A View to a Kill: (A Bird Shifter Novella) (King of Prey Book 2) (2 page)

“Yes.”

A faint nod came from her. “Good.”

Chapter Two

Earth, Three Years Later…

“Paige?”

Paige glanced at Sarah and waved, letting the woman know she was fine. The look on Sarah’s face was one of concern. She didn’t want to worry Sarah. “He’ll come.”

“I’m sure he would if he could, Paige, but maybe he’s tied up with something.”

Sarah was right. Sachin led a busy life, always stopping by for a few days and then disappearing for weeks, sometimes months. It was hard to believe it had been three years since she’d first met him. Her memories of that night were fuzzy and that was most likely for the best. She knew Sachin was the one who’d gotten her help after her mother’s death. Her dreams were becoming more vivid, revealing more and more of the events of that dark night. Fantasy seemed to blend with reality, making her dream of Sachin with huge brown wings.

“Want to come in for some supper?” Sarah asked. “Sachin knows where the front door is. If he shows, he’ll join us.”

Paige clutched the amber pendant he’d given her on his last visit. It warmed in her palm as it always did when she thought of him. “He’ll come.”

Sarah’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “You’re a stubborn one, aren’t you? Come in if it gets too chilly.”

“I will. I promise.”

Sarah was so good to her, taking her in when Paige had no place else to go. She’d become a surrogate grandmother of sorts, giving Paige a guiding hand, something she’d never had in her life before. When her mother had been alive, she’d spent her time drinking and doing drugs with her endless line of boyfriends, not mothering Paige. The last few years had opened Paige’s eyes to what a family could be like and she was eternally grateful for Sarah’s unconditional love and trust.

The front door closed, taking with it the light from the living room. Paige sat in the dark, sneaking peeks towards the sky, certain the man she’d come to love would indeed sweep down and whisk her away.

Stop living in a fairy tale.

The pendant heated more, making it hard to hold comfortably.

“There you are,” Sachin said, walking around the corner of the house.

Paige looked for signs of a car, but like always, she found none. He certainly had odd ways of arriving. None of that mattered. He was here and that was what was important. She stood, suddenly embarrassed by how dressed up she was. Normally, when Sachin came for a visit, he helped her tend to the horses and they laughed, talking about everything and nothing at all. She had something different in mind tonight. It was her twenty-first birthday and she wanted to celebrate. Sarah had prepared a birthday feast and Paige wanted to head into town shortly after, hopefully with Sachin by her side.

She was on break from school and lonely. It wasn’t as if she was terribly social, so it was hard for her to make and keep friends. Sachin was the exception to the rule. He was outgoing enough for the both of them. He did tend to shy away from places that were too crowded, but she couldn’t blame him there. Crowds bothered her as well.

He smiled and dimples formed on his cheeks. A cleft chin and eyes so silver they were like liquid mercury made for a striking man. It didn’t hurt he had a body that could rival a bodybuilder’s. The dark gray, V-neck shirt he wore gave her a glimpse of his tawny chest. It was hairless and smooth. She knew from seeing him work around the ranch without a shirt on. She also knew he had the start of black hair just below his navel and that she would give anything for the chance to lick her way down his body. On the verge of drooling, she averted her gaze.

Sachin came to a stop just before her and put his hand over hers, prying it loose from the pendant. “You rang, my lady?”

His playful, Knight-of-the-Round-Table banter always lightened her mood. It was easy to picture him with a sword in his hand, fighting some epic battle. A soft sigh slipped past her lips and she blushed.

Sachin bent, putting his face close to hers. “Is Sarah awaiting us?”

She stared up at him, fawning over him. When she realized, she stopped and tossed her shoulders back, hoping to salvage some piece of her dignity along the way. “She is. I think she gave up hope you’d make it in tonight.”

He lifted his hand and touched her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. “I promised I would come. Did I not?”

Skimming her hand over his forearm, Paige nodded and stopped when her fingers brushed over shallow cuts. She grabbed his arm and turned it to get a better view. It looked as if he’d been clawed. “Sachin, what happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Uh-huh, try another one, buddy. It looks like someone tried to take your arm off.”

He stiffened. “Nonsense. It was…” he seemed to fumble for the right words, “a result of a night of passion. The woman I just left was rather rambunctious.”

