Butting In

by Zenina Masters

She blinked.

  He hung the dresses up on a peg and left her.

  Gera was a little befuddled. She had shopped with her sisters, and this was similar to those experiences. She felt lost, confused and out of place.

  It seemed that even at the Crossroads, nothing had changed.

  Riox came back with several bras in a small range of sizes. When she examined them, they were all within a fair guess of her actual size.

  “The manufacturers run a little small sometimes. Try them on and see what happens.”

  Just like she had been pushed around by store matrons, she was bullied by an elf in a button-down shirt and khakis. Gera reacted the same way. She did what he said. She yanked the curtain closed and hoped that he didn’t turn it into a peep show.

  The purple dress did fit better with a new bra, and the little centre studded with gemstones looked like it had been designed to be shown. It probably had.

  “Come out and take a look.”

  She slowly peeped around the curtain and quickly made a dash for the mirrors. She would never have thought that the dress would look anything but awkward on her, but this one made her legs appear longer, her cleavage deeper and her neck more graceful.

  “Excellent. Now, try the other ones.” Riox leaned against the wall next to her cubicle and munched an apple.

  It was humiliating to have him picking out clothing for her, but he was definitely good at it.

  Ninety minutes later, she was exhausted and she had an armload of clothing that flattered her. It was too bad that she wanted to cut it down to four dresses and two bras.

  Riox was shocked. “Why aren’t you taking them all?”

  “Because my family is paying for this and these dresses are expensive. If I make it through this week without finding anyone, I will buy something new, and then, I will do it again.”

  Riox frowned. “Why not now?”

  “Because if I don’t need them, they don’t fit my life.” Gera sighed. “I am preparing to be sent home as unmatchable.”

  “You haven’t even gotten to meet anyone.”

  She hauled her items to the clerk. “I don’t need to. They say your beast knows when it meets its mate, and mine seems to be on vacation.”

  Riox blinked. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. I am going to give it a try anyway.” She smiled at him.

  He blinked and stepped back. “Right. Of course. Good luck. Have a great day.”

  He was babbling as he left the store.

  The shifter behind the counter shrugged. “Fey can be a little mercurial.”

  She nodded her head. “So I am learning.”

  “Did you need shoes for these?”

  She sighed and grumbled. “Probably.”

  With slumped shoulders, she returned to the change rooms and grabbed the evening and the day heels.

  She stalked back to the clerk and handed them over.

  He grinned. “You are really hating this, aren’t you?”

  “I am woefully unprepared for this. It is like I have been tossed into a pool before I get the swimming lessons.”

  “Well, if you are at the Crossed Star this evening, save me a dance. I can help you swim.” He winked.

  “Thank you...”

  “Andy.”

  She smiled shyly. “Thank you, Andy.”

  He put her purchases into a fabric bag, and she quickly swiped her charm over the payment plate. She grabbed the bag, smiled again and left the store.

  It took all of her nerve to walk back to the Axion and go up to her room.

  She took the dresses out, hung them up in the wardrobe and stared at them. She was really doing this. She was going to try to obtain a mate.

  She looked at one of the day dresses and reached out, but then, she pulled her hand back. She needed to spend some time in her other skin, and from what Teal had told her during her check-in, there was a field to do just that.

  She brushed at her skin before she changed in the cabana. When she left the shelter, she was her mountain goat self and ready to run.

  Her muscles moved smoothly, and she smelled clover. Her hooves picked daintily through the grasses, and she snuck up on the clover with all the stealth she could muster. It wasn’t much. She had never had a talent for stealth.

  She bounced, she bounded, she nibbled, and when she was sure there was no one watching, she rolled onto her back and wiggled with her legs in the air. It lacked dignity but that was her all over. Gera was just a practical being with simple wants and needs. Involving a man was going to make things exponentially more complicated.

  When her belly warmed under the sun, she rolled to lounge on her side. Her horns didn’t have nerves, but the bone plate did a great job of warming her brain. When she was toasty all over, she got to her feet and scampered back to the cabana where her clothing was safe and sound.

  She stared up at the cotton dress hanging in what was supposed to be an inviolate space. That wasn’t hers, but she had tried it on that morning. The shoes were familiar as well.

  When she saw the glittering bra, she knew that there was a fey she wanted to head butt in the worst way.

  The panties that matched the bra were short of rhinestones, and she thanked her lucky stars. She got dressed, muttering the whole time.

  When she was decent, she stalked out of the cabana and headed to the Axion.

  Drak greeted her and smiled in appreciation at her appearance.

  “Where is Riox?”

  “He is in the library. Why?”

  “Did he come in here with my clothing?”

  “Oh, your street clothes? Yes. They are being cleaned.”

  She smiled tightly. “Excuse me.”

  Her heels tapped on the floor as she marched to the library with purpose. When she threw the door open, Riox was standing next to a bookshelf with a leather-bound book in his hands, naked.

  “Damn it!”

  Drak was laughing from the entryway, and Gera had had enough for now. She turned and left the bed and breakfast with her cheeks on fire. She needed a milkshake.

