by Starr, Maia
“Hailey is fine, but there was a bit of a ruckus when Cree and I took her out swimming. It’s not that big of a deal. I handled it,” I said, but Weston didn’t appear too convinced.
“I’ll buy that line of bullshit when pigs finally start to fly,” he retorted. I felt a surge of anger. “You are too easily triggered, Malick. You keep on like you have been, and you’re going to put all of us at risk, but what pisses me off the most is your blindness to the drama you just tossed her into. Don’t you ever think of anyone but your fucking self?” he asked me, his anger flaring up as his breathing intensified.
I balled my fists up at my side and leaned my head back, exhaling deeply before I spat out my next words.
“You always think you know what’s fucking best, West, but you know what? You don’t, so don’t even try to dictate how the fuck I should handle protecting my interests. I’ve been through my share of hell, and I can handle my shit. Can you?” I barked, “And furthermore, I dare anyone to try to touch her in front of me. I’ll rip them limb from limb and set them ablaze before they ever will!” I seethed.
Hailey gasped and stood up, burying her head in her hands as she began to grow more emotional from the scene. “Guys, please stop! I can’t bear watching you two fighting like this. I just want to go home and crawl under my blanket. I can’t stand any of this. I hate all this fighting that is constantly going on. Please, someone take me home!” she wailed, hot tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt as I watched her break down, and obviously feeling vulnerable didn’t sit well with Hailey because she turned to run out the door to get as far away from us as possible.
“Well, that was smart, jackass. Now you’ve really upset her,” I remarked, turning and walking out the door to follow after her. I found her sitting on a tree stump, wiping her tears from her cheeks with the backside of her hand.
“Hey,” I began, gently placing my hand on her shoulder as I sat down beside her. She sniffled.
“Hey,” she remarked looking at me briefly before turning to stare back across the yard ahead of her.
“I’m sorry about all the fighting, but I couldn’t just let those guys talk trash about you, or us, when you were having fun enjoying the water. You shouldn’t have to endure that kind of crap,” I expressed. She bit into her lip as if she were afraid to utter her next sentence.
“How is it that you can come from such a clan? You don’t seem to be that rough toward me, but then…” she trailed her words, recalling the way my rage took over and the darker person I became.
“Hailey, we are a wilder group. It’s bred into our genes, and it’s just how we’ve been raised through generations. There is a darkness that can’t be completely expelled, but,” I sighed, “I try to retain my human side as much as possible. In certain situations, I just can’t. Instinct takes over, and the thought that anyone could ever hurt you,” I hesitated, “it brings out the beast in me,” I admitted. Hailey looked at me and remained silent for a moment, her eyes turning tender and glassy, as if she were attempting to hold back more tears, but I realized as I looked at her that it was due to the emotions she was experiencing, emotions I had induced with my words.
I chuckled inwardly. Maybe it was true; maybe women were fickle and easily romanced with the sweet and sappy sentences that we constructed. But, to me, they weren’t just words. I was honestly baring my soul and self to her and hoped she would understand.
“Wow. Really, it has that kind of effect? Does that mean,” she cast her gaze to the ground and inhaled yet again. “Would you kill because of me?” she asked. I nodded. There was no question that I would do anything to protect me and mine. No matter the cost.
“Yes, I would rip someone apart if it meant protecting you,” I said nonchalantly. Hailey gasped as she realized what I was saying, and I knew that I had to be careful or my darker side would scare her off like it did so many others. It was a rare thing for a wild beast to find a tender beauty to tame his feral heart.
“When you found me, did you want to hurt the people who left me like that?” she asked me. I looked down for a moment, recalling the day we had come upon her, and the way seeing her like that had made me feel. I wasn’t easily moved to emotion, but when I felt drawn to something I took note of it immediately. Hailey had ignited my instinctual needs at a moment’s notice, and ever since I had been determined to make her mine, in every way possible. And murder to protect my own had never been an issue for me. It seemed rudimentary to defend my mate, but I didn’t want Hailey to balk at that side of me.
“Hailey, since the moment I saw you I’ve wanted to do everything in my power to see you strong again. I could sense the willpower and fire within you, Hailey. Your scent signature exudes it,” I said, inhaling the air deeply as I leaned in closer to her. Her eyes met with mine, and for a moment, it felt like the whole universe came to a full standstill. With that energy in the current, as unexplainable as our attraction was, I leaned forward, my finger slipping up beneath her chin, tilting her head upward as I claimed her lips with my own. It just seemed natural, instinct, after all.
Hailey melted into my embrace and parted her lips calmly, her tongue trailing across my lips as she began to explore the cavern of my mouth. I could feel her heart beginning to beat wildly, faster and faster as my chest pressed against her own. I finally pulled away from the kiss and steadied my gaze with hers, my hand caressing her cheek tenderly as I peered into her eyes. She could see the softening expression on my face, and it almost seemed like she was smiling as she stared back at me.
“Even wild beasts need someone, something, to fight for. Something to love,” she muttered finally, the corners of her lips contorting upward to grace her beautiful face with the loveliest smile I had ever seen.
