"Don't stare too long, your face will stick like that." Brushing off feathers as I commented, I walked over to the chair that went flying back a moment ago and stood it up straight. While he was still staring and hesitating, I sat down in the chair leaning back against my wings, it wasn't the most comfortable, but I sat there anyway and crossed my legs.
"First, let me introduce myself. Name's Ayda, and ya know the big guy upstairs?" pointing upwards as I was giving my intro.
"Well, he happens to be my boss, and according to him, no one, Other or Human, is allowed to be mean to me. That is, unless you're Him, or maybe a handful of Angels. Even then, I get pissed." I was trying to avoid dying by saying this and hoping for his hesitation to buy me sometime.
Walking back to the tipped over fridge he turned and leaned it against it eyeing me.
"My, my. Not human, and by the look of those dirty wings, not an Angel either. I know based on the aura you're putting off, you're surely not a Shifter. Interesting, yesss." Hissing with that last syllable, he gave me goose bumps. This guy wasn't going to give up.
"Nope, not human, nor anything else you probably will throw out there, so let's talk. Who hired you?" He kept his distance as I started questioning him.
"Pack member? Why Cash, and when? Are you listening? I'll find, out, it's just a matter of time." I was losing patience when he would just look at me and smile as I asked.
After ignoring me he stood straight and started to wipe at the dirt that had collected on the fridge.
"Matters not," he mumbled the last part.
"Speak up, no need to be shy." I commented casually trying to seem nonconfrontational.
Turning at me he stopped, and hissed, this time I could clearly hear him.
"It matters not because you'll be dead soon!" He started walking fast towards me with the blade in hand so I turned, knocking the chair back down, and tried to get momentum with my wings to lift me off the floor.
"No, no, birdie, you're not going anywhere!" Hearing him, I glanced over my shoulder as I finally lifted up but it was too late. I could feel him change.
He had suddenly shifted into a very large Tiger, pouncing towards me. He got close enough to sink his teeth into my left wing, and I landed on my stomach, feeling the world spin as I suddenly wanted to throw up.
"Let me go, bad kitty!" I screamed at him as I tucked my other wing under my side and was able to roll facing him as he started to drag me. I came down hard on that soft nose of his with my heel causing him to let go long enough for me to scuttle backwards.
My wing hurt, blood was seeping out, and I wasn't feeling too great from the belly flop a moment ago.
The moments reprieve was gone however, as he lunged at me again. I could barely try to lift up when this time his very large teeth sank into my calf. Nausea from the pain swam circles in my stomach.
I twisted, feeling my knee pop, but I had no choice, I gathered all the power of my aura into my hands and smashed him square in his striped head. He let me go again and staggered a bit before he shifted back. I never understood why Shifters can take their cloths with them when they shift, mine just rip.
"YOU BITCH!" I normally would comment his use of B'word was offensive and uncalled for, but I didn't have time for witty banter as he stopped shaking off the aura I just force fed his head and again grabbed the knife. I was at the point that death would be a sweet welcome due to the pain, my leg bled so bad I was now sitting in a pool of my own blood.
"Go ahead, kill me, if you think that will help you feel better." I tried screaming this at him, but it ended up a loopy whisper as my vision started to spin and lose focus. I figured if he didn't kill me with the knife, I'd die of blood loss anyway.
"Oh, I am going to kill you. Then, I am going to cut off those wings and see what price they can fetch me." He said this as he started walking slowly towards me.
I couldn't get traction with my other leg because of all the blood. My wings were drenched in it from rubbing against the floor.
"Mr. Cornell will be here soon, and I think I will just leave your body to greet him. I'll catch him another day, while he's still mourning over your dead CORPSE!" Snapping that last word out, he jumped at me knocking me flat on my back. Stars blinked infront of my eyes.
My head hit the pavement hard as I felt the coldness of the blade pierce my stomach. I managed a real scream this time, trying to grab at him, doing anything to get the pain coming at me from different directions to stop. He shifted so he could hold my arms down with his knees.
