You Owe Me Two

Chapter 2 - New Clothes

××Zypher××

I sat up as she sat down, wrapping her wings around herself tightly to cover her exposed body. It didn't work like she hoped since they were see through and didn't really bend that way. Tears began building in her eyes again and I sighed loudly. I was not going to deal with some sobbing female.

I fisted a hand in my leather jacket and swung it at her. She gasped when it hit her square in the face but wasted no time in throwing in around her body. It swallowed her small frame and effectively blocked anything I could have seen. Her wings dispersed as the fabric covered her.

"Thank you," she mumbled out after regaining her composure. Her eyes nervously glanced around us, dancing over me every few seconds as if I was about to pull the knife from my belt and take her life.

I guess that wouldn't be an outlandish thought considering what she had seen happen inside the cabin only a little over an hour ago.

"You are quite pretty," I said, bringing a hand up to take a piece of her long, red hair between my fingers. I twirled it slowly; it was soft. She whimpered when my hand got too close.

"What is your name?"

"Wild," she whispered, holding completely still as I dropped the strand in favor of another. Her eyes followed my every move.

"Interesting."

"Are you going to hurt me?" She rushed out, her hands shook at her sides and the fear was evident in her wobbling voice.

"Not tonight. Let's sleep and I will decide in the morning," I said. Her eyes widened. I wouldn't kill her tonight; it would be easy, quick, and make me plenty of money, but I wouldn't. I was unsure what I was going to do with her but she was too pretty to murder without thought. I stood up and pulled the silk cloth from my bag before picking a more grassy spot to lay down.

I used my bag as an uncomfortable, lumpy pillow and threw the cloth over my body. My half closed eyes watched Wilds trembling form. She had curled back in on herself. I couldn't let her sit by herself all night. She might run away and that would cost me my jacket.

"Come here," I ordered, holding up an edge of the cloth. Wild looked unsure but after a sharp glare, she was stumbling over and falling into the space I had opened up for her. I hooked an arm around her waist and squeezed tight in warning before shutting my eyes. Wild clutched my shirt but stopped moving all together after a few minutes. She wasn't asleep but she was trying hard to pretend to be. That was good enough for me so I shut my eyes and let myself drift off.

×××××

A soft groan left my lips as soon as I awoke. I was already feeling the effects of sleeping on the rocky terrain and it wasn't pleasant. I opened my eyes and gave them a few blinking moments to let them adjust. I glanced at the sky; the sun was just beginning to peek over the tree tops.

I looked down and found Wild exactly where I left her. Her hands still held wads of my shirt but her fearful face had relaxed over night. Again, I couldn't help but notice her beauty. I reached my hand up and took a stand of hair. The small movement was enough to have Wilds eyes snapping open.

Our eyes met, both still for a moment. I felt trapped in the stare. Suddenly her brow furrowed in determination and she threw her head forward. I yelped in shock and drew my head backwards, throwing my hands up involuntarily. She took that chance and kicked off of me. I gasped when her foot hit my stomach and I lurched forward.

The kick didn't get her far but she wasted no time in rolling over onto her hands and knees to try to crawl away. I growled lowly and lunged forward, grabbing her ankle with my hand and pulling hard backwards. She screamed as she dropped onto her belly, scratching at the ground and ripping up grass as I drug her along.