Chapter 5

Harper

I woke slowly and it felt like from a coma. My eyes were sore, and my throat felt like I had eaten a glass then drank lemon juice. I shifted my shoulder back and instantly became aware of a body pressed against me. I blinked for a moment and realized I was covered by a wing and my heart pounded in my chest. Gabriel was in bed with me. It was a fact, that he woke me last night from a nightmare that I had been so sure was real. Thinking about it brought the sting of tears to my eyes. The wing shifted back and my sense of security left as he let me go. He rolled onto his back and I took a moment to really look at him. He was handsome, he was also very well defined lean muscle. I noticed a bruise coloring his jaw, and it had to have been from me when he tried to wake me. I sat up on my elbow and he was shirtless in a pair of pj pants and he was beautiful in the early morning sunlight. I very gently laid my head in the hollow of his shoulder and his head turned so that his nose was hidden in my hair. I curled up around him and he grunted in his sleep. He was there when I needed him he pulled me from that nightmare and I will forever be grateful for that. I cuddled with him for about 10 minutes before very gently rolling out of bed and heading downstairs, I could smell the coffee and his mother was in the kitchen. I sat down at the island and she gave me and a sympathetic smile.

"Rough night?" I smiled at her and she handed me another mug of tea.

"Thank you-" I winced as the words cause pain and she patted my back.

"The tea helps. If you want I can heal it up?" I shook my head, as much as a wonder that healing was, I didn't like to run to it for every little ache or pain. She looked like she was dressed for work. I looked at her confused.

"Got called in for a short shift--I won't be gone long. I'll probably be back before the kids roll out." I nodded and she pointed to the tea kettle.

"Already made if you wanted more-" she seemed to be debating on saying something.

"I've never seen him act like that with anyone before, I mean yeah he is protective of Kayla. But he was there first--he beat me out of bed and to you. Which is a feat for how hard that boy sleeps-- odd." She shook herself and walked to the door.

"Explore our home. You are welcome to anything and everything." She left and I cupped my mug. I never in my life had a nightmare that I could remember. What the hell was up with last night? And of all people to be in it, Gabriel? I mean I could understand why something happening to my dad would frighten me, I mean he was my father nothing would ever hurt him in my eyes. So to see him like that sent a shock through my entire system. But Gabriel? I mean it was a different kind of scared when I saw him strung up on those hooks, it shook something in me that had never been touched before. I stirred my tea and sipped it slowly, the honey helped coat the raw parts of my throat to make it easier to swallow. I could still see and feel the trembling of my muscles. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was just a dream, a scary, horrible, terrifying dream. But just a dream, Gabriel was safe upstairs and I'm 100% sure that my mother would tear anyone part that means to harm my father. I walked back upstairs and grabbed my history book and cellphone. I sat at the island with my tea and distracted my mind with learning, after about three hours I laid my head down on my book and watched the sunlight come through the window and I felt my eyes drop, I sat up with the fear that dream would start again, that I would be stuck in that room with them, and those hands. I shivered and got up closing my book and walking back upstairs laying down next to Gabriel. I curled into a ball and he wrapped his arm around me and the fear left as quickly as it had come. I was safe here.

Gabriel equaled safety.

It was like my brain was hard-wired to understand that simple fact. If nothing else was true I knew that would be for the rest of my life. I relaxed and he shifted onto his side bringing him face to face with me, and I buried myself under his chin and deeper in his arms. He adjusted to accommodate me, he smelled so good. He rested my forehead against his chest and drifted into a light sleep. A tiny hand touched my shoulder and it was cold. I rolled back and Kayla was standing by the side of the bed. She looked at me and I smiled at her and she looked from me to her brother.

"Do you want me to wake him up?" She nodded and hugged her rabbit tighter. I rolled back and he was peaceful in sleep. I pushed his shoulder and he rolled onto his back.

"I'm up, I'm up." He groaned and rolled out of the bed. His PJ pants were hanging from his hips and he turned to look at Kayla.

"I assume you want breakfast." She nodded and he smiled.

"Go get dressed and I'll make pancakes." She smiled and ran to her room and he turned to me and I sat up on the bed. He knelt next to it and turned my chin to look at my face. I was slightly embarrassed by the fact that I had cried like a baby last night and he held me, comforted me. He looked at me and his green eyes searched mine.

"Ready to talk about it?" I felt a frown pull at my lips.

"No, I don't want to talk about it," He let go and turned to stand. I caught his wrist and he looked back at me.

"But thank you Gabe for being here, and staying. Thank you." He gave me a soft smile.

"You're welcome, now come on. We have to go make pancakes. Get dressed." I smiled and he walked out of the room. I pulled open one of the dresser and pulled out a pair of pants, and a long sleeve shirt, I didn't want to take off his hoodie, but I did and laid it out on the bed. I pulled on my boots and laced them up. I made the bed before walking into the bathroom brushing out my hair, and my teeth. I walked down the stairs and sat at the island. Kayla was watching TV in the living room, Gabriel was in the kitchen making breakfast. He slid a mug back to me and smiled.

