Page 2 of Kiss My Sass

A raven. A female raven.

Chapter1

She smelled like clean rain on a crisp Autumn day. Like freshly baked bread and sweet summer jam. The Raven smelled good. Too good.

He frowned as he looked at the small creature. Impossibly dark, glossy feathers trembled as the animal loosed a pitiful cry. She was in pain, and the knowledge caused something dark to grow inside of his mind. Something or someone had hurt her, and Thor’s Demon Wolf snarled in fury.

The bird was covered in scratches and blood. His growl escaped his lips. He noted the odd way the Raven’s wing was bent and was careful not to jostle her unnecessarily. How had she flown with that?

Fuck. Worry replaced his anger at whoever had done this to the creature. He could not imagine the pain she was in.

Poor, brave, determined thing.

“Shhh. It’s okay. I got you,” he whispered, needing to console the sweet-smelling bird.

For some reason, his voice would not come out any louder. He didn’t think too deeply about that. Just held her gently, crooning stuff and nonsense, trying to settle the animal.

Not animal. Ours, his Demon Wolf murmured inside his mind’s eye.

Thor froze, then he felt it. Magic. Shifter magic. The vibration was familiar, and his eyes narrowed, zeroing in on the Raven in his hands. The black bird’s body was larger than a wild raven’s would be. She was already warm, but started growing warmer as the vibration grew stronger.

He narrowed his eyes, taking in the blue black aura swirling around her body. Oh fuck. Surprise and awe filled him when, suddenly, instead of a bird, Thor was holding a woman. Her lush body felt good in his arms, but he wasn’t about to overstep any Shifter niceties by paying attention to the side of his brain screaming at him to look his fill.

Instead, his eyes remained on her face, willing hers to open. Finally, they did, and stole his very breath from his chest. Clear and blue, her eyes flashed up at him, and Thor sucked in another sharp breath. It was like he’d forgotten to breathe.

His lungs were burning, but he couldn’t seem to get any oxygen. Her eyes were gorgeous, stunning, rooting him where he sat. They reminded him of October mornings, full of promise and beauty. But that dream was short-lived. Too soon, her pretty eyes clouded over with pain, and he mourned the loss of that brightness. He wanted to punish whoever had taken it from her.

Forcing his gaze from hers, he noted a motley of bruises across her face and body. That wing, now an arm in her human skin, was dislocated if not broken. She had dozens of scratches on what was otherwise clear, smooth, fair skin with a hint of freckles on her shoulders and the bridge of her nose.

One eye was red and swollen, she would undoubtedly have a shiner by tomorrow. Her nose was bruised, and her lip cut as if she’d been punched in the face repeatedly. The fury he felt before had amplified tenfold by the time he was done cataloging her injuries.

Someone had worked her over, and his Demon Wolf snarled with the need for vengeance. The beast was not like the others in his pack. With one paw in the other world, his ideas of vengeance and loyalty were a bit more intense. But that was what happened when you were touched by the gods themselves.

“Who hurt you?” Thor asked, his voice a guttural rumble that sounded harsh to his own ears.

The female gasped as she opened her eyes. She met his bravely, and he knew he looked like one scary motherfucker with his size, his many tattoos, and his shaved head, but she didn’t flinch.

Bold, beautiful, brave female. Worthy mate.

Shut the fuck up,he told his Demon Wolf.

The animal had crazy ideas about getting himself paired up, but Thor knew better. He was not made for a woman’s love. His life was one of service to his Pack. That was no life for a mate. How could he ever justify putting her after the needs of his Pack mates? No. He was meant to be a lifelong loner.

“Hide me. Please, hide me,” the Raven Shifter begged.

Her voice was scratchy and hoarse, as if she’d been choked, and,motherfucker, one look at her throat confirmed she had. Thor’s rage went from simmer to boil once again, and he had to work to rein in his beast.

“Who?”

“Please, please, you have to hide me. They’ll come looking!”

She gasped, panicked and in pain. Still, she leaned on him, and that puzzled Thor. A woman who’d been roughed up by some lesser males would surely push him away, but she didn’t. Instead, she used her one good arm to cling to him instead.

Good. Ours.

Thor ignored his animal. Focused on the woman, he needed to know more about her situation so he could protect her.

“Who? Who is after you?” he asked again.

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