5. The Wounded Dove

FIVE

THE WOUNDED DOVE

Naomi

"No, no!" Bandit squalled, flapping at her back as she grabbed the handle to open the door.

"I know, but…"

Naomi grimaced as she looked back outside at the oni. The longer she looked at him lying there, the stronger the urge to open the door got. She was a sucker for anything or anyone in need. Besides, beyond scaring the snot out of her, what real harm had he done? None that she knew of. Naomi pulled in a deep, bracing breath and opened the door.

"Don't make any sudden moves," she warned the demon as she hesitantly inched onto the porch, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Though it was pointless to say, because he wasn't moving at all. He didn't even glance up at her. Something was very wrong with him.

"No, no. Bad Pig," Bandit continued screeching, while attempting to come between her and the oni .

"I know, but he needs help." She brushed past the distraught parrot.

With a disgruntled squawk, Bandit took off into the storm.

"Bandit!" she worriedly called after the agitated bird. The nasty storm was still raging and he shouldn't be out in it. "No one should," she mumbled, looking down at the soaked demon passed out at the bottom of the steps.

Ignoring the torrent of rain, Naomi eased down the trio of steps, careful to not trip over him. She leaned in close, praying he didn't pop awake all of a sudden. His chest was moving, so he was breathing. That was a good sign.

"Hey." She gently nudged his shoulder.

Nothing.

"Hey." She poked him a little harder.

A deep, scary growl came from the oni and she froze, preparing to run. His eyelids drifted open and the forlorn look he gave her instantly gripped her heart. His coal-black eyes were glossy from pain. The sheer misery reflected back at her crumbled more of her reticence about him.

"I need you to get up if you can. I'll help you," she urged.

The oni opened his mouth briefly, but then closed it and nodded slightly. She was about to help him when he lifted onto his hands and knees. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was like watching a mountain rising to its feet, that's how big he was. He staggered when he attempted to go up the first step, but managed to grab the post holding up the porch roof.

"Easy!"

She stepped closer to his right side to help, since that was his injured leg. His free hand clasped her shoulder, and she gaped at how large it was. His fingers extended below her collarbone, while his thumb pressed against her shoulder blade. For a moment she was distracted by the weight of his hand, the warmth of his skin, and its calloused nature. She pulled in a sharp, stunned breath at the sensations. It had been so long since she'd felt the touch of someone else.

The pressure on her shoulder doubled, making her knees buckle when the wounded demon attempted the steps again. Why she thought she could help him, she'd never know. Their size difference made that impossible. Compared to him she was absurdly short, coming eye level to his sternum. With a grunt, the oni abruptly pulled his hand away before she collapsed entirely.

"Oh, thank god," she mumbled in relief, then cringed as the overgrown demon sank to his knees on the second step. "Shit. Sorry I'm not much help. Maybe you can crawl inside?" she suggested with a sympathetic grimace.

The oni gave a resigned, tired nod and started crawling up the steps. His tail dragged behind him and she frowned, her heart clenching at the miserable sight. She knew nothing about the oni, yet the sight of any powerful creature brought so low was a tragedy. Before she could think anything of it, she reached down, picked up his tail and wiped the mud off. It was about the size of two of her fingers and roughly the same thickness from the tip to where it disappeared beneath his kilt. It was more reminiscent of a cat or monkey tail than a lizard. The demon paused and glanced at her over his shoulder. There was an expression in his eyes she couldn't read.

Shit! Did I overstep?

"I'm, um, I'm sorry." She started to put his tail down.

He grunted and resumed crawling forward across the porch toward the open door. She wasn't sure if that meant she should release his tail or not, so she just held onto it. She gawked as he had to shift his shoulders to make it through the entrance. That's how broad he was. As ignominious as crawling was, he wouldn't have made it through the door standing at his full height. She panned the cabin and realized that everything in the room was practically miniature compared to him.

"It's not a big place. I don't think you'll fit on the bed." She closed the door behind them and flicked on the light. "Sorry but the floor is probably the only place you'll fit. At least there's a rug."

She followed him to the middle of the room then gently released his tail as he dropped onto the rug.

"Okay, what now?" she murmured while wiping the water dripping from her soaked hair off her face.

This whole scenario was just so weird. There was a real live oni lying on her rug. It had her brain more than a little jumbled.

"First aid supplies!" she instantly recalled when her gaze landed on his leg.

Naomi trotted over to the shelving unit and grabbed the first aid box, the jug of water, a fresh rag, and a couple dry towels.

