Fire's Touch (The Enlightened Species Book Three) by Wendy S. Hales Read Free Book Online Page B

Cassie had found themselves locked in a battle for their lives. Though she and her sister where stronger and had psychic abilities, they were too young to shape-shift. The sheer number of the humans attacking them put them at a disadvantage.
    Nippur and his two oldest sons, Gregor and Conlon, had heard the struggle and flew miles to come to Cassie and Mattie’s aid. By the time they arrived, both Mattie and Cassie had been severely wounded. Mattie lay bleeding and unconscious while Cassie struggled to keep her footing and defend her sister. The Einars had swooped in to battle the humans, then wiped the survivors’ memories and sent them away with subliminal urges.
    Girsu, with young Shane trailing her every move, had cared for them while Nippur, Gregor, and Conlon stomped and dropped heavy stones on the ground to alert her mother of the situation. The Einars were good people. Cassie’s mother had taken the death of Conlon’s parents hard.
    She missed her mother so much. The reason she'd been cast out so long ago flooded her mind. Thick, perfect waves of chicory-brown hair framed the strong angles of his jaw and cheekbones. Whiskey-colored eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, betraying that smiling was something he did often and with his whole face.
    Her mother had been right to expel Cassie for her sin.
    ****
    Fates, Conlon was frustrating and sexy as hell. When he stripped down and took to the air, he looked like a frickin’ Greek god. The delicate membranes of his wings shimmered under the sunrays peeking through the clouds. Stacey practically gave herself whiplash watching him through the windows. Unlike her, he was extremely graceful in flight. She hadn't spent much time getting comfortable with her wings. Then the whole “in your face” chest show when he put his shirt on and covered the defined muscles had been stimulating and irritating. If her body quit contradicting her mind, she could brush him off like white lint on a black shirt.
    With the pilots still on the tarmac after Conlon's mind inspection, she ducked her head into the cockpit in search of … Yes! An edition of Hot Girls of Summer might be the ticket. Conlon didn't even try to hide his attraction to her. It was time to get those kinds of thoughts right out of his head. Maybe she'd convince him that he wasn't her type … or preferred gender. Every time she saw the raw, hungry desire in his eyes, her resolve crumbled a little more. At this rate, there was no way she'd make it through a day, let alone a week being around him without ending up in his arms.
    Her fingers tingled with the urge to touch him. If she didn't know better, she'd almost believe it was the rumored bloodmate attraction. She had felt a similar though weaker draw once before, so it couldn't be that. Bloodmate attraction was supposed to be irresistible and she been resisting … so far. Shutting the door to her private section within the plane, she paced the small space. She should be thinking about the upcoming surprise inspections and meetings instead of the exasperating male the SOSC had saddled her with. Shit, saddled was the wrong term—it just made her want to mount him.
    One problem at a time. She flipped through the skin rag. None of the girls had any curves, and Stacey almost felt sorry for them. Some males thought she was too heavy, but personally she'd always liked her curves. They were even more pronounced now that she'd had Johnny. Her parents had reinforced her comfort in her appearance. “Your appearance should never define your value or self-worth. True beauty comes from confidence and self-assurance, Stacey.” It was a phrase that had been repeated over and over by her mother and father until it became a part of her core beliefs.
    She got to the centerfold. Aquatie . A plan formed in her mind, and all she had to do was wait for someone to need the bathroom. Setting the magazine aside, she pulled out her sketchpad and started drawing. When Mattie knocked,