Tempting Darkness

"Bloody bird, she is fine," I told him, and he flew over to perch on the headboard. He leaned down, looking at her and licking her cheek, caressing it with his beak while Lycus remained frozen, only for Ryze to lick his temple. I snickered when he paled. "Having a taste test for when he plucks those eyes of yours out?" Tobias chuckled before whistling to Ryze, who flew over but instead of going to Tobias, he perched on the arm of my chair, looking down at my bleeding wound before looking at Aleera and back at

me.

"She is fine. You bite me, I will smack your damn a*s," I told him while he eyed me with his creepy beady eyes. He then took off out the window, and we all relaxed; that was only momentarily because he came back but with the big fucker that we thought would kill Aleera. My fingertips fizzled as it squeezed through the window and everyone froze to see what it would do.

It hopped down on the ledge, walking across the carpet like an oversized f*****g chicken, its long tail still outside the window when it stopped beside me. Its eyes roamed over me, and Ryze cawed at it, nudging the other phoenix, who tilted its head to the side. They were such intelligent birds, but they scared the crap out of me.

Its beak opened, and its long tongue slivered out split at the end. Going in two different directions, I leaned back, wondering what it wanted, and my eyes darted to Tobias. When its tongue suddenly zapped my hand, the buzz of its magic shot up my arm, making me jump. Then it spoke.

"Welcome," it said, and I gasped before my side heated.

The phoenix then turned and jumped back out the window, and Ryze jumped up to perch on the armchair, nudging my side with his beak. Looking down, I found my wound closed, and my mouth fell open.

"Lira..." Ryze tried to speak before sneezing. He was still too immature to pronounce words. I knew they could talk but had never actually witnessed one speak. Then again, I tried to avoid the bloody things, too. "That big bastard spoke, right?" Lycus pointed to Ryze, and I nodded.

"Now we know why we suddenly have an infestation of phoenixes. They sense the white fae. They sense their own magic," I told him, looking at Aleera, who was passed out still.

Ryze flew over to her, sitting beside her and resting his head and neck on her hip like he was some kind of lap cat wanting cuddles from its mother.

"I need to shower," I groaned, getting up and walking to the bathroom. I showered quickly when the sounds of arguing reached my ears.

"Of all the days they want to argue, it has to be now," I muttered, wrapping a towel around my waist and shoving the door open.

"No, you're doing it wrong. It has to go the other way," Lycus says, and I noticed Ryze was gone, and they were huddled together arguing over something.

"How does it stick, though? It says it will stick. And where are these wing things?" Tobias said, showing Lycus something on his phone while Kalen held a pair of Aleera's panties, and Lycus was holding up some of the pads. "What the f**k are you doing?" I asked, walking over to them.

"She was bleeding through her pants. We tried to wake her," Kalen said, and I glanced at her. F**k. Probably from using so much of my magic before she shredded. I peered at what they were watching on the phone-some YouTube tutorials.

"Ah, we have to peel the back thing off," Lycus said, turning the pad between his fingers.

"Now what?" he said, and Kalen leaned over to peer at the screen. I shook my head, snatching her panties and the pad from Lycus's hand.

"Bloody morons," I growled before placing it in the underwear and folding the wings over the sides.

"Have you used them before?" Kalen asked, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Common sense, fool," I growled at him.

"Now, how do we put it on her while she is passed out?"

"We could always lay a tarp under her," Lycus said, and Tobias snickered.

"What? We could. Then we won't have to worry about her freaking out if she wakes up while we're undressing her." I shook my head before walking over to her to remove her jeans. "Get me a cloth," I told them, quickly cleaning her and placing the panties on her. I tucked the blanket around her, and Tobias climbed under the blanket, tucking her close. Standing up, Kalen and Lycus were staring at me. "What?" Tobias rolled his eyes.

"Darius cared for his mother for years. Stop staring at him like that," Tobias snapped at them.

"Granted, my mother wasn't a keeper, so I never had to deal with her shredding. But it was pretty much the same thing, so stop staring at me," I growled. Kalen shook his head before climbing in bed beside Tobias.

"We know that. It's just odd seeing you caring for her. Almost feels like you had a brain transplant," Lycus snickered.

"Shut up," I told him, going to get changed.

"You think it was the council that time," Tobias called out.

"Who else would it be?" I told him.

"Her parents," he said.

"We masked her."

"Yes, until she used Lycus's magic earlier, it would have been like a beacon for some with those particular gifts."

I mulled over his words. We had been hunting her parents since they tried to kill her; now we knew why they did it. Walking out, I stopped at the end of the bed.

"We have an entire army. I won't let them touch her," I told him.

"But if she knows they're alive, what if she goes looking for them?" Tobias said, brushing his hand down her cheek.

"She won't. We are her mates," Kalen whispered.

"But after everything?" Lycus murmured worriedly. I bit the inside of my lip.

"She wasn't the only one who lost everything, Lycus," I told him. Although, I now felt even worse after she saved me. She saved me despite everything I had forced her to endure.