Page 28 of Her Fallen Angel

A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. I smooth down my simple dress and make my way to answer it, knowing the wards will allow a delivery person through.

The man on the other side clutches a wooden crate of supplies. His eyes widen when he sees me, recognition flickering across his weathered face. "Delivery," he says, voice low. As I reach for the crate, he leans closer. "Gabriel sent me. He's found a way out. He says be ready. He's coming for you soon and then we'll all run to freedom."

My hands freeze on the rough wood. The crate suddenly weighs a thousand pounds, my arms trembling. Gabriel. My protector, my brother in all but blood. He's still fighting for me.

But instead of hope blooming in my chest, acid churns in my stomach. The thought of running, of leaving Kai... Dark spots dance at the edges of my vision. My fingers dig into the crate until splinters bite into my skin.

"Miss?" The delivery man's concerned voice seems to come from far away.

I force myself to breathe, to nod. "Thank you for the delivery." The words scrape past my tight throat.

When the door closes, I sink to my knees on the cool stone floor. What's wrong with me? This is what I should want - freedom, escape from captivity. But the mere idea of leaving fills me with such visceral dread that bile rises in my throat.

I press my forehead against the door, letting its solid presence ground me. The truth hits like a physical blow - I don't want to leave. Despite everything, despite how this started, I've grown to need Kai's presence like I need air. His cruelty and his unexpected moments of gentleness. The way he calls me his little flame. Even sleeping at the foot of his bed has become a comfort rather than a humiliation.

Gabriel would never understand. How could he? I barely understand it myself.

But I force myself back up, trying to gather my thoughts and warring needs before Kai comes home. At least he's out for a while today.

The sun has begun to set when I hear heavy footsteps outside. The door swings open and Kai staggers in, one wing dragging at an awkward angle. Blood trickles down his arm, staining his leather training gear.

My heart lurches. I rush to his side without thinking, steadying him with my small frame. "What happened?" It's notthat I'm not used to him coming home hurt, but each time it affects me more and more.

"Training accident." His violet eyes flash with pain as he straightens. "Some recruits got overzealous with their magic."

I guide him to sit on the edge of his bed, my hands hovering over his injured wing. The ash-gray feathers quiver under my touch. "Let me help."

He gives a short nod, jaw clenched. I gather supplies from his bathing chamber - clean cloths, healing salve, bandages. When I return, he's removed his shirt, revealing the map of scars across his muscled torso. New bruises bloom purple against his skin.

My fingers tremble as I clean the gash on his bicep. His skin burns hot beneath my touch. I find myself lingering on his skin, loving the way it feels when I touch him.

"Your touch is gentle, little flame." His voice rumbles through me once I move to his back.

I work the healing salve into his skin, tracing the defined muscles of his arm. "Does it hurt?"

"No." His wing shifts, bringing me closer. "Your hands are soothing."

The scent of leather and metal surrounds me as I move to his wing, carefully straightening the bent feathers. My fingers sink into their softness. Kai's breath catches when I find a tender spot.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, but he catches my wrist.

"Don't stop."

Heat floods my cheeks. I continue ministering to his wing, smoothing each feather with reverent care. My body aches to press closer, to trace every scar and learn their stories. When did this happen? When did my captor become someone I yearn to touch, to comfort, to...

His violet eyes lock onto mine, glowing in the dimming light. My hands still rest against his wing, caught in this moment between us.

"Maybe we should…get you in the bath," I say, my thoughts jumbled. "The salve is absorbing quickly."

He grunts as he nods, standing, and I follow him to his room, all too eager to see him undress. I won't ever get tired of looking at his cut frame, my eyes following him as he sinks into the water.

I kneel by Kai's bath, steam rising in wisps around us. The air is thick with tension, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. He leans back against the tub, his muscles loosening instantly. His violet eyes lock onto mine, an unspoken command in their depths.

"Strip." His voice is a low growl that hits me far too hard between the legs.

I rise, my fingers trembling slightly as I untie the laces of my simple dress. The fabric pools at my feet and I quickly pull off my bra and underwear, leaving me bare under his intense gaze.

I should feel vulnerable, exposed, but instead, a thrill courses through me. His eyes trace every curve, every line of my body, and I feel powerful, desired.

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