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“Of course, she’s not okay,” the latter male barked as he gave the male who’d spoken a quelling look. “Don’t you have eyes? The alien has ahold of her.”
“As I do have eyes, I can see that perfectly well, Mr. Highland, but I asked her, not you,” the other male replied coolly.
The male addressed as Highland bristled visibly. If he’d had feathers, Agor had little doubt that the male would have demonstrated a challenge at that point.
“We have no idea the sort of atrocities their kind will do once they get a vulnerable woman alone,” Highland sputtered. “They are not human. Even if such a union weren’t unnatural, they are capable of anything and could most certainly harm in unimaginable ways. The authorities must be commed at once.”
At his words, Brydis’s head shot up from where he’d been speaking to Jill’s companion, a look of rage overcoming his features as he took a threatening step toward the offensive human. Somehow, his movement didn’t escape Jill’s attention despite Agor’s wings blocking most of her view as she made a small sound of protest. Although he had also stiffened at the assumption that they were even capable of harming their talia and wanted to deliver his own retribution to the insult, Agor hoped that Brydis would pummel him into the ground all the same. He would take some small satisfaction in that.
“Brydis, wait,” Jill said quickly as she immediately shifted in his embrace, drawing an immediate protest from him. He didn’t want her to stop his twin and was inclined to tell her exactly that until she began to methodically stroke his arm in reassurance. “That’s not going to be necessary.”
Although Brydis reluctantly drew to a stop, the human attempting to manage the situation gave her a grateful look despite the worry in his eyes. Although he worked to block Highland’s attempt to move any closer, there was still an obvious level of concern there as he attempted to get a good look at her in between Agor’s wings.
“Are you certain?”
She nodded, though Agor wasn’t sure how much the male saw of it. Reluctantly, he parted his wings a little so that she could offer a reassuring smile to the anxious human. “I’m fine, Harry. I’ll just go ahead and leave if that’s okay. I’m not sure what exactly is going to be happening from here, but I know we don’t need to draw any more attention.” Her gaze hardened as it turned toward Highland. “As for you—that’s the most hypocritical thing I’ve ever heard, considering you have no problem harassing me or any of the other women who work here. Your friends looking the other way makes them just as complicit in your behavior. With the way you all treat us, the Geminidae are the least of our problems.”
Highland blustered with embarrassment but silenced at the sharp, shrill hiss that both Agor and Brydis issued in response. If he hadn’t had his arms full with their talia, Agor would have been tempted to tear the male apart for the offense toward her. Thankfully, Brydis had better control, although his anger appeared to be just barely kept in check. Also working in their favor was the fact that Highland—upon noticing that his companions had retreated, withdrawing their support in their shame—fell into a sullen silence despite the fact that his eyes still clearly snapped with anger as he glared at them. Agor was perfectly fine with that. As long as the male kept his mouth shut, then all would be well. He certainly wasn’t intimidated by the human.
Harry glanced at them warily, but when neither of them made a move, the tension in his frame eased and he turned a wry smile to Jill in gratitude. “You’re correct, and it is appreciated. I don’t think this tirade is going to end so long as you all are standing there. If you need anything at all, however, just comm me.”
His eyes slid over to Agor and hardened. “There’s a lot of bullshit that I have to tolerate as a businessman, but in the end,” he ground out with the faintest tip of his head in the direction of Highland and his companions, “I’m responsible for the girls who work here. More than that, I consider each of them one of my own, which means something, since none of them come with families of their own here. Although I’m trusting her judgment here, you should be aware that I’ll find a way to raise hell if I discover that you’ve harmed her.” He glanced over at Brydis. “That goes for both of you.”
Brydis gave the male a measured look and inclined his head. “You can be assured that we have no intention or interest in doing any such thing. We would protect her with our lives.”
“We would never harm her in any way,” Agor rasped in confirmation. “We would kill anyone who tried to hurt her or make her feel unsafe and threatened in any way. Any Geminidae would do the same.”
The last was a pointed dig at Highland and a warning. Although he had no intention of returning Jill to the club, he wished to make the male aware of the trouble that could possibly come in dealing with such individuals. He had a feeling that the male could not be trusted around any female, the warning felt necessary. Especially if Jill’s friend accepted Finity and Genthral’s courtship.
Harry seemed to get the message as his eyes widened in understanding and his head jerked in a quick nod. “All right.” His gaze flicked back to Jill, and his face softened. “Best of luck to you, Jill. Be sure to stay in touch. You’ll always have a place here,” he added before turning toward the small group of human males and ushering them back indoors. “Nothing to see here, gentlemen. Let’s go inside and have another round of whiskey—on the house.”
Highland cast another suspicious glare their way but muttered in assent as he allowed himself to be herded back through the entrance as conversation among his companions turned lively once more. It was as if the entire situation had been forgotten. If only Agor could forget so easily.
“We need to get to high ground—some place less out in the open,” Brydis murmured as he rejoined them.
“We can go to my apartment. I can point out the way,” Jill replied. Pushing so that she was leaning back in Agor’s embrace, she peered at them. “I think it’s a good idea to do this somewhere that we can be settled for a time. As much as I can’t believe that you’re here, I have alotof questions.”
Agor grimaced. “No doubt that you do. Very well. Point the way once we are airborne.”
The startled shout and the tight grip of her fingers in his feathers was heady as he leapt up into the air, his tail snapping out and twisting through the air as the fine feathers fanned out. With that added control, he powered his way higher with every beat of his enormous wings.
“This is not what I expected!” she shouted, but he grinned and peered down at her as she busily looked all around her. To his delight, a giggle of excitement left her. “Fuck, this isunbelievable!”
“Which way?” he trilled down to her, pitching his voice so that she would be able to hear him clearly from where he held her tightly in his arms.
Her head whipped around for a moment and then she pointed to one of the larger streets heading north.
“There, follow that road, and I’ll tell you where to turn.”
He trilled again in agreement since he knew that she would not be aware of him nodding his head in affirmation and tipped his wings so that they circled in the direction with Brydis very briefly taking the lead, his wingspan and spread tail-feathers are streaks of flame across the sky. Though Jill followed his twin’s movement, Agor was surprised when her head suddenly tipped up to stare at his wingspan, and he felt a moment of pride at the stark admiration in her gaze as she took in the blue feathers. How he had yearned to be looked at in such a way.
“Let’s go home,” he whispered and with a snap of his wings, he carried them forward ahead of Brydis.
Toward their future together as an avrhast.
Chapter19
Jill was a little nervous about bringing them home. Not that she hadn’t imagined this scenario more than a dozen times. Unfortunately, with the passing months, her imaginings had detoured far from more innocent interactions to those that were graphic enough that her libido was eager to remind her of it the moment they entered the apartment upon taking the staircase from the roof. She was suddenly very uncertain of what exactly she wanted to do with them despite the pleasure that still hummed within her blood from the reunion.
