Love Bites

Chapter 11

Sitting in the window arch, I rest with my back against the cool stone as I hug my knees to my chest, watching as the moon slowly rises above me. I am wide awake while many of my unit mates are sleeping, one of the perks of being a vampire I suppose—not that I want to be around anyone else at the moment.

I’m feeling uncharacteristically low tonight, my heart bruised from the rollercoaster of emotions I’ve been put through today. I feel so… trapped. Not necessarily physically—I know where I am and that I should hopefully be released tomorrow—but in a deeper, almost metaphysical sense. I’m a vampire now, and that means I have to feed on blood for the rest of my long life, ruled by my hunger and my need to be away from the sun. It raises so many questions that I don’t know the answers to. Will I be able to live with Tina anymore, or will I forever crave her blood? What about my old life and my job? I won’t be able to work during the day, so I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with myself, and I feel as though I’m losing my identity.

I now also have a mate, and I have no idea what that really means going forward. Is my dating life sorted forever, so I will never date anyone else again? The idea of being with anybody else makes me feel physically unwell though. Still, it would have been nice to know going into all of this that mates are very real, and that when they become bound, that is it, they are connected forever—just that one male for the rest of my life.

A little part of my mind whispers that this isn’t entirely true, as there is a certain winged male and handsome officer that I feel physically attracted to. That’s just too complicated for me to even begin to comprehend, so I file that information away for later. I’m already feeling overwhelmed, and that would just throw me into a meltdown.

Parting ways with Zane was difficult, and I often find myself rubbing at a spot just below my collarbone to try and ease an ache there. The connection between us seems to sit here, and even though massaging the spot doesn’t help with the discomfort, it makes me feel better.

Zane hadn’t wanted to leave and looked about ready to tear the doors off the building to let me out, our mate bond wrapping around him tightly. The idea of leaving me alone in a place full of criminals was driving him crazy, and I had to talk him down and convince him I would be okay without him.

You know the world has gone crazy when I’m the voice of reason.

Something else that has been dragging me down is how things ended with Jack. He seemed so downtrodden when he left, even though he tried to hide it and put on a brave face. I feel drawn to him, just as much as I had with Zane before we fucked, so does that mean that he’s also my mate? According to him, that isn’t possible, and he’s grown up in this world so I guess he would know.

Why do I want him so much, and why won’t the feeling go away, especially now that I’ve mated with Zane? Hurting Jack hurts me, and my heart ached when I watched him walk away, knowing I’m the reason for his low mood.

After both males left earlier, I went to the library and read up on anything I could find about mates. According to several books, I shouldn’t want to have a relationship with anyone else now that I’m mated. That instinct supposedly turns off once one’s true mate appears.

Does that mean there’s something wrong with me?

Jack’s disappointed expression haunts me, flashing in my mind constantly and making me feel worse. He’s such a nice guy, and I feel like I have unintentionally led him on, crushing his hopes.

Sighing, I look out over the dark garden, wishing I could fully enjoy it in the daytime. While the sun won’t burn me, it’s uncomfortable, especially during the peak hours of the day. I miss my plants so much. Before all of this, any time that I was feeling low, I would surround myself with plants and flowers, finding that they lifted my mood considerably. Nature just speaks to me in a way that I’ve always struggled with when it comes to communicating with people.

My vampire senses give me a split-second warning that someone is approaching before the sound of their light footsteps reaches me. I fight back another sigh. It had taken me ages to find somewhere that I wouldn’t be disturbed, something that seems to be next to impossible in this place. All I wanted was a short time alone with my thoughts, but it seems I’ve been found.

A wing-shaped shadow settles over me, announcing Gabriel’s arrival. Not that I needed to see him to know this, because I already knew it was him.

“For a female who’s caused such a stir in here, you are surprisingly difficult to track down.” His deep, accented voice rolls over me, and usually that would perk me up or send a spark of attraction through me, but tonight I feel different.

Without shifting from my position against the stone arch, I continue to gaze out the window. “I don’t have the energy to fight with you, Gabriel.”

