Chapter Eleven

 

I followed Cannibal through the seemingly endless twists and turns to the house until we found the dining nook right next to the kitchen. A large wooden table sat near one of the few windows I'd seen. With six chairs, I opted for the one closest to the sunlight, already missing my daily allotment of vitamin D since I'd stepped foot in the home.

Dishes of food filled the center of the table, all steaming hot. Titus and his parents had already dug in, filling their over-sized plates with the abundant options. Cannibal did the same, his long arms able to reach everything without having to ask for someone to pass the item around.

Hungry, I checked out the offerings, not sure where to even start. Normally, I wasn't a picky eater, so the buffet wasn't a problem, except for one thing. I didn't recognize any of the foods.

Sure, I could guess broad categories, but that was about my limit. The hunk of meat reminded me of a roast, but had a much lighter color. Most likely not beef or pork. Considering the location in the Alps, it could have been some sort of deer or mountain goat. I kept my face blank and inwardly cringed before moving on to the other, less traumatic options.

Raking the table, I discovered a green vegetable that sort of resembled broccoli. Scooping that on my plate, I added the one dish I could actually identify—baked apples, whole and cored. Satisfied with my choices, I sat back down, picked up my fork, and started to cut my food.

Feeling someone staring at me, I glanced up to find each and every set of eyes locked on me like I'd either grown antlers or committed some unspoken faux pas. I blinked back.

Silence ensued broken up only by the sounds of people chewing, silverware tinkling against plates, and an occasional stirring of what appeared to be ice tea in glasses.

Wonderful.

They had questions, I read it in their faces. Still no one said a word. The tension and awkwardness only grew.

I dropped my free hand to my lap and took a sip. Yep. Tea. An herbal tea of sorts would be my guess. Strong, but not horrible. I looked around for sugar, finding none. Of course I'd be stuck at the one dragon shifter home without sweets.

I eyed my pan of cinnamon rolls resting on the kitchen counter with longing. Unfortunately, I needed to make a good impression. Ignoring the fare Gloriana worked hard to prepare and serve wouldn't net me any points in the like column.

Forking a small piece of broccoli stuff, I brought it to my mouth and nibbled. Tasted like seaweed. I chewed and chewed. Then stopped. Hot seaweed. Spicy, hot seaweed. Holy crap! Jalapeno-hot seaweed. I grabbed my glass of tea and drank half in about two gulps.

With my tongue no longer on fire, I peeked up at my hosts.

Titus smirked. Rikard frowned. Gloriana stared drolly at her plate.

"Layla will be beside herself now that you're back." Titus threw out the statement.

I felt Cannibal tense next to me. He glared at his brother but didn't stop shoveling in the food.

"She asks about you all the time," Rikard added.

"That girl isn't going to take no for an answer," Gloriana said.

Cannibal paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "Not happening."

I spooned up a bit of apple, sampled, then blew out a sigh of relief. At least this tasted familiar and delicious. Thank goodness. A hunger strike wasn't in my immediate plans.

Cannibal nudged me with his elbow.

I peered up at him. What was I supposed to do or say? I'd been too overjoyed with my apples to pay much attention.

"That's right. You have Alex now." Titus stirred the pot.

I frowned at him. The plan involved selling the fact that Cannibal and I were in love. Titus's comments weren't helping to convince his parents, especially with the way they reacted to my being human.

Time to step into my role. "Yes, we have one another." I scooted closer to Cannibal and slipped my free hand in his.

His expression thawed for a moment as he intertwined his fingers with mine.

The resulting warmth soaked into me, turning me from a frozen fish stick to a halfway comfortable person. I shared a soft smile and squeezed his fingers in appreciation.

"Here." He held out his fork with a chunk of yellow hash brown looking fluff attached.

Sharing utensils? I hesitated for only a second before mentally shrugging. For those that swapped spit often, eating off the same fork probably didn't really matter. Besides, shifters didn't carry disease or illness. Supposedly.