Woman?

Paige tossed his hand away from her face and backed away. “We should go in. Sarah has dinner waiting.”

“Paige?” He took her hand in his. “You’re angry. Why?”

“No reason. I’m fine.”

*

As Paige brushed past him, Sachin cringed. Why had he said he’d been with a woman when he hadn’t? He’d been caught detaining a traitor, one who’d tried to infiltrate the castle and kill the king. The man had nearly succeeded in removing Sachin’s arm. Thankfully, Sachin was the more skilled of the two and killed the man before he could finish what he’d started.

He’d had to wait a few hours to ensure the wound was mostly healed over before flying to be with Paige. Telling her the truth wasn’t an option, but the lie he’d chosen caused her pain. She cared for him a great deal. More than a woman should for a man she called a friend. He didn’t mind. He cared for her as well. Much more than a warrior from another realm should for a human female.

Paige disappeared into the house and Sarah appeared on the front porch, her look pensive. “I told you not to build her up if your heart wasn’t in it.”

“Sarah, nothing can come of my feelings for Paige.”

“Who says?” She posed a question he asked himself often as of late.

Prophecies telling of Kabril needing to take a mate seemed to be everywhere. The pressure for Kabril and other healthy young males of their race to figure out a solution to the lack-of-children issue was great. Sachin would never help bring a child to his people by bedding a human. No one had ever heard of a successful mating between a human and a member of his race. He ought to know. He’d asked around enough. His guards were beginning to whisper behind his back about his obsession with this realm.

Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. “You planning on standing out there all night or are you going to come in, be a man, and face the girl I know owns that rugged heart of yours?”

Letting out a long breath, Sachin chuckled. “You are a wise woman. My people would cherish one such as yourself.”

Sarah winked. “Well, I’m lovable like that. Come on in, boy.”

“Boy?” he echoed. “I’m older than you think.”

She grinned. “I know. Now, get on in there and eat. And while you’re at it, tell that young lady in there that you were just being a horse’s ass. Beg her to forgive you.”

He’d never begged for a thing in his long life, but knew in that moment he would if it meant he’d be back in Paige’s good graces. “Lead the way.”

Sarah headed in and Sachin followed. The chill in the room had little to do with temperature and everything to do with Paige’s mood. She cast him a look that froze his soul. He bowed his head and took a seat at the table. “This looks delicious, Sarah.”

Paige stood quickly, causing her chair to make a scraping sound. “I, umm, forgot something.”

“Paige?” Sarah called after her.

Sachin began spooning mashed potatoes, a food he’d found he very much enjoyed while in the human realm, onto his plate. Paige returned from the kitchen, carrying a plate. The devil was in her eyes and Sachin knew he wasn’t going to like whatever she had planned. He also knew he deserved whatever it was.

“Here.” A sugary sweet smile claimed her face. “I know how much you love roasted chicken. I saved you some.”

His stomach twisted. While hawks from Earth ate an array of foods they could catch, Sachin and his people did not eat birds of any kind. It was cannibalistic in their eyes. The smell of the chicken made his stomach protest. He turned his head away and clutched his thigh. “I’m…fine. I’m not that hungry.”

Sarah took the plate from Paige, giving her a scolding look in the process. Paige blinked innocently. “Oh, that’s right, you don’t like chicken. Sorry. I forgot.”

The smell of the chicken gradually cleared out of the dining room, leaving the scent of roast in its place. Paige returned to her seat, her gaze still icy. She pushed the food around on her plate before stabbing a cherry tomato so hard her fork clanked against the plate. The urge to cross his legs was great. Paige was most likely picturing her fork stabbing sensitive areas of him.

His gaze met hers and she nodded, as if reading his thoughts. His throat went dry. Taking hold of his water, he glanced down the table at Sarah, who looked amused by what was going on.

Sachin gulped his water. Wiping his mouth, he tried to come up with something profound to say that would make it all better. What came from his mouth wasn’t what he had in mind. “I’m a horse’s ass.”

Paige set her fork down. “Go on.”

She wanted more?

He’d just referred to himself as the ass end of a livestock and she wanted more? If Kabril could see him now, he would never hear the end of it.

“I lied.”

