Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes #1)(18)
“Oh,” His voice was deep and gratingly rough as he stepped out of the doorway. Surprised and confused by my presence, his eyebrows drew down as his face angled towards me. Standing by his door frame, he didn’t make any attempts to move closer. The hawk that was perched on the loveseat fluttered up to his shoulder, “I am Nikolai, call me Nik. This is Grigori,” he motioned with his hand towards the intimidating bird. His voice had a slight Russian accent accompanying the low gravel cadence.
“Lucie. It’s nice to meet you and your companion there,” I felt a slight tremble in my voice as I looked at the large bird. Its feathers held different shades of browns, greys, blacks, and whites while its yellow beak curved into a black, sharp point matching the black claws glinting in the room’s fluorescent lights. The beady black eyes were locked on my face, a slight tilt to his head as he studied me.
“Don’t worry, Grigori’s Nik’s familiar. Like a service animal, he allows Nik to see his surroundings. His interest in you will fade once he’s observed you a while longer,” Cam assured me, adjusting his black frames. I dipped my head in understanding as Nik patted Grigori on the head, but the hawk nipped his fingers and decided to jump from his shoulder to mine.
Holy shit, there’s a giant bird on my shoulder. As it landed, I crouched slightly, my arms going out, startled at the majestically terrifying animal. My eyes widened, too nervous to do so much as blink. Thank fuck for my jacket, I noted. Those talons looked deadly. Grigori then surprised me, booping the side of my head with his before rubbing his forehead against my right temple. Assuming he wanted attention, I reached up with my left hand to stroke his head.
The longer he rubbed his feathered head against my hand, the easier it was to relax. I straightened to my full height, finally adjusting to his weight. The conversation proceeded as if there was nothing strange about a giant bird cooing for attention from me like a domesticated house cat.
“Ok Lucie, it seems like you’re doing better but would you mind allowing me to take a look at your side?” Cam asked gently, his hand gesturing towards my ribs. I immediately locked up, knowing what would follow if they saw what the issue was. But wouldn’t it be even more suspicious if I continued to play like nothing was wrong? Hudson said they would be here for me...
“Hey, assholes, way to start the party without me,” an irritated voice called out, right as the door opened. When I turned, I saw Hudson shutting the door. He paused, realizing I was standing among the group, his eyes widened when they spotted Grigori perched on my shoulder. “Well, princess, you’re just full of surprises aren’t you,” he murmured absentmindedly.
“Take a seat, Hudson, I was in the middle of something,” Cam’s attention shifted from me to Hudson, his voice had taken on an authoritative tone that sent another shiver down my spine. Stupid hormones, stupid boys. Hudson shrugged his shoulders and moved around me. A smirk appearing as his gaze fixated on me, purposely moving languidly towards the seats. His arm brushed mine with how close he passed by.
Nik settled against his bedroom door frame, leaning against the wood. Grigori launched off my shoulder and back to his, landing gracefully before tucking back his wings. His body language seemed relaxed, but underneath the composed stance there was a crackle of barely restrained energy and magic. A tingle crept across my skin, giving me goosebumps when his sharp features turned towards me.
The twins sank into the loveseat, arms were thrown haphazardly over the back of the couch and their legs stretched out in front of them, relaxing into the seat as they had at orientation. Hudson and Dante took the two chairs across from the twins. The former leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees while Dante crossed his legs, his right ankle resting on his black basketball shorts. While the rest of the guys settled, Cam pulled a rolling office chair into the living area from his bedroom and sat down in front of me. His multi-toned eyes were on my stomach before drawing up my body, my cheeks burned as his slow perusal took in every detail. When he finally reached my face, I knew I was bright red.
“Lucie?” His eyebrows raised as he gestured towards my waist once more. Well, here goes nothing, I guess. I lifted my shirt high enough for them to see the extent of the damage and held my breath, dead silence filled the room. I couldn’t focus on anything, especially not at any of the guys, merely staring at a single spot on the wall in front of me. Despite avoiding their gazes, I felt their tension raise several notches. In my peripherals, I could see the twins had sat up straight. Their muscles coiled tight clenching their hands into fists. Dante and Hudson froze, their eyes burning a hole in my side at the intensity of their stares. Nik’s power crackled dangerously, jaw ticking in anger.
“Lemon drop,” Landon’s anguished voice murmured through the quiet room, “what happened to you?” I was thankful that the bruises on my arms and legs had healed and it was just my left rib cage that held any visual damage.
“Two of my ribs were broken near the beginning of the summer. They’ve mostly healed up, it’s just bruising really, it looks worse than it is. Any sharp movements of my upper body or direct pressure can cause some...discomfort,” I struggled with how to explain the sharp throb whenever my torso was jostled. I didn’t want them to be concerned or ask too many questions. “I’m good though, it’ll be fully healed up in a few more weeks, so no worries.” I tried to deter any further questions with my tone, but it didn’t work.