Chapter 19: My angel

Amara:

I hate my life! I think as I watch my mother step out of the room. Once she’s gone. I throw myself on the bed and close my eyes. God, I can’t wait until I graduate.

Tears form in my eyes, which I refuse to let fall. It’s only when I hear the sound of tapping on my window that I snap out of my self-pity. Frowning, I raise my head and glance at the window. I blink with disbelief as soon as I see who’s standing on the other side of my window. It’s Kell Cross.

Alarmed, I wonder what he’s doing here. Yet, I can’t pretend that my heart doesn’t skip a beat. Kell gives me an encouraging smile and gestures for me to open the window. How the hell did he get up there?

Frowning, I slip from my bed and creep across the floor until I’m standing in front of the window. Oddly enough, Kell is shirtless, which adds to my curiosity. As soon as I open it, Kell slips inside. “What are you doing here, Kell?” I say as I run my gaze across his naked chest.

His chest and washboard stomach are as perfect as I remember. It’s dark outside, and the only light is coming from my room. His tattoos stand out in contrast to the golden tan of his skin as the shadows paint a seductive atmosphere. It’s a heady feeling to see the man of my dreams standing before me nearly naked. It doesn’t help that I’m only wearing a simple robe and lace panties. My nipples instantly become rigid with arousal, and my heart speeds up at the thought of our bodies touching. I try not to look at his tattoos, opting to focus on his face.

Kell looks around the room and mutters, “I needed to see you.”

I quirk my brow and cross my arms in front of my chest. “Why?”

He moves closer and circles around me like a lion observing its prey before he stops behind me and places his hands around my waist. A gasp escapes my lips at his nearness as he leans close, inhales my hair and whispers in my ear, “Have you been dreaming about me, beauty queen?”

Biting my lip, I try to pull away, but he holds me fast. “What? Is this a joke? Why are you here, Kell?” I scowl. I had never seen him in such an odd mood.

Jaw popping, he places a kiss on my ear and whispers seductively. “Are you cold, baby? Want me to warm you up?”

I shiver and close my eyes as warmth melts down my body, but I don’t let his seductive voice fluster me. Pulling away from his warmth, I turn around and give him my best glare, which only seems to amuse him. “What is this about, Kell?”

At first, he doesn’t’ answer. Instead, he leans down, places his arm under my legs, and picks me up bridal style. Squealing with surprise at his bold move, I cling to his shoulders. He simply chuckles at my discomfort and carries me to the bed.

My back rests on the cushion as he gently lays me down. We both lay face to face, completely oblivious to anything else. Smiling gently, he crawls over me, reaches for my hands, and places them on his naked chest.

We both gasp at the contact of our naked skin. My body throb as need overwhelms me, and my nipples tighten into hard beads. Kell moves his hand from mine and places them around my back to pull me close. “Are you getting warm, beauty queen?” He whispers hoarsely.

I nod my head, never taking my eyes off his. Maybe I’m dreaming.

Our mouths hover teasingly as our bodies mold. Unable to resist his allure any longer, I lean up and connect my lips to his. The kiss is barely a caress. Groaning, Kell opens my mouth, nips at my tongue, and suck my bottom lip into his mouth.

My breath hitches as the kiss deepens. Wanting to get closer, I raise my hand up and wrap it around his neck. My right leg moves up and down his restlessly as electricity tingles down my spine and zings through my veins.

Kell’s hand slides down my naked thigh and raises my leg over his hips. It’s just like the last time we laid in my bed. That’s when reality hits me. It feels like a bucket of cold water has been dropped on me. I just can’t forget that Kell hurt me the last time we saw each other. Closing my eyes, I stop kissing him and push him away.

Kell reluctantly releases me. His chest is rising and falling erratically. “What’s wrong?”

Sitting up, I disconnect our bodies and place my knees in front of my chest. “Why are you here, Kell? How did you get up here? There’s no way to get up here.”

He lets out a deep breath and sits down next to me. I can see the longing in his eyes, and it amazes me and confuses me at the same time. He licks his lips and whispers. “I need to know, Amara. No games, no lies, just the truth. Have you had any dreams about me?”

Warmth rises through my body. I’m sure if my skin wasn’t so tanned, he’d be able to see the blush burning in my cheeks.

I gaze away, embarrassed. “What…I don’t understand, Kell. What do my dreams have to do with us?”

Kell places his hand on my knees and gives me a serious smile. “Please bear with me, Amara. It’s not a joke, and it's not about the visions either. I promise I won’t laugh, and I won’t judge. Just tell me.”

