“Yes!” he cried. “You figured it out! I mean, it wasn’t a secret, but…”
Out of nowhere, Saffron’s cheeks turned a shade of pink. It made my chest feel strange.
Hells, was it hot in here?
Saffron tore his eyes away from me. He glanced back at the TV and sank into the couch. “A-anyway, let’s start the movie.”
The weird feeling disappeared, though I remained overheated. At first, I couldn’t focus on the movie. I spent the first ten minutes silently berating myself for losing my chance to kill a dragon. If Sheba and Knox were here, they would punish me, and I’d deserve it.
But soon, the allure of the colorful images and characters won me over. I forgot my thoughts and paid attention to the movie.
And I was enraptured.
My mission faded into the background of my consciousness. My whole focus was on the strange reptilian creature and his journey.
I opened my mouth to ask a question, then stopped. I didn’t know how many questions Saffron would tolerate. Back home, even one was too many.
Saffron must’ve noticed my desire to speak. He looked at me expectantly. “What’s up?”
He seemed open to my queries, so I took the risk. “What type of animal is a ‘long-neck’?”
“He’s a dinosaur,” Saffron replied. “Don’t ask me what kind, ‘cause I ain’t a dinosaur expert.”
I had never heard of a dinosaur in my life. Overriding years of etiquette training, I asked, “Where do they live?”
“They don’t exist anymore.”
“Why? What happened to them?”
The edges of Saffron’s mouth sloped into a concerned frown. The subtle change on his face made me think I’d said something wrong. Perhaps I’d bothered him with too many questions.
Before he could respond, I said, “I’m sorry. Never mind.”
We both went back to watching the movie. My real-life curiosities faded. Maybe it was better if I didn’t know too much. My focus was on my mission, not learning.
But I found myself spellbound by the movie. I didn’t know they were so wonderful. I understood why they were off-limits for us omegas back home. We would easily spend all day indulging and forget our duties.
My shoulders relaxed. I sank deeper into the couch. Beside me, I felt Saffron’s elbow imperceptibly brush against the tips of my arm fur. That slight touch sent a warm pulse through my veins.
Maybe here in the dragon’s lair, alone in this moment with my mortal enemy, I could enjoy a single movie before I did what had to be done.
6
Saffron
Rorik was…odd.
My curiosity ran rampant. For once in my life, the movie faded into the background. I couldn’t concentrate on it at all.
Where was Rorik from? And what the hell happened to him? Why didn’t he know about dinosaurs? Why had he never watched a single film?
I felt defensive over him again. Sure, he was a huge polar bear who didn’t necessarily need my protection, but something felt wrong. I knew it in my gut. My instincts said to protect Rorik. I needed to draw out the truth so I knew what exactly I was dealing with, and how I could help him.
I picked up the remote and paused the movie. Rorik kept staring at the screen like nothing had happened.
“Hey,” I said. “It’s okay, I paused it.”
He turned to me. “Oh.”
