Kore's Angel: Angel Shifters

by Serena Simpson

  “You’ve become no fun ever since you got mated.” Talon smiled ignoring Rath.

  “What do you think we should do with them?” Rath looked over at the males in the car. They were motionless waiting for his judgment.

  “Do whatever you want, just don’t kill them. They deserve death but not at your hands.”

  That brought a smile to Rath’s face. The day was beginning to look up.

  “What about her?’ He pointed to the female frozen in her car. The car was motionless in the middle of a freefall.

  “Everyone deserves a chance to live.” Talon looked at her.

  Rath disappeared not saying goodbye to his brother. Talon shrugged keeping his thoughts to himself. With a twist of his finger, he righted the car and popped into the passenger seat beside Eden.

  “Hell….” Her scream for help was cut off when she realized the car was floating mid-air. “I never believed that Aladdin had a flying carpet.

  Please let there be a flying carpet holding up my car.”

  “Sorry Eden, no flying carpet.”

  “Are you Jesus?” Who else could stop her car in midair and he did seem to have a slightly godly feel to him.

  Talon laughed. “I don’t think he will appreciate you comparing the two of us. I’m Talon and nope you won’t find me mentioned in the good book.”

  Talon had straight black hair with dark gray eyes. She took in all the information on him even as her mind told her he wasn’t real. She took a quick peek at him looking for wings; oddly she felt disappointed when she didn’t find any.

  “Can you get me out of this mess, Talon?” Maybe she didn’t have to die. Maybe she was already dying, and this was just a dream to make her transition easier.

  “Have you ever wondered about love, Eden?”

  “Yes.” How many nights had she wondered if she loved Marcus or was she just infatuated because he showed her so much attention and didn’t seem to need her money?

  “I’ve always wanted that perfect guy. The one who would cherish me forever. I thought I found it in Marcus Keller. I was wrong; he wanted to kill me. Looks like he will succeed very soon.”

  “Sometimes love can’t be found in perfection. It only exists in imperfection. You’re getting a second chance Eden, don’t blow it.”

  Talon disappeared from the car, and it began to roll again. She started to scream, what else could she do? She pressed her face against the glass and watched as the car got closer to the water and the rocks below. She was so mesmerized with her upcoming death she never saw the huge shadow above her car.

  The car came to a jerking stop before she began to travel sideways moving away from the icy water and the certain death that was waiting for her. She wanted to see what was above her but the car was upside down and at that moment all she could do was hope she didn’t break her neck during the rescue. Who could be rescuing her? Was this some new droid the armed services were working on? Whoever or whatever it was would earn her eternal gratitude. The car finally came to a stop on the hard ground. It was on its roof, but she was alive. She fumbled with her seatbelt as the door was torn off of its hinges. Her savior helped her out. She took one look at him and knew she was in the river dying.

  She saw herself standing on the bank of the river. The slope of the ravine was steep and deadly. She was standing in snow that was inches deep as her body shivered. She was dying and all she needed to know was if she was going to make it in.

  “Did I make it to heaven? Is God going to let me in, where are the pearly gates? I’ve been good, I went to church, and I know my name has to be in the book of life to get in. Is my name there?”

  “I’m no angel.”

  “Sure.” She craned her head up looking at the angel before her; he stood somewhere between ten and eleven feet tall. He had glorious white wings that were spread out behind his back. This truly was the season of miracles she thought.

  “I will take you someplace where you can walk to civilization and call someone for a ride.” He stopped to ponder the situation before adding, “Do you need money?”

  She looked down to see her bag around her neck although she thought it was sitting on the floor of her car.

  “Please don’t leave me.” She looked up into his green eyes that were circled with a rim of gold.

  “Honestly ma’am, I’m not an angel.” A shadow crossed his face before he became light once again.

  “Eden.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “My name is Eden and if you’re not an angel what’s your name?”

  “Kore.”

  “Thank you for saving me, Kore; you didn’t have to do it.”

  “That’s not what it felt like,” he mumbled, running his right wrist against his body.

  “Did you hurt yourself?” She reached out to touch his wrist when the jewel at his pulse point gave off a bright light.

  “Did I hurt you?” She jumped back a little staring at him.

  “No.” He gave her a frown looking down at his wrist again and then at her.

  “Please don’t leave me. Someone is trying to kill me and if you drop me off they will succeed.”

  “Eden, this is a mistake. You’re going to wish I never took you with me, but I don’t think I have a choice anymore.” Think, Kore, he demanded of himself. Her life could be in danger with him. He wasn’t the steadiest shifter anymore. He needed to let her go but she called out to him and he couldn’t do the right thing. Soon they would end his life; he hoped it was before he hurt her.

  He leaned over and picked her up cuddling her close to his body. Warmth invaded her making her sigh. The wind had been whipping around her making a mockery of the jacket she had on. In his arms, she felt not only warm but safe. Huh, was this safety? She hadn’t felt like this when Marcus picked her up. Of course, he wasn’t an eleven-foot angel. Now that she was in his arms she could get a good look at his hair. It was straight with no hint of a curl and black. He wore three braids on one side, and the rest was caught up in a man bun. He was beautiful. No lusting over angelic bodies, she chastised herself.