"Scream all you want, not a soul is coming. Not your 'Boss', not the wolf, no one." He twisted the blade making me scream harder.
I couldn't even manage to clench my hands any more. Tears dripped down the sides of my head to dilute the blood on the concrete floor. I had given up trying to fight. Sweet darkness had finally arrived, I was ready to ride it through the waves of unconsciousness. I closed my eyes, ready to go with it, when suddenly I felt the pressure on my body ease a bit.
Before I was gone with death, I managed one eye open, not expecting to see anything but him still holding the long knife.
My brain couldn't fully process what I was seeing, but in the delirium, I asked myself why Death had stopped at the Zoo.
I could make out the familiar stripes of that horrid tiger, and then what I thought at first was a bear, but it wasn't. It was a wolf, the largest I had ever seen. I was suddenly trying to hold on. Fear had lit a fire under my heart causing the warmth of it to take hold of my brain.
My words didn't come out but I felt my lips mouth Cash's name.
I didn't want to die suddenly. I laid there as sounds of snarling, growling threats, and crashing kitchen appliances filled the warehouse. I tried to pull at what aura I had still hanging around, but I was drained, and there wasn't enough time for it to have rebuilt anyway. I decided now was the time to use the calling card Michael had given me. I couldn't let Cash die, not from my lack of ability. Michael was the only one I could call for help at this point.
Trying to move whatever arm I could, I was able to bring it to my chest. Right below my neck, I stretched my fingers already covered in my blood, and managed to draw it. His calling card, his heavenly symbol that very few knew. It would connect with the soul inside me, and Michael would feel it. I had only tried it one other time, when it wasn't my death on the line. I prayed it worked this time as well.Within moments, I felt the presence of Heaven, he had come. I could hear Michael swear as he pushed a little energy in me to make my wings retract back in."Your dying, rest now." He whispered. It was almost like sweet permission to let go of the soul trying to stay in my broken body.I knew I could get on with the ride to nothingness. Cash would be safe as long as Michael was here. I suddenly realized the sounds I could hear had become distant. My train to death was leaving the station. Like looking out the window going down the tracks, I could barely make out the voices as I got fur
I had a million questions, and I owed him a 'thank you' and an apology, but the look on his face stopped me in my tracks.He was angry. I could have only assumed it was because he ended up saving me, or because I called Michael to save us both. It could also have been because I had taken over his bedroom for Almighty knows how long, or a million other things that popped in my head.I felt Michael walk up beside me, I looked up at him and he stared at Cash with a smirk and nodded his head at the wolf. Throwing his arm around my shoulders he did a slight squeeze, I stood there frozen. I swore I could hear soft city noise outside stop completely but I wasn't sure."She's alive, as you can see. I don't lie, about such things, as Others do, it's beneath me." Cash didn't respond, he just stood there staring at me with his angry face. I was starting to feel really uncomfortable.I think Michael sensed this and removed his arm while wearing a slight frown. Staring at Cash in a moments silence
"It was definitely one of my men, but the smell is what caught my attention. Sulfur is not a pleasant thing to the nose." I quickly looked from the floor to Cash's face, and then back at Michael once I heard the word sulfur come out of Cash's mouth. "Sulfur? There's no way Cash, that would mean it was a demon, not a wolf. Demons can only possess humans, not Others, and, they'd have to be pretty high up there on Oblivion's food chain to even manage that! Well, unless.." My words trailed off, I knew I had to be wrong in what I was about to say, I just couldn't believe it. "Unless what, little bird?" I shot Michael a scowl as he smirked, and noticed Cashes sharp glance at him. Do nonhuman males get something once a month as well? "Unless...the wolf was a were? I mean, they didn't stem from being a wolf originally, they are still human at heart. That still doesn't make sense though. I have never heard of, or got wind of a demon able to possess any type of wolf." The moment I said it, I
