Huffing under her breath, Chloe moved to the window. She knew she couldn’t just go running through the woods trying to stop this. There was too much risk of her getting shot accidentally if they came too close to her house.
This wasn’t the first time Henry and his friends had gotten excited over something they were chasing and moved over onto her land without realizing it. They’d done it once before, and although Chloe had let it go after Henry had apologized and his wife had baked her some pies, that was supposed to be the last of it.
They’d been warned once now, and while Chloe hated to take any legal action against her neighbors, enough was enough. What were they doing out in her woods in the middle of the night?
She pointed her phone at the window, hoping to get a photo of them actively hunting on her land. It would be a lot easier with evidence. Maybe she could even get their hunting rights temporarily revoked. The forests should be a safe place for the animals that lived here, not zones of danger and death by human guns.
Instead of getting a glimpse of the hunters, though, she saw the last thing she would have expected. A flash of movement caught her eye and she looked up, her mouth falling open as she stared.
A reindeer. A reindeer flying over the treetops.
She blinked hard, but it didn’t disappear. It was snowing outside, and at first, she had thought she was just seeing things. But no, there was an actual reindeer in the sky.
It was angling upward, flying closer and closer to her cabin. Chloe frantically tried to remember if she could have been exposed to anything that would cause her hallucinations, but she came up blank.
It didn’t make any sense. Matt had told her that crazy story about Henry seeing a flying reindeer the other night, but that had just been a story, hadn’t it? They’d had too much to drink.
Chloe only had a cup of hot chocolate after dinner. No alcohol, no drugs, no illness that could be causing hallucinations.
There shouldn’t have been a flying reindeer, and yet, there was.
The reindeer didn’t get far as the hunters chased it. Another shot went off and seemed to hit because the reindeer faltered in the air before tumbling down, out of the sky.
Chloe’s heart sank. Throwing caution to the wind, she dashed for the door. She quickly pulled on her shoes and jacket and took off into the snowy forest.
It was one thing knowing that it was a bad idea to go into an area where people were hunting, but seeing an animal injured and leaving it to die—she couldn’t do that, especially when it was on her land. The reindeer should have been safe here.
Her heart pounded as she ran in the direction where she’d seen the animal fall, but Chloe was once again brought up short. At first, she thought she’d found the reindeer—she could see the antlers in the snow. When she got closer, though, she realized that it wasn’t a reindeer.
It was a person.
Her breath caught in her throat. Carefully, she took a step closer. A dark-skinned man lay buck-naked in the snow. His right thigh was bleeding heavily and a quick examination showed that it was a bullet wound. Antlers sprouted from his black hair and as she knelt by his side, Chloe gasped.
She recognized him—Kaelar. What was he doing here?
Dogs barked in the distance, indicating that Henry was getting closer. Chloe didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t make sense of it in her head. A flying reindeer was shot and now Kaelar was here, also shot.
There was no time to think and she didn’t want to do her thinking at gunpoint. The barking of the dogs was getting closer.
Making a split-second decision, Chloe grabbed Kaelar’s shoulders and started dragging him back to the cabin. He was heavy, but the snow helped him slide along. She was leaving a trail, one that was mixed with his blood, but that couldn’t be helped. Her heart thumped anxiously as she tried to get him out of harm’s way as quickly as she could.
It took longer to get to her cabin than she would have liked, but at least Chloe made it there before the hunters broke through the trees. The bloody trail had stopped several feet away. As she got to her shoveled driveway, there was hardly a trail at all. The snow was falling quite heavily by now and she hoped it would help cover their tracks even more.
The dogs could probably still follow their scent, but Chloe hoped Henry and his friends wouldn’t make the connection that she’d pulled… Kaelar? The reindeer? …back to her cabin.
She shook her head. She didn’t know what to think. Was Kaelar the reindeer? She’d considered it before, but then she had concluded that it was crazy. But how else did you explain this?
