Page 8 of Thrilled By Her Protector

She bit her tongue on that unhelpful commentary and tried once again to explain why things were the way they were. She’d already explained about the importance of blending in. Even told them highly classified information about the missing Shifters. But it was impossible to motivate this group. Especially because of a few who seemed in charge of the rest.

“I do not wish to listen to you. Earth is hardly the planet that Drakeinan was. You, lesser Shifter, have nothing to teach me,” Aliza, a blue haired Drakein female, snapped. “Earth history means nothing to me. As a far superior being, I do not feel it is pertinent to my staying here as a guest?—”

“Aliza, how many times must I tell you, you are not a guest? This is not a vacation. You are going to live here now, and that means total and complete assimilation. We can’t let it be known there are Aliens out there, never mind supernatural ones. Society would collapse!”

“Maybe it should, Jennifer Dylluan. Earthlings are petty, hateful creatures. Maybe the supernaturals should rise and take over this giant floating dust ball! Earth has nothing of the beauty of Drakeinan!”

Jennifer bit her lip to stop from growling at the female. It wouldn’t help. And she had to try to see it from their point of view. They were in a strange land, dependent on others for survival, and for a race of powerful Shifters that sucked in ways Jennifer could not even begin to try to explain.

After decades on a ship traveling through space under the rule of what amounted to a petty tyrant, the Drakeins were untrustful. And who could blame them? According to Daeja, Heliodore’s mate, Cass Viper was a right bastard, and his treatment of the females was even worse than the males.

“Look, I know it seems pointless, but this reading will help you understand some of the reason things are the way they are. History is important. Learning the past means we don’t make the same mistakes in the future,” Jennifer tried again,

“That is absurd,” Aliza snapped. “Earth has repeated its past several times and continues to do so. Hatred, violence, the destruction of the environment. You Earthlings do not deserve a planet.”

“Well, that is not up to you to say, Aliza. All I can tell you is we are doing our best. At least, I would like to think we are. Each of us has a moral obligation to try. You and your friends here asked to stay. Do the work. Be the best you can. And you can have a good life. You can be productive, useful, and if you’re lucky, you can be happy.”

“Like you?” she scoffed. “I see your pain in your eyes, Jennifer Dylluan. Do not speak to me of happiness when you have seen none of it yourself.”

“That’s enough, Aliza,” Xabat interrupted, the enormous male’s gaze flashing at the younger female, then back to Jennifer.

Aliza was one of the five females who’d opted to remain at the Wessex compound, along with Hydra, Kizzy, Luna, and Serene. The two males, Ox and Xabat, stood behind the women. Silent and lethal, she knew without being told they were warriors. Scarred up beasts, they’d been two of the first males to turn on Cass Viper during the battle. Of course, she didn’t appreciate their smirks or the way they acted like they owned the females.

“No one asked you to interfere, Xabat.”

“You dare question my actions?” he asked.

“I do more than dare,” Jennifer replied. “Sit down and mind your business. This is between Aliza and me.”

“Very well, Jennifer Dylluan. We will continue to observe how single females on this planet fill their lives with meaningless work as they wait for a worthy male to lay claim to them.”

“What?Ohmyfuckinggods,” Jennifer growled.

Pushing her glasses on top of her head, she rubbed her face with her hands. Aliza and the other women looked at her mutinously, and Ox and Xabat stood there, silently watching. This was turning into the longest assignment of her entire life.

One thing she learned, however, was that men were the same. NO matter where they came from. Human males, Shifter males, and Alien Shifter males had the same damn thing in common.

They were all assholes. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Ugh.

“Look, everyone. My relationship status is not in question, nor does it have any bearing on my ability to do my job. I understand on Drakeinan women were not seen as equal to men, but here, we damn well are,” she snapped.

“Ha! That is, how do you say, a good one, yes?” Ox said.

“No. It is not a joke. That is a damn fact. Now, Aliza, and this goes for the rest of you, as well, I do not care if you don’t want to listen. The pages I have assigned you to read are mandatory. As is your completion of these lessons. You must get through this course so you can finally go out on your own and make a life for yourself here.”

The small room resembled a high school class with its desks and chairs, and Jennifer felt very much like a high school teacher, and not the trained DPCA professional she was. She maintained eye contact with the Aliza until the female looked away.

Good. Look away, her Owl hissed.

Jennifer released a long exhale. People made the mistake of thinking she was timid or shy. They scented feathers on her, and thought she was a dove or a goose, maybe. But Jennifer harbored a Great Horned Owl inside her. Not a fucking songbird. Her animal was fierce and dominant.

She was the ultimate weapon. Her talons could slash through the toughest of hides and hold weights triple that of her own. She was enormous, too, with a wingspan of over ten feet, which was double that of her wild cousins. Her beak was strong and excelled at tearing skin and ripping through the thick veins of her enemies.

She was a hunter. A skilled flyer who broke speeding records. Her eyesight, while diminished in her human form, was close to x-ray vision when in her feathers. Jennifer followed the rules of her office, but her Owl was not of the same ilk. She demanded submission from those around her, and the Drakein female would do well not to test her. Especially not about this.

“Aliza,” whispered Kizzy. “Just obey the rules.

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