Ace fucking Storm.
That was who she had called an angel.
The son of the woman who had sent Elsie to nearly drown her all in the name of "getting information" about Violet and Lilaās disappearance.
Yet as he stood beside her, she couldnāt help the way her heart raced like a possessed drum.
After Daisy was rescued, she refused to let anyone wheel her to the infirmary, nor touch her. She was still shaking and traumatized, and the last thing she wanted was strangers hovering over her.
Unfortunately, she needed to be checked, and since her favorite healer, Adele, was gone, the substitute nurse had stepped forward to take over until Ace said heād do it instead.
Apparently, he had been part of an emergency medical brigade back home and was certified for situations like this.
Alongside his many, many science-nerdy skills.
God. What was she even saying?
Right now, Daisy lay on her bed, wrapped in a warm blanket and dressed in fresh clothes. Her hair was still damp and stiff from chlorine. She looked like a total disaster in front of her underage doctor.
Ace stood over her with the phone flashlight on, tilting her chin gently with two fingers.
"Look me in the eye."
Oh, shit.
Not the eyes.
She was a sucker for stupidly gorgeous eyes like his.
Most girls fell for handsome faces, sharp jawlines, and broad shoulders, you know, the whole alpha male fantasy package.
But her? No. It was the eyes.
"The eyes are the window to the soul," she once read in a book.
Daisy never believed it until now.
Aceās irises were blueānot just blue, but a shade that looked like a slice of sky had been stolen and trapped inside them. There was a darker ring circling the irisālimbal ringāand the contrast made the color even more intense. His pupil contracted a little under the light.
It was no wonder that her brain immediately switched into weird documentary mode.
When pupils dilate, thatās attraction.
When they constrict, thatāsāwhatever the opposite is.
Oh god, why was she thinking like a microscope?
"Daisy," He slowly called her name, and dear, lord, her name had never sounded so sexy.
"What?" she whispered, nearly enchanted.
"Youāre supposed to follow the light, not analyze my face," Ace murmured.
"W-what? IāI wasnāt analyzing anything," Daisy lied immediately.
His lips twitched. "You muttered ālimbal ringā under your breath."
Oh fuck.
Daisy swore she felt her soul leave her body. "Did I?"
"You certainly did," Ace said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Of course he smiled.
And of course smiling made him look even more handsome.
Geez. Someone take her away from here.
Her face flushed, Daisy panicked and blurted the only distraction her brain could produce.
"Are you even qualified for this?"
Ace paused. Then he slowly lifted his head and gave her a flat, deadpan stare.
"Isnāt it a little too late asking that now?"
He straightened up, switching the flashlight off.
"Your pupils reacted fine. Youāre okay."
He added, "And since you asked, then you should know that If my father would let me take the offers from the many, many universities that wants me, Iād have a degree in medicine by now." He waved his hands, "Apparently, āI need to grow up properly.ā Whatever that means."
His eyes met her eyes, annoyed and smug all at once.
"And, not to brag, but I have an IQ of 163."
Daisy froze.
163.
That was not normal. That was Einstein-level hot.
Ace kept going, unaware that her brain had flatlined.
"I also have multiple inventions under Storm Enterprises and the latest was just launched weeks ago ā"
Daisy lifted a hand, stopping him.
"Okay, genius. I just wanted to know if you could check my vitals. Not build a hospital."
Ace said amused, "You asked if I was qualified. I answered."
Daisy chuckled, "No, thatās not confidence. Thatās straight-up bragging at this point.
"Was it?" He teased her.
Daisy cleared her throat. "Well, since weāre apparently whipping out IQs like trading cards, then you should know I have an IQ of 148."
Aceās mouth went wide. "No way."
"Nope," Daisy said, popping the "p."
"148. Tested twice. I can, in fact, do algebra and cry at the same time" she joked.
"Thatās hot!" Ace said without realizing it, his eyes twinkling.
Daisy blushed, unconsciously tugging her hair behind her ear. "Well, not hotter than your 168."
"Yeah," Ace breathed out, rubbing the back of his neck, "apparently itās the Storm family gene. Something about... uh... strong swimmers or whateverā"
He froze.
