Fur and Feathers:

A Raven Saga

Book 2

Out now from

Amira Press

Alena launched herself off the ground as fury rode her thoughts. She didn’t care if they hurt Darius or not. Right now she wanted to hurt someone. She balled her fist and gathered the energy of her mind and swung both at the same time. The dark stranger caught her fist and then blocked her mental onslaught so it rebounded on her. She would have fallen to her knees, but Darius caught her as she fell into him. Her head felt like it had been slammed with a concrete slab. Her forehead fell against his chest. As, it did silence stretched before them as she caught her breath. It seemed her body was meant to be next to his. He smelled vaguely like the forest and something else she couldn’t place. Her anger washed away as he made her feel safe. She even forgot what their conversation was about. He had shunned her while they ate, not even saying thank you when she handed him a plate of food, but he had eaten it greedily and seemed to enjoy it. He was a mystery. Gruff to the point he wanted to keep her at bay and yet, like now, and in the kitchen he seemed to desire her to be close. She couldn’t figure him out. He was an enigma and when she tried to read his emotions all she got was a blank wall.

Finally, he let go of her wrist and tentatively placed his on the small of her back. Very lightly as if he were afraid she was going to break. All his muscles were hard like a steel frame made up his body. Gently, he rested his head on the top of hers. Alena heard him inhale. She swallowed, not wanting to break the moment. Just being in his arms was satisfying enough. Her emotions were as confused as him. The burn inside her gut reawaken a little, but it was held at bay as were her own feelings. She broke the moment and looked up, staring into his deep eyes.

“Who are you really, Darius?” she asked softly.

He closed his eyes, but didn’t relinquish his light hold on her. Their bodies shared warmth as she inched slightly closer into him. Alena wanted him to sweep her up in his arms and open up his mind so she would know how he felt, but he was being cautious. “Does it matter who I really am?” he whispered.

“No, I guess not. But why do you make me feel this way?”

“What way?” his eyes questioned her, searching her face for the answer.

“One minute you’re and asshole. And the next I want to be in your arms and feel your mouth on mine. I want—”

Darius didn’t let Alena finish her sentence, because he demanded her lips at that precise moment. Once their mouths met, she felt the moon’s power zing down her spine. Her hands wrapped around his neck as the fire burning in her belly ignited her soul. Even now, as she drowned in his embrace, she couldn’t read his mind. She wanted to. The kiss was passionate, yet chaste. It was opened mouthed with no tongue. Slow and yet frenzied at certain moments as if he couldn’t make up his mind on what to do with her or what she wanted. It was obvious he had seen Vincent kiss her, and maybe he was jealous which was why he lashed out in the first place.

Minutes ticket away as Alena lost herself in Darius. Time stood still. It felt like she was in a fairy tale. Here was her knight rescuing her from the evil ogre named Vincent. But even as he was liberating her, the dragon was breathing fire inside her belly. The longer he held her, the more the fire in her soul began to spread outward, wrapping its arms around her just as she wished he would do tightening his grip. The burn was not bad, and she couldn’t ignore it, but the longer she was with him, the stronger it got.

Finally, time caught back up to them. Darius didn’t say anything, but stepped away and turned to look at the lake. Alena tentatively put a hand on his shoulder after a moment of him being quiet. She tried to read his emotions again and only came away with a void, like he wasn’t even there. He turned slightly when her hand rested on his shoulder. She felt his muscles bunch under his T-shirt. It seemed he was afraid to be touched as much as he was afraid to touch her as well.

“You don’t have to hide whatever it is you’re trying to keep secret from me, Darius. Whatever it is we can work through it.”