“I’m fine,” I spluttered out, my voice hoarse from the screaming as I tried to catch my breath. “Please don’t do that again, or I might have a heart attack as a result of your stunt.”
“I thought you’d enjoy the rush,” Axel explained as he picked me up off the ground and carried me in his wings. “I promise you I won’t do it again. I don’t have the medical training to care for you if you have a cardiac arrest.”
“Thank you.” I closed my eyes as I pressed my head against his chest’s soft feathers, allowing him to calm me.
“Hey, birdman! Is she all right?” a loud female voice inquired, her voice sounding like someone who had frequented a coffee shop. “With the way you descended, I thought you were in trouble.”
“I’m an Ekoiskra, and I’m perfectly capable of carrying Ami,” he snapped, pressing me closer to his body. “My species can easily handle the weight of another, because that is how we engage in mating flights and help our offspring learn the limits of their wings.”
“Don’t yell at my mate, councilor,” a deep rumbly voice growled. “You summoned her, and she is permitted to be concerned for her fellow female human.”
“Sarah?” I slowly opened my eyes and turned my face toward the bright female voice. “Are you Sarah?”
A tall, angry-looking feline alien held a long blonde haired woman in a blue revealing gown. They were polar opposites of each other, with her exuding joy and excitement and her mate appearing deadlier than Axel.
It was as if he had missed the casting call for the most recent remake of the Cats musical, or perhaps they were the stars for a modernBeauty and the Beast, with the black cat on his shoulder, the reimagined Toto.
“Yes, I’m Sarah,” the blonde woman said, stepping forward and offering her hand. “And this is my catman, Carth-Eek, and my accomplice, Loki. Yes, he was named that way for a reason.”
“How about we leave the two females alone to talk while I catch you up on what’s going on?” Carth-Eek inquired, his gaze fixed on Axel. “I’m sure they have plenty of female human things to talk about without our presence.”
Axel cast a downward glance at me, his amber eyes scanning mine. “Is that all right with you?”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I said, casting a quick glance around the area. “Plus, you won’t be too far away.”
Axel lowered me to the ground slowly, his hands lingering on my sides, as if he wanted to ensure that I was stable on my feet.
He brushed the sides of my robes, as if trying to straighten the wrinkles caused by our flight.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, putting my hand on his and stopping his movement. “It’s fine. Don’t let me distract you from your work.”
He nodded at me before pulling his hand away and casting a quick glance at Sarah. “If you need me, I’ll be at the crash site.”
“My Sah-Rah, keep an eye on her.” The furry male gave his mate one last hug before walking away, his gaze fixed on Axel. “Let’s take a look at what’s been done and what still needs to be done.”
In silence, the two of us observed the two males walking toward the escape pod.
Sarah shook her head as they reached the top of the dirt pile. “I never expected to see my catman walking alongside his birdman boss.”
“Axel doesn’t like being called ‘birdman,’ ” I corrected her, trying not to offend her. “He requested that I never refer to him as that.”
“It’s probably because I keep calling him that, and it reminds him of me.” She burst out laughing. “We didn’t have a good introduction, and I felt he was rude with how he treated me. To be honest, I’m surprised by how he’s treating you.”
“He’s been nothing but respectful and kind to me.” I felt compelled to defend Axel, especially after everything he’d done for me. “He offered to help fund my education and to let me stay at his villa.”
“Wow, that’s unexpected.” She frowned and tilted her head as she studied me. “Are you sure you aren’t keeping anything from me? Are you delaying telling me something?”
“No.” My brow furrowed in perplexity as I tried to figure out what she was asking. “Should I be?”
“Look.” She took my hands in hers and squeezed them together, her hazel eyes locked with mine. “He asked me to come here, and asked if I could speak with you to see if you were interested in going to the sanctuary, or if you were truly content to stay with him as your sponsor.”
“He requested you to be here?” I shot a glance at where he was located, and noticed both males staring at us and how we were holding hands. “Why would he do that when I’m happy to be with him?”
“Are we talking ‘be with him, be with him?’ ” Sarah cocked her head toward him, her gaze bouncing between the two of us. “Or is there something else going on between you two?”
“To be honest, I don’t see why it’s any of your business.”
“Because it’s your future we’re talking about,” Sarah replied, shaking my hands. “I’ve visited the sanctuary. It’s a beautiful location. You are not required to remain here.”
