Butting In

by Zenina Masters

  “After breakfast? Sort of.” She grinned. “Do milkshakes count?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “So, you went to the bar on an empty stomach?”

  She blushed. That would explain some of her behaviour. “I suppose I did.”

  “While not wise, it was not the worst outcome that could have happened. Did you drink water, at least?”

  “Yes, Spike and Chuck kept me hydrated.”

  “Good. They do take care of their guests here. I am lucky to be part of it.” Drak settled back as her plate landed in front of her.

  “How did you get chosen? I mean, there had to have been all kinds of complications to moving to the Crossroads.”

  “Ah, well, I am one of the older fey that still has access to most of my magic; I come from a long line of fey that have love as part of their talents, and I was available.”

  She looked at the food on her plate and smiled. It was a repeat of yesterday’s meal.

  “What is your talent?”

  He winked. “I can see the possible connections between people. It means I might help speed the progress of meetings and matings along.”

  She smiled. “So, if they gathered everyone together here at the Crossroads, you could see those that were matchable?”

  “In theory.” He sighed. “Being a stranger and a fey, it will take a while before they trust my judgment.”

  Gera couldn’t argue with that. “Trust comes slowly, and it is easy to break.”

  “I am aware. How did you enjoy your time at the Crossed Star?”

  She smiled. “It was surprisingly fun. I met some people; I danced a lot and had a nice time.”

  “Yet, you came back here alone.”

  Gera blinked. “Of course I did. I would never haul a guy back to my room on the first night that I met him. Even the trampiest of my sisters wouldn’t do that.”

  He laughed. “Well, that is something, at least.”

  She shook her head and ate her breakfast.

  When she was nearly done, he asked her, “What do you do when your beast goes into heat?”

  “I think I told you, mine doesn’t.”

  “If you were in heat, what would the signs be?” He sipped at his coffee.

  “Aggression toward the other females... and the males for that matter. There are usually several concussions involved.”

  “It sounds violent.”

  “That is all pre-mating. We don’t tear each other up like some other shifters do.”

  Drak smirked. “I will make a note to make repairs every morning.”

  “It is a good idea. By the way, I love the staircase.”

  “Thank you. It seemed like a good first start.”

  “It makes me feel like I am having a Cinderella moment every time I come down the stairs.” She smiled and sipped at her coffee.

  More coffee and a glass of water were served to her.

  Riox joined them, and after smiling a hello to him, she turned back to Drak. “Anything else you want to know about shifters?”

  Drak’s eyes were lit with amusement. “Yes. What happens when your beast is thwarted on the hunt for their mate?”

  She sipped at her water. “It depends. If it is in the early stages of attachment, the beast simply clears the person as disinterested.”

  “What happens then?”

  “Nothing. The beast continues looking at the other party as dismissed. Beasts are practical; they move on. The humans are obliged to listen.”

  “So, what is on the agenda for today?”

  “I am going to walk through the woods, maybe see if I can get my nails done and meet some more strangers.” Gera smiled shyly. “I think I am getting the hang of this.”

  Drak chuckled, and Riox sat next to her at the table.

  Riox smiled at her, putting charm into the expression. “How are you this morning?”

  “I am well. Thank you for dancing with me last night. It was fun.” She got to her feet and nodded to Drak. “Think of any more questions you want answered and I will answer what I can when I get back.”

  “Thank you, Gera. Have fun today.”

  She waved at them both and set off for her new adventure. She was going to try at this whole mating thing. Maybe something would happen for her.

  Chapter Six

  Gera sat in a black cocktail dress with her hair pinned up and her fingernails tinted to dark silver.

  The Crossed Star was gradually picking up intensity, and the music was slowing to the point where one could sway in place.

  She watched the men, and a few were staring back. Her blush was sudden and warm. The feeling shocked her. She turned her head and checked her pulse. It was rapid, and when she concentrated, she could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

  It was different. She had gone to strip clubs, parties, weddings, dances, social events and even a dozen blind dates. None had managed to do more than get her checking her watch.

  A strange excitement started in her abdomen. She was feeling something. Her beast had its ears perked up, and it was waggling its tail happily. It wanted to dance. It was a start.

  When the first man came up to her, he had the easy grace of a predator. Her beast was intrigued, but she wasn’t going to turn her back on anything that was bigger than she was. She sent the tiger packing after two songs and a light kiss.

  After the tiger, she danced with a fey. She felt the riot of static against her skin, and it didn’t do anything for her, so after an enjoyable swing dance, she left him after a soft brush of her lips against his.

  It set the pattern for the evening until she finally sat at the bar and had a bottle of water.

  Spike grinned. “You look a little more comfortable tonight.”

  “I am. It gets easier with time.”

  “It does. You have only been here a few days. Some folks manage weeks.”

  “Oh, I can’t do that. I have to be at my sister’s wedding in seventeen days.”

  “You might not have a choice. If I were you, I would socialize my ass off.” Spike grinned. “But make sure to pick the one that your beast wants or you are in for a world of hurt.”