Chapter Twelve
Hailey
I hated feeling like I had lately; mostly I hated feeling like I was causing such disruption to the lives of all the guys. I had never imagined that I would have so many people vying over me at once, and though I was sure some girls might have appreciated the attention, I was beginning to feel hopeless about all of it. The attraction I had to Malick was undeniable; it was also damn near impossible to ignore and kissing him, listening to him baring his heart to me, and learning more about his clan had captured my full attention, despite the sadness I was harboring inside from feeling so torn by it all.
“Hailey,” Malick said to me as we sat near one another and continued to stare off into the forest that bordered the yard, “Have you ever been flying?” he asked me suddenly. I crinkled my eyebrows and pursed my lips. I wasn’t sure what to make of that question, of course, I had been flying, at least in aero-vehicles.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to clarify his question.
“Well, I mean flying, like open to the wind and the air, free,” he explained. I gulped and wondered if the action had been visible to him, but I was relieved when he just kept on talking,
“Would you like to fly with me?” he asked. I smiled softly and considered it for a moment.
“You know, I think that could be really fun. But, don’t you think we should go let the guys know before we take off? I mean, after what happened the last time we went out together…” I trailed my words, hoping they didn’t piss him off further, but I also didn’t think it was wise to place the other guys in a position to worry about me more. It seemed like the considerate thing too.
“Hailey, I can assure you that no harm will come to you by flying with me, but if that makes you feel more at ease, sure, we can head to the house for a few minutes before we go,” he replied. I wasn’t sure if he was annoyed with my request or not, but it made me smile inwardly that he was showing such understanding, even if it were solely afforded to myself. It was a start, wasn’t it?
“Yes, I want to head to the house and grab a few things. A jacket, at least,” I said, standing up and pausing to wait for him. Malick arose and offered me his arm, which I took gladly, and we both began to cross
the yard back to the front of the house. Malick held the door open for me, and I crossed the threshold, walking toward the living room where I found James and Cree engaged in some sort of debate about which football team would or wouldn’t make it to some big national event they were both fascinated with. I never understood the draw to football games, or any ballgames for that matter. I was more drawn to the entertainment scene that included dancing, music, laughing, and actual involvement of the patrons. “Hey, guys,” I began, pulling both of their attention away from their argument and their eyes directly to me.
“Oh, Hailey, you okay? Do you still want to leave?” Cree asked me, rising from the couch and walking over to me, each of his hands coming to rest on the edges of my shoulders. I smiled as I looked back at him.
“I’m fine. I just hate seeing you guys fighting all the time. Anyway,” I smiled, inhaling as I continued my speech, “Malick has been kind enough to invite me out flying, and I wanted to come grab my jacket and let you know I’ll be taking off for a little bit,” I said. Cree slipped his hands from my shoulders and stepped back slightly, nodding as he looked at me.
“Okay,” he replied, sitting back down on the couch. James perked a brow at him and looked behind me to where Malick was standing in silence.
“Do you think that’s the wisest move right now, Mal?” James asked him. Malick narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
“Do you think that I care what you have to say? This is about making Hailey happy. If you want to stand between that, well, I guess that’s your prerogative, but I’m not gonna,” he remarked matter-of-factly. James looked over to me and tilted his head.
“Hailey, it’s dangerous out there, and now you’ve been noticed. I don’t think it’s wise for you two to go off gallivanting the skies without protection,” James insisted. He sighed and continued on, “What is something bad happens to you?” I exhaled loudly, somewhat annoyed with his adamancy. Part of me did want to go off flying alone with Malick, but the other part of me was in conflict, considering how secure I would actually be flying through the air. I decided, however, not to let my fears of the unknown deter me from the experience.
“Okay, well then you’re coming with us,” I said, resolving that with his added layer of protection there would be no reason to prevent me from doing what I wanted. Even if it wasn’t exactly what was best for me. James glanced at Cree who simply nodded but remained silent. Malick chuckled.
“Hope you can keep up,” he said as he walked up close behind me, “You ready to do this, sugar?” he asked me with a dashing smile and a wink. I smiled and leaned forward to reach for my jacket hanging off the back of the couch beside Cree. Anticipating what I was about to do, Cree, turned and grabbed my jacket, holding it out for me to take.
“Here you go, precious one,” he said smiling with a wink. “Enjoy seeing the world from a whole new perspective,” he added. I smiled at his words and turned to press a tender kiss against his cheek.
“Thank you, Cree, for always being so sweet to me,” I said, turning back toward Malick. James stood up and pulled his jacket over his shoulders, brushing past Malick and heading toward the door.
“I’ve never lost a flight race so far,” he said, chuckling as he disappeared into the hallway. Malick offered me his arm again and grinned at me.