"We need to deal with this leg." She knelt beside him with the supplies and grimaced at the condition of her white shirt acting as a bandage. It was entirely red, soaked with his blood. He was a big guy, but this was a lot of blood. "It doesn't look good. Is it okay if I take a peek?" She panned back to his face for confirmation.

The oni's eyelids cracked open and he focused on her. With the light on she could see him more clearly. There was something about his features that wasn't human, though it was hard to put her finger on exactly what that was. The skin around his eyes was naturally darker, making it appear like they were rimmed with charcoal. He had fathomless black eyes, but thankfully the sclera was white like hers, otherwise they would have appeared truly demonic. He had black eyelashes and brows to match the wet, black hair hanging well past his shoulders. The bridge of his nose was a little crooked, like it had been broken at some point, but otherwise his nose wasn't too bulbous or too pinched. His square, strong jaw, covered in a bit of scruff, was clenched in pain. She reached his deep red lips and paused, noting how swollen they were. The distinctive puffiness was familiar, and the missing taro from her drying rack instantly popped into her mind.

"You didn't eat the taro raw, did you?!" she asked, pointing in the direction of her firepit, where the rack was set up.

He nodded and her eyes widened. As much raw taro as he ate, his mouth and throat had to be on fire. And though the pain was probably awful, it was the swelling of his throat she worried about.

"Oh no." Her worry magnified. "It has to be cooked. Shit!"

The demon groaned in reply.

Naomi tapped her chin, trying to think. She didn't have enough coconut milk to soothe the sting and her first aid kit was mainly cotton bandages. Then she remembered something her uncle once told her. Naomi hustled to the ash pail by the stove and fetched several large chunks of charred wood. She popped them into a bowl and ground the charcoal up with her masher.

"This isn't going to taste good, but it should help neutralize the sharp crystals from the taro."

She knelt beside him and poured some water into the bowl making a foul looking slurry, but it couldn't be helped.

"Here." She put a hand behind his neck and helped him angle his head as she put the bowl to his lips. Her concern for making sure he was okay made her forget how close she was to his sharp fangs. "Sorry." She commiserated when he grimaced while choking down the charcoal. She refilled the bowl and had him drink it before easing his head onto one of the folded towels.

"Thank you," he murmured as she set the bowl aside.

His deep, gravelly voice caught her by surprise. For some reason she thought he was only capable of growling. Also, manners from a demon was more than a little surprising. But if the stories were true about onis being human at one time, she shouldn't be surprised he could speak.

"Hopefully that eases some of the discomfort soon. You should try to drink more water. It will help to flush your system." She swapped the bowl for a clean cup of water. "But now we really need to look at that leg."

She shifted down his absurdly tall body to his leg, gently untied her soaked shirt and slowly unwrapped it.

"Oh!" she gasped when she revealed the half-moon-shaped jagged marks marring his thick, muscular calf. "It's a shark bite!"

She'd forgotten all about the scuffle in the bay just before the oni emerged from the ocean.

He was the one who'd been struggling with the shark!

The demon gave a curt nod and a grimace of pain. She could sympathize. She'd never been bitten but her cousin had.

"It's a wonder you didn't drown or lose your leg entirely." She gaped at the injury, trying to assess how bad it really was. She'd had some first aid training but that was it. "It's a good thing it's not actively bleeding." She cast him an encouraging smile, truly glad no major vessels were nicked.

The demon's lips tipped up slightly in reply, though he clearly didn't feel like smiling. She couldn't blame him. His mouth and throat were burning, and a shark made a mess of his leg, no wonder he was miserable. Her brow then furrowed, noticing the gash along his temple, just inside his hairline.

"What happened to you?" she blurted, crawling back up to his head. Gently she prodded the goose egg. Thankfully it had also stopped bleeding. "Did the shark do this, too?"

The demon shook his head no.

When she was pulling her hand away from examining his head wound, he abruptly grabbed her. His much larger hand entirely encompassed hers. She startled and froze. Again, it was so strange feeling the touch of someone else. Doubly strange coming from a demon. His long index finger brushed her forearm and she noticed the goosebumps all over her skin.

"Oh." Her eyes widened.

She hadn't realized how cold she was. She was soaked from the rain, and was only wearing her bathing suit, since her shirt lay bloody beneath his leg and her pants were out by the steps. Except, it wasn't necessarily the cold making goosebumps erupt all over, as the warmth from his hand soaked into her skin. Then there was the concern reflected in his dark eyes and the crease in his brow.