Leaning in, I took the proffered bite, chewed, and stared up at Cannibal with wide eyes. "That's delicious." Kind of like hash browns with cheese and some other ingredients thrown in. Full, rich, and so much better than seaweed.

He inclined his head.

I glanced over at Gloriana. "It's absolutely wonderful."

Her lips hitched up the slightest. "An old recipe."

"Old or new, it's fantastic." I eagerly took the next bite Cannibal offered, savoring the flavor this time. "What is it?"

"Rosti."

I scoured the table and found the dish. Before I could get up, Cannibal passed it over. "Here."

"Thanks." I spooned out a generous serving.

I might survive after all between the apples and my newly discovered favorite potato recipe. Going vegetarian for a couple of days never hurt anyone.

Glimpsing out the corner of my eye, I found Cannibal almost grinning. I couldn't take offense, not when he provided the means for my survival over the next day or so. Unable to resist, I pressed my lips against his cheek. "Thank you."

He met my gaze and something flared in his eyes. Something I couldn't quite identify, but it made my heart skip a beat and stomach flip over in sensual delight just the same.

"Anyone care to hear the name Byron's taken for himself back in the U.S.?"

Cannibal's focus jerked from me to Titus, his eyes narrowing and jaw clenching. "Only if you want to sacrifice your ears to the dragon gods."

The stare-off continued for several tense moments. Titus didn't have the good sense to change the subject. Instead, he sat there grinning like the cat that caught the canary. Rikard and Gloriana ate in silence, neither one throwing their hat into the ring on either side.

I cleared my throat. "There are dragon gods?"

"You don't know about dragon gods?" Titus's mouth fell open.

"Well, no. I didn't know about dragon shifters either until you showed up a day ago."

"Where did you find such an uneducated human, Byron?" Rikard asked before he sipped his drink.

I grimaced internally at the subtle insult. I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude since pretty much everyone else had acted out their haughty belief that dragon shifters were like the sun. The world revolved around them. I, on the other hand, held the obvious minority opinion that humans were people too.

"She marched into my life and refused to walk away." Cannibal turned back to me as if reminding me to go easy on the details. The fewer specifics on our supposed dating history, the better.

I offered up a smile to Cannibal's family. "What can I say? He's one of a kind." Boy, howdy was that the truth.

"So, you've attached yourself to my son simply because he's unique?" Gloriana's gaze turned dark and angry.

I shook my head. "No, ma'am."

"Then why?"

Why indeed? What could I say? I was broke and needed the job, however endless and tumultuous? That I'd almost settled in before being whisked off for the dragon shifter version of the Spanish Inquisition? That Cannibal tolerated me because the idea of finding a new gopher left him ready to commit hara-kiri?

Cannibal tightened his grip on my hand. In support? In warning? I didn't have a clue, but the answer flashed into my mind straight from the heart. "Because he cares." I looked at Cannibal and continued on. "He's been generous and kind when he didn't have to be. Tough and hard when he had to." I met Gloriana's gaze steadily. "He's a true warrior and good man that looks out for those under his wing."

Titus lifted his glass in salute.

I peered over at Cannibal only to find his lips parted and his whole face relaxed and welcoming for a split second, ratcheting up the handsome factor all the more.

I drew in a breath at the change.

"If you're done, I'll show you around the community," he whispered.

"I'd like that, but I need to help clean up."

"Go on and let Byron give you the tour. I'll get this." Gloriana started piling up dishes.

"Are you sure?" I felt a bit guilty letting her do all the work.

"Yes. Now go."

Cannibal stood, keeping my hand firmly in his. He led me out of the kitchen, around the corner, and back out the front door.

A frigid blast hit, making me shiver.

"I thought you were going to bring the heaviest clothes you had."

"I did." I zipped up my coat and pulled the hood over my head. Better, I started walking beside him.

He didn't appear cold. In fact, his coat remained unzipped, no hat covered his head, and his hands remained mitten free. Probably not surprising when he was raised in the dragon version of the North Pole.

I, on the other hand, needed more than fifteen minutes to adjust to the next Ice Age.

