Wounded Wings

by Ariana Hawkes

  He had no clue why this woman was making his animal so horny and restless. Yes, she was as sexy as hell and she had the beauty of an angel, but he didn’t even like her. They had nothing in common, and she had a boyfriend. Also, he’d sworn off humans. Nothing here on earth was helping him to recover from his injury, but maybe mating with a female dragon—his own blood—might make the difference.

  He was becoming more and more awake, so he’d gotten up and gone to the balcony to get some fresh air. And as he’d stood there, staring out at the night in front of him, he had suddenly gotten the strong impulse to try flying. He hadn’t tried for months, but now he felt ready. He’d shifted quickly, willed his scales to change color and merge with the darkness, and stood over the edge of the balcony. Then he’d leaned forward and floated into the night, flapping his wings as hard as he could.

  His body had tipped to the right almost immediately, his injured right wing failing to create the lift he needed. He’d tried to push himself forward with his left wing, flapping it manically, but he quickly lost height and plunged toward a tree underneath him. Despairing, he’d thrust his body to the left to avoid a collision with the tree, but a branch had brushed his face and scratched the skin under his eye before he’d collapsed on the grass.

  After that, he’d lain on the ground for a long time, full of disgust for himself.

  What on earth had he been thinking? He’d known it wasn’t safe to launch himself from a height like that. He’d almost blinded himself. And for what? To impress Eden? Was that it? To prove to her he was a real dragon, and not some quasi-human?

  “Grab your stuff,” he said to Eden. “We have to go.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked in a slow voice, her eyes still sleepy. She looked quite cute in her yellow floral pajamas, and he had to force himself not to smile. “I haven’t had breakfast.”

  She looked softer than yesterday, her expression more doubtful and her posture more delicate, and he realized that there was a certain vulnerability beneath her ball-breaking personality.

  “Grab something for the journey,” Notus said shortly and walked to the entrance door.

  Eden sighed dramatically and went to her room without asking further questions. She emerged fifteen minutes later, much sooner than he’d expected. She could have lingered in protest, but instead she’d sucked it up and been mature about it. She wasn’t the spoilt kid he’d thought she was. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so harsh on her.

  She was wearing black jeans, ripped at the knees, black boots, and a loose grey blouse. Her hair was tied up in a bun, revealing the soft skin of her neck. He averted his gaze and walked out, pulling his car keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors of his Aston Martin soft top. He opened the passenger door for Eden before going around to his side and jumping into his seat without opening the door. He started the engine and buckled himself in.

  “Nice car,” Eden said, raising her voice over the roar of his engine. He could tell she had forced her voice to sound casual, but she was impressed.

  “Thanks,” he said curtly, put the gear shift in drive, and stepped on the accelerator. He tore out of the parking lot in one smooth motion and sped toward the end of the street. He took a right there, a left at the next junction, and then a left again to join the highway.

  He put his foot firmly down on the accelerator and listened to the loud sound of the engine as the car raced along the road. Everyone complained he drove too fast and too recklessly, but he had fast reactions, and he always felt fully in control.

  Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the destination and turned into the parking lot. He killed the engine and jumped out of the car. Eden got out and slammed the door behind herself.

  “Oh, are we here for your daily weight pumping session?” she asked, eyeing the sign on the gym building in front of her. “How exciting.”

  “Try again,” Notus replied and walked toward the gym.

  He greeted the receptionist at the front desk, who smiled at him and handed him a pass before Notus had even asked. He took them, nodded his thanks at the guy, and led Eden to the far end of the corridor. He unlocked the door using his swipe card and entered the training studio.

  As dragons, he and his clan didn’t normally need to work out to develop and maintain their physiques. But most of their human competitors did, and as they were concealing their true nature in this world, they felt it was important to keep appearances. So they’d hired a studio in the gym where they could train away from human eyes if they wanted to. Notus had gotten into it a little more than the others as a way of expending the energy that he couldn’t burn off through flying.

