Blacken by Alandra Rankin (i love reading books txt) 📕

birthday, even if you don’t want to see me, you should have this.”

He was gruff, Avie speculated he didn’t want to be here either.

“Thank you, you shouldn’t have,” she reached out, grabbing the small gift, eyeing its ribbon. It was truly appreciated, but Avie didn’t want to come off as inviting or welcoming until she saw some actual changes.

She looked up, seeing him open his mouth as if to say something—mouth ready to form words with breath drawn, but before he could his eyes flicked down. There they sat focused on something, something behind her with a disturbed expression glossing over him.

The woman turned her head to look back, feeling the bite mark tense slightly from the movement.

Crap.

He had been staring at her exposed love bite. She turned back to him immediately, covering it back up the best she could with the collar of her robe.

“You still think he has the best interest for you? When that monster is feeding off you like that?”

Avie hated hearing how much Owen talked down Rhulle, he didn’t even know the whole story. Yet if he did, it may only bring more reason to dislike him.

“Were you here just to deliver my birthday gift or was there something else?”

“I want to solve this goddamn mystery! But you can’t accept me anymore, your partner, your friend. I’ve been replaced by that beast in the woods. I’m at least giving you the courtesy of knowing that I plan to do something about it.”

“I’ve told you that no one else will be dying, if you kill him, you kill an innocent,” Avie said, scoffing, her eyes hard.

“And all of the other killings he did, there’s no moral question in your mind that you’re okay with that?”

“I can not dictate whose life matters more, it’s in the past. What matters now is that we have stopped it.”

“You’re crazy, Avie, absolutely crazy! If I asked anyone else, they would see I’m the sane one. He’s controlled others through their blood and now he’s done the same with you,” Owen raised his voice, gesturing to the bite on her once more.

She had enough, he insulted her and Rhulle with no regard to see things from another perspective. She snapped, words leaving her quickly in her retort, “Actually, this was from when I slept with him. Thanks for the gift,” she stated in a rather matter-of-fact tone, slamming the door in his face.

The redhead sighed against the door, getting back to work on dressing up for the evening, planning to enjoy the night, nonetheless.

It didn’t take too long for Owen to be heard banging on her door, shouting at her to open up and talk. She figured her words finally registered. It was curt of her to say what she did, but damn it felt good, after all, the librarian wouldn’t drop any of his accusations. Becoming more and more insufferable each time. Avie hated that she was still closely attached to him, letting him get too far in instances such as this, then getting fed up, coming up short with her responses.

Really, she should just cut him off to stop further arguments.

Her dress finally slipped on, makeup touched-up, and a silk shawl wrapped around her shoulders to complete the look. Avie checked herself out in the vanity’s mirror, making sure she was all put together.

“You seem to have a visitor at the front door, I do not know if they will be going away too soon.”

Rhulle entered through the usual window, drinking in her appearance. She was sure the noise Owen caused could be heard down the street at this point. A smile broke out while seeing the chestnut plumed truxen perched there, walking over to kiss him.

“It’s just Owen, for some reason he won’t drop the mind control theory, or what’s happened to me with you.”

“And so, he is going to be there all night because of that?”

She paused, “Well no. He saw the love bite. He might know about my intimate relationship with you.”

“You are no longer worried about how he may act due to that information?” He cocked his head, fully entering the room.

“If he wanted to do anything, he would have by now, we would have seen someone poking around in town or in the woods.”

“This is true, you look ravishing by the way!” Rhulle twirled her around, catching her entire look, “If you can not leave out the front, then I will have to sneak you out.”

“Sneak me out,” she laughed. “How? Down the fire escape?”

He looked over his shoulder, unfurling his wings and flapping them once for good measure.

“Better.”

“No… You don’t mean—!”

The truxen nodded, confirming her thoughts. Avie essentially squealed with delight, grabbing a coat to keep her warm as well of her bag of things to bring on the date. Rhulle cradled her in his arms, she balanced the fabric carrier on herself, one hand gripping onto the handles, the other holding onto the feathered body for good measure.

He jumped, her breath leaving her when his wings caught the wind, her stomach dropping and feeling weightless in the first moments of flight. The night air struck her, demanded her attention to the cold, yet she could only focus on the feeling of flying, wrapped up tight in Rhulle’s arms, landing in the trees once they reached the forest in record timing.

Rhulle used the canopy of trees to leap instead of attempting to navigate through with his flight, the branches too close together for him to weave through. They arrived outside of the manor, Avie being kept in his arms once again as he carried her through the home, letting her stand once the dining room was reached.

“Rhulle… Thank you, that was astounding.”

“I thought you would enjoy it. We had to start the night with a little excitement.”

“I’m excited to have this night,” she spoke while setting up the table, placing dinnerware, candles, the roast with veggies, and red wine onto the rich oak. She lit the beige candles with a box of matches