenshots before anything gets deleted. Should I try to respond?”
Tynan exchanged a look with Malik. “No,” he decided. “Let’s not alert whoever’s posting that we’re monitoring. Send those screenshots to my phone if you don’t mind, Ian. You’ve done brilliantly.”
“Will do. Sorry again for interrupting your…uh, evening.”