  He turned to Eden, who was pretending to be bored. “I want you to show me what you’ve learned in your martial arts classes,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Are you testing me now?”

  “No. I’m just getting to know you.” His dragon was puffing himself up beneath his skin. Notus cleared his throat. “We teach all of the clients that we judge to be under threat basic self-defense skills.”

  “I’ve told you I’ve done classes. I already know the basics,” she said, her voice full of annoyance.

  “And that’s why I asked you to show me what you’ve learned. I have to know where your skills are at.”

  Eden heaved a long sigh, went to leave her purse on the bench, and walked slowly back toward him, avoiding meeting his gaze.

  “Okay. Just pretend that I’m attacking you and defend yourself any way you—”

  Without waiting for the end of his sentence, Eden leapt forward and her arm shot out, the heel of her palm aiming to strike under his nose. He jumped to the right, and her hand glanced off his cheekbone. Impressive.

  “A nice try for an arm with chicken muscles,” he teased.

  Her face reddened, and she glared at him, her big brown eyes full of fire, boring deep into his. She looked sexy when she was angry, too, he noticed and couldn’t prevent a little smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth. She stepped to her right, lips pressed together, and seemed to consider her next offense. In a quick motion, she looked left, leaning her shoulder in that direction, before she pulled back rapidly and kicked out her right foot at the side of his left knee. Smart move. He jumped back and her heel brushed his kneecap.

  She continued her attacks, each attempt quick, well thought-out, finely executed, and more and more aggressive. She was good. Very good. Fast, smart, and strong. She was panting a little after about twenty minutes, her face slightly flushed, her chest heaving with deep breaths.

  Notus caught her fist in his right palm after she tried to punch him in the jaw and pulled her toward himself. He turned her under his arm, pressing her back against his body.

  “Let’s call it quits,” he said. “I’ve seen enough.”

  He released her and went to the water dispenser by the door. He poured two glasses of water and handed one of them to her.

  “Your skills are very good,” he said. “You’re very agile on your feet and a strategic thinker. You use both your brain and your heart, in a perfect balance and combination. And your body is very strong.”

  Eden’s cheeks got even hotter, and she took a sip from her glass, hiding her face from him. Surprisingly, she wasn’t used to compliments. Notus thought back to the critical comments Todd had made about her yesterday. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising after all.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled. “I’ve been training hard, I guess.” She poured herself another glass of water. “I need to go to my bakery this afternoon,” she said after a moment.

  “We’d agreed with your father that your shop should remain closed until we catch whoever’s behind the threat,” Notus said.

  “I am keeping it closed. I just want to bake some cupcakes,” she said.

  “Oh, right. A cooking therapy session because you’re still mad about having me around you all day long.” He chuckled.

  She rolled her eyes. “No, it’s for my birthday tomorrow. I’m celebratin
g with my friends, and I always bake some cupcakes.”

  “Ah,” Notus muttered.

  Yeah, that wasn’t happening with the birthday celebration. He’d gone to see Xephyr yesterday afternoon after he’d gotten over his rage at being assigned to the case and was briefed on all the details. One of the things Xephyr had mentioned was the planned birthday party, which he’d advised Todd against. Todd had agreed that it was best to keep Eden as isolated from people as possible, and had given his consent for them to cancel the party.

  Notus wasn’t going to break the news to Eden just yet. One fight at a time. She hated being under twenty-four-hour protection, so it’d be good for her to do something she enjoyed. He felt sorry for her, and he wasn’t looking forward to disappointing her.

  They gathered their things, locked the studio, and left the gym. When they got into Notus’s car, he put the roof up and turned up the volume of the rock radio station. His mood also needed improving, and music always made him feel better. He was going to call Xephyr from the bakery and pressure him again to have someone replace him. He was still mad at his Alpha, but he’d been trying not to think about it. The job was his responsibility until he was replaced, and he needed to remain focused. The thoughts he’d been having about Eden had been distracting enough. He didn’t need to battle his own rage, too.