I look down, feeling a bit caged, but I can tell that he's serious, so I reply, “I…I’ve had dreams about you. I mean, it’s silly because, in the dreams, you’re an angel with wings.”

I look at him through the fringes of my lashes, waiting to see if he’d laugh, but he doesn’t.

Instead, a look of elation comes across his features. Whooping with joy, he smiles happily and pulls me into his arms. “Then there’s something I have to tell you.”

He releases me then rises up from the bed to stand in front of it. He looks nervous. “Listen, Amara, promise me that whatever you hear or see, you won’t flip out.”

Lowering my legs, I kneel on the side of the bed and sit in front of him. “What is this about, Kell?”

At first, he doesn’t answer. He simply caresses my cheek and whispers, “Please, beauty queen… promise me.”

I open my mouth, then close it. I don’t know what to make of his cryptic tone. But Kell is not deterred. He simply waits for my response.

“Fine. I promise.” I mutter with a shrug of my shoulders. “Now, tell me.”

He visibly swallows, then runs his hands down his jean covered thighs. “I’m a Nephilim.”

I tilt my head, trying to decipher what he’s saying, but I can’t make sense of it. “What?”

He repeats again loudly. “I’m a Nephilim. The offspring of an angel and a human.”

Thinking that he’s joking, I roll my eyes with a chuckle. Eventually, my laugh dies down when I notice that he’s not laughing with me. He’s simply standing there expressionless.

I take a few deep breaths and wave my hand around, puzzled. “Yeah, I know what a Nephilim is, Kell. Okay, is this some joke? Are you messing with me?”

Kell frowns with frustration and shakes his head. “This is not a joke, Amara. I’m a Nephilim, and you’ve been dreaming about me because you were meant to.”

Feeling that he’s trying to laugh at my expense, I rise from the bed heatedly and move past him with a pissed off glare. But he doesn’t let me pass. Instead, he places his hand on my elbow and steers me back to him. “It’s true, Amara. I promise you it’s true.”

His words reverberate with honesty. Can it be true? “Fine, if you’re a Nephilim, then show me.”

At first, he looks at me as if he didn’t expect me to ask for proof. But he rallies quickly and steps back with a determined look. However, before he continues, he holds his palms up and says, “Remember, you promised not to flip out.”

Nodding my head, I gesture for him to continue. We both stand there face to face. At first, nothing happens, then Kell closes his eyes and flexes his shoulders.

I don’t know how to explain it other than to say that I’m beyond shocked when large black wings appear behind his back. I’m sure that my mouth is stupidly gaping open, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Thankfully, Kell doesn’t have such problems. As if aware of my stunned disbelief, his wings stretch out and flutter. But the surprise doesn’t stop there. When Kell opens his eyes, they glow an electric blue color. Next, he opens his mouth and shows me sharp teeth, and raises his hands, which are sharp claws now. I’m in complete and utter disbelief. It’s just not possible. I’m speechless.

Without another thought, I move closer and appraise his face and wings. Kell simply stands there and lets me inspect him. Somehow I manage to snap out of my trance and extend my hand to touch his wings.

Kell takes a hesitant step forward and whispers. “Are you okay, Amara?” I nod my head as I walk around him to get a better look at his Nephilim wings. They are beautiful with black and ash colored feathers. His expression is wary as he waits for me to react. Who can blame him? He took a great risk revealing himself to me. It must have been so hard for him to do.

I move closer and run my hand down the center of his wing. He gasps and closes his eyes in pleasure. The wing feels just like I imagined it would; warm and soft.

He flexes his wing again and pushes it further into my hand.

“Oh my God,” I take a step back. “Wow. How is this possible?”

His mouth quirks shyly. “It’s possible. Trust me, I’m not the only one either. Mikhail is an angel/demon hybrid, Carrick is a werewolf, Rowan is a vampire, and my foster father, Alex, is a dhampir. Almost everyone I know is a supernatural being.”

I huff in wonder. “Holy cow, does Haley know about Carrick? What about Nevaeh?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Um… Neveah knows about Khail, but I don’t know about Haley.”

My mind boggles at the thought that Haley and Carrick might be having this same conversation. But I still don’t understand why he told me. “Why are you telling me this, Kell?”

He closes his eyes and places his hands around my waist to pull me closer. Sliding into his arms, I close my eyes and savor the feel of his lips on my forehead. “I told you because I want to be with you, and I don’t want this to be a secret between us. And the reason I asked about your dreams is that if you dreamt about me, then it means that we’re meant to be together. Do you still want to be with me?”