“Let’s get this show on the road, sugar,” he said, leading the way out into the hallway and through the door. We walked out the door, and I gasped upon seeing James standing in the middle of the yard. His eyes were glowing already, and a cloudlike tendril of smoke had begun to spiral, forming a ribbon as it engulfed him at its center. I looked at Malick who suddenly released my arm and strode forward to take a position on the opposite side of James, some ten or twelve feet from where he had chosen to stand. I watched as Malick’s eyes too began to emanate and gasped yet again when a ribbon of bright light emitted the center of his chest. I had never watched a full metamorphosis, but as the two of them stood there I knew I was witnessing them fully shift for the first time in my life. Malick’s ribbon took on a darker color than James, however, and I watched in awe at the purple waving stream as it encompassed him fully. By now, James’ light had completely overtaken him, and I could no longer tell where man met light and vice versa. I heard a snapping sound echoing all around me and knew then that the transformation was a violent and brutal one. The snapping turned to a cracking noise, and the shape of a draconic snout emerged first from the wispy cloud. James was a magnificent beast, his scales glittering slightly in the fading light. He stood in full form and snapped his tail slightly, causing a large booming sound and a tremor to ripple across the ground. The smoke dissipated as a result of his movement, and I turned my gaze back to finish watching Malick’s transformation. By now, the snapping and creaking noises I had first heard coming from James had begun to reverberate from the direction of Malick. In response to the earth tremor James had caused, Malick stomped his two massive dragon claws forward, thrusting them through the pillar of smoke and snorting to effectually blow the smoke out of his way. He lowered his head before me and gently nudged my leg. I understood from his movement that he wanted me to crawl up to rest at the back of his head, my legs on either side of his face as we flew. I obeyed the gesture and crawled up his scales, resting myself comfortably at the back of his head, each of my legs cradled gently by the sides of his neck. Malick lifted his head then, and suddenly he lunged forward toward the open heavens and the clouds that were alit fiery orange from the setting sun. James trailed off some distance behind us. I figured that was to give me some space and time to enjoy the flight. Malick flew both fast and gracefully, dipping through various wispy formations and providing me the optimum view of the celestial host in all of her glorious beauty.
“This is majestic. I can’t believe it,” I whispered, as we dipped through a cloud formation that appeared to be shaped much like the St. Louis Arch. Malick tilted himself slightly, and we sprinted through the formation, circling back toward the opposing direction as we exited it. I could feel my heart beating wildly, as if it would fly right out of my chest cavity from the exhilarating thrill of it, “That was a little scary,” I muttered, wondering if he could hear me as we flew over a silvery lake that sat just back on the island with access to the beach and water Malick had flown me over. He made one final round to carry me over the sea and finally began to descend. James followed after us and landed a few feet away. I slipped from the back of Malick’s head and stood up, brushing myself off and turning to stare at the beautiful view before me. James’ metamorphosis began first, and I watched as he lowered his head toward his claws, resting his chin against them. He snorted, and the same tendril of wispy smoke emitted his nostrils, fanning itself out and around him as he exhaled. The smoke billowed out around him and in moments engulfed him, but through the patches of smoke, I could see his muscles twitching beneath his scales and then the sound of cracking and splintering hit my ears again. The smoke moved all around his body, and I could see the scales on his back beginning to flake off, revealing chunks of sinewy flesh that were quickly shrinking in size. Moments later, James was left kneeling in the fetal position and I glanced over to see Malick too was knelt down on the ground. Both of them were nude now, and I chuckled as I watched them stand up, my cheeks flushing bright red at this new development.
“Would you like some lunch?” James asked. I perked my brow confusedly.
“What are we going to eat?” I asked. James smiled and walked away from me, disappearing into the forest and returning dressed in a pair of shorts with a picnic basket on his arm.
“What’s all this?” I asked, and Malick chuckled from behind me, emerging from the same brush.
“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves,” he joked with a wink.
“So, let’s sit, chat, and learn more about you,” James said, looking to me as he spread out a small blanket and placed the basket atop it.
“But the two of you are so much more interesting,” I said, sitting down besid
e him and patting the open vacant space beside me, “Sit,” I ordered. Malick sat down and smirked.
“But there’s a beautiful woman here to discuss,” he said, winking again, “Let’s start with something simple? What’s your favorite book?” he asked me. I thought for a moment, considering that was an odd question for him to ask. James smiled.
“Yeah, that’s a good one,” he added. I pursed my lips.
“Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind,” I said, “Scarlett is a strong dark-haired beauty, and I relate with her character a lot,” I explained. Malick smiled.
“I can see that. You definitely possess a powerful inner strength, just like Scarlett,” he agreed. James grinned and nodded.
“Yes, you definitely have that same admirable quality. It’s like an inner bravery. Something I really appreciate about you; you’re nothing like most other women,” he remarked. I grinned in response. How lucky was I? To be there having a picnic with two incredibly attractive men. Men who found someone like me intriguing.
Chapter Thirteen
Hailey
Men like the ones I had the pleasure of entertaining lately were the kinds of men it was hard for a woman to ignore and even harder for her to say no to. I wasn’t any different, and as Malick and James ate with me, I felt my thoughts turning carnal. They were both beautiful men, and with them so clearly intrigued by me I felt my thighs growing slicker in wonder at what the three of us could do. Malick, as if he could read my mind, seemed to sense my darker thoughts and scooted closer to me; his expression seemed to hint at a wickeder palate, and I wondered what he was about to say to me next.