She dragged Kaelar inside her cabin and slammed the door. By now, she was dripping with sweat from the exercise, but with a last squeeze of strength, she pulled Kaelar to the couch, hauling him onto it as best she could.
With a blush, Chloe avoided looking at his mid-section and immediately turned her attention to his thigh. It didn’t matter right now how he got shot, she just needed to get him better. He’d lost a lot of blood. His skin was an ashen color that didn’t look at all healthy.
The antlers were making his head lie at a funny angle and Chloe reached for them, beyond wondering why he was wearing a part of his reindeer costume at this time of the night, in the middle of nowhere.
She tugged at them, but the antlers didn’t come off. Frowning, she tried to see where they were attached to his head, but couldn’t figure it out. It was like they were just growing out of his skin.
She shook her head. Kaelar was bleeding too much for her to bother with it now. Chloe positioned the cushions under his neck better so that he would be comfortable when he woke.
Her hands shook slightly as she examined the wound. It would take an ambulance at least half an hour to get here and half an hour may put Kaelar beyond help. She had to stop this bleeding now.
Chloe had worked in the ER before and seen her fair share of bullet wounds. She was more used to treating kids, but she had the knowledge to do this.
She grabbed the first aid kit and quickly knelt down next to Kaelar. The first bit was the hardest—she needed to retrieve the bullet.
Chloe snaked a long pair of medical tongs into Kaelar’s leg, feeling around. His back arched in pain and she had to clamp down on his leg to stop him from moving. A few breathless minutes later, she had the bullet.
Next, she had to stitch the wound closed. The bullet had nicked a vein. If it had been an artery, Kaelar would have been dead in minutes, but a major vein like this was trouble enough on its own.
Her hands were covered in blood as she sewed everything up tightly. She could still hear the hunting dogs. No doubt, Henry was searching for the reindeer he’d shot. It was snowing hard enough that the trail she had left would hopefully be covered up, but he was bound to come and check in with her eventually.
Chloe lost track of time as she sewed. By the time she was done, she was covered up to her elbows in blood, but at least the wound was closed. Kaelar was pale, but still breathing. His heartbeat was weak and steady.
Before she could clean up, there was a sudden pounding on the door. Chloe bit back a groan. Couldn’t they have waited a little longer?
“Chloe? It’s Henry, I have to talk to you. It’s urgent.”
Of course, it was. She couldn’t even pretend to be asleep, as it was clear that all of the lights were on.
“Just a minute!” She dashed to the kitchen sink and started washing the blood off her arms. Her clothes were covered in it too.
Chloe quickly stripped and finished scrubbing her arms. She ran to the bathroom and grabbed a robe, wrapping her hair in a towel, since she was sure there was blood there too.
One check in the mirror showed her to be free of any visible blood and she scurried back to the living room, pulling a blanket over Kaelar entirely, covering his whole body as well as his head and antlers.
Henry was still knocking loudly and Chloe didn’t try to hide her annoyance as she yanked the door open. “What kind of time do you call this?”
/> She kept the door only slightly ajar to try to hide Kaelar, not caring how rude she might seem. It was late and she looked like she had just been taking a shower or a bath anyway, so she hoped the neighbor wouldn’t hold it against her if she didn’t invite him in.
Henry looked at her, seemingly exasperated. His eyes were wild as he spoke. “I’m sorry to bother you at this time of the night, but I came to warn you. There’s something weird going on in these woods and you need to be careful. I know this sounds weird, but there’s a flying reindeer out here.”
Chloe tried very hard not to flinch. She’d never been a good liar, but now, she had to try. Whatever was going on with Kaelar, she wanted to protect him. Chloe was sure that he wouldn’t want Henry knowing his secrets, whatever those secrets were.
Maybe one day he’d tell her, but for now, she needed to do what she could to ensure he had that chance.
Chapter 13
Kaelar
Kaelar came back to consciousness painfully. His right leg throbbed like there was something trying to get out of it and the rest of his body ached from head to toe. The light around him was muted and there was something on his face. A cloth?
