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“Oh, so it’snota red-tailed hawk?” I ask with interest.
Henry replies without looking away from the binoculars.
“No, Harlan’s Hawks are just a type of red-tailed hawk. It’s a darker-colored version. They used to think Harlan’s Hawks were a different species, until ornithologists discovered individuals with intermediate coloring between Harlan's and more typical red-tailed hawks.”
Then, the binoculars are passed around until everyone’s gotten a chance to see our new resident.
“Holy shit,” Chris remarks.
“Never have I ever,” Carl agrees.
I giggle.
“That’s the name of a new show produced by Mindy Kaling.”
“Holy Shitis the name of a TV show?” Chris asks with surprise. “That’s weird. Do they not have censors anymore?
“No,Never Have I Everis the name,” I say mirthfully. “Not the swear words.”
“That makes more sense,” James agrees in a deep growl. But then his mood shifts and he turns to Henry.
“So now that you’ve shown us the hawk and its nest, what’s in it for you?” he asks, ever the perceptive lawyer. “What doyouget from all this? What do you want?”
Henry remains unperturbed, his handsome mien neutral.
“Funny you should ask,” he says. “Because I think what I’m about to say is going to blow your mind.”
That makes all three men turn to him fully, their stances braced for whatever’s coming.
“What do you mean?” Carl growls, his blue eyes already beginning to spark fire.
“What do you want?” Chris demands, his hackles rising.
James holds one big hand up.
“Okay, calm down, ladies. Let’s give the man a chance to answer before we jump him.”
Henry nods, his dark hair ruffling in the wind. His jaw is square and his nose a perfect right angle. Goodness, this man is so handsome that my knees go weak looking at him.
“All I’m saying is that we’ve seen something special, and there’s more to it than just a red-tailed hawk.”
“As in?” James drawls, a black brow arching. Henry takes a deep breath before meeting our eyes with an intense blue gaze.
“As in I’m a member of the Order of the Raptor,” he says in a calm voice. “And we believe we’ve found our Queen Mother. That woman is Tanya,” he says, turning to me, blue eyes flashing. “We’ve seen your moonlight rituals, and they’re captivating. Not only that, but the hawk has chosen you, from the millions of women in New York City.”
I flush, taken aback by his admission.
“Wait, what?”
But Henry loses no time. To our surprise, the handsome man drops to his knees before me, and bends to press his face to the ground.
“My Queen, we worship you. You are our most holy spirit,” he intones. “The Order of the Raptor is at your service, beautiful goddess.”
Chris, James, Carl and I stare at each other in shock as the gorgeous stranger prostrates himself at my feet. Is this really happening? This man believes that Tanya is some type of spiritual queen? And what in the world is the Order of the Raptor? I look on in wonder at the handsome stranger, taken aback but also excited to learn more.
10
Carl
