Page 29 of Anaki

Anaki’s brows furrowed. “I already ate. I want to make sure you get enough.” He pushed the fork closer to my lips. I noticed Abuela scowling at me.

What the hell was going on?

I opened my mouth reluctantly and Anaki’s eyes brightened as he continued to feed me, until I was on the verge of being overly stuffed.

“I see you aren’t using your cane today,” Abuela said when she stood up from the table. “How do you feel?”

I cleared my throat and reached for a napkin, but Anaki was already there, dabbing the corners of my mouth. I giggled and pushed his hand away. While I wasn’t used to someone taking care of me so closely because I liked my independence, he was doing it in such a heartwarming way.

“I’m feeling really good today,” I admitted. “Just dull aches. Maybe it was the bed. The mattress was top notch.”

Anaki stood and grabbed the empty plates. “I’m glad you liked them. The club will be happy to hear. Most of us have particular tastes with sleeping quarters, so money was no object when buying good mattresses.”

The dishes clattered in the sink. I grabbed the plates filled with fruit and brought them to the kitchen. I opened up several drawers to find storage, so we could eat it later. “Do shifters get cold or something? I saw so many blankets in the closets. And pillows, so many pillows.” I opened the cabinet and saw the plastic containers far too high for me to reach. I stood up on my tiptoes, trying my best to use my fingers to flip the contents toward me.

Anaki stood behind me, his body flush with mine. I was very aware of his body brushing up against my ass. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Elena, you don't have to reach that high. I can help you." His breath was warm on my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

I blushed at the feel of his breath on my skin and his closeness, but I managed to keep my wits about me.

With a small smile, Anaki reached up, his hand on my hip, and grabbed the containers to hand to me.

As I carefully placed the plastic containers on the counter, I felt his eyes on me. His presence was both comforting and irritating. I couldn’t likehim. Not what he was, not what he had done to my family.

“The extra blankets and pillows are meant for shifters. They make nests for their… partners.”

Luis’ head popped up. “Wow, do the wolf shifters have litters of puppies?”

Abuela gasped and nearly dropped one of the crystals from her luggage, which she rolled out of her bedroom. She was in the process of setting them up on the coffee table. It was her own way of helping. Something about protection and wards or whatnot.

Anaki laughed. “No, that would be pretty awesome if they had a lot of pups. A lot of mammal shifters like to feel warm and safe. Like in a den.”

“Do you make a nest?” Luis asked. “You’re a dragon, like a reptile. Would it be different?”

Anaki’s face turned a pretty shade of pink as he stuttered and rubbed his hand over his mouth.

“If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.” I blurted. “Luis is curious, but he doesn’t need to ask all these questions. That sounds private.”

Anaki shook his head, his eyes widening. “No, it’s not private. It's just… there are only two dragons in the club. No one has ever really asked. I’m not sure how to describe it.” He rubbed his hand up and down his face.

Why was he so cute when he was nervous? I wanted to walk over and just give him a big hug, and not let him go.

“Well, it can’t be that strange. Not after all we've faced in twenty-four hours,” I chuckled. “I doubt you are like the legends of actual dragons. You know, that has an actual cave along with hoards of gold, and it's tucked away in a mountain somewhere where no one can find it.” Luis and I laughed, and I picked up a dish as I began to wash it.

“Like Smaug!” Luis added, and I nodded.

Anaki went quiet, and I turned to face him. His face was pale while hestroked his arm nervously. “Right, that would be crazy. Absolutely crazy.”

I dropped the dish in the sink, and my mouth dropped in a surprised ‘oh’. “Wait, do you have a hoard? Or a cave?”

Anaki bobbed his head back and forth. “More or less.”

Luis gasped. “Cool! Can I see it?”

“You can’t ask a dragon to see his hoard. That’s private,” Abuela scolded. “Any sort of nest or home to these supernaturals is very sacred. It is where they sleep, where they are comfortable. It brings them a sense of security.”

Abuela sat back on the couch and laced her fingers together over her stomach. I leaned back on the counter and assessed her. How did she know so much, while I knew none of this? Was it those books?

As a child, we would go to flea markets and old bookstores, and she would request the oddest books and scrolls. A lot of them were in Latin, special books that were out of print. Some cost more than we could afford, but somehow she would get her hands on them.

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