“Those pelts weren’t for meat.”
My hand recoiled as if I’d touched a rattlesnake.
Matteo still had his back to me as he nibbled on his candy. “That’s what happens when Shifters cross into my territory.”
“Is that what the traps are for? Catching intruders?”
“A man has to protect his land from all sides.”
Great. Just what I needed. My only two options were sitting here until morning or falling into another death pit and impaling myself on a metal spike.
I glided past embroidered wall hangings. “Nice needlework. Have you thought about buying a television? It’s a great way to kill time.”
When he spoke, his voice dropped an octave. “You may critique anything in my home except for those.”
When I looked back, his body had tensed like a lion about to pounce.
Interesting.
I crossed to the other side of the fireplace. A small bed tucked in the corner had a fur blanket over it, and blankets hanging from rods covered all the windows, insulating the cabin from chilly drafts. “So… you live out here by yourself?”
He grunted an affirmative sound.
When I reached my bag, I quietly lifted it and moved toward the door.
“What’s your Breed?” he asked, rising to his feet. He crossed the room in five easy strides and leaned against the door, arms folded, eyes on me but his mind on the bag in my hands.
If a Mage had one natural enemy, it was a Chitah. Just because he’d fed me didn’t mean we were pals. Many of my past enemies had bought me drinks or invited me to parties. While Matteo’s venom didn’t pose a threat, that wouldn’t stop him from finding another way to kill me.
“Well?” he pressed.
“A Relic.”
His nose twitched. “Lies.”
“Maybe your nose is off.”
“My nose is never off. I can always smell a lie.”
I set my bag on the floor. “Care to make it interesting?”
He turned his head away as if uninterested.
“I’ll say something, and you have to guess if I’m lying or telling the truth.”
“Balderdash.”
“Are you chicken?”
“This is a silly game.”
“If I can fool your nose, you have to tell me where the lions are camped.”
His golden eyes slanted toward me even though he was still looking away. “And if you can’t trick me?”
“I’ll… I’ll pay you a thousand dollars.”
After a beat, he slowly shifted his full attention toward me. “If I win, you wash my hair.”
