Don't Call Me Angel [Book 4] (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 25

This chapter wasn't looked over. Updates will be slow for most of my story's do to work and life stuff. I want to thank everyone for their support and when things settled down on my end, I hope to post more often. Thank again everyone.

I couldn't wrap my head around everything. My wings were gone. I was sore all over and I have no memory of what happened to me. All I knew was pain and yet I didn't know why I was in pain or how any of it happened.

I flexed my back muscles as if I still had my wings. The wings I was born with. The wings my mother loved to look at while she smiled saying how much of a godly creature I was.

All those years of freedom to fly and soar the skies, where now gone.

I was no longer the child my parents birthed. I was no longer me but a stranger.

I could see it now. Across the room was a tall mirror that faced just part of my bed. But it was enough for me to see that I indeed no long had wings.

I continued to look at my new form. Unable to look away.

I didn't know who this person was in the reflection of the mirror even though she looked familiar, she wasn't.

The woman's face was partly bruised, one eye nearly closed, marks covered her all over her shoulder and down her arms. I didn't even want to see what her back looked like. I was too afraid to look.

"Hello?" A small child-like voice called taking my attention away from the mirror.

"Yes?" I called back, finding a small child peeking her head out of the door before opening it all the way.

"Did I wake you?" She asked shyly.

"No," I smile faintly.

"Dad told me I wasn't allowed in but-" the child looked at the floor as if she was guilty of something. She turned to look behind her, slipped into the room and closed the door. "It's all my fault," I could hear the girl's voice crack. "If only I didn't run out to found you, then he wouldn't have hurt you. I'm sorry," the child cry.

Looking around the room I was trying to put a name to her face. It was clear she knew me but I didn't know her. My heart ached for the child for two reasons. One, I didn't know her and two she was blaming herself for what happened to me. But Edea had told me it was mine chose to take a child's place. Was this the child that I saved?

"Come here," I whispered. The child obeyed. "I'm alright," I said softly while I helped the girl onto the bed and held her in my arms.

"It was because of me that you got hurt!" she cried out.

"No little one, it was not your fault."

"But if I had just stand in my room then the monster wouldn't have taken me away and then you wouldn't have had to get hurt," she said all at once while she hiccuped.

"Child," I said firmly, "you are not at fault," I pulled her out if my embrace to rub my thumb under her eye to whip the tears from her face. "I'm just glad you're safe." It surprised me just how much I meant those words.

"But-"

"Hush, now child," I softly said, bring her into another hug. "What happened was not your doing and you shouldn't blame yourself for something you had no control of. Something thing happens for a reason if we like it or not."

"But I already lost one mommy, I don't want to lose you too," she cried harder and for a second, I wanted to cry too. "Promise me, you'll stay with me. I'll be a good girl for now on! I promise I'll be a good girl, so die on me too."

"Child," I squeezed her, "You should never think that way. None of this was because of you. I'll always be here."

I held the child in my arms until she cried herself to sleep. She was so young and fragile. It hurt me to hear her cry but I knew, like her, I needed a good cry. But unlike this child, I didn't have someone to cry on. Someone to hold me and tell me everything was alright. That I was going to be okay.

I smoothed the child's hair from her face. For the first time today, I smiled at the sleeping child. Strangle this moment reminded of a time my own mother had held me as a child. How my mother would soothe all my aches and pain when I would trip or fall. How she would wash away all my worries from the outside world from finding out who or what I was.

Now it is I who is washing away this child's worries. This poor child.

"Marnie?" A male's voice called out from the other side of the door. "Marnie, where are you?" he yelled. For a moment the man didn't speak then there was a knock at the door. "Hello?" the male said as if he was unsure if he should or shouldn't have knocked on the door.

I opened my mouth but hesitated for a moment before says, "come in."

The door slightly opened revealing a man who couldn't be more than thirty, maybe younger, maybe older. I couldn't tell. The male looked like he hadn't slept in days if not weeks. He even looked like he had bathed in days.

Our eyes meet and there was something about him that I just couldn't put together. His eyes were dark just like his hair. His white skin was dark from the sun, telling me he was a hardworking man who spends most of his days outdoors.

"Marnie," the man sighed when he looked to find the child sleeping on my lap. "I'm sorry, she left my side when I fell asleep in-"

"It's alright," I smiled. "Children will adventure on their own once in a while." I found myself gazing down at the child once more, smoothing her hair away from her face. I gazed back at the male before me, "Do I know you-" I hesitated for a moment to look at the child, "and this child?" The man looked at me with pity in his eyes. It was almost like he wanted to say something but couldn't. "Have a seat. You're tired," I pointed my hand towards the child next to me, the one Edea had sat in.

"No thank you. I should take-"

"Oh please don't. This child just fell asleep and I would hate to have to wake her."

"I really should."

"Oh let her be. She looks like she hasn't slept in days like you. Come to sit and rest."

He nodded his head and took the seat beside me. "I'm sorry about my daughter."

"Don't be. I needed the distraction," I admitted. I found myself looking back in the mirror to meet the eyes of that stranger again. If only she was truly a stranger but she wasn't. She was me.

The man looked over to the mirror, looked at me then to the mirror again. With a sigh, he made his way toward the mirror and took it off the wall, turned it over and came back.

I stared at him while he leaned into his seat once he was seated. He was crossed his one leg over the other and crossed his arms over his chest before closing his eyes.

"Why?" I asked.

He didn't repay.

Was he sleeping? That fast?

"Thank you," I spoke softly taking my attention back to the child laying on me. I was almost shocked at how soft my voice was when I spoke or the small smile that didn't seem to want to vanish from my face.

Peeking towards the male beside me, my heart raced. He was a strong male. His shoulders were wide, his legs long, he even had a scent on him that made it hard not to drool over. If I wasn't confined to this bed, I think I would jump.

Is this what it feels like to find your mate? No, surely not. Just because he was kind to me didn't mean he was my mate.

But. . .

I looked at the male.

Was he my mate?