Sammy had been by my side through the whole thing. She was my rock, and I needed her without adding sex into the mix. I’d never recover if something happened to her.
I set my pack on the bed and turned to look at her. She was at the mirror, fixing her braid that had come loose from our travels.
“If you don’t feel up to going to the tavern, I can go alone.” I rubbed my beard a few times as I watched her do some crazy looping to get all the hair to stay at the back of her head. Women were amazing like that. The best I could do was a half-assed bun.
Her eyes met mine in the mirror, and she smiled. “You need a babysitter. I know what these assholes did to you. Can’t have you collecting any more nuts.”
“That’s in the past, Peanut. I won’t pick a fight.” I sat on the bed and waited as she dug in her bag.
She pulled her shirt off to change, and I resisted the urge to palm my dick, which was growing uncomfortable in my pants. My desire for her had gotten bad lately. Maybe I needed to find a woman tonight to get her out of my system.
That’s not what I wanted, though.
We left the room and made our way out of the inn and down the road. Shifters were a social group, always preferring to spend time with others instead of alone. They were also loud and had loose lips, and we needed information about the prince’s return before we risked approaching the castle. If we were going to find out anything, it would be at the tavern.
A wolf shifter bumped into Sammy as we reached the tavern door, his hand lingering too long on her waist as he steadied her. “Sorry about that, sweetheart.”
Before he finished the sentence, I had him pinned against the wall, my forearm pressing against his throat. My voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Touch her again, and you’ll be eating through a straw for the next century.”
“Nico.” Sammy’s hand on my shoulder was gentle but held warning.
I was on edge, but I released him, watching as he slunk away with a growl. The few people outside the tavern had gone quiet, staring at us with open mouths and wide eyes.
So much for blending in.
“Feel better?” Sammy’s eyebrow arched, but I saw the appreciation in her eyes, no matter how she tried to hide it.
I shrugged, placing my hand on the small of her back. “I’ll feel better once we’re out of here with what we need.”
She snorted as we walked inside the Lion’s Den. “Shifter sense of humor leaves a lot to be desired.” She walked in front of me as we wove our way through the tables to get to the bar. “Wow. They have no shame looking at me like I’m a piece of meat. Should I be scared?”
We found two empty barstools, and I moved her over next to the rhino instead of the cheetah she had been about to sit next to. Cheetahs were notorious thieves of women’s panties.
“What can I get for you?” The bartender, a lion, put two napkins on the bar. His eyes lingered on Sammy before turning to me.
“Two beers.” I was half-surprised the lion didn’t crack a joke about me being a squirrel.
“Do you have money? We don’t accept acorns as payment here.” A few of the shifters within earshot snickered.
I clenched my fist and reached into my pocket for coins. The taunting was one reason I left village life. There was no respect for the smaller shifters, and it was nauseating.
I slid the payment across the bar and crossed my arms over my chest. Sammy put her hand on my forearm and squeezed it.
The lion returned with our beers and turned his attention back to Sammy. “Haven’t seen you around these parts. That’s some hair you have there. Are you a magic-user?”
“Something like that.” Sammy took a drink of her beer and wrinkled her nose. “This tastes like?—”
“The finest beer in Inferna. Thanks, man.” I shook my head when Sammy raised her eyebrows at me.
The lion shifter returned to serving customers and let us be. The beer was geared toward carnivores, so it had a slight coppery taste. I could barely stand it.
We sipped our drinks in silence, both of us scanning the tavern while pretending not to.
I leaned in closer, keeping my voice low. “How much longer do we need to stay in this shithole?”
Sammy tilted her head toward a group of men at the bar. “Until we hear something useful.”
A few men were talking a few seats over from us. I turned in my seat so my ear pointed in their direction. While my squirrel hearing wasn’t as strong as a predator’s, it had its advantages, especially in a noisy tavern.
