Page 33

She silently admitted to herself that it was still a little unnerving when they looked at her like that. She raised their eyebrows at them and to her surprise, Agrel grinned. Though perhaps she should have been concerned given the faint look of concern on Gehj’s face.

“A courting flight,” Agrel said slowly, as if savoring it.

“We did not think you would want one,swiya,” Gehj interjected. “They are?—”

“A display of love, trust, desire, and devotion,” Agrel interrupted. “And if our lovely mate wishes to experience a true mating ritual, then we have no right to deny her. And when we return, I shall feather our bed.”

“You nearly made yourself bald last time,” the other male commented drily, and Delilah smothered a laugh. He sighed and shook his head before looking over at her, his eyes bright and warm with love. “We will not deny you,swiya, but the ritual may not be as enjoyed by humans as it is by Atlavan females.”

Delilah shrugged. “They are just as wingless as I am.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “But their nature also finds it an aphrodisiac. I am not so sure you would agree.”

“Quit trying to talk her out of it,” Agrel hissed, and that time Delilah did laugh.

“No one is talking me out of anything. I want to do this. I want to experience and have everything with you. And if this is an important mating ritual for your people, then I want to give this to us, too.”

Agrel smiled at Gehj and slowly the tension eased from her other mate, and he nodded in agreement. Agrel hooted, sweeping her up into his arms.

“Great! I am first,” he shouted, and he ran, carrying Delilah right out of their nest onto the bridge, but he didn’t stop running.

He leaped over the side, the wind catching his partially expanded wings. They fell together through the sky and Delilah felt herself slipping slowly from his arms as he gradually relaxed his grip. Fear rose sharply from within her, but the way he smiled at her with his heart in his eyes melted it away. Even when she slipped entirely from his arms, she was unafraid. His hands tangled with hers and his wings opened wide in a dizzying performance that whipped them around like dancers.

She was dancing through the air, spinning with her mate as the air rushed around them. He released her hands at intervals, tossing her up and spinning her, only to catch her again, much like two birds of prey wrestling in their mating dance. And then, with a toss that spun her completely around, she shouted with laughter as Gehj’s wings beat the air, his fingers entwining with hers as they spun and spun, tumbling through the air. Twisting together, entwining, in an aerial acrobatic display that stole her breath, sent excitement pounding through her blood, andignited a familiar fire deep inside of her as their wings began to crest with flames as they danced with her in their flight.

They danced their devotion, their passion, and all of their love, and they burned together throughout the night.