"Huh? Not back to the apartment? What are you talking about Cash? We aren't going to my place, if that's what you're thinking!" Even though the thought sounded appealing, I didn't have room for both of them, or a way to keep them separated."No. We are going to my family home." Responding curtly, he headed out of the storage room, leaving Reggie and I both standing there."Ayda, are you sure about this. We can just head over to my place, it's at least warded, and I have a garden full of nasty critters that would eat even the Devil himself if he stood a foot near my home." Reggie pleaded with me, but I was stubborn and made my choice.Patting her hand that linked though my arm I just shook my head. Sighing dramatically, she conceded and we walked out the storage room together.Cash was at the register speaking to Beth and ordering coffee to go. Getting stares from the coffee shop dwellers, I tried to act normal which was hard next to Reggie. She was smiling at every pretty face in ther
"Yes, I know. I can't sleep on an empty stomach though." I commented, feeling the effects of not having anything but coffee today.I turned and looked at Cash, he looked at the driver in the center mirror and the driver nodded his head."We will stop up ahead" Cash informed us. "Thank goooshh.. I'm starving! I could really us a big , thick.." Reggie being herself, looked at the poor driver grinning as she lifted a brow, before she turned to me and laughed."..Cheese burger, what about you doll? I know you must be hungry?" My cheeks turned a light pink as she winked at me. I knew exactly what she was insinuating. I was too exhausted to play along though, unfortunately."I would just settle for a hotdog at this point." Knowing a second too late that I just fed into her fun. Reggie laughed again, finding what I said hysterical but it gave her the perfect opening to put her hand on the driver's shoulder."Did you hear that? Ayda would like a hotdog." She said to him coyly as she seductiv
I stood there watching the bathroom door shut lightly. Letting out the breath I was holding, I fell gently back against the cool tile. I was at my wits end with Cash. I knew he was a wolf, an Alpha, but I expected a little more restraint. I wasn't his property to order around and dictate to.I pulled out my phone briefly to check something. I had an inkling his last comment to me, was personal."There you are! Girl, you had us worried. We were on our way back to the van when Cash suddenly took off in a sprint to the other end of the food strip. Mr. 'No talky' and I got back the van and you weren't there! So, we took off after him, he was sure in a hurry. I watched him walk out of the women's bathroom. Red faced pissed! What happen?" Reggie asked me the moment she came in."Nothing really, other than the usual emotional bossing." I huffed as my stomach growled."Ha ha ha, that's a wolf for ya. You're hungry, let's get back to the van, we have a smorgasbord waiting for us!" Linking her
Several wolves came towards Reggie and I, barking, until Cash gave the command to heal. All of the ones around us immediately sat as whines came from closed mouths."Well, we know who rules the roost around here!" Reggie commented to me. Her andI watched as they listened to Cash's command, but then we both frowned as the driver reached out pet a few that had stopped beside him.She looked at me and I rolled my eyes.Cash started towards the entrance of the massive stone structure. The van was parked at the edge of the circle driveway crossing in front of two thick pillars of gray stone. Their uneven textures caught the lighting placed around the edges of the drive. You could see tall French doors framed by small flowered covered shrubs at the front entrance. Walking between the two pillars, on granite stone plates, our steps echoed. I tripped staring up at them and Cash caught my arm. I yanked my arm from him, still feeling the effects of our bathroom conversation, and he gave me a
Turning to me as I was following after the butler, she had to stake her claim as Alpha one more time. Figures."We may be far from prying eyes, but we are so well known and important, I wouldn't want to take the chance of word getting out about a mishap occurring. Cash is always in the public's eye. He has a reputation to maintain." Dandaline cooed just as Cash pulled his arm away from her. I only looked at Cash, as she felt the need to explain, I could see no emotion in his face.Following the old man, we ascended up a set of stairs centered in the big open room.The wood detail was all cherry, from every railing and post, down to what was beneath my feet. Larger drapery in gold and brick colored detail hung against the wall of the upper floor. Some were embellished with wolves, while others of forest settings.I stopped briefly at one, to see what looked like Cash, but not human Cash. It was his wolf form I recognized from the other night. The wolf had a branch type pattern that fo