I look into his sincere eyes. All I can think is, he wants me, and he thinks we’re meant to be together. I know then and there that I do want to be with him. So, I rise up on my toes and kiss him hard. “Yes, I want to be with you. I don’t care that you’re a Nephilim. I know that you won’t hurt me.” I really do mean it. How can I deny it?

Angling his head close to mine, Kell smiles and kisses me hard. “No, I won’t, beauty queen. I promise you. I’m yours.”

A giggle escapes my lips. “I like that.” He laughs sardonically before pulls me closer and whispers. “I knew you would.”

Just then, we both separate and gaze at his vibrating pocket. He reaches into his jeans and removes his phone. “It’s my friend Mathias.” He says, looking at the screen.

My heart speeds up. It’s the friend that is helping him find Sophie. He presses the answer button and places it on his ear. “Yeah, Mathias.”

My stomach drops when his mouth tightens and his brows furrow grimly. “Really?” He whispers solemnly. “No, I can’t tell you right now.”

The voice on the other end must become irate because Kell clenches his jaw and heatedly replies. “Listen, Mathias, I’ll tell you eventually, but it will be on my terms. I promise I’ll ask, but it’s not my secret to tell.”

He turns his back to me and walks to the window, whispering a few imperceptible things. I watch, fascinated as his wings flutter furiously then settle down. After a moment, he disconnects the call and turns back to me. I can tell from the look in his eyes that something really bad happened. That’s when reality hits me.

A lump of regret clogs my throat, but somehow, I manage to choke out the question that I dread asking. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”

I brokenly croak out. Kell’s eyes soften into sad pools, and I know that my question has been answered.

Without another word, Kell pulls me close and rubs his palms up and down my back comfortingly. I close my eyes, trying to keep my tears from falling, but my mouth trembles and a sob manages to escape.

Kell tightens his arms around me and whispers gently. “Mathias said that when they got to the park, the police were forming a search party. Apparently, she and her boyfriend had gone missing the day before. When they couldn’t find her, they called her mother. Mathias asked one of Traeger’s wolves for help, and a couple of hours later, they found her body. She had been cut up pretty bad, and there were ritualistic symbols all over her body. They also found her boyfriend nearly dead at the bottom of a ravine. Someone had hit him over the head and nearly killed him. Unfortunately, he’s in a coma, and the doctors are not sure if he’ll make it through the night. The medical examiner confirmed earlier that she was killed just like the other girls. I’m sorry, babe.” He rubs my back as sobs wrack my body. Grief overwhelms me. I couldn’t save her. I feel so stupid. Kell simply stands there and lets me cry my heart out. It’s as if I needed to cleanse myself through my tears. I cry for Leslie, Sophie, and for everyone who has haunted my visions. Eventually, I wear myself out and melt into his body. Kell remains silent, lifts me into his arms, and takes me to my bed.

For the rest of the night, we lie on the bed, our bodies wrapped around each other. Eventually, we both fall asleep in each other’s arms. However, my sleep is riddled with nightmares. Throughout the night, I’d wake up crying, and Kell would pull me back into his arms with gentle words until I went back to sleep. I had never felt so comforted in my life. Not even my parents have ever made me feel protected. I know that we have to talk about what he is, but I’m just too wrung out to ask anything else.

Unfortunately, my comfort only lasts until morning. I’m lying securely in my boyfriend’s chest when the unthinkable happens. I open my eyes to find my mother standing over me—fuming. Her chunky gold jewelry shudders with her agitation as she takes in the scene before her. I had never seen Jordana look so pissed off. Her mouth is puckered, and her hands are crossed in front of her chest. Her calculating eyes roam across Kell’s sleeping form and mine with contempt. Thankfully, I still have my robe on.

Face set in tight lines, she utters harshly, “Not like that, is it?”

Just then, Kell awakens and stretches his body. Jordana’s eyes nearly pop out of her head when she gets a good look at his muscled form. I can practically see her sizing him up. In my head, I imagine she’s like a shark sharpening her knife and fork. Kell furrows his brow as if noticing the stiffness of my limbs and opens his eyes with a questioning frown. But I don’t say anything because my eyes are glued to my really pissed off mother. He turns his head and stiffens at the sight of my mother.

Jordana steps back and grits out. “I suggest you get up and leave this house before I call the police.”

Then she turns her livid stare back at me and says, “How dare you bring this… boy into your room like a common whore?”

