Page 12 of Zar

If it were possible Zar’s gaze turned even deadlier, and she could swear that hissing sound came out again. He stormed towards a door and threw it open. To Callie’s complete shock, Zar whistled. The sound was so loud that Callie’s ears hurt. She covered them with her palms as Zar did it again and again. What the hell? Her ears hurt so bad; she was sure they were bleeding. Suddenly Flare appeared outside the door.

“My king?”

Zar grabbed him by the front of the shirt and dragged him inside. He tossed Flare to the floor at Callie’s feet. “You allowed her to be injured?”

Callie looked down at the tall and proud Flare. His eyes downcast. His wings lay on the floor beside him. With his silvery-white hair and wings it was like watching an angel being punished. It just felt wrong on so many levels.

“It was unavoidable,” Flare replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Not good enough!” Zar shouted. And there went her ears again. Jesus the man could be loud when he wanted to. His hand went to that long, gold whip that was still wound around his waist. No, Callie would not watch Flare be whipped.

Callie held up a hand. “Stop, Zar. It wasn’t Flare’s fault.”

His head snapped up and his gaze caught hers. “You will not defend him!”

Callie stiffened. She’d dealt with bullheaded men her entire life. She would not let Zar intimidate her. “Yes, I will. This,” she pointed to her injury, “is your fault. It was your orders, after all.”

“It was also my orders to bring you here unharmed,” he explained in a voice rife with frustration. “A task he obviously failed at.”

Callie rolled her eyes, then reached down and took Flare by the hand and helped him to his feet. “You can go, Flare,” she said, smiling at the man who so clearly idolized his king. “Your King and I have things to discuss.”

Zar’s eyes widened, shocked that she’d just overrode his command. Flare looked at Zar as if to ask for permission. Zar nodded, and Flare was gone within seconds. “You cannot keep defending him, Callie,” he said, in a softer voice. “He must be disciplined.”

She closed the distance between them and pointed a finger at his chest. “Discipline yourself then because you’re the one wrong.” A muscle in his jaw jumped, but he stayed silent. She sighed. “Flare did his best to bring me here without injury, but I wasn’t very compliant. I was being kidnapped, remember? You can’t expect that to happen without at least a few wounds.”

“A few?” Zar looked down her body and back up again. “You have more bruises?”

God, he actually looked concerned. This situation was too bizarre. “Yes, but we’re not exploring those.” She held up the pile of clothes and said, “I’m going to get dressed.” She turned to go, but a large, rough hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked over her shoulder and quirked a brow at Zar.

“I do not like you in pain,” he murmured. “I am sorry for this, Callie.”

It wasn’t his words that melted her so much as the concern on his face. She didn’t like seeing it there. She smiled at him and shrugged. “I’ve had worse, Zar. It’s okay.”

He hesitated a moment, then gave her a jerky nod. “I will have a meal prepared when you return.”

“Thank you,” she said, feeling something inside her chest melt a little. Crazy. She was certifiable. Going all gaga for Zar was the dumbest thing ever.

When she reached the upstairs bathroom, Callie tossed the pile of clothes on the bench and let out a long breath. She’d gone so many years guarding her heart. A task that had been relatively easy because she’d never felt passion for a man before. That attraction that happened when a woman and a man met for the first time. Their gazes connected and there was a spark of desire that turned into a full-on inferno over time. Yeah, she’d never had that. Never been tempted to throw caution to the wind and step off that jagged cliff. Zar was different. He only had to look at her and her body reacted. Goosebumps rose all over her skin. Her pussy throbbed. She could drown in that sexy half-smile of his. And there was something intimate about his wings. When he’d let her touch them, something had happened. A tingling sensation that had started at her fingertips and expanded to all those dark, hidden areas on her body that she hadn’t known existed. Zar had discovered them. And they hadn’t even gotten past a few simple touches. What would it be like to make love to him? To drown in all that passion he exuded would be pure ecstasy.

Callie shook her head and mentally chastised herself for her stupid, girly thoughts. She yanked at the towel and let it drop to the floor, then picked up one of the items he’d given her to wear. A dress? She sifted through them one at a time and realized they were all dresses. Some were ankle length, others hit just below the knee. They were all made of a soft knit material and looked comfortable enough, but why were they all dresses? She picked up a light pink one. It had slim straps and tucked in at the waist. The neckline came to a deep V and it would hit her just below the knees. She walked over to the mirror and put it on. She had to wiggle a little to get it down over her hips. Callie looked at her reflection. “I look like a teenager going to a beach party,” she grumbled. Her hair was all wavy down around her shoulders. The slight tan she had gave her a nice healthy glow that looked good against the pale shade of the dress. Maybe she should try a different one. Callie sifted through the pile again. Brown. Black. An ugly shade of puke green. The pink was the only non-gross option there. It would just have to do. She thought of her lack of underwear and bra but nixed the idea of putting on what she’d worn earlier. They needed washed. Besides, the only person aware that she’d gone commando was her. She looked down at her bare feet and knew there was nothing she could do at the moment about shoes either. The heels would be way too uncomfortable after wearing them for so long. Her feet were swollen. She’d have to wait until tomorrow before putting them back on.

Callie left the bathroom and headed back downstairs to find Zar in the kitchen setting out food. She sniffed the air and her stomach instantly grumbled. She noticed steak, a bowl of mixed vegetables and baked potatoes. Apparently, they ate the same as humans. That was a good sign that their genetic makeup was similar.

“Smells great,” she said, as she walked into the kitchen and took a seat at a round wooden table.

Zar turned and looked at her. He smiled as he looked her over. “I had hoped you choose the pink. You are beautiful, Callie,” he murmured as took the seat next to her.

She chuckled. “Yes, well, there wasn’t a lot of options, considering they were all dresses.” She plucked at the neckline of the one she’d chosen to wear. “This was the only one that someone under sixty would wear.”

He looked confused for a moment, but then he nodded. “They were not to your liking. I am aware that your kind prefer pants. Yes?”

Your kind. Another reminder that she was so not in Kansas anymore. “The notion that women have to wear dresses ended like centuries ago. Well, in America anyway.”

He shook his head and dished up a spoonful of vegetables and put them on the white plate in front of her. “Earth-born are strange creatures.”

“Says the man with wings,” she muttered.

He laughed as he continued to put enough food on her plate to feed ten people. “You are a delight, Callie.”

---