  They drove to Eden’s cupcake bakery in silence. “Rebellion” by Arcade Fire, one of Notus’s favorite songs, came on the radio, and he felt like singing as he normally did when he was driving, which soothed his soul, but instead he just drummed the fingers of his hand on the wheel in rhythm to the music.

  Eden’s bakery was in the center of Deerfield on one of the high streets. He found a parking spot not too far away from it, and they walked the short distance. Notus pushed his face to the glass door and peeked into the shop.

  “Let me go in first,” he said as she was unlocking the door. “You can come with me but stay by the door while I check the rest of the premises.” She stepped to the side, giving him space to enter the shop.

  He took the keys from her, walked in, and stepped to the left, waiting for her to enter. He locked the door after her and raised his palm, signaling to her to stay there.

  The shop was fairly small. It had a wooden floor and white furniture. There were a couple of tables to the right of the door and four seats along the front window. The counter was on the right at the back of the room. He went behind it and opened a rear door, which lead to a kitchen that was much bigger, almost twice the size of the shop itself. It was clean and equipped with a range of tools and equipment he hadn’t seen before. There was a door right opposite him, which led to a small alleyway at the back of the building, and another door to his right where the bathroom was.

  He returned to the front of the store. Eden was leaning against the door and looking at her phone, her hair swinging in front of her face.

  “All clear,” Notus said.

  She walked past him into the kitchen area and closed the heavy industrial door after her. Notus put the blinds down, blocking the view from the street, and sat at one of the tables. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Xephyr’s number. The line rang a few times and then went to voicemail.

  “Just checking in,” Notus said after the tone. “How’s the investigation going? And how are you getting on with finding someone to replace me here? Give me a call when you can.”

  Despite Xephyr’s assurances that he was the best person for that job, he didn’t think so. Yes, he felt fully confident in his abilities to protect Eden—he was still big and strong both in his human and animal forms, but he couldn’t fly, for fuck’s sake. How could he be the best? Without his wings, he was half of what the others were.

  Eden was also hard work with her constant sass, and he was too grumpy to work with someone like her. And then there was that annoying tingle he got every time they touched. He didn’t like that. Not one bit. Xephyr had promised he’d have a replacement for him by the end of the day, and he sure hoped he’d stick to his word.

  For the next couple of hours, Eden worked at her baking with intense concentration, while Notus sat on a stool in the corner of the kitchen, aimlessly surfing the Internet and keeping out of her way. Then his phone rang, and he went next door to answer it.

  It was Xephyr, and he had some bad news. Notus put the phone down and took a deep breath. He needed a moment to digest what he’d been told and consider how best to relay it to Eden. He paced around the shop, thinking hard.

  He returned to the kitchen door and knocked, before opening it. Eden was surrounded by baking trays full of sweet-smelling cakes. Just as she’d said they were cup-size, and they were all decorated in different, very colorful, styles. He didn’t how they compared to any other cupcakes, but he was still impressed.

  “We have to go,” he said.

  “Why?” Eden asked without looking at him. She was carefully moving the cupcakes from their baking trays into cardboard boxes. Something tugged at his heart at the thought of having to deprive her of her birthday celebration—and more so at the news he was just about to deliver to her.

  “I’ll explain on the way. We don’t have much time.”

  She looked at him, and his face must have been more worried than he’d realized, because her eyes widened. Without asking anything else, she quickly transferred the rest of the cupcakes into the boxes and put the boxes in paper bags. She took her apron off, depositing it on the table in front of her, grabbed the bags and raised her eyebrows at him, awaiting his instructions.

  “Let’s use the back door,” Notus said.

  They left quickly, locking the door behind them. The alleyway was deserted, and they walked around the building to the other side, where Notus’s car was parked. If someone was onto them, they would have already spotted his car, so he took off as soon as Eden closed her door, and drove for a few minutes before parking the car on a random street.