He shortened his strides to allow me to easily keep up. "We're a close-knit community, each family having their own cave." Gesturing, he pointed out the many entrances drilled into the side of the cliffs.

"Do all the dragon shifters live here? Or are there others like you, who've moved away?"

He shrugged. "We have very few children. Those that are born here, tend to stay here."

I processed that information. "Are you guys the only clan in existence?"

"Probably not. But, like us, any other group is highly secretive. With so few, the chance of extinction is very real. All it would take is some lunatic to stumble across us…"

I shuddered at the idea. No wonder they kept hidden. Considering how other species viewed shifters, there were more than a few who would love to drop a bomb in this little valley, wiping out any and all in the blink of an eye. "I can see why you keep this place to yourself."

"Until now."

I nodded.

"You did good back there. Hung in under the pressure."

"Thanks." I glanced up at him and kept walking. "I didn't know what to say, so just went with my gut."

He stared at me for a long moment as if trying to figure out some complex puzzle.

"Byron!"

A red blur whizzed in our direction. Before I could do more than open my mouth, she knocked me flat and flung herself at Cannibal.

I was face planted into a small bank of fresh show. Sputtering, I managed to turn over in time to see a woman, dressed in red tights, sweater, and matching boots, grab Cannibal by the back of the head, then pull him in for a kiss that could only be called demanding. That lasted only for a second before Cannibal snarled, removed her hands, pried her off, and set her away from him.

He stepped over and lifted me back to my feet, holding me close to his side. "Layla, this is Alex. My girlfriend."

The woman narrowed her eyes and glared at me like I'd just stomped on her pride and joy flowers. Her classically beautiful face, covered with heavy handed makeup, scrunched up in distaste. Long straight locks of raven colored hair blew in the breeze, covering her face momentarily, before she shoved them away.

"She's a human." She spit out the word in obvious disgust.

I was beginning to see a pattern with this species thing. Humans and dragons didn't mix, dragons being the apex predator and humans lower down the rung. I still hadn't been convinced they saw me as anything other than a tasty snack walking on two legs.

"She's mine." Cannibal's jaw tightened.

Layla beamed up at him and waved her hand. "Let's not fuss over such trifle things." She shot me a look filled with hate, then turned sweetly back to Cannibal. "There's so much to catch up on." She linked her arm with his. "Why don't we take a stroll and you can tell me about what you've been doing."

Cannibal yanked his arm away. "Not interested, Layla."

He faced me and brushed snow from my clothes and hair. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against mine.

I braced myself for the impact, but quickly realized I was in over my head. He plied and coaxed, licked the seam, then darted in for a deeper exploration as my lips parted on a gasp. The world faded as he kissed me with such finesse, such passion, I could almost believe that he wanted me for more than this silly charade.

I mirrored his actions, stepping into the kiss with everything I had. Forget the audience. Forget the ruse. My dormant libido blossomed instantly with his touch. Even the cold no longer mattered as he cupped the back of my head, drew me in, and hardened the lip-lock.

All too soon, he released me. I sucked in much needed air as he stared down at me with longing and need written clearly in his normally stoic expression. His jaw tightened, his eyes darkened to melted chocolate, as he stroked his fingers through my hair.

Either the man was a superb actor or there was something there. Something big.

I swallowed and stood still, too amazed to do more than absorb what just happened.

A growl drew my attention. In my peripheral vision, I saw Layla straighten her spine, scowl, and clench her fists. She reminded me of a pissed off crocodile defending her small section of the Nile River. With one more furious glare, she stormed off.

A sigh of relief escaped. "That went well. Not."

Cannibal released me to watch her march off. "She'll get over it."

I wasn't too sure about that. "That was some kiss." I chewed my bottom lip.

He focused back on me and searched my face. "Not bad."

"Not bad? Is that all you can say?"

The corner of his mouth hitched up. "Yep."

I poured out everything into that moment and all he could say was "Not bad"? The urge to stomp on his foot became nearly overwhelming.

"A little practice will help."

I snorted. "And who, pray tell, am I supposed to practice with?"

