Page 24 of Saviour

“I can’t just get mad.” She pushes back, even though without realising it, her fists are starting to clench and her voice is getting louder.

“Sure you can. Everyone can.”

“I’m not everyone.”

“Oh, Birdie, I know,” I say quietly, getting closer, into her space.

“Stop calling me Birdie,” she bites and I jump for joy inside.

“Why, Birdie? You don’t like it?”

She doesn’t respond, but she narrows her eyes in response, her knuckles going white as she refrains.

“Come on, Birdie.” I lean in. “Get mad. Show me those talons.”

I roll my eyes as we stare at each other and I continue to lean in closer until we’re almost face-to-face.

“Hit me, Rori. Come on, Birdie, just fucking hi—”

Her open palm comes back to my face once more with a lot more force than the first time and I even allow my head to turn with the slap.

I look at her and see the rage in her eyes, her chest rising slowly with deep breaths. Her hand is behind her back and I want to reach out and grab it to rub soft circles over her palm.

“Why did you make me do that?” she asks quietly.

“Because I wanted to see if you could hit better than the last time,” I reply and pull her hand from behind her back, rubbing it with my thumb.

“That’s not me,” she says again and I slide my fingers between hers.

“It will be.”

“Why? Why does it have to be?”

I consider her question for a moment before answering honestly.

“Because you’re living in a wolf’s den now, Birdie. If you can’t fight them, they’ll bite you before you’ve even had a chance to raise a fist.”

She looks at me intently but doesn’t back away. She doesn’t flinch or remove her hand from mine.

“And are you a wolf, Dax?”

“Oh, Birdie, you have no idea.”

Her gaze search my face, darting between my eyes, to my lips and back, over and over again, and I wish I knew what she was thinking.

“The werewolf and the swan. How poetic.”

I smile wide at her words and plan to carve them directly onto my skin one day.

“How's your hand?” I ask her, turning her palm over in my hand.

“It’s fine. How's your face?”

I smile and nod, shrugging my shoulders. “I’ll live. Why didn’t you use a fist?”

She raises that sassy eyebrow like she always does.

“Because I didn’t want to break my hand.”

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