I turned to Steve, his attitude had pushed me a little too far, and I exploded, “Look, I’m so close to saying screw it and putting you back in the metal box before both our asses become kindling for Angel’s fire. You seem to think proving you innocent is my purpose in life, but you’re wrong, STEVE. I am only doing this because I can’t live with a guilty conscience or the possibility of one!” I was huffing, trying to gather my breath. Rarely did I snap like that, but my cool mindset had flown over the railing and tumbled down several flights of stairs. “I don’t know where the guy is, but this was our only hope, Steve, so please, just be quiet and let me breathe.” He stared at me momentarily and cocked his head before looking at the door marked 2C. I looked, too, and the door was opened with an older man staring at us. “Mr. Arubergy?” He nodded and stuck his head out, looking around. “Come in, come in, hurry now,” he said, waving at us to be quick. “Please remove your shoes. I a
Steve's sudden question made me jump, and he grasped my hand harder, saying, “It’s worse than this. Unlike vampires who can sleep for eternity in solitude or fairies who can use their magic to fill nothingness with light and valuables, demons can only wait and listen, hoping to hear what’s happening outside the nothingness.” A slight shake in his voice made me feel horrible all of a sudden, but I couldn’t play into it no matter how bad I felt, “Well, do the crime, and you’ll eventually do time, Steve. I didn’t make those rules back then, but I still have to follow them today.” “Be lucky you didn’t end up with Groves. He had a basement full of tiny glass boxes that held his bounty captures. They could see out, and he would play reruns of commercials 24/7 on a black-and-white box t.v. for them to watch. Talk about torture. At least Reggie would talk to all of you,” Trixie piped in, obviously not feeling bad for Steve. “Sorry if I don’t seem grateful, but in all respect, I wasn’t supp
After my threat of turning his human body into a skunk, Steve complied, and we headed in my care to Corner of Bliss café. The silence was tolerable other than his constant shifting in the passenger seat, looking around. Finding a place to park was tricky, Corner of Bliss was a hopping little café with free Wi-Fi, and it’d been around long enough to have a mass number of Others that were loyal and frequented the place. Of course, humans always found their way there but were welcomed just the same. “Good morning, dears. What can I... get you?” Beth's pause was expected, she was something Ayda and I could never figure out, so I wasn’t sure if she would sense something about Steve. “Just two coffees, please. Is Trixie still here?” Still staring at Steve, she smiled and nodded toward the café window. Trixie was leaning across the booth’s table and chatting up the new waiter. I can't say I blame him. The guy was gorgeous. “Thanks,” I said while she was staring at Steve. “I don’t thin
I sat up feeling stiff, sore, and sleep deprived as the sound of my phone dinging by my bed woke me, followed by clanking sounds from the kitchen. I checked it and saw that it was Pheral who had messaged me. “Good morning, beautiful. I miss you. Everything is the same here, one meeting after another. I may never see the day when I am free of the pack. I’m sorry.” His message hit home, and I held back my tears. I missed him, too, and my heart ached for his hugs and sweet words when we were alone. Never leave the pack? I may end up threatening Cash to let Pheral go as he promised. Taking a deep breath through my nose, I caught the scent of smoke, and when I heard Steve yell, “Bloody Hell,” followed by the sounds of water, I shot out of bed and went straight into the kitchen. “What are you...” I was asking, but before I could finish, he stammered, “Can’t you see I’m making breakfast?” Seeing burnt eggs in the pan and black toast on a plate made me laugh uncontrollably. “Why a
