Fangs, Flight, & Feathers E-Book

Cecile Tellier

• Herausgeber: Cecile Tellier
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Crow shifter Odoacer has spent twenty-five years working and living in Fey Hollow. Despite the usual vampire presence, he has had no excitement other than collecting his valuable treasures. That is until he meets Sive during the Hollow's supernatural holiday gathering. Part witch, Part vampire, and all the trouble she has come to town to celebrate may have inadvertently brought chaos down on all Acer holds dear. Together they will work to combat a darkness that is threatening to take over the town, and possibly find more than they bargained for in each other if they can survive.

Leseprobe

Fangs, Flight, and Feathers - A Love Story

CECILE TELLIER

Copyright

Copyright © 2024 by Cecile Tellier

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

1. Acer

2. Sive

3. Acer

4. Sive

5. Acer

6. Sive

7. Acer/Sive

8. Acer

9. Sive

Chapter 1 - Raerdel

Also by Cecile Tellier

Chapter1

Acer

My heartbeat accelerated as the usual punch of adrenaline spiked through me. I exhaled a deep breath before stretching my arms to release the tension in my shoulders and walking into the building. The sense of anticipation was always a blend of excitement and torture, and I often cursed my own need for delayed gratification.

The bells over the door jingled in the familiar way they always did as I entered. The scent of incense, dust, and old things were the first things that greeted me. James was working at the counter and grinned when he looked up from his paper and noticed me. “Acer! You’re in luck today, my man. We’ve got some doozies!”

I contained my reaction and resisted rubbing my hands together in anticipation. At six feet eight inches, I have a reputation to uphold, and having people see my weakness for these things would likely damage it beyond repair.

“Excellent, impress me then.” I calmly responded before walking further into the back room with the other man.

“That’s no easy task. I worked hard to find you this stuff. I searched high and low, spared no expense, to find things you might like. I hope you appreciate how hard I work to keep you happy.” James grumbled before turning the light on in the storage room.

I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed and smiled. This complaint was also a familiar part of the routine. “Of course, I appreciate all that you do, James. I believe my tips and purchases show that. Now, what have you found me this time?”

With a bit of dramatics, James pulled a sheet covering a large object. I was unable to hold back my gasp. It was a large golden egg with what looked like a cupid and chariot depicted on the side. Unbidden, I walked forward and laid my palm over the egg.

James smiled. “Do you like it? There are three different ones. I got them from an unusual source, who I can’t divulge, but I’ve been assured that there may be more if you find them valuable.”

I opened my eyes and looked at James. “I will take them all and any you get in the future.”

“Are you sure, Acer? I haven’t even told you my price yet. I wouldn’t take advantage of it, but don’t you think haggling is important?” James looked almost disappointed by my easy capitulation.

“I believe in paying for quality. Money matters less to me than these objects. If you would like me to quibble on the price on principle, I will do so, but only if you have some of that delightful pancetta for sandwiches.” I did like to barter, simply not with money.

“You have got a deal, then. Let’s go out front, and I’ll get the sandwiches while you make an offer.” James grinned, and we wandered back to the front of the store.

I sat at the extra place at the front counter and looked out the windows toward the downtown area of Fey Hollow. “I dislike this time of year immensely, James. Do you at least make more sales during the gathering than other times?”

“Well, thanks to the Internet, we don’t rely on foot traffic, so we do well year-round, but we see an increase in tourist money during the festival. Don’t you like seeing fresh faces around for a few weeks a year, Acer?”

“I don’t particularly care for fresh anything. I prefer things to be as they’ve been. New people usually mean new problems. I like to be home in my…”

I broke off as the smell of fire and smoke reached my nose. I cursed and stood up. “I’d better go. I think problems have arrived. Charge my account, whatever you’d like. We’ll quibble again another time.”

James waved me off as I hurried out of the store and into the alleyway.

