“This place really does feel like we stepped back in time,” Riley said. “Other than the sorhoxes and luminooks, that is.”
“We want it to feel that way. My brothers and I wanted to create something that felt authentic but safe. A place where families could experience adventure without real danger.”
“Mission accomplished. Today felt like the most excitement this town’s seen in months, and it was just graffiti.”
“You’d be surprised. Tark had tobreak up a heated argument about sorhox grooming techniques last week. They nearly came to blows over the proper way to clean clawed hooves.”
Riley laughed, the sound bright and musical. “I would’ve loved to see that.”
“Tark took notes afterward. He said it would make good material for his poetry.”
We’d reached the saloon, its windows glowing. I wanted to kiss Riley again, wanted to pull her close and tell her everything I was feeling, but the conversation about mating marks had left us both off-balance.
I stopped on the boardwalk in front of the red swinging doors. “I hope you sleep well, Riley.”
“You too.”
I waited until she disappeared inside before turning, my heart full of hope and uncertainty. Tomorrow we’d talk more about what the mating mark meant, about the feelings growing between us, and about whatever future we might find together.
Tonight, it was enough to know she wanted to have that conversation at all.
I was halfway down the boardwalk when Greel called out from the saloon doorway, his usually calm expression troubled.
“Dungar.” He jogged to catch up with me. “We have a problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“A water main broke in Riley’s room. It flooded the storage area below. The hotel’s full of tourists, and we don’t have anywhere to put Riley for the night.”
“Aunt Inla?” She had a spare room.
“Remember? She’s having her home redone.”
That was right.
I couldn’t think of any other place where she could stay except in the town a few cleks down the road, and I didn’t like the thought of her being alone with no one around to watch out for her. She was afraid for a reason I hoped she’d soon share. Until then, I felt better keeping an eye on her or knowing that one of my brothers was doing it for me.
My protective instincts flared. “Where is Riley now?”
“She’s trying to salvage what she can from her room. Most of her things are soaked.”
I was already turning back toward the hotel before he finished speaking, my mind racing through solutions. Riley needed somewhere safe to stay, and I would not let her spend the night on a lobby couch.
“There’s room at my place,” I said.
“You have one bedroom.” Greel raised an eyebrow.
Having Riley in my home, in my space, would test every bit of self-control I possessed. But the alternative of her being uncomfortable or unsafe wasn’t acceptable.
“We can make it work.”
Chapter 11
Riley
The deep whoop-whoop-whoop that erupted from Dungar’s throat made me jump where I stood on the boardwalk in front of the saloon, my bag full of wet clothing plopped by my feet. The sound of his call echoed off the buildings. Within moments, the ground began to vibrate beneath my feet, a rhythmic thundering that grew louder with each passing second.
“Oh my God.” I pressed myself against the saloon’s front wall as a massive creature rounded the corner of Main Street, its hooves leaving deep impressions in the packed earth.
