Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Akai closed his eyes and pressed his teeth together, not sure if it was helping with the pain or not. His claws digging into his palm helped distract him from the stinging and pulling as Cole did his best to fix the damage.
When he’d planned on spending the evening near the man, this is not how he imagined it going. It was rather too close, and not close in any good ways.
He winced as Cole tugged the edges of his skin together.
His entire wing was tight and hot, and his shoulder ached from keeping it spread.
He needed another drink. He opened his eyes and lifted the bottle to his lips.
As he did, a shooting star traced across the sky.
He glanced back at Cole. “Hey, the meteor shower is beginning.”
“Huh?” Cole looked up. “Ohhh.”
Well, at least they were getting to watch it together, and he was mostly able to ignore the tugging of the stitches. Though it didn’t stop him from sighing with relief when Cole stripped off the gloves and announced that he was done. He did the polite thing and offered him the bottle.
Cole accepted without a word and took a drink. “I made some dinner if you want some. It’s pasta. I don’t know what you can eat.”
“I can eat pasta. Thank you.” At least he wouldn’t need to hunt tonight. Being unable to fly, his hunting was going to be limited.
Cole took another drink and handed the bottle back.
Akai turned to watch him pack away the kit and return to the house.
When he came back, he had a bowl and a fork.
He served from a pot that was near the fire and brought over two bowls full of pasta.
He offered one to Akai before dropping into the chair.
“Not to be rude, but you didn’t bandage my arm.” Akai scooped up some of the pasta and was delighted to find there was chicken in the sauce.
Cole tipped his head back with a groan. “I’ll look at it in a few…”
With his eyes closed and throat exposed, he looked much more like the man lost in pleasure this morning. Akai wanted to lick from collarbone to chin. He tore his gaze away and focused on the stars and eating dinner. The pasta was safe…the man was not.
The silence between them was only broken by the tapping of forks on bowls. The tumbling of his thoughts didn’t stop at all. This was slightly more than an accidental sighting, but he didn’t want to report it.
That would mean admitting to far too much, and at the moment, it was only them. Which was exactly what he wanted, though his plan had been more about adjusting Cole to his presence than actual conversation. That was supposed to come later.
“So if you’re up in the trees and you can’t fly…where are you sleeping?” Cole’s words brought all his musings to a sudden halt. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“I’m not sure.” And he wasn’t sure where this was going either. He studied Cole’s face, searching for clues.
“How far away is your workshop?”
“On foot? Several miles.” Technically, he could walk there and stay there, but he didn’t want to.
Cole nodded, then glanced at him. “Do you eat people as well as pasta?”
Akai gave Cole a slow once-over and decided not to push it. “I do not eat people.” At least not in a way they won’t enjoy. Not that he’d ever been with a human, but he’d heard stories from those who had, and some monsters had human mates who traveled with them for the solstice.
“What do you eat?”
“A bit of everything.”
“Such as?” Cole pressed.
“I forage for plants and mushrooms and hunt small animals. If I’m near a human town, I’ll sometimes do a bit of scavenging.”
“So you pretty much eat everything?”
“That’s what I said…except for people.”
“Why do you draw the line there? If you eat small animals, why not big ones?”
Akai took another swig of whiskey. “Because with small mammals, I can crunch through the bones. Human bones are too big.”
“And you need what’s in the bone?”
“I do need bone.” He couldn’t help himself, and it was true in both meanings of the word. There was no polite way to ask if Cole liked bone.
Cole’s eyebrows lifted. “I’ll take the sofa bed because it’s smaller and you might want to stretch your wings.”
“You’re inviting me to stay in your cabin?”
“Apparently. And against my better judgement.”
Akai grinned, and Cole’s gaze landed on his mouth. He quickly pressed his lips together, hiding his pointed front teeth.
“The show seems to be over, so we should probably go in. I can clean up your arm and show you around.”
He should say something like ‘only if it’s no trouble’ or ‘you’re so generous,’ but there was a part of him that was still incensed about being shot. Yeah, the whiskey had dulled the pain, but his wing and his arm throbbed, and he suspected that sleep was going to be next to impossible.
Cole gathered up the bowls, whiskey, and rifle. “Can you pour the rest of the water on the fire?”
Akai picked up the bottle and did as asked. “Shall I bring the chair?”
“Only if you want to sit on the deck in the morning.”
Only if you’re planning on stepping out naked.
Then he’d have a front row seat. He picked up the chair with his good hand and followed Cole into the cabin.
He ducked his head as he stepped through the door.
He’d watched it being built so knew how small it was, but now he was inside, it seemed even smaller, despite the windows along one side that gave Cole a sweeping view of the valley.
Down there was a human town, which was probably where Cole lived.
The kitchen and living room were all one space. Two stools were tucked under the kitchen counter, and a sofa faced the windows. There was a small wood fire in the center of the house, but it wasn’t being used.
“The bedroom is through that door.” He pointed to a door past the sofa. “This is the kitchen, and the bathroom is behind me. There’s not a huge amount of water. I’m hoping for some rain soon.”
“It’s cozy,” Akai said, trying to be polite.
“It’s small.” He shrugged. “But it’s big enough for me.”
Was that a subtle reminder that he wasn’t supposed to be there? “Yet you planned for guests with the sofa bed.”
“It’s never been used. Guess I get to see if it’s good to sleep on.” He finished washing the dishes and set them aside to dry. “Let’s look at your arm, and then I’ll make up the bed.”