Page 18 of Thrilled By Her Protector

“The fuck you will!”

“Aliza!”

Zircon uncrossed his arms and shook his head. He’d already texted his brothers when the women had waylaid him in the kitchen, and he was fucking glad of that fact now. He heard them traipsing down the hall and, seconds later, his brothers filed into the crowded room.

Good thing, too. Shit was about to happen. Zircon felt it in the air. His Wyvern was scratching and clawing. Both man and beast wanted no fucking part of whatever bullshit Aliza was spouting. This was so not part of the job. But one thing had him pausing in his rebuttal and that was Jennifer.

The female looked positively fierce, not to mention possessive as fuck, as she stood in front of him, blocking him with her trembling body. Her glasses were pushed up on her head as she stood toe to toe with Aliza, both of them growling and hissing their anger.

“You dare! Aliza, I told you to not bother this male,” Xabat growled, stepping forward.

“You do not tell me things when we are on this planet,” the blue haired female retorted, never taking her eyes off Jenn. “Here, male or female, it does not matter. Here, we are equal. Is that not right,teacher?” Aliza snarled, mocking Jennifer.

“Enough!” Zircon shouted, glancing at his brothers.

Jasper and Heliodore caught on immediately. The two of them sent Xabat and Ox back to their quarters, while Larimar gently instructed the other women to return to their quarters.

“Aliza, I am flattered by your interest, but the answer is no,” Zircon said.

“No? I do not understand. She does not want you, and I do. I am young, fertile, I will give you many heirs?—”

“You are very worthy, Aliza, but I am not the one for you,” Zircon said calmly and with real feeling. He did not want to hurt the woman, but he did not need this complication in his life. Like at all.

“Maybe we should fornicate, then you can determine if I am not better attuned to your needs than this Earth Shifter.”

Zircon felt his ears burning. He shook his head. Raising his hands to stop the woman’s advancing. He felt Jennifer’s eyes on him, but had no idea how she was feeling at the moment. All his attention was on Aliza and trying to make her listen.

“No. I do not want that. Aliza, I am sorry to be blunt and I have no wish to hurt you, but the answer is still no.”

“You insult me!”

“I mean no insult to you. Relationships are complicated, and I know things worked differently where you’re from, but here, well, we don’t just announce what we want and expect others to fall in line,” he tried again, but Jennifer’s gasp brought his attention back to her.

Oh, she was pissed. Even in adorable pjs with her hair in braids and polish on her nails, she was still a force to be reckoned with. The air surrounding her sizzled with Shifter magic and energy. She was so damn sexy. Hot as fuck, and he was drawn to her like nothing else. The fact she was made did something else he hadn’t been expecting. It sparked hope.

“Don’t we, though? Don’t some people here just announce what they want and expect everyone and everything else to just go with it,” snapped Jennifer, interrupting his train of thought.

He frowned hard, realizing the real danger at the moment was not Aliza, but Jennifer. Zircon didn’t have to look at the Drakein to know the woman had moved closer to him, but he inched away, eyes on the trembling Owl Shifter.

“Jenn, what are you talking about?”

“You know what, Conny? She’s right. You are eligible and unmated. Maybe you should consider her offer,” she snarled, and her brown eyes flashed with the gold of her Owl.

“What the hell are you saying?”

“Nothing. Just that. You’re single. She’s single. Why not try to see if you two fit?”

Zircon reared back. It was as if he’d been slapped. Fuck. How could she say that to him? Didn’t she know her words were worse than weapons, tearing at his very skin and cutting him down to the bone?

“If we fit? You know, I get that something happened somewhere along the line to make you so hard and unreachable. But I’m trying to be there for you. I am trying Jennifer. Are you?” he asked. “I used to think you were the bravest, smartest woman I ever met. Fuck knows, you are the only woman I can even see. But that was unworthy of you. And I didn’t deserve that from you, either.”

“Shit. Conny I?—”

“No. No more tonight, Jenn. I can’t,” he growled, closing his eyes on a wave of pain.

“I-I see,” Aliza said quietly, and her shoulders slumped. “I will retreat to my chambers. You both seem to have things to work out.”

“There is nothing to work out,” Jennifer whispered.

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