Birds of Prey

by Dahlia Rose

  “Look, bud, you’re losing a lot of blood, why not let little Lettie help you. I mean, you could easily take out an eye if you put your mind to it.” She waited.

  The beast took tentative steps and stopped flapping.

  “See, I don’t mean you any harm. It would be a shame if I had to leave you out here to die.” She yelled to her brother, “Grab the blanket out the back.”

  “What for?” He sounded like he spoke from a distance.

  “So I can get a hold of the condor.” She kept her gaze on the animal.

  “I think you’re suffering from heat stroke. It’s alive, leave the damn thing be. It can fend for itself.” Leo’s voice carried over the breeze.

  “I can’t let the bird die. I got a friend studying veterinary medicine. I bet she can help if I take him to her. Come on, take a glance in the Jeep’s back. I think I have a bedspread buried under all the stuff.” She held her hand out in his direction and snapped her fingers. “Move it, Leo.”

  A heavy blanket was dropped over her arm. “This is as close as I plan to get.”

  Lettie shook her head and gripped the other side to open it. The bird watched her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine in spite of the heat. “Listen, birdie, no biting. And keep those claws to yourself too.”

  The massive beak opened wide as if the condor was bored and yawning.

  “It’s an animal, it doesn’t understand you,” Leo hollered.

  She smiled. “You understand me, big boy, don’t ya?”

  A quick succession of hops and the beast flapped it wing, flying up, only to crash into the ground.

  She threw the material over its head.

  The fabric fluttered in big waves as the condor tried to slip free. She grabbed the rope and sunk to her knees, reaching for what she hoped was its legs. “Leo, get over here.” Claws scraped across her wrist and she snatched her arm back.

  “That’s a negatory, babe. You look like you have whatever you’re doing under control,” Leo countered drily.

  Leticia grabbed a thin leg and yanked. The bird flipped, sprawling on the fabric. She grabbed at a corner and threw it over the animal’s face. Deep grunts interceded with sharp hisses escaped the beast as it worked its beak. Trying to be careful, she shoved the other end of the blanket under its wing. A quick tug and she had the creature trussed up on three corners of the old bedsheet. One clawed foot swiped within a few centimeters of her face. She reached over and yanked the flap tighter. “Could you at least tie its legs while I hold it still?”

  Leo appeared at her side. “I suppose.” He grasped at the creature’s flailing limbs.

  “Thank you.” She huffed as she leaned over the beast and tried to tie a measure of rope around its neck.

  The bird reared its head back, coming from under the cover, and lunged at her, snapping its beak. Pain shot up her neck and down her shoulder where it nipped her. “Son of a bitch.” She tumbled back and grabbed her throat. Blood smeared her fingers when she pulled her hand away.

  “Only you would manage to get a love bite from a wild animal.” Leo gasped as he snatched the huge bird back by the cord and struggled to keep control of the creature as it clawed and hissed at its bindings.

  “Bad birdie!” She rose to her feet and stared down at the condor. Leticia trotted behind it and threw a corner of the material over its head. The condor weaved is beak back and forth and the curved tip appeared from under the covering. She folded her hands around it and held on. “Dude, wrap some of that rope around its mouth.”

  “I need to tell you I don’t like this nature loving side you’re exhibiting.” He wrapped the twine several times around its neck and tied it off.

  She released the beast. “Thanks.” She brushed the dust off her hips and legs. “Okay, help me pick it up.” A tangle of lines zigzagged across the bird’s wide figure.

  “This was not part of my vacation plans.” Leo stared down at the trussed-up bird.

  “But you love me.” She winked at her brother when he glanced up at her.

  “I’m not sure anymore.” He bent and eased an arm beneath the animal’s back. “You need to get that wound checked out. You might need a rabies shot or something.

  “It’s nothing. I’ve been nicked worse by plants.” She covered her palm with the edge of her shirt and wiped at the blood. “I’ll drop you off to get cleaned up and take the animal to my friend. By the time I get back we can have a quick dinner and you’ll make your flight easy peasy.” She lifted her side.

