Saving Shaw

Two

"Happy birthday!"

"What the fuck did you do?" a gruff voice growled out.

"I got you a gift," the first voice said back. "I'm already a step ahead from last year."

My head ached and my shoulder was throbbing, but I was laying on something plush that smelled like fabric softener and cedarwood. I forced my eyes open and blinked until they adjusted to the dim light. My eyes looked up at the intricate pattern on the ceiling and the ceiling fan that was spinning above me. I found myself getting nauseous watching the blades on the fan and forced myself to turn my head. Just as I did so, I caught the sight of a tall, muscular man slamming another man into the wall.

My eyes widened as I recognized the man against the wall. Suddenly, all the events from earlier rushed back to me like a rolling tide. I remembered Chris leaving me at the bar, getting drunk with Luke, Luke turning into a monster, and this man holding Luke's heart in his fist. My hand flew to my neck and I felt a moment of relief when all I felt was smooth skin that was only slightly tender.

That feeling didn't last long until I heard a loud growl reverberate against the walls. The first man had the shirt of the man who saved me balled in his fist. "Do you think this is a joke, Axel?" he spat out. "You brought a strange, unconscious girl into our home!"

Axel didn't seem phased at all. He just just looked at the man holding him feigning an innocent expression. "Come on, man. It'll be good for you. When was the last time you even looked at a girl?" he asked.

The man's back was to me, but I could see how tense his broad shoulders were underneath his form fitting T-shirt and I could only imagine the murderous expression he wore. He pulled Axel away from the wall and slammed him back into it. Axel grunted and I swore I could hear a crack.

This was crazy. What in the world was happening here?

I needed to figure out where I was and how to get home. I grabbed the back of the couch to hoist myself into a sitting position. My shoulder felt stiff and the movement just made my head pound even more, but I needed answers and I didn't feel comfortable getting them on my back.

"Enough!" the man snarled. "What happened?"

This was as good as any to jump into the conversation. I cleared my throat and sat forward on the couch. "If I may-" I started saying before I was cut off.

"Quiet!" the man snapped at me without turning to look at me.

I was momentarily stunned by the harshness and finality of his tone. The anger behind that one word shook me and I wavered with whether or not I should try speaking again. Never being one to back down from confrontation, I threw caution to the wind.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my own voice hardening.

The man huffed in annoyance and let go of Axel before turning to face me. I was finally able to look at him. He wasn't a knockout. He was the type of guy you'd pass on the street and not give a second glance to. That's not to say he wasn't attractive. The longer I looked at him, the more attracted I was.

His brown hair was longer than most guys I knew. I fell across his forehead in the front and settled on the back of his neck behind his head. He had a bit of stubble on his face from missing a few days of shaving and I could just imagine how coarse it felt. His nose was slightly crooked as if it had been broken before, but it was his eyes that really got my attention. 

His eyes flickered between gold and a dark, chocolate brown. When they were gold, they looked exactly like Luke's. My breath caught in my throat when they changed to their golden color. They were the same. Whatever creature these men were, they were the same.