He's worried about me. Surprise rocketed through her. That was another thing she hadn't experienced in a long while. Her eyes burned at the realization.

Faktil quo Laus

She's too cold. Faktil's brow furrowed as he ran his finger over the little female's arm. She helped him, despite her fear, and now she was wet and freezing cold. Torment!

"I, um, I should start the stove." The little female pulled away from him. Faktil didn't want to relinquish her hand, but did.

The shy way she looked at the floor as she spoke incited something inside him. Her heart-shaped face was sweet, reflecting her kind nature. Her eyes weren't entirely black, like he first thought. They were deep brown with flecks of gold. The worry and sympathy in their depths added to their beauty. He wanted to cup her cheeks and lift her gaze so he could get another look at them, but she walked away.

Despite the nagging worry over how cold she was, he couldn't help but stare. She was as gorgeous and distracting as he'd recalled from this morning. His leg throbbed and he was sore all over, yet he hardly noticed it as he watched the stunning human move across the cabin. She wore next to nothing, her tan arms and legs were entirely exposed. The sleeveless green top was molded to her breasts, which were a handful. That was impressive considering how petite she was. Each luscious mound was tipped with an erect nipple that taunted him. Her matching briefs cupped her sex and hugged her rear. His gaze was drawn to her curvaceous ass, watching it shift as she bent, putting sticks into the stove then lit them. It was a good thing he was injured or he might tug the little human onto the floor and mount her.

Goddess, help me! He was acting like he'd never been around an attractive female.

In all fairness, his ardent mood wasn't entirely his fault. His tail still tingled from where she'd grabbed it when they were entering the cabin. She had no clue that was how his people flirted with each other. She was merely being kind by carrying his tail. Yet, he couldn't forget the innocent act.

The little female fetched two large metal pots from the nearby shelf and he snapped out of his horny stupor. They looked very heavy, and she was such a delicate little creature. Instantly he felt awful for gawking rather than helping. Faktil attempted to sit up and a wave of dizziness struck him .

Maybe I'm not doing as well as I thought. With a groan he laid his head back down on the towel.

Cadi healed fast and could withstand a lot of abuse. He'd tested that theory getting his sisters to safety and during his years of service. However, receiving a head injury, the fall from a tree, consuming poisoned vegetables, and being attacked by an animal all in the same day was testing his fortitude.

Guilt needled Faktil as the female hefted the two large pots onto the firebox. Idly laying there while she worked went against everything he believed in. He cringed when she leaned precariously close to the hot metal to fill them with water. Thankfully she managed it without burning herself and he relaxed. It would kill him if she got hurt while attempting to help him.

At least things are looking up.

His horrible fortune made him pathetic enough the female took pity on him rather than running screaming into the woods yet again. That was a positive. Now he just needed to work on communication.

I need to find a way to talk with her and discover if she has a communication device. Although, now that I'm inside I could look around.

He was about to survey the interior of the cabin, particularly the shelves laden with stuff, when a giant drop of water fell in his eye. He grunted and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes widened, spotting another drop coming straight for him. He slammed his eyes closed but was too slow.

Splat. Again, right in the eye.

Maybe he'd spoken too soon about his luck having changed .

Naomi

Naomi rubbed her arms. It was starting to warm up, though with all the adrenalin from having an actual demon in her cabin, she really hadn't felt cold. Surreptitiously she glanced at him lying in the middle of the floor, taking up half the cabin. This was so weird. Not just the fact that he was an oni, but having another person here. She'd given up on someone else coming to the island.

Why is he here? Maybe he's an outcast? That might explain his injuries or the fact that something was able to injure him in the first place. Ooh, but what do you have to do to be an oni outcast?

She worriedly glanced at the injured demon as she stirred the broth she was making while his wash water heated up. He needed help, there was no denying that. The oni had been through the wringer. Except, she was reminded of the tale of the woman who helped an injured rattlesnake. In the end, it was still a rattlesnake and bit her.

Maybe Bandit was right. Animals have instincts and they have no qualms following them.

She nibbled her lip, looking out at the storm that was still battering the island, hoping her feathered friend was all right. Had she been rash deciding to help the oni? Should she be out there looking for Bandit?

The concern in the oni's jet-black eyes when he felt her cold arm sprang to mind as she debated if she was doing the right thing. It was quickly followed by the expression of misery and pain that twisted his face.