He blinked a few times, eventually coming to the conclusion that he was lying down on something soft and a blanket covered him from toes to antlers. How had he gotten here?
His memories were muddy. The last thing he remembered was falling down in the forest and trying to scramble away from the hunters. He’d been sure the hunters would take him to a hospital, but wherever this was, it definitely wasn’t a hospital.
A few feet away, someone pounded on what sounded like a door and the pounding made his head spin. Kaelar didn’t like the blanket obscuring his vision, but given the unknown and potentially dangerous situation, he decided to stay put for now and try to figure out where he was and what was going on before he did anything.
The door opened slightly and Kaelar’s heart leaped as he heard a voice he recognized.
Chloe.
“What kind of time do you call this?” He heard her ask, a tone of annoyance in her voice.
“I’m sorry to bother you at this time of the night, but I came to warn you.” A man answered her on the other side of the door, sounding exasperated. “There’s something weird going on in these woods and you need to be careful. I know this sounds weird, but there’s a flying reindeer out here.”
Kaelar tensed, sucking in a quiet breath as the muscles on his leg contracted most painfully. However, Chloe remained calm.
“A flying reindeer?” she asked. “Have you been drinking, Henry? And what are you doing hunting on my land? I thought we agreed this wouldn’t happen again.”
“Look, I’m trying to tell you that you’re in danger! I shot the thing out of the sky, but it’s still alive, and it’s wandering around the forest. Flying reindeer shouldn’t exist. Who knows what it really is! Yes, I chased it onto your land, but only to kill it before it hurts someone. You shouldn’t go outside until I’ve found it.”
“The flying reindeer,” Chloe said flatly. Kaelar could almost see her folding her arms as she spoke.
“Call it what you want, but you need to let me kill it.”
“You’re not allowed to hunt on my land, Henry! You have all the right to do it on your own property, but there is no way I’m letting you do it here. Now, I want you to leave or… I’m sorry to say this, but I’m going to have to call the police. It’s late and you’re not welcome to hunt on my land. If I catch any hint of you killing so much as a mouse in my section of the forest, I will take legal action this time, Henry, I mean it.”
Henry swore angrily and Kaelar tensed again, ready to leap to Chloe’s defense, but it wasn’t necessary. The man stomped away, muttering something under his breath about how he couldn’t understand what his son saw in her and that if someone got hurt in the forest because of this, it would be on Chloe.
Chloe shut the door behind him, and the man’s next words went to deaf ears. Kaelar heard her sigh heavily as she secured her locks.
He reached up to pull down the blanket that was covering him, but he found that he had no strength in his arms. His wrist fell down again and he tried to shake his head in irritation, but even that was difficult. It felt like his whole body was suddenly made of overcooked noodles. He must have lost a lot of blood. He was lucky to be alive.
Chloe’s footsteps started coming toward him and Kaelar quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He wasn’t ready to talk to her yet. He needed to gather his thoughts first. How much did she know? Had she seen him flying? Had she seen him on the ground in his reindeer form? What was he going to tell her?
She pulled the blanket back from his face, tucking it around his chin. She moved around the house a bit more, but then settled to wait on a nearby chair. Kaelar kept his eyes closed and carefully tracked her movements by sound.
After several minutes, he concluded that she had decided to watch over him until he woke rather than taking him to the hospital. Not that Kaelar wasn’t grateful, but it made him worry about what she knew. Was she covering for him?
Kaelar couldn’t really decide anything until he knew what she knew. He could probably find some excuse to explain his presence in the woods—he’d gone for a walk and gotten lost—but if she’d seen him as a reindeer, a flying reindeer no less, his secret was out.
He cracked his eyes open. “Chloe?”
“Kaelar!” She leaped up and came to his side. “How are you feeling?”
“Like my leg is on fire.”
“Of course. Here, take these.” She helped him sit up slightly to take some pills. Kaelar hoped they kicked in soon. The pain was constant and it made him feel ill.