Even my voice sounds exhausted, drained of all my usual happiness and leaving me drowning in a pool of confusion and guilt. Gabriel’s whole demeanour seems to change as he takes in my morose mood. Stepping around me so he’s on the opposite side of the archway, he kneels before me, his wings shifting to allow the movement. I turn my head to look at him.

“Little one,” he coos softly, his features set in a concerned furrow of his brows. “I have no qualms with you, just the male you are mated to.”

I can tell he means the last part of his comment as a joke, his lips twitching up, yet I don’t have it in me to find it amusing. Leaning my head back against the stone behind me, I let it loll to the side, watching the moon once more. “There is nothing I can do about that.”

He says nothing for a moment, his gaze intense as he scans me, attempting to find a physical cause for my obvious change of character.

“Why are you like this?” His confusion is evident, his question intense. He’s not going to let me get away without answering him. “You are… limp. Your fire has gone.” He reaches out to brush one of my golden curls behind my ear, and as he does, he seems to come to a realisation.

I see the exact moment it happens. His eyes narrow, and his pupils shrink into slits, just like that of a bird. Stillness, like that of a predator about to pounce on its prey, settles over him, and the only things moving are his wings as he tries to control them.

“Has someone harmed you? Tell me who it is, and I shall wipe them from this earth.”

He towers over me despite still kneeling, his presence growing with his anger. The ground starts to shake, and shadows appear around us. Deeper in the building, I hear screams from others as the building quivers and trembles. The shadows are what concern me the most though. While I’ve not seen them in action, I remember the scorch marks in the stairwell after their last appearance. An alarm bell rings in my mind, an intrinsic warning system telling me that whatever they are, they are dangerous. I don’t think he’s going to hurt me, but he could hurt others.

Sitting upright, I raise my hands as a shock of panic flares through me. “No, geez, calm down. No one has hurt me.” The shadows disappear as quickly as they came, and the ground stops rumbling.

Disbelief makes me shake my head as I raise a brow at him. “You males are such drama queens.”

If my comment offends him, he says nothing of it, instead watching me again. Finally, he seems to come to a conclusion. “You are sad.”

“Yes.” For some reason, his putting a name to it unravels what little control I had over myself, causing my eyes to sting as they water.

Gabriel looks horrified, and if I were in a different mindset, I would probably find this hilarious. A huge, winged warrior male in a flap over a small, upset female.

“No. No, no, no, do not cry little one.” He kneels forward, his hands hovering around me like he’s expecting me to shatter into little pieces. The next thing I know, he pulls me into his arms, and I’m flush against his chest. I begin to say something, to explain that I can’t actually cry, just well-up, but I’m suddenly surrounded by darkness and warmth.

His wings, I realise, as I look up at him. He’s cocooned us inside his glorious wings. There’s something instantly comforting about it. He’s protecting me from the overwhelming presence of the current situation. In here, it’s just him and me. No one can hurt us. Jack and Zane keep telling me to avoid him, but he’s done nothing but try to help me, and right now, he’s looking down at me with a worry that makes my chest ache.

We stay this way for a moment, and my eyes quickly dry up. I blame it all on the trauma of the day.

While it’s dark in here, I’m able to see a little of the moonlight glowing from the other side of the feathered barrier. It lights up the beautiful range of colours in his wings. To say that they are brown is a huge understatement. There are creams, shades of mahogany and pine, and my favourite of all—golden feathers. Stretching out an arm, I touch one of those feathers, examining it under my fingers. They aren’t solid gold, but a warm brown with a golden shimmer.

He shudders under my touch, and I quickly snatch my hand back, fearful that I’ve hurt him or committed a faux pas. “I’m sorry,” I blurt, my cheeks heating, but he cuts me off before I can continue with my apology.

“Don’t apologise. It has been a long time since someone touched my wings.” There’s a flash of grief in his eyes as he speaks. I can tell there is a story there, but I’m not going to push for it. He seems to realise what he said and clears his throat. “It feels… nice.”

He’s let himself be vulnerable in front of me, a practical stranger. I get the impression this is something he would never usually do, and the fact that he would do this with me, even if only for a moment, warms my heart.

Shifting his weight, he scans me once more, and something about my appearance must assure him that I’m not about to burst into tears, because he gives me a half smile. “Better?” he asks softly.

