Whisper to a Scream (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6.5)(16)

Christina’s mouth fell open in a silent gasp. She shook her head, unable to grasp what she was seeing. My wings were large, taking up most of the small kitchen. Bright white, they cloaked me from shoulder to ankle.

I didn’t wait for her to put words together. I moved swiftly, closing the distance between us. With scorching passion, I kissed her, claiming her mouth with a possessive hunger.

Much to my surprise, Christina burst into tears. Flinging her arms around my neck, she hugged me close. “I couldn’t do it, Willow. My client tonight… I couldn’t go through with it. I gave back the money and left. All I could think about was you.”

I held her tight, wrapping my wings around her. Covering her face in kisses, I murmured soothing words that quickly became lost in the growing heat between us.

My desire was unstoppable. A storm of emotion caught me in its hold, refusing to let go. I kissed her deep, exploring her mouth. The connection sparked greater needs, and I was ready to meet them.

Burying my face in her hair, I breathed deeply of her intoxicating scent. The softness of her skin beneath my lips was mesmerizing. I kissed her neck, daring to slide my tongue over the beating pulse, reveling at the amazing life force within her.

“I want you,” I whispered against her ear. “No guilt, just love. Let me show you.”

Christina captivated me. She caught my hand and guided me to the bedroom where words were no longer necessary. With a gentle touch, I wiped away her tears. Every affectionate touch became a sensual caress. Following my instinct, I explored all of her, though I hadn’t even allowed myself to fantasize about all the parts of her that I discovered.

I’d made my choice. The only thing left to do was to see it through. This time when she offered herself to me, I accepted.

Pushing my hand through her thick mass of hair, I nuzzled her throat, coaxing forth a soft moan. That very sound teased my control, stirring my passion. Every inch of skin bared to me was as smooth as satin.

She felt beautiful beneath me, perfect and warm. Sounds were louder, smells stronger, and every touch so raw and real. The onslaught of sensation was overwhelming.

The velvet touch of her hands on my body drove me to unimagined heights. The fervor that claimed me was brand new and surreal. There was no hesitation when I claimed her. A second thought would only prolong the inevitable.

Our bodies joined with a natural ease. A deep, breathy gasp filled the darkness. I’m not sure which one of us it was. We became one there amid the silk sheets. Christina and I moved together as if we had been made to make love to one another.

I loved her. Lord help me as forbidden as it was, I did. It was powerful and compelling, a force not to be underestimated. Every time I filled her, I felt myself free-falling off the edge of a cliff.

My name was a continuous cry on her lips. Her legs tightened around my hips, holding firm. Nothing existed to me in that moment but Christina. She was all I saw, all I felt. All I wanted. Much as I hate to admit it, the call to my charge could have come, and I would have let it go unanswered.

We made love for hours, collapsing in a tangle of limbs every so often to catch our breath. By the time the morning lit up the bedroom, she was fast asleep in my arms.

I gazed at her slumbering form, admiring the curve of her lips and the peacefulness that always managed to elude her during waking hours. A silly grin tugged my cheeks so wide they hurt. It remains my most joyful memory. I hold tight to that moment. The simple bliss before everything changed. It didn’t last long, but it was long enough for me. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

When the pain came, I was ready. It was expected though not at all welcome. Starting in my core, it exploded through my extremities, forcing me from the bed to the floor where I writhed in agony.

This was it. This was where it all caught up to me. I fixed my gaze on Christina, hoping she would not awake to see this.

My insides were alight with fire. It grew so suddenly into an intense, blinding torment that I wished immediately for death. But, it would not come; death never came for my kind.

The power was stripped from me. My wings flared wide, and I watched my reflection in Christina’s bedroom mirror as my pure white feathers turned dull grey.

So, this was The Fall. It was every bit as horrible as I’d imagined. I couldn’t contain myself any longer. A pained cry broke from me, shattering the stillness.

“Willow?” Christina rolled over, reaching out for me but finding an empty place beside her.

She sat up to look for me, and I knew I had to go. She couldn’t bear witness to this. I willed myself away, finding with relief that I still had the ability to do so. Collapsing in a heap on the floor of my apartment, I gasped for breath while my hands clawed uselessly at the wooden floorboards.

My mind, body and spirit were torn in two. I was a quaking wreck, a shell of my former self. I’d known my fate when I’d claimed Christina as mine, yet I never regretted it.

Chapter Six

The pain subsided after just a few days though they felt like an eternity. Time meant little to me in the grand scheme of things, but to mortals like Christina, it meant very much. I had failed both my lover and my charge by being away so long.

Picking myself up off the floor, I felt weak and heavy. A shred of power still hummed inside me, but it would do little to help me protect anyone now.

Guilt hit me like an accusing finger in my face. Shame cloaked me like a second skin. I sat heavily at the table, staring out the window at the roof of the restaurant across the street. I saw nothing. I felt nothing. Numb.