“Shifters? Like what, a werewolf?”
Jared laughed. “We’re not like werewolves. That’s like saying humans are like chimps.”
“Humans? Wait, because you guys aren’t human…”
“Like I said, we’re shifters. At one time our people shifted into crows but over time we became more of a hybrid. It’s more efficient,” Levi explained
“Like natural selection or something?” I said absently. Biology was my favorite subject in high school.
“Something like that.” Levi kneeled down next to me and picked up my hands. “You okay?”
“I’m not sure,” I said honestly.
“It really doesn’t change anything.” Hailey took a few steps closer to where I sat with Levi.
“You’re standing there with giant wings coming out of your back, yet you tell me that nothing has changed?”
“What she means is that we’re still the same people you wanted to hang out with in the beginning of the night, just enhanced,” Owen said with a small smile.
“Enhanced? So other than flying, what can you do?”
“Other than flying?” Levi chortled. “Yes, because flying is so commonplace. But to answer your question we have some other skills, but I think this is enough for tonight.”
“Oh,” I said, finally at a loss of words, not sure how I was even managing to form coherent thoughts.
“You’re funny, you know that?” Levi smiled, and tried to help me to my feet but I pulled back.
“Umm, can you put those things away?”
“Those things? Our wings? Yes, we can put them away.”
I watched in awe as Levi’s wings retracted like they were never there in the first place.
“Turn around,” I said as I stood up.
Levi obliged and I ran my hands over his back feeling only the faintest hint of two lines. I squinted in the moonlight to see the barely perceptible raised marks.
“Are you done manhandling Levi yet or are we going to stay here all night?”
“Shut up, Jared,” Hailey snapped.
“She can manhandle me all she wants.” Levi turned around to face me again. “You ready to go home or do you want to see more?”
The answer was simple. “I’m ready to go home.” I was still trying to process the craziness of the night.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, right?” Hailey asked and I sensed some real fear in her words. She really wanted to see me again.
“Yeah, sure,” I said automatically but uncertain of whether I’d keep my word.
“All right, if you’re sure.” Levi turned me around and wrapped his arms around me.
“Wait, stop!” Levi let go, and I turned to look at him. “I never said I wanted to fly again. How far are we from the hotel?”
“Oh, right. We can get a cab.”
“No. I can get a cab. Where are we?”
“We’re at the levee. You sure you don’t want me to take you home? At least let me walk you to the street.”
“All right, fair enough.” As freaked out as I was, walking alone in the dark wasn’t on the top of my to-do list.
A cab was waiting by the time we reached the road, and I assumed someone else had called one for me.
“Good night,” Levi said quietly with a quick wave as I opened the door and slid inside. I smiled lightly as the cab pulled away. Looking out the window as we drove through the streets of the French Quarter, I thought over the events of the night trying to make myself believe they were real.
Chapter Eight
The only hint that any of my memories from the night before were real came in the form of five angry voicemails from Toby waiting for me when I woke up. At least I knew Levi had been in my suite.
The messages themselves were actually a bit comical at first. Toby was furious in the first one, asking me where I got the nerve to hook up with a hillbilly. I had to laugh, Levi a hillbilly? By the fourth one, Toby seemed to have changed his approach. He was begging me to forgive him for jumping to conclusions because obviously it was just a big misunderstanding. The last one was kind of sad. He had heard Jess was home and asked why I didn’t leave too. I realized how odd it was that the thought of returning home didn’t even cross my mind. Being alone in New Orleans wasn’t ideal, but neither was giving up before the summer ended.
I deleted the last message and didn’t even consider calling Toby back. I had enough to process and talking to Toby wasn’t going to help. I also had a message from Jess so I called her back, but I got her voicemail.
I didn’t have to work which meant the whole day was open. I took an obscenely long shower, trying to comb through my memories. As odd as they were, I knew it had to be real. Somehow, it just fit. I knew that I was supposed to be freaked out by it. I had just discovered that the guy I was into was actually a paranormal creature. I guess I don’t have normal reactions because once the shock of it all wore off, it was really cool. I mean, there was something undeniably sexy and exciting about Levi’s wings and the power I knew came with them. It took bad boy to a whole new level. Hanging out with him was definitely not in “my plans” as Jess had described my mapped out life.
Pulling on a jean skirt and pink tank, I quickly finished getting ready. With no real plans, I stared at my phone willing it to ring. I had never been the girl waiting for a guy to call, but part of me needed to know that Levi was still interested and that the previous night had been more than a tease.
I glanced at my phone one last time around 11:00 a.m. as I walked into the hall, determined to stop waiting around.
“Hoping for a call from someone?”
I smiled when I noticed Levi leaning against the wall.
“How long have you been out here?”
“Awhile.” He straightened up and took a step towards me.
“Oh. You could have knocked…” I trailed off.
“I figured there was no need to push you anymore than I did last night. But I had to see you—to see if you were still reacting well,” Levi said carefully, like he was treading on thin ice.
“Why wouldn’t I be reacting well?” I asked with a smile.
“It’s not every day that you see something like that. Maybe in my life, but not yours.”
“I guess it would be normal in yours.”
He smiled. “Any chance I can take you to a late breakfast?”
“That depends. How are we getting there?” I asked, not sure what answer I wanted to hear.