Feathers That Bleed

by Sana Khatri

She looks at my cock, then, and sucks in a breath when she sees the slightly curved barbell pierced across my crown. The large beads on either side of my dick’s head are coated in precum, and as Cignette licks her lips before meeting my eyes, I grin and make a come-hither gesture. She gets on all fours and crawls the small distance to me, and when she’s close, I fist her hair and pull her head back before spreading my legs wider. “Your mouth – open it for me,” I order. She does. I use my other hand to roughly cup her jaw, then lean in before tugging her bottom lip between my teeth. “So fucking compliant today, Little Swan,” I remark, then spit into her mouth. “Don’t swallow.” She grabs the wrist of my hand that’s on her jaw, then digs her nails into my skin. I grin again. “Pull your tongue out.” She makes a sound of protest, but when I raise a brow at her, she does what I’ve told her to. Her tongue is filled with my saliva, which makes my cock harden further. I bend and spit into her mouth again, then yank at her hair a second time. “Now, be a good girl and suck my cock,” I tell her. She shudders a little, and moans sharply when I all but shove her face towards my groin. Cignette drops my saliva onto my cock, then mixes it with the precum before rubbing it over the entire length of me. She takes one of the beads between her teeth and tugs, making my hips buck on their own accord as pleasure zaps through my balls. “Take me in your mouth, Cignette. Now,” I say to her, feelin...

“What’s not fair, Nettie, is you making me choose, because that’s exactly what I’ll have to do.” He scoffs and runs a hand over his hair. “I’ve been working for Chase since I was your age. Hell, younger than you, probably. And I’ve always been loyal to him; always followed his orders. I just…” He closes his eyes and exhales heavily. “You’re making me choose,” he says again – quietly – then looks at me. “And Christ damn me, but I’m going to have to pick you. I’ll always fucking pick you over Chase.”

“My, my, Little Swan; what’s gotten into you tonight?” he all but purrs. “Dancing with strangers like this, giving them a show of what’s mine.” He drags the tip of his nose over the shell of my ear. “Inadmissible, don’t you think?” His hands move higher, and he flicks the top of my dress down to cup my breasts, making me gasp. “Dorran, there are people arou–” “You didn’t think much about that when you were shaking your pretty little ass in their midst,” he says. His tone sounds casual rather than accusatory, which sets me at ease. I glance around, and realize that no one is actually noticing us. They’re too busy dancing or making out or singing along with the band. “Is this your way of staking your claim – by grabbing my tits in a full-house club?” He chuckles. “Oh, sweetheart, I don’t have to stake my claim on you anymore. You belong to me, plain and fucking simple.” He pushes me back against him further, then kneads my breasts between his fingers.

Dorran’s wearing a white vest, a black leather jacket, and his signature faded jeans and dark boots. His hair is a ruffled mess of curls, and the angles of his face are edged out against the bold lights in the club. “Wow,” I whisper, then clear my throat and repeat myself. “Wow.” He laughs. “So easily pleased.” “Only because it’s you, dumbass.” He laughs again. “And refined.” I roll my eyes and look away from him, only to find Colton excusing his friends’ company to head to the bathroom. “Dor–” “Follow him,” Dorran orders. “Distract him. I’ll get the crew and join you in a minute.” I nod, and make to leave, but he grabs me by the wrist and pulls me to him again. “Also, you look unholy as fuck in this red dress, Cignette.” He gives me a chaste kiss. “Just thought I’d tell you that.” I smile and kiss him back, then step away from him. “I can’t wait for you to take it off me later,” I tell him. He grins. “I’ll make a show of it for you,” he muses.

“It’s cold outside,” he says easily, then clears his throat. “And I wanted to see you wearing my jacket.” He looks me over with a burning gaze. “It looks better on you than it did on me,” he remarks, then winks at me before leading the crew and I out of the bathroom.

“What I feel for her, you never fucking can. And you know why?” I tilt my head a little. “Because what Cignette and I have is bound by blood – of our pasts, of our hardships, and of our will for survival. We’re both volatile in our own ways, but we stabilize each other when we’re together. And that, Gavin, is something you never can, or will, have.”

“I guess even the strongest of minds have their limit, huh?” “Every human being does.” “True.” He smiles ruefully. “But, being one of the shoulders for her to lean on today was draining. And trust me, I’m not complaining; I’m here for her whenever she needs me. But I gave her all I had, and now I feel kind of…empty. And let me tell you somethin’: it’s a scary fucking feeling, especially when I’ve got people relying on me. I can’t zone out or lose focus; I simply can’t switch off.” “But you can,” I argue. “And you should, Dorran. I understand you’ve got a duty towards your family, but you’ve also got a necessary obligation to yourself. If the very foundation of an empire weakens, then it’s only a matter of time before the rest of it comes tumbling down. And that’s exactly what you are to your crew – the fucking kernel. Don’t be afraid to step back when you need to, because every once in a while, you do need the space, even when you think you don’t.” His throat bobs as he swallows. “It’s not something I’m used to.” “Then don’t make it a habit,” I tell him. “Take a break only when you feel like you seriously can’t handle shit.”