His poor lips are so swollen. Her brow furrowed in sympathy as she glanced at him.

Again, the voice in the back of her mind whispered that helping him was the right thing to do. She had instincts, too. She'd clean up his leg and rebandage it, then give him a little soup which should hopefully soothe the irritation and dilute the taro he'd eaten.

Naomi's hand paused in the midst of stirring the broth.

Oh crap! Her eyes widened, recalling she'd thrown down her bag earlier, and it held the limpets she collected on the beach. I might as well add those to the pot. There was no sense letting the shellfish go to waste.

She took two steps to grab her bag by the table when the oni growled. The rumbling sound was deep and scary, and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Um… She paused by the table, uncertain of what upset him. Please don't prove me a fool for helping you. Her head slowly turned to look at him.

Her mouth dropped open. The oni was attempting to wiggle to the left on the rug. If he wasn't so injured, she would've laughed at the sight of a big red demon doing an impression of an inch worm. Another growl came out, but it was actually a groan, a groan of pain, since he was trying to move his injured leg.

What is he doing? Her brow furrowed. Then she noticed the drip coming from the ceiling. The leak hadn't been there before.

"Oh no." She hustled over to help.

The big guy froze and grimaced in embarrassment. He probably hated being at the mercy of some human, when his kind was supposed to torment them.

"Would you like me to help move your foot?" she offered.

The oni hesitated for a moment then nodded. As gently as she could, she lifted his foot, making sure to also snag her shirt that was beneath it. Naomi suppressed a grunt as she was reminded of how heavy he was. Just his leg seemed to weigh a ton, though she managed it .

Since being stranded, she'd grown pretty strong with all the walking and tasks like hauling water from the creek. Granted she wasn't a weakling before. She always helped her team move tables and chairs for events at the hotel, and tried to get in some swimming or boating every week. Yet, somehow, she still hadn't shed the layer of pudge that plagued her hips, belly, and thighs.

Meanwhile the oni didn't have an inch of fat on him. As she helped him shift over a few feet, her gaze slid up his muscular thigh. His legs were the size of tree trunks, though they were proportional considering how tall he was. Flabbergasted by the demon's sheer size and build, she didn't notice the way his kilt was hanging and that she could see right up it. Her gaze darted back to the foot she was holding, but not before she caught sight of a column of red flesh.

Was that his tail or his dick?

Her cheeks heated as she set his foot back down and clumsily arranged the shirt beneath his calf, since the rug was less than sanitary. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, because then he'd know she'd been looking where she wasn't supposed to. He'd be able to read it on her face. Quickly she turned away, preoccupying herself by grabbing the towel that was acting as his pillow.

"Thank you," the oni awkwardly mumbled when she handed him the towel.

"I'll get something to catch that leak," she said at the same time.

Naomi cast him an uncomfortable smile and a nod, then went to the bookshelf.

Did he see me eyeing him? she wondered as she stared at the shelves. God, I hope not. No, I'm sure he feels too bad to have noticed or to care, and it's not like I was intentionally being pervy. But seriously, was that his dick? Why isn't he wearing some sort of underwear?

Sizzling snapped Naomi out of her internal diatribe.

"Oh, the water's simmering." She selected her biggest bowl off the shelf. "The wash water should be sterilized now," she commented to the oni as she put the bowl under the drip then headed to the stove.

The oni frowned and visibly stiffened when she pulled the hot pot off the stove.

Maybe he's bracing for what's coming.

"I will let it cool," Naomi assured him as she set the pot by his injured leg. "But I imagine cleaning the wound is still going to hurt." She grimaced as she dropped the clean rag into the pot. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be gentle."

The red-skinned demon nodded in understanding and she could see the resignation in his eyes. She blanched as she looked again at the jagged bite on his leg. If she wasn't so worried about infection, she wouldn't put him through this. Except, without antibiotics, an infection could be a death sentence here on the island.

Unsure of what else to say since she was out of practice having company, particularly injured oni company, she returned to what she'd been doing.

What was I doing? Oh yeah, the broth.

Naomi retrieved her canvas bag and started to clean the limpets. She took her time getting the shellfish into the broth, telling herself it was because the wash water needed to cool, but in truth she was anxious. She didn't want to hurt the oni further, that was part of it. Naomi glanced at the seven-foot tall, half-naked, muscular demon lying on her rug. Her gaze swiftly darted back to the stock pot. There was no ignoring that he was also very clearly a man, and she was going to be touching him—a lot .