  Chapter Three

  Gera was on her third milkshake when Riox came in.

  She couldn’t look at him without seeing the complete expanse of his golden skin, so she focused on her strawberry milkshake. It was extremely good, but the moment she realized she was slowly sucking on the straw, she had to stop because Riox was standing in front of her.

  “I must apologize for the moment in the library. My brother and I have a ritual when there is a chance to humiliate one of us. It will not happen again.” Riox sat across from her.

  Gera bit her lip and flicked a glance at him. “You were not the one humiliated.”

  “Drak caught on to that, and he is deeply apologetic. Sibling rivalry got the better of him. It will not happen again.”

  Gera nodded. “Right. I think I am just going to spend as little time there as possible.”

  Riox sighed. “I am really sorry. Did seeing me naked really scar you for life?”

  She blushed. “Not really. I mean, it was just a bit of a surprise considering that I was about to head butt you into the next century.”

  “Why?” He looked innocent, his strange eyes swirled.

  “Because you stole my clothes.”

  “These suit you.”

  “These aren’t mine. I didn’t buy them.”

  He shrugged. “They look good on you, so I bought them for you.”

  She clapped a hand across her eyes. “That is not really appropriate in my situation.”

  “Why not? I thought you would enjoy presents from a suitor.”

  Gera dropped her hand and stared at him in shock. “What?”

  He grinned. “I intend to try and win your hand.”

  She sat back. “Thank god.”

  That reaction surprised him. “What?”

  “I thought you wanted the rest of me. As long as you buy me dinner, my hand is
at your disposal. Temporarily at least.”

  To her amusement, Riox blushed.

  She finished her milkshake and slurped around the bottom of the glass until she had gotten every drop.

  When it was finished, the waitress came by and said, “Can I get you another?”

  “Do you have any that are an unholy combination of ice cream and a candy bar?”

  The waitress saluted and pivoted as she headed back to the kitchen.

  Riox looked at the lineup of empty glasses. “You must really enjoy milkshakes.”

  “Milkshakes for lunch was how me and my sisters coped with feeling blue.”

  “Why are you feeling blue?”

  “I am out of my depth here. I have watched my sisters in their courtships.” She muttered, “Sometimes in more detail than I would like.”

  Gera wrinkled her nose. “It just never seemed like something I could do.”

  “Why not?”

  “Didn’t Drak tell you? Well, if he didn’t, let’s just say that my beast has never demanded a mate.” She twisted her lips and figured that it was the best description she could manage.

  He sat back and smiled. “Well, that is my good luck then. I have minimal interest in your beast.”

  She fought the urge to applaud when her new milkshake arrived.

  The waitress’s brows rose in shock when Riox smiled and said, “I will try one of those.”

  Gera stared at him in surprise. “You don’t look like the crushed-candy-bar type.”

  “Don’t let this urbane exterior fool you. I enjoy a good sugar rush now and then.”

  She dipped her straw into the whipped cream and used it to spoon the white fluff up. She smiled slowly. “Me too.”

  He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  When his milkshake arrived, he tried it, and his smile was genuine. “This is surprisingly good.”

  “There are entire restaurant chains that focus on milkshakes. You should really try them.”

  Riox nodded, and then, he looked up at her. “What do you do in the human world?”

  “I work on a farm.”

  He appeared delighted. “A farm? What kind?”

  “We grow herbs and edible plants without pesticides and sell them to tea companies around the world. Also herbalists, mages and some plain old humans.”

  “That sounds fascinating.”

  She smirked. “We play chicken with Mother Nature, guessing that she won’t rain, burn or starve our crops before we can harvest them.”

  “Is it a family concern?”

  “It is. All members of the family are involved, even my new in-laws.”

  “How many siblings do you have?”

  “Six sisters. The youngest is getting married in a few weeks, and that is probably what prompted my dad to send me here.”

  “So, you are the last unmarried daughter?”

  “I am. My dad is cool with it, but he knows that my differences aren’t the easiest thing for me to accept.”

  “The lack of your beast’s interest in the opposite sex.”

  She grimaced. “In any sex. I could accept anything, but the limbo I am stuck in is frustrating.”

  “I wish I could imagine, but I can’t. My tendencies run in the opposite direction, and by that, I mean that companionship is a constant in my life.” His tone became low and husky.

  Gera nodded. “It must be tiring.”

  Surprise crossed his features. “You don’t seem to be seduced by my voice.”

  She was sipping through her straw and laughed so hard she blew a bubble that blasted milkshake out of the glass.

  As she leaned backward, a wave of magic crossed between her and the splashing chocolate tsunami. His gesture gathered the liquid up, and he poured it back into one of the empty glasses on the table.

  “There. What was the laugh for?”

  “I just told you that my inclinations for romance were dormant. Why would your voice seduce me? Don’t get me wrong, it is pretty enough but hardly enough to put me in thrall.”