  Gera blushed violently. “Right. Of course. I suppose I should stop treating this as fun and start focusing.”

  Spike shot her hand out and grabbed Gera’s wrist. “No. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Simply be yourself, and pay attention to the men being themselves. When the fit is right, you will just know.”

  Spike let her go.

  Gera looked around and found another man making eye contact. With a deep breath in, she stepped out to walk over to him. She was not expecting to collide with someone who was on his own mission.

  Riox caught her, and she kept him upright. “Gera. I have been looking for you.”

  “You have found me.” She smiled at him. “Excuse me, please.”

  “Would you like to dance?” He looked at her, and the charm was back in his eyes.

  “Yes, but we have had our time. I believe I have a candidate over there. I hope you have fun.”

  The man she had made eye contact had found someone who wasn’t tangled in the arms of one of the fey. She had lost her window of opportunity.

  “Damn it, Riox. What do you think you are doing?”

  His hands were still on her waist, and her body was beginning to hum happily.

  “I apologize for last evening. I didn’t understand.”

  She frowned and looked around. With her hand to the centre of his chest, she pushed him back through the bar and out the front door. His balance was off, so she was able to wedge him against the wall before pinning him there.

  “What didn’t you understand? That I am here to find a mate? I am. Dancing with you was fun, but if you are just looking for entertainment, leave the Crossroads and go fuck a human. This is serious business. We are here because we can’t find someone in our own social groups. Dancing with you could cost me the moment I need to meet my true mat
e.”

  She stopped and simply breathed hard. She was furious.

  Riox caught her around the waist, lifted her up and he kissed her wildly, turning to press her back against the building.

  Gera wrapped her arms around his neck, and she kissed him back, tasting him as his tongue slid against hers.

  He pulled his head back and stared at her. “I was not expecting this.”

  The genuine shock on his face struck her hard. “Right. Of course. Let me go.”

  He smiled slightly. “No.”

  She pulled out her horns and slammed her head against his. “Wrong answer.”

  He dropped her. She landed on her feet and looked at him lying dazed with blood on his head. “Damn it.”

  Spike was the medic, so Gera went back in and waved her over.

  “Oh dear. Medical help?”

  Gera blinked. “How did you know?”

  “Your horns have blood on them.”

  “Oh. Damn. Sorry.”

  Spike chuckled. “At least you are fine.”

  Spike followed her to where Riox was sitting up with a hand to his head. “Gera, take his left side; I will take the right.”

  They lifted him onto his feet and carried him to the first-aid station. Spike opened the door, and Gera helped Riox to the exam bed.

  Gera asked Spike, “Do you have this?”

  Spike frowned. “What happened?”

  “Riox told me that he didn’t expect this, so I told him to let me go. What happened next is pretty self-explanatory.”

  Spike got some gauze and a kidney bowl.

  Riox’s eyes were closed, but his voice was strong. “I was just trying to tell you that I was surprised I have found my mate here at the Crossroads. I am sorry for not knowing the protocol.”

  Gera winced. “You didn’t say. I mean you could have... You aren’t here for that.”

  He opened one pretty eye and smiled at her as Spike cleaned the gash on his forehead. “I wasn’t, but now, I am. Drak filed the paperwork this afternoon.”

  Spike attached some butterfly strips, and the inch and a half of open skin was closed.

  “There you go. Gera, he should probably rest but remain awake for the rest of the night. Since you caused the damage, you are responsible for him.” Spike smirked.

  Gera sighed. “Right. Riox, can you sit up?”

  He sat and put his arm around her shoulders. He looked at her with innocence in his eyes. “I will need your help to get back to the Axion.”

  She was suspicious, but she helped him stand up and walked with him to the door.

  “Thank you, Spike.”

  “Part of the job description. See you tomorrow, Gera.”

  Spike was cleaning up the bloody gauze and humming to herself.

  “I apologize. I shouldn’t have hit you so hard.”

  He chuckled. “Well, I apologize. You said you wanted me to put you down, and I didn’t. The consequences suit the crime.”

  She sighed. “This is what I mean by instinct coming through. Until you see it, you can’t understand.”

  “Well, I have to say, your horns are lovely.”

  She blushed and put her hand to her forehead. With effort, she resumed her human aspect. She supported him down the street and toward the Axion.

  “Thank you. My beast is prancing around right now, head held high.”

  “So, there is actually a separate soul in your body.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes.”

  “So, what would happen to me when we mate?”

  She tripped and caught herself quickly. “You mean the balance ceremony, right?”

  Riox grinned at her as they turned toward the Axion. “Correct. I am fairly certain of the other connotation of my phrasing.”

  “Well, from what Teal and Tony said, if I do end up with a fey, you, for example, I will get half of whatever you are and you will get half of whatever I am. So, you would definitely meet your own beast.”

  “Would it be a mountain goat?”

  “You will have to find out. Will I get pointy ears?”

  He blinked and laughed. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “It just popped into my head. I wouldn’t mind being taller.” She laughed, and the door to the Axion opened.