Would he stay like this all night if I said no? If I told him that I needed to stay in the cocoon of his wings longer? The answer is immediate. Despite the fact that I know next to nothing about him, I’m sure he would continue to hold me if I asked. I push those tempting thoughts aside, though, and nod in agreement.

His wings open with a gentle brush of his feathers against my body, and he lets me out of his embrace. I step out of his hold, but I don’t move far, my arm brushing his wing as I stand beside him, feeling awkward after my little outburst. An ache forms in my chest, and I realise it’s because my body wants to be back in his arms, hiding under the blanket of his wings.

“Sorry about that.” I laugh with embarrassment, my cheeks flushing pink.

He’s watching me intently, his eyes calculating, and it puts me on edge. I don’t know what he’s thinking, and that makes me nervous. Of the three males that I’m drawn to, he’s the one I understand the least. He’s a wild card.

“Do not worry, Emily. I know something that will cheer you up.” He holds his hand out for me, wearing an expectant expression.

Raising a brow sceptically, I wait for him to tell me what it is. He doesn’t though, simply looking at his hand pointedly and waiting for me to take it. A wild card indeed. I have no idea what he wants to show me, and honestly, just his presence so far has helped massively.

“Trust me,” he urges, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

For some unknown reason, I do. I take his hand, and he pulls me to my feet as he tugs me down the corridor. Laughing as my legs tangle together, I put all of my effort into staying upright and not falling on my face. Thanks to this, I only realise where he’s taking me when a wave of fresh air brushes against my cheeks and rustles through my hair.

We’re outside.

The wind is soft, caressing my exposed skin with a gentle, welcoming touch. The light of the moon feels warm, which is impossible, but it greets me like an old friend. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back and let myself feel nature around me. I breathe in the scents of freshly cut grass and night blooming flowers and listen to the sounds of leaves rustling and small animals scurrying around us.

The garden is small and surrounded by buildings on all sides, but just being out here is making me feel lighter, taking a weight from my shoulders.

I can feel his gaze on me, but I continue to take it all in, my eyes closed and my mind no longer confined. Finally feeling more like myself, I take a deep breath and open my eyes, then I turn to Gabriel and smile softly.

“Thank you, you were right, I do feel better. I was going a little stir crazy in there.”

“That wasn’t it.” He grins and opens his arms wide, his wings flaring behind him in a brilliant display. “Want to see the city from above?”

I can’t have heard him right, because for one crazy second, I thought he was offering to take me flying with him. A single, slightly hysterical chuckle escapes me, dying when I realise I did hear him right and he’s completely serious.

“You want me to…” I gesture limply towards his wings, already shaking my head. “I’ve been warned away from you. What if you drop me?”

Jerking back a little, he looks offended that I would even suggest this. “I have never dropped a female before, and I do not intend to start now.”

I mimic his posture, folding my arms over my chest. “Oh,” I coo, feeling slightly agitated by his comment. “Have you taken many females for midnight flights then?”

For some reason, this seems to please him, and he flashes me a flirty smile. “Only one or two.” Closing the distance between us, he lowers his voice as he looks down at me. “None as precious as you though. I would never drop you.” Reaching out, he cups my jaw and gently lifts it so I’m looking up at the sky. “A flight always makes me feel better, and from above, seeing everything so small helps put things into perspective.”

I won’t deny that I love the idea of getting out of here, seeing everything from above and being among the stars, but there is a lot at stake here. Is he even allowed to fly out of here? Most of us are on house arrest, so we’re unable to leave without an escort.

“How are you allowed to leave anyway? I was given strict instructions not to—”

Pressing a finger to my lips, he cuts me off before lifting his left ankle, exposing a small black tracker. “Creatures like me have to fly to keep our wings healthy. I’m allowed one flight a day, and if I don’t come back, they will just track me down and lock me up properly—no freedom, no flying. It’s an easy choice.” Pausing, he looks at me with those big, intense eyes. “Come with me for a flight?”

I’m desperate to get out, and the idea of being above it all sounds like a pretty spectacular way to recharge. Tomorrow is going to be stressful, so this might help me unwind. I just have to hope it doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass. Gnawing on my lip, I curse as I cut myself with my fangs, still not used to having them there. I wipe my face, realising that I probably look like an idiot, and come to a decision.

