“That’s your plan?”
“It’s a great one. Trust me.” He winked.
He actually winked at her. And then got out of her car.
“Call your grandmother. She knows a place that will keep you safe. Get there.”
“Why would I leave you?”
He ducked down so that she could see his eyes. A smile twisted his lips in a way that wrenched her heart. “I’ll be there before you know it.”
“Can you fight without your wings?”
His smile widened, and for a moment it touched his eyes. “If it’s to save you, I can do anything, Ashley Baker.”
That statement calmed her panicked heart and caused a little dance of butterflies in her stomach. “Why me?” The door slammed shut on her yell, and he strode ahead, drawing his blade and tossing the scabbard to the side. She watched the bones of his ravaged wings try to stretch as he moved forward. His body shuddered, but he kept pace. Despite the cold, moisture glistened on his skin. Was it pain causing sweats? Or something else?
The beast lowered its head and chest. Its fiery gaze tracked Daniel’s movement.
Her wingless warrior moved to the left, leaving his sword arm free of restriction if he had to strike. One clawed forearm shifted toward him. Then another. She watched the beast’s chest muscles bunch.
Clenching her jaw reminded Ashley of the wound in her cheek. It ached with sharp intensity.
Blood. Daniel had asked if she was bleeding, but this couldn’t be enough. Could it?
The beast launched at him, and Daniel swung and twisted. He plunged the point of the blade forward. The black body slammed into him, knocking Daniel to the ground.
Ashley flipped open the console between the seats and found her small pocket knife. Do it before you think about it. She lowered the window and unfolded the blade. She chose a spot just above her wrist bone. One that would cause the least amount of damage, if only her hands would stop trembling. She pushed and took the pinprick of pain. The moment it pierced the skin, the hunter’s giant head rose and turned toward her.
“That’s right. Pay attention. Here I am.” She hung her arm out the window and knocked the car in reverse. Tossing the knife back in the console with a promise to clean it later, she gunned the accelerator and raced back up the ramp.
Red eyes narrowed and it lunged after her. This was either their only chance, or one of the dumbest things she’d ever done in her life.
Chapter Five: The Escape
IN ALL HIS years walking the Earth, Daniel thought he’d grown immune to the insanity of humans. And then Ashley Baker was born. The arrogance of his own assumptions were returning to bite him in the ass. She was trouble from the start, the dangerous kind of reckless that would get her killed.
Ashley snaked her way back up the ramp hanging her arm out of the window, begging the animal to rip into her flesh.
He lunged to his feet. Agony twisted down his back and he stumbled again, overcorrecting for a weight and balance that wasn’t there. Without his wings he was damn near useless.
“Stay there. I’ll be right back,” she bellowed as the front end of her sporty car disappeared up the ramp.
Like hell he’d stay still. She had no idea what those things were capable of. They were short leashed by their master, but once the blood frenzy took hold, it would be over.
Tires screeched and the wolf loped up the ramp.
Icy wind ravaged what was left of his wings and he raced forward. If the bloodlust rose too high in the beast, it would snap her arm off before she could see it coming. She was insane.
Using leg muscles developed in centuries of take-off flights and bone-jarring landings, he jumped, clearing the rail of the second level and landing hard on the concrete floor. His body still tried to use his wings as a windbreak.
Ignoring the sharp pains shooting down his back, he ran through the rows of cars, tracking the sounds of Ashley’s car and the scent of the wolf stalking her. Its bloodlust was rising, which meant one of two things: it had her cornered or the pack was closing in. Either way, they were running out of time. He chose a strategic point between two large vehicles. The corner turn of the parking garage made it ideal for trapping the beast.
She came around the corner, tires screeching, wheel barely in her control. With blade in hand, he waited in the shadows, praying the beast would ignore his scent for hers. Just this once. Please. Let things go my way.
It jumped on the truck next to him, crushing the roof. Glass shattered, raining down on Daniel’s bare skin. The next instant it lunged overhead, intending to land on the other car. Daniel’s instinct drove him to thrust the blade up into its chest, piercing an organ he hoped desperately was the heart.
A rending shriek pierced the night. The air froze around him and he knew the moment the wolf recognized him. Its muscles bunched, but the momentum of the jump sent it into a bone crunching collision with a cement pillar, ripping the sword from his grasp.
Daniel shot around the car and watched the hind legs try to kick and drag the blade from its body. The whimpering tore at his heart.
The body was already crumbling to ash around the metal. Its decomposition told Daniel that the strike had been true.
It was time to put the beast to rest.
Headlights illuminated the scene as Ashley’s car screeched to a stop. He winced at the sound of the door opening.
“Don’t come over here,” he bellowed, hand up toward her.
If you looked close enough, you could see where the body had been one of his kind. It, however, burned bright with a soul. This one, it seemed had been Nephilim, and not Seraphim. Had Azazel sunk so low to replenish his army that he’d use Halfling angels?
Daniel closed his eyes to hide the burn of tears in them. The enemy was twisting the souls of living beings into these monsters now.
“Noble wolf, let me help you.”
“What are you doing?”
