Page 34 of Claiming Starlight
Although not a centaur-type creature, there were hooves on the woman’s two feet. She stood out from the other unnaturals, an obvious herbivore, but strangely paid no attention to the predator threat of the wolf shifter chopping onions on the cutting board right next to her She was obviously used to them.
Busy talking with the bulky man in front of him asking about his car, Micah pulled Sophie under his arm at the same time that the deer woman’s expression tightened and seemed to spread like a virus to the others watching them. The atmosphere in the room, at least in the younger female guests, turned acidic. The shifter next to the deer woman stopped chopping to give Sophie the same once over everyone else was.
In the back of the kitchen, somewhere down a hall where Sophie couldn’t see from her position, a screen door opened with a metal screech. A moment later, two red-blood girls around Sophie’s age entered, sashaying into the room on tall spike-heeled shoes like they owned it. Their brazen attitude conflicted with everything Sophie knew about the power structure between races. Their false confidence made Sophie uncomfortable, like watching crazy people declare themselves the queens of some foreign land.
They saw Micah first focused on him like fresh cake out of the oven. Sophie watched the girls take in Micah’s arm around her shoulder, how he had her pressed up against his side. As a unit, their red lips went slack with shock, and they exchanged skeptical looks as if to assure each other of what they were seeing before glancing back at Sophie.
“Tantie, where is the beer?” the one in the short jean skirt asked. Her eyes stayed on Sophie and Micah, despite speaking to someone else.
Glad Micah had warned her about the women, Sophie relaxed into his hold, liking how his height made it comfortable to fit under his arm, her front facing his side. Feeling uncommonly bold, she wrapped her arms around his muscled waist in a hug. He was so warm, and it felt so good, that she was thankful the other women gave her the audacity to do it. He hugged her back in a one-armed encouragement as he continued his conversation.
“I told you, there are more in the ice chests on the side of the house, unless they found it already.” Smoothing the red-and-black poppy apron, the human woman, Tantie, turned from what she was stirring on the stove as she addressed the girls.
Other than the elderly women sitting at the table alcove arguing over who had the last blackjack, every woman in the kitchen was now glaring at Sophie.
“Are we out of beer already?” someone by the stove asked.
“Ranalf said to get more,”the girl in the jean skirt replied.
“You can’t carry it. Get some of the boys, Mariposa,” Tantie said.
“Ranalf can get it. He knows where it is,” the man talking to Micah said to the women. Then to Micah, “He hasn’t been in the house, but the backyard is full.”
“I’m not staying long, Ben,” Micah answered. “Just doing my duty to Avó. Getting some good food to feed my girl. This is neutral ground. Tantie and Agehya want him here. They can have him here.”
“I want to challenge him,” the stranger, Ben, said.
“You’d lose, boss. He cheats, and he’s older,” Micah told him grimly.
“You could challenge him,” Ben suggested.
“You said you wouldn’t,” Tantie’s voice went high, sounding alarmed at the idea that Micah could change his mind.
“I don’t want his job or his people.” Micah replied, directing his gaze at Tantie. “As long as he keeps his hands to himself, I’m good.”
“There is nothing wrong with his people. But I don’t know about yours. You know that one is vampir cattle, right?” The antlered lady Interjected bitterly.
Sophie could feel Micah’s energy ripple as his shifter stirred. “Careful, Agehya.”He warned.
She tossed her head and huffed disapprovingly, and the shifter next to her frowned as she stared at Sophie. “That? You’d rather have that?”
“Cállate! It is Avó’s birthday, and this isn’t the time or place,” Micah scolded.
Sophie couldn’t believe how rude they were. It wasn’t the insult to her, so much. Sophie knew all the slurs. She had thought of some of them herself. It was that the women were circling them like hyenas, two girls preening for him, one or two bitter over him, and another just angry, and all of them judging her. Judging Micah for being with her. She didn’t like it. He was an alpha wasn’t he? Shouldn’t they show him respect?
As if the room needed more people, the back door opened again, the screen slamming too hard against the house. “Where is that beer? And is the brisket ready yet? Ranalf says this year’s sausage wasn’t as good as last and I should tell Avó.”
The insult of the food ratcheted the tension up like gasoline on straw, but the shifter was clueless. Sophie took him in, youngish, he needed a haircut, and his beard was wild. But maybe he was just hairy by nature. It also grew thick down his arms.Something pinged in the back of her brain, and recognition sparked.
“Pek! You’re Pek. Where’s Alexi?” Sophie shouted, urgency and excitement flooding her system.
His head jerked towards Sophie. “Oh, shit!”
Seeing Sophie, recognizing her, Pek’s skin rippled as he attempted to turn and run, but he didn’t have time to shift and flee.Micah’s voice boomed out loud and powerful, freezing the pup in his tracks.
“Stop!”
Pek dropped to the floor in a thud that shook the house, his hair longer and thicker, his spinal bones cracking, but he didn’t run, Micah’s command had stopped him.