“You promise not to drop me?”

I expect him to make a teasing comment, but his expression becomes serious, and he presses a hand to his chest. “On my life, little one.”

Nodding, I take a deep breath and step into his open arms. A small shriek escapes me as he scoops me up and cradles me against him, but before I can protest, he bends his knees, his wings stretching out behind him, then we launch into the sky.

I don’t even have time to be nervous, and I certainly can’t scream as my breath is stolen from me. His strong, powerful wings beat behind him, taking us higher and higher, the wind whistling past us as we shoot up like a rocket. We begin to slow, and he pulls his wings in, sending us into a gentle spin. When we reach the point where gravity catches up with us and our momentum stops, we seem to hover for a moment, utter silence greeting me. Before we can begin to drop, Gabriel flares his wings out once more and flies above the centre, floating on the thermals, only occasionally flapping his wings to keep us aloft. Now that we are gliding, it’s much quieter, like the noise of the world has been left behind.

It’s… peaceful, so wonderfully peaceful. I can finally hear myself think without pressures and expectations weighing on me. Up here, I can simply be me.

“Do you want to see more of the city?” he whispers, so close that his breath tickles the shell of my ear.

I nod eagerly. I don’t trust my voice, but he seems to know what I want. It’s exhilarating. Adrenaline courses through me, yet I’m not scared at all. In his arms, I feel safe, completely enraptured by the sights he shows me as he flies over the city. From up here, the lights from cars and buildings flicker like stars. Everything looks so small.

We explore for what feels like hours, not a single word said between the two of us. I’m grateful for the quiet, allowing my mind to just switch off for a bit. The moon is lower in the sky now, and I know we will have to go back soon. Twisting my head to look up at Gabriel, I examine him, taking in his gorgeous face with a sharp, model-like jaw and chiselled cheekbones.

“This might seem rude, but all of this is new to me,” I begin. “What are you?”

He chuckles, the vibrations going through my chest. “No one is quite sure, little one. I never knew my parents, but I seem to have a mix of several races within me, and my shadow gifts are something different entirely.” Shrugging, he glances down at me for a second as though wanting to take in my reaction. “The closest we can work out is most likely nephilim or a lesser demon, crossed with one of the shifters perhaps. There are races that look a little like me in Asia, but I’ve never had the opportunity to travel there.”

I nod along as though everything he says makes sense, but my mind sticks on one word in particular. “Nephilim,” I choke out. “As in an angel?”

He might have wings, but that’s where the similarities end when comparing him to an angel. The idea makes me want to laugh, only I don’t want to offend him, so I stay silent instead, waiting for him to reply.

“Nephilim are the children of fallen angels and humans. There is nothing angelic about me.” He grins devilishly.

It causes a reaction inside me that I’m sure a female with a mate shouldn’t feel about another male. Clearing my throat, I look for another topic, an explanation as to why I feel this way.

“I never knew my parents either. They died shortly after I was born.” Looking out over the city, I feel the familiar ache I get whenever I think of my parents. I don’t miss them, since I was only a few days old when they died, but I mourn the idea of a family who loved me. “Perhaps that’s why I feel so drawn to you,” I muse, only I don’t mean to say this out loud.

His smile twists into one of scepticism. “I think you know exactly why we feel drawn to each other, little one. You just do not want to admit it.”

Not liking the sudden shift, or the accusation that’s making me incredibly uncomfortable, I clam up, quickly shutting down this conversation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Honestly, I’m not sure what he means, yet there is a niggling voice in the back of my mind saying that it wouldn’t take much to put everything he said together.

“It’s fine, you are not ready. I will not push you. I have waited a century for you, so I can wait a little longer,” he assures me, his voice soft yet confident. “Let’s head back.”

I’m just so thankful that we’ve moved away from that conversation that it takes me a while to process some of what he said. I cuddle close against him as he starts to fly us back, the cool night air beginning to make me cold.

“Wait, you’re over a hundred?” I squawk, finally realising what he just admitted.

He doesn’t answer, just chuckles as he flies us through the star speckled night.