Page 42 of Tainted Wings of Failure

"Sure."

"I will let you know when he is well enough for that."

"Okay. Sounds great."

"You promise to keep an eye on it and not let it get away?" A smirk spreads across Kyles face.

"Oh, sweetheart, everything is already set and ready to go."

"What do you mean?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"The little rat walked right into a trap." My upper lip curls up in confusion. Kyle was here the whole time? How? He lets out a quiet laugh. "Let me do my part. You don't have to worry, everything will be perfect, just the way you want it."

"Okay?" I tilt my head to the side.

"You don't mind if I stay until after dinner?"

I shake my head and offer him a smile. "Not at all. I wouldn't have let you leave before anyway."

"Perfect." Kyle grins and jumps up from the barstool he was sitting on.

"Oh, and Kyle." He turns to look at me. "Thanks for helping me bring him home."

"Of course, it’s the least I could have done. I'm the one who took him from you after all." Kyle leaves the kitchen, walks across the living room, and throws himself on the sofa next to Noah. He flings one arm over his shoulders, rips the book from his hands, and skims through the pages. At the impact Penelope takes off, flapping her wings as she flies through the room before settling on top of one of the bookshelves lining the walls.

Standing on my toes, I peek into a nest where a couple of doves are huddled in a big ball of feathers, keeping each other warm. Temperatures have dropped drastically over the past couple of days and the weather forecast is predicting a good amount of snow, which is not uncommon for early January.

Loud cooing and hectic flapping behind me draws my attention and I turn to find Noah standing among his doves. They are gathered around his feet, excitedly picking up the dried berry treats. Penelope and another bird sit on his shoulders and are busy preening his face and hair.

It's the first time since he woke up that we're out here. The birds were skittish at first, not having seen him for almost two months. However, as soon as the older ones recognized him, they swarmed around him, excited to have him back. Never in my life did I think that birds, especially doves, could be so emotional, but since meeting him I have learned so much about them and what resilient and wonderful creatures they are.

"Are you happy to be out here with them?" I ask.

He lifts his head, our eyes meet, and he nods. A smile spreads across my face. Careful not to step on any of the birds shuffling at our feet, I walk up to him, wrap my arms around his biceps, press my body close to his to stay warm, and watch the birds.

When I lean my head against his shoulder, Penelope takes it as an invitation and waddles from his shoulder onto my head, her tiny claws tickling my skull before she starts picking at my hair. He hasn't been very communicative since we stepped into the aviary, but I can see he's focused on his beloved birds and I want him to enjoy the moment. I want to enjoy the moment.

After dropping the last batch of treats, Noah pulls his arm out of my grasp and wraps it around my shoulders. I jump at the opportunity and loop my arms around his stomach, burying my frosty fingers in the soft fabric of his fleece jacket and pressing my body close to his.

"Dove, I’m sorry." Noah says, breaking through the sounds of the birds and the soft whistling of the cold evening breeze.

"Hm?" I hum, tilting my head up, which causes Penelope to take off. I look at him and find his new, more vulnerable side, while his focus remains on the birds.

"I realize I never gave you a proper apology." He continues, "You told me something was up, but I was stubborn and wouldn't listen. And now... I don't know how to make it up to you after all you've done for me."

"You would have done the same for me," I say and tighten my grip on him.

"Yes." He tips his head forward, looking down at me. "I would burn the world and everyone on it for you.”

My eyes almost hit the back of my skull from how hard I roll them at his dramatic response. It's endearing how he says this stuff with such confidence, like he's ready to tear down anything that dares come between us, yet he's struggling to tear down the walls he's built himself. "While I appreciate the violent approach, I don't need that," I chuckle, reaching up to cup his cheek in my hand and trace the outline of his jaw. "If you want to make it up to me, the only thing I want from you is for you to choose us." The corners of my mouth lift, but it's as if they're weighed down by doubt.

He nods, leaning into my touch. "I'm ready for a new life, no matter how hard it may be," he says with a sigh and his hand falls from my shoulder to my waist, pulling me closer to him. "You know, before I lost consciousness, when I thought I was dying, I saw your face— smiling, laughing." My chest tightens with every beat of my heart as he reveals that he saw me on the brink of death. Tears sting in the corners of my eyes and his face begins to blur as my emotions rise to the surface. "I want to be the cause of your happiness, not the source of your sadness, which has been more common than I'd like to admit over the past year. If you give me the chance..."

"Of course." I blurt out, cutting him off and offering him a smile, hiding the tears as my lower lip quivers.

"It may take a little while."

"It's okay."

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