Page 18 of Tainted Wings

Chapter 7

Zed

I’ve been watchingher since the first time she came to the graveyard weeks ago. The stone gazebo is a place I sometimes go to escape life for a while. There's something about the dead I find so peaceful.

Work was stressful that day, and on top of that my stepdad was pissing me off like always, so I had to get out of the house before I kicked his ass, and my mother paid for my actions.

I took a walk to cool down. But when I went there, I saw someone else had found my little slice of peace.

There was something about her that made me stay and watch, and when I got that first glimpse of her face, I was hooked. The way she laughed at whatever she was watching on her phone, how her eyes would light up with pure joy.

From that moment, I wanted to know everything about her. Who she was, where she came from, what she loved, what would make her scream in ecstasy as she came around my cock.

But, I stayed back and observed like she was a rare bird, ready to fly away at the smallest movement.

Her visits to the gazebo were almost like clockwork. Always, after her run, she would end up here and stay for hours before going home. And I’d always be there watching in the shadows until she left.

I knew right away she wasn't like them, the prim, proper pure bloods who thought they were so fucking perfect. She dressed differently, more relaxed. I mean she was always in her workout gear, but that was another reason I knew she wasn’t one of them. Pure blood women don’t work out. And because we can’t die, we don’t need food, but we do eat it enough to keep us from looking weak and sickly.

Then there is the fact that she swears like a sailor. I’ve had to smother my laughter every time she would go on little rants to herself about what she was watching, or whatever was on her mind when she didn’t think anyone could hear her.

When I heard her mutter something about going to school, I was disappointed she wouldn’t be coming here anymore, or at least not as often. But I decided to come today anyway and enjoy having my spot to myself again for a bit.

I was not expecting to finally meet her during a rare downpour, and the surprise strip tease was a nice bonus.

From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she would change my world. I knew she would be mine someday. And now I know why, because when she fell into my arms, I was hit with an explosion of mind blowing sensations. We sparked, making her my mate. My soul screamed, my body hummed. She is mine.

Only my Little Bird did not have the same reaction as I did. I wanted to push her up against the wall and make her scream my name, but she looked like another brick had been added to her worries.

I get it, we just met, and it's kind of a lot to take in.I’mkind of a lot. But this is kind of a big deal for me because angels get one mate, however, for every hundred pure blood angels who find their mate, only one dark angel finds theirs. Yet another fucked up advantage they have over us. Some say it's another punishment God has put on the dark angels just to fuck with us for what our ancestors did.

I’ve imagined what it would be like to find that one person who was destined to be yours. Who owns your heart and soul completely. The person you would die for, bleed for, kill for.

I wasn’t foolish enough to actually believe it would ever happen to me. I’m just some lowlife, grease monkey, dark angel who’ll work in an auto shop fixing cars for the rest of eternity.

Then the universe took pity on me because it did happen. I got myself a mate. A goddess of a mate. A mate who is thestepsister tohim.

Why can’t something good happen in my life without it being shit on?

I feel like an asshole for just up and leaving like I did, but when I saw where she’s living, who her family is, I needed to get out of there. I didn’t want her to see the rage that hides within me. I’m not a knight-in-shining-armor kind of guy. I’ve done bad things. I’d never hurt her, never betray her, but I want her to get to know me more before she sees every side of me.

“Zed, honey, is that you?” my mom calls when I walk through the front door of our house.

“Yeah,” I call back, slamming the door behind me.

“Is everything okay?” she asks, popping her head out of the kitchen.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” I mutter.Just fucking peachy.Not wanting to talk to her about what's going on, I go to my room. Stepping out of my wet clothes, I toss them in the dirty laundry, replacing them with a pair of grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt. I fall back onto my bed, letting out an exhausted sigh. Closing my eyes, I scrub my face, wondering what the Hell I’m going to do now.

She’s all I can think about. Her pouty pink lips, her ocean blue eyes. It took everything in me not to kiss her, but I didn’t want to scare her. I might have been watching her for weeks, but she only knew of my existence today. She’s mine. I’ll give her time to get to know me, I’m not going anywhere.

But I’m here, and she's there, in that house with those pompous assholes. I don’t know who they are fooling, but they’re not as sly as they think they are. I know about them fucking the Dark Night girls. Those assholes think these girls are some cheap whores who won't say anything, but word gets around fast here, especially if you’re in certain circles. It doesn't help when your little sister has one of the biggest mouths around and her best friend is fucking one of them. I made sure it wasn’t Isaac and made her vow to never have anything to do with them, especially him.

Now, what I’d really like to know is how they do it? How do they fuck all these girls and their feathers stay white as snow?

“Zed.” My mother's soft voice comes from my doorway. Opening my eyes I find her standing there with the door cracked open. “I know you said you're okay, but you're not.” She comes into the room and sits on the edge of the bed. “Talk to me.” Her smile is sweet and welcoming.

Moving to get up, I cross my legs and look at her. My mom and I are close. We always talk about anything and everything. It’s only when my asshole stepfather is home when I can’t stand to be around her. She lets him treat her like shit, does nothing to stop him. When I ask her why she lets him stay, she tells me she loves him. I might not know what love is just yet, but I know it's not what they have. She just doesn't want to be alone. And she doesn't want Izzy to be without her dad. Not like he's even a father worth keeping around. They have me, they don’t need him.

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