Page 38 of Warrior Rescued

The image of her sloshed, tossing chips onto a table made him grin.

“Definitely.” He nodded, eager to teach her. “I also like ridingmanx,” he added. “I like going to their stable and helping tend to the herd when I’m home.”

“Are those like horses?”

Payim cocked his head, then recalled seeing an image of the Earth animal. “No. More like your feline species. I’ll introduce you to them on Cadi. What about you? What do you like?”

Payim took a deep breath, pleased he’d recovered his wits. Although, he always felt a little off kilter around Elena. She was so small and yet she was this unstoppable force. Her drive and resilience rivaled his own and quite possibly surpassed his. She was intelligent and resourceful, a fighter yet kind. All of it added to how tormentingly sexy she was and he wanted her so badly he could taste it. Literally, the mating hormone filled his mouth, taunting him.

“I like baking, although that was my job, like you with being a pilot. My mom and abuela ran the bakery. I was learning the business, hoping to help takeover. I also like reading, dancing and music.”

“I enjoy dancing and music,” he smiled, suddenly excited about the music he had to share. “And baking makes sense. You are an amazing cook. What you prepared using the things here was stunning.”

“Thank you.” Elena’s eyes brightened and he could tell she was smiling behind her mask.

He grinned, glad his compliment pleased her, though it was the truth. He looked forward to introducing her to Cadi foods then seeing what she’d make.

“It must have been enjoyable working alongside your family,” he commented, slightly envious, imagining what it would’ve been like training beside his sire.

“It was. I get my sarcastic side from my abuela. It was funny the way she’d chase the boys out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon,” she giggled. “There was this one time Anthony got caught sticking his finger into the cookie dough. My abuela swatted his butt so hard the flour on her spoon erupted in a giant dust cloud. The way Anthony howled and ran out of the kitchen, for a moment my mom and I thought he’d caught on fire.”

The way she described the scene he could almost see it and laughed.

“I love the stories about your clan,” he said, laughing harder, wrapped up in Elena’s infectious giggle.

Vibrations beneath his feet abruptly captured his attention and he instantly recalled what Elena said about earthquakes signaling the large volcano eruption.

“Elena?!” He swiftly looked around for cover, but there was nothing but dark rock.

“Don’t make any sudden moves,” she instructed, instantly sobering.

He followed her serious gaze, though instead of looking toward the large volcano, she was focused straight ahead. His brow knit together as he spotted the strange approaching silhouette.

“Give me the bag with the food.” She held out her hand.

He passed her the bag without glancing away from the looming threat. The shape came into focus. It wasn’t just one creature but a herd. Trumpeting roars sent chills streaking up his spine. The black, winged, four-legged beasts were huge, at least the size of the full-grownmanxhe rode back home. He spotted the creatures’ sharp hooked beaks and his fists clenched, the urge to pick Elena up and start running was strong. There was a shrill whistle and his gaze swung toward Elena as he realized she just made the sound.

“Are you calling to them?!” He seriously questioned her sanity.

“We’re in the gryphons’ territory. I’m just letting them know it’s me. They’re comfortable with me, so I’m hoping between that and the food, they’ll let you pass without issue.”

The herd skidded to a halt then fanned out, several paces in front of them. Their wings were tense, arched high above their heads as their beady yellow eyes shifted from Elena to him. Their black feathers vibrated, exposing a bright red undercoat, reminiscent of the cracking lava flow. Docile or not, beasts this size with beaks and talons could unintentionally injure them. Although he wanted to believe Elena, the hunting formation the gryphons took screamed predators. His free hand moved to the disrupter tucked in his waistband.

“How are you girls? I see your babies are bigger,” Elena cooed as she tossed fruit toward them.

Great, females and their young. That never bodes well.He eyed the larger gryphons in the lead.

The score of young attempted to grab the fruit but were halted by the adults.

“Here. You try.” Elena slowly passed him several pieces of fruit.

“Easy, females. We mean no harm,” he calmly murmured as he tossed some morsels toward the beasts.

The lead female cocked her head this way and that as she studied him. He held his breath, hoping she didn’t feel threatened by the sound of his voice. The female bellowed a warbling sound then stared expectantly at him.

“Is that so?” He tossed another few bits toward the damme, not sure if her reaction was positive or not.

Abruptly the female tucked her wings and grabbed one of the pieces. Her feathers vibrated as she tossed the fruit into the air, catching it in her sharp beak before swallowing it whole. Elena sighed, visibly relaxing as the other gryphons followed suit.

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