Wounded Wings

by Ariana Hawkes

  They’d spent the week in Deerfield. For her first visit to Fire Island, Notus wanted Eden to fly with him, “so we can see it as one for the first time”, and they hadn’t been there yet because he wasn’t sure if his wing was strong enough for him to carry her on such a long flight. But they were invited to a barbecue there tonight and after all the flying he’d done during the week, Notus was positive that his wing was “ready for passengers”.

  “Shall we walk there?” Notus suggested once they’d finished their breakfast and were ready to leave.

  “Sure thing.” Eden locked the door and skipped beside him happily, full of pride to walk hand in hand with this gorgeous man.

  “Xephyr spoke to the detective in charge of the investigation of the Russian agents this morning,” Notus said. “We now have the full picture. Well, as full as it could be for us, considering so much of it is classified.” He looked at Eden, raising his eyebrows. “Four of the Russians are affiliated with the Russian secret services. Their main goal had been to kidnap your father and have him work for them. But they needed him to destroy the work he’d done on his current project first because it was endangering them. We don’t know how; it’s classified.

  “For over a year, the Russians had been blackmailing both a scientist who worked for your father and your father’s driver, in order to force them to work for them. The other two Russians are just hired hands, who are claiming they had no idea they were working for secret services operatives.

  “The night we invaded their base and captured them, they were planning to take your father to Russia illegally, on a cargo flight, where he was going to be based indefinitely. We captured three of the operatives, the scientist and the hired hands, but we didn’t know then that there was one more operative, as well as your father’s driver.

  “The fourth operative and the driver had used our numbers, which they’d taken from Todd’s phone after kidnapping him, to trace our location—and that’s how they found us in the mountains. They were planning to take you to Russia on a cargo ship and use you as leverage to make your father work for them.”

  Eden looked at Notus. “Goodness...,” she said, squeezing his hand. She shivered at the thought that she could have been a captive in Russia now if Notus hadn’t gotten to her in time. “I’m so lucky to have you, and your amazing dragon skills!”

  “I’m luckier,” Notus said, gazing at her adoringly. “I wouldn’t have been able to fly again if it wasn’t for you. Ah, here we are,” he said as they turned a corner. They crossed the street and entered a small shopping mall, Eden none-the-wiser about the surprise.

  “Almost there, almost there,” Notus said, as he quickly led her through the mall. They entered a home wares store and just beyond the threshold, Notus came to a stop and turned to Eden, with a wide smile. “So… this place is moving location at the end of the month,” he explained, extending an arm, “and I thought that would be a perfect fit for your self-defense studio. You said you’d decided that a gym with a focus on self-defense would be the best offering, so I thought this should be spacious enough. There’s a big bathroom at the back, and the rent is good, because they’re in a rush to fill the space.”

  Eden gasped. “Notus! I can’t believe it!”

  “What do you think? Do you like it?” He looked at her expectantly.

  “I love it! It’s got great high ceilings, the location is perfect, and the space is much bigger than I was hoping to find.”

  “And guess what—it’s only around the corner from our office.” Notus grinned at her.

  “So I can come over and see you whenever you aren’t up in the skies,” Eden added.

  “Exactly!” He winked at her.

  “This is perfect,” she said to him, stroking his forearm. “How did you find it?”

  “Um, I may have asked around. Looked at a few adverts. Seen a few real estate agents.”

  “You’re amazing! How did you find the time for all that?” Eden looked at him full of admiration.

  “Well, you know. I save a lot of time on the commute these days,” he said and they both laughed.

  Eden looked around, examining the space again. It was about thirty-five feet wide and a hundred feet deep, and the lighting was perfect.

  “I could have my equipment along that wall here,” Eden said, pointing to the right hand side of the room, “and the mirrors along this one.” She pointed to the left. “I can maybe even split it in two length-wise, with one larger and one smaller studio. I hope no one else has rented it already though.”

  “It’s yours if you want it—I’ve taken the liberty to leave a deposit,” Notus said. “No pressure if you don’t like it though.”

  “Are you serious?” Eden’s mouth gaped open. “I love it. Yes, yes, yes!” She threw her arms around Notus’s neck and kissed him. “Thank you so much. I can’t wait to get started now.”

  “It’s a pleasure. I can’t wait either!” Notus beamed. “I’ll call them on Monday and confirm that we’re taking it.” He held out his arm. “Now, my beautiful mate, shall we make our way to Fire Island?”

  “Yes, please!” Eden said, and followed him out of the shop.

  She couldn’t wait to see Notus’s home on Earth. He’d explained that the island was inhabited only by the dragons from his clan and the two human mates of Xephyr and Boreas. She sensed that Notus felt much freer there than on the mainland. He could shift whenever he liked, fly at low altitude, and spend as much time as he wanted in his dragon form.

  “Ah, the dragon-pad, finally!” Eden exclaimed as they reached the roof of the Dragn Protection office. Notus and the other dragons used it as a taking off and landing area.

