Page 11 of A Brighter Yellow
“My grandmother still asks if I want Lucky Charms for breakfast.”
“I kind of like Lucky Charms,” said Anna looking confused.
“So do I. But it’s not a really satisfying or healthy breakfast, and I haven’t routinely eaten Lucky Charms since I was fifteen.”
Anna chuckled, and her shoulders relaxed. “Yes. It’s like they get stuck in a groove and don’t realize it’s been a decade or two.”
Ochre took a few steps closer. He liked it when she laughed. He liked that he’d made her laugh.
“But still,” she said, “I can’t believe he came to talk to you behind my back.” Her eyes narrowed as if she was plotting retribution.
“You don’t think he might just be worried about you?” He asked, holding out his hand to help her out of the tub.
“Worried?” she scoffed. “Dad is just concerned that I’ll do something terribly embarrassing and weird and ruin my chances at a good mate.”
“Mm,” said Ochre. He was surprised by how much he disliked the idea of Anna being mated to someone. She placed her hand in his, and Ochre caught his breath—fascinated by the sensation of her fingers in his palm. He realized he was staring at her hand and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Funny, but I don’t think that even if I left right now, it would keep you from doing anything weird.”
“I’m not weird!” she exclaimed.
Ochre scratched his head and tried not to stare at the bathtub she was standing in.
“Did you…” Her eyes widened, and she scrambled out of the tub. “Did you just…” She grabbed him by the chin and yanked his head around until he was forced to look her in the eye. He found himself lost in her bright blue eyes. Her grip on his chin softened, and her fingers ran across his scruff. “Don’t do that,” she said, but quieter this time.
“Do what?” he asked, completely lost. He was close enough to feel the heat of Anna’s body.
“You were…” Her forehead wrinkled. “Speaking wolf at me.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said. She smelled good. He wanted to lean into the curve of her neck and nuzzle it.
“Oh, so you weren’t pointing out that I was weird for standing in the bath?” she stepped back and folded her arms across her chest.
“Mmm,” said Ochre, wishing she would go back to rubbing his face. He’d liked that part. He tried to re-focus and have a real response, but her energy was overwhelming. He felt like she was pulsing a little in his vision.
“Uh-huh,” she said, narrowing her eyes, clearly not pleased by his non-answer. She looked him up and down, and he suddenly felt more naked than he had a moment ago.
“So why are you hiding from your dad?” he asked, trying to distract both of them. The vibration had settled down a little. Now it just felt like his heartbeat.
She cleared her throat and let her arms drop. “I… uh… I need a favor,” she said. Ochre raised an eyebrow. “Dad is freaking out. You heard him. He’s worried that I’m going to get in trouble.”
“Those warlocks were pretty serious trouble,” said Ochre. “I’mnotsaying it’s weird, but it’s not entirely unreasonable to be worried. Why were they after you anyway?”
She shrugged and glanced away. Ochre realized in shock that she was about to lie to him, and she was unhappy about it. He took a step forward, trying to make eye contact, but she edged toward the sink, keeping her head ducked.
“Why are warlocks after any of us?” asked Anna rhetorically. “Look, I have this package at my mailbox in town that I really need to get picked up, and like I said, Dad is tweaking. I don’t suppose you could pick it up for me?”
Ochre frowned, still puzzled.
“Please,” she said, leaning in and smiling at him. He was going to sayyes. Even if Azure hadn’t instructed him to help Anna, he would have done it anyway, but he didn’t like the feeling that he was being taken for a ride.
“Does that work on everyone?” he asked. “Just that cute little smile, and suddenly you think you can magically get your way?”
She straightened up and glared at him. Now she was annoyed and a little embarrassed. He was fascinated that he could feel her emotions leaking out of her. It usually took him months to get that familiar with someone and some humans he never managed to get anything from. Anna was amazing.
“Are you going to help or not?” she demanded, and it was as if she pulled all her emotions back into herself. Her withdrawal was startling and disturbing. In a panic, Ochre reached out in full force with his mind trying to get the connection back, as he would for some of the more bird-brained birds who needed things spelled out extra loud and extra big. But instead of the little tease of emotion that had been spiraling around him like a spring breeze, it was like he was sucked into a hurricane.
Anna was a brilliant, golden glory of wonder and radiance, and the next thing he knew, he was kissing her. He wasn’t sure if it was his idea or hers, and he didn’t care. She took a step backward, probably in surprise, and Ochre pressed her up against the sink—every inch of her body glued to his. Her lips parted, and he gave in and let himself sink into her taste, his tongue playing across hers. He felt like he was on fire. The heat of her, the taste, the sensation of her hands on his skin, were overwhelming, like basking in the heart of a thousand suns.