  As his wings began to flap, they rose gracefully from the ground, she began to hum “Mary, Did You Know?” It was the song that was playing as her car flew over the ravine.

  There was more to Christmas than Santa Claus, and no one would ever make her think differently. She snuggled against his chest and closed her eyes, sleep taking her far away from the world that wanted her dead.

  *~*~*~*

  What was he going to do with her? He looked down at the petite being; she was shorter than he was in his human form, but she was beautiful. She had auburn hair that was sliding all over the place in curls that made him want to reach out and sink his hands deep so he could feel the softness of it. Her brown eyes had flashed at him with spirit. He had to work hard to keep a smile from tugging at his lips.

  She would be so much safer with beings of her own kind. Eden, he tasted her name on his lips already loving how it felt to say or think that name. He moved her closer to his body so he could look at the Jewel that sat at the pulse point on his right wrist. He hadn’t imagined it. It was lit up like a Christmas tree.

  Eden was his mate, but he didn’t deserve a mate. He didn’t know how to take care of one, and he didn’t know how to take care of a human. He always assumed that if he had a mate she would be like him, fast, tough, hard to kill. Never had he expected his mate to be soft and fragile.

  Kore leaned down and sniffed at her neck. He also didn’t expect her to smell so good. He paused before coming any closer to his house. He sent out his senses making sure there was nothing in the area to hurt her. A deep laugh came from him; suddenly he had a reason to live and care again. He just wasn’t sure he liked having a reason, although he loved having Eden in his arms. Not feeling any darkness, he approached the house wondering if things were beginning to look up for him.

  Chapter Three

  She opened her eyes when Kore came to a stop lowering them to the ground. They were in fr
ont of a large house. It was wide and the exterior was beautiful. It was done in large pieces of stone giving it a unique but modern look; the door was a feature that told you whatever was inside had to be grand. She gave a subtle nod of her head in appreciation to whoever crafted such a beautiful place.

  The door opened before him and they went in. She gasped for several reasons; the house truly was beautiful, but it was also messy. Not dirty just cluttered as if he weren’t the best at cleaning up.

  “Sorry for the mess,” he said, taking Eden into the living room. He looked around the place; he didn’t have a reason to keep it looking nice for company. Although he tried, he couldn’t feel a bit of remorse for how it looked.

  The living room was large with a wide couch and several armchairs. He had the perfect mantel for hanging stockings over his fire place. His walls were covered with pictures of the sky at dawn and dusk. On the wall besides the mantel there were several black and white photos.

  She smiled. He wasn’t sorry, but he was polite. She could tell by the way he had stiffened because he was still holding her in his arms that he thought saying sorry was the right thing to do. He swiped at the couch making the clothes fall to the floor before he placed her on it.

  He was an angel; shouldn’t he be a neat freak?

  She sat primly on the couch eyes focus on him. His body began to change, to shift. His wings disappeared, and he shrunk in size. He was little, she thought, if you could call six five little but it wasn’t eleven feet.

  “You're human like me, but you can change into an angel.” Her mouth was open in awe. She didn’t know humans like that existed.

  “I’m not an angel…actually, I'll take it. It’s better than saying I change into a big bird.”

  She dropped her eyes and started giggling as a tear ran down her face, and she laughed louder.

  “You see a big yellow bird, don’t you?”

  She nodded her head as she clutched her waist. He sat beside her and laughed.

  “See and that’s why I’ll take angel shifter over bird shifter any day.”

  She looked at him smiling. When was the last time she laughed like this? Dinner with her parents came to mind. It was the last time she had seen them alive. The smile slid off her face, and her stomach began to rumble.

  “You’re hungry. Do you want some bacon and eggs?” Her nose wrinkled up.

  “You don’t like eggs?”

  “I’m not a fan of bacon.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Why?”

  “Because now that I think about it, there may be bacon in the fridge but I wouldn’t recommend eating it. I did buy sausage a few days ago, so I know that’s good. When’s the last time you’ve eaten?”

  Her eyes darkened as she tried to remember her last meal. “I don’t know, but it wasn’t good. I remember that much.”

  “Then whatever I cook will be a treat for you. I think I have something you may be able to put on if you want to change your clothes.”

  “Could I have a bath also?”

  “Of course, before or after you eat?”

  “Before.”

  “Follow me.” He took her in the opposite direction of the kitchen where the bedrooms were.

  “This is a guest bedroom; it has its own ensuite.” She walked in to find a room done in shades of purple.

  “It’s beautiful in here.” The walls were tranquil making her want to relax. The bed was at least a queen even though it was a four-poster. The room boasted two dressers, a vanity, and a large closet. There were two chairs in front of a window.

  He took her to the bathroom that had a deep soaker tub as well as a large shower.

  She turned to look at him. “How did you find this gem of a house?”

  “I built it.”

  “Honestly?”

  “Yes, honestly. I’ve had several careers in my life, and one of them was in construction.”