  “My boss called earlier,” Notus said, turning to Eden. “A letter bomb exploded in your father’s car, injuring him, his assistant and his driver.”

  Eden’s face went white, and tears sprung to her eyes. “How bad is it?” she demanded.

  Notus laid his hand on hers. He almost expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. “They’re all fine. The assistant was the one who opened the letter, so his injuries are the worst. He was sitting at the front, but your father was in the back seat, so he was protected. Todd’s left shoulder and arm are wounded, but it’s nothing serious, just a couple of stiches on the arm. The assistant and driver needed to be operated on, but it all went well and they’re recovering.”

  Eden closed her eyes and exhaled, squeezing his hand gently before letting it go. Her shoulders were tense and he sensed her fighting with her emotions.

  “Can we go see my father?” she asked after a moment, a quiver in her voice.

  “No. I’m sorry. It’s best to keep you and your father separate at the moment. You can call him if you like though.”

  “Is he in the hospital?”

  “No. He’s had his stitches and a check-up, and he’s at home at the moment. His bodyguard, Zane, and our boss, Xephyr, are there, too. They’re both staying with him today.”

  “Okay. I’ll call him from home, once I’ve composed myself. I don’t want him to have to worry about me.”

  “Good,” he said, impressed with her maturity and self-control. “Your father also received a phone call after the accident, warning him to stop working on his current project. Todd had assured us that he’ll do that, which should keep him out of danger.”

  She let out another long, slow breath. “Thank goodness. I’ve tried to convince him how reckless he’s been, but he’s impossible to reason with once he sets his mind on something. And I’m the last person he’d take advice from anyways.”

  “He should have listened to you,” Notus said, starting the car. He maneuvered out of the parking space and joined the traffic.

  After a few minutes’ silence,
he cleared his throat. “Eden—” He began.

  “Yes, I know,” she said.

  He looked at her, uncomprehending. “You know what?”

  “I’m not allowed to have my birthday party tomorrow,” she said, her voice empty of emotion. “That’s what you were going to tell me, right?”

  “That is right,” Notus admitted. “I’m sorry.”

  “I understand,” Eden said, and stared out of the side window.

  Chapter 4

  Eden

  Eden turned her head on the pillow, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep again. It was just gone nine a.m. on the morning of her birthday, and all she wanted was for the day to be over. She’d spoken to her father last night, and she’d made him promise over and over again that he would drop the project, which he’d assured her he would. But she knew him, and how addicted he was to his work, and she couldn’t fully believe him. She had a nervous feeling about this whole situation and she sensed that the worst wasn’t over yet.

  She wasn’t disappointed that her birthday party had been cancelled. She’d made some awesome plans and she’d really been looking forward to it, but now she had no desire to celebrate. She’d been hoping to see Axel, her ex-boyfriend, at the party, but she’d just have to catch him some other time. Plus, he hadn’t even replied to her invite yet. That was him—always so last-minute, so disorganized.

  He’d left her about seven months ago for that stupid rockabilly chick, Melanie, who was a part of his graffiti collective. But, apparently, Melanie had dumped him a few weeks ago, and Dana had told Eden that Axel had been asking about her. Eden had never fully gotten over him after their breakup, and she’d been hoping that something would happen between them today.

  But instead she’d have to spend her day with Notus—which wasn’t that bad at all, she thought, and then she was surprised by the thought. He wasn’t the person she’d originally imagined. She’d taken him for some passionless deadhead who didn’t have any interests besides hulking around, being macho, but he was actually a sensitive and complex character. He’d been very empathetic in the way he delivered the news about the attack on her father. And the way he’d laid his hand on hers... Axel was too artistic and obsessed with all of his ideas about creative projects to be good at handling other people’s emotions. But Notus had known exactly how to speak to her. But why was she comparing him to Axel anyways? They were from different planets. Literally. And she didn’t think of Notus in a romantic way—not at all.