  “Well, in fey terms, I am a love talker. Seduction is an instinct. I must say, it is odd to run into a woman that doesn’t swoon when I use my voice in that way.”

  “It is just a red-letter day all around.” She sipped what was left of her milkshake and glanced at his. It was already gone.

  He gave her a slow smile. “Do you feel better?”

  “I do. Milkshakes for lunch always have that effect.”

  “Would you care to go for a walk?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I probably should unless I want to let the milkshakes take revenge.”

  “May I show you around?”

  Gera thought about it for a moment. “Are you going to try anything?”

  “I might.”

  “Will you take offense if I don’t reciprocate?”

  He grinned. “It will just inspire me to try a new tactic.”

  “So, I will be helping you become a better seducer?”

  “That is the dream.”

  He reached out and paid for her milkshakes before she could.

  She frowned. “I didn’t ask you to pay for that.”

  “I know. It made it more fun.”

  They left the café, and he paused, picking up her hand and putting it down on his forearm. “There. This is the official position for walking politely with a man you have just met.”

  “If you say so.” She had felt a sort of static when he touched her skin, but as her hand rested on his shirt, it slowly dissipated.

  He grinned. “Well, let’s go. I will introduce you around. Let’s begin at the end of the street and work our way around.”

  They walked slowly toward the salon and spa. It was as good a place as any to start her tour.

  By the time they finished walking through the small town that was the Crossroads, she had a question. “Why are you here, Riox?”

  He grinned. “Drak asked me to help him with the power he needed to shape the magic here. I took leave from my daily activities, and here I am.”

  “So, you are visiting your brother?”

  “I am. Once he gets a few more guests, I will be able to leave.”

  “Why do you have to wait?”

  “Drak does not do well on his own. I don’t want to abandon him here without him having something to do.”

  “What do you do in the human world?”

  He chuckled. “I run a tech company. It is all very boring.”

  “It sounds interesting to me, but I am just a farm girl.” She smirked.

  They walked toward the shifter meadow. She lifted her head, and the sweet scent of clover came to her again.

  “What are you smelling?” Riox was smiling at her.

  “Sweet clover. There is nothing that makes my beast happier.” Her inner goat was bounding around in the grasses once again. It made Gera grin.

  “Is it actually another mind inside your own?”

  Gera looked up at him. “You don’t know?”

  “No. Drak was tapped by the fey council and sent here to become a hotelier. We didn’t know anything other than he was going to be meeting with a lot of shifters.”

  “Well, that explains the first stupid move.”

  “What?” He tugged her into the shadow of the trees and sat next to her on a fallen log.

  “His glamour or his enchantment. Our beasts know we are supposed to feel a fey contact when we meet him, and when there is nothing, we get frustrated and distrustful.”

  Riox stared at her. “You are kidding.”

  “We are humans who access the souls and instincts of the animal kingdom. When something doesn’t feel like we know it should, it freaks us out and we avoid it.”

  He got to his feet. “I have to tell Drak.”

  She waved at him. “Go ahead. I can give him the full lecture when I get back.”

  Riox lifted her hand to his lips, and he kissed it. A moment later,
he was gone and she was left staring at the spot where his lips had had contact with her. Her skin was tingling in a pulse that slowly spread across her entire hand and started to work up her arm.

  She flexed her hand and stared at it. With what she was feeling, she should have been able to see something. The creeping warm prickle of power moved to her elbow, and thankfully, it faded. Gera exhaled in relief. She had no idea what that was or what would have happened if it would have reached her torso. Frankly, she was terrified to find out.

  Gera brushed at her skirt and got to her feet, walking out of the shadows and back toward the Axion. Sunset would be here soon, and she needed to get into one of her evening looks to head for the Crossed Star. She also might put on some makeup if she could steel her nerves. Lip gloss was fine, but it was the eyeliner that needed a steady hand.

  When she stepped into the lobby, Drak and Riox were yelling at each other. She had to admire the soundproofing. She hadn’t heard anything from outside.

  Riox looked at Gera and pointed at his brother. “Tell him.”

  “What? That the spell that keeps the fey magic from interacting with shifter magic creeps out all the shifters? It makes us think you are deceptive before we even speak to you.”

  Drak’s shocked features were still lovely, but when he took a deep breath and a halo of light moved from his head down to his feet, he went from pretty to stunning. This was what fey were supposed to look like.

  Gera grinned. “Much better.”

  She headed up the stairs to her room and closed the door. The building itself rippled around her, and fey magic asserted itself. This was going to be interesting.

  Chapter Four

  Gera brushed her hair and twisted it up, leaving a cascade of strands teasing her neck. The purple dress showed the rhinestones of her bra to advantage.

  She slipped on the heels and watched her posture and demeanour change. The slight flick of mascara and eyeliner made her eyes look huge. Her lips gleamed under the tiniest bit of lip gloss.

  The sun was down, she was nervous, and it was time to go and get some liquid courage or, at least, fake it.

  She smoothed her hands down her short skirt for the fiftieth time and straightened her shoulders. Now or never.