His gaze turned steely. "While you're here, you're mine." The low command reinforced his words.

"Like I'd go find another pain in the ass dragon to neck with." I rolled my eyes dramatically. "One is more than I can handle." I spun around and strode back toward Cannibal's home, feeling Cannibal's eyes on me the entire way.

I headed for Cannibal's bedroom and a shower, but somehow got turned around along the way. Not remembering which direction to go, I took a chance, hooked left, and walked right into another bedroom. This one with a nude Titus towel drying his hair.

"Oh, my God." I slapped my hand over my face, determined not to peek.

Titus laughed. "Miss me already?"

"Ummm…"

He came closer. While he moved in silence, I could just feel the body heat wafting off him. "You don't have to cover those pretty eyes, doll. I'm not shy."

My mouth opened but no words emerged.

"You want to see me naked. Come on. Admit it."

"No she doesn't." Cannibal's baritone voice rang through the room.

I lowered my hand, blinked at Titus's nude form, then focused on Cannibal's stern face. "I got lost."

"Obviously."

"Hey! How do you know she wasn't wanting a piece of this?" Titus gestured to his groin, which appeared only halfway interested.

Oh, no. Not about to touch that with a twenty foot pole. No way.

I sealed my lips shut, then bit my cheek to keep from laughing at the mixture of frustration, confusion, and put-upon expression raking Cannibal's features. For once, he seemed speechless.

He sighed wearily. "She's smarter than that." Latching onto my arm, he tugged me out of the room and down yet another corridor.

"I really did get lost."

"I know."

A sudden thought struck. "You can detect lies?"

"Yeah."

That fact became the star on top of the rapidly growing tree of Cannibal's most annoying traits. Not that I made a habit of lying, but an occasional white fib kept me on the good side of people. After all, no sense telling someone their new hair color is atrocious when I like them as a person.

"Turn right at the falchion sword on the west wall pointing up. Left takes you to Titus. Right to my bedroom."

"Uh-huh." I tried to commit the weapon to memory, but since swords weren't on my list of obsessions, one pretty much looked like another.

Cannibal's lips twitched. "I can see getting lost is going to be a frequent problem for you."

"Maybe if you drew me a map?"

He shook his head, but amusement covered his face. "Just don't wander off and you'll be fine."

Wander where? It's not like the frozen tundra outside called to me. Besides, there was a female dragon shifter presently checking out her spice cabinet and recipe book for human stew. Inwardly, his parents were civil, but less than thrilled with my appearance. The only person besides Cannibal that almost liked me was Titus and I'm sure his interest involved bed sheets, nudity, and some major touchy-feely moments.

"I'll make it easy to remember. Find the sword and remember that I'm always right."

I snorted. No conceit there.

We returned to Cannibal's room. "The bathroom is here." He paused at an opening and gestured inside. "The cabinet should be stocked with towels and anything else you might need."

"Okay." I stepped inside, shut the faux stone door behind me, then did my business. After washing my hands, I took one step back into the bedroom and froze.

Cannibal stood with his back to me, his upper body bare. Muscles snapped and corded with each movement as he pulled out another shirt. A narrow waist led into his scrumptious backside, but it was his broad back that held my attention. Leashed power on display.

He slipped on the shirt and twisted to stare at me.

I cleared my throat and found my feet enthralling.

Black boots invaded my vision. Peeking up, I found Cannibal edging into my personal space.

He cupped my cheek, running his fingers through my hair. The expression on his face could only be called soft and sensual.

For several seconds we stood there, neither moving nor speaking, just gazing into one another's eyes.

"Byron, a word," Rikard called from the doorway.

The spell broken, Cannibal inclined his head to his father, spared me one more glance, and strode off to follow him.

I blew out a deep breath and plopped down on the edge of the bed.

Just great. A week into this job and I'm on the verge of breaking one of the paramount rules of PPD—no romance between Enforcer and gopher.

Worse yet, for the life of me, I no longer cared about that silly rule.

I cared much more about Cannibal. So much more.