Free Web NovelChapter 10: The Eagle Stole My Pants
The peaceful moment was shattered by a bone-chilling growl from the riverbank.
Nuan snapped her head toward the noise.
Her heart dropped.
Kael had already shifted into his massive wolf form, his fur bristling as he stood before a nightmare. It was a 7-foot-tall eagle, its feathers like polished obsidian and its talons the size of scythes. The bird was perched right on the rock, pinning her cargo pants underneath its massive claws.
"What in the monstrous creature is that?!" Nuan whispered, her blood turning to ice. She tried to swim forward, but a sharp spike of pain in her ankle reminded her she was technically a sitting duck—or a floating appetizer.
Stay as close to me as you can! Be fast! Kael’s voice thundered in her head, urgent and raw.
Nuan gulped, frantically paddling toward the bank. The eagle didn’t move. Its head tilted with terrifying, mechanical precision, its telescopic eyes locking onto her with predatory stillness.
’What the hell! This eagle is a major hazard!’ Nuan thought, her breath hitching. ’He was so silent we didn’t even hear him land. He must have been watching us from miles away!’
’Kael, do we attack or run for the trees?’ Nuan shouted in her mind, hoping the telepathic link was still active.
’Useless. We wouldn’t even reach the forest line before he’s airborne. You have a broken leg, meek savior.’ Kael’s mental voice was tense, gravelly with focused aggression.
’Fair point,’ Nuan thought, her professional brain frantically calculating the possibility of their survival.
The eagle’s eyes remained locked on them, cold and analytical. Then, it began to spread its wings. Nuan’s jaw practically hit the water as the obsidian feathers unfurled, revealing a wingspan that had to be at least 16 feet.
’Crap! He could snatch me up like a field mouse and be gone in seconds! Oi, Blue Buddy! Pepper spray? Bow and arrow? A tactical nuke?!’
[ Inventory check: We have pepper spray, Host. ]
’Give it to me! I’ll pay the price later!’
[ No use, Host. You can’t spray him from here. He’s a flyer—he can shield himself with those wings, and one flap will blow the spray right back into your eyes. ] frёewebnoѵēl.com
’Well... again, fair point. Why am I thinking like a total amateur when I’m supposed to be a survival specialist?!’
[ Maybe because your ’Women vs. Wild’ show was semi-scripted, Host? ]
’Tsk... shut up!’
Nuan took a slow, agonizingly careful step closer to Kael, keeping her weight off her injured ankle. She cleared her throat and looked up at the feathered behemoth.
"Listen, Mr. Eagle... you are currently standing on my pants. They’re a very essential piece of clothing. Please, respectfully... get off."
Beside her, Kael’s growl was constant, a low-frequency vibration that warned the bird that any move would result in a fight to the death. He shifted his massive wolf body, ensuring he remained a physical shield between Nuan and the talons.
The eagle didn’t attack. Instead, his pupils dilated as he looked down at the cargo pants beneath his feet, then back up at Nuan. His hooked beak clicked softly, and for a creature that looked like a herald of the apocalypse, the sound he made was surprisingly... cute.
"Prrt?"
Suddenly, a flash of yellow lightning crackled through the air. The sharp thud and the blinding light forced Nuan and Kael to squint for a split second. When the spots cleared from her vision, the terrifying bird was gone.
Standing on the rock instead was an extremely sharp-looking man. His skin was a rich, honeyed tan, stretched over a bulky, muscular frame that featured a jawline you could cut glass with. His golden eyes were piercingly attractive, and his six-pack was, frankly, an insult to human anatomy. His lower half was draped in a short, skirt-like arrangement of dark feathers.
Nuan’s survival instincts took a brief backseat to her appreciation for the scenery. She let out a low, involuntary, and highly amused whistle.
Aerin picked up the cargo pants with surprising delicacy, dusting them off with a flick of his wrist. For a man who had looked like a literal calamity seconds ago, his voice was unexpectedly soft—low and airy, like a distant breeze.
"My apologies," he murmured, his golden eyes locked on Nuan. "I saw from very high up... you peeling this thing off your body. I wondered if you were a snake shedding your old skin. I stepped down to inspect and see how a snake and a wolf were getting along... but I see now you are no snake."
"Oh... well, sorry I’m not your favorite snack," Nuan replied, regainng her composure. "But I’m human. And honestly? I do not taste good at all. In fact, if you ate me, you’d probably puke yourself to death. Highly toxic. you know?"
Beside her, Kael’s fur was still bristling. ’Do not go near him,’ his voice thundered in her head. ’He is a raptor. He will fly you away before I can leap.’
’But he seems like such a well-mannered boy,’ Nuan thought back, ignoring the wolf’s overprotective hovering. She looked up at the eagle-man, who was tilting his perfectly sculpted face in confusion.
"Human?" Aerin repeated, the word tasting strange in his mouth.
Nuan nodded firmly. "Yes, human. Bai Nuan is my name. Now, if you’re done inspecting my ’skin,’ please give those pants back."
"Apologies," he said again. He stepped off the rock and began approaching her. Kael’s growl shifted into a dangerous, guttural snarl, but Aerin didn’t even spare the Alpha a glance.
Aerin didn’t even spare Kael a glance.
Wolves simply weren’t a threat in the sky.
He stopped just in front of her, the honey-tan of his skin practically glowing in the sun. "Such a fragile and unique kind of creature you are..." he mused, leaning down slightly. "I am Aerin. Sky Tyrant."
"Ah, I bet you’re a real tyrant up there," Nuan said, reaching out and snatching her pants back from his hand. "But down here, we usually start with ’hello’ instead of ’I thought you were a snake.’"
