Fourteen
Nolan
Rapid knocks at thedoor had me on high alert in a second, especially when I sensed Zamir. He was supposed to be here for our date, but his knocks sounded much too urgent.
I rushed to the door as Muffin and Clip raced after me, and jerked the door open. Zamir rushed inside, and I closed the door after him.
I grabbed his shoulders before he could get far and scanned him from head to toe, searching for injuries or anything that might be amiss.
"What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"
"I'm okay, I'm okay," he murmured, as he reached up to cup my cheeks and squinted at me. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry."
I nodded and took a deep breath, assured my dragon all was well, then led Zamir to the couch. Clip and Muffin followed at our heels, then curled up at our feet, content to watch us between their light naps.
"What happened, then? And why are you squinting at me?"
Zamir smiled, a sheepish look on his face as he relaxed his eyes only to squint again. "Fuck. You're too bright."
I tilted my head at him, confused. "Are you... is this some flirting technique I don't know about?"
Zamir snorted, then shook his head. "No, it's me being a dumbass. Okay." He blew out a soft breath. "Do you know what powers shtrigas have?"
"Of course. They—Oh!"
"Yeah. It's been so long since I was at full strength that I forgot all about it, and now, now I'm struggling to block things out. It got so overwhelming out there I closed my eyes and followed our scent trail here. Thank fuck for my other senses or I'd be curled up in a ball somewhere."
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head, a soft smile on his face. "It's notall bad. For example, I can see your concern for me, your care."
"Well, of course I'm concerned," I murmured, and he smiled wider.
"It's still nice to see. Pink suits you," he said, and I chuckled. Lahey had explained to me in detail how her powers worked, so I knew he could see people's emotions as different colors displayed in a translucent aura around them, where intense emotions showed in a more solid color.
"I know we said we'd go out today, but would you like to do something different?"
Zamir thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "I still want to, but maybe we could go somewhere with fewer people?"
I mulled over it, then remembered Sofia's message from a few days ago. Had it only been five days since I met this man? "How do you feel about hiking?"
Zamir lit up. "I'd love that! Can we take Muffin and Clip?"
The dogs perked up at their names, turning their warm puppy-dog eyes on me. When I looked at Zamir, he had a similar look on his face, his brown eyes soft and wide.
"Of course. I know a few trails that allow pets."
"Perfect!"
Ten minutes later, we were in my car, the dogs strapped into the backseat. The drive to the trails wasn't long, and Zamir kept his eyes on me the whole way. He said it kept him from getting overwhelmed by the emotions of the people we passed, and I didn't mind either way. I liked having his eyes on me.
"The longer I stare at you, the easier it gets," he said, and I shot him a raised brow.
"That's exactly what every person wants to hear from their mate," I joked, making him snicker.
"Sorry, you know what I meant. Besides, the first time I saw you, I couldn't look away from you."
"Yeah?"