"It will help with your throat." I smiled and took a tiny sip careful not to burn my tongue. He sat a pancake down in front of me and Kayla came into the kitchen and crawled up into her seat. She ate more than I did.

"Can we go flying?!" She looked at me and then to her brother, and I looked at him. He froze for a second and looked at me. Like he was worried I would fall over dead with a stiff blow from the wind. I smiled and shook my head.

"I'm okay," I nodded to him and he sighed.

"Fine, but you have to put your coat on this time, I'm not going to listen to mom yell because you got sick." She ran upstairs to get her shoes and her coat. I got up and took my plate to the sink. He pushed me out of the way with his hip, and I sighed. I leaned back against him my head rested between his shoulders and he held my weight easily.

"You don't have to fly if you aren't feeling up to it." I smiled, I knew he was worried.

"Gabriel, I appreciate everything you do for me, and you are a good friend, but you don't have to worry about me so much. I won't fall apart, I'm stronger than I look." His smile faded and he looked at me seriously for a moment.

"You didn't hear yourself last night-- it was the scariest thing I have ever heard...you should be worried. And you don't want to talk about it so I can't force you, but I am going to worry." I hugged him tightly.

"It's okay, I'm okay. I promise." Kayla came back downstairs, and she was so excited. She climbed up on my back and I smiled at her.

"I wanna fly with Harper." He looked at me and sighed.

"Fine, I guess if she is okay with it." I nodded and Kayla bounced.

"To the skies!!" She pointed to the back door and Gabriel followed us outside. I shifted her to the middle of my back right between my wings so that I was able to flex and move without her being in the way and she wrapped her legs around my waist, and I opened my wings and pushed down at the earth, it took a moment to adjust to the extra weight that was on my back, but I was able to get us airborne and Gabriel stayed right behind us the whole way, afraid she would fall or that I would I guess. She relaxed on my back and I smiled, she had the heart of an angel, but not the wings. It was heartbreaking. She played with the clouds and she was having the time of her life. Gabriel was under us and he was tense, I could see it in his shoulders and the way his wings pushed down to keep him in the air. He was tense, I dropped down beside him.

"What's wrong?" He looked at me then to his sister who didn't even notice that we were talking.

"Nothing, just watching--" I knew he was lying, he was looking for something. He expected someone, I landed in a field right outside of town and I was out of breath, she got down and ran to pick a flower for Callie, and I sat down on the ground. Gabriel stood beside me like he was guarding me. I rolled to my feet and looked around. We were alone there wasn't anyone there.

"Gabriel--"

"I just have a feeling okay," I turned and Kayla was down the field a little way. I looked at Gabriel and it was like a wave of anxiety washed over my gut and he reached for my hand. I squeezed his fingers and looked around.

"You feel it?" I nodded and it was a pull, I needed to get to Kayla. I looked at him and he was watching the woods to our right. I heard her scream and I was moving before Gabriel could turn, I jumped and pushed against the ground and I was quickly gliding down to her. She wasn't hurt, I looked at her.

"What's wrong?" She pointed to the woods and I saw the bear. I pushed her behind me and the bear stood in its hind legs and I flared my wings up. I was larger than it this way. Gabriel touched my waist, letting me know I was behind him.

"Take her home Gabriel--" the bear wasn't sure if I was a threat to it or not. It wasn't sure if it should attack or run.

"Harper-" His voice was low. A tone I wasn't familiar with, I didn't take my eyes off the bear.

"Go Gabe, I'll meet you at the house, I'll probably beat you there. Just get Kayla out of here. Trust me." He picked Kayla up and she reached for me.

"Come with us-" She called for me as he jumped into the air and flew away. I could hear her crying. The bear let out a grunt, and dropped down to its four feet and turned, and went back into the forest. I huffed a big sigh of relief. I folded my wings and picked the flower up that Kayla had dropped and I heard footsteps. I turned ready to defend myself. A girl I had never seen before appeared from the woods.

"You are an angel?" I looked at her and took a step back. I could defend myself, but something about her didn't sit right with me.

"Are you not?" I looked at her and she was getting irritated. She came forward and threw a right hook towards my face, and I pulled my arm up taking the force of the hit with my shoulder, and I brought my left across her jaw and danced away from her. I was on defense, I didn't want to get too close to her, if I tried to fly away I would have to turn my back to her and that was no an option. She got up and rubbed her jaw.

"Hard hitter-- he will like you." She came forward again and she landed a left on my rib cage and I brought elbow up to her face and she managed to push it away, I caught her knee before it could meet my sternum. I dropped my right shoulder and countered across with the back of my left hand knocking her down and away again. She looked at me and she put her shoulder in my stomach and I brought my knee up into her stomach and my elbow down on her back. She fell with the wind knocked out of her and I backed away. She got up and shook her head.

"Quick, good skill. No wonder he has been so focused on you lately." I had no idea what she was talking about. She brought the back of her right hand to my cheek and it burns and brought tears to my eyes. I stumbled a few steps and she advanced on me. She hit me twice in the face cutting my lip and nearly dislocating my jaw before I was able to bring a strong uppercut to her jaw, knocking her on her back and out for the count. Who the hell was she talking about? Who was watching me? My first thought was to just assume she was crazy, but with the way that Gabriel had been acting it didn't seem like such a far leap to think someone was watching. I turned before she could come to and flew back towards town. I landed in his backyard and he was first out of the house.