  “Nothing is ever that simple with you.”

  Lettie shoved her samples into the corner to free up space in her back, and they lowered the beast into the bed of the Jeep. She yanked the plastic cover down and glanced around to make sure no one was around. There was nothing more she could do. If she got caught now, she was looking a serious federal time and some really pissed off Native Americans.

  “Come on already. The last thing I need is to be sitting in a cell with you,” Leo called from his seat.

  “Hang in there, birdie. A half hour tops and I’ll have you all fixed up.” She ran to her side of the vehicle and jumped in.

  * * * *

  Jace turned his head left then to the right. The material didn’t budge. He was basically blind and his wing stung like a motherfucker. Some idiot shot him as he glided above the canyon on patrol, searching the area for the son of a bitch that was killing birds on reservation land. When he found that asshole…He needed to think. Who the hell was the woman that attacked him? His fall from the sky made him groggy. When he came to, he was staring at her caressing his chest and damn if he wasn’t enjoying it.

  Wisps of black hair curled around her face and her skin was the color of brown sugar with a dusting of darker freckles across her nose. She’d stared at him through deep chocolate irises and the way her lips formed words, hell, he’d watch her speak no matter what she was talking about. Her tone was soothing. His beast calmed down simply from the sound of her voice. She’d been speaking with someone, but given his limited range of vision the only thing he was sure of was that it was man responding to her. It was the gruff voice of whoever was with her that drove him to mark her immediately. Another beast would recognize the nip for what it was. All that tussling with her should have left some of his scent on her form.

  He didn’t know who she was or where she came from but he recognized her significance. Knew it the minute she touched his feathers. He’d found his mate. She was human and based on her companion’s presence, probably attached.

  It was bad business to kill a human, but if he ripped the bastard’s heart out and hid the body in a ravine, who would know? He wiggled his legs, flexing his talons. Under the dense material it was hard to breath. He relaxed and his bindings loosened. They were moving and he wondered where she was taking him. Jace opened his mouth and hissed as needle sharp stings penetrated his thigh. The ride turned smooth, as if they were on asphalt instead of a desert trail. He was no longer rocking up and down as he moved over the objects he’d been placed on. There hadn’t been any notices about humans being on the reservation. The elders usually nixed any permit requests.

  There was one exception, Blue Waters Casino, but it was miles from the actual homesteads. Built on a small corner of their lands, the structure had a separate entrance and exit to the reservation. His father, Jerimiah, fought hard for the gambling house, citing the need for the revenue it would generate for the clans and guaranteed jobs for every adult on the Supai.

  So far it had worked out. His tribe was flush with cash. It also made the surrounding townspeople curious. Folks were crossing onto the res just to say there they’d been there. Based on their agreement with the US Government, they couldn’t exactly close their borders or it would be considered an act of aggression against the United States. But they could severely restrict outsiders and with Blue Waters on res lands technically everyone had access to the Supai Indian Reservation. Nowhere in the agreed bylaws did it state that individuals were allo
wed unobstructed access to his people’s homes. So he and his men stepped up patrols, and as necessary to protect their lands, he took to the skies.

  Recently, one of his deputies had found a number of carcasses of different birds, all with one shot to the chest. Someone was killing the animals on his land and he had to wonder if it was with the intent to kill his people. A silent war was being waged against the Supai and he couldn’t understand why, unless someone knew their secrets.

  It was be hard to stay hidden with humans running back and forth without supervision. Rules had been initiated long ago to ensure the survival of his scarcity. Of course trying to keep anyone out seemed to entice them to try harder to get on the Supai. During his terms as sheriff, he and his deputies had kicked out hundreds of teens who’d snuck on their lands. Perhaps an intruder discovered the scarcity.

  He dropped his head as another thought occurred to him. The fact his mate wasn’t a shifter would not sit well with the tribal leaders. He grunted. That was a road he’d cross when he had to. First he had a mate to claim, and then he had a killer to find. The rest he could work out as he went.

