The sound of beating wings pounded inside my head.
My body was cold and numb.
I couldn’t move.
My eyelids were like lead. I could barely open my eyes, and when I did there was nothing but darkness. My lids slammed shut, refusing to stay open.
The flapping of wings grew louder.
I opened my mouth to call out to him.
Tristan.
I whimpered and fell back into the abyss.
Light.
It pulsated in the distance in the same rhythm as the sound of beating wings.
Suddenly, I was in Tristan’s arms. His powerful wings flapped, lifting me away from the dark and into a fiery sky.
Is this a dream?
Tristan, is that really you?
His blue eyes held mine in silent pleading. They held me to him like a man lost in the desert, desperate for water, and I was the only one who had the power to give it to him.
Daylight gave way to the evening sky, and the stars came out to twinkle around us.
His strong arms pulled me closer into his chest, and he ducked his head. His lips brushed the top of my head. His skin pressed against mine, flooding warmth through me, waking every part of my body.
My hands tingled as they glided up the muscles of his back, taking in every crevice.
Smooth.
Soft.
Powerful.
I slid my fingers into the feathers of his wing. He shuddered, squeezing me tighter. That’s when it hit me.
He was shirtless and so was I.
It’s a dream.
It had to be, because instead of frantically looking for my clothes, I placed my cheek against his chest, listening to the calming beat of his heart.
“Karenna.” The sound of his voice reverberated in his chest as he spoke.
“Hmm.” I was so tired, I didn’t want to wake up. I just wanted to doze in his arms and stay like this forever. I inhaled, taking in his delicious, musky scent.
“Karenna,” he spoke louder, gently shaking me. “Wake up.”
“I don’t want to.” There was a whimpering sound. Was that me?
Tristan disappeared, and I was cold again. I reached out into the dark, but something heavy weighed me down.
Don’t leave me.
You promised.
“Karenna. Please, open your eyes.” His worried voice sounded far away. I was falling into the abyss again.
Tristan!
Suddenly, my legs jerked as if someone had yanked them.
My lids flashed open.
I panicked, expecting to see the warrior angels.
I blinked, trying to focus on my surroundings. A thick blanket lay on top of me. I was in a strange room. At my feet, Tristan’s worried face blurred in and out of my vision.
He squeezed my feet. “Are you okay?”
I meant to say yes, but instead I croaked out something unintelligible. I winced as a burning sensation surged in my throat.
“You’re awake.” He sighed with relief.
“Where—?” I winced again, my hand flying to my throat. I tried to swallow, but my throat felt like sandpaper.
“Wait. I’ll get you some water.” He jumped to his feet and went to the other side of the room.
I looked around as my vision finally came into focus. We were in what looked like a one room cabin. I was in a makeshift bed in front of a roaring fire. There was a chair directly in front of the fireplace with a damp t-shirt and jeans lying across its back.
What were the odds of the cabin’s owner having the same Big Al shirt?
Tristan opened and closed cabinet doors. His muscles flexed as he moved through the room.
He was shirtless.
I jerked up and lifted the blanket. I gasped. I was in my underwear.
I clutched the blanket to my chest and looked over at Tristan. Heat rushed over my face. I wished it was because I was embarrassed he’d seen me practically naked. But no, my first thought was why he couldn’t have seen me in something a little sexier instead of boring granny panties.
I could hear Jo’s voice saying, ‘I told you so.’
“Here, drink this.” Tristan knelt beside me and handed me a mug. His damp hair was slicked back, showing off every inch of his handsome face.
My eyes flashed down and focused on the musty gray blanket. There was no way I could look at him now.
I sipped the water, welcoming the liquid cooling my parched throat.
“Better?”
“Yes.” I took another long drink, forcing myself to focus on the mug, but my traitorous eyes kept glancing over at my damp clothes.
He chuckled. “You’re probably wondering about your clothes.”
I drank the water, slowly delaying my answer, hoping he’d change the subject. He waited patiently. I could feel his teasing grin as he watched me drink.
“Yes,” I finally answered when I’d finished.
He took my empty cup and went back to the sink, filling it as he spoke. “Don’t worry. I didn’t see anything that I shouldn’t have. I kept the blanket over you.”
I sighed with relief. “What happened?”
“There was a flash flood. I heard the sound of cracking branches and rushing water, then you screaming.”
“You came?”
He shut off the faucet and turned. His eyebrows were raised in surprise. “Of course.”
“But how?”
“I flew.”
“No,” I groaned, pressing my hands against my eyes. “The warrior angels will find us now. We have to go back and warn the others.” I tightened the blanket around me and stood. I took a step toward my damp clothes, and the room spun.
