In her room in the House of Wind, she stared at him.

Nesta had never bothered to watch someone while they slept. With the males she was always gone by morning or kicked them out. And with Cassian… usually they parted ways once they were done. She never allowed herself to spend the night with him.

But now….

He was so quiet and soft in his sleep, at odds to the harsh warrior she encountered in the ring and the laughing male she'd come to love. His rough features were smoothed out, body relaxed in a way it never was when he was awake. He lay on his stomach, his wings limply spread over the bed. His hair was unbound and obscuring his face. One arm was draped over her stomach, effectively keeping her in bed beside him.

They had been officially married yesterday and Nesta wouldn't say it out loud, but she liked being able to call him her husband. Her mate. Their night together had been… thorough. So it was no surprised that it was nearly ten o'clock.

Nesta reached out hesitantly to brush his hair out of his face, wanting to see the envy of so many men and women. Even here, humbled by slumber, he looked like a god. Those muscles, the tattoos and the wings, only proved it more. And all the legends, spread by awed soldiers sitting around campfires-Nesta had yet to find one that wasn't true. Or close enough to it.

In his sleep, Cassian smacked his lips, pulling her fractionally closer. She smiled, unable to help herself. She gently traced the whirls of his tattoos, then his jaw where a light stubble had grown overnight.

She could feel it-through their bond-the exact moment he woke up. He didn't open his eyes, just scrunched his face slightly. "I can feel you ogling me." His voice was thick with sleep and a smirk spread across his lips.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm admiring the stitch on the quilt."

He snorted.

Pleasant silent filled the space between them and in only a few minutes, Nesta was sure Cassian was asleep again. She slid carefully out from under his arm only to crawl back over him, mindful of his wings. She peppered kisses along his spine, right between his wings.

He groaned her name, arching off the bed.

"Mate," she whispered against his spine. "I'm hungry."

He grumbled something but stopped when she nipped the base of his wing. "What was that? What did you say?" she teased.

"I said," he growled, opening his eyes at last, "that I'm hungry for you."

She held in her girlish squeal as he moved, too quickly for her to follow, flipping her onto her back and suspending himself over her. She ran her hands over the hard planes of his chest all the way up to his shoulders where she dug her nails in.

He grinned down at her, then bent his head so their lips barely touched.

Nesta didn't take well to being teased.

She surged forward, claiming his mouth in a fiery kiss, all tongue and teeth and heat. His body sank down on hers, her legs nudging apart on their own to let him closer. All that was between their nakedness was a sheet Cassian had tangled his lower half in.

"Cassian," Nesta breathed as he trailed kisses down her neck. "I really am hungry."

He sat up slightly to look her in the eye, raising a brow. "You don't want your mate to eat first?"

She smacked his shoulder. "No, you ass. I want pancakes and bacon and I want to see my mate in the kitchen making them."

He nodded solemnly, looking off distantly. "A man's place is in the kitchen."

"Shut up," she hissed and pulled him down for one more kiss.

It was rare to see Nesta like this-joking and cheery. And Mother knew he wouldn't let it go to waste.

Cassian slung his mate over his shoulder as he hopped out of bed. She made a noise in the back of her throat when the sheet fell away and she was left dangling.

He smacked her backside lightly as he walked, earning a hiss.

"You'll have to help me," he told her, "I'm afraid I've forgotten how to make bacon." He took the stairs slowly, adding a little bounce to his step as he made his way down.

He felt her shift around on his shoulder, pushing off his back with her hands, and he was about to ask what the hell she was doing but then he felt her tongue on the arch of his wing.

He struggled to stay standing as the sensation went through him. Never-never-had he allowed the females he'd bedded in the past to touch his wings. Nesta was the first and gods it felt good with her nails and her hands.

But her mouth?

He thought he might combust right there. He pulled her down from his shoulder, taking his wing away. "We're not gonna make it down stairs if you do that again."

But she flipped her hair in his face and sauntered down the stairs on her own.

Cassian watched her, a hand braced on the wall. Her hips swayed with every step, taunting and dangerous. Her naked skin gleamed in the early morning light coming from the windows, casting the paleness golden and making her hair look like fire.

He was upon her before she hit the last step.

He surged forward, scooping her up again and pressed her to the kitchen table, knocking over and shattering the glass centerpiece. She gripped the wooden edge, her breasts flattened against the table cloth. Cassian kissed her spine the way she had kissed his, his wings flaring as his mate moaned his name. He slid his hand around and under her, teasing the apex of her thighs. All of the hard parts of him lined up with the soft parts of her and just a single nudge had him-

Someone cleared their throat.

Cassian snapped his eyes up, Nesta too much of a mess beneath him to hear. He released a vicious snarl.

In the doorway stood his brother.

He had to restrain himself from launching at Azriel as Nesta finally looked up and a delicious blush filled her cheeks. They were both butt naked and… and….

Cassian didn't care. He wanted his mate and he wanted her now.

"What?" he snapped.

Azriel was already backing away, hands up. "I can come back later if-"

Cassian didn't know if he would be able to restrain himself later. He pulled Nesta up, wrapping his wing around himself and her to hide their bare bodies. "Tell me now. What do you want?"

Nesta shifted so she was behind him, even with his wing in front of them. His mate so naked and near another male-

"Feyre wanted to know if Nesta would go shopping with her. I'll tell her you two will be busy for the next-" Azriel coughed. "-week."

Cassian only turned around to Nesta his hands reaching for her as he snarled, "Get out."

A door shutting and the boom of wings.

Nesta shivered, leaning her brow against his collarbone. "I think it's time for breakfast."

"Oh no," Cassian said with a grin and pinned her to the table again.