“About?” Paige demanded.

“I was not with another woman.” He could do this. He was head of the guards. A fierce warrior. So why was it he wanted to crawl, begging the auburn-haired beauty before him for forgiveness?

“Why would you being with another woman matter to me?” Paige picked her fork up again, holding it like a weapon.

Sarah rolled her eyes and snorted.

Paige ignored her.

Sachin cleared his throat and continued on. “I lied because I’m unsure how to handle how I feel for you.” There. He’d said it.

“On that note, I’ll let the two of you be,” Sarah said. “I need to call Sheriff Bailey back anyways. He wants to come out in the morning and talk to us about those vandals we had here last week.” She left the room, leaving Sachin to face Paige alone.

He hoped for leniency but knew his temperamental seductress would give him no such leeway. “And how do I make you feel, Sachin?”

“Like I can’t breathe without you near,” he confessed.

Paige was silent for what felt like forever, before standing and coming around to his side of the table. He reached out and eased the fork from her hand, unsure if she’d attempt to unman him with it.

She touched the scratches on his forearm. “How did you really get these?”

He wanted to tell her the truth but she wasn’t ready yet. “Would you believe me if I said they were not from a woman and that I cannot tell you at this time exactly how I received them?”

He anticipated a battle.

“Yes,” she whispered, bending and planting a kiss on his arm.

“Paige, I know it’s customary for one to receive gifts on their birthday. I have something I…”

She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Shh. I want something you can’t give me, Sachin. I want you.”

His heart pounded madly, thumping so hard he feared it would leap from his chest. “You don’t mean what I think you mean.” He hoped she did.

A slow sweep of her lashes and curve of her lips made his cock jerk to life. She ran her fingers over his jaw and he nipped at them. He caught one and sucked on it gently, holding her gaze with his own.

Paige’s lips puckered and she fell into his arms, her breath hissing out. Sachin dragged her to his chest, his heart still pounding and his cock aching for relief. “Paige.”

“I can’t breathe,” she said, clinging to him.

“Neither can I.” He did the only thing he could think to do. He kissed her. Her lips parted and her tongue greeted his. Sachin knew he was lost to her, that he would never feel something so intense for another.

Paige drew back, touching her swollen lower lip. “Sarah could walk in and find us.”

He took her hands in his and kissed her neck. “Mmmhmm.”

“Sachin,” she scolded as she giggled. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“Or,” he narrowed his eyes, “we could race to a secluded spot out behind that big oak tree and see who can undress the fastest.”

Much to his surprise, Paige grinned. “Ready. Set. Go!”

Chapter Three

Sachin smiled down at the beauty below him, still shocked to see her smooth, pale skin exposed to him. Never did he think Paige would surrender to his desires. He’d hoped and prayed but thought it all to be in vain. He’d known her for a little over three cycles and had longed to touch her, always holding back because of their age difference. Now, she was a woman according to her culture and able to make her own decisions. Thankfully, they included him, though Sachin could not fathom why. He didn’t deserve something as precious as Paige. Her trust. Her love.

Love.

Such an interesting emotion. One he had not understood until she came into his dull existence. Before her, he was content with village whores and quick tumbles with Earth females. Paige changed his perceptions of women. She made him feel something for the first time in a long time.

When he met her, she’d been broken, bruised and in shock. To this very day she held next to no memories of the night her mother had been murdered by her mother’s live-in boyfriend. It was for the best. Had Paige recalled the night’s events she would know just how close she came to death before Sachin swept down from the sky, killed the man who threatened her, and then cradled Paige to his chest as he flew high in the air, taking her to safety. He held his secrets of being part man, part bird from her and didn’t relish the idea of telling her the truth. He knew she suffered from night terrors, but he couldn’t reveal the fact—that he wasn’t human.

She bit at her lower lip. He spent many a day dreaming of how soft her lips were, the bottom one fuller than the top, and how easily they molded to meet his. Too often he had to leave her when he wasn’t ready. The wars ravaging his realm had increased to the point it was harder than ever to slip away undetected for even a few hours, let alone days. The enemy seemed to be camped outside their gates, waiting for the right time to strike. They’d become organized. Where before they were small pockets of resistance, they were fast becoming an army to contend with.