Swallowing past the lump rapidly forming in her throat, she nodded in reply and tried to rush past him.
He stuck out his arm, pressing his palm against the wall as he blocked her path. “You are Ava, yes?”
She turned her head and looked up into his face, trying to appear impatient not terrified. “I’d rather talk downstairs.”
Angling his body toward her, he moved closer, surrounding her. “Erin’s cub shares your bed. His scent is unmistakable. But I think your choice is not yet made. Will Kyle be your mate?”
“It’s none of your business. Let me pass.”
Someone flipped on the light and Ava glanced past his arm and found Carissa standing at the end of the hallway. “You all right?”
With obvious reluctance Payne lowered his arm and inclined his head toward Carissa.
“What are you doing here?” Carissa seemed surprised to see him, but she obviously knew him and wasn’t threatened by his presence.
Now that Ava could see him clearly, she felt even more uncertain. With strong, masculine features and those strange golden eyes, he appeared more overtly feline than the other Therians.
“Ian told me to meet him here. It would seem I have arrived first.”
Carissa accepted the explanation with a nod and motioned to the stairs. “Everyone’s in the kitchen. We were about to make lunch.”
He paused and looked at Ava again, his gaze caressing and warm. “This will end when you make your choice and not before.” Not waiting for her reply, he ambled down the hall and disappeared into the stairwell.
Ava pressed her hand over her pounding heart and walked toward her sister. “Who is he? Why would Ian ask for his help?”
“Did he touch you?”
“No. I don’t even think he was trying to scare me, he just…”
“Payne doesn’t have to try.” Carissa smiled. “He recently took over the largest lion pride in North America. I don’t know why Ian called him. Let’s go find out.”
Ava followed Carissa down the stairs but froze in the archway as they reached the kitchen. Carissa crossed to the table and sat down next to Quinn, unaffected by the spectacle before her.
Ian stood near the sliding glass door leading out onto the deck. He was drenched, hair plastered to his head, and his wings were folded back behind him. Blood darkened the feathers of one wing and Erin examined the wound as Ian grimaced and grumbled.
Unable to help herself, Ava just stared. She’d seen him transform from eagle to man, but she’d had no idea he could do…this. His jeans hung low on his lean hips, leaving his sculpted chest and washboard abs bare. Even dripping wet and wounded, he looked like an angel. Or maybe a fallen angel. No messenger of God would appear so damn sexy.
She waited for the tingling rush or the warm tension Kyle always elicited in her, but all she felt was a superficial acknowledgment of his esthetic appeal.
The scraping of wood against wood drew her attention to the table. Kyle pushed back his chair and crossed to her. “Keep staring like that and he’ll challenge me. He doesn’t have to worry about us being in sync if I’m dead.”
“Sorry.” She pushed her emotions into Kyle’s mind so he’d understand her reaction was platonic. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
He gave her a quick kiss then ushered her to the table.
“I didn’t know he had wings.” Then the more important issue pushed to the forefront of her befuddled mind. “How was he injured?”
“He was shot at,” Ian supplied the answer with a knowing smile. Apparently he hadn’t been oblivious to her rude behavior. “Bullet creased the top of my wing.”
“You were searching the wilderness—like that?”
He spread his wings and lifted his chin, his gaze narrowed and bright. “Is there something wrong with ‘this’?”
Erin slapped his chest and reached for the top of his wing, which now arched well above her head. “If you’re finished preening, I’m sure Jake would appreciate me closing your wound. You’re dripping blood all over his floor.”
Ian folded his wings again and turned so she could reach the seeping wound. “I had a backpack full of equipment.” He motioned toward the pack sitting by the door. “It’s rather hard to strap that onto an eagle. I had to wear it backward, but at least I kept it on.”
“Has anyone ever taken your picture when you’re flying around like that?”
The phrase made him chuckle then Erin pressed some gauze to his wing and he hissed. “I try to be careful and I fly fast enough that the pictures tend to blur. If I have a long distance to go with little or no cover, I shift into a bird.” He glared down at his nurse, obviously tired of her ministrations. “Are you about finished?”