Ignoring the question, he knelt at the wolf’s side. The red of its eyes drained to blue as the bloodlust faded.
“Are you crazy? That thing just tried to rip your head off.”
“It was just doing what it was told. I do not blame the weapons of war for death. The masters who wield them for destruction, however, will face my judgement.” Raw, powerful anger burned inside Daniel. With a palm against its labored chest, he whispered beneath his breath, blessing the passing of the twisted creature. It moaned and twitched under his touch, garbled sounds trying to form words in a mouth that could once speak.
How long have you been lost to the light, brother? I grant you peace, warrior, so that you may serve again when the time comes.
He kissed the back of his thumb with slow reverence and then swiped it across its brow. The smooth skin crumbled slightly under his touch.
Deep inside its mind, the human it once was became self-aware. The agony of its state ripped through Daniel, searing his already exhausted system and draining him of strength. Memories, horrors, and shame whipped inside him, tearing at his sanity and shoving it back to together. The young man’s powers had never awakened. When the enemy had come, no one stood up to save him. Daniel ground his teeth and took it, allowing this half-angel a chance to find peace. Countless times, he’d done this. How many more would have to die before this war ended?
I hold no grudges. Go in peace. He gripped the hilt and shoved the blade deeper, piercing the heart all the way through.
The roar grew silent and the slightest pressure from his thumb crumbled the skull to ash.
A loud cry spun him toward Ashley, blade at the ready, only to find her staring at the remains.
“It turned to ash. That doesn’t happen.” Her voice was high pitched and, for the first time, fear seemed to be an emotion he could read from her.
Weariness slammed into Daniel. “It does. Or didn’t you wonder why you never found the bodies of the wolves that night at your grandmother’s house?”
“It was a dream. I convinced myself of that years ago. Ev
en Nana told me so. What did you do to it?”
He sighed. Anna had made things more difficult by lying to Ashley. “I gave it peace. We need to go. This time, you follow my plan. I should have never trusted you to be sane in this situation.” She almost got them both killed. Rising from the ground took more of his strength than he would like to admit.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find my scabbard.”
“You left it on the first floor.”
“Excellent chance for me to ensure your safety, isn’t it?”
“I could just drive you there.”
Stalking down the ramp to pick up his scabbard gave him a moment to calm down. Or would have, had she not followed him.
“What do you mean you shouldn’t have trusted me?”
“Do you go out into the ocean and cut yourself to prevent a shark from attacking a child?”
“Of course not.”
“Why not?”
“That’s just something you don’t do. There’s no guarantee it will work for one, and for two, I’ve just never really thought about it.”
He snatched up the scabbard and sheathed his blade. “Did you expect it to corner you in the parking lot? If I hadn’t been there, you’d be short one arm. Tell me something, doctor. Can you still perform surgeries with one hand?”
“I knew what I was doing.” The quiver in her voice betrayed her.
He spun to face her, surprised to find her at his heels. “You had no idea. No plan. Don’t lie to me. I know.”
“Yeah, well, your plan sucked.”
“It was a lot better than yours.”
“I had it under control.”
An immovable force. That’s how Ashley’s grandmother had described her stubborn will. He found it both maddening and fascinating. “No, you didn’t. And. You. Know it.” He emphasized each word, making sure she didn’t lie to herself if nothing else.
She turned on her heel and stalked back up the ramp to the second level.
“Where are you going now?”
“Home.”
“Do you have a death wish?” He raced to her side. The stubborn set to her chin, the fire in her eyes. At that moment, she reminded him of her mother. And the fact that the exact same stubborn streak had led straight to her death. The thought of Ashley’s cold, lifeless eyes staring back at him destroyed any sympathy he may have had for her.
“Of course not.”
“You can’t go back home.” He grabbed her arm. She swung around and glared at him, eyes narrowed, lips tight.
“Give me one good reason.”
“I’ll give you two.” Daniel leaned so close he could see flecks of gold in her dark eyes. “There are more of these things coming, and the bastard who burned the wings off my back is already here, in this city, looking for you.”
Her gaze flicked from the ashes staining the concrete to his shoulders. It made the pain and ugliness of his ravaged wings more pronounced. For the first time, he wanted to hide them from her sight.
“More of these things? Why me?”
“The one who attacked you was a scout. A scout’s job is to find and detain you for the rest of the pack. It toyed with you and signaled the pack the moment it entered the garage. Just trust me when I tell you that your blood is what they’re after.”
She paled considerably. “You defeated this one.”
He couldn’t help the smile at her confidence in his abilities. “Without my wings, I’m at half my strength. Every second without treatment makes me weaker.”
Her eyes widened and an expression he’d never seen crossed her face. Anna, her grandmother, had said Ashley’s heart was carved in the stone of logic, an emotionless place. Perhaps that’s the way humans saw the young doctor, but to him, she was like a book he wanted to read page by page, savoring every nuance of her expression, every thought and idea, until he knew everything about her. If such a thing were possible. An eternity wouldn’t be enough to understand Ashley Baker.