  They stopped. A door slammed. The engine whined as the gears clanked before they were moving again.

  The male who’d tied him up didn’t do an adequate job. If he shifted now, he probably wouldn’t strangle. The vehicle jerked and he lurched forward, plowing into a hard surface. He shook his head and embraced the pain as his feathers receded while his bones broke and reformed. As a man, he sat up in the back of the automobile. Pulling the loose cords from his ankles, he straightened and met the surprised gaze of his woman in the rearview mirror.

  “What the hell?” She twisted her head to look over her shoulder and swerved to the side, crossing the graveled shoulder.

  “Pay attention to the road,” he snapped as sand kicked up, sending a spray of rocks and dirt showering vehicles behind them.

  The Jeep groaned and shuddered to a stop in a haze of dust. The driver’s door creaked as it was opened and he watched as his mate leaped from her seat and sprinted down a shallow gully. She stood there, gripping her side and staring up at him with wide eyes. He sighed and turned the lever, sending the back door swinging out. A few automobiles stopped and people with concerned expressions approached him.

  He looked down at his naked body and yanked cacti spines from the side his of leg. Jace wrapped the blanket around his waist and eased off the floor. Different scenarios ran through his mind and he latched on the most plausible. He lifted his hand in apology. “Sorry, my girlfriend and I got a little frisky…”

  Chapter Two

  Something was freakishly wrong. A striking, well over six foot, deeply tanned man was leaning against the rear door of her truck. The lower half of his body was covered by the old blanket she’d used to wrap around the bird. She swallowed and stared at the guy. Black hair hung down his back in one solid mass, which rippled like liquid silk when he nodded his head. Powerful arms were folded across the breadth of his chiseled chest and the stranger’s wide shoulders tapered down to a narrow waist. She counted the ridges in his stomach, one, two…eight. The cover wouldn’t stay shut and the flap kept sliding open to expose one muscular leg.

  The stich in her side was abating as fast as her curiosity grew. The bystanders who’d paused to gawk had slowly drifted back to their vehicles after offering her sly glances. Some women openly smirked at her. One person gave her a thumbs-up on the down low. She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. Had she driven through some portal to enter an alternate universe?

  She glanced back toward her Jeep and met the cool gray stare of the man who’d appeared out of nowhere. His tongue slid over his bottom lip and she took a few steps in his direction, faltering when the corner of his mouth lifted up. The sheer sensuality he exuded rolled off him in waves and she’d been momentarily blindsided by the way he watched her. He tugged the fabric tight around his hips and ambled down the embankment. Her boots sunk into the soft granules of silt, catching her heels as she shuffled back.

  He stopped a few feet from her. His eyes crinkled in the corners as a wide smile spread his lips. Deep indentations etched into his cheeks “Hello, I’m Jace Long Feather.”

  His voice was like good cognac, smooth and sinful. What the fuck was wrong with her? She cleared her throat and got down to business. “Where the hell did you come from, and who exactly are you?”

  “I was in the back of your Jeep, and you should know where I came from considering you kidnapped me.” He took a few steps closer, and she stepped to the side.

  Leticia patted her waist, searching for the familiar bulge of her firearm, only to find the small lump of her cell phone. “Urgh.” She slapped the heel of her hand on her head. The gun was still in her vehicle. Her personal wet dream kept inching closer.

  “Is hitting your body a new custom I was not made aware of?” Jace rubbed his jaw with his palm.

  “Don’t take another step or I will be forced to hurt you.” She glanced around for anything she could use as a weapon. “Why the hell are you wearing the blanket I used to wrap a bird in?” Her voice rose with each word.

  “About that.” A red tinge crawled up his neck. “Why are you screaming? People might think you’re cray.”

  “Cray? What the hell is a cray?”

  “That’s the new term for crazy, isn’t it? At least that’s what my sister tells me.”

