Choosing Theo: The Clecanian Series Book 1 Victoria Aveline (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📖

mass of long, dark hair had been knotted roughly at his nape, and the shadows under his eyes told her he hadn’t been sleeping very well. He spoke to her suggestively but there was no real feeling behind his words.

His intelligent eyes scanned the crowd over and over again.

Finally, she asked, “Why are you here?”

For a moment, his gaze shot back to her and became inquisitive. He promptly let a roguish grin spread over his face and ogled her. “To meet gorgeous females such as yourself.”

“Fine, don’t tell me,” she said, waving dismissively. “But don’t pretend to be interested in me, either.” Jade craned her neck, attempting to locate Theo, but the crowd before her was still too dense.

Fejo tilted his head and studied her. “You’re very perceptive, Jade. Are most human females like you?”

“I’d like to think my bullshit detector is better than most.”

“Bull? Shit?” He laughed heartily at that, earning sidelong glances from passersby. “Theo is a very lucky male.”

Jade arched a brow. “So I’ve told him.”

***

Fejo, she was speaking to Fejo. Theo ground his teeth.

The only thing that kept him from stalking over to her to interrupt was the fact that she didn’t look all that interested in their conversation.

So help me goddess, if he leans in to whisper to her one more time…

“Theo!” came a booming voice from his left.

Wrenching his gaze away from Jade, he found three males he’d never spoken to heading toward him. The leader of the three, the one who’d called his name, was Halas.

Halas was in charge of an ongoing research study meant to find compatible species for breeding. It made sense that he’d want to talk to Theo about Jade. The other two males who walked with Halas were unfamiliar to Theo.

Glancing back to Jade, he was relieved to see that Fejo had left. His relief was replaced with ire when he saw that two other males had taken Fejo’s place.

Halas clapped Theo on the shoulder. “Theo, congratulations on your lovely wife. How has marriage been treating you so far?”

“Very well,” he said, coolly eyeing the three males.

“Have you met Nedas and Yuvan?” Helas said, gesturing grandly. “Nedas has met your wife.”

Theo’s gaze, which had wandered to Jade, shot back to Nedas at the information. “Is that right?” he growled, eyeing the male in question.

Halas chuckled and elbowed Theo in the arm. “He was tasked with guarding her when she first arrived.”

Yuvan snickered. Nedas scowled but said nothing.

Halas continued, unaffected. “She struck him in the face when she tried to escape. His eye was black for a week before he finally got around to healing it.”

Theo smiled at that.

“Have you found her difficult to deal with?” Halas questioned curiously.

Theo turned and spotted her talking to yet more males. “She is…different, not difficult,” he said absently.

“I’d love to have you both come in for a meeting. You know my research deals with inter-species pairings. The more data I could gather, the better.”

“I’d prefer to keep my marriage private.”

Halas’ smile faded. He gave Theo a cruel smirk. “I understand. I’ll just wait until her next marriage to gather my data.”

Nedas snickered.

A muscled ticked in Theo’s jaw as the males walked away. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared in Jade’s direction. One of the males speaking with her reached out to touch her arm.

Theo seethed and began to stomp toward her, ready to rip off the male’s offending fingers. Asivva stepped in front of him and with a warning look, she shooed him back.

“Hello, brother. I see you are having a good night,” she said.

The male’s hand was gone from Jade, and she strolled away from the group. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps before her path was blocked yet again. How much longer was he meant to endure this torture?

“She looks very beautiful, Theo. You had to have known that many males would wish to talk to her.”

“Knowing and having to watch it happen are two very different things.” He shot Asivva a furious glare. “Couldn’t you have picked out a less revealing dress for her?”

She chuckled, ratcheting his anger. “She could be wearing a sack, and they’d still all want to speak with her.”

Theo crossed his arms again. She was right, of course. It didn’t matter what she wore, Jade was gorgeous. He’d be waiting here all night.

“How’s it going between you?” Asivva eyed him warily. “You seem quite possessive.”

“I already told you this morning.”

“You told me nothing this morning,” she snapped. “You said ‘great,’ took the earrings, and ran off.

“They look wonderful on her, by the way,” Asivva added.

Theo softened. They did look wonderful on her. “Her eyes grew teary when I told her where they were from.”

“Theo, talk to me,” Asivva urged. “I’m your sister. It may help. Besides, what else do you have to do? Torture yourself by mentally ripping apart every male who gets near her?”

Maybe she could help. Asivva would never approve of what he planned to do, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t give him advice as to how to broach the subject of extending their marriage with Jade.

“I want her to stay with me. I don’t think I can live without her. I’ve never felt this way about any female. When it comes to her, I have no control over myself.”

“Have you recognized her as a mate?” she asked thoughtfully.

Theo had considered this. If mates were still around, and he’d recognized Jade as his potential mate, then his intense feelings would make sense. There were old stories of males going insane when parted from their mates. But mates had disappeared and, in any case, Theo hadn’t shown any of the normal signs, beside extreme jealousy.

“That would explain your sudden possessiveness,” Asivva pressed.

He glanced at her impatiently. “Mates don’t exist anymore, and no. My eyes haven’t changed.”

“Are you going to tell her you wish for her to stay with you?”

“Do you think I should?” he asked, staring longingly in Jade’s direction.

“I can go speak with Jade if you like. I