Butting In Read Online Free PDF

legs and brought her body weight down on the oak via her forehead.
    The crack of the wood was satisfying, so she shook her head, backed up and did it again.
    It took three more impacts before the frustration she felt was gone.
    She sighed and walked back to her clothing, changing back to human and getting dressed.
    She hiked back to the Axion in a very calm mood. She felt more like herself again.
    The Axion had taken up a new appearance since she had left. The subtlety was gone, and now, a fanciful crystalline castle was her home away from home.
    Her heels clicked on the glittering steps, and Drak opened the door for her. “Gera, you look tired.”
    She sighed. “It has been a very long night. I will see you tomorrow.” She smiled tiredly and headed up to bed. It had been a very long day.
    The beautiful staircase lifted her spirits, floating candles lit the hallways and her bedroom had been transformed from serviceable but elegant into a fantasy come to life. Her bed was now a four-poster with an organically carved set of posts. Filmy silk curtains fluttered on all sides. It would be a beautiful place to hide, and she could not resist the safety that it promised.
    After a quick shower, she crawled between the silk sheets, exhausted and back in control. She planned to stay there as long as she could.
     
    * * * *
     
    Drak scowled at his brother when Riox finally made his way back to the Axion.
    “Riox, you mentioned that you were interested in Gera.”
    Riox frowned and put his hands defensively on his hips. “I am. Why?”
    “Because she arrived here two hours ago, and she was even more shut down than she had been when she left. What happened?”
    Riox cocked his head. “I promised a few of the ladies a dance tonight, and I keep my promises.”
    Drak winced. “Were you with Gera when the ladies came to collect?”
    “Yes. She excused herself and left. Is there a problem?”
    Drak pinched the bridge of his nose. “At least you came back alone.”
    “Drak, I don’t see the problem. I had some fun with the other ladies, but I am still focused on Gera.”
    “Riox, how would she know that?” He sighed.
    Drak saw understanding dawning in his eyes. He felt it necessary to hammer the idea home. “The shifters have been coming here to find mates. If the connection is broken or interfered with, they simply seek another. They do not try to make a bad fit work. They move on.”
    “And my dancing with other women?”
    “If you didn’t explain that it was a previous promise, she would have taken it as rejection. She does not have the confidence in you to fight for your attentions, nor should she have to.”
    Riox’s normally proud face suddenly looked unsure. “Did I completely fuck it up?”
    “Thankfully, you came home alone. I would suggest you go to the library and look up the mating behaviours of her beast. That is who you must appeal to.”
    Drak had high hopes for his brother. Over the centuries, he had tried to fill a well of loneliness with the women who rushed into his arms. None of them wanted him; they were beguiled by what he was. Riox needed someone who wanted him, not his magic.
    Riox nodded and headed for the library.
    Drak sighed. Yes, he would soon have the guests that he needed, but if he could find someone for his brother, it would prove that his skills as a matchmaker were not just his imagination. Over the centuries, he had found mates for dozens of his own people and some humans. This was a whole new playing field, and the best part was that everyone here was unattached. There would be no issue of running into existing spouses when he found the perfect match for man or woman.
    Riox and Gera pulsed in a matching pattern, but they moved at different frequencies. Gera squashed the energy she produced behind social strictures and a shy demeanour. She needed someone to stand by her so she could unfurl her self-confidence and become the force of nature that lurked under the surface.
    Riox needed