Shadow Rising by Cassi Carver

powerful arc, hovering over them like a bird of prey, and claws like polished black marble extended from his fingertips. “Cunning bitch! What kind of trap are you setting, woman?”
    “What are you talking about? I’m not trying to trap you.” Seeing the unrestrained fury in his obsidian eyes, Kara instinctively leaned away, bringing her hands up to shield her face.
    With his top lip bunched in a snarl, his expression was all fire and fangs. “The next night our paths cross will be your last,” he spat.
    And then he vanished.
    He flashed out of existence, and Kara fell straight on her ass, sailing through the air and landing square on her tailbone.
    She moaned and rolled to her side, bringing a hand to her rump to soothe the damage. When she was sure her tush was still attached to the top of her legs, she grasped Jaxon’s and Aiden’s pendants around her neck and sent her thoughts screaming into the night. “Code red! Get your asses over here!”
    Aiden appeared within seconds, silver wings unfurled, scanning Kara’s rumpled clothing with a concerned but slightly bemused expression. He held a huge sword at the ready, and his white-blond hair was gelled into pointy spikes. Kara could smell Demiáre sex on his skin from four feet away.
    “What in the hell is a ‘code red’?” he asked, but any humor left his eyes when his gaze landed on the grounded Mercury warrior.
    Stuffing down her aches and pains, Kara rose to her feet. “That’s code for Julian maimed your scouts and pretty much wants to kill me .”
    Jaxon stumbled onto the scene a second later, gripping a dagger in each hand. His chest was bare and his unbuttoned black jeans rode low on his hips. He took one look at the wounded warrior at Kara’s feet, and his face fell. “Mistress?”
    “It’s okay, Jaxon.” I think. She glanced at Aiden, realizing he hadn’t said another word. “What?”
    He was looking at her with a mix of concern and pity. “Julian is gone, Kara. Whatever you saw tonight wasn’t Julian.”
    Jaxon let the knives clatter to the ground, then wrapped his arms around Kara, almost crushing her ribs. “Who hurt you?” He pressed his nose to her hair, his body melting around hers as he brought her cheek to his bare chest. “Who touched you, mistress? I swear I won’t rest until he’s dead.”
    Aw, crap. It was hard to stay mad at Jaxon when he was unraveling at the idea she’d been attacked. She reached up and petted his hair. “No one hurt me, Jaxy. I’m fine.”
    Aiden closed his eyes. Kara felt power flowing from him like small streams of water pouring into the space around them from every direction before being quickly sucked back into his body. By the time he opened his eyes again, a deep frown had worked its way between his brows. “Aniliáre . A black-wing has been here.”
    “No shit.” Kara had been through too much tonight to be polite.
    “You said it was Julian,” he accused.
    “Exactly. Julian. With black wings.”
    Jaxon brushed her hair away from her eyes. “Shh. Everything is going to be all right.” He ran his fingers over her scalp, inspecting every inch, then turned to Aiden. “Her head has already healed, but the internal damage must be severe, my lord. We’re wasting time.”
    Aiden nodded. “Agreed. Step aside. I’ll flash her to the island for my healers to inspect. Get some men to transport the guards back to the island.”
    Jaxon held on tighter. “No. I won’t leave her again.”
    Aiden laughed. “How noble. Finally acting like a protector instead of a house pet. But you’re a little late, don’t you think?”
    Jaxon’s cheeks reddened as if he’d been slapped. He opened his quivering lips, but Kara spoke first. “Nobody’s questioning you, Jaxon. You’re the best. Take care of the warriors first, then I want you to go home and tell Abbey to reinforce the wards. She may need Grammy D to drive down to help.”
    He steeled his jaw. “My duty is to you.” The guilt in his eyes