His eyes widened.
"Oh my Godā not that kind of swimmers!" he blurted, mortified. "I meant geneticsā likeā spermā no, wait, that makes it worseā"
Daisy stared at him.
Ace slapped a hand over his face. "I swear to the goddess, Iām smart. My mouth just isnāt cooperating."
For a moment, it looked like Daisy might get offended. But instead, her lips curved slowly into a mischievous smile.
"Well, good to know where the premium sperm bank is if I ever decide I want genius babies someday."
Ace choked on air.
"Spermā bankā what?!" Color shot up his neck, ears turning bright red. "If thatās the case, I wouldnāt deny you a visit."
Their eyes met.
Daisy was grinning like she knew exactly what she was doing, and Ace couldnāt help but grin right back.
They were still staring at each other like idiots when someone groaned.
"Dear God, this is terrible."
It was Ivy.
And both Daisy and Ace jerked like guilty criminals.
Ivy stood by the door with her arms folded tight, staring at them like she had just witnessed a live-action romance scene she never signed up for. The girl looked distressed.
And she wasnāt alone, Abel was with her too. It was quite unfortunate the poor nerdy couples forgot they had company.
Ivy pointed at the two of them dramatically.
"You two were eye-flirting so hard I thought Iād gone blind."
Daisy blushed immediately while
Aceās ears turned completely red.
But it didnāt end there because Abel rubbed his face like he was in pain.
"Can you just confirm sheās alive so I can report back to Oscar before you both start making babies right in front of us?" he said dryly to Ace.
Daisy nearly choked on her own spit while Ace wished the ground would open up and swallow him up.
"We were notā we werenātā" she spluttered.
Jeremiah lifted a brow. "You were making intense eye contact. Thatās like foreplay to you nerds."
"Stop stereotyping." Ace glared at him.
But Abel dared him. "Prove me wrong then."
Daisy told him. "Stop it. Iām older than he is."
"So?" Ivy challenged.
"So..." Daisy started, ready to answer, except the words died the second she met Aceās eyes.
"So... so...." she stuttered helplessly, her brain suddenly shortācircuited.
Great. Now her brain was mush.
She cleared her throat. "Can you just... check me instead?" she blurted.
The shift was instant. Daisy saw Aceās eyes dimmed a little and it hurt in a way she couldnāt explain.
Sure, they flirted but It was harmless fun.
Now reality hit her like a brick because he was two years younger than her. Even though he looked older than half the boys in her level āthanks to his werewolf geneticsāhe was still technically her junior.
It was wrong.
She was his senior for crying out loud.
"Okay," Ace said.
And suddenly, his voice was all professional. Nearly robotic.
"Do you feel dizzy?" he asked.
Daisy shook her head slowly. "No, just tired."
"Headache?" he asked next.
She shook her head again.
" Chest pain? Any difficulty breathing?"
"No. Just coughing." Daisy rubbed at her throat, voice still raspy.
Ace stepped closer.
Way too close.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice pitching slightly as he invaded her personal space.
"Confirming your breathing." His tone was calm, and professional. As if he wasnāt aware her soul just tried to leap out of her body.
He leaned in not enough to be inappropriate, but close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. Daisy stiffened, instinctively pressing her back to the headboard. He didnāt touch her chest, but angled his ear near her upper shoulder, listening.
Her breath hitched.
"Havenāt werewolves heard of... sharp hearing or something?" she muttered, her voice a shaky attempt at sarcasm.
"I just need to be sure," he murmured.
His focus was intense. Ace was tracking the rise and fall of her breathing, his expression tight with concentration. Daisy could feel her heart punching her ribs, loud enough she was sure he could hear that too.
Then she noticed his scent. It was clean, with a hint of mint and cedarwood. There was no cologne. Just him.
It did weird things to her body like turning her bones to liquid and her brain to static.
She stared at the top of his head, watching his messy blond mop of hair. It was the kind of messy that made her think about her fingers threading into it.
God save her.
When Ace finally leaned back, their eyes met again and held.