Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Akai waited for the man to disappear from view as he went to his truck and hopefully returned. The rifle was propped up against the chair, so it was unlikely that the human was going to fetch a different weapon. That didn’t change the way he wanted to get up and disappear into the shadows.
Which was where he should’ve stayed.
Ugh. He’d nearly gotten shot the last time he’d been seen by a man with a rifle. To be fair the man had surprised him, and he’d barely had time to crouch and fake being a wolf. This time, he had surprised the man…
He should know better, but he thought the human might be open to watching the meteor shower together since he was aware he was being watched. What were the odds he was the kid from the car wreck?
The idea had never crossed his mind.
He twisted a little and smothered a whimper, trying to see where the bullet had clipped his arm.
His fur was stained dark with blood and was burning unpleasantly.
His wing was worse, as the bullet had ripped right through it.
Every time he moved, his wing hurt. He didn’t know how bad it was, only that he wouldn’t be able to fly.
He lowered his head to the dirt. Even if he got up and hid in the shadows, he couldn’t go far.
How would he get to Yellowstone? He’d miss the solstice party and catching up with friends, and he wouldn’t be able to sell his jewelry.
He closed his eyes, trying to come up with a good option.
Calling one of the monsters who lived nearby was at the top of the list.
The man’s footsteps reverberated through the ground as he stomped closer.
Akai tried to relax and pretend he was dying.
It felt like he was, as his entire plan for the summer had gone up in smoke.
All because he’d gotten too enamored with a human man.
He couldn’t tell another monster. He’d never live this down.
He wasn’t even sure what he’d been hoping for, only that he needed to be closer to the man.
Maybe he should’ve approached in his normal form instead of pretending to be a wolf. Though he wasn’t sure that would’ve made any difference.
The man kneeled next to him. “I didn’t mean to shoot you. I only have the rifle for protection, not to hunt.”
That didn’t change the outcome…though it was kind of his fault as wolves didn’t fly. He should have run back into the woods the way a wolf would’ve. If the human could accept he had done the wrong thing, so could he. “I shouldn’t have scared you.”
“I thought you were a hungry wolf…now I’m not sure what you are or what you want.”
“I am a mothman, also known as an owlman or harpy, depending on where you’re from. And I all I wanted was to watch the sky with you; you always seem so lonely.” The man gave his arm a prod, and Akai let out a hiss of pain.
“It’s a scratch. You’re not dying at all.”
Akai lifted his head and said mournfully, “The bullet went through my wing. I may as well be dead.”
“Oh.” The man was silent for a moment. “Does that mean you can’t fly?”
“Of course that’s what it means.” Akai rested his cheek on the ground.
The human frowned. “I don’t know how to fix that.”
“You sew it back together. I can’t see my own wing, but it doesn’t feel like anything is broken.”
The human considered him for several seconds. “Okay. I can sew it, but it’s going to hurt.”
Akai rolled his eyes. “It’s hurting now.”
“Can you take human painkillers?”
“I’d rather not. I have some in my bag.”
“Where’s that?”
“In my nest. Up in the trees.” Akai pointed with his other hand.
The man looked in that direction. “It seems like a bad idea for me to be climbing trees in the dark because if I fall, we’re both fucked.”
That was a good point. He also didn’t want a human in his nest.
“Why don’t I help you up and…and…” The man seemed confused about what came next.
“Clean and stitch my wing?” Akai offered.
“Uh, yeah. What about your arm?”
“The wing is more important.” Even if it was stitched, he still wouldn’t be able to fly for weeks. If he tried, the skin would tear, and he’d make it worse.
The man blew out a breath and nodded. “Okay…I’ll help you up, and you can sit on the stump. I’d offer you the chair, but I think your wings will be in the way.” The man’s fingers trailed over the edge of his wing.
Akai suppressed a shiver even though the touch was delicate. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the rifle, so the stump sounded fine. He could probably get up and walk by himself, but he was more than happy for the human to assist. This is what he’d wanted, for the human to notice him. To be seen.
Maybe he’d be able to laugh about this in a few years; he could laugh about some of his adventures with his sister now. Could the man laugh about his cousins? No, he said they were assholes.
At least they both agreed on something.
He was sure his sister would laugh about the way he’d been stalking the human, only to find they had crossed paths before.
Perhaps their fate lines had always been destined to cross.
His sister was much better at that kind of thing than he was.
She’d draw maps based on the stars when they were born and do the math and be able to give him an answer that makes sense.
She’d know what to do.
“Can you push yourself up with your good arm?” The man peered at him
Akai drew in a breath and tried to keep his wings motionless as he got to his knees.
“Whoa.” The man took a step back and glanced at him, eyebrows knitted together.
“What?” Was he bleeding from somewhere else? He touched his face, fairly sure he hadn’t landed on it. He glanced down, expecting there to be a stick poking through something it should definitely not be poking through.
“Nothing.” The man walked around and offered Akai his arm.
Akai used it for stability because not using his wings was throwing off his balance. Ugh, now he understood why all those monsters with tails complained when they got injured. Having a broken tail didn’t affect their ability to fly, though.
The man gave another surprised noise as Akai stood. “You’re lighter than I expected. For your size, I mean.”
Akai stared down at him. He was only about eight inches taller. “Of course I’m light; I have to be to fly.”
The man led him over to the stump, and Akai sat, wincing as he accidentally moved his injured wing.
“Do you have hollow bones like birds?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re not really part moth, part man. Can you turn your back to the fire, so I have better light?”
Akai glanced at him. “You are not stitching me up by firelight. Get a torch.”
“You know about torches?”
Akai tilted his head and stared at him. “I live in the same world as you, so of course I know about technology.”
“Oh. I thought…because… I don’t know—you’re not supposed to be real. I keep thinking that maybe I fell and I am unconscious and dying.”
Akai snorted. “I’m the one dying this time.”
The man rolled his eyes. “You don’t have a fractured pelvis or internal bleeding.”
“Are you a doctor?”
The man sighed. “No, which is why I am definitely the wrong person for this job.”
“You’re the only person here, and it needs to be stitched sooner rather than later.” It would take him hours to walk to the next monster, and there was no guarantee that they’d do a better job.
The man nodded, looking very unconvinced. “Do you have a name?”
“Akai. And yours?”
“Cole. Do you have any idea how much you fucked up my life that night?”
“Do you have any idea how your cousins fucked up mine?” His entire life had been ripped apart. But Cole had been an innocent bystander who’d gotten caught in his need for revenge.
Cole opened the first aid kit. He rummaged through until he found bandages, needle and thread, and antiseptic. He glanced up. “There’s a part of me that wants you to suffer the way I did for months, but I’m not a dick. You can have some aspirin, and I’ve got some whiskey in the cabin.”
He held out two tablets. Aspirin was near enough to willow that it would be fine. “I’d like the whiskey, too.”
Cole studied him for a moment. “Fine. I need to get some water anyway.”