“Can you find where Miranda is?” I ask him. A pause, and then, “Wait, she was there?” “She stood by and let it happen.” “God, I’m going to cut that cunt to pieces,” he sneers. “Find out where she is, and we’ll do it together,” I promise him. I’ll damn everything to hell, and I’ll make sure Miranda Adler doesn’t see the morning sun, because that bitch just messed with the wrong guy – again – and this time, the only penalty for her actions, is death.

“I’m more shocked by what I did than I am guilty. Is that…normal?” “Yes,” I answer honestly. “But the word normal has a different meaning for everyone, and the last thing I want you to do is compare your feelings to someone else’s. Because Cigs, only you can put a label on what’s going on with you right now, and whatever it is, it’s okay.”

“Your courage, your determination towards life – these are layers of you; feathers that bleed out against the odds you’ve faced, and continue to face. You’ve been hurt, broken down to the point where you gave up on being strong for yourself, but you’ve got that part of you back now, and I want you to keep it. Because baby, fearlessness is a hot look on you, and fuck if I’m not weak in the knees for you.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I say with a shake of my head. “And you’re fucking priceless, Little Swan,” he muses. Six simple words, and yet, they warm me from the inside out. Only because he’s the one who said them. I take my hand away from my nose and try not to focus on the stench, then enter the room and stand directly in front of Dorran. He arches a brow at me, and I rise on my tiptoes to bring my face close to his. “Say that again.” He smirks. “You’re fucking priceless, my Little Swan.” I glance at his lips, and watch as they spread into a deviant smile. “Yours, huh?” I meet his gaze. His pupils are flared, and the glint in them is unmistakable. “Did I stutter?” I chuckle. “Kiss me, then,” I say, and erase the space between us before fisting his soiled vest. He lets go of a slight hiss, drops the kitchen axe, and pulls me to him. He then wraps the fingers of his right hand around my throat and squeezes, cutting off my air supply. My lungs burn as I struggle to breathe, and when I let go of a strangled groan, Dorran laughs and presses his lips to mine.

“You’ve consumed me entirely, Cignette,” he rasps against me. “And my God, I’m mad for you. Fucking ravenous.” He all but crashes his mouth to mine, making me arch against him. I’m wet, I’m hot, and it’s…too much. “You’re one to talk,” I tell him, and when he chuckles, I press my teeth to his bottom lip, puncturing the soft skin there.

“You just lost the only parent you had, Cigs. And even though she was a monster, Miranda was still your mother.” “True, but would you blame me if I told you that all I feel right now, is relief?” He smiles. “Of course not. I’d never blame you for feeling liberated.” My eyes turn misty at his choice of word. Wanting him closer, I slide my fingers into his hair and touch my forehead to his. “Thank you.” He tilts his head and presses a kiss on my lips. “I’ll do it all over again, and then some, if it’ll result in you not having to get hurt again.”

warmth. “Feel every bit of the fear and pain these nightmares bring,” he whispers against my hair, then sets a soft kiss on my forehead. “Because the more you learn to embrace them, the less they’ll haunt you – both in your sleep, and while you’re awake. The tragedies you endure reflect themselves in your dreams. They test your internal strength; look for signs of weaknesses. If you let those demons take over you, you lose. If you learn to let them in, they’ll surrender to you. And at the end of the day, that’s all you need, isn’t it? To win over the darkness inside you so that you don’t lose your aim in life.”

“I’ve got you, Little Swan. Always.”

“Look at how well you take my cock,” I hiss, then spank her. “Ah, shit; look at how your hungry little cunt squeezes it. My God, I love it when you use me for your pleasure, Little Swan.”

🥵

“Come here,” I order. She turns and reaches me, then levels herself to me. I grab her by the throat, and catch her gasp against my palm. “You’re such a good girl, aren’t you, sweetheart?” I say, then grin when she makes a sound. “Open up for me.” She parts her lips, and I slide my fingers into her mouth. Her cheeks hollow as she eagerly sucks my cum off them, and when I push them in deeper, she loosens her jaw and takes them to the very back of her throat. “Fucking perfect.” I pull my hand back, then bring her closer before crashing my mouth to hers. She tastes and smells like me, and kisses me back like I’m her only source of sustenance. I let go of her throat and pull her flush against me, then sit down on the floor. She straddles me and continues kissing me, bunching my hair up in a painful grip. “God, I wish your dead mother is watching us right now from whatever pit of hell she’s in,” I say, then bite her bottom lip before sucking on it. “Imagine her body turning in her fucking grave, restless at the sight of us soiling her cashmere carpet,” Cignette adds, then laughs. I snort, then chuckle. “I’m sure we make a hot sight, though, so at least there’s that.” She smiles down at me, and it’s the kind of thing that tugs at you; moves something inside you because it means more than you can put into words. “The best,” she corrects me, then presses her lips to mine, engulfing me in her warmth.

