Theo #2
Of course, E.A.R.T.H. took low blows with the naming conventions. Mocking something makes it feel less abhorrent. It made their staff less likely to revolt.
“He can’t be talked out of this dumbass idea?” I groaned, rubbing the tension from the forehead muscles between my horns.
“I don’t think so. He’s really struggling, Theo. I can only talk so much reason into him right now.”
“Did you try explaining it calmly? Instead of—” Her pink scales creased as she squinted, threatening me to imply she wasn’t handling the situation properly.
“Talk to him however you’d like when he shows up. But you won’t change his mind.”
I didn’t have a mate—probably never would—but I imagined being in love with a goddess would be torture.
So much fear and anger. Graysen knew the ugly truth of that reality intimately and had been dancing on insanity for years because of it.
There was no reasoning with that level of stress and anguish.
Maybe that’s why he only trusted Mykie, who complemented his demons so well.
“Alright,” I agreed reluctantly. Not my choice to make for them.
“You’re a real one.” Mykie slapped me on the back. “Erase it from your oh-so-heavy conscience. I’ll carry the burden.”
“You’ll drink yourself to death if you keep carrying their burdens,” I remarked flatly. As her former-colleague-turned-bartender, I had a front row seat to her pre-existing alcohol abuse spiraling out of control since Faeryn came around.
“Good thing death is afraid of me.” She winked as we stopped outside of the pub doors. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an E.A.R.T.H. scout to eradicate.”
“Sorry I’m late,” Graysen said as he unwrapped his scarf.
The Pyran emblem glowing brightly on his neck suggested he was riled up.
It looked like it was about to shoot flames if his palms didn’t.
Those obvious tells aside, it was a strange greeting.
Graysen had been late more times than I could count over the years.
He didn’t typically apologize for it. He must really want to be in my good graces today.
Right. He was about to ask me for a very big, very careless, favor.
“All good.” I continued setting up the bar, noticing him staring at my limp out of the corner of my eye.
He wouldn’t say anything. If he started asking me questions about my oddities, I’d return the favor.
And I knew he didn’t want that. He bristled whenever I brought up anything related to Faeryn or his past.
“It’s been slower recently. I guess the snow is keeping people inside.” Small talk: another tell that he was anxious.
I grunted in response. I didn’t want him feeling too comfortable asking this favor. It’d be better if he didn’t.
He began flipping chairs down from tables. “Do you remember meeting a new female at the bar before you left for your trip? She had gray hair. Her name is Faeryn. I think Mykie maybe introduced you to her.”
Unbeknownst to him, I was well-aware of his mate. “Yeah, she had a ribbon around her neck.”
I made a mental note to make one for the goddess I’d be returning to in the summer.
It was an easy way to pretend they were a native Trebianna species.
The goddesses were practically identical to Pyrans in their masked states, aside from the absence of a glowing emblem on their neck.
Hide that missing piece and dye their hair, and nobody would know the difference.
“Right. She’s staying with me, and she wants a job. I told her I’d put in a good word.” He didn’t sound thrilled, but he also didn’t hesitate.
“She’s hired.” I forced the words past my lips before I could start telling him how much of a dumbass he was being.
He seemed surprised at my quick response for a moment, then wiped the expression from his face with a hand. “Thanks Theo, I really appreciate it. If you don’t mind just putting us on the same shifts for convenience—”
“Absolutely not,” I cut him off.
A muscle in his jaw twitched, his fingers snapping in agitation against his thigh. “Why not?”
“I don’t see you being nice to my patrons when your mate has to deal with them.”
“I didn’t say she was my—” he couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. As if it would betray her to imply there was any world where they weren’t bonded. “I’ll be nice.”
“Like hell you will.” I would’ve laughed at the blatant lie if the topic weren’t so serious.
“Theo.” A clawed hand slapped down on the bar top next to me, Graysen’s bronze eyes were glowing. The thought of not being there to watch over her infuriated him enough to shift into his predatory features. He was proving my point.
“If you can’t talk about this without slipping feral, how would you handle a shift with her? Drunk males flirting with her?” I tapped a finger on the back of his claw.
“Feral” features, the unmasked version of some Trebianna species, were a sign they were losing control. Usually over their temper. Why else would they suddenly need claws and fangs, if not to maim?
He withdrew his blackened hand, gripping the back of his neck with it. “Sorry. Just… think about it, okay? It would really help me.”
I’d see how he adjusted to her working at all, then maybe reconsider what his temper could manage.
I figured this wouldn’t be a sustainable restriction, but hopefully some common sense would kick in and he’d take her back to her field before things got too complicated.
I had until the end of winter to decide how to handle this best. Then I’d leave for Cyciciah and they’d have to manage themselves.
“Can she start tomorrow?” More time with me would be better. I could keep an eye on things.
He blinked his eyes, their color cooling from feral Pyran bronze to their original gray. “I’m sure she’d like to.” Anxiety audibly caught in his throat, the reality of his request was setting in.
“Great. With Bren gone, I’m short-handed. Better to start her as soon as possible.” I hadn’t intended to replace my previous employee. We were fully staffed since Mitus started. But, it made for an easy excuse.
“Of course,” he said quietly.
I looked at the fear in Graysen’s eyes. He didn’t want to do this.
I’d give him one more opportunity to back out.
It wasn’t too late. “I’ll be gone next summer.
Do you think she has enough bartending experience to hold things down without me around?
Maybe I should hire someone who’s worked a pub before? ”
All he had to do was suggest she couldn’t handle it, and I could call this whole lousy plan off. He’d have a convenient excuse to give her.
His brows pinched together, the muscles of his neck twitching as he swallowed. “I think she’ll do well.” The words grated through his clenched teeth.
Fine. I’d given him a chance to make the right decision for his mate.
I’d do what I could to support them, then return to Cyciciah to help the goddess I’d found.
No, who had found me. And saved me. Who didn’t have a support network to guard her around the clock and worry about her secret getting out. She needed a hand. I’d lend four.