Enticed by the Satyr (Kindred Tales)

“Oh, I…I just call it my ‘happy song’,” Mia admitted, feeling foolish.

He raised his eyebrows.

“So you composed it yourself?”

Mia nodded mutely, feeling tongue-tied. Now that she was looking at him in the light, she couldn’t help wondering if he would think he had made a big mistake in choosing her. He was so big and handsome and powerful and she was so plump and plain…

“Talented as well as beautiful, then I see.” Storn came closer to her, his polished black hooves making surprisingly little noise on the floor. “May I sit beside you so that we can play together again?” he asked.

“If…if you really want to,” Mia finally got out. Oh God, what must he think of her? She had acted really shamefully last night and surely he was thinking that she wasn’t very pretty now that he saw her in the light…

“Of course, he wants to,” Kaylee said firmly. “I’m Kaylee, Mia’s best friend,” she added, holding out a hand to Storn.

“Oh, forgive me!” He took her hand and bowed over it briefly. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you. I’m afraid I am just very focused on my lovely one, right now.”

“Believe me, I completely understand.” Kaylee’s grin was so wide, Mia thought the ends of her smile might meet around the back and make the top of her head fall off. “Well, go on, Mia,” she said impatiently. “Scooch over so Mr. Storn can sit with you.”

“Just Storn, I beg you,” Storn said, as he seated himself beside Mia. “I am a Captain in the fleet of my home ‘verse, but I claim no honorifics here.” His dark brown eyes—chocolate brown, Mia thought—had returned to Mia and he was looking at her intently.

“Well, I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Kaylee said, smiling. “After I invite Storn to our Halloween party at the end of the week.”

Storn raised his eyebrows in apparent confusion.

“Er, what is a ‘Halloween’ party, please?”

“It’s a party to celebrate an Earth holiday,” Kaylee explained. “You wear a costume—that is, you dress up like someone else—and you carve pumpkins, and hand out candy, and do all kinds of fun things.”

“It sounds…most amusing.” Storn nodded politely. “If Mia will be there, I will also be pleased to attend.”

“Oh, she’ll be there,” Kaylee promised. “I’ve already got her costume all picked out.” She grinned at Mia, who was still looking down at the keyboard, blushing. “All right now, you two go on with your duet. Don’t let me interrupt you—I’m going to be in my office.”

And with a final knowing smile, she turned with a toss of her blonde locks and went to shut herself into her office, on the far side of the large music room.

“Mia, is there some reason you won’t look at me?” Storn’s deep voice was a gentle rumble as he nudged her gently with one broad shoulder.

“Oh, um…” Biting her lip, she looked up at the big Satyr Kindred. He was so warm that she could feel his body heat radiating against her skin as he sat beside her. It sent an electrical tingle through her, though they were barely touching. “I just…wasn’t sure what you would think of me once you saw me…saw me in the light,” she murmured.

“You know, that is exactly what I was thinking too.” Storn sounded like he was making a confession. “I worried what you would think once you saw my horns and my hooves more clearly.” He nodded down at himself. “Do they bother you, lovely one?”

“Oh, no!” Mia denied quickly. And once the words were out of her mouth, she realized they were true. “I…I think you’re very handsome,” she said softly, looking down at her hands on the keyboard again. “Probably way too handsome to be with someone like me.”

“Someone like you? Mia, do you see yourself clearly?” He sounded confused. “How can you look in a viewer and not see how lovely you are? You have a beautiful, curvy figure and such smooth, soft skin. Your hair is the color of the Earth candy I tried recently called ‘caramel’ and your eyes are the most beautiful, changeable shade. Last night I was convinced they were green, but now I think they may be blue.”

“Oh, they’re just plain hazel,” Mia protested. “They kind of pick up the color of whatever I’m wearing.” She nodded down at her modest blue, button-down blouse to illustrate her point.

“They’re beautiful, whatever color they are.” Storn turned to her and put a finger under her chin. “Look at me, Mia—please.”

Biting her lip, Mia let him lift her chin until he could look at her full in the face.

“If you’re wondering if I am disappointed now that we are face-to-face in the light, the answer is no,” the big Kindred rumbled. “In fact, I am smitten by your beauty, my lovely one. I only hope that I am not a disappointment to you. I know I am very different from the kind of male you are used to.”