  Jace stepped up next to her. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin. Moisture peppered his shoulders. She caught a whiff of him. The fresh smell reminded her of desert thunderstorms. How can a hot sweaty man smell so damn good? “I’m being punk’d. I heard they were trying to bring that show back. Its Leo isn’t it? He put you up to this didn’t he?” She spun in a circle before skimming her palms over his skin and around his waist, clutching at the material. “There’s a camera here somewhere. I’ll find it.” She groped his ass.

  “Oh,” Jace inched closer to Leticia. “You’re different, I like it. Our union will never be boring, and I don’t know what a Leo is.”

  She lifted her chin and realized he stood so close to her, she could see the stubble on his cheek. Her gaze was drawn to his arm. A little puckered hole pierced his biceps and faint red lines traveled down his arm. Just like the condor. The wound was perfectly round, as if he’d been penetrated by a small-caliber bullet.

  He looked down and turned his head. Jace slipped his digits under her jaw and moved her head up. “It was a superficial injury. I’ll heal quickly. The laceration will be gone by tomorrow.” He slid his hand around the back of her head. “You are so much more important at the moment.”

  “What are you?” she whispered.

  “Your future, protector, and provider.” He dipped his head.

  She clasped his wrists as he pressed his mouth against hers. The world swirled around her at a dizzying speed and she closed her eyes. His thumbs brushed the balls of her cheeks as he darted his tongue past her lips to tangle with hers. The taste of licorice burst across her taste buds. Moans traveled up her throat and escaped through her mouth to be swallowed by him. She angled her head and Lettie felt the tendons beneath her palms tauten. He released her face and skated his hand down her throat, grazing the bite and tickling her skin. The sounds of speeding cars on the highway slowly disappeared and the smell of exhaust and vegetation dispersed as his caresses and scent enfolded her. She was jerked flush to his form when he pressed his palm in the center of her back. His cock thumped on her inner thigh. She twisted her head, breaking the kiss, and he nipped at the corner of her mouth before brushing his mouth over the slight.

  Her heart pounded so hard, she felt the vibrations in her throat. Slowly she lifted her lids and peered into the swirling depths of his silver irises. She loosened her grip on his arms and slipped her limbs between them. What the hell was wrong with her? A sexy piece of ass appears out of nowhere, utters a few sweet words and has her falling all over him like she lost her damn mind. She bit the inside of h
er cheek. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. Whatever was happening was going on in real time, or she’d created one hell of a fantasy.

  “I knew meeting you would be intense but—” Jace didn’t complete his sentence. He exhaled and dropped his arms.

  Suddenly she was engulfed by a sense of abandonment and folded her arms around her to stave off the feeling. “What did you do to me?” she asked breathlessly.

  “We can’t stay here, beautiful. Whoever shot me could very well have followed you for an opportunity to finish the job. I will not put you in danger.” He reached for her hand and tugged her forward.

  “Wait!” She snatched her palm free of his grasp. “You were a bird, you had to be the bird dammit I picked up a bird—so you can’t be this.” Lettie flapped her hands in the direction of his body. She plopped down in the dirt, muttering. “I’m dreaming. There is no other explanation. The Jeep must have flipped over. I’m probably pinned and being slowly crushed as we speak. Maybe I got caught in a flash flood.”

  “Get up,” he spoke softly as he crouched, meeting her at eye level. “You never told me your name.”

  “Leticia Washington,” she answered absently.

  “Beautiful name for a stunning woman. Now I need you to get up, Leticia.” There was a thread of steel in his tone.

  “I’m not budging until the paramedics arrive.” She hugged her legs to her chest.

  “What the hell does an ambulance have to do with us being here?” He cocked his head.

  “You are a figment of my imagination, and I am clearly either delirious or in a coma. I swear if I wake up, I will not drop energy shots into my coffee anymore.” She ignored her dream hottie and focused on the road, patiently waiting to wake up.

  “I am not amused.”

  “I don’t give a damn,” she huffed.

  Jace scooped her up and her world tilted as she was dropped over his shoulder like a large sack of beans as he rose. “You’re lucky we’re not far from the res.”