Page 17 of Sanctuary with a Dragon
Wow, that was so rude.
Alaric saw my open-mouthed expression, and his lips tilted in a small smile. He walked over and held out a hand, and I fluttered over and settled on it as he carried me back to his bedroom.
After placing me gently on the bed, he grabbed clothes and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked so I could hear him.
“Sorry she woke you.” His voice was deep and quiet, like he was trying to dampen its power so as not to scare me. It didn’t matter; I could feel the power in his presence all the time. It didn’t really affect me, though.
I trilled that it was okay the lady had woken me, and he chuckled softly.
I was sure he didn’t understand anything I was saying, so I didn’t know what he was chuckling about.
He came out dressed in what I thought were jeans and a tee shirt, judging by the fabrics. Everything still looked like it had been run through a magic rainbow blender, so I had no idea what color anything was. But I imagined it was a dark tee and faded blue jeans. No idea why. Maybe because he reminded me of the lead in a lumberjack Hallmark romance.
He sat on the bed next to me. In the kitchen, the water ran, shut off, and clinks of movement echoed—then the scent of something delicious drifted into the room. Well. At least she could cook.
“Alissa is from the town in the valley below. She... does this.”
What, stops by unannounced and barges into your house?I snapped my beak shut. Maybe he liked her. I didn’t know why that thought made me uncomfortable, but it did. A bit. Okay, really just a smidge. And I had absolutely no idea why. I literally just met this man a few days ago.
I made a confused warbling sound.
Also, I could see coins on his dresser from where I was perched, and I had a very strong urge to... hide them? They were so shiny. So mesmerizing. And Iwantedthem.
Alaric followed my gaze, saw the coins, and chuckled.
“Are you having compulsive urges, Everly?”
What?! No!
He looked at me, and for a second—just a flicker—his expression softened. There was tenderness in his eyes. But then he masked it, his eyes becoming blank and unreadable, and I suddenly hated that.
“Anything in my house is fair game for you to hoard,” he said. “As a dragon, I get it. But if you steal my keys, try to remember where you stashed them, so we’re not stuck here.”
My brain short-circuited, torn between raven instincts and Everly instincts.
Alaric didn’t seem to need my answer. He held out his hand and I hopped on. But before he opened the bedroom door, he hesitated and sighed.
“I don’t ever encourage her,” he muttered, “but she’s been persistent.”
Clearly.
He must have heard the sass in my silence, because the corner of his mouth lifted again.
“She’s a fox shifter, just so you know,” he added, then took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I’m going to tell her you’re my pet, and that you’re off-limits.”
Wait—what?
Somehow, he sensed my confusion.
“You know,” he said casually, “because foxes eat birds.”
WHAT?!
We left his bedroom with me hissing at him, which made him quietly chuckle. And not once did I stop to think how odd it was that Alaric pulled me into his bedroom for a private conversation—even though we’d only known each other for a matter of days.
Somehow, it felt like we’d known each other for way longer.
When we entered the kitchen, I was perched on Alaric’s shoulder. My talons dug into his tee shirt with a grip so fierce I was sure I was scratching him—but being up on his shoulders was way more terrifying than being in his hands.