  “Just remember that Fire Island is a basic place. We don’t live with the comforts and conveniences most people have here,” Notus said to Eden, apologetically, looking all serious.

  “I can’t wait to see your home!” Eden gave him a kiss, stifling a laugh at the cute sight of his worried eyes.

  Although Notus hadn’t said anything openly to Eden, she knew that he was nervous about her visit. He’d made a few comments in passing about the “comforts and conveniences” which weren’t part of the lifestyle on Fire Island, and about the “modern apartments and sophisticated amenities” that Eden was used to. He’d been so reductionist in his descriptions of Fire Island, that Eden didn’t even know whether they even had bathrooms there, but she didn’t care. The island was the home of the man she loved, a home where he didn’t have to hide who he really was, and she would never take that away from him. She’d get used to any standards and develop any habits for him.

  “Are you ready?” Notus asked her.

  “Of course!”

  He took his clothes off and handed them to Eden, who put them in her bag. Scales sprang out of Notus’s skin, starting at his fingers, and moving up toward his shoulders, changing colors all the time, from green to red to yellow to orange to blue to green again. Eden stared at him, full of a mixture of desire and fascination. She’d seen him in his dragon form, but she hadn’t seen him in the process of shifting before. Sharp claws broke through the tips of his fingers and toes, and his arms and legs elongated with loud cracks, as two wings sprouted out of his back. He flapped his wings experimentally, his scales still changing color in beautiful fluid motions, and took Eden in his arms.

  “Don’t be afraid,” he said to her, embracing her gently.

  “I’m not,” Eden replied.

  Eden heard his wings flapping, felt a soft movement of the breeze, and before she knew it, they were flying above the city.

  “I have to go a little higher in the city,” Notus explained, as the change in pressure made Eden feel light-headed. They flew like that for a while, the city far below them, Eden dazed and floppy, then he descended a little once they’d reached the ocean. Eden felt small and fragile in Notus’s embrace and she loved the feeling of being up in the skies with him, the two of them, alone in the world. She’d wondered if she’d feel scared, but she felt
incredibly safe and protected.

  The island came into view at last, at first a dark blur in the distance, but soon crisper and progressively bigger. The sun was behind them, bathing Notus’s home in the soft glow of afternoon light, and Eden took in the land, dramatic and rocky, and the rust-colored earth, and knew immediately that she already loved the place.

  Notus landed gently on the beach and deposited Eden very carefully on the sand. She staggered a little, and he kept hold of her until she said she was okay. “That was just…wow! Amazing,” she breathed. “I felt so connected to you, as if we were one.”

  Notus gazed at her, his handsome face still the face of a man, and his eyes shining. “That’s how I felt too,” he said. “Because we are one.”

  Then he shifted quickly into his human form, while Eden turned in a circle, taking everything in.

  “It’s stunning here,” she said. “The island looks so enchanting and mysterious. I can’t wait to see more of it.”

  “Really?” Notus’s eyes widened with delighted. “That’s great to hear. We have to hurry to meet the others now, but I’ll show you around later today or tomorrow.”

  As they walked along the beach, and then up a narrow rocky track that led to the dragons’ homes, Eden tried to keep her jitters at meeting Notus’s clan at bay. What if they thought she wasn’t suitable for him? Or if they had nothing to talk about? Argh, don’t be silly! They’re his friends and everything will be alright, she chided herself.

  After a few minutes’ walk through a rocky canyon, they came to the edge of a clearing. There was a large wooden building in front of them, at the base of a steep reddish rock face. There was a barbecue on the right of the building, and an outdoor seating area under a wooden pergola, where a dozen big, tall men stood in small groups, chatting.

  “That’s our social area,” Notus lifted his chin in the direction of the wooden building and the outdoor barbecue area. “And over there are our cabins.” He pointed to a row of small wooden buildings along the right edge of the clearing. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand and leading her toward the group of people. “I can’t wait to introduce you to the others!”

  The next few hours passed in a mix of laughter, friendliness and delicious food. Eden met Notus’s whole clan except Aquilo, Caden and Jett, who were working—and they were all excited to finally meet her. They all told her how gloomy and angry Notus had become before he’d met her; how she’d transformed him back to his former cheerful self; how they’d never seen him that happy, not even back in Ethereum.

  “You can’t imagine what he was like before he met you,” Quinton said to her seriously.

  “Maybe she can. I bet he gave her a taste of Notus The Grumpy before he fell in love with her,” Tharos added, making the whole group explode with laughter.

  “You have saved us from so much future misery. We will be forever grateful to you,” Xephyr said with a wink.

  But beyond their sarcastic jokes, Eden saw in their little gestures—pats on the shoulder; attentively listening to anything he was saying; cooking his steak just how he liked it (one and a half minutes each side)—that all of them cared deeply for him and were ecstatic that he’d recovered.

  Rainey and Josie, the mates of Boreas and Xephyr, told her all about how they’d met their dragons. Josie had first come to the island as a tourist and met Xephyr when he fell out of the sky during one of his many failed attempts to get back home. Rainey had been a client of Boreas’s. He’d saved her from her violent, abusive fiancé and fallen in love with her in the process.