  “I like you this height. You are the perfect size and shape and everything else.”

  “Are you turning on the charm?”

  “I am wounded. Of course not.” He chuckled.

  Drak came toward them and stopped. “What happened to you?”

  Riox grinned. “I got head butted. Knocked on my ass.”

  Drak suddenly took on the persona of an older brother. “Who did it? I will beat them into the wall.”

  Gera looked at him blandly. “I would offer to let you try it, but then, I would have to haul you to Spike as well.”

  Riox was chortling. “Gera has a surprisingly hard head.”

  “I am glad I surprised you. It would be awkward if you saw it coming and you didn’t move.”

  Drak looked at his brother. “A girl did that to you?”

  Gera stared at Drak and pulled her horns out again. He stepped back out of reflex, and she laughed. “Hard head is one of the politest terms I have heard.”

  Gera looked to Drak. “Riox isn’t allowed to sleep for twelve hours, so where can I put him?”

  Drak blinked. “From a concussion? Really? Riox, you have done worse to yourself.”

  Gera glanced up, and Riox was giving Drak a shut up now or I will staple your lips to something look.

  She kept her smile to herself.

  Drak cleared his throat. “The library is a good place to hang out. I can light a fire, and Riox can show you the history of our family.”

  Gera nodded. “Right. Can I get some coffee? I have the feeling that I am going to need it.”

  “Of course. I will bring some in.”

  She steered Riox down the hall to the library. He opened the door, and she walked in. The magical candles sprang to life, and a fire flared up in the hearth.

  She settled Riox in a large chair and dragged another one near him. “Where is the book with your family history?”

  He raised his fingers lazily, and a six-inch-thick tome lifted off one of the shelves and flew into his grasp. The thud of it landing made her wince.

  He smiled. “Where would you like to begin?”

  “How about with current survivors?”

  He nodded. “Good plan. Well, here is my family. Those are my parents, Dreama and Torix. You know Drak, and that is me and our sister, Yimira.”

  He flipped the page. “This is Yimira and her mate, Ferdor of the Isles, and that is their child, Giren.”

  “So, lots of boys.”

  “Yes, the female fey are carefully screened for fertility and married to the most powerful match that can be found. My kind is desperate to ensure their survival.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I should show you my phone. I have nieces and nephews coming left and right.”

  He grinned. “Good to know. I was not planning on seeking a mate, but it seems fate has other plans.”

  She looked at his forehead and winced. Gera gathered herself and asked, “So, what kind of a tech company do you have?”

  “We specialise in industrial security. I also have a fashion concern, as well as a jewellery chain.”

  “When you say chain...”

  “I mean chain of stores. My family has been investing in love for centuries.” He smiled.

  “Okay. Good to know. Can I ask why?”

  He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Our type of fey is predatory. We feed off the emotions of humans, male or female. The excitement of a new gown or jewellery or online dating is something that we can tap.”

  “Wow. So, that is good to know.” She was trying to keep on the bright side, but a little bit of fear crept in.

  He started to move back thro
ugh the album. Pictures of his parents through a number of eras were prominent. He and his brother were on every page until they got to the woodcuts.

  “This is my father’s father and mother. They are still both alive, though they don’t interact with the human world much. They find it rather noisy to be in, and cell phones confuse the hell out of them.”

  “What about your mother’s parents?”

  “They left the world together; they had seen their grandchildren grow and the modern world held no mysteries or joy for them.” He sighed. “It was a sad day, a lot of magic left the world with them.”

  He continued to flip backward with the sketches and woodcuts going further and further back in time.

  When they had reached the beginning of the book, he smiled. “So, what about your ancestors?”

  “I have three grandparents still alive. My parents met in their late teens and have been together ever since. I have six sisters and only one of them is younger than I am.”

  He grinned. “Aunts and uncles?”

  “Four aunts and three uncles on my dad’s side, and four uncles on my mother’s. My dad had nerves of steel to ask her out.”

  “Tell me about it.” Riox smiled and sat back.

  She sat back as well and told him about the courtship of her parents. It wasn’t a bad way to spend an evening.

  Chapter Seven

  Her voice was hoarse, and she was exhausted when dawn finally alerted her to its presence.

  Riox had relocated them to a couch, and she was leaning her head against his shoulder. “Come on, Gera. It is time to get you to bed.”

  She blinked at him sleepily. “Are you okay?”

  He sighed and reached up to remove the butterfly sutures from his forehead. A light glowed out of the wound, and when it faded, his skin was smooth and perfect.

  She frowned at his head and reached up to touch his forehead. “Well, shit.”

  He laughed and caught her hand, bringing her fingers to his lips. “I am sorry. I thought it would be a good way to get to know you without stumbling over myself, as seems to be my way with you.”

  She nodded sleepily. “Well, I am glad your head is better. I am going to bed now.”

  She pushed against him, but he still had her hand. “I need to go upstairs now. That coffee is demanding an exit.”