Page 12 of The Manticore's Fire

Crouching low on a risen ledge near the entrance, he smiled down at her as he watched her approach. He waited patiently, silently, as she crept forward until she was so close that he could reach out and caress her cheek. Her eyes blindly turned toward him, and, for a moment, his entire world was captured entirely within her gaze and he forgot to breathe. She did not see him. It was impossible. And yet… Her brows slowly drew down, knitting at the center.

“There you are. Very funny, Samir,” she grumbled, drawing back away from him and the entrance. “Damn it all.”

His brows rose in surprise, and he straightened, not even bothering to hide himself any longer. “How did you know?” he inquired.

She huffed quietly. “Apparently, I’ve been around you too damned long. Good news is that I’m starting to become more sensitive to the energy of your presence when you are physically close to me.”

“And the bad?” he inquired curiously.

Her lips twisted in a grimace. “The knowledge that no hunter should becomethatclose to their quarry. Or at very least not without utilizing it fully to strike that monster down.”

Samir chuckled and he hopped down from the ledge so that he landed close by her side. Abby backpedaled a bit to put somedistance between them, but he purred and closed the distance between them. He twined around her, bumping against her ass when she would have thought to turn and flee.

“Do you wish to hunt me, kitten?” he rumbled.

To his disappointment, Abby’s eyes went wide, and she quickly shook her head in denial. “Honestly, I just want to leave.”

He gave her a somber look and shook his head. “You were given that opportunity.”

“You mean that little chase that there was no hope of me winning?” she demanded, anger darkening her face as she attempted to nudge him away with her knee.

Again, he shook his head even though it infuriated her and pressed his side against her hip meaningfully. She still did not understand that she chose to be there, even if she had not understood at the time. “Before that. When you stood in front of my cave, debating on whether or not to enter, you made a choice. Every step you made as you progressed deeper through the chambers of my cave, you made a choice.Youpursuedme. And now—you have me. Is this not what you desired?” he purred.

The color drained from her face and her dark eyes seemed to grow larger in her face as they widened with shock. She swallowed.

“No. That was not personal. It was just hired for a job. I didn’t want you?—”

“Liar,” he chuckled. “You may have wanted me for what you perceived that it would give you. Fortune perhaps? Luxury? But you most definitely wanted me. I could hear it in your breath every time you caught a glimpse of my shadow moving—the excitement and hunger for what I would give you—even if indirectly.”

He eyed as her expression changed from shock to clarity. She understood at last. He could see it in her eyes. Her chin trembledand her lower lip quivered. His tail curled in close against his body in alarm. No. Not that.

“Do not cry,” he warned and the look she shot him was so full of venom that he was immediately relieved.

“I’m not going to cry, you ass. I’m pissed that I was talked into this job,” she snapped. “I could have been home, living above ground, and enjoying my days with pleasant breezes from the harbor and drowsy afternoons beneath the shade of my family’s trees. Instead, I get… you.” She waved a hand in his direction contemptuously and he immediately bristled.

“Yes,” he agreed, “you have me. So now is the time to come to terms with the reality of your situation.” Drawing in a deep breath to calm himself, he inwardly sighed when she bared her teeth at him in response. He had to be patient. There was nothing surprising about her reaction. “Come,” he grumbled, and he turned away from her as he straightened to stand erect once more.

“Where are we going?”

He almost smiled at the weight of suspicion in her voice. “To the kitchen. It is nearly morning. You can help me with the morning meal.”

Abby squinted at him speculatively. “Are you sure you trust me around that much open fire and sharp objects?”

He chuckled despite himself. “Yes. Perhaps it will give you some relief for your restlessness.”

She didn’t disagree but followed him to the well vented chamber that he had selected for his kitchen space. If she was surprised at its pristine appearance, she did not comment on it. Rather, she slowly looked around before leveling him with a curious look.

“I admit this kitchen is more than I expected. To be honest, I really didn’t expect you to cook at all, as I never saw anything inmy research that indicated as much, but all of this,” she gestured to the room at large, “is a bit much.”

Samir shrugged with an awkward roll of his shoulders as he drew out a portion of salted meat from where it was stored. “Many do not. Really it comes down to a matter of personal preferences as it is easier to eat whatever you kill on the spot, but I long discovered that there is something to be said about the way humans go about preparing, preserving, and cooking their food. And it is all so delicious,” he observed. “It may not seem like so from the simple fare I have been providing, but I discovered a passion for cooking.”

With that he leaned forward, catching and holding her gaze as he belched a flame into the chamber of the woodstove. His little female jumped but then surprised him with her startled laugh as she stared at the flames in wonder.

“I did not know manticores could do this,” she exclaimed, momentarily forgetting her ire. “It is no wonder that you are taken with cooking then.”

He smiled at her observation, but it seemed that it was only then that she recalled that she was angry because she withdrew, her expression shuttering against as she eyed him. He pretended not to notice and instead sterilized his claws with sharp breaths of flame that drew another little jump from her and then a tiny gasp when he began to ribbon the meat with said claws. He paused for only a minute to glance up at her and nod toward a small sack of vegetables he had gathered in the early hours of the morning.

“Cut those, if you will.”

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