“Azazel would have already finished me had he not heard the scout’s cry in the first place. Getting to your side and moving you to safety were my only priorities, Ashley. With you bleeding like that, they will rip you apart and everything that stands between them. Not even Azazel can stop them.”
“Who is this Azazel? What kind of man could burn the wings of an angel?”
Her hand covered his where he still gripped her. The tingle of heat from her touch drove him to distraction. If Azazel knew what she was, he’d kill her outright. Or worse, and that bastard could make her beg for death.
“Azazel is no man. He is the angel of war. Some of your kind labeled him as the second horseman of the apocalypse.”
Sharp pains shot through his back and neck, signaling the movement of Azazel’s poison through his system. He needed to get Ashley to Iris. Now.
“The second horseman? War on a red horse and all that crap? The entire world is in conflict now. I hate to tell you this, but humans are perfectly capable of destroying each other without an angel running the show.”
Eardrum-piercing howls tore through the night, and Daniel cursed. He dropped his hold and drew his sword, once more. “Get to the car, now.”
“Okay, fine. But you will explain what’s going on.”
He nodded. Whatever it took to get them out of this parking structure. A familiar scent lingered in the air. One that he hadn’t noticed until now. Azazel was already here. God help them all if they faced him now.
Chapter Six: War
“WHERE ARE WE headed?” She had been coerced by Daniel and her Nana into driving out of the city. The icy streets were all but deserted despite the early morning haze filtering through the clouds. An eerie continuation of the nightmare that wouldn’t end.
“I’m taking you to a safe place. The Del Rosa Mission is the only sacred ground I can trust within three hundred miles.”
“Sacred ground. You mean blessed? Are we talking Catholic priests and holy water, here?” That made sense, in a way, considering the fact that she’s faced both angels and demon dogs in the past few hours.
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“And you avoid most of them. I don’t like talking, Daniel, and I really hate being treated like an idiot. My life is exactly the way I want it. Until you dropped back in my life, I had put all the insanity of my childhood behind me.” She gripped the wheel in both frustration and concern. The roads were getting worse.
“Ignoring a truth doesn’t make it disappear.”
“You’re telling me that there is a war happening all around me and I never notice it? Angels fighting angels? The horsemen of the apocalypse riding through the land? Give me a break.”
“There are more things in Heaven and Earth, dear doctor of logic, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
“Quoting Shakespeare is not going to clear this up. Also, Hamlet? You know almost everyone dies in that play, right? Not endearing me to this conversation.”
A laugh burst from Daniel, rich and deep, one that forced the corners of her lips up in an answering smile before she knew it.
“True. Sorry. How much did your grandmother tell you about us?”
“Nothing. Only that you were a dream, and that none of it happened. If I’m in danger, why wouldn’t you let me pick up Nana?”
“Your grandmother is in the care of a neutral party. She’s being taken to another location like the Mission.”
“Neutral party? What do you mean?”
“No angel, devil, demon, or beast can harm her while in his care.”
“I noticed that you left out humans.”
“Yeah, well, you are a law unto yourselves. Thousands of years and I still don’t understand how humans turn on one another so easily.” He shifted in the seat again. It had to be hard finding a comfortable spot. A shudder racked his body.
“Are you cold?” He’d run around without a shirt for so long, she hadn’t really thought about it.
“No. Burning up, actual
ly.” A glance over to his face showed him flushed in the cheeks, neck, and shoulders. If she touched him, would he be hot?
“What makes this neutral party stay that way? Is it an angel? What keeps it from defecting to another side?”
“Humans are so quick to assume treachery. It is a covenant that can’t be broken, though many have tried. They’re angels.”
“What are they like?”
“Infuriating. Stubborn. When one dies, another takes its place. Trust me when I tell you that facing one is a real pain the ass. She’s safe with him. I promise.”
“Have you read your history, there, sunshine? Angels betrayed Heaven as well. We’re not the only ones that turn on each other easily.”
“My brothers did rebel, yes, but don’t think it was a quick decision. It took hundreds of years to occur. Time flows differently for us.”
“What keeps this Azazel guy from using a human to do his dirty work? If he wanted to hurt me or my grandmother, how easy would it be to do it?”
She could see the tightening of his lips through her peripheral vision.
“Azazel has resorted to such treachery before.”
Her stomach twisted. “Then don’t tell me she’s safe.”
“She is safer with him than anywhere else. Her guardian will protect her with his life, if need be.”
“So what kind of angel is this neutral party?”
“One of the Fallen. Take the exit ramp here.”
She followed his directions, wondering, not for the first time, why an angel would know road directions if he could fly. “The Fallen? You mean the rebellion in Heaven? One of the two hundred angels who defected to Lucifer’s side?”
“I’m surprised you know that. I would think religious text would fall into folklore and therefore a logical waste of time.”
Okay, he was still ticked about her luring away the wolf-hunter thing. Well, he needed to get over it. She saved his life, and let him kill the thing. That made them even in her book. “Thanks to a certain someone, I’ve had an unhealthy obsession over winged men for almost two decades.”
Alphas Unwrapped: 21 New Steamy Paranormal Tales of Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Witches, Angels, Demons, Fey, and More Page 101