“He’s in Heaven,” saying it in such an evident tone, Steve shrugged and then looked at Michael. We stared at him with our jaws open before I asked, “In Heaven, how do you know?” “Last I heard, he was dying, and an Angel promised him a one-way pass straight upstairs. But, of course, that was back before I got stuck with that killer driving us around and murdering people. So I assume that’s where he must be,” Steve answered, but it didn’t help us because it wasn’t like Heaven was next door, and we could just knock asking to borrow a dead necromancer. “If it was that simple, Michael could have someone up there locate one of the souls of the women that were murdered and ask her personally. But, unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it, paperwork and approvals. Heaven isn’t just chaos and paradise. They are structured, Steve, so a dead necromancer would be hard to locate without going through the proper channels. And keep in mind, Heaven gets word a demon, especially one that was sentenc
After busying myself around my house and battling dust bunnies, Trixie arrived. “Girl, you don’t even know the chaos that went on while you were kidnapped! That Angel was the only one to keep me informed until Zin finally came to the club two days ago, looking like someone had kicked his puppy. He said Ayda had been transported to Hell, but he wouldn’t elaborate. So what’s going on? How are you, and why didn’t you let me know you were safe?” I hugged him after he shut the door and sat on the couch. “I’m fine, as you can see. But sit next to me, and I will give you the full rundown,” I responded, patting the seat next to me. Trixie was a woman’s hottest wet dream, but he preferred the silent solid type equipped with three legs instead of one. He was carrying a bag and pulled out a beer before lying on the couch next to me. “Alright, spill it, don’t leave out a single detail!” From point A to point Z, I told him about the kidnapping, the wolves and shifters that saved me as
It took about a half hour before Michael popped back in. “Alright, you ready?” I just looked at him and asked, “Where’s the body, Michael?” “I couldn’t bring it with me. It’s at the hospital.” I jumped from the barstool, “At the hospital!? Why didn’t you just snag one from the morgue?” He shook his head, “I can’t do that. If the body is dead, the demon won’t last in it. It’s like a zombie who can’t eat brains.” “Good point, I didn’t think of that. Fine, let’s go to the hospital,” I replied while tucking Steve’s box under my arm. Michael looked at the box again nervously, “I can’t believe I am doing this. If Ayda found out, she’d skin both of us.” “Hush. That’s why she won’t find out. We don’t even know if what Steve said is true.” The Angel shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, knowing I was about to feel nauseous. I felt the pull of his power, and in the next instance, I could smell antiseptic while the sounds of a hospital filled my ears. I g
“He wasn’t a lower demon, you keep saying ‘Two lower class demons’ every time we talk, and I keep telling you he wasn’t. You’re a poor listener.” Suddenly the fairy piped in, “I’ve heard him say it. He’s right, sweetie. You really don’t listen.” “It’s true, it’s true, he has said it! But all she does is say, ‘If the shoe fits, wear it!’...I don’t even have shoes,” the vampire said, giving his two cents with a whine. All of a sudden, all three of them started talking, and my head was about to explode, “ENOUGH! Look, Steve, all you ever said was that he was stronger than you. Never once did you say he WASN’T a lower class. Fuck, if you knew he wasn’t, then you should have said he wasn’t! How the Hell am I supposed to know what you meant?” I stood there trying to decide. This was so out of the blue I suddenly wished Ayda was here. “You better not be fucking with me, or I’ll turn you into a pair of socks for a monkey!” I returned to the shelf where I kept my relaxing bedtime smoke a
It was dark, and damned streetlights were flickering in and out as I came up the side road by my house. It usually would annoy me, but I stayed feeling content anyway. Ayda was learning to open up. She needed to. Plus, I was safe from that crazy bitch that kidnapped me. Through it all, I’d found the sexy man, or wolf, of my dreams. I was never into dating, let alone sleeping with Others. I was quite against it. However, when I met Pheral for the first time, it was like love at first site. Or was that lust? Either way, his tall, dark, and quiet demeanor swept me out of my striped socks. Did I mention he was sexy? With those almond shaped exotic eyes, he could melt the polar caps. When I pulled up along the stone walls shielding the houses, my heart held a beat, hoping he was there, but I knew he wouldn’t be. Pheral’s boss, and pack leader, Cash, took on their pack as the new Alpha in charge. Pheral was helping with the transition. He isn’t an Alpha, or a Beta, just another wolf. “A