  “Did you own your own construction company?”

  “No, that would have suggested permanence.” He turned and walked away stopping at the door. “I will leave some clothing options on the bed.”

  She nodded not saying anything as she watched him walk out the door. He was her savior, and she should accept that, but something about him was drawing her to him. It made her want to find out what made him tick. She could see a male who was kind and giving, but when she thought he might let her get close, his defenses snapped back in place. What was he hiding from her or was he hiding it from himself?

  She walked into the bedroom, hung her jacket in the closet, and placed her boots inside. There was a hamper in the corner for clothes. After placing her clothes in it, she picked up the thick towels he set on the bed along with a sponge as well as several different types of body gel. She walked into the bathroom and took a good look at her body and grimaced. Once her body held an extra twenty pounds that it would have been nice to lose, well she had lost it plus. She could regain weight; she couldn’t rise from the dead, her inner voice reminded herself. With a grateful smile, she turned on the water and began humming Christmas songs. She was going to be happy for every additional day she got.

  *~*~*~*

  He had a mate in his house. He had seen her eyes when she looked around at the mess. Like the others she would judge him now, tell him he wasn’t good enough. Maybe if he cleaned—no, it was too late—she was probably already thinking of a polite way to ask him to take her back.

  He would make her a good breakfast then take her back to her people before he got back to his life of loneliness.

  “Thanks for the clothes.”

  He turned around, and a slow smile stole his lips. She was dressed in one of his button-down shirts that came close to her knees, and she had a pair of his socks on that sagged around her ankles. She was so beautiful his heart ached.

  “I made some breakfast.”

  “Perfect because I’m starving. What did you make?”

  “I didn’t know what you liked to eat, so I made you eggs and sausage with French toast. I can also make cream of wheat or oatmeal. I have milk that’s not expired as well as apple juice and water.”

  She held her hands up grinning. “I doubt I can eat everything you have already made, and apple juice sounds lovely.”

  He nodded and fixed their plates as well as poured the juice and sat down at the island with her.

  “I always wanted a house like this—not too small and not too big,” she said while she took bites of food. “You’re an excellent cook.”

  “I learned if I wanted to eat, I better learn to cook.”

  “You’re lucky, that’s one of the lessons I never learned. My mom hated cooking with a passion. We had a cook who lived with us. He was great; he loved his job, and he loved my parents.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “I don’t know. I think all my staff was fired after I got sick.” She frowned but stuffed food in her mouth so she wouldn’t have to talk about it.

  Kore felt his shoulders sag; he sat up looking around for danger. A quick look at his Jewel told him the brightness was dimming.

  “Eden, are you feeling ok?”

  “I’m fine, just tired. I’m surprised I’m still up. I almost fell asleep in the tub but every time I tried something stopped me.”

  “The tub is huge, and you're petite. It could be dangerous to fall asleep in it; you may slip under the water.”

  She nodded. “Would it be okay if I slept on your couch?”

  “You can sleep in the guest room.”

  She looked up and shook her head no. “It’s a beautiful room, but it has a four poster bed. It’s strange I know, but they make me feel uncomfortable. I also don’t want to be locked away in a room by myself. Please?” she gave him a charming smile as she slumped against the chair.

  He stood and picked her up. “How about we compromise? You sleep in my bed. It isn’t a four poster, and I’ll leave the door open.”

  “Will you sleep beside me?”

  “Ye
s.”

  He took her into his room and placed her on the bed taking off the socks. Digging into his closet, he found a pair of sleep pants. Eden was snuggled into his bed looking like she belonged there and his heart was beating faster than it ever had. She was going to get under his skin, make him want to never let her go.

  He climbed on the bed and pretended for just a little while that they could be mates.

  *~*~*~*

  She opened her eyes feeling warm and happy. Marcus had taken care of her, and now she was going to live. A frown came over her face; that wasn’t correct her brain screamed at her. Kore, Kore, Kore! She looked at the male holding her, and it was Kore. He had kept her safe while she slept, there hadn’t been any dreams of being forced to take medicine, and she felt better. Not totally well but like if she took care of herself she would get better.

  Knowing she shouldn’t, she leaned up and placed a kiss on his chin and then one on the side of his lips. She smiled because she didn’t want to take advantage of her angel.

  Her angel, she liked the sound of that. How could he be anything else? He was there when her car went over that ravine; without him she would have died. Even in his angel form, stopping a car in freefall and then moving it through the air until he could sit it down on stable ground was a big job. That was probably why he was still sleeping.

  She slipped out the bed and went to take a shower changing into another shirt he laid out for her. Maybe she should try to cook them something to eat? Maybe she should kill them before she killed them with her cooking. Instead, she walked out into the room and began exploring his house.

  The place was big and grand as well as messy, but it wasn’t dirty. She wouldn’t be fighting any insects, thank God. It was the one thing she didn’t think she could take, looking around she wondered where she should start.

  Chapter Four

  The kitchen was beautiful with soft yellow walls and all the modern gadgets she could think of. Kore liked to live well although his house and furnishings weren’t over the top like hers were.