“And that is my second favorite color,” he remarked, pointing to my face.
“You’re only making it worse,” I groaned as I tried to hide behind my hands.
He laughed, a lyrical and alluring sound that I wanted to hear all the time.
“What’s your favorite food?” I said when I finally managed to get myself under control.
“I’m a simple guy.” He shrugged. “Nothing beats a good hamburger. I’ve had fantastic meals from all over during my travels, but there’s just something about the wholesomeness of a simple burger that can’t be beat.”
“Wow. That was more profound than I expected,” I admitted.
“What can I say? More than just a pretty face,” he joked with a wink.
“What’s your favorite dessert?” I asked.
“Cherry pie,” he answered without hesitation. “And it’s also my favorite scent, if you were wondering,” he offered with a mischievous grin as he leaned over and took a long sniff of my hair.
“Are you saying I smell like cherry pie?” I asked with a giggle as he sighed happily.
“Like fresh from the oven. Sweet and tart with just a hint of spice,” he whispered, his voice growing husky as he took another whiff. “Good enough to eat.”
Oh my Goddess. I’m not going to survive this lunch if he keeps saying things like that.
“Uh…Taffy and Dillon mentioned that you’ve traveled a lot,” I said quickly, tripping over the words as I tried to refocus on my main goal. “I didn’t realize it was so extensive. How many other countries have you visited?”
He smiled as he took another bite of his salad, like he knew the exact effect he was having on me.
“Including this one? Twenty-seven,” he replied after a moment. “Dillon and I started traveling for training and other pack business when we were teenagers. It wasn’t until my father handed down the alpha title that I started sticking closer to home.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “Twenty-seven?!”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” he confirmed with a nod. “Some places we stayed in for several months while we trained with their warriors. Other times it was only for a week or two as we settled some pack business.”
He leaned back on his elbows as he looked over his territory.
“Not every pack appreciates venturing beyond their own borders, but we’ve seen the value in it. When you have allies across the world, you have access to a bounty of friends andresources. You also open yourself up to a wealth of knowledge that you might not have otherwise had access to.”
“So, which one was your favorite?” I asked, smiling at the wisdom in his words.
“Now? I would have to say this one because it’s the one you’re in,” he replied with a cheesy grin, causing me to giggle once again.
“Be serious,” I chuckled.
“Seriously? That’s a tough question. There’s really something to love about each country and its people,” he replied with a sigh. “But if I had to pick…I’d probably choose Norway.” “Why?”
“Something about standing on the edge of a cliff and looking out over a fjord as the sun rises in the distance,” he said wistfully. “It’s a hard view to beat. I’ve been there a couple of times. There’s a pack there that specializes in extreme cold weather training. Another still lives like the packs did during the Viking Age.”
“Wow, really? I bet that was incredible,” I said, unable to keep the envy out of my voice.
I’d never gotten to travel much of anywhere because Sunny was never allowed to go anywhere. Our father was always too worried about Dark Moon coming after her to let her venture far beyond our territory.
“It was. I’ve even traveled across northern Scandinavia with a pack of nomads that herd reindeer for a living. It was an amazing experience,” he replied, still apparently awestruck by the memory. “I never spent time with a pack that wasn’t bound by borders before.”
“I wish I could see it,” I replied, marveling at the way his eyes lit up when he spoke.
“I’ll take you there sometime,” he said softly, reaching over to brush my hair behind my ear.
***