"Jesus Harper-" He took my chin into his hand and he turned my face toward the sun to look at it.

"What happened?" His voice was worried and angry. I gently pulled his fingers off my jaw, it was sore and his touch was a little too rough.

"Someone was in the clearing, I don't know her name, but I took care of it okay? Don't worry. How is Kayla?"

"Fine she is inside watching TV. My mom won't be home for another hour, she can look at you then. Let's try to get some of the blood cleaned off." He walked me inside and I sat in the bathroom on the sink while he insisted he clean my face instead of me doing it on my own. He just wanted to take care of me, it was sweet in a way, but I could do it on my own. He didn't listen to me, he never listened to me. I got off the counter and he looked over my face.

"So what did this person want?"

"I didn't really sit her down and have a big long conversation about our hopes and dreams." I winced as I poked around my jaw. He sighed and crossed his arms.

"What? Don't look at me like that. I didn't ask for a fight she offered. And how could I turn it down." He shook his head muttering to himself. I heard his mother come home and I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She had bags in her hands and I sat at the island.

"How was work?" She smiled and turned around to face me.

"It was--good God what happened to your face girl?!?!" She dropped the coffee cup she was holding and it shattered on the ground. I jumped and Kayla came into the kitchen.

"Harper fought a bear." I choked on my drink and looked at her. I looked back at their mother.

"No, no that's is not what happened. The bear left after you did dear. I kick some strange girl's butt. But she started it I swear-" I looked at Callie and she was stunned. Gabriel was standing at the end of the counter still frozen. I looked at her worried she was going to pass out or maybe go into a vegetable state.

"Mom--can you??" He waved to my face and she jumped and moved toward me. She gently laid her hands on my face and the pain ebbed away and I could actually breathe out of my nose again. She took her hands away to inspect her work.

"I'm sorry about your mug-" I looked down at the floor and she waved a hand.

"I have a ton of them." A knock at the door brought my attention to the outside world. Gabriel pushed away from the counter to get it, and he came in with a boy about his size with dark brown hair, and eyes jumped up on the counter facing me.

"Who's the hottie?" He looked from Callie to Gabriel and I felt insulted, how dare he address me without even addressing me! I stood up from the stool and walked out of the kitchen and Gabriel looked after me worried. I touched his arm as I passed feeling the need to reassure him everything was okay.

"Way to go Caleb. You pissed her off," I sat in the living room with Kayla.

"Do you think you could take my brother in a fight?" I looked at her and her innocent eyes were curious.

"I would crush him." She smiled and he peeked his head in the room.

"I heard that--" I smiled up at him.

"It's the truth." He shook his head and his friend came in the room.

"I could take her--but I don't hit girls." I got up off the couch and Gabe grabbed his friend's arm.

"That is a bad idea, Cal." Cal held his hand up.

"How much damage could Barbie do?" BARBIE! I flexed my fingers into fists and looked to Gabe who backed away hands up. I motioned for him to follow me outside and he shrugged out of his coat. Gabe followed us out of the house and he leaned against the porch.

"I'll take it easy on you because you're a girl." I scoffed and he pulled his hands up and I put mine on my hips. He edged in and I didn't even have to hit him. I dropped down and swiped his feet out from under him and he landed with a strong thud. He got to his feet and gently threw a soft right hook. I shook my head and countered him but a left fist to the rib cage. He backed away holding his side.

"Feels like I hit a wall." Cal looked toward Gabe and he shook his head.

"I warned you--" Cal looked at me.

"Time out!" I dropped my fists and sighed. Men. I shook my head. He jogged over to Gabe who just blinked at him.

"Tag, you're in." He pushed him towards me and he backed away.

"I can't fight her--"

"Afraid of the little girl Gabriel??" He looked at me and didn't want to really do this.

"Harper please don't make me do this--" I tucked in my elbows like he showed me and he sighed and pulled his hands up. He waited for me to move in and I crushed through his defenses but instead of hitting him, I tickled. He jumped away from me unprepared for the sensation. I smiled at him and he started playing. I blocked him, and we exchanged 'blows' and I lunged at him knocking him back and pinning him with my knees on his arms.

"Do you give?" He looked at me and frowned. He lifted me and twisted so I was under him. I tightened my core muscles and flattened my wings against the ground. And threw him off of me. And he got to his feet as I got to mine and he smiled pulling his hands back up. And I wanted to test him.

"Spar with me-" His fists dropped and he backed away.

"No." He turned and I felt like he was insulting me.

"Why not? Am I not good enough for you?" He waved a hand at me and Cal let out a low whistle.

"You're a dead man my friend." He walked into the house and Gabriel tried to follow.

"Gabriel are you serious right now? Why won't you spar with me?"

"Leave it alone Harper. Don't push me." I get anger rise in my chest and he didn't understand the meaning of push. But he was about to.