The redhead blinked. “Oh…right.” Wide-eyed, she handed him the cup. “Thank you.”
And he didn’t have to use compulsion to get her to comply. No, he didn’t like using coercion, not on females, anyway.
With a little nod, he slipped outside, welcoming the icy air enfolding him since his headache seemed determined to flay him.
He glanced in the direction she,Leya, had headed.
Vae!As tiny as she was, she’d already put distance between them. Before she disappeared into the night, he moved faster than human eyes could track, then slowed to a mortal space a few feet behind her.
This close, the scent that had drawn him appeared muted…mingled with a musky one…because she wore another’s coat? With his mind shielded tight, he couldn’t get a proper read, and he didn’t dare lower his safeguards on this crowded street.
“Leya?” he called out, sending out calming thoughts so she wouldn’t freak out and run at a stranger calling her by name.
She pivoted, and her pretty almond-shaped eyes widened warily.
“You left this behind,” he said quickly, holding out the coffee. “Your redhead friend chased after you, but I was headed this way and offered to do so.”
Her smooth brow wrinkled, and she glanced at the coffee in his hand.
In the moonlit street, Aerén studied the female who’d stopped him in his tracks on the street and made him take notice of her by a trace of her fragrance alone. She was petite, the crown of coal-black hair barely reaching his clavicle.
Determined to get a response, he said, “You are Leya, yes?”
Her brows tipped together with suspicion. “Why?”
The unexpected urge to reach out and smooth the crease away took hold. Aerén thrust his fingers through his breeze-blown hair instead. He knew exactly what she meant. Not about her name, but why didheoffer to bring her the coffee?
Dozens of reasons, but none she was ready to hear.
He settled for, “It’s cold. Your friend didn’t have a coat on when she dashed after you. It was the courteous thing to do.”
“Courteous?” Then she shook her head, a wry expression crossing her face as she accepted the coffee. “Never mind. That’s my friend, all right. Thanks for this.” She lifted her coffee. “And bye.”
“Watch out—”
She pivoted straight into a duo of arguing men. The cursing, skinny human shoved her hard. She tripped, her coffee flying from her hand.
Aerén grabbed her before she hit the building, her small body plastered to his, her heart beating frantically against his chest.
“Watch where you’re goin’, fuckin’ ho!” the human snapped. “You could have spilled your friggin’ drink on me!”
“Are you okay?” he asked, his ire barely leashed.
She nodded, her eyes like dark holes in her face gone pale beneath her pretty brown skin.
Aerén glanced at the departing arguing men, bumping into people and snarling the same cuss words. The skinny one who pushed her pulled a cap over his stringy blond hair.
“What did he mean byho?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She rubbed her arms, a slight hitch to her voice. “My fault. I didn’t look.”
“Tell me.”
At his terse order, her mouth thinned. “It’s a demeaning word for women. It means whore, prostitute—”
Aerén held up a hand, stopping her, his expression morphing to ice. “Wait here.” He took off after thecaeni.
The human scum would beg for mercy before Aerén was through with him.
