Creed

She nodded.

“Put your arms around my neck and hold on tight. We’re going to fly, Angel.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, the weakness in them making him hold on to her a little tighter as he took a few steps and leapt, flapping his wings. They flew above the treetops. He just hoped she didn’t become terrified.

Her laughter was a welcome surprise. It was also a sweet sound.

“We’re flying!”

“We are.” He increased the pace. He’d ventured far from his post that night, needing to visit his clan for a meeting. It was just by chance that he’d spotted that fire and seen what was happening to the child. “It’s fun, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” Pure joy radiated in her voice.

He pulled her a little closer against his chest. He just didn’t breathe through his nose. She needed a bath and clean clothes. He hadn’t seen ru

It took nearly an hour for him to spot the lights of the village. It wasn’t so late that everyone had gone to bed. He knew the child had drifted off to sleep a few times but she stirred when he landed next to the fire pit where the elders sat talking. They all grew quiet, staring at him in surprise. The cause was probably what Creed held in his arms, rather than him being in their midst. That wasn’t uncommon.

“Get Rava and Undo,” he demanded.

One of the elders rose from his chair and nodded, hurrying off toward one of the cabins nestled nearby. Alpha Picoz came out of the darkness a few minutes later, a grim expression on his face.

“Creed, what’s going on?” He glanced at the child, then back at him. “Who is she? Where does she come from?”

Footsteps sounded and Creed turned his head. Rava and Undo wore robes, their feet bare, and looked as if they’d been roused from bed. He ignored the alpha, turning toward them. They stopped a few feet away, both of them looking confused and a bit alarmed. Rava’s attention fixed on the child.

“I brought you a gift. I know you weren’t able to have a baby.”

He saw worry in Rava’s eyes, and then a flare of hope when his words and their meaning must have sunk in. He decided he’d made the right decision.

“Rava, Undo, this little girl is named Angel. She needs good parents. I promised her you would give her love and keep her safe.”

Rava’s mouth parted and tears filled her eyes. She took a shaky step forward, her arms raising to take the child.

Her mate gripped her shoulder, halting her. He frowned.

“It’s okay,” Creed assured him. “She comes from a bad place. Do you understand? You will when you get a better look at her. You’re saving her life.”

Rava broke free of her mate’s hold when Undo eased his grip. She opened her arms and Creed placed the child in them.

Angel turned her head, a frantic look in her eyes as she met Creed’s.

He reached out and touched her dirty cheek with a gentle finger. “This is your new mother and father. They will never hit you or threaten to drown you in the river.” He said those words for everyone present, as much as for her. “What did I promise you? Do you remember?”

She nodded.

“I always keep my promises. They will love you and keep you safe. You will have a happy life with them.”

He turned around to glare at the alpha of the pack. “She’s under my protection now. She stays.” It was an order that brooked no argument. The pack would accept the human child.

He leapt and flew straight up, knowing the girl was in a better place. He might get into a little trouble when he made his report to Kelzeb. Lord Aveoth would be notified, but he’d take whatever punishment he may face. It wouldn’t be severe. It was rare that he broke rules by interfering in the lives of others. But those tear-filled blue eyes had somehow left a mark inside him. He’d felt something for once. It might have been pity but it meant he was alive. He normally didn’t care about much.

He returned to his lair across the river from the village and landed on the cliff ledge. Silence greeted him as he entered the cave he lived in.

A part of him wished someone had saved him as a child from the fate he’d been handed. He sighed, stripping out of his clothing to take a shower. “Wishing is for fools.”