Page 61 of Wings of Shadow
The voice is familiar, but my groggy mind can’t quite place it. I force my focus, willing the fog to lift.
Other sensations seep in. The bed beneath me is soft, not a hospital cot. Smooth, cool satin glides against my skin—sheets? My brain struggles to catch up.
With monumental effort, I manage to crack open my eyes. Light floods in, momentarily blinding. I blink rapidly, trying to adjust.
I’m in a room I don’t recognize—richly furnished, golden sunlight muted by gauzy curtains. Not home. Not safe. My heart stutters.
How long was I unconscious?
A shiver shakes my form. The cool satin sheets are the only thing covering my naked body.
The realization jolts me fully awake, a gasp escaping my lips before I can stifle it.
The voice cuts off. I turn my head to see Kaisner pacing at the foot of the bed, phone pressed to his ear. His gaze snaps to mine—relief, concern, and something darker flicker in his maroon eyes.
“I’ll call you back,” he says into the speaker, never taking his gaze off me. He ends the call and moves to the bed, his presence enveloping me.
“Hey, baby girl,” he murmurs, a low rumble that resonates through my being, setting my nerves alight. “How are you feeling?”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. How am I feeling? Confused. Terrified. The events of last night—Alexei’s inhuman form, the violence, the blood—flash through my mind.
“Kaisner,” I rasp, my voice hoarse. “What… what happened?”
He hesitates, then reaches out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. The tenderness in his touch is at odds with the tension in his jaw. “You’re safe,” he says, his tone fiercely protective. “That’s what matters.”
But as the mental fog continues to clear, I know that’s not enough. “Alexei,” I whisper, my chest tightening. “Is he…?”
“Dead,” he says flatly. The word lands heavy in the silence.
The terror of what he’s saying crashes over me like a tidal wave. I flinch. “You killed him,” I whisper, each word rising. “You killed Alexei!” Horror and fury boil over. I clutch the sheet to my chest and slap Kaisner, hard.
For a moment, he looks stunned—then his eyes narrow dangerously.
We struggle, my hands clawing at him as he tries to restrain me. But he’s stronger, much stronger. In a matter of seconds, I’m pinned to the mattress, my wrists held firmly at my sides.
“That was not Alexei Morozov!” he growls, his face inches from mine, breath hot against my cheek. “He was long gone, and that beast would’ve killed you.”
Kaisner’s chest heaves as he regains his composure, his body a solid weight above me. I’m acutely aware of my nakedness, of the heat radiating from his skin.
“What do you mean?” I ask, voice trembling, warm tears brimming in my eyes. “I saw you shoot him. I saw him die!”
Kaisner loosens his grip, but doesn’t let go. “What you saw,” he murmurs, his tone intense, “was a shifter gone feral. The Alexei you knew was no more. If I hadn’t acted, you’d be dead.”
I want to argue, to scream, but a flash of Alexei’s glowing eyes, his distorted voice, the inhuman claws reaching for me... it all comes flooding back. The fight drains out of me as the truth settles in.
“I had no choice, Clarissa,” he says, calmer now, releasing me as understanding washes over my expression.
The memory of Alexei’s features, his fangs bared and ready to claim me, races through my mind. I shudder, pulling the sheets tighter around me.
“My clothes,” I manage to say. “Where are they?”
A flicker of something—embarrassment?—crosses Kaisner’s face. “They were... ruined,” he says carefully. “Blood. I had them disposed of.”
I nod, my confidence slipping away as the reality sinks in. I’m naked in a strange bed, with a man who killed to protect me.
“Where am I?” The question slips out, the silk sheets tightening around me, reminding me of my vulnerability.
The hardness in his gaze fades, a hint of pride in his voice. “My penthouse. I own the building, actually.”