  Eden enjoyed hearing their love stories, and was eager to learn what they loved about being in love with a shifter mate, since it was all so new to her.

  “They’re so protective and attentive. And very passionate lovers,” Josie said with a giggle.

  “Devoted and honest. Beast on the outside, but so gentle, caring and loving on the inside,” Rainey added.

  As the hours passed, Eden felt more and more at home among these people she’d only just met.

  “So…what do you think?” Notus asked her later, taking a strand of her hair and running it through his fingers. They were lying on the bed in Notus’s cabin, which was much better than the shack Eden had expected, and did feature a proper toilet. The place was clean and elegant, with a small veranda at the front, a big open-plan kitchen, a cozy seating area with a rug, and a big comfortable bedroom.

  “I really like it here,” Eden said. “I felt like I was home the moment we arrived.”

  He grinned. “I’m so happy to hear that. I was kind of worried you’d hate it.”

  “I might have guessed,” she whispered with a laugh.

  He stroked her face with light fingertips. “Do you think you’d be happy to stay here from time to time?”

  “Well—” She gazed up at the ceiling as if she was thinking things over. “I was thinking I could come stay here all the time.”

  “Are you serious?” Notus said, watching her face very attentively.”

  “Yeah. I mean, that’s if you want me?”

  He gave a shout of delight. “Of course I’d love you to.”

  “Then that’s settled.”

  “But…won’t you miss all the modern conveniences of your apartment?”

  She shook her head. “Not one bit. And Dad will be relieved that he can disappear with his work for months at a time without having to worry about where I am. Finally free to attain his idea of heaven—sleeping in his lab every night.” Eden giggled. “We’ll go and visit him all the time anyways.”

  “We’ll get a boat, so you can go back and forth to the mainland,” Notus added.

  “I’d still prefer to be escorted by my dragon whenever he’s available, though,” Eden said and gave him a cheeky grin.

  “Yes, madam!” Notus mock-saluted her. “Are you really sure that you’re happy to live here?”

  “Yes, baby, that’s what I’ve always wanted—a big family, and a feeling of community. This island is a ready-made family for me. And it’s your home. There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

  “You’re an amazing woman, Eden. You know that?”

  “Nuh-uh.” She shook her head jokily, and he planted kisses all over her face, whispering to her about how amazing she was, until she finally surrendered and agreed with him.

  “I love you, Eden,” Notus said, seriously. “And I’m going to make sure that every single day, you’re as happy as you can possibly be.”

  “I love you too, baby, so much,” she said, but her words were muffled as her big, sexy dragon held her in his arms and crushed his lips against hers.

  THE END

  Have you read the other books in the series?

  Ethereal King (In Dragn Protection Book 1)

  "Adventure, survival, fear, jealousy, betrayal, action packed, loyalty, hate, lust, love. It's wickedly hot. Definitely a must read!"

  Read now!

  Boreas Reborn (In Dragn Protection Book 2)

  “This story is totally exceptional. It handled the issue of abuse in a realistic manner and yet didn't allowed the main characters to be seen as weak or subservient."

  Read now!

  A Thank You from Ariana Hawkes

  Hi, thank you so much for reading Wounded Wings, the third book in my dragon shifter series! I really hope you enjoyed it and if so please consider leaving a review; even if it’s only a line or two, it’ll make all the difference, and it will be greatly appreciated.

  If you haven’t read the other two books in the series, you can get them here: Ethereal King and Boreas Reborn.

  I’ve included an excerpt of Bear In The Rough, a full-length novel and the first book in my Broken Hill Bears series on the next page.

  And if you’re looking for something else to read, you can join the world of my best-selling series and Dina, Kristin, and Tamika in Hope Valley, where Shiftr, the secret dating app, helps curvy girls and sexy shifters find their happy ever after! There are thirteen books waiting for you in
the series!

  Sign up to my mailing list to receive notifications about future releases, promotions and giveaways.

  Thanks again for reading – and for all your support!

  Yours,

  Ariana

  Ariana loves hearing from readers! You can reach her here:

  www.arianahawkes.com

  Excerpt from Bear In The Rough

  Broken Hill Bears Book 1

  Chapter 1

  The solid thunk of fists on flesh. The grunts of exertion and pain. The crack of bones. The ripe mingled scents of perspiration, bear and fear. The screams of a thousand fans going wild. It had been five long years since Xander had last experienced that heady concoction, but it was home. And he was all too aware that it was about to become his life once again. Like it or not, he was back, and here to stay.

  Keeping in the shadows to avoid detection by any of the clan, he climbed up the steep flight of steps to the eagle’s nest VIP box, sitting high above the ring. Years of rigorous training had made him very light-footed for a bear of his size, and his steps were almost silent. It was too dark to make out any faces, but his sensitive nose picked out the presence of several individuals that he used to know well. He positioned himself right at the back of the enclosure, his height affording him a view over the heads of the rest of them.