Page 12 of Avery

I try to be charming, something I might succeed in if I were attractive to these females at all. The only thing I have going for me is two cocks, and even that has lost its luster since I've rejected the females bold enough to approach me to try them out. Now I'm just the small, scaled male with extra eyelids that move horizontally, and they all seem to think me strange.

None of the females have said it to my face, but I follow Avery around a lot, and plenty of people will say things about me they wouldn't to my face. Such as "he's kind of small and ugly," or "I don't think I could stomach being with someone who looks so different," or my favorite so far, "two dicks doesn't make up for everything else."

I don't know how much Avery has heard about me from the whispers and the murmurs, but I hope it's not much. Most of the time, it's only a small grouping of females who are cruel like that, and they aren't the ones Avery is around often. It doesn't feel very good for my ego, though.

I do know Avery heard them calling me odd-looking once, and she didn't seem pleased at all. She's a good friend like that. I kind of wished she would've acted a bit more Rytharian and maybeswung her fists at them, but that was probably asking for too much. Plus, Avery doesn't really seem like a fighter.

"I can smile at males who make stupid decisions," Jia says, waving her hand as though it's brushing away all the animosity between us. Maybe it is because I have no ill will toward her. She's only protecting my friend, and can I really fault anyone for wanting to protect someone as kind and wonderful as Avery? "Now, are you here for Avery, or did you just come to talk with me?"

I rub the feathers down my head, and thankfully, they're all lying flat, just like they should be at all times. I didn't expect anyone to be out here waiting for me, let alone already knowing that I'm here about Avery's decision to find a male to practice intimacy with.

My insides shrivel at the idea that Jia already knows. Oh, she knows, and she's going to make me feel so small for even suggesting that I be the male to help Avery. She probably thinks me strange and too small like all the others. I grit my teeth together, forcing myself to stay strong.

"I'm here about Avery," I say, clearing my throat to make sure I don't have too much of a hiss when I talk. "She's asked for males, and I wanted to see if it's really ideal for her to be with someone she doesn't trust."

"How do you know she doesn't trust them?" Jia asks, cutting me off from continuing and ruffling my feathers with a simple question.

"Because she doesn't," I say, crossing my arms in front of my chest, hoping to sound more sure than I am.

In all actuality, there have been chances for Avery to slip away from me, never for very long since I enjoy following her everywhere she goes. But sometimes, like today, Jovi or Alik or any of the others will keep my attention for a little while. There's also all the times she's with Kithi. For all I know, she could havea male helping her during her therapy sessions. That doesn't sound like what I imagine therapy is like, but I also wouldn't ever think to put Avery in a room with a stranger to get accustomed to being intimate with someone, either.

"There's already two other males here waiting for her," Jia says, arching one of her brows at me. My hiss is instant. If Jia's surprised at my reaction, she doesn't show it. "We've been planning this for a couple of weeks now, and we have males who are patient and kind. You're right about her needing to trust the male who goes through this with her, though."

I puff my chest out a little at being told I'm right, and then it deflates again when I realize I'm not the only male here who thinks he can help Avery. There are two others, probably vetted by Kithi and Jia both. Not to mention, they're Rytharian, which means they'll be able to purr for Avery, too.

I don't even want to think about how small I'll look next to them. I definitely don't want to think about how odd-looking, either. I'm usually not a self-conscious male, but now I'm on this planet of hulking males with their muscles and height who all have something Avery needs more than she needs me.

"So, are you here for Avery or not?" Jia asks again, reminding me that I haven't answered her question. I nod, unsure if she's going to laugh at me, tell me that I don't stand a chance, or do something else to make me feel foolish. "Alright, come with me then, and stop moping."

"I'm not moping," I say to the back of her head as she leads me into the sanctuary.

We enter the same hall where Avery disappears when she comes here for her heats or to talk with Kithi. I don't know exactly where she goes after the door closes, but I doubt that's where I'm being taken.

Jia leads me down a series of hallways and a couple of doors until I'm in a fairly small room with some chairs up againsta wall and two males already sitting in there talking with one another. If I had the ability to blush, I would be because this is embarrassing.

"This is Phial," Jia says with barely any flourish before shutting the door on the three of us and locking it.

"You're Avery's friend, right?" one of them asks me, and I stand a little straighter at the reminder. Good, these males know who I am, and so they should know why I'm here.

"I am," I say, moving closer to them and grabbing one of the chairs. I spin it around, lay my forearms over the top, and set my chin on it. It's easier for me to sit in chairs like this because so many nontailed creatures don't think of adding tail holes to their chairs. This way, I don't have to sit on my tail, and it can lazily fall to the floor behind me. "How do you know her?"

The males give each other curious glances and then look back at me. I don't like that they both seem to be in on something that I'm not, but I'm not about to question them in this room where there's bound to be a camera watching us.

For all I know, Avery could be watching us right now, and I don't need her to see me as an insecure male. No, her friend Phial is carefree and charming. Or at least I think I'm charming. The others probably find me annoying, but that's neither here nor there. What Avery doesn't need to see is me acting like an embarrassed or self-conscious male.

"Jia asked us if we'd help her with something, and we agreed." One of the males shrugs his shoulders.

I frown at him. His hair is still down, and his face isn't clean-shaven. At least the other male shaved and tied his hair back. Avery struggles with the males of this species looking like the male who altered her, so you'd think they'd both at least be willing to change their appearance for her to get her through this hard part in her healing.

"But you've each spoken with Avery, yes? You're here to help her?"

If I'm not the male she chooses to help her, that is her right. But I don't want her to choose a male who doesn't care for her. Absolutely not.

"I spoke to her once," the shaved male says. "You were there. It was right after her heat, outside the great hall."

"That's the only time you've talked to her?" I ask, forcing my hand not to rub at my temples and show my displeasure.

This species is different. It's not up to me to decide what constitutes a good reason for helping someone, and if Jia picked these males, she obviously has her reasons. That's what I remind myself as they settle back in their chairs and give me a confused look.

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