“Whoa. Hold on there.” Tristan rushed to my side, catching me.
Worried eyes locked with mine. The room swam as my heart raced. I tore my eyes away from his and sat back down, gripping the blanket.
“I’m okay. Give me a minute.”
“You’re not okay. We’re a long way from the camp. You’re not in any shape to hike through the woods in your condition.”
“I shouldn’t have called for you. I put all of you in danger. And now they’ll find you and Jo and Calder, and they’ll—” I couldn’t bear thinking what they would do to them. “You shouldn’t have come for me.”
He took hold of my shoulders, commanding my attention. “Don’t say that. None of this is your fault. You can call me any time and I’ll be there. You have my word.”
His sapphire eyes blazed as they held mine. In them, I saw the weight of his promise and how much he cared for me. The world was on fire, and he’d saved me, over and over again.
“I can’t ask that of you. You’re one of the good guys. You’re fighting to save all of us. I can’t ask you to waste time to fight for me.”
His face twisted as his fingers dug into my shoulders. “I have to.”
“Is it the promise you made? I’m sure your friend Blaze would understand. Maybe he’s with Remi now. Seriously, Tristan, I’m not important enough for you to put your life or anyone else’s life at risk.”
He dropped his hands and turned toward the fire. “It’s not about Blaze.”
“What is it then?”
“I . . . can’t . . . ” The light flickered across his face as he appeared to struggle with something inside of himself. After a moment, he took in a shaky breath and slowly turned back to look at me. My breath hitched when his fingers brushed against my cheek and dug into my hair, holding me as he spoke. “I . . . can’t . . . leave . . . you.”
In that moment, I saw a reflection of the feelings I’d had for him and had fought against since the day I’d met him.
“Tristan,” I breathed. “You said . . . Calder and Jo . . . ”
He pulled me to him and pressed his forehead against mine. His fingers stroked the nape of my neck as he spoke. “I know. I shouldn’t feel this way . . . but I do.”
I gulped, fighting against the strong current of emotions I’d managed to keep at bay, but were now rushing to the surface. I’d let them take over before, only to end up crushed by them. “You’re confused. We’re confused. What we feel right now is not what you think. We were thrown together, and you feel protective of me.”
“I do want to protect you.”
“And the world is falling apart and you’re strong and”—I pulled back slightly to gaze into his eyes—“beautiful.”
“And so are you.”
I shuddered as his warm breath lapped against my lips.
“We need to be smart about this. What we’re feeling is just the stress of the situation. We’re confusing our heightened senses with attraction. We hardly know each other.”
His eyes wandered my face as his fingers traced my cheekbones. “You’re right. I don’t know you. I don’t know you at all, except you’ll accept a stranger’s invitation just to cheer up a friend.”
“Or you would take in a homeless man.”
His fingers traced my lips, sending my pulse into a violent frenzy. “Or that you rub your shoulders when you’re stressed.”
I placed my hand over his heart. His heart raced beneath my hand. “Or that you hide the best part of yourself, even from your friends.”
“You said we could be friends.”
“Yes, friends,” I whispered.
“Good friends.” He inched closer.
“Nothing more,” I said, my lips parting.
“Nothing . . . everything.” His lips pressed against mine, lighting me on fire.
With that single kiss, my entire world shattered. It was like a thousand stars had exploded in unison, and the blinding light was illuminating our souls.
He pulled back slightly, his breathing frantic. My hands trembled, unsure if I could tear myself away now that I’d had a taste of him. I could feel him fighting himself as he tried to regain control. I gathered my blanket, ready to grab my clothes and leave, but Tristan’s lips were suddenly on mine again.
His hands cradled my face, holding me to his lips. His kisses were soft and sensuous, and then, slowly, they became harder, deeper, and more demanding. He kissed me with a desperate fervor, as if this was the first, last, and only kiss we would ever share.
I threw my arms around his neck and pushed my fingers up into his hair, my blanket falling away. He groaned softly as my skin pressed against his. Feverish hands moved over my body, caressing every inch of me, the curves of my waist, trailing up and over the curve of my back, and then sinking into my hair.
Liquid fire raced through my veins, making me feel more alive than I ever had in the full seventeen years of my life.
I didn’t want to fall in love, yet here I was, falling for him. I knew I’d never get enough of him. I wanted more. I needed more of the fallen angel who made me dream of him.
Cold air suddenly blasted through the room. The door opened, abruptly banging against the wall.
Zac stood in the doorway. His features shifted quickly from relief to surprise, and then finally, disappointment.