Kell rises from the bed and stands in front of me in a protective stance. “Don’t talk to her like that. We didn’t do anything.”

My mother is spitting nails at this point. I swear, if it was possible, her eyes would have shot fire.

She points to the door aggressively and screams out. “Get out! You piece of trash!”

Her words snap me out of my haze. “Don’t talk to him like that. And don’t you dare call the police. I’m eighteen years old and of legal age.”

My mother’s nostrils flare. “So, you’re going to whore yourself to some orphan boy now. I thought I taught you better than that. You know how embarrassing that will be to our family?”

I shake my head in astonishment. My mother is not angry because a boy is sleeping in my bed, but because he’s not rich or affluent. I look at Kell and place my arm around his forearm, sending him a silent message that I don’t care about those things. “This has nothing to do with you or our family, Jordana. I don’t care about what your rich snobby friends think. I invited Kell here, and he’ll stay as long as I want him to.”

Jordana takes an offended step back and almost trips over her pink Prada heels, her polished look completely fading at her horrified indignation. Straightening up, she places her hand against her chest and says in a threatening voice. “You think that you can get away with this. Wait until your father gets home. He will never let you out of this house after I tell him.”

I shake my head daringly. “If you do anything to interfere in Kell and my business, I will not participate in the pageant.”

My mother’s indignation turns into a cold fury as she stiffens her spine and glares daggers at us. Her face looks like granite.

Several moments pass as we confront each other in a standoff. After a moment, she relaxes her stance and gives Kell and me a superior smirk. “Fine. I’ll tolerate this…” She says, gesturing at us with her lips curled in distaste. “…this affiliation. But if you don’t win, I will cut you off. Do you understand what that means? No college money! So I suggest you keep your…friend…” She says with a sneer. “…from ruining things. Do you understand!?”

I nod my head and release a deep breath that I didn’t know I was holding. Somehow I don’t feel like I won, though. But at this point, I’ll take any small reprieve. “Fine. We’ll be good, and I’ll do my best to win.” She gives Kell one last appraising look and says, “At least he’s attractive. If he’s going to be your date, make sure he dresses the part.” Kell and I nod our heads but don’t blink until she steps out of the door.

Turning to Kell, I shrug my shoulder. Kell smiles widely and says with a straight face. “I think she likes me.”

Snorting, I lean my head on his bare chest and giggle. He wraps his arms tightly around me and whispers. “Come home with me. Alex is probably wondering where I am by now and will kill me if I don’t show up.”

It’s odd to hear my boyfriend, who also happens to be a freaking Nephilim, panic at the thought that his foster dad will be mad at him for being late.

I pull back, laying my hands over his pecs. “Are you sure?” Kell sifts his fingers through the tendrils of my hair and kisses my temple. “Yeah. Can I borrow a shirt, though? I kind of left mine in my car when I flew over here.”

I scoff, amused. “Are you serious? You flew over here shirtless? Someone could have seen you.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “They might have, but what are they going to say? I saw a man with wings flying over the city.” He says deadpanned. “That will only earn them time in the loony bin.” He emphasizes his point, my twirling his index finger in front of his ear. “Trust me, no one wants to be told that they’re crazy.”

I concede his point and lead him to my closet. “Let’s see. I might have something you can wear.”

Eventually, we find a long black Def Leppard shirt that I used to sleep in. I remember my hippie aunt Tania gave it to me. She and my mom are sisters, but that is where the similarities end. Tania is a wild child who was born in the wrong century. She’s into Wiccan stuff and loves to commune with nature. She travels to all these exotic places and writes about them for her magazine. When I was fourteen, she snuck me into a Def Leppard concert and bought me the shirt as a memento. Jordana was furious when she found out about it. I don’t see Tania as much anymore, but every once in a while, I’ll get a gift from her to remind me that she’s around. She’s the one that got me into photography.

I almost cry out when Kell slips the shirt on and hides his gorgeous chest. It fits tight across his shoulders, emphasizing his muscled arms and chest. We brush our teeth and dress, then take my car to where he is. I follow him home, getting nervous the closer we get. I wonder if his family will like me. Haley said that his foster dad is nice. Kell stops the car in front of a large, beautiful English Tudor style home with a white winding porch. The outside has blue siding, and the windows are large and inviting.

Kell steps out of his car and moves towards mine, opening my door. “Come on, beauty queen, it’s time for you to meet the rest of my family.” Heart beating wildly, I take his hand and walk with him to the front door. I’m scared, but I’m also excited. I’m finally going to become a part of Kell’s life.