“You were the greatest thing your mother and I created. At least that’s what you were to me – my treasure, my heir; a source of continuation of the Adler line. Miranda didn’t match my enthusiasm over the same, but I was so happy when you were born. You were everything to me, up until the moment you decided to take from me what meant the most to me.”

wtf

“You…” I swallow, then shake my head a little. “What did you just say?” His laugh is short, menacing. “I’m your daddy, sweet pea,” he confirms, using the endearment mockingly. “Did you really think your mother had a drunken one-night-stand and ended up pregnant with you?” He chuckles. “Cignette, you’re my daughter, not a random elite’s.”

What the fucking fuck

“I fucked my sister to keep our bloodline secure, Cignette. Call it old-fashioned or corrupted, I don’t care. You’re my daughter, and that’s the truth.”

That's just sick

“But the thing is: Cignette means more to me than you or your money. She completes me. It’s something nothing and no one has ever had the power to do.”

“Put me in a fucking grave, and watch how I come back to life with the smallest of breaths she takes in my name. Cignette is my beginning, and if she’s to be my end, then I’ll go a happy fucking man, I assure you.”

Literal chills

Mave is dead. Just like that, he’s been taken from me. My constant, my best friend. The man who always listened to me, no matter what. The man who loved me for who I am – flaws and all. Who made me see things I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Who fought for me, and with me whenever he thought I was wrong. The man who was my shadow, who always stood behind me, even when I asked him not to. All I would have to do is look over a shoulder, and he’d be there. He’d be there… Not anymore. I place a hand over his heart, and mine practically breaks when I don’t feel a single heartbeat under my palm. “I love you,” I say in between my tears. “I know I’ve never said it, but I love you, Mave. I always will.” I briefly close my eyes when I can’t look at him lying here like this. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Look at me,” I hiss, and when he doesn’t, I slap him and yank his chin forward. “Fucking look at me, you asshole. I want you to keep that fading eyesight on me. I want you to know that I’m the one who brought you to your goddamn knees; who put a full stop on Chase Adler’s ever-going chapter.” I push the blade in through the same spot, and smirk when he convulses beneath me.

“For Mave, and for Jayce. And for letting me be treated like shit by my mother for over two decades.” I straighten and step away from his body. “May you rest in fucking pieces, Dad,” I say, then turn my back on him.

“You live in a world where you can’t hope for things to always go as planned, kid. That’s your truth – one you gotta know by heart.”

God, I wanna close my eyes and sleep. For a week, a month, a year – I just wanna fucking zone out. Because staying awake will remind me of what I lost today, and that’s a scar that’ll forever stay infected, even when it ages. I might fade to nothing one day, but this wound – it won’t leave my side, even in the fucking afterlife.

“I’m sorry,” I mouth, just as a tear slips past my lips. “I love you, Jayce, and I’m so damn sorry.”

The only sense of reality I have right now are the fast-falling drops of rain that are all but pelting onto my skin. They are relentless in their approach – biting into the cut on my face – yet somehow, they make me feel…I don’t know, grounded, I suppose. Because if it wasn’t for the rain, I’d be too far down in my head, and my thoughts would end up pulling me under eventually. But the cold wind is keeping me stable, and the goosebumps it’s igniting are reminding me that I’m still alive.

The hole he’s left in my goddamn chest will never fill up, but I guess that’s how it is when you lose a part of yourself. And that’s exactly what Jayce was: a part of me; the other side of the coin. A reflection of myself.

“Putting an end to Miranda is something I’ll never regret, and if I could, I’d do it all over again,” I tell her honestly. “And Jayce – he died trying to protect me today. He took the blow that was meant for me. And Mave – he did exactly the same for you. You know why that is?” A fresh stream of tears blurs my vision. “It’s because they wanted us to live. It’s because they knew that it was next to impossible for all of us to make it out of that situation unscathed, so they willingly put themselves forward. It was stupid and reckless of them, but still, they did it for us. The least you and I can do, Cigs, is respect their decision by doing what they wanted us to do.”

