Page 31 of Perfectly Petite Shorts (Perfect Pixie)

Ray’s hands grasped Wendall’s upper arms, pulling us both closer and sandwiching me in between. “That is an impossibility.”

“But—”

“There is no but . Every bonding ceremony is different. Ours will be as it should be. As long as we’ve shared our bonds when the ceremony is complete, then it will be a success.” I chittered my agreement.

Gripping me tighter, Wendall leaned his head against Ray’s chest, cocooning me further. “I love you,” Wendall whispered, nearly too quiet for me to hear.

“As you are everything to me. Johnny, do you require Wendall’s services any longer? ”

Instead of Johnny, Lizbeth answered, “We’ve got this. You two get out of here.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow night.” Happiness flowed through every word Johnny spoke. “We’re gonna throw one hell of a bash to celebrate. Lucroy’s closing the bar to the public. Get ready to party.” He fist-pumped the air. Johnny rarely seemed tired.

“You don’t need to go to all that trouble,” Wendall protested. “I told Lucroy that we don’t need—”

“Maybe you don’t, but we do,” Lizbeth argued. “We want to celebrate your happiness. Let us do that.”

“Oh, okay.” Wendall gave a head bob, his fingers digging into my fur but never to the point of pain. My tribe leader was always careful that way.

“Come then. Let us go home.” Ray opened a portal to Fairy, and we stepped through. I turned back to chitter my goodbyes, but motion stopped me cold. They were fast as they sped by, slipping through the portal and scurrying into Lucroy’s bar.

Skeets! I mentally hissed, screaming my fury. Wendall didn’t let me go. He just held me tighter as the portal closed behind us.

S keet Trickery!

Skeets. How had they weaseled their way through the portal Ray created?

They were vile creatures. Furless, six-legged bags of flesh with needlepoint teeth and a poison-filled stinger on the tip of their tails—all three of them.

Skeets were the vermin of Fairy, and scuttlebutts excelled at exterminating them.

Johnny probably didn’t even know they’d invaded Dusk.

Earth had a similar creature called a chameleon.

Skeets were even more masterful at changing their colors.

The change was so instantaneous that they seamlessly blended with their surroundings, making them nearly impossible to see.

Fairies relied on scuttlebutts to weed them out.

They weren’t relocated. Skeets were too tasty and far too dangerous to catch and release.

My mouth salivated at the very thought of crunching into one of them. I’d seen at least two. Most likely a mating pair. If they weren’t caught and eaten soon, Dusk would be overrun.

It was so hard being good during Ray and Wendall’s bonding.

I tried holding still, but all I could think about was getting back to Earth and eating the skeets.

They were dangerous to fairies. I couldn’t imagine what they might do to Wendall’s earthly friends.

My tribe was at risk, and it was my duty to protect them.

Oh, how I wished Wendall understood me when I spoke.

“Are you ready?” Ray asked, his arm wrapped around Wendall’s shoulders. Wendall was far more settled now that the ceremony was over.

“I think so.” Wendall’s hand fell over his heart.

Thankfully, I was perched atop his head and out of the way of Ray’s affections.

“It feels so warm and…settling. I’m not sure that’s the right way to say it.

Just, your bond… I can feel it in here.” Wendall tapped his chest. “It makes me feel safe in a way I’ve never felt before. Peaceful.”

“It is the same for me.” Ray pushed Wendall’s hair away from his face, his fingers barely missing my feet.

“I am more pleased than I can ever convey.” I averted my eyes as Ray leaned down and kissed his mate.

I was always near, but I did try and give them some privacy.

I was happy the two of them were mated, but it was not something I wanted to see.

“You ready to be bombarded by our friends?” Wendall asked, his voice husky after Ray’s blistering kiss.

Ray deeply sighed. “If we must.”

I chittered with amusement while Wendall smacked Ray’s chest with his open palm. “They’re our friends.”

Ray’s eyebrow twitched. “It is an interesting concept but one I have accepted.”

“You know that Sedrick considers you part of his pack and Lucroy’s just as bad, considering you part of his nest.”

“I have never aspired to be part of a wolf pack or a vampire nest.”

“And I never aspired to be anything more than human, but here we are.”

“Yes, and here is a lovely place to be.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Wendall’s words sang with happiness. I wasn’t nearly as pleased and pattered my feet, opening my mouth wide and wailing my displeasure. Wendall and Ray had forgotten a very important group.

