She stared up at me, blinking innocently, even though her tail twitched in irritation.
“Fuck me, what a view she’s got,” Elder Merrick rumbled, his wolf growling low.
I glanced up and saw his eyes glow with craving. Blinking, I glanced down again, and realized what he meant. She was between my legs with an unfettered intimate view. I also realized I had revealed my attire not quite how I had wanted.
I couldn’t chance peeking at Ezra right now because that might be too obvious after Elder Merrick’s comment, so instead I lowered and picked the cub up. She instantly cuddled against me and hardly let me place her on the table, wanting to stay in my arms. Her ears instantly lowered when her paws touched the marble and she eyed everyone else warily, a bitty growl, which was barely distinguishable, vibrating inside her chest.
Slowly, she lowered and began creeping back in forth in front of me, her eyes not leaving the Kings and Elders. Goodness, she was really worked up, appearing to not like people much. Glancing at Ezra’s cub, which was having a fit to be put on the table, I reached over, plucked him from Ezra’s grip, and placed him on the table with an affectionate rub on the head.
“Go play.” I patted their rumps, pushing them. “And quit causing such a ruckus.”
Ezra made that funny noise in his throat again.
I chanced peeking at him as the large male cub began creeping in a circle around the small female cub, sniffing her. Ezra’s eyes were darting back and forth between me and the cubs, a mixture of shock and desire riding his features. I stood on tiptoe, asking him, “Now, what’s the matter with everyone?”
The room was mute except for the noises the cubs were making.
Ezra inhaled sharply, and his gaze darted to Elder Merrick, shooting him a poisonous glance, before his eyes returned to me. Actually, my cle**age. He licked his bottom lip, placing a hand high over the cubs, and said, “He let you touch him.”
I blinked. “And?”
His mouth opened again but his body stilled, his head snapping to the cubs. The female was raised on her hind legs and butting her head against his palm, obviously wanting him to pet her. Bit by bit, Ezra began stroking her head, bending at the waist with a look of awe as she nuzzled into his hand. He brought his face close to her, gazing at her watchfully.
Until the male swatted at Ezra’s hand and jumped, sitting right in front of his face with his furry back to Ezra’s nose. He puffed up his chest and growled once at the female. Ezra straightened as the male lowered his face and started nudging her with his head. She bit his ear gently, but moved when he kept pushing. When he stopped, she swatted at his face for his antics, but he ignored it and started circling her again, gradually lowering his body, his eyes avidly on her.
“What’s he doing?” I asked in fascination.
Antonio coughed hard, glancing at me.
My eyebrows came together as Ezra snatched the crouching male off the table, holding him against his chest. Before Ezra turned his back to everyone, gently scolding the cub, I saw that his cheeks were pink. Dazed and confused, I most definitely was.
I jerked and gasped as the female took a flying leap and bashed into Ezra’s side where he was resting his hip against the table. She didn’t claw him, but she most definitely batted at his arm before landing in a crouch, growling at him. Ezra stopped rebuking the male and peered at her. She sat straight and looked at him harmlessly, then made a whining noise, rising on her hind legs and placing her front paws on the male cub’s hanging limb.
Ezra’s lips twitched, and he said softly, “You can play with him later.”
And so help me if she didn’t actually listen to him. She dropped, and with one last glance at the male cub, she moved in front of me and started growling again, this time at the Kings and Elders.
“Maybe,” Elder Jacobs said into the quiet, appearing thoughtful, “they’re friendly when they know we mean them no harm.” A pause. “Not all of our eagles hated each other in the beginning.”
Cahal blinked. “Pet her and see.”
Elder Jacobs rubbed his chest, acting nervous. “Alright. I’ll test the theory.” He moved down the table and reached a hand out to the female cub.
I jumped when she attacked. I didn’t even have time to make a startled noise before Elder Jacobs shouted and jerked his hand away. Two of his fingers were sliced so badly from her bite that bone was showing, and he had long, deep scratches on his wrists that were bleeding profusely because she had caught him under his wrist at the veins.
“Mother-fucker!” Elder Jacobs hissed, holding his hand to his chest protectively. He glared at the female cub, which was licking her bloody chops and hissing at him. “She’s f**king viscous.”
I could have sworn the female cub grinned and made a chomping motion in his direction.
King Kincaid’s chest rose. Stayed that way. “Of course she is.”
My eyes about crossed. “What the hell am I missing here?”
Ezra was actually chuckling at the female cub, and with a quick glance at me, then back to her, he asked, “Didn’t you pay any attention in history class?”
Um, no. I had slept through most of it, only passing the class because Pearl had provided me with study notes. “It went in one ear and out the other as soon as I took the tests.”
Ezra sighed and carefully placed on the table the male cub, which appeared to have listened to his direction. He didn’t try crowding the female again, only squatting and watching her. “When Prodigies are in times of war, or when there will be a war during their ruling, they receive an animal of protection.” He gestured toward the cubs. “Vizoacs.”
I eyed the cubs, which would currently be lunch meat for any Shifter. “Vizoacs?” Ezra nodded, petting his cub, and I muttered, “I don’t remember anything like that.”
Ezra grunted. “They magically recognize where to find us. No one really knows where they come from, since they appear before the Prodigies are crowned. They’re only loyal to their owner. Anyone else who touches them will get an ugly surprise.” He blinked, and amended, “Well, they’re supposed to, anyway. That’s why it’s remarkable that he let you touch him and she let me touch her.”
King Venclaire interjected. “He’s forgetting to tell you a crucial detail.” He grinned, patting his full pocket. “Whichever of the four Prodigies is the powerhouse of the group is how the Vizoac is determined.”
Ezra explained at my blank expression, “If the Shifter is the most powerful, the Prodigies receive wolves. If the Elemental is, they receive hawks. If the Mage is, they receive eagles.” Ezra’s lips twitched as he glanced at Cahal. “A Vizoac lives as long as its owner, so Dad’s still got his eagle. And he’s a crafty, mean bastard.”