I cursed and tried to ignore that I hated shifting in near public, not to mention daylight. I focused internally and felt my bones begin to shrink, my nose elongate, and the feathers burst through my skin. The shifting no longer hurt me, as I’d had many years to master it, but I always preferred absolute privacy to do so if possible.

The minute the shift was complete, I took off into the air with a loud caw. There weren’t likely any of my sort close by, but I wanted to warn anyone who might not smell the smoke. I could see the smoke and fire coming from the wooded area on the outskirts of the town toward where my and many others’ homes were.

As I approached the source of the flames, I saw a small-statured woman standing surrounded by a group of men. From their angry-sounding voices, I gathered that they were not trading pleasantries. With another caw, I flew off into the woods, where I landed, and began the shift back to my human form. I didn’t like strangers typically, especially not strangers bringing their problems to my home.

As I walked out of the woods, I heard the woman hollering at the crowd around her. In her tiny palm was a ball of fire. “You’d better back off before you find out why I’ve got the reputation I have. I don’t care what you want. You’ll end up minus a few limbs if you don’t disappear.”

I cleared the trees just as a man to the side of her punched the woman in the temple before she could anticipate it. She slumped immediately into unconsciousness, and her assailant moved as though to pick her up. The fire in her palm went out on its own.

“What exactly are you doing on my land?” I asked as I approached the man and put a restraining hand on his arm. The minute I touched the man’s skin, a sharp surge of his anger jolted my body.

“She is ours, and you will leave or face consequences.” The man growled.

“I’m afraid not. I’m not allowing you to move this woman from my property. Furthermore, what are your reasons for attacking her?” I twisted the man’s wrist until it cracked, and the man cried out.

“We are following orders. It would be best if you minded your business. You don’t want to make an enemy of our boss.” The man snarled as I took the woman from him and rested her carefully on the ground. I didn’t see a way out of this without fighting the group of five men.

“Well, I don’t take orders from many, and you are no one to me. We are at an impasse, gentlemen. Leave without the young woman or in a much worse condition than when you arrived. I’ve no patience for this today—or ever, for that matter.”

The group took me at my words and surged at once. I moved away from where I had placed the young woman and began strategically breaking the legs and arms of each would-be attacker as they attempted to make contact with me. I had increased speed and strength that they had not expected, and the curses and cries of those I maimed were music to my ears.

After I incapacitated three of them, the last two called out to leave for now. The first man I had talked to cradled his arm, now bent in many unnatural angles, and called for the others to stop. “We will let him have her for now. Our luck, she’ll drive him to suicide, and then we’ll just pick her up later. Either way, friend, don’t expect to celebrate your glory long as our boss will be very upset with you.”

I raised a brow and folded my arms. “Would it not stand to reason your boss would be upset with you since you failed? Get off my land before I do worse.”

The men scattered to a vehicle waiting on the road by my home. The fact that the crew found my land, let alone stepped foot on it, once again filled me with a rage I was unused to. Throwing a rock across the yard, I cursed before bending over and picking up the unconscious woman from the ground.

I swiftly walked the five acres to my house and noted how light the small woman was. I knew she was not much more than five feet, even with her booted heels on. She was wearing leggings tucked into her boots and a long but thin silvery blouse over the top of that with a matching scarf. Her hair was long but made of various stripes of colors such as black, pink, red, blue, and green. I couldn’t quite get over the fact that despite the strange colors of her hair, they looked good on her. Her face in sleep was peaceful despite the reason for her slumber.

I imagined her much like a fairytale princess at that moment, as she had porcelain skin, high cheekbones, and rosy-colored lips. Her makeup was dramatic around her eyes, and he noted it was of the style that seemed popular with darker eyelids and designs around the corners of her eyes. Her lashes were long, and they rested on her cheeks.

As I entered the house, I immediately placed her on the guest bed and went to the bedside table to use the phone. I dialed the only number he bothered to memorize.

“What?” Came the answer on the other side.