In spite of what her Consort had said, for an exquisite moment Neferet believed Zoey would, indeed, be killed.

And then, quite unexpectedly, a silver blur intruded on the scene. Zoey was knocked out of the way and the massive branch crashed harmlessly to the ground. As Neferet stared disbelievingly, Aurox and Zoey began to slowly unwind themselves from the tangled ball they'd become when he'd saved her from the accident.

With a sound of absolute disgust Neferet turned away from the window and closed the heavy drapes. "Tell my Consort that I said he could have allowed her to get a little more bruised than that." She spoke to the writhing black threads that were her constant companions, knowing they would carry if not her actual words, then their intent, to the white bull. "I think my blood was worth more than a tumble, though I can see that it was wise of him to have Aurox come to her rescue. It will make the creature appear even more heroic to silly young fledglings." Neferet's emerald eyes widened as understanding dawned. "What a delicious complication if one of the silly young fledglings who see the vessel as heroic is Zoey Redbird herself!" Darkness lapped against her legs as she left her chamber and, smiling slyly, went to find Thanatos.

Zoey

So, I'd just done a good thing-two good things actually. I'd talked Shaunee out of leaving the depot, and I'd picked up litter. I was holding the pop can thinking about how much I'd like a nice cold drink of brown pop when the wind, which had been acting crazy all night, blew a giant gust and crack! The gihugic branch directly above me broke off the tree. I didn't have time to do anything but gawk in silent, frozen horror-and then he hit me from the side, low and hard, like I'd seen players do a zill ion times on the football field. All the air was knocked out of me and I felt like I was smothering under a ton or so of guy.

"Get off!" I gasped, trying to push his leg from around me. I flailed enough that, with a grunt, he unwrapped from on top of me. As his weight lifted I could actually suck in a breath of air. I kinda elbowed my way to a half sitting position. My mind was working slowly. At the edge of my vision I saw the big limb, still quivering from its impact with the ground. That could've killed me, I realized and looked up at whoever it was that I needed to send a serious thank-you to.

Moonstone eyes were staring at me. He put his hands up the instant our gazes met and took a small step backward, as if he expected me to launch an attack at him.

Warmth radiated from the seer stone that hung between my br**sts. It filled my body with heat, intensified as if by the touch of Aurox's skin. It had to be my imagination, but it seemed that the stone's heat lingered everywhere in my body even after his touch was gone.

"I was patrolling."

"Yeah," I said, and looked away from him, making myself oh-so-busy brushing grass and leaves from my shirt while I tried to sort through my jumbled thoughts. "You do a lot of that."

"I saw you under the tree."

"Uh-huh." I kept brushing off grass and whatnot while my mind blared: Aurox saved your life!

"I wasn't going to come near you, but I heard the branch breaking. I didn't believe I was going to make it in time." His voice sounded shaky. I looked up at him then. He seemed super awkward. As I stared at him, standing there, looking out of place and dorky, I suddenly realized that no matter what else he was, at that moment Aurox was simply a boy who was as unsure of himself as any other teenage boy.

Some of the anxiety, the terrible unease that I'd felt since the first moment I'd seen him, began to fade away.

"Well, I'm glad you did make it in time." I kept my own voice calm-my emotions under control. The last thing I needed was Stark to come charging up. "And you can put your hands down. I'm not gonna bite you or anything like that." He lowered his hands and shoved them into his jeans pockets. "I did not mean to knock you down. I did not mean to hurt you," he said.

"That limb would have done a lot worse. Plus, it was a good tackle. Heath would have approved." I said the words and then clamped my mouth shut. Why in the hell was I talking about Heath to him?

Aurox just looked all-around confused.

I sighed. "What I mean is, thank you for saving me."

He blinked. "You are welcome."

I started to get up and he held out a hand to help me. I looked at it. It was a perfectly normal hand. It had no hoof-ness about it. I slid my hand in his. Our palms pressed together and I knew I hadn't imagined it. His touch did radiate the same heat as the seer stone.

As soon as I was on my feet I pulled my hand from his.