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Who was he? Was he guarding her so she couldnt escape? She dragged the sheet up to her chin as if she could hide froaze wandered about the roo down at her Unblinking Inhuher, and her heart lurched The horns of the Beast!

She screa open, and a hts, and slammed the door shut She froze in shock at the fierce look on his face and the gleaer in his hand Was she to be murdered for the pleasure of the Beast?

She turned back to the glassy inhuht but the head of a deer mounted on the wall There were several hunter trophies: a moose head over the fireplace and a tusked boar on another wall, close to a rocking chair and bookcase She sent up a quick prayer on their behalf and winced when it was met with silence

Still, she could feel some relief that the poor beasts were no threat to her Unlike the htly under her chin, she glanced in his direction

He scanned the rooht?

She nodded although she felt far froely unnerved by thisher with an odd look Cautious and alert Curious, perhaps, though the intensity of his gaze hinted at so she couldnt place

He had the look of a warrior, but not a God Warrior There was nothing angelic about hiels and demons tended to assume a flawless human form with spotless, rich apparel

Thisa plaid kilt His shirt was torn and stained, his kilt old and faded Dirt and e with a raw and rugged edginess to hiled mess, blown by the wind, a beautiful fiery red His eyes, they still watched her, the grayish-blue irises reing winds Earth, fire, and windthree eleloriously fierce creation

Her gaze shifted to his dagger Did he er with a fluid ht ye were in danger

His voice It was his voice shed heard while slipping in and out of consciousness The lilting accent re in her ger into a sheath beneath a knee sock Apparently, hed rushed into the rooht not have answered her prayer, but Hed provided her with a protector Thank you, Lord

With a sigh of grateful relief, she lowered her hands and the sheet to her lap May I ask your nahtened with a jerk Holy Christ Alhty

She frowned No, I dont believe you are

I dinna aze to a spot behind her and whispered, Oh, Christ

Is He here? A surge of hope swelled inside her She twisted to look, but pain ripped across her back She cried out, doubling over to grip her knees

Och, lass HeIs there anything I can do?

Shethe pain to subside The cushion she sat upon jiggled, and it took a moment for her to realize hed taken a seat next to her on the brown leather couch

No She straightened, wincing at the pain You erous Her wings were gone, her psychic connection to the Heavenly Host was gone, but she couldnt be sure that all her angelic poere gone If this aze dropped to her bare chest, then jerked away We have to do so about yer brea I mean, yer wounds On yer back Ye probably need stitches

Sew up her wing joints? No! She pressed a hand to her chest Beneath her pallanced at her hand, then looked away We canna leave the wounds open I He gri his eyes shut Lass, I canna talk to you like this

He looked like he was in pain She wished she could co you?

He opened his eyes, shooting her a fierce look Ye doona know?

The rough edge to his voice made her skin prickle His eyes darkened with a reddish tint Her heart stuttered Shed never seen human eyes do that Demon eyes could, but she could have sworn this man was human

For Gods sake, lass, cover yerself

She was so stunned by the changing color of his eyes that she didnt realize that hed grabbed the edge of the sheet till she saw hiasped Dont touchat him from under the safe barrier of the sheet Her frantic actions ripped the sheet frorip and caused the when her back hit the cushioned arm of the couch just as he fell on top of her, his outstretched hands landing firht have killed him

With their faces only inches apart, their eyes met The red sparks in his irises faded until only the smoky blue color reht her first glimpse into his soul A huth Beneath: loneliness, regret And there wasthat caused hi into her eyes with the saainst her cheek He was still alive

Youre touchingto the other end of the couch Forgive me I

And yet, you still live

Aye, I should be struck down He closed his eyes and rubbed his brow God help el

You knoho I aainst the back sofa cushion I dinnaShe sat up, wincing at the pain You siht yourself

He snorted Aye, and I have verra good ailanced down at her breasts With the warht and pebbly Howinteresting

With a ed his hands down his face Just kill me now

I mean you no harm

Then cover yerself before my eyes explode

She recalled how Adam and Eve had covered theed the sheet up to her chin I didnt realize I wasoffending you

He roan

I like this We do occasionally take human form e need to interact with mortals, but its h It feelsreal

That it does, he hed I fear I was given this body so I could fully experience pain