Page 39 of Oklahoma Storms
Oklahoma’s handsome face comes into view. His hair is slicked back, revealing the perfect angles of his cheekbones. His lips seem swollen, or like he’s trying to cover something he doesn’t want me to see.
I must have hit my head harder than I thought, because his eyes are red beacons in this rubble.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see anyone in my entire life, Sugar,” he says. Oklahoma’s nostrils flare, his crimson gaze analyzing every part of my body. “You’re bleeding.”
I lift my hand to show the bandage I made. “I’m okay. I cut it on that stupid pipe.”
“That’s not the only place you’re bleeding.” He sniffs the air, lifting my leg and eyeing the bottom of my feet. “You’re hurt.”
“I’m okay. It’s just a few pieces of glass. I’ll be fine.” He plucks a piece of glass out of the wound. “Ow!” I protest, trying to yank my leg away from him.
“I know it hurts,” his voice soothes. “But it will feel better when I get the glass out.” He moves to the other foot, plucking a bigger piece of glass from the middle of my foot.
Oklahoma sneers at it, tossing the sharp piece onto the ground.
Blood coats his fingers, and he licks his lips, showing a flash of his teeth. It’s almost as if he has fangs. The tips are sharp and peeking out from his mouth. Even his features seem more pronounced and angular, like a creature from old movies.
My vision sways, and I blame it on my head injury for having me see things that aren’t there.
“Come on, Sugar. Let’s get you out of here before whatever is left of this building falls.” He scoops me into his arms effortlessly, lifting me from the tub.
I’m too out of it to know for sure, but I swear, his tongue flattens against the cut on my head.
He moans in delight.
There’s no way he licked my head. I must have a concussion.
Being this close to him feels so good. I press my cheek against his chest. His natural scent of wood and leather has me inhaling deeply, wanting my body to memorize his scent. Oklahoma relaxes me, and being in his arms, I’ve never felt safer.
“I got you, Nariko.” His hand cups the side of my head, keeping me against his chest. “I hear your brother and your friends calling out for you. They are worried.”
“I can’t hear anything?” I only hear the waterfall bursting from another set of pipes.
“I can,” he says without explanation.
My mind connects the dots even in the concussed haze. Maybe what I’m thinking is delusional given the circumstances.
He gets distracted by blood.
He can hear what I can’t.
He has red eyes and sharp teeth.
He has more than what is considered normal for strength.
I’m not sure what he is, but there’s no way he is completely human. I’m open-minded enough to know I’d be a fool to thinkhumans were the only life form on this planet or in the entire universe. That’s a close-minded way of thinking. If Oklahoma is something different, it wouldn’t bother me.
If he wants to play hide and go seek, he’d better be ready for me to win because I do this for a living with tornadoes. In my mind, there’s nothing or no one more dangerous than a vortex on a wicked path.
Oklahoma steps over the fallen walls and shredded furniture, his boots squelching in the puddles of water. He covers my face with his hand, then curls over me the best he can to protect me.
“You had me worried,” he admits, staring down at me with his usual deep sapphire eyes. “I was scared I wouldn’t get to you in time.”
“How did you know I was here?” More information piles into the nonhuman category for him.
“Jazz told me a tornado ripped through here, and this is where you are staying. I came as quickly as I could.”
“You couldn’t get here in time with a car, Oklahoma. How did you get here?”
