Page 21 of Sanctuary with a Dragon
Don’t say it.
“Sorry, Everly. You guys don’t have the enzyme to break down dairy. It’ll upset your stomach.”
I gaped as he put away my precious ice cream and shut the freezer with a final sounding thump.
No ice cream?
But... but...
He gently picked me up. “How about some berries instead?”
Oh yes, because berries taste better than ice cream,I grumbled.
Alaric was fighting a smile at my grumpiness. “No berries? Are you sure?”
I turned my back on him, lifting my beak into the air, and he chuckled.
“How about a movie, instead?”
Ugh, no. The very idea of all the swirling colors on the TV was enough to make me nauseous. I reluctantly shook my head. I couldn’t ignore him entirely—that would be rude.
“How about a walk?”
Like I was a pet? Like he was walking a pet! I didn’t need walks, I wanted ice cream! Rocky road! Cookies and cream! Peanut butter cups and chocolate!
I turned back to him, vocalizing my indignation, and he laughed, gently scooping me into his hand again, and holding me against his chest. “It’s a nice evening, and it’ll probably feel good to get outside for a bit.”
I grumbled but submitted to being walked like a dog, chortling when he grabbed his wallet and keys. Why did guys do that? I mean, the keys made sense. I was terrified of locking myself out of my apartment, so my keys went everywhere with me—even if I was just taking out the trash—but his wallet? Why on earth would he need a wallet on a walk?
I shook my head. Maybe it was just habit.
Habits could be so strange.
Chapter 7
Alaric
My mate is Snow White in raven form.
With a certain amount of humor from me, and a lot of grumbles from Everly, we’d made our way to one of the streams on my property that was fully gushing now that spring was here, and were now on our way back.
Along the way, Everly had acquired a few... admirers.
It had started with a wolf cub, and then the wolf mother, seemingly resigned, followed her cub from a distance as the cub followed Everly. From there, it had progressed to an arctic fox following her, then a mountain goat, then a deer. Just now, a family of red squirrels joined the throng trailing us.
Everly had insisted she be allowed to walk, and was now awkwardly trotting with her head on a swivel, goggling at the animals following us like she couldn’tunderstand what was happening.
A gaping raven was quite funny, but I understood my assignment, anddid not laugh.But oh, how I wanted to. It was only a few days in, and I was finding my mate to be positively delightful.
Everly stopped. The animals stopped. She started walking again, and they started walking again. After a while, she got frustrated and started squawking at them. They stopped politely to listen.
I choked on laughter, but hid it in a cough, then looked away when she glared at me. I couldn’t help it. She wasn’t trying to be funny, but she didn’t really have to try, I was finding. She just was. It was in her movements, and the expressions on her face.
I didn’t think this animal thing had anything to do with her being my mate. My sense was that it had everything to do with Everly. But just in case, I called Shay. I’d ask him to take another look at her—hopefully, he could figure out whatever it was.
I held my phone to my ear, pretending not to notice a moose join the throng and fold its legs beneath its body to lie down near where Everly had stopped again.
“My date is going to think I’m having an illicit affair,” Shay said, answering his phone.