“Ow, hey.” Wendall placed a hand on my vibrating body. “Okay, okay. Settle down. We’re a part of your tribe as well. Happy now?”

I quieted and gave a conceding wail. I’d be a lot happier if we just got to Dusk already so I could track down the skeets.

“Come,” Ray said as if he could read my mind. “Let us join our friends .”

M y feet hit the ground as soon as Wendall stepped through the portal.

Shouts of congratulations rang through the air, filling the bar with a cacophony of noise.

There were so many different species, so many bodies, that the scents overwhelmed me.

Those skeets would be even more difficult to find now.

Laughter and music boomed, cutting through the other sounds and eliminating yet another one of my senses. Nose to the ground, I attempted to push all other sensory stimulation aside .

Dodging legs and feet, I snuffled along the floor, nose to the ground.

My body was lowered enough that I knew my feet were hidden beneath the length of my fur.

Johnny had said once that I looked like a dust bunny scurrying across the floor.

I’d never met one of these dust bunnies but trusted his opinion.

Wine splattered the floor beside me, quickly followed by a dash of whiskey. The alcoholic scents played further havoc with my nose, and I growled my displeasure…not that anyone could hear it.

“What’s Trinket up to?” I heard someone say.

It sounded like Parsnip, but I didn’t turn my head to see.

A thrill of excitement ran through me as I caught the first hint of skeet.

I circled around, using my fur to pull the scent toward me, funneling it to my nose.

Once I was sure it was the right scent, I was off.

The trail meandered, and I had to duck under tables and between chairs.

Pain suddenly shot through my tail, and I wailed, whipping my tail toward my body and tucking it tight.

“Oh shit, Trinket. Damn, I didn’t see you down there.” Warlock Vander Kines towered above me, a glass of burnt rum in one hand.

“Be more careful.” Byx jumped up on a nearby chair and zapped Vander in the side.

“Ow! Shit, that was harsher than usual.” Vander rubbed his side with his free hand.

Unapologetic, Byx stood with her hands fisted on her hips. “You deserved it for stepping on her tail.”

Vander looked sheepish. “Yeah, maybe. I’m sorry, Trinket. I really didn’t see you down there. Do you need a pain charm, or is there something else I can do?”

Tapping my feet, I whipped my tail around my body and gave a forgiving chitter. I’d make him pay for it later, but right now I had skeets to eat. Dashing off—but keeping my tail a lot closer—I zeroed in on the scent again. Thankfully, I hadn’t lost the trail.

The path was far from a straight line. I stuck with it and found myself in front of a closed door.

I’d been in there a hundred times with Wendall.

It was the storage room. But I didn’t have Wendall and his hands to open the door right now.

It was made of some type of slick metal I couldn’t climb.

I looked around, going up on my back legs and seeing what was available.

If I could just get a little higher, I could use my tail to turn that foolish knob.

My toes dug into the wooden floor, scratching as I reared back and wailed. No one heard. They were all in the main area of the bar, laughing and having a good time, completely unaware of the danger lurking behind the door.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” A smaller body folded beside me, hands and knees against the concrete floor. “What’s got you all riled up?” Dillon’s brown fur flopped around his face. “Hey, Ruthie, somethin’s up with Trinket.”

Dillon’s younger sister sank down beside me on the opposite side. “Hi, Trinket. Do you need some help?”

I pranced with joy. The Voss children were my perfect accomplices. Going up on my back feet, I furiously scratched at the door again.

“You want inside?” Dillon asked. “Why?”

I wailed my frustration. I just needed the door opened.

“Does it matter?” Ruthie asked as she stood. Bless her dire wolf heart, she reached up, twisted the knob and the door swung open.

Not waiting, nose to the ground again, I dashed inside. Snuffling sounds filled the small space. I followed the scent to the corner. Boxes lay on the ground below several layers of shelves. The scent went higher, and I jumped on the closest box, maneuvering my way up the irregular path.

“She’s tracking something,” Dillon said. “It’s just like we do when we’re in the woods and scent a rabbit or deer.” Excitement colored Dillon’s words. “What have you got, Trinket? Is it a mouse? Or maybe a rat?”

Earthly vermin weren’t the problem. Besides, I’d taken care of those foolish creatures months ago. I shook my body. It was the only thing I could think of to convey this was something far more serious.

“Have you got it cornered?” Dillon didn’t understand my body language and still thought what I was after was as benign as a rodent.