A Shadow of Wings Read Online Free Page A

rising from the flames that must continue down below the collar of Dylan’s shirt.
    Dylan caught him staring and smiled. He rubbed his fingers over the tattoo, and Cam dropped his gaze even more. Great, way to make the guy uncomfortable. “It’s a phoenix,” Dylan said.
    Feeling like he was trapped in a spotlight, Cam nodded. “I know. I, uh, recognize it. From mythology. The bird that rises from its own ashes.”
    Dylan scraped his plate for the last bits of pasta. “Yeah. I guess I thought it would be symbolic of my life, but I still seem to be flopping around in the rubble.” There was a gentle humor in his voice that drew Cam’s gaze again. “Did you make those meatballs yourself?” When Cam nodded, he said, “I could eat those all day.”
    “It’s nothing. I’ve got plenty.” He reached to take the plate, then hesitated. “Want more?”
    He risked a peek upward. And oh, the unexpected spark in Dylan’s eyes gave “more” a whole new meaning. Dylan slowly wiped a bit of sauce off his lower lip with the pad of his thumb, then licked it off—there was nothing overtly sexual about the movement, but it made Cam feel hot and prickly all over, as if his blood didn’t know which way to flow and was crashing through his veins in colliding waves. 
    “Maybe later,” Dylan said.
    The dog belched, which made them both laugh, and the tension eased. “Looks like she’s feeling tons better,” Dylan said, rubbing her back with the toe of his boot. “I’ll still take her to see the doc in the morning.” 
    “So, are you going to name her?” Cam asked, sliding the plate into the sink, hoping Dylan didn’t think less of him for not having washed his dishes today. 
    “I don’t know. What do you think?”
    The tan-and-white dog sprawled out on the Italian tiles with a heartfelt groan. Even cleaned up, she was still a scary-looking mutt. “I guess it depends on if you’re going to keep her.”
    Dylan reached down to pet her, and she closed her eyes. “I don’t think I can. Like I said, my place don’t allow pets. I guess I have to hope Dr. Martin will let me keep her at the clinic until I can find a home for her.”
    “I can’t imagine that’ll be easy.”
    “No, but… There are kind-hearted people out there.” He smiled up into Cam’s eyes, and Cam ducked his chin. You could never tell the reaction a human might have looking directly into his eyes. Some froze up; some passed out. Some went into a trance, while other saw their worst nightmares pulled up from the dark corners of their minds and ran off screaming. Some keeled over dead, though that happened only in the heat of battle. 
    Of course, Dylan wouldn’t know that. He’d find Cam’s behavior bizarre, and it only reminded him of all the reasons his kind were forbidden to form attachments to humans. 
    He should grab his shaded glasses, make some excuse. But then he wouldn’t be able to see Dylan’s face clearly, and he truly longed to have that precious connection. Cam turned to the sink and ran the water to wash the dishes. “You could call her Graciela, after the restaurant where you found her.”
    “Graciela. We could call her Gracie for short.”
    We? Cam bit his lip, trying to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat. “Gracie’s good. Or something tough, like…Spike. Spikette.”
    Dylan chuckled. “The Terminatrix.”
    “Xena, warrior princess.”
    “No, I got it.” He snapped his fingers. “Hillary.”
    “Hillary?”
    “Like Hillary Clinton. She’s tough, right?”
    Cam snorted. “I guess. Or Gertrude. I don’t know anybody named Gertrude, but you’ve got to be tough to carry off a name like that.”
    “True dat.” Dylan sat back in the chair, one long leg stretched out in front of him. 
    “That bruise on your cheek is starting to get purple,” Cam observed. “It’s not too late to put some ice on it. And you should take some Tylenol or something. I’ve got stuff.”
    “Thanks, man.”
    His gratitude made