“I brought you a snack.”
Rime and Kain both turn to me with rapt attention until they see the two apples in my hand. Once more, I’m met with scowling glares.
It’s like these assholes have never seen an apple before.
“It’s not going to kill you to eat fruit, I promise.”
Rime snatches the apple from my hand, his fingers skimming against my wrist before he takes an enormous bite.
“I’ll eat basically anything.” He doesn’t look at me as he chews, staring out at the dusty yard in front of Agatha’s cottage as if he might have missed his mage in the ten seconds it took him to engage with me. His teeth sink nearly into the core with another large and careless bite.
Kain slowly takes the other apple and with less enthusiasm, he takes a small, slow bite. Sunlight shines on his fiery hair making it brighter, making his forest green eyes darker, making him entirely too attractive for his own good.
But it doesn’t distract me from noticing that I received zero thank-yous for thinking of them.
Of the three dragons, it’s easy to see Kain is the leader. The alpha. It’s like he carries the weight of their problems on his shoulders and he watches out for them even if he doesn’t realize he’s doing it. I wonder what it’d be like to always have someone on my side like that.
“Everything okay at home?” Kain turns to me, and I realize I’m still studying the curve of his jaw when he tilts his head down to meet my gaze. “Everything okay?” he repeats slowly.
“Yeah. Perfect. Nothing to worry about.”
He shakes his head, his hard gaze shifting over every shadow.
“Good. We’ll take care of this. I—I’m sorry we dragged you into this.” The sincerity in his voice makes the guilt within me rise to an unbearable high, threatening to drown me for deceiving these innocent men.
The tightness in my chest doesn’t allow a single word to slip past my lips, so I nod instead.
“Take her home. Take care of her. If anything happens, just let me know.” Kain taps intentionally against his temple, and my brows lower as Chaos slips his hand into mine. I’m still watching Kain when Chaos starts to lead me away, back the way we came.
Fierce emerald eyes lock on mine, holding my gaze until I’m completely out of sight. I feel Kain’s attention burning across my flesh even after the silence and peace starts to settle in.
“What did he mean when he tapped his head?”
“You’re a curious woman. Take it from someone who knows, nothing good comes from too much curiosity.”
His words only make me more interested, about him more than anything. Chaos is the tallest of the three, well over six feet tall with the solid muscle mass to match. He’s unexpectedly sweet and gentle despite his bulky exterior. It doesn’t surprise me to know he’s a curious creature as well.
“I’m a beast tamer. It interests me.”
“So, you like to study us? Is that why you’re always checking Kain out?” He pauses for a beat. “I always thought Rime was the pretty one.” His shoulder bumps against my bare arm, his hand still loosely holding mine. The teasing lilt of his voice makes me smile but the honesty in his word circles my mind. He thinks Rime is pretty ...
He’s not wrong.
“I studied animals for years actually.”
“You’re good with animals.” His tone becomes serious but quieter. “My dragon side loves you. He’d try to steal you away for himself if I let him.”
Dragons are greedy by nature, but his comment has me openly gaping at him. No one’s offered to steal me away in a long time.
I’m older now. I don’t need someone to save me from my life.
Not that I’m doing such a spectacular job on my own.
“In our dragon form, there’s a bond that can be made. It’s so intense our thoughts and emotions link together.”
“Like telepathically?”
His lips part as he thinks through his thoughts.
