Page 235 of Phoenix's Fire

Last night, Saveah had warned me she'd left Ayla with Rymar and a bottle of wine. Needless to say, I hadn't been shocked when he'd come home carrying her. That she was wearing his shirt had left me with a few questions, but he'd said they'd been swimming. So when I heard something about kissing, knowing they'd been drunk?

I'd been ready to rip Rymar's tail from his body, but Kanik had walked past, waving for me to stay. Their conversation had continued, and from what little I could pick up, I had a lot more questions than answers. There was only one thing I was sure of: something had happened.

So once Rymar gave Ayla a glass of water and a pain pill, I gestured for him to get his ass outside. He turned for the kitchen, but Kanik moved to block his path, pointing out front. Rymar just sighed, turned, and marched outside without even slowing to wait for me.

"I have Holly out back," Kanik said. "But I have questions too."

"Uh-huh," I agreed, feeling my tail lashing as I stood and aimed for the chairs we had on the front porch.

Kanik had a good point. The table in the backyard was right beside the bathroom. If Ayla tried, she could probably listen in, and that would keep Rymar from saying what he should. He'd cover for her - or himself. But out front, this was as private as it was going to get.

"Swimming, huh?" I asked as I left the house, turning for the chairs.

Rymar was leaning against the railing, looking out over the front yard. "Where's Kanik?"

"Making sure Holly doesn't get lost," I said. "I would also like to remind you how you chewed my fucking ass for putting my mouth on her, and now you're the one kissing her?"

"Look," he said, glancing over at me, "She was drunk - "

"Which does not make it better!" I roared, clenching the arm of my chair hard enough for my nails to dent the wood.

"And," he went on as if I hadn't interrupted, "we were talking about men. Evidently you told her that if she wants another kiss, she has to do the kissing."

"And?" I asked.

"And she doesn't know how!" he snapped. "That girl drank a bottle and a half of my best wine - and quickly. So you know,myplan had been to swim, let her realize it was okay to be stupid with a friend, and drag our drunk asses home to sleep it off. She had other plans."

"Soshekissed you?*" I scoffed, unable to believe it.

Rymar sighed heavily. "Zasen, my head is killing me, so is there any way we can do this at a respectable volume?"

"Sit," I told him. "Did you get any of those pills for yourself?"

"Yeah," he muttered as he made his way over to the closest chair. "Hasn't kicked in yet."

Okay, he wasn't filling me full of shit, so I decided to lower my voice a bit. "What happened?"

"Qavan's friends are assholes," he said. "The guy brought his pals to meet me. I thought that was a good sign." He leaned over his knees to rub at his eyes. "I was wrong."

"And?" I pressed.

"Yeah, pretty sure he's never going to talk to me again."

I reached over to rub his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ry."

"Me too," he said. "I honestly liked this one, Zasen, but he brought his friends for free drinks, and he'd been bragging about getting his dick sucked."

"I mean, I'd brag about getting my dick sucked," I pointed out.

He gave me a tired look. "No, you wouldn't. Youmighttell us it happened. You wouldn't brag about it."

"True," I relented. "So I'm guessing that's what led to the alcohol? How'd that become making out with Ayla?"

"Not making out," he assured me. "See, you told her she had to do the kissing. She was worried about that because she doesn't know how, and it seems our little Phoenix has been thinking about it. She didn't know how to do it."

"To kiss?"

"Mhm," he said. "Or to make sure it was okay, so we had a little lesson on consent."

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