After getting the shellfish dealt with and a few more things added to the broth, she figured the water had cooled enough. She couldn't delay this any longer.

"Let's get this head wound cleaned up first," Naomi suggested, as she knelt beside him. "Sound okay?"

The oni nodded and attempted to sit up.

"No, just turn your head, please." Reflexively she put her hand on his chest, urging him to stay down.

Oh!

She instantly noticed how firm his mountainous pecs were. His chest was absent of nipples or hair, and there was a slight raised texture to his black tattoos, although those were just side observations. Touching his chest was far more intimate than holding a foot or his tail. Her hand tingled, the heat from his skin radiating up her arm.

And it's a very nice chest, she acknowledged as warmth settled in the pit of her stomach.

Naomi quickly pulled her hand away.

Stop it! That is so inappropriate. He's an oni. What's wrong with me? A stroke probably. I probably had a stroke or I snapped. That's why I'm seeing a demon and think he's real. Shit! He's watching me. Act normal.

She smiled at the oni as he lay back again, though the expression probably looked a little psychotic since it was forced. Thankfully there was no flicker of concern in his eyes before he turned his face away.

Whew. He must not have noticed me acting weird.

"Just like that. Thanks. Tell me if this hurts," she encouraged, while attempting to get her act together.

As she brushed the oni's jet-black hair away from his temple, she noticed it wasn't a uniform length all over. It was long on the top and back, reaching well below his shoulders. Along the sides it was plaited into a series of tiny braids with beads here and there, then shaved short near his slightly pointy ears. Amidst the little braids, she located the gash that was about an inch long.

"I don't see any debris in the cut and it's not bleeding, so that's good. I'm just gonna gently wash it."

She reached into the pot, wrung out the rag, then lightly washed the wound. She resisted the urge to continue running her fingers through his hair or stroke the stubble on his jaw as she cleaned the wound. A part of her truly wanted to console him, knowing he had to be in a lot of pain. But she knew it would probably bring her more comfort, with the way she missed even the simplest human connection, and refused to take advantage of the situation.

If it wasn't enough that he had a nice body, which reminded her of how lonely she'd been, he was undeniably handsome. It was hard to ignore, and felt a little like torture as she tended to his head wound. Her fingers itched with the desire to touch him again without the washcloth in the way. Thank god his eyes were closed, so he couldn't see the debate waging in her head as she studied his profile.

"I think that's good." She pulled back, dropping the cloth into the pot, before the urge got to her.

The oni turned his head and gave her a smile. It was a nice smile, despite how tired and in pain he was. It conveyed appreciation and something else she couldn't quite name. A thrill coursed through her and she smiled back, then remembered herself and looked away.

"I don't think we need to bandage your head. It should be fine to let it air dry," she said and grabbed the pot of water.

Her gaze shamelessly panned his body as she scooted down toward his injured leg. His pecs, his stacked abs, that vee of muscles that disappeared into the waistband of his kilt, all of it made the butterflies in her stomach flutter .

"Oh!" She paused as she nudged something. Her gaze shot to the rug by her knees and was surprised to see his tail. "I'm sorry." She anxiously looked up at his face.

This was why she had no business getting distracted. She nearly squashed his tail, hurting him further. The oni shook his head and brushed it off as his tail patted her knee then curled over his stomach. She let out a slight laugh that she actually understood the gesture, yet also felt awkward because interacting with a tail was an entirely new experience.

She reached his calf, thankfully with no further incident, and set the pot of wash water by his foot. The shark bite appeared bad, worse than the head wound, and she needed to examine it before she started cleaning.

"I'm just going to take a peek." Her gaze landed on his kilt as she panned back to his face, and she was reminded of the earlier accidental glimpse up the garment. Her eyes widened, realizing how what she just said could be misconstrued. "Your leg," she quickly added, looking back down at his leg. "I'm going to take a peek at your leg."

Dear god, I'm so awkward. She prayed her cheeks weren't bright red. Focus! The poor oni needs your help.

She focused on the shark bite and cringed. She could point out every one of the tooth marks. They were jagged, and a few were gaping, exposing the paler inner flesh, which undoubtedly needed stitches.

Don't be sick. Don't be sick. She took several deep breaths to calm down.

Naomi forced herself to look at each mark, making sure no debris was trapped in the small wounds. Once satisfied, she grabbed the rag and started gently cleaning.