These Broken Wings

late night secrets

RickyJo wasn’t sure how long she slept. It might have been only a few minutes. Or a full twenty-four hours. All she knew was she was grateful that when she did wake up, her body wasn’t on fire again. She still felt the tinglings in her belly that she now understood meant another wave of her heat would come on eventually. Before that happened, she was determined to slack her thirst and get something to fill her belly.

Dixon was still fast asleep. And she wriggled out from under his grasp carefully, not wanting to wake him. She pulled one of his discarded t-shirts on over her head, pulling the fabric against her face and breathing in deeply. Then she snatched up a pair of his boxers, folding the waistband over a few times to make them fit. Once she wasn’t completely nude, the first place she headed was behind the bar. RickyJo grabbed for a bottle of water first, chugging it down in a few hard gulps. She pulled the carton of orange juice out next, tipping it up until she swallowed every last drop. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she headed for the door.

RickyJo took the elevator down, finally spotting a clock while she was padding through the living room on her bare feet. She didn’t sleep a full twenty-four hours. But she did sleep the rest of the day away. It was after midnight. The rest of the house was fast asleep. Which was for the best, since she didn’t think she’d make the best impression on them in her current state of undress.

There was a plate of fresh baked cookies on the counter and she snagged one, stuffing it into her mouth as she headed for the fridge. The smell of all the food inside it hit her the moment she opened the door. And she immediately started pulling out the makings of an epic leftover chicken sandwich. After RickyJo loaded up her arms with sandwich stuff, she kicked the fridge door shut and turned to set the items on the counter.

“OH f**k!,” Dominic cursed, leaping back away from her and covering his mouth and nose with his hand. “What are you doing in the kitchen with your heat stink?,” he asked. RickyJo giggled. She set her food down and yanked the collar of Dixon’s t-shirt to the side. Tossing her tangled hair back, she tilted her neck to reveal the fresh mark her mate left there.

“It’s all good now,” she assured her new brother-in-law, “...he finally decided ta keep me.”

“No s**t,” Dominic said. Less afraid of her stink now, he uncovered his mouth and stepped closer, eager to get a look at her mark. At first glance, it looked like your run of the mill mate mark. Just the shape of his brother’s teeth on her neck. But when he got a little closer, he could see that some of her skin had taken on a shimmer, like iridescent fish scales. It almost looked like a crescent moon with a few six pointed stars on the other side.

“Have you looked at it yet?,” he asked. RickyJo shook her head. After a day of losing her virginity in the most epic way possible, her first thought was for sustenance. Staring at herself in the mirror wasn’t exactly her top priority. Dominic whipped his phone out of his pocket, preparing to snap a picture so she could see the shimmery mark on her neck. He fought back laughter when she posed for the photo with a kissy face and her hand on her hip. “Check it out,” he offered, handing her his phone. “I think you’re blessed mates.”

RickyJo used her fingers to zoom in on her neck in the photo, smiling at the mark she saw there. It wasn’t fully glowing or anything. But she could see what Dominic was talking about. Parts of her skin looked almost opalescent. And she could see the shape of the moon and stars.

“Will you send that picture to my cousin Jess fer me?,” she asked. Dominic nodded, his face lighting up into a big grin.

“I will if you’ll make me some of whatever yer making with that chicken,” he teased. RickyJo nodded her agreement, giving him Jessica’s cell number as she pulled two plates down from the cupboard. Dominic got them a loaf of fresh bread from the pantry. And RickyJo loaded up two enormous chicken sandwiches. They sat down at the table to stuff their faces, engaging in a little friendly banter between bites. Then RickyJo’s face turned serious.

“What was she like?,” RickyJo asked as she pulled a carton of juice out of the fridge and sat down at the table to begin drinking it straight from the carton. Dominic gave her a questioning glance. “Audrey,” she added, “...Dixon’s first mate.” Dominic shrugged, considering the question. He remembered Audrey. But he didn’t know her for long. And that was twenty years ago.

“She used a glass,” he teased, gesturing to the carton of juice. RickyJo snorted out a laugh. “She never made me a midnight snack in her underpants,” he added with another laugh. Dominic tried to think of the best way to describe his former sister in law. She was a sweet girl from what he remembered. Quiet and sort of shy. The daughter of a lower level warrior from another pack. Audrey liked pretty dresses and parties. She loved his brother, but she was also utterly dependent on him.

Dominic was joking around. He had a playful personality, which made her feel at ease. He reminded her of Wyatt. But RickyJo noticed it when his demeanor turned serious.

“When those rogues came for her, she didn’t fight,” Dominic said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know she was pregnant. But she didn’t even try. If she had held them off for even a minute, we would have gotten there in time to save her.” Dominic looked up at RickyJo to gauge her reaction to his blunt honesty. “I think you’ll be good for him.”

“Thanks,” RickyJo said, reaching across the table and gripping Dominic’s hand in hers. She didn’t hold on long. Jade would go absolutely postal if she was touching another man during her heat. RickyJo let go after just a tiny squeeze, picking up the rest of her sandwich and cramming it into her mouth. “I still don’t know if I’m cut out fer this luna business,” she mumbled through a mouthful of food. “...but I’m gonna give it my best shot.” She swallowed her food, washing it down with another chug of juice straight from the carton.

As she set the carton of juice back down on the counter, RickyJo heard a weird growling noise in her head. She wriggled her shoulders, feeling like the growl rippled down her spine to the tips of her toes. Then she clamped her thighs together. The heat was already starting to build between her legs.

“Jade?”

That’s not me. That’s Shadow. I think we better get our ass back upstairs right now.

“Gotta go,” RickyJo announced, scraping her chair back from the table so fast she nearly knocked it over backwards. Dominic laughed as she darted around him, taking off like a bat out of hell towards the elevator. He saw her eyes cloud over. And guessing from the smell that started wafting off her after, it could only have been his brother linking her. Dixon having a mate again was going to take a little getting used to. But not in a bad way. Of anyone Dominic knew, his brother deserved to finally be happy.

Dominic finished his food and gathered the plates up from the table. He was putting them in the sink when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

Who the hell is this?

Dominic smiled. He forgot he texted RickyJo’s cousin for her. And he sort of just sent the picture of her exposed neck without any explanation. At one in the morning.

This is Dixon’s brother Dom. Sorry for the late night text. RickyJo asked me to send you that picture of her.

Dominic had no idea why. But sending the text gave him butterflies in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if RickyJo’s cousin was as wild and fierce as she was. Or as pretty. For some reason he was already convinced that she must be even hotter.

If you wanna send a picture in the middle of the night, send one of yourself instead…

Dominic could already feel his d**k getting hard in his pants. And now she was flirting with him. He shrugged his shoulders. If she wanted a picture, then she was going to get one. He laughed as he pulled out the waistband of his cotton pajama pants and aimed the camera at his erect d**k.