“Do you want me to take you to the hospital? They can give your morphine there because I don’t have that here.”
Kaelar struggled to shake his head. “No, no hospitals,” he said. “Whatever you have here is fine. Thanks.”
Chloe nodded. Kaelar looked at her, wondering how to begin, but Chloe spoke first.
“We should get you cleaned up,” she said. “I’ve cleaned and bandaged your wound, but the rest of you is still covered in dirt and blood. I should get you some clean clothes too. My dad used to own this cabin, I bet some of his things are still here. They should fit.”
Her cheeks flushed and she shied her eyes away. For the first time since waking up, Kaelar realized that he was nude under the blanket and a wave of heat crawled onto his own cheeks.
Not waiting for a response, Chloe bustled off and came back with a loose pair of pants and a t-shirt. Then, she ran into the kitchen and came back with a bucket of soapy water.
Pulling down the blanked from his chest, she said, “Here, let me help you.”
Kaelar felt his heart rate quicken. His cock hardened and the tingling in his antlers was back.
“You don’t need to—”
“You have a bullet wound,” she told him sternly. “I’m not letting it get infected and that means keeping the rest of your body clean too.”
Kaelar swallowed but didn’t argue. She picked up a sponge and dipped it into the water. Then, she started gently sponging his torso and arms. Kaelar sucked in a breath.
“Does it hurt?” Chloe asked.
“No,” Kaelar breathed. Yes, he did hurt all over, but Chloe’s touch made it all better. Getting a sponge bath from her was like one of his most pleasant dreams come true. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he tried to keep his body in check.
Much to his disappointment, she remained professional the whole time. Except for the rising flush in her cheeks, he would never have had any idea that she was affected at all.
She lathered his chest and arms thoroughly, and Kaelar reveled in the pleasurable feeling of her hands on his body. Then, she threw a towel on his mid-section and moved onto his legs. Kaelar felt his cock straining hard as she washed his thighs. Warmth suffused him and his heart beat rapidly.
He sighed in relief when Chloe finished
and helped him get dressed. His muscles still ached and his arms were weak, but somehow, he managed to lift his arms for her as she pulled his shirt on. It caught on his antlers, but Chloe simply disentangled it.
His cock mercifully started to go down as he got dressed, though he had to keep a tight lid on the memories lest it spring to attention again.
“Come on, we should get you to bed,” Chloe said. “This couch is covered in blood. I’m going to have to throw it out.”
Kaelar nodded and tried to get up from the chair she’d perched him on once he was in clean clothes, but a wave of dizziness suddenly hit him. Chloe staggered slightly as she tried to steady him.
“Sorry,” Kaelar mumbled, groping for something else to hold onto and finally finding the back of the chair.
“It’s to be expected—you lost a lot of blood. You need to get your blood sugar up. I just wanted to get you into bed before I bring you food.”
Fortunately, the bed wasn’t far. With Chloe’s help, Kaelar staggered into her bedroom, collapsing heavily on top of the covers. He grimaced as he rolled aside so that she could help pull the blankets over him. The painkiller had kicked in, but trying to walk on his leg had it burning with pain again. Panting, he lay perfectly still, waiting for the fiery agony to fade.
Kaelar knew he would be much improved tomorrow. His kind healed faster than humans, but right now, that wasn’t much of a comfort.
“I’ll be right back. I’ll bring you some juice for now, then see about making you something more substantial.”
Kaelar must have drifted off, because the next thing he knew, Chloe was shaking him gently. “I know you need rest, but I want to get some food and drink into you first.”
He took the glass and eagerly gulped down the fruit juice, suddenly realizing how thirsty he was. Chloe left again and Kaelar could hear her moving around in the kitchen. The delicious smell of frying meat and vegetables started to waft toward him. By the time she came back in, carrying a plate loaded with food, Kaelar’s mouth was practically watering.
The Alien Reindeer's Joy Page 7