“I love you.” I pull her closer to me, and watch as she inhales sharply in return. “I fucking love you, Cignette Adler, and I won’t be able to do any of it without you. Living, breathing, functioning – none of it. I’ll need you by my side every step of the way, so I want you to get a hold of yourself and stop feeling sorry for the both of us. It’s not going to help anyone, and it’s not the way to honor Jayce and Maverick. So yeah, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me, and I’m too fucking selfish to let you hurt yourself.” She cups my wrist with one hand, and fists the front of my vest with the other. She looks dazed, almost shocked. “Say that again,” she rasps, then sniffs. I bend and touch my nose to hers, making sure to keep my eyes on her. “I love you,” I repeat myself. “I think I’ve loved you for a while now, but I kept pushing the thought away in fear of rushing you with it. Every time I’d feel my body buzz in your presence, or feel a welcoming weight on my chest when you were near, I knew; knew what the fuck it meant. And as much as I’ve loathed the term for the power it holds over us, I can’t deny that I feel it for you. I’m in love with you, and it’s a thing that’ll never go away, because it’s instilled into every fiber of my being.” She laughs, and then she cries. She fists my vest tighter, then tilts her head to the side and places a kiss on my lips. “And I love you. I’ve known it since the night you took me to that hill after Varsha killed Gavin. You...

🥺

“It’s all you,” I tell her. “It’s always been you. Whether it was surviving your mother’s cruelty or standing up to her. Whether it was ending Riley’s life for his intentions towards you, or killing your father for what he took from you and I, you did it all by yourself, Cignette. And as much as I’d like to take credit for your strength, I won’t, because you’re a force of nature – one I’m more than happy to stand behind, and not overshadow.” She cups my face and pulls me down to kiss me, and I wrap my arms around her middle and kiss her back. She tangles her fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck, and my body hums against the pressure. “Promise me that you’ll never leave me,” she commands in between kisses. “Never. And if I’ve ever given you the impression, then I’m sorry.” I press her body against mine. We’re so close that we’re sharing the same breath. It’s perfect. It’s everything. “No…” She opens her mouth and kisses me harder, and I can only keep up with her. “I love you, Dorran.” “I love you, Little Swan.”

As long as I have her, and she has me, we can take on anything together. Broken and battered and bruised – she is it for me, and I can only hope that I’m enough for her. The Flawed Princess and her Bloody Prince – we’re a tale not many know about, but maybe one day they will. Maybe someone will write our story onto pages, and if they do, I wonder if it’ll resonate with those who read it. Not every love story is inked in blood, but mine and Cignette’s is. And it’s okay, because it’s our misshaped reality – the only one we know. The only one we’ll always know.

“Day 365 without you,” I start, then swallow. “Still hasn’t gotten easy, but I promise you that I’m trying.”

I felt this in the bottom of my soul poor Mave 🥺

“Remember that construction guy I’ve been telling you about?” I chuckle, then flick a tiny piece of rubble with my forefinger. “I asked him to fix the countertop yesterday because it didn’t look the way I wanted it to, and when I turned around, I swear I heard him call me a menace.” I laugh, but it turns into a sob. “Fuck, I miss you, Mave.” I close my eyes and will for the tears to stop, but they don’t. And when a soft, feather-light breeze touches my wet cheek – almost like a caress – I suck in a breath and open my eyes. A chill runs through my very bones, leaving me stunned.

😭

I make my way to Jayce, pull another rose out from the back pocket of my jeans, and place it below the gravestone. “He hates it when I fuss over him,” I say, referring to Dorran, “but I am taking care of him, I promise. Of all 3 of them.”

🥺

Dorran walks over to me, then runs his long, calloused fingers over the front of my Cadillac. “To think, it all started because of this car,” he tells me. I blink at him. “Huh?” He looks at me, then chuckles when he sees my confusion. “We met because you brought your Cadillac to Finesse over a year ago,” he says, and shifts closer to me. “I knew I was done for the moment I saw you, and I was so pissed you were with Gavin, of all people.” I laugh a little, and he does the same. “I’m glad he suggested we go to your garage, though. That’s the one good thing he did, if nothing else.” He seems contemplative for a moment, but then he just smiles. “True.”

“Hey.” He tilts his head to the side. “You okay, sweetheart?” I swallow and straighten a little. “Yeah.” Cupping the side of his face, I rise on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. “You ready to go home?” I ask him. He grins, and it’s such an effortless gesture that it pulls at my eager heartstrings. “Yeah, let’s go home,” he answers, then kisses me.

I need moreee

Hardships are a part of life. They shape a person, teach them lessons nothing and no one ever can. Every hurdle, downfall, and loss have their value, and only when you’ve experienced it all, do you realize how precious, and priceless, life is. Some get to live it to the fullest, while some don’t, so make sure to spend your time loving those who love you, disregarding those who envy you, and forgiving those who have hurt you. Remember: the only way for you is up, because darling, for you, even the sky is not the limit.